In 1981, 72 percent of all women faculty at Northwestern held the rank of assistant professor or below. One-third of all women faculty were lecturers-a position that did not even guarantee library privileges. Many with higher rank held merely one-year visiting appointments. And high rates of attrition guaranteed that most women faculty would never have a chance at tenure.

Thanks to OWF and its allies, working conditions and opportunities for women faculty at Northwestern University have seen marked improvements over the past two decades.

In its first year, OWF

• Successfully campaigned against a discriminatory TIAA-CREF policy that paid retired women on the single annuity option a monthly payment of 15 percent less than would be paid to a comparably situated retired male. In 1983, TIAA-CREF amended the plan.
  Learn more about OWF efforts to promote gender equity in salary, benefits, hiring and retention at Northwestern University.

• Drafted the University's first comprehensive sexual harassment and grievance procedure policy. This draft served as the foundation for a policy that, in its current form, has been hailed by Harvard University as a "best practice" model.
  Learn more about OWF efforts to stop sexual harassment, assault and abuse at Northwestern University here.

• Collaborated with the Program on Women (later the Program on Gender Studies) to assess the experience of all women–students, faculty and staff–in the University community. These efforts eventually led to the establishment of the University Women's Center.
  

Learn more about the history of Northwestern University's women's advocacy groups and programs here.

See a chronological list of all OWF initiatives here.