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Herstory: The History of the Women Students' Office at UBC
by Dr. Begum Verjee, Diversity Advisor/Women, UBC, 2004/05
1920s
Dean Mary Bollert [Courtesy of UBC Archives]
The Dean of Women's Office at the University of British Columbia (UBC) was created in 1921 in response to a community lobby organized by women students at UBC, the Faculty Women's Club, and women's organizations across British Columbia. This lobby called for a proper environment for "young ladies on campus" to be established, which led to the creation of this office. The primary focus of the Dean of Women's Office was to assist women students in realizing their full educational potential while at UBC.
Mary Bollert, a newly arrived English professor, was appointed by the University to become the first Dean of Women. Her position was established to assist and advise women students regarding possible courses of study, support, and to counsel women students on any personal issues that might arise.
Mary Bollert held her position as Dean of Women at UBC for 20 years. She fought for proper resident accommodation for women students, and created the women students loan fund to assist women students with any financial burdens they might encounter.
1930s
In the early 1930s, the Women's Undergraduate Society (WUS) met with Mary Bollert to discuss the possibility of developing a women's centre on campus – something similar to the Women's Union at the University of Toronto. The cost of this development project was estimated and the building was to include lounges, a ballroom, clubrooms and a gym. The women students received a commitment in provincial funds, and the WUS rose the extra funding toward the construction of this building.
However, the depression hit and the provincial commitment could no longer be kept, forcing the plans for the women's centre at UBC to be shelved.
In 1939, plans by the Alma Mater Society (AMS) re-surfaced to build a Union Building Centre – more specifically, the Brock Memorial Building for students. This building was to honour the contributions of Reginald Brock, Dean of Applied Science at UBC, and Mildred Brock, Dean of Women Students at UBC, who had died in a plane accident in 1935.
This building was to host cultural, social, and athletic activities. With funding gathered from the Board of Governors at UBC, the Brock Memorial Trustees, and funding borrowed by the AMS and the WUS, the building was constructed. The WUS negotiated the terms of their donation by advocating for the establishment of a permanent women students' room in honour of Mildred Brock, who had been the founding member of the Faculty Women's Club
1940s
Dean Dorothy Mawdsley at Fort Camp residences, circa 1950 [Courtesy of UBC Archives]
Dean Dorothy Mawdsley came to the Dean of Women's Office in 1941, and continued the struggle for women's residences in collaboration with a committed group of women from around the province. In 1950, the first women's residence was constructed and opened at Fort Campus, on Southwest Marine Drive.
1950s & 1960s
Helen McCrae, Dean of Women [Courtesy of UBC Archives]
Helen McCrae became Dean in 1959, and worked to give the office professional objectives. Under her direction, the attention of the office was focused towards meeting some of the personal needs for women students that were directly attributable to the changing roles of women in society.
It was at this time that issues of climate for women students was addressed through encouraging and promoting an atmosphere at UBC conducive to equitable learning on campus, in addition to a focus on counselling, advocacy, referrals, and group programs in support of women students.
1970s
Margaret Fulton, speaking at congregation [Courtesy of UBC Archives]
Margaret Fulton became Dean in 1974, and brought the Dean of Women's Office into alignment with the women's movement at that time. The heightened awareness of the status and role of women in society illuminated systemic barriers that prevented the advancement and equal opportunities for women. The implications of such barriers in pursuit of educational goals, and to women achieving their full potential, emerged as an issue of critical concern for the office. Since these issues were identified as structural, political strategies with the task of raising critical consciousness were developed.
In 1978, a President's Advisory Committee was struck to review student services at UBC, which recommended that the position of Dean of Women be changed to that of Director of an Office for Women Students under the direction of the Counselling Centre. However, due to opposition to this recommendation, an Office for Women Students was created which reported directly to a Vice-President at UBC.
The Mildred Brock Room, 203 Brock Memorial Building, became the location for the Office for Women Students. In addition, the women's lounge which had existed in the east side of Brock Memorial Building, was eliminated when the "new" east wing of Brock Hall was created. Room 261, connecting Brock Memorial Building to the Brock Extension, previously designed as a reading room for all graduate students, was designated the women student's lounge and the safe space of refuge for women students.
Lorette Woolsey was the first appointed director of the Women Students' Office in 1978, and she established a strong professional counselling model. The office also expanded to include counsellors with specialization in women's issues, and backgrounds in teaching and administration. A comprehensive service was developed to meet a spectrum of special needs and concerns for women students.
1980s & 1990s
June Lythgoe [Courtesy of UBC Archives]
June Lythgoe became director in 1982 and continued with the mandate of the office. In addition, sexual harassment and career equity issues were also integrated into the mission of the Women Students' Office.
In 1990, Marsha Trew became director, and introduced specific programs and services for marginalized women and women experiencing intersecting inequalities. Support, counselling, and advocacy for women students in addressing systemic barriers remained central to the mandate of the office, including the development of peer education, leadership and mentoring programs, and administration of scholarships and bursaries for women.
Present
In October 2003, the Women Students' Office was integrated into a new unit created at UBC – Access & Diversity – which takes an intersectional approach to the issues faced by women students to understand how gender intersects with other systemic barriers, such as disability, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Access & Diversity is located at 1203 Brock Hall (in the Mildred Brock Memorial Room), and the Women Students' Lounge has moved to Brock Hall room 1261A. Janet Mee is the current Director of Access & Diversity.
References
- History of Women at UBC – Archival documents with Access & Diversity:
- A Glance Back at Women on Campus
- Compiled Information – History of Women at UBC
- History
- Interdepartmental Memorandum, June 13, 1968, The University of British Columbia
- Report of the Committee to Review the Office of Women Students, 1989
- The Ubyssey, January 31, 1940, Vancouver, BC
