The records are divided into three series. The Commission for Women Twenty-Fifth Anniversary series contains one folder of sample programs and invitations for the anniversary event which was held in 1996. The contents give a concise history of the organization and highlight the commission's most noteworthy activities.
A VHS video cassette of the anniversary festivities can also be found in the Audio Visual series. Another videotape contains the slide show Turnabout which was also shown at the twenty-fifth anniversary celebration. Turnabout was originally produced and presented in the early 1970s in an effort to raise stereotyping consciousness. One last item in the Audio Visual series is an audio cassette tape of a brown bag luncheon, which featured Carol Hollenshead on the history of the Commission for Women and Laura Calkins who spoke about updating the book A Dangerous Experiment a general history of women attending the University of Michigan.
Margaret Creger was chair of the commission from 1989 to 1991 and co-chair with Kathleen Alonozo from 1991 to 1992. Her records are held in the Margaret Creger Records series and contain correspondence regarding both the commission and the Commission for Women Retirement Subcommittee, meeting notes for this time period, several versions of the commission's strategic plan, and the annual report produced during her tenure. Of special importance are the results of a planning survey which was distributed to Commission for Women members in 1989. The collected information is neatly compiled and offers insight into the concerns of University women in the late 1980s.
The Commission for Women at the University of Michigan was established by President Robben Fleming in 1971 due to pressure from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to stop discrimination against female employees and staff. The University of Michigan's initial noncompliance to this demand resulted in $15 million in federal contracts being withheld from the University. The Commission for Women preceded the University's first Affirmative Action Office which was formed a year later.
Barbara Newell, Fleming's assistant and acting Vice President for Student Affairs created and lead the first commission. Although initially funded, the commission has been a volunteer organization since 1977 consisting of faculty, staff, and student representatives from across campus. In 1977, the commission merged with the Affirmative Action Office, which is responsible for compliance with federal statutes.
The Commission for Women primarily acts as an advocacy group, serving in an advisory role to the Affirmative Action Office and provides programs designed for the professional development of women. Over the years, the commission has tackled issues such as equal employment opportunities, equal compensation and benefits, and career development. The commission also convinced President Duderstadt to hold Town Meetings to discuss areas of concern to women on campus.
Currently, the Commission for Women is continuing as a volunteer organization, staffed by members of the university with the chair and co-chair changing somewhat annually. The commission supports the Michigan Agenda for Women and sees itself as a conduit between staff women and the university administration, working to provide different strategies toward improving the climate for women at the university.
