Mission Statement
The Department of Women and Gender Studies is committed to exploring gender and women’s issues from a multidisciplinary perspective; across diverse populations; and within a local, national and transnational context.
WHAT WE DO
The department seeks to provide students with the occasion to investigate the intersectionality of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality, (dis)ability status, and other dimensions of social identity. The department offers both a major and minor with coursework dedicated to heightening awareness of the political, socioeconomic, and cultural ideologies related to gender theory. The women and gender studies curriculum seeks to support pedagogy rooted in social justice and equality and to situate the classroom as a collaborative space where both instructor and students mediate knowledge production. The Department of Women and Gender Studies works to make the diversity of women’s and gendered perspectives visible and to position student success within an academic, professional and personal context.
Goals
The goals of the Department of Women and Gender Studies are to:
- Provide a curriculum with an inclusive view of the human experience.
- Teach and learn about the experiences of women and gender diversity as realized within a multidisciplinary and global context.
- Consider the intersections of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality, religion, and (dis)ability status as situated along a continuum and within a global dimension.
- Value personal experience as a way of learning and knowing.
- Create and produce new knowledge about women and gender and apply it to personal, political, and institutional change.
- Bridge theory and practice, and empower students through mentoring, internship, and leadership training initiatives.