Faculty Women’s Club Opens Membership to All Employees
The Georgia Tech Faculty Women’s Club (GTFWC) was originally formed as a social group for wives of male faculty members. When faculty began to include women, membership became open to female faculty members. Now, the group is opening itself to all Georgia Tech employees.
Last spring, a special committee of the GTFWC, led by Lynne Wepfer, was formed to reevaluate the existing definition of membership, and to make recommendations for possible changes. As part of this process, the committee researched best practices at similar universities around the country. Their final recommendation was to amend the by-laws of the GTFWC to more closely align with Georgia Tech’s culture of inclusivity, and with the current practices of other major universities and institutes of higher learning. In short, the committee recommended that anyone who supports the mission and vision of Georgia Tech, and who embraces the GTFWC’s core mission of friendship, service, and scholarship, can become a member.
The board of directors of the GTFWC unanimously approved the proposed changes. Following this, the general membership of the GTFWC voted, and also resoundingly approved.
What this means for the Tech community is simply this: Anyone with an interest in joining the GTFWC is now able to. Members can participate in annual events, such as the Fall Open House, Holiday Party, and Spring Luncheon, as well as participate in a host of Special Interest Groups, which include day and night book clubs, French and Spanish conversation groups, lunch groups, and a host of others.
The club has been active since its first iteration in the 1920s and offers activities that draw community members together for friendship and shared passions and interests. The club exists to promote the values of friendship, service, and scholarship. Community service activities are ongoing, and every year, scholarships are awarded to Georgia Tech students with a parent who is employed at Georgia Tech.
Annual membership is $50. To join, download an application form at www.gtfwc.org. Any questions can be directed to gtfwc1921@gmail.com.
The opening event for the 2018-19 year will be an Open House at Barcelona Wine Bar – Westside Ironworks on Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. RSVP to gtfwc1921@gmail.com by Sept. 20 to attend.