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The Women’s and Gender Studies Program (WGST) is an academic discipline that offers a 15 hour minor to students. On July 1, 2007, the name of Valdosta State University’s Women’s Studies Program was officially changed to Women’s and Gender Studies Program. The name change recognizes the program’s more comprehensive attention to the relations between women and men, and various aspects of gender (femininity and masculinity). Women’s and Gender Studies is an academic program in the College of Arts & Sciences that engages students in the study of:
-Historical and contemporary roles, experiences, and achievements of women
-The socially and culturally constructed notions of what is feminine and masculine
-The intersections of gender with race, class, religion, ethnicity, age, nationality, and sexuality in the United States and globally
-The analysis of sexuality, including lesbian, gay, intersexual, and transgender studies
-Social Justice
Courses are interdisciplinary in content and approach. This means WGST courses are taught by faculty members from disciplines throughout the university. Many of our courses are cross-listed with other departments and focus on women and gender issues in a specific disciplinary context. Currently, the following departments/programs cross-list or offer Women’s and Gender Studies courses:
African American Studies Program
Department of Art
Department of English
Department of History
The Honors Program
Department of Modern & Classical Languages
Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
Department of Political Science
Department of Psychology & Counseling
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Criminal Justice
Students can become involved in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Valdosta State University in a number of ways. Students may enroll in individual courses, apply course work toward a MINOR in Women’s and Gender Studies, or apply course work toward a concentration in General Studies. Throughout the year Women’s and Gender Studies sponsors events including a lecture series that brings in experts to speak on a wide range of issues, as well as readings, films, performances, and forums. We welcome ALL students, faculty and community members that are committed to providing a supportive, student centered environment that embraces and encourages diversity.
VSU's Women’s and Gender Studies program is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship devoted to the study of women and gender as a social construction, one that intersects with class, race, age, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, and sexual identity. Our faculty and students are both scholars and feminist activists, pursuing intellectual work and achievement with a vision of social justice. In WGST, we explore the connections between academic inquiry and personal life, therefore, students have a unique opportunity to participate in process-oriented classrooms, where they are expected to be active participants in their own learning.
