Women’s Studies to introduce a major change
Written by Adam Desautel Friday, 05 March 2010 08:00
This past week at NDSU was Women’s Week, an annual campus event that celebrates the social advances women have made over history, as well as recognizing women in the political realm today.
“It’s a way to bring to light some accomplishments made by women that may not come up on a daily basis,” director of NDSU’s Women’s Studies program Ann Burnett said.
The Women’s Week Committee, comprised of students, faculty and staff who simply have an interest in hosting and organizing the week’s events, puts on Women’s Week. Various speakers, professors and artists present seminars and lessons regarding gender-related issues in today’s society.
Some of the Women’s Week events included “Men as allies in gender equity,” “‘What can I do?’ Helping a woman you care about after a sexual assault,” and “Medical Rebellion: How feminists changed the CDC and FDA.”
NDSU is also introducing another large change regarding the study of feminist issues. The Women’s Studies major will, in the future, be known as Women and Gender Studies.
“With the name change, hopefully it’s going to be a major that feels more comfortable and opens up options more for men, to be honest, because a lot of things we talk about in classes are gender-related, it’s just all the names of the courses just say ‘women’s’ studies,” Burnett said.
Sean Sather-Wagstaff, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, looks forward to the changes. “I think that the gender climate in this university is skewed and problematic, and so I think that programs that we are initiating in order to improve that climate are incredibly worthwhile and important programs,” Sather-Wagstaff said.
Erienne Fawcett, a professor in communications and a co-presenter of NDSU’s Women’s Week, said, “women and gender studies is encompassing a lot of different areas now. We decided to do the name switch not only because we wanted to reflect that respect for the women that came before us that actually worked towards getting voting rights, and reproductive rights, and things like that.”
The major’s name change will be bringing along more than just a new name, however. New classes will be added to the curriculum, such as Introduction to Masculinity, which will be offered this coming fall semester. Courses such as this are to be the first of many new courses to be added to the NDSU Women and Gender Studies program.
“It [the curriculum change] will be slowly, but surely. We haven’t been able to add staff, so it can’t be a sudden change in curriculum, but we’re now beginning to add more courses that are gender and not just women focused,” Burnett said.
Regarding the name change, Fawcett said, “Many people who know about gender say, ‘well, gender includes women.’ Keeping the Women and Gender is about respect for the women that came before us.”
Burnett will continue to be the program’s director. Regarding her, Sather-Wagstaff is pleased to see her remain. “She’s an incredible advocate for women, and a great teacher,” Sather-Wagstaff said. “I think she’s going to be working very hard to educate people on campus about fairness and equity in treatment of men and women both.”
“We’ll bring in new courses, new subject matter, and new things that are happening within the major and the department. It doesn’t sound big, but it is big. A name change like that is signifying a change. It’s signifying new research and new things happening in society. This major is very cultural, and changes with how culture changes,” Fawcett said.
Burnett feels that this is a good move for our university, reflects things that are happening on the national level, and that it is in line with what other universities’ programs are doing.
“It better reflects that we do talk about men and women in these courses,” Burnett said. “It seems a more hospitable major. When you hear ‘women’s studies’ as a man, I think you would think it’s not for you, but ‘women and gender,’ that might be more appealing.”
The department will remain in Minard 200, the same location as the Women’s Studies program has always been, with the same faculty and staff and courses.
For more information about the Women and Gender Studies program, major or minor, the department’s Web site can be found at www.ndsu.edu/wgs online, Burnett at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 701-231-7290, or the department itself can be found in Minard 200.
