Welcome to the University Women's Association!

The University Women's Association (UWA) seeks to stimulate, cultivate, and encourage a friendly community spirit at San Francisco State University (SFSU). We welcome all current and retired university women to participate in our events and encourage them to join our organization. The UWA has been bringing together members of the campus community since 1946. Membership is open to women faculty, staff, and administrators and/or their spouses and partners. All other individuals who support our mission, including men, are invited to join as "Friends of the UWA."

UWA News

Newsletter
Click here for our current Newsletter

Events
Click here to check out our next UWA Event

UWA Scholarship Cruises
2013 Europe's Rivers & Castles

Who We Are and What We Do

• Each year we organize and sponsor a wide variety of on-campus and off-campus events to bring members of the campus community together in stimulating and enjoyable settings.
• We raise funds for the Gloria Spencer University Women's Association Scholarship Endowment Fund, and each year the UWA typically awards three or four $1000 scholarships based on students' needs and academic achievements. Our most successful fundraising events are the UWA scholarship cruises; we have sponsored 19 cruises to date. While touring exotic and historic ports around the world we generate thousands of dollars for scholarships.
  
• Through our Florence Bell Student Health Fund, we provide resources to be administered by the Student Health Center to assist students in need of medical care.
  
• We provide volunteers and host the reception for the annual Undergraduate Honors Convocation, recognizing the university’s most accomplished graduating seniors.
  

Message from the President

Dear University Women's Association Members and Friends,

I remember numerous resources tables at the New Faculty Orientation, several years ago when I started my tenure-track position in the French Program. It was then, in the midst of the multitude of flyers, that I first got introduced to the University Women's Association (UWA). Actually, I remember precisely a flyer advertising a cruise … at the time I thought, "this can only be an interesting group to know!" But it was only a year later that I truly got involved with the UWA thanks to my colleague Ilona Vandergriff from the German Program (and former President of UWA, May 2001- August 2007) who invited me to serve as the Faculty Representative on the Executive Board. It has been very inspiring for me to see and experience how the UWA serves the campus community by providing such an array of activities. A couple years later, I was extremely honored to take on the leadership position of President of the UWA. I would like to take this opportunity to thank and express my gratitude to the executive board members (Anita Antler, Anita Axt, Lily Gee, Ilze Goodfield, Lin Ivory, Donna Ryan, Ilona Vandergriff, Arline Van Ness). It has been—and continues to be--an insightful and productive collaboration.

The University Women's Association is one of the oldest organizations at San Francisco State University serving not only the campus, but also the community. The activities have been varied and eventful and I am hoping to continue the practice of theater parties, city walks, talks, etc. The UWA offers an interesting mix of traditional events such as the Holiday Luncheon, our sponsoring of the Honor Convocation, raising money for the Gloria Spencer University Women's Association Scholarship Endowment Fund and the Florence Bell Student Health Fund thanks to membership, annual cruises and donations. As well, the UWA organizes innovative gatherings such as book and panel discussions, many on- and off-campus theatre events, city tours, docent-led museum tours, etc.

Continuing the legacy of the University Women's Association, I am hoping to extend our insightful and rewarding mission to an even larger community on campus. A special "Thank You" to all of our members for their continuing support through their memberships and active participation. If you are not yet a member, I encourage you to join—a membership application is available on this webpage. I hope to see you at some of our upcoming events.

Best wishes and a very wonderful academic year to all of you!

Bérénice Le Marchand, UWA President