College of Arts and Sciences
Office of the Dean
Senate Bill 1213-04
UNIVERSITY SENATE
UNVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Introduced by:
CAS/Women’s Studies Department
Date:
March 11, 2013
NAME CHANGE FOR OF WOMEN’S STUDIES DEPARTMENT
IT IS HEREBY PROPOSED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE ADOPTED:
1. That the change becomes effective in the fall of 2013.
2. That this proposal be forwarded to President Robert J. Jones for approval.
Arts and Sciences Building, Room 217
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
PH: 518-442-4651 FX: 518-442-3374
www.albany.edu
College of Arts and Sciences
Office of the Dean
TO:
Andi Lyons, Chair
University Senate
FROM:
Edelgard Wulfert, Dean
College of Arts and Sciences
DATE:
February 8, 2013
RE:
Change in name of Women’s Studies Department
Following is a request from the Women’s Studies Department to change
its name to the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
The rationale is clearly laid out in the document and I fully endorse the
faculty’s request.
As with similar name changes, we typically have presented such requests
to the University Senate. I would therefore appreciate if you would
forward this request with my endorsement to the respective Senate
Council/Committee for consideration.
Arts and Sciences Building, Room 217
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
PH: 518-442-4651 FX: 518-442-3374
www.albany.edu
College of Arts and Sciences
Women’s Studies Department
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TO:
Edelgard Wulfert, Dean
FROM:
Vivien Ng, Department Chair, Women’s Studies
DATE:
January 2, 2013
RE:
Request to Change the name of the Women’s Studies Department
WOMEN’S STUDIES DEPARTMENT NAME CHANGE PROPOSAL
RATIONALE
The Women’s Studies Department faculty members have voted unanimously to change the name of
the Department to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. The reasons for the proposed name
change include the following:
1) The interdisciplinary field that started as Women’s Studies has undergone significant
transformations since its inception in the early 70s. From an early emphasis on recovering,
researching, and teaching about women’s neglected experiences and histories, as well as the
social contexts and inequalities that structured their lives, the field has expanded to
emphasize the investigation of gender as a system shaping not only women’s lives, but also
the lives of men and people who do not fit neatly into binary sex/gender categories, including
intersex, transgender, and other gender non-conforming individuals. The connection between
gender non-conformity and diverse sexualities defying heteronormativity also became a focal
point, partly reflected in the growing importance of queer studies. Scholarship that applies a
gender lens to look critically at constructions of masculinity has also experienced significant
growth in the field.
The UAlbany Women’s Studies department has been influenced by and participated in
shaping these trends in the field. However, while the department curriculum has changed
over the years in ways that reflect such transformations, the name of the department
remained the same. The proposed name change is a move to better reflect what the
department is already doing, and in this way, we aim to more accurately convey the content
of the programs we offer and bring the department’s name to the 21st century. A number of
reputable departments and programs across the nation now bear our proposed new name, for
example, at Yale University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, Emory University,
University of Cincinnati, and Boston College, among others.
Social Science Building, Room 353
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
PH: 518-442-4220 FX: 518-442-4419
www.albany.edu/Women’sStudies
College of Arts and Sciences
Women’s Studies Department
6d9b7bdcb383835f0f9d726c2a178eb8.doc
Page 3 of 4
2) By keeping “Women,” in the title we recognize the historical roots of the field and the
impetus it gained from the women’s movement, as well as naming what is still a central part
of the curriculum. Yet, by including “Gender” and “Sexuality,” we signal how the field has
grown to be more inclusive, which is the case for our department, too. The name change
communicates a “shift away from binary identity politics in which a single category
(women) can represent the complexity of experiences of individuals and groups who
experience gender differently based on their race, ethnicity, sexuality, age, ability, or social
class” (Berger and Radeloff 2011:43). We believe that as a result of reflecting more
accurately the kind of inclusive curriculum we are already offering, more students (who have
perhaps been unaware of how their interests match those of the department) may now be
encouraged to major in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies or enroll in our MA
program.
3) The claim that the department is already covering the topics and approaches conveyed by the
new name can be easily verified by examining our existing undergraduate and graduate
curriculum. All of our core courses (WSS 100, 240, 360, 490, 492, 590 & 565), regardless of
official course title, include the teaching of gender and sexuality, and this is also the case for
many of the elective courses housed in Women’s Studies and/or cross-listed with other
departments (e.g. WSS 202, 260, 308, 401, 412, 415, 451, 475, 497, 501, 512, 515, 545, 551,
639, 644, 645). Critically, the department also houses the UAlbany’s LGBTQ minor, so the
name change is fitting for this reason as well.
This proposed name change would take effect at the beginning of the fall 2013
semester. The Department is not requesting a rubric change.
Work Cited:
Berger, Michelle Tracy and Chreyl Radeloff. 2011. Transforming Scholarship: Why Women’s and
Gender Studies Students are Changing Themselves and the World. New York: Routledge.
Social Science Building, Room 353
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
PH: 518-442-4220 FX: 518-442-4419
www.albany.edu/Women’sStudies
