Isn't Feminist & Gender Studies a department?

Yes! As of May 2023, Feminist & Gender Studies is now a department!

What is the department's mission statement?

The Feminist & Gender Studies Department fosters inquiry into structures and modes of power as they are mediated by gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, class, caste, nation and citizenship, age, and ability. Through teaching, scholarship, and service, we study and develop critical interdisciplinary and feminist theories and practices in collaboration with artists, activists, and scholars at Colorado College and beyond.

What is the department's vision statement?

Feminist & Gender Studies aims to embody a feminist ethos of critical engagement and responsiveness that is attentive to shifting relations of power; to be an intellectual, political, and creative space for the pursuit of exemplary collaborative initiatives locally, regionally, nationally, and transnationally; and to remain conversant with myriad intellectual legacies while reimagining the possibilities of feminist knowledge and practice.

Who is the Academic Administrative Assistant?

Tiffany Moore is the Academic Administrative Assistant for the Feminist & Gender Studies Department, as well as the Asian Studies Program and Race, the Ethnicity, & Migration Studies Department . See her full profile.

When did the department graduate its first students?

The first class of Feminist & Gender Studies (then Women's Studies) minors graduated in 1987. They were Monica J. Backsen, Stephanie A. Donaldson, Sheila J. Farr, Ann H. Lenz, and Kristin L. Mernitz. The first class of Feminist & Gender Studies (also then Women's Studies) majors graduated in 1998. They were Blake H. Hedinger, Briana N. Kerstein, and Christina A. Pierson. Blake and Briana were advised by Margaret Duncombe (Professor Emerita, Sociology), and Christina was advised by Charlotte Mendoza (Professor Emerita, Education). In 2005, the name of the major was changed to Feminist and Gender Studies.   

In 2018, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the major during Homecoming, featuring keynote speaker Brady Montalbano-Connaughton (Feminist & Gender Studies '03). Brady was also featured in our first annual "Alumni Spotlight" in 2019. Read more about her and to view or read her keynote address.

In 2023, just in time for the 25^th anniversary of our major, Feminist and Gender Studies officially became a department. You can read more about the significance of this change in the Block 1 issue of The 2023 Monthly Rag.

What is the Feminist & Gender Studies Advisory Board and how can I be involved?

As a department we have graduated the Feminist & Gender Studies Advisory Board, and are no longer accepting applicants. While the Feminist & Gender Studies faculty recognize the significance of intergenerational and transdisciplinary collectivity, we have grown as a department and recognize the value of reaching out to our fellow faculty as needed rather than requiring more meeting time from them. We value collaboration, and will continue our collaborative initiatives in other ways.

The Feminist & Gender Studies Advisory Board was initially implemented in Spring 2018. The Advisory Board consisted of two full-time faculty who supported the department in various capacities for two to three years (barring extenuating circumstances, such as sabbaticals):

2021-2024

Naomi Wood, Chair and Associate Professor of Spanish & Portuguese
Natanya Pulley, Assistant Professor of English

2018-2021

Tomi-Ann Roberts, Chair and Professor of Psychology 
Gail Murphy-Geiss, Chair and Professor or Sociology

How do I cross-list a course with Feminist & Gender Studies?

As of February 2019, cross-list proposals must converse with our revised mission and vision statements, as well as our new course-level guidelines. In addition, we are currently in the process of articulating the pedagogical principles underlying our curriculum with which we would like cross-list course proposals to engage moving forward.  We are therefore not accepting any new proposals for cross-listing classes at this time. If you have any questions about this, please email Professor Guessous, Chair of the FGS Department.  

What is the Transnational Feminisms Grant for Research & Teaching and how can I apply?

All full- and part-time faculty are invited to apply for grants to support research and/or teaching in Transnational Feminisms. Funds may be used to support seminar or workshop participation, attendance at conferences or meetings, research, or teaching enhancement. For more information, contact the Dean of Faculty.