File f42 - Jewett, Pauline

File consists of a recording of Pauline Jewett. Topics of the conversation include TAPE ONE Introduction to subject, interviewers Susan Jackson, Evelyn Reid (current Dean of Women at Queen's); respective terms of office, vacations. Inspiration for Queen's Oral History Project. Subject's initiation of 'Distinguished Scholars' taped-interview project, as Director of Institute for Canadian Studies, Carleton University; Institute of Canadian Studies cross-disciplinary MA programme as exceptional learning experience. Regional differences in Canada: subject's early Ottawa-Toronto outlook on national issues, not broadened till Carleton experience, move to British Columbia. BC's powerlessness to act independently of eastern economy; provincial desire to share in self-government, not to separate; multi-regional conferences as one solution to national difficulties. Psychology Prof. Marilyn Bowman. Simon Fraser University year-round trimester system. Feelings as first woman president of Canadian university: pressure of high expectations, constant display; interest in administrative work as opportunity to push good policies; dislike of detailed administrative dogwork, suspicion that women, through role-conditioning, tend to think in policy terms. SFU installation address, 'The Things I Want to Do', outlining major goals, policies: to rectify injustices leading to Canadian Association of University Teachers censure of SFU; to establish a majority of faculty with strong Canadian background (facilitated by SFU growth-rate, opportunity to hire);to promote women in all areas of university (has achieved current proportion of 30% women on faculty, established continuing committee on status of women in the university) despite criticism levelled against her of direct interference, not hearing what she wishes not to hear; to establish controversial minor programme in women's studies, major programming for night-school students, radical 'distance learning' degree programmes in centres throughout BC (now in planning stages). Problems raised by scattered learning centres: public preference for brick-and-mortar universities; difficulty freeing and uprooting SFU staff; possibility of teaching one discipline per location, rather than a bit of everything everywhere. Belief that in period of economic restraint the university should reexamine existing programmes, not simply halt growth; distinction between BC government's method of allocating funds, Ontario's formulaic system. Subject's previously held view that few women reach administrative level because men won't let them; friend's additional thesis that women, surfeited with detail-oriented administrative work in traditional domestic role, are frustrated by similar aspects of administration, desire something different, creative. Realisation that as SFU policies are realised,she too wiII need new outlets for interests, energies. Subject's plans for improving SFU graduate programming, developing new academic fields. Deliberate contrast with UBC programming; SFU programmes in new professional areas, e.g. criminology, natural resource management, contemporary rather than historical fields. Government review-board for interior programming plans; competition with UBC, U. of Victoria. SFU non-credit work in community education; short courses for labour groups to formally develop managerial skills, union negotiation abilities. Resurgence of subject's political adrenalin: crossroads between concern for SFU, concern for Canada. Reflections on how she has fulfilled presidential role; power to do good, personal influence over university; criticism engendered by firm adherence to policies, sometimes turning to surprised appreciation. Qualities essential to subject's job: policy objectives, ideas of where the university should be headed; managerial skills greater than subject's own (though these may be learned in practice); strong physical constitution, energy (in first year subject gave 82 off-campus public addresses in addition to regular work); tough hide combined with sensitivity, ability to deal well with criticism; ability to communicate, not only with students, faculty, but with labour as well. Lack of managerial mentality, troubled sympathy for low-paid female workers; dismay at being considered the enemy, misunderstood. Lack of formal occasions for addressing the student body as a whole; disappearance of SFU faculty club during democratic revolution of sixties; concern for SFU lack of social cement, traditions. Small number of SFU residents (7%). Concern since Quebec elections for national unity issue: sympathy with Quebecois need for cultural identity, freedom of self-expression; belief that Canada will hang together even if Quebec does separate; belief that Quebec would not separate if granted recognition, co-operative status. Desire to be represented in unity debate either as political party member or member of civic action group; politics as an addictive pursuit. Family background: parents' mild interest in politics; youthful distress over St. Catharines' poor; father as conscientious egalitarian on all issues; father's encouragement of subject to enter profession; subject's notion to enter public life, spawned at Queen's. Subject's ‘idea route' into politics: political science (largely political philosophy), philosophy minor at Queen's; ambition to practise criminal law, quashed because she was female. Notion of self as Liberal; federal support of Liberal party, provincial support of CCF, NDP; fascination for political theory; personal academic bent delaying practical political involvement through study-teaching years. Subject's delight in teaching; experience of transition from political teaching to active politics as easy, from politics to university atmosphere as quite hard. Academic career: Queen's MA '45; Radcliffe PhD course-work, teaching at Wellesley College, 1945-7; teaching at Queen's 1947-9. Harvard PhD thesis written in record one-year period, 1949; Queen's Marty Scholarship to study in England LSE and Oxford), 1950. Value of LSE - Oxford experience. Subject's term as Queen's trustee both during period as MP and later (uncustomarily) as faculty member at Carleton. Comparison of Queen's Board of Trustees (far-flung membership, occasional meetings) with SFU Board (local membership, day-to-day interest, monthly meetings). Brief affair with the pipe in attempt to give up cigarette-smoking. Switch of affiliation from Liberal Party to NDP (1971); absence of usual turncoat taunts, having switched to supposed loser. Decision to switch precipitated by War Measures Act scandal, Liberal lack of interest in foreign takeover of Canadian economy, lack of followup on Pearson control of campaign­expenditures/contributions report, ridiculous Family Income Supplement Programme (FISC) programme; preceding gradual recognition of personal conflict: mental vote cast with NDP, actual party vote with Liberal. Stanley Knowles' simple formula for deciding when to change parties. Subject's value-orientation rather than behaviorist orientation in academic political science debate; belief (though not an economic determinist) that policies, not personalities, shape history. TAPE TWO Founding of Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, 1976: notion that society needed not another women's pressure group but an institute backing scholarly research into women's experience. Subject as CRIAW President; fruitless hard work canvassing government for founding funds, despite proposed application to private sector for major research funds, plan that Institute be membership-based, eventually self-supporting. Government opposition, shabby treatment (misleading application advice) at hands of Minister responsible for Status of Women; suspicion that government took fright at Institute proposal to research whole area of women in relation to work. Institute-proposed country-wide, bilingual membership; aims to facilitate research, disseminate findings, encourage women financially etc. to pursue research; to establish social audit to monitor data used in decision-making process (often male-oriented); to launch retraining programmes for women. Refusal of funding application for few full-time members (though funds for annual meeting were provided); determination to apply again. Position on Board of Directors, Canadian Peace Research Institute, respect for dedicated peace researchers; Queen's current peace studies Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Jo Vellacott. Position on Board of Directors, Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada, excited interest in future of university. Supervision of graduate theses, escape from administrative world to world of ideas; lecturing SFU Canadian Studies course. Policy shared by Queen's, SFU, that administrators should also teach; inability to teach on regular basis because of frequent distant travels. Board position, Canadian Civil Liberties Association; executive position, Committee for an Independent Canada. Queen's invaluable service to subject in helping her develop her own basic framework/foundation of political ideas, values; realisation at Harvard of first-class Queen's education in this respect, consequent ease of graduate study. Queen's dedication to public service, subject's desire to foster same at SFU. Father's influence in subject's choice of Queen's, motivated by egalitarian dislike of fraternities, sororities shared by subject. Athletic interests at Queen's; part-time title-searching for Cartwright law firm; intellectual interest not sparked till third year, then 'the world of ideas just came clattering down'. Influence of Jean Royce in altering subject's degree programme, future career; grueling switch to honours programme, seven courses plus thesis in final year. Encouragement from Alec Corry. Tough history-economics MA (Queen's), PhD scholarship (Harvard). Pressured awareness of belonging to female student minority, particularly in political science field; memory of employer's early advice, 'Don't set your heart on being a criminal lawyer (there are no women criminal lawyers)' in contrast with parental encouragement, 'There has to be a first'. Denial of government Privy Council Officer post (1950s) because she was female; interviewers' admission that she was best candidate. Maddening, exhausting, depressing work overcoming sexist caution in political campaign, endless voters' chorus, 'We've never had a woman'. Women careerists' current difficulties (Flora MacDonald); suspicion that despite enthusiastic SFU support, after her term university officials will again look for a male, having made their gesture, had their fling. Feminist sympathies, solidarity with women; gratitude of female faculty at Carleton for subject's example, encouragement, support. Concern that sense of feminist sisterhood, peaking in early 1970s, shouldn't fall off. Intellectual influence of Vibert Douglas. Contribution of residence Iife in mingling juniors, seniors. Criticism of Queen's as unprogressive, lack of leadership in vital areas such as recognition of women. Reputation of Queen's Business Administration School for encouraging women; Queen's reputation for encouraging women into engineering, applied sciences. Proposed SFU course, 'Women in Management'. Burgeoning of women post-graduate students; reflection that women may have missed the boat, that men regard PhD as ticket to a bread line, concentrate on MBAs instead.