Gender and Women's Studies

General FAQ's

Q.

What does the Gender & Women's Studies Program do, and how is it different from the Office of Women's Programs?

A.

The Gender & Women's Studies Program is dedicated to teaching and research on women, gender, and sexualities. The Office of Women's Programs is a service program for women on campus and offers information, counseling, and training for a wide variety of issues affecting women. However, they have limited resources for dealing with urgent or crisis situations, so see our Urgent Services page if you need this kind of information.

The Gender & Women's Studies Program's mission is to provide an educational environment that promotes an awareness of and appreciation for differences created by gender, race, ethnicity, class, global location, and sexual orientation. The Gender & Women's Studies Program:

Q.

Where are the Women & Gender Information Resources?

A.

The Women and Gender Studies Information Resources is located at 415 Library, on the 4th floor of the main library. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Q.

Where can I find other resources and research materials on Gender & Women's Studies?

A.

See our Resources page for details. It includes a link to the Women and Gender Studies Information Resources.

Q.

Can I work for Gender & Women's Studies?

A.

Gender & Women's Studies hires a graduate assistant and several teaching assistants every year. Hiring usually begins in February for the following academic year. Contact Jacque Kahn, at jskahn@uiuc.edu, for details.

Q.

I am not a member of the university community. Can I attend Gender & Women's Studies events?

A.

Yes. Many of our events, such as our Feminist Scholarship Series of talks, are free and open to the public. You can check the Calendar for the next upcoming event. You can sign up to be on our calendar mailing list by emailing gws-email@uiuc.edu. Please include your Name, campus or local address, phone, email, and indicate if you are faculty, staff, graduate student (and whether taking the minor), undergraduate student (and whether taking the major or minor) or other.

Q.

How can I contribute to the Gender & Women's Studies Program?

A.

See our Make a Gift page for details.

FAQ's For Undergraduates

Q.

 Can I major in Gender & Women's Studies?

A.

Yes, we offer an LAS Interdisciplinary major in Gender and Women's Studies. Please visit our page for majors for more information on the requirements. To enroll as a Gender and Women's Studies major, contact Jacque Kahn (jskahn@uiuc.edu), or call the Gender and Women's Studies Program at 333-2990.

Q.

What do I have to do to enroll in the Gender & Women's Studies Minor?

A.

Check our Gender & Women's Studies Minor page for details. If you are an incoming student, you can register for the minor after you are on campus.

Q.

How can I find out about Gender & Women's Studies Courses?

A.

Gender & Women's Studies publishes a course guide each semester with in depth course descriptions of the course for that particular semester. Drop by the office to pick one up around preregistration time. If you are an incoming student, check our Current Courses web page, or phone to have one mailed to you.

Q.

What if I can't get a Gender & Women's Studies course that I want?

A.

There are two different kinds of Gender & Women's Studies courses: those that are offered directly from the Gender & Women's Studies Program, and those which are offered by another department and cross listed with Gender & Women's Studies.

There are no restrictions by major or year on Gender & Women's Studies courses run by our department. However, we release seats repeatedly during the registration period, in order to get a mix of students in our courses. Keep trying for a seat, including before the semester starts. If you are unsuccessful, call the Gender & Women's Studies Program at 333-2990. If no seats are available, we will refer you to the instructor, who may determine whether or not to start a waiting list.

For courses which are offered by another department and cross-listed with Gender & Women's Studies, such as WS/ENGL 280, check with the offering department (English in this case). You can tell which courses are offered by a department by looking in the Course Catalog. Courses offered by the department have descriptions, whereas cross-lists refer you to other departments for a description.

Q.

Where is my Gender & Women's Studies instructor's mailbox?

A.

All GWS instructors have mailboxes at the Gender & Women's Studies House, 911 S. Sixth Street, in Champaign. They are to the left as you go in the door. However, before leaving something, make sure that your instructor checks that mailbox regularly; most instructors have mailboxes in other departments as well as in Gender & Women's Studies.

Q.

How can I get involved even if I don't want to minor or major in Gender & Women's Studies?

A.

There are several ways to get involved in Gender & Women's Studies. First you can participate in our activities and organizations. There are several undergraduate groups, and we hold talks and other events throughout the year, that are announced on our News and Events page.