Women's Studies Program Structure

Women's Studies Affiliated Faculty: the large group of all who teach in the program or have a demonstrated teaching and research interest in the field of women's and gender studies.  This group meets regularly for purposes of course and curriculum development, and to maintain the coherence of a program relying very heavily upon cross-listed courses.

Women's Studies Steering Committee: voting members include: faculty currently holding appointments in women's studies and/or teaching core courses; a representative of Academic Affairs; and four other faculty members, to be nominated from and by the affiliated faculty.  (The sitting steering committee proposes a slate to the VPAA with an eye to disciplinary and generational balance.)  Non-voting members include a student representative, a representative of the library, and others as appropriate.

This group makes curricular decisions, such as adding new core courses or proposing changes to the major and minor; serves as department personnel committee when there is need to hire or review a women's studies faculty member; vets and oversees the cross-listed courses; assists and advises the director with respect to budget, public events, student advising, course development, and so forth.

This structure was adopted by vote of the faculty on December 4, 2000.  At that time, another committee dealing with women's concerns was also created, described as follows:

Status of Women Committee: this group was created to carry on the remainder of the original charge to the old women's studies committee, to address the needs and concerns of women at DePauw--staff, students, and independent scholars as well as faculty-- and to safeguard the University's commitment to gender equity.  Click here to read their report.