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Early U of I "HERstory" of Women's Issues
and the Creation of the Women's Center
In 1972, UI President Ernest Hartung appointed a committee to study the high attrition rate of women students (about 35% of the students were women, and their attrition rate was 25-30%). President Hartung wanted to know what the problem was, and why it was occurring. Dean Jean Hill (SAS) was appointed chair of the committee; Elna Grahn, Virginia Wolf, and others also served. The committee's scope was broadened to include other issues affecting women on campus -- numbers of women in the various faculty ranks, promotion, pay scales, etc. The committee did extensive work over the next year or so and published their findings in a booklet (UI's first "campus climate" report).
During this time, those interested in the committee's work would meet weekly; President Hartung and Vice President Robert Coonrod were invited, and did attend. This large group of concerned individuals became known as the Women's Caucus. The committee members spoke to various groups on and off campus about their findings, yet they felt frustrated that progress was not forthcoming. Those who wanted to take further action became the Women's Caucus "Core Group." The Core Group became the vehicle for action; they worked in confidence, had pipelines across campus and the state, and trusted each other fully. When President Hartung declared that he couldn't make change, that they would have to instigate action, the Core Group filed complaints with the Idaho Human Rights Commission and the EEOC in May 1973.
According to Virginia Wolf, chair of the Women's Caucus at the time, the Core Group started planning their strategy carefully. They did not want to damage the university's image or reputation, yet they wanted their story to be told, and for progress to occur for female students, faculty and staff.
Rather than have the complaint go to court, President Hartung and the nine members of the Women's Caucus Core Group (eight were staff members, one was a faculty member) signed a "Conciliation Agreement" on May 8, 1974 which detailed several actions the university would take to address various issues. Some of the results of this agreement were the creation of an Affirmative Action Officer, an affirmative action plan, a Women's Center director, job analysis, back pay, equal starting salaries, High School Relations Program (now called New Students Services) to make good faith efforts to recruit women students, a position filled by a female physician in the Student Health Center, and more. A supplemental appropriations request for one-third of a million dollars was made to the State Legislature for equity in women's salaries at UI.
Once the Conciliation Agreement was signed by UI President Hartung and nine members of the Women's Caucus in May 1974, the focus of the Caucus was to ensure its timely implementation. Representatives from the Idaho Human Rights Commission would make regular compliance reviews of the progress made by the university. As years went by, various portions of the agreement were met, with the appointment of a female physician at the Student Health Center being the last one. Salary studies were done; one-of-a-kind positions were given job descriptions and were Hay point factored; back pay was awarded; an Affirmative Action officer and staff were created; a full-time director of the Women's Center was hired; a High School Relations Office (now New Student Services) was made to focus on the recruitment of women students; and so forth.
What had begun in 1972 with the formation of a president's committee to study the high attrition rate among female students at the university now became the vehicle for long-lasting change affecting many aspects of the lives of women on campus. Much is owed to the university administration and dedication to make these changes possible.
The Women's Caucus continued to meet with noon programs focusing on issues of interest to women, and the Caucus Core Group worked with the university administration on implementation of the agreement.
Then as the times changed, university administration changed, membership in the Caucus changed, the focus around which the Caucus initially formed was no longer a burning issue. With key members of the Caucus no longer at the university and providing leadership, interest in the Caucus lagged. By the early 1980s, the Caucus was no longer meeting.
The Women's Council was formed in 1983 to fill the gap that now existed in an organization on campus focusing on interest of the concerns of women. The purpose of this group, led by Joan West, Libby Stevenson, Nancy Weller, Jackie Hertel, and Jayne Geoffroy was to "assist all women employees in researching their greatest potential by means of mutual support."
There still was a missing element on campus that would direct its work towards issues of concern to women and also fulfill the networking needs of professional women across a diverse university campus. In the spring of 1987, a number of women met to plan for a new organization for professional women at the university with goals of networking, discussion of issues, and professional programs. The group, led by Joan West, included Mary DuPree, Connie McQuillen, Kathy Aiken and Kathie George. By that fall, the group had its first regular meeting and ratified bylaws in November. Finding a name for this group was a difficult task, with the name Athena finally chosen. Joan West was elected as Athena's first president.
And the rest is herstory. The Women's Center and Athena continue to work towards their goals, meeting with the university administration to discuss issues of concern to women and minorities, holding conferences, having professional programs, networking, and doing work through committees (such as Campus Climate). The Women's Center also supports student groups such as Feminist Led Activist Movement to Empower (FLAME), Body Image Task Force (BITF), Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and the Justice Alliance.
Celebrating over 35 years!
Download a pdf copy of the text of the Conciliation Agreement here!
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