Search

Virginia Nordby was a lawyer and University of Michigan administrator with positions as director of the Office of Affirmative Action, policy advisor to the president, university freedom of information officer, associate vice-president for government relations and associate vice-president for student affairs. In addition to her duties at the University, she served as a consultant for the Michigan Women's Task Force on Rape, and served as the pricipal drafter of the Michigan Criminal Sexual Conduct Act of 1974. Her work largely focused on affirmative action, Title IX and equality for women in college sports, and addressing sexual violence on campus. This collection includes Nordby's files from her time as policy coordinator, her research topical files, other professional files, and photographs. Also included are files relating to the formulation of the university's student discriminatory policy and to her work as consultant to the Michigan Women's Task Force on Rape.

The Virginia Nordby Papers (1972-1992) document the professional activities of Virginia Nordby during her tenure as a University of Michigan administrator and Law School lecturer. The papers have been divided into three principal series: University Policy and Affirmative Action, Topical Files, and Professional Files.

Series one, University Policy and Affirmative Action contains files relating to Nordby's work for the University of Michigan, including research and policy proposals regarding the student code of conduct, faculty and staff policies, and student affairs. Series two contains Nordby's topical research files relating to her university work and other professional work, namely student discriminatory policy, Title IX and Athletics, and Labor issues. Series three, Professional Files, contains files related to Nordby's legal work, consulting, and speeches given outside of her capacity as a University of Michigan administrator.

Researchers should note that the language used in the collection and finding aid surrounding sexual violence reflects the language in use during Virginia Nordby's career. Some of the language in the descriptive notes has been updated to include currently accepted terminology in 2023. All folder titles in this collection are original, and reflect the language in use during Nordby's career. Original folder titles may include outdated or harmful descriptive language. Original folder titles have been maintained to preserve the original context of how the creator labeled their files.

Administrative unit of the University of Michigan Athletic Department responsible for management of women's varsity sports. Records, including topical files, committee minutes, administrative files, and materials on Title IX, document the period when Womens Athletics operated as a semi-autonomous unit under a Director of Women's Athletics.

The Women's Athletics records document the evolution of varsity sports for women at the University of Michigan, and the struggles women engaged in for equity in funding, coaching, facilities, and scholarships. The bulk of the collection represents the administrative files from Phyllis Ocker's tenure as Associate Director for Women's Intercollegiate Athletics. The records document the internal development and management of the women's athletics program, governance of women's athletics through the various intercollegiate conferences and associations with which the program was affiliated, the implementation of Title IX and subsequent internal and external complaints and investigations, and the management and operation of individual sports teams. (Additional material, including media guides, game programs, and photographs for individual sports teams, and microfilmed news clipping scrapbooks can be found in the Bentley Library in the records of the University of Michigan, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Sports Information Office.)