Dossier F-119-17 - B.C. Women's Studies Association

Formally established in 1974, the Women's Studies Advisory Committee also existed under other names (the "Co-ordinating Committee on Education For Women" and the "Women's Studies Committee") as early as 1971. Initially it was made up of Women's Studies convenor Lillian Zimmerman and senior administrators from the Continuing Education, Liberal Arts, and Counselling divisions; however, the committee later expanded its membership to include representatives from the student body and the broader community.

Led by Zimmerman, the committee was responsible for overseeing Programs For Women at Douglas College. In 1977, the committee was changed to the Women's Studies Advisory Board, a change that coincided with the designation of Women's Studies as a Special Programs Unit.

Lillian Zimmerman joined Douglas College in 1971 as a programmer for the Liberal Arts Division with the expressed desire to develop credit-free courses in the area of continuing education for women. Beginning in 1972, she worked with staff from the Counselling department to offer workshops and inter-disciplinary evening courses, which proved popular. In 1974, she was elected to the position of "Convenor" of Women's Studies at Douglas College. Zimmerman held this role until 1978 when she took a leave from College in order to complete a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) from the University of British Columbia. Following her return to Douglas College, Zimmerman worked as a regular faculty member in Human Services and Community Programs. She became the Chair of Community Programs and Services in 1990 before retiring in 1991. Subsequent to her retirement from Douglas College, Zimmerman became a renowned advocate for the rights and dignity of middle-aged and older women. She was a Research Associate in Gender Issues at Simon Fraser University's Gerontology Research Centre, contributing significantly to the field and publishing multiple books on this topic including “Bag Lady or Powerhouse?: A Roadmap for Midlife (Boomer) Women” and “Did You Just Call Me Old Lady? A 90-Year-Old Tells Why Aging Is Positive.”