Establishment of the Association for
Faculty Women (AFW)
Timeline of early events that promoted concerns
of women and lead to the formation AFW:
1969: AFW had its origins in the Pullman
Committee for Women, which was set up in 1969 to plan action programs on
behalf of women. It functioned through subcommittees, which included one on academic
women. Issues of concern included:
- elimination of the nepotism rule at WSU,
- establishment of women's studies courses,
- review of salary and promotion equity, and
- establishment of a WSU Commission on the Status of Women.
1970: The first women's studies course at WSU, which was developed by the
Associated Women Students and the subcommittee on faculty women, was offered
during the spring.
1971: A proposal for the creation of a WSU
Commission on the Status of Women was submitted to President Glenn Terrell
in the spring. It stated:
"Commissions on the status of
women constitute official recognition of the particular treatment accorded
women, the frequent injustices resulting from this treatment, and the
potentialities for eliminating those injustices. It is for these purposes, as well as to
facilitate the gathering of data necessary to make appropriate policy
recommendations that we propose the appointment of a Commission on the Status
of Women at WSU."
In May 1971, President Terrell
established the WSU Commission on the Status of Women with members representing
faculty, staff, students, and administration.
The WSU nepotism rule was dropped in 1971.
1972: The WSU Commission on the Status of Women
issued its first report, The Status of Faculty Women at WSU.
By 1972, Pullman had a local
chapter of the National Organization for Women, which provided an effective
means for addressing community, state, and national concerns.
1973: The first ever WSU salary equity
review,
which The Pullman Committee for Women had pushed for, was
completed and resulted in salary adjustments for some women
ranging up to $6,000.
1975: By this time, many of the objectives of the
Committee for Women were being met by other organizations. A member of the subcommittee on academic
women had served on the Affirmative Action Council, a predecessor of the
Affirmative Action Office. However, one
of the most important functions of the subcommittee on academic women was to
provide support and communication. The
subcommittee on academic women had organized a Women's Caucus which met
weekly. The subcommittee continued to
meet and finalized plans for the first formal meeting of the Faculty Women's Committee (the group
that later became AFW) in fall 1975.
The major purposes were:
1) to provide a means for faculty
woken to become acquainted with each other
2) to share mutual interests,
activities, and concerns, particularly as they relate to academic responsibilities
of teaching and research at WSU
3) to provide a structure by which
faculty women as an academic group can consider issues, give input and make
recommendations to bodies such as the Commission on the Status of Women, the
University Senate, and other committees and to the administration
4) to further professional growth
of faculty women through special programs, state and national speakers and
consultants.
The initial membership list had 35
names representing 14 WSU departments. Steering committee members were Carole Johnson, Julie Lutz, Betty P.
Roberts, and Inga Kromann-Kelly, Chair.
During the first year, luncheons were held with
gubernatorial candidate Dixie Lee Ray and with the Board of Regents. Other activities during AFW's early years were
to have its representatives routinely meet with candidates for administrative
positions and with women interviewing for faculty positions.
