University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students

Newspaper contains campus and alumni news, feature stories, student editorials and literary works, photographs, advertisements and sports information. Also included in this collection are Aggie Life and College Signal secretary’s book (1893-1905), Aggie Life Banquet materials (1891), and unbound issues of Aggie Life (1900-1901).

The nature of the content of the Collegian has changed over the years, particularly since the 1940s when, as a result of campus involvement in WWII and University growth, the newspaper expanded its scope to include information pertaining to broader campus issues and world events, campus news and announcements, world news (primarily since the early 1950s), editorials, columns and opinion pieces, sports news, photographs, and student comics are regular components. Special feature pages were introduced in the late 1970s for Women; World News; Arts and Living; Black Affairs; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Issues; and Jewish Affairs. Other materials in this collection include reports, special and anniversary issues, and articles and news clippings pertaining to The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. Administrative files on the Women’s Occupation of the Collegian office in 1978, are also included.

Alternate formats: The complete set of publications (1914-2007) is available on microfilm. It is housed as #A334 in the library’s microfilm collection.

Issues contain student prose and poetry, photographs, and sketches, as well as advertisements. Included in the collection is one small folder containing memoranda, newsclippings and a 1981 note from Dr. Max Goldberg detailing some historical information on the Collegian Quarterly.

Alternate formats: Also available on microfilm: College Signal (1901-1914), RG 190/12.

The archives maintain several copies of the Index for reference and research. There is occasional documentation of protests and demonstrations; dignitaries, scholars and performers visiting campus; military presence on campus; status of library and greenhouse collections; art and horticultural shows; world events; and advertisements. The first individual student photographs appeared in the 1902 Index. In recent years, only a small fraction of the graduating class has elected to have portraits included. Recent yearbooks also include information on the five-college consortium, surrounding communities, campus maps and transportation.

Magazines contain feature articles, short stories, editorials, poems, cartoons, sketches, photographs, and advertising. Organization records include constitutions, board and committee files, correspondence, and newsclippings.

In 1948, when a new constitution reorganized the Student Government into Legislative, Administrative, and Judicial branches, the Student Senate was placed within the Legislative. Its function was to “exert a governing influence on student conduct and activities, … represent the interests of the student body before the faculty and the administration,… supervise and determine the procedure of student elections, appoint committees, and make expenditures from a fund provided for it by the men of this college.” With the creation of residence halls and area governments in the late 1960s, the role of the Student Senate was re-examined. The result was a larger and more formal student governing body with many committees handling such areas as budget and finance, services, elections, announcements, women’s affairs, and other areas of student concern.

This collection consists of bound meeting minutes of the Student Senate secretary (1901-1948) and administrative materials (1909-1922, 1960s-early 1980s) including by-laws, constitutions, budget materials, unbound meeting minutes, committee records, correspondence, newsclippings and subject files. The early meeting minutes (1901-1948) document discussions and decisions relating to student conduct and discipline. Topics included traditional rope pull, hazing, social events, banquets, sports related issues and smoking on campus.

Also available are 15 boxes (18.75 lin. feet) of unprocessed administrative files, ca. 1950-1990 which are located off site; prior notice for access is required.

Included in the record are First Annnual Report to the Umass Student Government Association on the Office of the Attorney General (1980), policy acts and statements (1971), Judicial System Manuals (1971), report of the ad hoc Committee on Judicial Review (1971), an Overview of the Undergraduate Judicial System (1988) and newsclippings.

After a number of years of dispute, the President and Chancellor reviewed the issue and in 1993 the Trustees passed a resolution that allowed student activities fees to continue to be used for LSO operations “provided that the office, which is supported by University funds, shall not engage in litigation either in court or before administrative agencies, against the Commonwealth or any of its agencies, subdivisions or instrumentalities including the University, or any municipality, or any officer, trustee, agent or employee of any of the foregoing for actions related to their official duties or responsibilities.”

Collection consists of Legal Services Office board minutes (1979-1981), correspondence (1979-1983), The Students Rights Advocate (1989-1991,1997), typescript history of LSO by Robert Gage (1975), brochures and flyers, and newsclippings.

Materials in the collection consist of a Women’s Student Council history extracted from the 1931 “Index”, correspondence to and from the Women’s Judiciary Board (1955), Handbooks for Women (1929, 1936-1942), Centennial Focus on Women program (1963), policy for Award of Honor to Women Students (n.d) and newsclippings (1920, 1984). The handbook issued annually to female students by the WSGA included the constitution and by-laws of the Association; regulations governing residential housing and general personal conduct; and information about female students’ clubs and organizations at the college, including sororities.

Included in the collection are in-depth study reports (1975-1981) on such topics as student housing, governance, budget, course and teacher evaluation, student racism, buildings and spaces. Also represented are administrative files containing meeting minutes, correspondence (1977, 1979-1980), and newsclippings.

Consists of meeting minutes (1964-1989), constitutions (1965, 1977), Report of the Joint Commission on Campus Governance (1971), committee materials, organizing materials for unionization and collective bargaining of graduate student employees (1973-1980), membership cards and lists (1970’s), newsletters (1969-1970’s), Graduate Student Senate newsletters (The Graduate Voice [1983-1990] and The Voice), newsclippings, announcements, and other subject material.

This collection consists of the records of individual undergraduate and graduate student organizations, committees, unions, coalitions, and projects (authorized as bargaining agents for the student body) whose main purpose since the mid-1970s is to bring campus students together into unified groups for mutual support, advocacy, and in the case of the Graduate Employees Organization, collective bargaining. Materials include agreements, handbooks, proposals and responses, memos and correspondence, open letters, newsletters, announcements, brochures, posters, bumper stickers, flyers, songs and chants, and newsclippings.

This series consists of the records of individual religious groups at the College and University. The two collections best represented are the Christian Science Organization (1947-1973) and B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation (1955-1991).

This series contains by-laws, biennial meeting minutes (1967), correspondence (1947-1967), treasurer’s records (1965-1968), lecture committee records (1964-1972) and subject files such as World’s Fair Activity (1965), Inter-Religious Activity (1964-1965), and “Christian Science Monitor” promotion (1962-1965).

This collection documents the activities and nature of the foundation from its one-room beginnings to its campus-wide involvement and its later move into its present Hillel House. While this collection is important for understanding the growth and impact of Hillel as an organization, there is little about its internal operations. Included are correspondence, reports, scrapbooks, announcements and calendars, subject files, newsclippings, publications and videotapes. Continued accretions of subject files include: announcements, calendars, programs, memoranda, newsclippings, and newsletters.

This series consists of the collected records of student social action groups for the College and University. Two groups well represented are the Radical Student Union (1968-1989) and the People for a Socially Responsible University (1989-1990).

This series consists of newsletters, newsclippings, and flyers that document some of the goals, local activities and broader interests of the People for a Socially Responsible University.

The collection comprises constitutions, meetings minutes and agenda, budgets and financial statements, correspondence, membership lists, press releases and articles, news clippings, student papers, published materials, brochures, posters, song-lyrics and related materials.