Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Accession 1979.018 is restricted. Consult a staff member for details. The remainder of the collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Custodial History:

A portion of this collection was previously part of the University Archives Publications Collection.

Preferred Citation:

College of William and Mary Women Students' Cooperative Government Association Records, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information:

Acc. 1979.018 received 12/01/1958 from Dean J. Wilfred Lambert and originally accessioned with the Manuscripts number 1958.59; Acc. 1982.058 received 8/18/1982; Acc. 1983.95 received 10/15/1956, 1959-1960 from Janice Fisher, Chair; Acc. 1985.24 received 3/25/1985.

Processing Information:

This collection was previously arranged by accession by SCRC staff. In November 2009, Lily Rubino, SCRC staff, rehoused and provided additional descriptive information for the collection.

Appraisal Information:

Acc. 1982.057: One volume of minutes of meetings of the WSCGA Judicial Council, 1935-1949. There are no gaps in the Judicial Council records for these years. The minutes contain transcripts of testimony and record the actions taken by the Judicial Council. These records possess considerable historical value. However, balanced against the interest of researchers is the right of privacy of the individuals, especially defendants, who appear in the records. The University Archives resolved this conflict with a compromise at the time of accessioning. Acc. 1982.058 consists of minutes from meetings of the Judicial Council, with the names of individuals excised. Because time and expense proved prohibitive, the University Archives elected to make accessible a random sample of meeting minutes. Thirty-three meetings (roughly 10%) were chosen at random and are present in these folders. The more than 100 cases tried at these meetings cover a wide range of offenses and punishments.

Accruals:

No future accruals expected.

Historical Note:

In 1921, three years after the College of William and Mary turned coeducational, female students formed their own elected student government and called it the Women Students' Cooperative Government Association. The WSCGA formulated rules of conduct concerning social behavior of female students. To enforce its rules, the WSCGA created an elected Judicial Council. Consisting of a chair or president and several associate members, the Judicial Council had the power to summon female students and try them for alleged violations of the WSCGA code. The hearings were conducted in secret and the rules of procedure were unlike a court of law.

Additional information may be available in the SCRC Wiki: .

Scope and Contents

The collection includes meeting minutes, decisions, handbooks, announcements, constitutions, Women's Dorm Association Handbooks, The W&M Woman, A Handbook for Women Students published by the Women's Activities Council for 1966/67, and other related material.

One volume of minutes of meetings of the WSCGA Judicial Council for 1935-1949 (Acc. 1982.057), which would otherwise have been restricted, had the names of individuals excised to protect their privacy while still making the information available to researchers. Because time and expense proved prohibitive, the University Archives at the time of accessioning elected to make accessible a random sample of meeting minutes. Thirty-three meetings (roughly 10%) were chosen at random and are available. The more than 100 cases tried at these meetings cover a wide range of offenses and punishments.

Restricted: Acc. 1979.018: One volume containing minutes of meetings of the WSCGA Judicial Council, 1927-1935. This portion of the collection is restricted.

Separated Material

Acc. 1982.057: One volume of minutes of meetings of the WSCGA Judicial Council, 1935-1949. There are no gaps in the Judicial Council records for these years. The minutes contain transcripts of testimony and record the actions taken by the Judicial Council. These records possess considerable historical value. However, balanced against the interest of researchers is the right of privacy of the individuals, especially defendants, who appear in the records. The University Archives resolved this conflict with a compromise at the time of accessioning. Acc. 1982.058 consists of minutes from meetings of the Judicial Council, with the names of individuals excised. Because time and expense proved prohibitive, the University Archives elected to make accessible a random sample of meeting minutes. Thirty-three meetings (roughly 10%) were chosen at random and are present in these folders. The more than 100 cases tried at these meetings cover a wide range of offenses and punishments.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Handbooks
• Minutes
• Student Government--Women Students' Cooperative Government Association
• Student Rules--Women
• Transcripts
• Women college students