 Logo used since 2018 | |
| Abbreviation | AWC |
|---|---|
| Formation | April 8, 1909 [1] |
Region served | United States |
Membership | 3,000 active members |
| Publication | The Matrix the Communiqué (e-news) |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | Theta Sigma Phi (ΘΣΦ) Women in Communications, Inc. |
The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) is an American professional organization for women in the communications industry. [2] [3] [4]
The Association for Women in Communications began in 1909 as Theta Sigma Phi (ΘΣΦ), an honorary society at the University of Washington. [2] [4] [5] It was founded by seven female students at the University of Washington in Seattle who had entered the college's new journalism program, the second of its kind in the country. By 1915, there were Theta Sigma Phi chapters at the universities of Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon and Ohio State University. Officers from the Washington Chapter still doubled as national officers, and the organization began publishing The Matrix, a Magazine for Women Journalists. [6]
In 1918, Theta Sigma Phi held its first convention at the University of Kansas. A year later, women in Kansas City founded the first alumnae chapter (now known as professional chapters), followed by women in Des Moines and Indianapolis.
World War I brought more women into newspaper jobs as their male colleagues went to battle. Theta Sigma Phi member Alice Rohe was a United Press reporter in Rome; Bessie Beatty of the San Francisco Bulletin and Sigrid Schultz of the Chicago Tribune reported from Germany as the war ended. But in the postwar economic slump, hostility against "women in men's jobs" ran high. Many editors relegated women to society pages instead of "hard news".
Although women gained the right to vote in 1920, support lagged for other reforms. Ruby Black, who was national president, editor of The Matrix and the first manager of an employment bureau for members, noted in 1931 that female journalists could not get reporting jobs at the same pay as similarly qualified men.
Theta Sigma Phi strengthened as a national network during the 1930s. The association hired a professional director and founded a national office in 1934. It inaugurated the Headliner Awards in 1939 to honor members who had made outstanding contributions to the field. The group gave Eleanor Roosevelt honorary membership for her efforts to aid female communicators. The First Lady's most notable action was to close her news conferences to male reporters. Roosevelt contributed several articles to The Matrix. [6]
By 1940, Theta Sigma Phi had 39 chapters, and World War II was expanding opportunities for women. But inequality persisted, and women were regarded as temporary or less-serious workers. At the Theta Sigma Phi convention in 1946, delegates required all chapters to eliminate any race restrictions from their bylaws.
By 1950, the group had grown to 47 campus chapters and 29 alumnae groups as more women began to work.
In 1964, Theta Sigma Phi established its headquarters in Austin, Texas. Jo Caldwell Meyer retired after serving as executive secretary for 24 years, leaving a legacy of leadership and personal attention to members' needs. [6]
In 1972, Theta Sigma Phi was renamed to Women in Communications, Inc. (WICI). [2] [4] That year, the organization also voted to admit men into membership. [7] [8]
In 1973, Women in Communications created an awards program (later named the Clarion Awards) to recognize excellence in communications. A new monthly, National Newsletter joined The Matrix in recording the group's news. WICI joined the national ERA coalition to fight the mounting opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.
In 1979, WICI united with 11 communications organizations to found the First Amendment Congress, which works to preserve First Amendment rights. [9]
WICI increasingly defended the freedoms of speech and the press. Leaders protested the news blackout during the invasion of Grenada and spoke out to Congress against proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act. More than 100 chapters organized congressional letter-writing campaigns. WICI joined the National Committee on Pay Equity and awarded Rep. Mary Rose Oakar of Ohio an honorary membership because of her leadership on the issue.
In early 1988, the WICI Board of Directors moved the group's headquarters to Arlington, Va., just outside Washington, DC, to be closer to the seat of government. [10]
Membership peaked in the mid-1980s at around 13,000, and by 1995 the organization had around 8,000 members and significant debt. [11]
WICI leaders instituted the Rising Star Award in 1990 for outstanding student members. Laura Glad, of California State University at Fullerton, was the first recipient. WICI delegates voiced support for the Civil Rights Act, which President Bush signed in 1991, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, which President Clinton signed in 1993. The end of the year saw a new partnership emerge between WICI and Capital Cities/ABC Inc. on its "Stop Sexual Harassment" campaign. [12]
In 1996 WICI was dissolved, and the organization was renamed to the Association for Women in Communications. [2] [3] [4] [13] [14] At that time, management of the organization was handed to a management firm, and finances stabilized under the new board and organization. The current firm is Club Management Services in Springfield, Missouri. The nonprofit AWC Matrix Foundation was established in 1998 as the educational affiliate.
The mission of the AWC Matrix Foundation, founded in 1997, is to promote the advancement of women in the communications profession by providing funds for education, research and publications. It carries out its educational and charitable goals in cooperation with the Association for Women in Communications.
Three Matrix Foundation initiatives are:
The chapters of Theta Sigma Phi as of 1968 were: [15] [16]
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2012) |
The Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) is a predominantly American, voluntary association that serves a number of functions with respect to national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies. ACHS coordinates member organizations, facilitates communications between them, and provides both scholarships and an outlet for publication to members through its member organizations. ACHS member societies undergo periodic audits to validate their adherence to ACHS standards and their qualification for membership and ACHS certification.
Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣΑΙ) is a women's music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public. Sigma Alpha Iota operates its own national philanthropy, Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc. Sigma Alpha Iota is a member of the National Interfraternity Music Council and the Professional Fraternity Association.
Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity is an international sorority with 172 active chapters and over 250,000 initiated members.
Theta Nu Epsilon is a sophomore class society. Founded at Wesleyan University in 1870 as a chapter of Skull and Bones, the society accepts members regardless of their fraternity status.
Sigma Lambda Upsilon (ΣΛΥ) or Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. is a Latina-based sorority founded on December 1, 1987 at Binghamton University. The organization was created to promote academic achievement and serve the Latino community and the campuses that Sigma Lambda Upsilon serves. The sorority is now present in over 65 campuses. Though Latina-based, Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sorority, Inc. is a non-discriminatory organization. The sorority is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) and is its fourth oldest sororal member by founding date.
Theta Upsilon Omega (ΘΥΩ), was a national collegiate fraternity in the United States. Representatives of several local fraternities at a December 1, 1923 meeting of locals, organized by the National Interfraternity Conference, determined to form a new national through amalgamation, resulting in the creation of Theta Upsilon Omega on May 2, 1924.
Phi Delta Epsilon (ΦΔΕ) is a co-ed international medical fraternity founded at Cornell Medical College and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association.
The North American fraternity and sorority system began with students who wanted to meet secretly, usually for discussions and debates not thought appropriate by the faculty of their schools. Today they are used as social, professional, and honorary groups that promote varied combinations of community service, leadership, and academic achievement.
This article describes smaller collegiate sororities created in the nineteenth century and early to middle twentieth century on campuses in the United States and Canada. These sororities are defunct. Individual chapters may have affiliated with National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities.
Phi Omega Pi (ΦΩΠ) was a national collegiate sorority operating in the United States from 1922 until 1946 when its chapters were absorbed by several larger sororities, and merged with the national sorority, Delta Zeta.
Delta Theta Phi (ΔΘΦ) is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the two major law fraternities to charter chapters (senates) in the United States at non-American Bar Association-approved law schools. Delta Theta Phi can trace its roots to Delta Phi Delta on September 15, 1900 at the then-named Cleveland Law School, now Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Ohio. Delta Theta Phi has initiated more than 138,000 members across the country and in several other nations.
Washington & Jefferson College is host to 8 Greek organizations and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. With 43% of women and 40% of men of the student body participating in "greek life," fraternities and sororities play a significant role in student life at W&J. The Princeton Review named Washington & Jefferson College 12th on their 2010 list of "Major Frat and Sorority Scene" in the United States. As of 2021, the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life recognized 4 fraternities, Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, and Phi Kappa Psi, and four sororities, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi. The fraternities are governed by a local Interfraternal Council and the sororities are governed by a local Panhellenic Council, while the Greek Judiciary manages broad policy violations at the chapter-level. All Greek organizations occupy College-owned houses on Chestnut Street on campus. All members of fraternities and sororities must pay the $100 "Greek Membership Fee," a levy designed to fund leadership seminars and other educational events for Greeks.
Fraternities and sororities at the University of Virginia include the collegiate organizations on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. First founded in the 1850s with the establishment of several fraternities, the system has since expanded to include sororities, professional organizations, service fraternities, honor fraternities, and cultural organizations. Fraternities and sororities have been significant to the history of the University of Virginia, including the founding of two national fraternities Kappa Sigma (ΚΣ) and Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ).
Delta Phi Delta (ΔΦΔ) is a national art honorary society. Organized as the Palette Club on January 10, 1909 at the University of Kansas, it was renamed Delta Phi Delta on 28 May 1912. The society is open to men and women. Its official magazine, the Palette, started publication in 1911.
Delta Psi Kappa (ΔΨΚ) was an American professional fraternity in the disciplines of health and physical education, health sciences, and recreation that was established in 1916.
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Sigma Delta Kappa (ΣΔΚ) is a Professional Fraternity in the field of Law. It was founded in 1914 at the University of Michigan Law School.
Phi Epsilon Kappa (ΦΕΚ) is a national professional fraternity for persons engaged in or pursuing careers in the fields of physical education, health, recreation, dance, human performance, exercise science, sports medicine and sports management.
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