Speaking up on behalf of Women's Studies

Letter to the Editor submitted to my university's newspaper:

This academic year brings great news to Gonzaga students interested in the environment. Environmental studies, which was previously a concentration, has now officially become both a major and a minor. This is a huge step forward for a program that was only introduced as a concentration in the 2007-2009 course catalog. As a Jesuit university, it makes sense that Gonzaga should offer students the chance to study such a new and important subject.

With the inclusion of environmental studies to the list of majors comes a new question: What about the women's and gender studies? This program, which has been in the Gonzaga curriculum for at least 15 years, is still only offered as a concentration, not a major or even a minor. This does not make sense. Women's and gender studies is a viable program that helps students learn to interact with the world in ways not based on gender, but on equality and mutual respect.

In addition, learning about the dysfunctional nature of patriarchy also opens the way for seeing other forms of oppression, such as those based on race, color, class, age or disability. Not to mention that women make up more than half of the world's population, so it makes sense to include subjects that focus on women's perspectives. As a Jesuit institution that promotes education of the whole self, why shouldn't Gonzaga have a greater investment in programs that do just that?

For years, the women's studies program has tried to become more inclusive, but lacked the resources to do so. Whether it was a faculty member to spearhead the effort or enough students to generate interest, ingredients have been missing. In addition, a supportive response from the administration is necessary to move any academic program forward. For years, this has not happened with women's studies.

Now is the time to change that. Women's studies currently has over 20 faculty members capable of teaching components of women's studies courses and a new director, Dr. Patsy Fowler. For student interest, there are currently 19 students registered under the concentration, the same number as students in the environmental studies major. There is also a student club, called Speak Up!, related to women's and gender issues.

Gender issues are relevant to today's society, and nearly all of the other women's studies programs at universities in Washington offer at least a minor, except Gonzaga. As for support from the administration, well, we are in a new stage of Gonzaga leadership. Even though our new President is an interim, he just might be able to lay the foundation for the support and development of a new and competitive women's studies program.

There are many ingredients necessary to make Gonzaga's women's studies program a certifiable major and minor, but I see no reason why those ingredients can't start coming together now. If the dedication and hard work of others were able to create a major and minor out of the environmental studies concentration in just a few years, then those involved in the women's studies program can do it as well.

As much as I enjoy seeing my name in print, the best part about writing this piece was the responses I got from others. Particularly from the directors of both the Environmental Studies program and the Women's Studies program. Nothing is quite as satisfying as knowing that what you write speaks to the heart of issues that others are facing too.