What originally began with a group of inspired women and one file folder has evolved into a program that offers students at the University of Arizona courses that comprise the "latest information about research on women as well as historical materials on outstanding women of the pa st."

According to Judy Temple, current director of women's studies, for many years the women's studies program has experienced tremendous advancements, including the recent addition of a master's program.

The program is now gearing up for the celebration of its 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of its community support group. They will celebrate during the next month with a mini-conference, a workshop and a talk from the author of the syndicated ca rtoon, "Sylvia."

The Women's Studies Advisory Council is a support group of community women who volunteer their time and money to serve UA women, Temple says.

Nicole Hollander, who will be part of this weekend's events, is the creator of "Sylvia."

The women's studies program officially started in 1975 in response to interest generated among faculty and students and as part of a national trend.

"All this research was coming out on women all over the country," says Myra Dinnerstein, a women's studies research professor and first director of the program.

Dinnerstein says a science and engineering program was added in 1976 to "encourage girls (in high school) and young women to become interested in math and science careers."

Twenty years later, women's studies added a master's program to their curriculum. Nine students joined the program last semester.

"The greatest joy is that our majors are interested in improving situations for women and (their) families," Temple says.

Temple says many of the University of Arizona women's studies graduates go on to acquire jobs with Child Protective Services, United Way and Primavera Foundation, a local homeless shelter.

Temple says she came to the university in 1981 to serve as the assistant director of a women's studies curriculum integration program. She has been the director of women's studies since last July.

Karen Anderson, a history professor and the former director of the program, says her contin-ued involvement stems from the relationships she has established over the years.

"It's a very important part of my personal and intellectual community," says Karen Anderson, a history professor. "A lot of these people are my friends."

Anderson says one of the underlying strengths of the program is the "stable faculty." She says they are the mainstay behind the "stable curriculum."

The program currently hosts eight core faculty members and about 50 affiliated faculty from various departments.

Temple says the importance of women's studies is to teach respect for all women - from those on welfare to those who are successful. She says the program works to break the backlash against women who hold esteemed careers and the hostility toward women on government assistance.

"(Women's Studies) gives students a more integrated (interdisciplinary) way of understanding women," she says. "It enables students to understand gender and how it affects their lives."

Another contribution the program has made to the university is the establishment of the Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW), which has pulled in $7.4 million in grants.

As for the success of the program, Dinnerstein says she is "wowed." "Neither the UA nor we could see the success in the beginning," she says. "The most encouraging thing is the incredible student interest."