3D/1978-1986 Dean of the College (Maud H. Chaplin)

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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
• Maud H. Chaplin, 1978-1986

Maud H. Chaplin became Acting Dean of the College in the spring of 1978. Prior to her appointment she had been Associate Dean of the College. She continued to hold an appointment in the department of philosophy. In the summer of 1979 Chaplin became Dean of the College. Administrative reorganization had changed the focus somewhat, but the dean of students took on the tasks of the Dean of Academic Programs and more. Edward Stettner continued as Associate Dean of the College until he became Acting Dean and Chaplin became Acting President from January until July 1981, when Nannerl Keohane arrived. Chaplin went on leave in 1982-1983 and Stettner became Acting Dean again.

By January 1982 the list of those reporting to the deans’ office expanded to 28 department chairmen, the science center, the Office of Sponsored Research, the office of faculty records, audio-visual services, academic computer science, women’s research center, child study center, library, Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) and the registrar. Chaplin returned to the deanship after her leave. In 1986 she retired as Dean of the College and returned to teaching.

The date range of these records from the Dean of the College is April 1, 1978, through June 30, 1978. The April date may not be the exact date that Chaplin took on the responsibilities of Acting Dean, but it is the point at which most of the material leaving the dean’s office has her name on it. The approximately 29 linear feet of these records came to the Archives in various accessions over a period of 11 years (see listing below).

The files appear to be those of both Chaplin and Associate Dean Stettner. They are not marked separately except in instances where it is clear that the file belongs to one and not both (appointment books). During the period of time Maud Chaplin was Acting President or on leave, the papers are clearly those of Ed Stettner, however, the files are those of the office during this period, rather than those of the individual. In general, the records are arranged alphabetically in a single subject file. In instances of more than one folder per subject, the files are arranged chronologically. Restricted materials were removed from the main sequence, as have oversize materials. Notice of removal is given with and explanation of location and method of access. Faculty Recorders Office files are a separate sub-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 Chaplin materials show a continuation rather than a major break from those of Alice Ilchman. The Educational Research and Development Office continued to explore new and varied experimental courses. New departments and programs are added (Computer Science, Women’s Studies, Technology Studies, Wintersession, etc.) The earlier work on first year programming became the Freshman Cluster with 90 students and 6 faculty focusing on many aspects of a specific period in history.

In the mid-1980s those concerned with curriculum began to assess how far new and experimental approaches could go. President Keohane’s Annual Report of 1985 states that “we must consolidate as well as innovate...What is a “major” intended to accomplish, and how full and structured should a major program be?” Concerns over students’ preparation led to a writing program, which became a requirement rather than an experimental tutorial for those who needed extra writing experience. The new (or resurrected) program required that all students take a semester writing course. Faculty members from different departments offered sections of this course. All students were instructed in basic writing skills, but the topics of written varied according to the instructors’ fields.

The increasing availability of computers led to a computer literacy project funded by the Sloan Foundation. Wellesley developed a Technology Studies Program that helped faculty and students introduce new technologies into the humanities and social science. A number of materials in this collection indicate the growing impact of computers on academic life.

Sources of funding continued be an issue of concern. More courses and learning opportunities (internships, exchanges particularly MIT, foreign study), as well as more faculty research stretch the college’s financial requirements.

The reaccreditation process occupies considerable time and energy within the college, particularly the academic departments. Accordingly, gathered materials and copies of the report are found among these materials. The researcher should check the container list for specific folder headings.

Click here to see the box list for this collection.

Accession Numbers: A80-011, A80-043, A81-018, A82-015, A82-017, A82-020, A85-030, A85-031, A86-007, A86-015, A86-029, A88-047, A89-058, A90-020, A91-010, A92-097, A93-038, A94-048, A95-032, A95-034, A96-020, A96-021, A96-043, A96-044, A98-002, A98-013, A98-027, A98-035, A98-045, A99-004, A99-039, A99-052, A00-016, A01-007, A01-033, A01-040

Produced November 6, 2002, by Mary Bicknell