Georgia State University, Office of the Advancement of Women records

Collection

Identifier: W073

Staff Only
Not requestable

Scope and Content Records

The Georgia State University Office of the Advancement of Women (A of W) records are comprised of administrative and reference materials, 1974-2004. The records include leadership forums, task force reports, comprehensive activities reports, questionnaires, strategic plans, position papers, applications for the various programs implemented, mentorship forms, assertiveness training, as well as articles which support the A of W's structure and philosophy. The Office of the Advancement of Women records are organized into two series; Series I, the Office of the Advancement of Women, and Series II, the Staff Steering Committee. Each series includes administrative documents and reference materials which support various programs implemented.

Dates

Creation: 1974-2005
Creation: Majority of material found within 1990 - 2005

Creator

Georgia State University. Office of the Advancement of Women (Organization)

Restrictions on access

Collection is open for research. Access to mentorship applications is restricted for 75 years from date of creation.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.

The History of the Office of the Advancement of Women at Georgia State University

The mission of the Office of the Advancement of Women (A of W) at Georgia State University (GSU) is to enhance collective efforts to improve the status of women at GSU. Based in the Provost's Office, the A of W collaborates with GSU colleges, administrative departments, and local and national women's programs to identify needs, offer support, and develop opportunities for professional development of women faculty and administrators at the university. A of W endeavors to work with campus administrators to promote awareness, activities, and policies that support increased sponsorship of women to advanced faculty rank and inclusion of women in senior decision-making bodies and top administrative positions.

The Office of the Advancement of Women at Georgia State University was established in December 1999 by President Carl Patton, and was preceded by the Provost-appointed Ad Hoc Task Force on the Advancement of Women which was charged to investigate the current state of leadership for women at GSU. The task force reported that while women comprised more than fifty percent of the university's work force, this percentage was not reflected in institution's leadership. A of W was created to implement the recommendations reported by the Task Force, and is headed by the Senior Faculty Associate for the Advancement of Women. That position has been held by Pauline Rose Clance (of GSU's Philosophy Department), 1999-2003; Susan Talburt (Education), 2003; and Mary Finn (Criminal Justice), who became Senior Faculty Associate in Fall 2007. In 2003, two committees were formed: the Staff Steering Committee and the Faculty Steering Committee. The Staff Steering Committee, originally headed by Cherise Peters, was divided into two sub-committees: the Leadership Academy, which was created in November 2004, and co-chaired by Jennifer Stewart and Beth Farokhi; and the Mentoring Sub-committee, chaired by Dethra Giles.