The Graduate School and University Center
of The City University of New York

Cente: for the Study of Women and Society / Box 135-192
Graduate Center. 33 West 42 Street, New York, N.Y. 10036-8099
212 790-4435

September 23, 1983

Ms. Alison Bernstein
Education and Culture Progran
The Ford Foundation

320 East 43rd Street

New York, New York 10017

Dear Alison:

In light of our conversation last week, I would like

to add the enclosed addendum to the proposal from the

CUNY Center for the Study of Women and Society. It
elaborates in greater detail the nature and functions of
what I called the Steering Committee in the proposal (p. 4)
and would now like to call an Advisory Board.

As I see it, the addendum represents a clarification of
the focus in our major outreach activities. We will
increase minority faculty and student participation in
the developing network of CUNY feminist scholars and
will promote broader distribution and use of the results
of feminist research by working systematically with faculty
from CUNY”s community colleges. Since the project
described in the addendum is an outgrowth of the current
activities of the CUNY Feminist Network, it will be
called the CUNY Feminist Network Community College
Curriculum Change Project. Not snappy, but it gets the -
point across. :

After talking with you and with people at the Graduate
Center, I have become very excited about the potential
role the Center for the Study of Women and Society might
play in bringing the results of feminist research to
students and faculty at CUNY”s community colleges. My
own feeling, about which I have written at some length
as regards psychology, is that by presenting the new


knowledge in varied contexts and to audiences different
from those in which it was developed, we will receive
valuable critical feedback about the strengths and
limitations of the new scholarship about women. And so
the work can become better. If the project we are
proposing proves effective on this small scale, I see
it as a first step in a larger project modelled after
the Mellon Community College Project presently being
carried out at the Graduate Center by Professor Abraham
Ascher and Dr. Adele Bahn.

If you have questions or would like to talk with me
further about this addendum, I would be glad to do so,
either by phone or in your office.

Sincerely,

Mary Brown Parlee | Countersigned by:
Director

MBP/wp

Encl.
Alan Gartner
Director, Office of
Sponsored Research


September 23, 1983

ADDENDUM

Center for the Study of Women and society
Plans for Expansion and Further Development

CUNY Feminist Network
Community College Curriculum Change Project

The general goals of this project are twofold. One is
a) to assess the current status of Women’s Studies and
general enrollment patterns of women students at CUNY’s
seven community colleges, b) to develop a political analysis
for each campus of structures and personnel that determine
students” exposure to women’s studies material in their
curricula, and c) to propose specific plans for increasing
this exposure at each campus. The second general goal is a)
to collect existing “packages” of resource material for
integrating women’s studies into traditional institutions
and course content and b) to involve community college
faculty in evaluating, and if necessary adapting, this
material for their students, and c) to introduce the
material into their courses and evaluate its effects.

¥
These goals will be accomplished through the work of a
faculty group drawn primarily from CUNY”’s community
colleges. This group will be coordinated by the CUNY
Feminist Network and supported by part-time research
assistants provided by the Center.’ Specifically, the
project plan is as follows:

November - December, 1983: Collect available material for
adding women’s studies content to curricula. Identify
faculty from CUNY community colleges (7), four year colleges
(1) and the Graduate Center (2) to participate in the
faculty group - the Advisory Board for the project. This
faculty will be identified by the CUNY Feminist Newtork from
among those faculty who have participated in its activities
and/or who are listed in the CUNY Feminist Directory. First
priority will be given to minority faculty, with diversity
of colleges and disciplines (or programs) also being
considerations.

January - June/July, 1984: The Advisory Board will meet
once a month for two main purposes. One is to consider
issues and strategies for introducing or increasing the
impact of women’s studies on their campuses. In doing this


they will direct the research assistants in collection of
relevant data and will prepare reports of the current status
on each campus. They will also develop strategies and plans
for change tailored to the specific situation of each
campus. It is hoped that the faculty members will serve as
nuclei for discussions of womens’s studies at their campuses
as they do this.

The second purpose of the seminar is for the Board to
revit¥ available packages of women’s studies materials and
to evaluate their probable usefulness (both level and
content) for their own and colleagues” courses.

Fall, 1984: Members of the Advisory Board will use the new
materials in their classes and will continue to meet monthly
to discuss the impact. A final report will summarize
student and faculty evaluations of the strengths and
limitations of some of the currently available “packages” of
women’s studies materials for with use with students at
their, and perhaps other, community colleges. In addition,
during the fall semester, two of the community college
faculty will be released from half of their teaching loads
to work with people from the CUNY Feminist Network on a
proposal for increasing the impact of women’s studies, and
other uses of feminist research, at CUNY”s community
colleges.

In summary, the proposed project will:

1. Develop report of current status of women’s studies
and of women students in different programs at CUNY’s |
community colleges, together with an analysis of the most
effective strategies for change at each campus and a
description of a specific plan for implementing these
stratgies.

2. Introduce, on a small scale, some of the currently
available women’s studies resource packages in to community
college courses.

Sie Provide a critique from the faculty point of view
of some of these resource packages for use in community
college courses at CUNY (and perhaps also at other community
colleges with similar populations). The project will also
provide a preliminary assessment of students reactions.


Footnotes

1. Given their very heavy teaching loads, research
assistant support or substantial released time is necessary
for community college faculty to participate in this
project. The research assistant time requested will allow
each faculty member to direct an assistant”s work
(half-time) for approximately two weeks. During this time,
data on course enrollments and on faculty and administration
views will be gathered. The faculty member will work
actively with the assistant to identify and provide access
to information sourses and resourses. Our previous
experience in compiling the CUNY Feminist Directory is that
the sheer work of gathering information in the large,
diverse, and very loosely organized City University will be
enormous.

2. Peggy MacIntosh, of the Wellesley College Center -
for Research on Women has already provided a list of
resources to available “packages” women’s studies materials,
and Elizabeth Minnich (a friend and former colleague at
Barnard College) will undoubtedly provide further advice and
consultation.

3. A third, non-explicit purpose of this seminar is
faculty development; it will serve to acquaint the faculty
with recent and relevant work in feminist scholarship in
different disciplines.


Requested Budget

(November 1 - October 31)
Requested from Ford CUNY Contribution

Director’s salary SOD 4 *
Secretary/admin. asst. $4,500 4,500

(20 hrs/wk)
Newsletter 3,000
CUNY Feminist Network

Student assistant 552

(15 hrs/wk, 4 wks)
Conference 2,000
-Directory of CUNY women’s 750

studies faculty and students
(updating, Spring, 1984)

Advisory Board 10,000
(10 honaria, $1,000 each)
Faculty released time 10,000
(2 faculty 1/2 time, Fall, 1984)
Curriculum integration materials 1,000
.esearch Assistance 18,000

(40 hrs/wk)

.esearch expenses 750

supplies, postage, xerox 1,250 1,500
lomputer Time | 800
“elephone 600 200
-nnual Dues, NCRW 100
‘otal Direct Costs 49,850 60,706
ndirect Costs (@ 69.9%) 34,845 42,047
‘otal CUNY Contribution 137,598

‘otal requested from Ford 49,850


*Al11 salaries and wages include fringe benefits; 27% for Director’s salary,
20% for research and support staff.