The Academic Women's Equity Coalition Collection is composed of administrative and organizational records documenting the activities and advocacy efforts of the coalition at South Dakota State University. Materials include clippings, correspondence, meeting agendas, programs, committee and dues-paying member lists, and financial records. A brief historical summary outlines the group's founding and development. Notably, the collection contains a draft complaint filed with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs regarding alleged discrimination at the university, along with the results of the subsequent investigation.

This collection provides valuable insight into grassroots advocacy for gender equity within a university setting during a period of evolving institutional accountability. It reflects the organizational structure, strategic concerns, and policy engagement of the coalition as it sought to address systemic discrimination and support academic women. The inclusion of a formal discrimination complaint and the investigation's outcome highlights the collection’s importance in documenting civil rights and equity enforcement efforts at SDSU.

This collection documents the functions and activities of the Human Resources Office at South Dakota State University and includes materials primarily related to employee management, benefits, training, and policy dissemination. Records include personnel handbooks, employee orientation materials, annual and sick leave guidelines, and documents related to recruitment and appraisal systems for Career Service and Civil Service employees.

Also included are meeting minutes and program materials from the Career Service Advisory Council, Civil Service Advisory Council, and Faculty Senate, as well as internal communications such as HR Messenger newsletters. Materials relating to equal opportunity, non-discrimination, harassment prevention, and inclement weather policies are present, along with documents supporting employee education and financial planning. The series also contains information regarding the implementation of web-based time entry systems and proposed updates to personnel policies.

These records are a resource documenting the evolution of human resource policies and practices at the university, the institution's compliance with employment laws, and its efforts to support employee development and workplace equity.