The mission of the Women's and Gender Studies Program is to raise awareness of issues of gender and gender inequality and to transform the university and the community through teaching, learning, and social action.

Students studying Women's and Gender Studies will
Analyze and challenge notions of femininity and masculinity in relation to people’s experiences.
Recognize the varieties of masculinities and femininities that exist across time, cultures, space, etc.
Relate social structures and institutions to the creation and perpetuation of inequality.
Understand other social differences intersecting with gender.
Appreciate intersections of thought and action and engage in theoretically informed social and political action.
Employ experience as evidence for developing an understanding of power, privilege, and disadvantaging.

Guidelines for Women's and Gender Studies Courses

1. Gender should be the primary organizing principle of the course.

2. The course should embrace the mission of the Women's and Gender Studies Program.

3. The syllabus should demonstrate the inclusion of some of the program's learning goals.

4. The course design should reflect best practices in feminist pedagogy, which include the following:

-Explore and use student-centered teaching methods that create an environment in which all members are learners and faculty take non-authoritarian postures.
-Acknowledge alternate forms of expertise.
-Treat individuals with respect.
-Encourage students to participate in decision making and take responsibility for contributing to the class.
-Value the experiences of subordinated and marginalized groups.
-Value students' experiences outside the classroom.