Dear students, Welcome back! As you begin your semester, we at the Women’s Studies Program invite you to stop by our office in Reavis, Room 103 and learn more about us.

The Women’s Studies Program is an interdisciplinary academic program in NIU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Any undergraduate student in the university may earn a minor in Women’s Studies by taking three core courses and three additional courses selected from related electives (18 hours total).

Master’s and doctoral-level students may earn a graduate certificate in Women’s Studies, which requires two core courses and two approved graduate-level elective courses (12 hours total). Our electives include great internship opportunities at such organizations as Safe Passage in DeKalb and the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women.

Our program director, Amy Levin, is also an associate professor in English and a member of the Museum Studies faculty.

We have two other faculty members as well: Lynn Kamenitsa, who splits her time between women studies and political science, and Diana Swanson, who splits her professorial responsibilities between women studies and English.

Swanson also teaches courses in LGBT studies. Our program coordinator, Jolene Skinner, plans special activities, such as Women’s History Month events in March (see below).

Our secretary, Lise Schlosser, was a former women’s studies minor.

Finally, our work study student, Cassie Reuter, is a valuable part of our program. Not only do we have our own staff, but also professors from many fields are associates of our program. Our associates often teach classes that can count toward women’s studies credit and offer guidance in their own departments.

Course work in women’s studies can complement many different areas of study.

Our program assists students in developing a multi-disciplinary perspective on specific issues related to women, representation, gender analysis and cultural diversity.

Our courses may be especially useful after graduation because many government agencies, private industries and educational institutions are interested in gender equity and cultural diversity. They are actively seeking employees familiar with the historical, cultural and social contributions of women.

Not only do we offer courses, but we also sponsor many events around campus throughout the year.

Each fall, we bring approximately 35 high school girls to campus to learn about opportunities for women in college.

We sponsor Women’s History Month every March. Women’s History Month features activities for everyone, including a poster and essay contest, speakers, films and discussions.

This year our theme will be Women’s Movements, which encompasses such diverse topics as women’s historical activist movements, women in sports, women exiles and refugees and women’s careers overseas.

We also sponsor Women’s Alliance, an active student organization, which brought the popular Vagina Monologues to campus last spring.

We offer a bimonthly bulletin that keeps students, associates and friends abreast of these events throughout the school year. The bulletin also offers other valuable information, including lists of funding opportunities and conferences for students and faculty.

We have a great Web site that offers in-depth information about our program and courses at http://www.clas.niu.edu/wstudies/index.htm.

We always welcome visitors and are ready to answer any questions you might have.

Best regards for the school year!