Foundations and History

The Women's Classical Caucus, Inc. is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit membership corporation founded in 1972 and incorporated in 1992. Our goals are both scholarly and professional. We seek to incorporate feminist and gender-informed perspectives in the study and teaching of all aspects of ancient Mediterranean cultures, particularly the study of women in classical antiquity. We also strive to advance the goals of equality and diversity within the profession of Classics, to foster supportive professional relationships among classicists concerned with questions of gender, and to forge links with feminist scholars in other disciplines.

The WCC is run by a steering committee of eight members, two of whom retire each year, to be replaced by two newly-elected members. Each member of the committee serves for four years, and every year two new members are elected, of whom one will normally serve as co-chair in the 3rd and 4th year. The two co-chairs are in charge of organizing and carrying out all WCC business. They are assisted by the other elected members together with various unelected liaisons and associates who are selected by the steering committee on an ad hoc basis. To read the By-Laws (December 1992) of WCC, click HERE; to see the members of the current steering committee, click HERE. If you are interested in running for election to the steering committee, or nominating someone else to do so, contact Ann O. Koloski-Ostrow. For an outline of the duties of the co-chairs, click HERE.

The steering committee has two graduate student members who implement their own initiatives. To find out what these are or how to become involved, contact Alex Dressler or Lindsay Morse.

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Cloelia

The Caucus sponsors a twice-yearly publication sent to all members. Cloelia,  published since 1974, contains informative articles, book reviews, news of current issues related to our goals, conference announcements, and calls to action. CLICK HERE to see the issues that are currently available online.

Panels and Meetings

The Women's Classical Caucus holds its annual membership meeting, as well as its steering committee meeting, in January at the joint annual meeting of the American Philological Association and the American Institute of Archaeology. We also sponsor a panel at this meeting every year, on a topic relating to the study of women in antiquity and/or feminist approaches to all aspects of classical civilization. Our panels afford an opportunity to share the fruits of our scholarship and to explore new strategies for effecting a more balanced partnership between the sexes in the academic world. We also sponsor other informational meetings and receptions at the convention, which are designed to foster supportive networking and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and strategies. Less formal meetings of members of the Caucus are often held at regional meetings, and in recent years we have held panels and set up tables at CAMWS and CAAS.

Annual Awards for Scholarship

In order to encourage and honor scholarship relating to our mission, the WCC sponsors three annual awards: one for an oral paper delivered at the APA/AIA annual meeting; one for a published article; and one for a graduate student article or presentation. Membership in the Caucus is not required to be eligible for these awards.

Equity Fund

The Caucus maintains a fund derived from voluntary contributions and the profits from the sale of WCC merchandise. The purpose of this fund, initiated in 1990, is to promote just and equitable treatment in hiring, promotion, and working conditions within the profession of Classics.

The Equity Fund is also used to provide a limited number of Travel Grants to help offset the expense of attending the APA Annual Meeting and a limited number of Child Care Grants to help offset the cost of child care at the APA meeting. All Caucus members in good standing, including graduate students, are eligible to apply for grants from the fund.

The deadline to apply for Travel Grants for the January 2009 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia is November 30, 2008. Applicants should e-mail Professors Sally MacEwen (smacewen@agnesscott.edu) and Alison Futrell (afutrell@u.arizona.edu)with a brief statement explaining their purpose in attending the APA (i.e. job interviews, presentation of or commentary on a paper, attendance at panels) before the November 30, 2006 deadline. Please include the following information in the e-mail: a. rank in field (graduate/undergraduate/post-doctoral); b. employment status (graduate student/temporary position/tenure-track or tenured); c. any financial support offered by home institution; and d. a rough estimate of the total expense requested.

The deadline to apply for Child Care Grants for the January 2009 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia is December 1, 2008, and your request should be sent to Prof. Maryline Parca (mparca@uiuc.edu).

WCCLIST@U.WASHINGTON.EDU

The WCC maintains an e-mail list of current members, to which postings are made regarding job openings, calls for papers, conferences and other announcements that may be of interest to the membership. To subscribe to the list or to post an announcement, contact the listowner, Ruby Blondell. Please note that the list is only open to WCC members.