Student Guides and Handbooks collection
Scope and Contents
The Student Guides and Handbooks collection dates from 1891 to 2012, covering much of the University of Northern Iowa’s history and student life on its campus. The handbooks (later called guides) contain a wide variety of information, which remained largely consistent throughout their publication. They included information about student groups, such as literary associations, subject-related clubs, and religious activities; academics-oriented information like departmental and faculty information, and meetings and calendar of events; housing regulations; building / grounds details; and campus traditions / songs yells. Many of the handbooks, especially those dating from the early to mid-20th century, included information about the Cedar Falls area, such as local business advertisements, church directory locations, and maps of the campus and College Hill area.
Some of the later folders, especially starting in the late 1940s and 1950s, contain additional brochures about campus life, including “Corky Coed”, “‘Clothes ‘n Clues’ Tickets to a Campus Activity”, “Survival Info Booklet”, and transfer student guides. The late 1960s and early 1970s guides also note information and policies regarding student unrest and protests. By the 2000s, the guides largely moved away from a more comprehensive look at campus life to focusing on university policies and academic information.
Dates
- 1891 - 2012
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions. Materials are open for research.
General Use, Reproduction, and Copyright Policies
Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the library cannot grant permission or licensing. Materials currently under copyright are usually still available for research and limited reproduction under Fair Use laws. However, it is the sole responsibility of the patron to determine whether or not their use of a given material falls within Fair Use guidelines and to obtain permission for said use from the rightful copyright owner.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy or similar laws, and the Iowa Open Records Law (see Iowa Code § 22.7). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Northern Iowa assumes no responsibility.
Biographical / Historical
Handbooks and guides produced and distributed by the University of Northern Iowa throughout its history were created with the intent to provide advice, guidelines, and general information, primarily for new students. Early versions of the handbooks were prepared by the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) student organizations on campus. In later years, the Student Council took over the creation and publication of the handbooks.
Extent
2.50 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Processing Information
Collection initially processed by Student Assistant Raelynn Meling, April 2016. Collection reprocessed and finding aid written by processing archivist Tessa Wakefield, April 2024.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin