Department of Interdisciplinary Studies

1973

• The Organization on the Status of Women (OSW) was founded to support inquiry into issues concerning women faculty at Appalachian.

1974

• A symposium titled "I, Woman" sponsored local speakers as well as Dr. Mildred Keene, a candidate for US Senate.
• OSW sponsored a committee to study faculty salaries at ASU with Dr. Patricia Gaynor as chairperson. This would be the first of several such studies made under the auspices of OSW.
• OSW organized a symposium on "Creative Career Development for Women."
• The Counseling Center helped support and establish a Women's Resource Center and organized an assertiveness training group, female consciousness-raising Group, human sexuality workshops, personal growth groups for women, as well as groups on eating disorders, rape awareness and prevention, relationships, spirituality, and more.
• Dr. Maggie McFadden was hired to teach in Watauga College and to teach a women's studies course.

1975

• Dr. Maggie McFadden taught the first women's studies course at Appalachian, "Southern Women Writers."
• Other women's studies courses were offered in Anthropology, English, and Sociology.

1976

• OSW advocated for the elimination of sexist language in Appalachian's summer school contracts and sponsored a faculty salary survey.
• The founding conference of the South Eastern Regional Women's Studies Association (SEWSA) was held in Atlanta in November, with Dr. Maggie McFadden as one of the chief organizers.
• Women's Studies as an academic nexus at Appalachian began as an ad hoc committee with the following members:
  • Dr. Pat Beaver, Anthropology
  • Sherry Edwards, Art
  • Dr. Allie Funk, Sociology
  • Dr. Lucy Brashear, English
  • Dr. Helen Lewis, History (co-chair)
  • Dr. Maggie McFadden, Interdisciplinary Studies (co-chair)

1977

• Women's Studies persisted without the support of an office, staff, released time, or Women's Center, meeting monthly, often at the home of Helen Lewis.
• Women's Studies began to publish brochures in the Fall and Spring titled "Women's Studies Courses and Resources at ASU," which provided both course listings and information about and women's organizations and resources in the area.
• OWS actively supported North Carolinians United for ERA.

1978

• In February, Dr. Karen Baldwin of Eastern Carolina University delivered a lecture on Appalachian women.
• In February, SEWSA held its conference at East Tenessee State University.
• A 15-credit minor in Women's Studies was implemented in IDS and had five minors in its first year. It was approved by the Academic Policies and Procedures (AP&P) committee after the Women's Studies leadership explained, in response to the question "When will we have Men's Studies?," that "We've had Men's Studies all our lives."
• Dr. Maggie McFadden and Dr. Pat Beaver recieved a grant from the Modern Language Association's (MLA) Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, for "Teaching Women's Literature from a Regional Perspective—Appalachia." The grant supported the course, events on Appalachian women, and publishing student writing and oral history interviews.

1979

• A conference titled "Women and Power" was organized by Dr. Joan Terry (Home Economics) and OSW. Held September 27-29, it included an outside speaker from the University of Michigan and was attended by many from around the region.
• The Women's Studies faculty sponsored a series of programs called "Women's Week."
• OSW continued to sponsor workshops and discussion groups.