Suggested Research Topics - Title IX and Its Influence on the University of Michigan Athletic Program.

Until 1969, women's sports at the University of Michigan were organized under the Women's Athletic Association (WAA), a student-run organization which was affiliated with the Athletic Conference of American College Women. The association was disbanded that year and following the merger, in 1970, of the men's and women's physical education departments, individual sports for women were managed, and financially supported, by student clubs.

In 1972 the United States Congress passed Title IX of the Education Amendment Act. This act banned sexual discrimination in education programs which received federal funding. In the realm of athletics, it required universities which received federal funding to provide equal athletic opportunities for men and women.

Questions the researcher might pursue include: What was the scope of the intercollegiate athletic program available to women prior to Title IX? What problems existed for the women athletes at the University of Michigan prior to Title IX, e.g. funding, availability of scholarships, coaching staffs, and training facilities? How did the Athletic Department respond to the demands created by Title IX? How has Title IX affected the development of the Women's Athletic program?

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In an effort to encourage creative thinking about possible research topics for students unfamiliar with archives and their inevitable complexities, archivists and student employees of the Bentley Historical Library have authored "suggested research topics ." The purpose of these is not to define a topic but rather to stimulate thinking about a topic where the holdings of the Bentley Library are particularly strong.