Our History
Several women of Ferris State University came together in the spring of 2016 to provide a series of sessions called Power Talks. The sessions were so popular, there was a demand for more programming to support the specific needs of women.
In spring of 2017, the group was formed with an elected board of directors and named the Women's Advocacy Forum. The group recognized Equal Pay Day in 2017 in an effort to help educate students about the pay gap between men and women in the workplace. A Mix, Match, Mentor event was hosted in April where participants were able to engage with others and form mentoring relationships.
A celebration of the birthday of Helen Gillespie Ferris and information table at Founder's Day on the Quad kicked off the events for the following school year.
In spring of 2018, the group participated in the Women's History Month activities, including sponsoring visits to the Museum of Sexist Objects and a table at the Advocacy, Education & Resource Fair.
Throughout 2018/2019, the group sponsored various events such as the Work/Life/Balance panel, Finding your Board of Directors session, and the AAUW Start Smart Salary workshop. The group was renamed the Ferris Women's Network.
Monthly mentoring and networking lunches are now a regular happening for the group. Everyone is welcome to attend these lunches to get to know other women who work at Ferris State University and the local Big Rapids community.