3D/1973-1977 Dean of the College (Alice Stone Ilchman)

Click here to see the box list for this collection.

Restrictions: An effort has been made to keep as much material open as possible, hence the separation of portions of folders rather than restricting the whole folder. The following types of materials are restricted:

• 1. Student records generated and maintained by the college cover by FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act): grades, work, faculty/class evaluations, questionnaires, recommendations, et cetera. Information will be released only if permission is granted by the office, which created the documents.
• 2. Minutes and other records of the Board of Trustees. Access to this material is granted only through the Trustees. Requests for access should be directed to the Clerk of the Board of Trustees. Members of the Wellesley College Senior Staff may have access when the information is necessary for their work.
• 3. Information relating to specific salaries, pensions or financial transactions between the College and individual employees. Access to this material must be granted by the President’s Office.
• 4. Materials relating to reappointment, promotion and tenure are restricted. Access must be granted by the President’s Office.
• 5. Recommendations and performance evaluation of individual employees are restricted, as are evaluations of candidates for College positions. Access must be granted by the President’s Office.
• 6. Materials published by consortia of colleges and universities, specifically the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE) and the Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS), which conduct surveys of various institutes promising confidentially. Members of Senior Staff may have access when the information is necessary for their work.

• Margaret E. Stratton, Dean, 1895-1899
• Katharine Coman, Dean, 1899-1900
• (no Dean appointed), 1900-1901
• Ellen Fitz Pendleton, Dean, 1901-1911
• Angie Clara Chapin, Dean, 1911-1913
• Alice Vinton Waite, Dean, 1913-1931
• Mary Lowell Coolidge, Dean, 1931-1938
• Lucy Wilson, Acting Dean, 1938-1939
• Ella Keats Whiting, Dean of Instruction, 1939-1954
• Ella Keats Whiting, Dean, 1954-1961
• Laura Bornholt, Acting Dean, 1961-1962
• Laura Bornholt, Dean, 1962-1963
• Virginia Onderdonk, Acting Dean of the Faculty, 1963-1964
• Virginia Onderdonk, Dean, 1964-1968
• Phyllis Fleming, Dean, 1968-1972
• Robert Garis, Acting Dean, 1972-1973
• Alice Stone Ilchman, Dean, 1973-1978

Alice Stone Ilchman came to Wellesley College during a period of administrative reorganization throughout the college. The executive vice president of the college had left in early 1973 and the dean of the college became the chief academic officer and second officer of the college. The dean reported directly to the president and was primarily responsible for matters relating to the faculty and the curriculum. She oversaw the dean of studies and class deans, the dean of foreign study, the recorder, the librarian, the director of continuing education, the director of educational research and development and the exchange coordinator.

In 1974 and 1975 more administrative reorganization took place. Elizabeth (Bettina) Blake was appointed to the new position of Dean of Academic Programs and Maud Chaplin was named associate dean (and assistant to the President). Blake’s position was responsible for academic and career advising, class deans, continuing education and career services. Chaplin’s role focused on research work for the Curriculum Committee, assistance to Educational Research and Development, foundation proposal writing and similar work. In the following years another associate dean position was added, filled by William R. Scott in 1976 and Edward A. Stettner in 1977. At the time of Stettner’s half time appointment he took on the correspondence of the Faculty Appointments Committee and related tasks, leaving Ilchman time to focus on curriculum and preparation of materials for the 1979 reaccreditation. Chaplin moved to the deans’ office full time and became involved in all aspects of the office. In addition to the associate deans, an assistant to the dean, the director of the Science Center, the Registrar, the director of Education Research and Development, the Librarian, the audio-visual coordinator and 28 department chairmen reported to the dean. She also had committee assignments relating to faculty and curriculum, including the Wellesley-MIT committee.

In the spring of 1978 Ilchman left Wellesley to become Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs in the Carter administration, as well as Assistant Director of the International Communications Agency. In 1981 she became president of Sarah Lawrence College.

The date range of these records from the Dean of the College is July 1, 1973, when Alice Ilchman arrived, through March 30, 1978. The latter date may not be the exact date of Ilchman’s departure, but it appears to be the date on which the majority of material leaving the dean’s office bears Maud Chaplin signature as Acting Dean. The approximately 23.5 linear feet of these records came to the Archives from the Office of the Dean of the College in various accessions (see listing below.)

In general, the records are arranged alphabetically in a single subject file. Where there is more than one folder on the same subject, they are arranged chronologically. Restricted materials have been removed from the main sequence, as has one oversized binder of computer budget printouts. Notice of removal is given with an explanation of location and method of access. The Faculty Records Office files are a separate series.

These records include, in large measure, materials relating to faculty, academic departments and curriculum, as well as the Center for Research on Women, the library and the Registrar. There is correspondence and meeting material (agendas, minutes and handouts), as well as, dean’s office and academic department budget materials. The records contain proposals and discussions of courses and research projects, as well as reports and evaluations.

The dean’s records cover all aspects of academic life, but there are some materials of particular interest in the Ilchman years. If the 1960s were turbulent years for colleges and universities, the 1970s were years of exploration into new ways of doing things. Wellesley, often in the forefront of women’s education, saw itself as a test site for new experiments in the education of women. The Office of Educational Research and Development was particularly active during this period. Numerous experimental and interdisciplinary courses were proposed, many of which were offered. There was an effort offer a specially designed curriculum to first year students. The researcher should note that experimental and extra-departmental course information may appear in individual folders grouped with ER&D, in Academic Department folders or within the ER&D chronological folders. The Committee on Curriculum and Instruction was also active trying to maintain a balance between innovation and a solid curriculum. There is material on the Wellesley-MIT exchange and efforts to build and strengthen it. There are also several proposals to many foundations to fund both experiments and emerging technologies.

Click here to see the box list for this collection.

Accession Numbers: A80-011, A80-034, A80-043, A81-018, A82-015, A83-020, A85-030, A85-031, A86-007, A86-029, A89-058, A91-010, A92-097, A93-038, A95-034, A96-020, A96-021, A96-043, A96-044, A98-035, A98-045, A99-004, A99-039, A99-052, A00-016, A01-033, A01-035 and A01-040

Produced: November 6, 2002 by Mary Bicknell