The First Faculty Positions

In 1978, Women's Studies hired its first faculty members. One of these positions was the result of a proposal written by the Five College Women's Studies Committee which had been meeting regularly since at least 1974. Five Colleges, Inc (the consortium of the five institutions in the Valley) had a program that would fund a three year terminal appointment for faculty in developing fields who would have responsibilities for teaching at each of the institutions. The proposal was successful and after a national search Janice Raymond who had expertise in Medical Ethics was hired. She was based at Hampshire College, where she taught a course on ecofeminism and at UMass she taught Women's Studies advanced seminar with a particular focus on lesbianism. Eventually, Raymond became full-time at UMass. In addition, after an extensive national search, Susan Yarbrough was appointed to Women’s Studies’ first joint tenure-track position with Legal Studies. In the fall of 1978 she taught Women’s Studies’ introductory seminar focusing on women and work. She also taught women and law in Legal Studies. Folklorist Mary Ruth Warner was also hired that fall into a half-time lecturer position. She began by teaching “Women and Folklore” and went on to teach “Women and Music: AfroAmerican Traditions” the following spring.²¹ At this point, about 90 students were enrolled in WOST and more than half of all majors were over twenty-two years old. A number were in their late twenties or thirties and some were single mothers. Women’s Studies minors were usually traditional on-campus students.²² There were neither male students nor “minority” students enrolled.²³ Also in 1978, the Women’s Studies office moved out of its small room and into its current home, 208 Bartlett. In 1980, Leila Ahmed was hired as a half time, non tenure track lecturer.

In general throughout this period, Women’s Studies provided an intellectual, political, and professional “home” for feminist faculty who were marginalized in their own departments, not rewarded for their politically engaged scholarship, and who sometimes encountered outright hostility toward their work.²⁴ Through the practice of cross-listing courses by affiliated faculty, Women’s Studies also strengthened efforts to bring feminist analysis into other departments. However, involvement with Women’s Studies often had to be a labor of love for many faculty whose time serving on committees and teaching independent Women’s Studies courses (not cross-listed) was not recognized by their home departments and therefore had to be done on top of their departmental responsibilities.

²¹ Women’s Studies Newsletter, Fall 1978.

²² A. Ryan in Alumnus, October-November 1978 – Ann Ferguson papers, Box 6.

²³ Special Report of the Acad. Matters Council, AF papers, Box 6, “Women’s Studies 1st Proposals 1974 & History Thru 1978” Folder.

²⁴ Ann Ferguson interview, 1/21/11.