Dates

• Usage: 2009 - present
• Usage: 1982 - 2009

Biography

The Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Boston College originated in the early 1980s amid a broader expansion of women’s studies programs in higher education. An interdisciplinary minor in Women’s Studies was first instituted in 1982, and the program was formally founded in 1983 under the direction of Judith Wilt, who joined the Boston College faculty in 1978.

The program developed in response to national and international movements for women’s equality and social justice, seeking to integrate the study of women’s experiences and gender-based analysis into the university curriculum. Its mission emphasizes the examination of gender and sexuality as central categories of analysis and promotes an intersectional understanding of how sexism interacts with other forms of inequality such as racism, classism, heterosexism, and ableism.

An interdisciplinary minor in Women’s Studies was formally established in 1982. By the late 2000s, the program was renamed the Women’s and Gender Studies Program to reflect its broadened academic focus. Today, the program continues to offer an undergraduate interdisciplinary minor, support graduate scholarship across related disciplines, and sponsor a range of lectures, events, and initiatives that foster dialogue and engagement within the Boston College community.

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