Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies

Identity area

Type of entity

Corporate body

Authorized form of name

Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies

Parallel form(s) of name

    Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

      Other form(s) of name

      • Department of Women's Studies (1991 - 7 December 2009)
      • Women's Studies Program (1976 - 1991)

      Identifiers for corporate bodies

      Description area

      Dates of existence

      1976 -

      History

      The Department of Women's Studies at SFU has its roots in the political climate on campus during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some students and faculty expressed a desire to participate in research on women and the development of feminist theory. In the fall of 1971, the first course to focus on women—Geography 404: the Geography of Gender—was offered to 40 students. At the same time, SFU faculty members began to develop and participate in a series of non-credit courses relating to women's issues. As a result of the success of both Geography 404 and these non-credit courses, a proposal for a Women's Studies program was drafted. In 1975 this proposal was presented by Andrea Lebowitz and Margaret Benston to Senate and approved.

      The Women's Studies program was established within the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, and offered its first course in 1976. The program was administered by the Women's Studies Coordinating Committee, which was responsible for hiring, course development, and other administrative details. The Coordinating Committee was composed of Women's Studies faculty members, elected student representatives, and associated faculty teaching in the program.

      In 1985, when the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies was eliminated, the Women's Studies program was placed in the Faculty of Arts within the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. Also in the 1980s, the Ruth Wynn Woodward Endowed Chair in Women's Studies was founded, a role that includes teaching, public speaking engagements, the organization of conferences, and the invitation of distinguished speakers. And, in 1985, the MA program was established and admitted its first students.

      The 1990s brought further developments: the introduction of a certificate program in 1990; departmental status in 1991; the offering of joint majors, with English in 1991 and with Psychology in 1992; and the approval of Women's Studies as a major in 1994. Political Science and Sociology/Anthropology joint majors were added in 1997.

      In 2000, the department introduced a course-based MA, followed by additional joint majors with Criminology, History, and Humanities in 2001. A PhD program was established in 2004, and a Gender Studies minor was added to the undergraduate program in the same year. By 2007-2008, there were 775 students enrolled in Women's Studies undergraduate programs and courses, with a further 23 students in the MA and PhD programs. As of 2008, there are six full-time faculty members, four faculty who are jointly appointed with another department, eight faculty from other departments who serve as associate members of the department, three professors emeritae, one adjunct faculty member, and one endowed professor. Three staff members are also employed by the department.

      Places

      Legal status

      Functions, occupations and activities

      Mandates/sources of authority

      Internal structures/genealogy

      General context

      Relationships area

      Related entity

      Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (1965 - )

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      hierarchical

      Dates of relationship

      1985 -

      Description of relationship

      Department of Women's Studies reports to Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

      Related entity

      Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies (1972 - 1985)

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      hierarchical

      Dates of relationship

      1976 - 1985

      Description of relationship

      Department of Women's Studies reports to Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies

      Related entity

      Stewart, Mary Lynn

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      2006 -

      Description of relationship

      Department of Women's Studies officer Mary Lynn Stewart: Chair

      Related entity

      Cohen, Marjorie Griffin

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      2003 - 2006

      Description of relationship

      Department of Women's Studies officer Marjorie Griffin Cohen: Chair

      Related entity

      Silverman, Kaja

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1 September 1983 - 31 December 1983

      Description of relationship

      Kaja Silverman officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Kimball, Meredith

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1999 - 2003

      Description of relationship

      Meredith Kimball officer of Department of Women's Studies: Chair

      Related entity

      Kimball, Meredith

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1999 -

      Description of relationship

      Meredith Kimball officer of Department of Women's Studies: Chair

      Related entity

      Cohen, Marjorie Griffin

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1996 - 1999

      Description of relationship

      Marjorie Griffin Cohen officer of Department of Women's Studies: Chair

      Related entity

      Silverman, Kaja

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1 May 1984 - 31 August 1984

      Description of relationship

      Kaja Silverman officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Benston, Maggie (1 October 1937 - 7 March 1991)

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1 January 1984 - 30 April 1984

      Description of relationship

      Maggie Benston officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Stewart, Mary Lynn

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1994 - 1996

      Description of relationship

      Mary Lynn Stewart officer of Department of Women's Studies: Chair

      Related entity

      Stewart, Mary Lynn

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1993 - 1994

      Description of relationship

      Mary Lynn Stewart officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Kimball, Meredith

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1990 - 1993

      Description of relationship

      Meredith Kimball officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Lebowitz, Andrea

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1989 - 1990

      Description of relationship

      Andrea Lebowitz officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Strong-Boag, Veronica

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1988 - 1989

      Description of relationship

      Veronica Strong-Boag officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Penfold, Sue

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1985

      Description of relationship

      Sue Penfold officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Benston, Maggie (1 October 1937 - 7 March 1991)

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1985

      Description of relationship

      Maggie Benston officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Kimball, Meredith

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1978 - 1979

      Description of relationship

      Meredith Kimball officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Related entity

      Lebowitz, Andrea

      Identifier of related entity

      Category of relationship

      associative

      Dates of relationship

      1976 - 1978

      Description of relationship

      Andrea Lebowitz officer of Department of Women's Studies: Coordinator

      Access points area

      Subject access points

      Place access points

      Occupations

      Control area

      Authority record identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation, revision and deletion

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Maintenance notes