This fall, there will be a new minor at William Peace University. It was recently announced that with the addition of a new class, “Introduction to Women’s Studies,” there will be a Women’s Studies minor available to students.
The minor will incorporate many of the classes like “Female of the Species” and “Gender Roles” that are already available at Peace, but students will have the opportunity to take the intro course taught by Dr. Meginnis-Payne to develop a well-rounded view of the topic.
The “Introduction to Women’s Studies” class will look at women’s experience globally. Sex trafficking, unpaid labor, unequal pay, minimization of women’s contribution, political involvement, domestic abuse, and women in religion will all be topics discussed in the class. There will be a focus on understanding the links between women and their cultures, power, and politics.
“The faculty are really excited,” said Meginnis-Payne. “This minor is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time but now the timing is really right. President Townsley has been very supportive of this. It is a way Peace can continue to have a historical mission of educating women.”
In addition to the class, the minor will open up the door for a capstone experience focused around Women’s Studies.“The capstone experience will allow all students minoring in Women’s Studies to be co-sponsored by their major advisor and their Women’s Studies advisor to create a unique internship focused around their personalized learning objectives,” said Meginnis-Payne.
Dr. Corinne Andersen was one of the professors who spearheaded the movement for the new minor at Peace. She says she is in disbelief at the number of students who have already stopped by her office and expressed an interest in the new course.
“Women’s Studies courses are truly interdisciplinary and therefore provide an excellent opportunity to explore important topics from domestic violence to reproductive health to women in the workplace from several perspectives,” she said. “The new 200 level class takes a global perspective, which I find particularly exciting because it supports WPU’s mission to prepare students for meaningful careers and ethical citizenship.”
Because women’s issues are human issues and because feminism is simply humanism, this class will be an outstanding pick for next semester. If you are interested in taking Introduction to Women’s Studies, please see your advisor.