President's Commission on the Status of Women

Article on "A Room of One's Own" Discussion and the Opening of the Women's Center
Women's Center article

In an article published in the Dickinsonian in March 1984, Daphne
Moritz reports on the grand opening of the Women's Center and the
discussion of Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own" given at the event
by Professor Ellen Rosenman and Jo Banks.

Date: March 1984
All terms: 1980-1989, Banks, Jo, Dickinsonian, Firsts, Moritz, Daphne, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Rosenman, Ellen, Women's Center, Women's Center (student run), Women's Center Opening, Woolf, Virginia
Women: Progress in the 80's
Women's Leadership Conference Invitation

An invitation to the second annual Dickinson College Women's Leadership Conference, entitled "Women: Progress in the 80's."  The program, held at the Bernard Center for the Humanities, is sponsored by the Pan Hellenic Council, the Internship Office, Student Senate, Student Services, and the Commission on the Status of Women.  Speakers include Sylvia Rambo (keynote address), Barbara Bagri ("Women in the Arts"), Bonna Coulter ("Women in Medicine"), Denise Dwight ("What about the future?"), Martha Lester (Women in Media), Cynthia Nixon-Hudson ("Women, Education, and the Arts"), Rita Clark ("Wo

Date: March 29, 1980
All terms: 1980-1989, Bagri, Barbara, Bernard Center for the Humanities, Cline, Deborah, Coulter, Bonna, Dwight, Denise, Hackman, Lisa, Internship Office, Lester, Martha, Morefield, Mary Anne, Nixon-Hudson, Cynthia, Panhellenic Council, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Rambo, Sylvia, Student Senate, Student Services, Women's Leadership Conference
College Lacks Gynecological Service for Women
gynecological fail.jpg

This article is the third in a four-part series on the status of women at Dickinson College by the President's Commission on the Status of Women dealing with women's health on campus. The College, while it does not offer any gynecological services at the health center, offers a referral service to private gynecologists at Belvedere Medical Center that are not free of charge. What studies have found however are that more women go to the Tri-County Family Planning Center where the cost is cheaper and they are able to receive more useful information.

Date: October 23, 1980
All terms: 1980-1989, Gynecology, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Sexual health
Women's Groups Share Differing Ideas
WRC Concerns.jpg

This article is the last of a four-part series published by the President's Commission on the Status of Women at Dickinson College to examine certain elements of campus life that provide a negative atmosphere for women. The Commission focused on in this article two women's groups on campus, the Women's Resource Center and the Zatae Longsdorff Feminist Organization. The WRC tended to focus on relationships between male and female students.

Date: October 30, 1980
All terms: 1980-1989, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Women's Resource Center, Zatae Longsdorff Organization
Sororities Thought to Contribute to Negative Atmosphere for Women
Sororities Questioned

This article is the first in a four-part series exploring the status of women at Dickinson College. The President's Commission on the Status of Women observed that even though women hold the majority on campus, they tend to act like they are in the minority. The article also noted that "Dickinson women often define themselves in terms of men - thinking of themselves as 'someone's girlfriend' or as a 'groupie to a particular fraternity.'" Some professors and students felt that sororities contributed to this atmosphere on campus and reinforce this in women.

Date: October 2, 1980
All terms: 1980-1989, Boyd, Becky, Gamma Phi Beta, O'Brien, Sharon, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Sororities
Special Housing for Greek Life Proves Detrimental for Women
Women's Commission

As the second article in a four-part series that deal with the status of women at Dickinson, this article discussed campus-affiliated organizations.The President's Commission on the Status of Women at Dickinson College had decided that Greek Life is most likely harming women's experiences at Dickinson and the atmosphere it creates allows for a "poor preparation for the kinds of relationships among women and men that they will face after College." The Women's Commission raised some important questions on Greek organizations, such as should Dickinson have Greek Life?

Date: October 9, 1980
All terms: 1980-1989, Fraternities, Greek life, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Sororities
Administrators explain and complain about gender barriers and sexism

In this Dickininsonian article from March 1992, the issue of percieved gender roles for professors and staff at the College is discussed. The need for not just more women professors but women professors across all academic disciplines is addressed.

Date: March 5, 1992
All terms: 1990-1999, Administration, Administration, Affirmative action, Allan, George, Arndt, Charles, Borre, Kristin, Donaldson, Mara, Faculty, Farrell, Amy, Female Faculty, Mermaid Players, Paul, Amy, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Social and Academic Affairs Committee
Opinion: The status of Women
Letters: The status of Women

An opinion piece responding to many of the issues raised by the College's status of women report, incorporating discussion of the recent confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas.

Date: October 17, 1991
All terms: 1990-1999, Fraternities, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stop the Violence, Women at Dickinson College report
College report evaluates the status of women
College report evaluates the status of women

“Professor Kim Rogers, assistant
professor of history and chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women,
recently submitted the committee’s final report to Steven McDonald, Associate
Dean of the College and President Fritschler.

Date: October 17, 1991
All terms: 1990-1999, Faculty, Female Faculty, Fritschler, A. Lee, Greek life, Greek Life, McDonald, Steven, Paul, Amy, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Roethke, Gisela, Rogers, Kim, Sexual assault, Shattuck, Scott, Students
Progress Report: Commission on the Status of Women at Dickinson College
glaziera11.jpg

This Progress Reports includes changes and plans to change College policy regarding female students. Most notably is the mention of the 1973 Spring semester and the success of the movements to "rescind the 'sex quota,' by action of the Board of Trustees, so that henceforth Dickinson College will strive for an approximate ratio of 1:1 in admissions of male and female students; and to omit singing at College functions the last verse of the Alma Mater, with its references to 'men' and 'sons.'"

Date: May 4, 1973
All terms: 1970-1979, Activism, Affirmative action, Alumni Magazine, Alumni Office, Board of Trustees, Employment, Enrollment quota, Faculty, Female Faculty, President's Commission on the Status of Women, Scholarships, Trustees, Women's rights movement