WGS at Brandeis: A Timeline

Final Project for NEJS 123a

Introduction

The following timeline tells the story of the WGS department at Brandeis University from its inception in the 1970s to its current status today. All of my sources come from Brandeis publications, including newspapers, course catalogs, and online articles, and a full bibliography is present at the bottom of this site.

The goal of this project is not to simply list all of the important facts, dates, and names from the past fifty years of the Women's Studies Program at Brandeis, but to provide a glimpse into the way the program interacted with and affected feminist activism on campus. By presenting important milestones as well as lesser known details from the last half century, we can understand how campus culture has shifted, the wins and losses that feminist students faced at Brandeis, and how the changing times were reflected by academic structures within the university.

The role that women's studies plays in academia at large represents the wider push for inclusivity and representation within historically exclusive institutions of higher learning. The famous feminist slogan "the personal is political" has great resonance here, as the deeply personal struggles of collective groups of students, professors, activists, and professionals has forever changed the way that Brandeis University operates on a large scale. The creation and growth of the women's studies program affected and was affected by intersectional feminist thought, the movement for queer liberation, student activism against sexual assault and rape on campus, and other social and political movements.

The story of the WGS department at Brandeis is intertwined with the lives of the dedicated faculty and passionate students who have advocated for progressive and intersectional values on campus for decades. As feminist thought has changed and expanded over the course of the last fifty years, so has the WGS department, and by analyzing where and when the department has grown (or become stagnant) we can understand the mutual impact that the women's movement and Brandeis University have had on one another.


1970s

Even before the Women's Studies Program was formally established, several Brandeis courses offered in the early 1970s focused on women's perspectives and stories.

In 1972, the first classes specifically about women were taught:

  • ENGLISH 111a - Doris Lessing, taught by Karen Klein
  • ENGLISH 167a - Faces of Woman in the Poetry of Men: Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, taught by Adrienne Rich
  • CLASSICS 10b - Women in Greek Literature, taught by Barbara P. McCarthy
  • AMERICAN STUDIES 120a - Women in American Society, taught by Pauli Murray

Proposal for the Women's Studies Program

On May 5, 1976, the official proposal for a Women's Studies Program at Brandeis University was completed. The highlighted portions of the document reflect some of the most important details from the program proposal.

Strong interest among students at Brandeis, as well as the founding of comparable women's studies departments at other prestigious universities formed the basis of the argument in favor of the program.

An interdisciplinary perspective featuring faculty and courses from existing departments would be utilized in order to effectively offer a program without creating additional costs.

The proposed classes for the Women's Studies Program came from various humanities and social sciences departments.

Over the next year, debates and discussions about the validity of a Women's Studies program at Brandeis occurred, but eventually the program was accepted. The following year saw the program officially advertised and implemented.

The 1977-78 course catalog contains the first mention of the Women's Studies Program in a Brandeis University bulletin.

The original Women's Studies Program had no specifically designated Women's Studies classes, but instead contained courses from various departments that focused on feminist thought, family, gender, and more.

1980s

The front page of Artemis Vol. 1, Issue 1 (Oct. 1980)

Artemis: a feminist paper

In 1980, Artemis, a feminist newspaper, was founded at Brandeis University. According to an article in The Justice written by Cheryl Appel shortly after Artemis was created, the goals of the new newspaper were "to fill the gap that exists between Brandeis women, and provide an outlet for the energy produced by Brandeis women." Due to the substantial desire for a feminist voice within a campus that is "patriarchal in structure," editor Sara Mandelbaum '81 expressed her enthusiasm in creating future issues of Artemis and gratitude to faculty and students alike for their support of the publication.

Artemis, despite its popularity among feminists on campus, did face criticism from some students. One edition of the "Nerds" comic strip that appeared in The Justice on Nov. 18, 1980 incited backlash from fans of the women's newspaper. The comic (shown below) depicts two male students brainstorming ideas for a male counterpart to Artemis, which could include "articles on jock itch with disgustingly irrelevant pictures." This joking reference to a diagram of female genitalia that appeared within the pages of Artemis inspired rebuttal from some.

The Nov. 25 issue of The Justice featured two letters to the editor from students offended by the tone and content of the comic strip, which according to student Barnaby E. Fisher '81 "trivialized" the important issue of women's health that Artemis sought to cover.

"Nerds" comic strip by David Card from the Nov. 18, 1980 issue of The Justice.

Though Artemis was published throughout a majority of the 1980s, the magazine ceased printing in spring 1986. Two years later, the publication was revamped, and its new editor Andra Brill '91 stressed the importance of Artemis as a place where feminism could be explored in an interview with The Justice.

"Artemis is trying to dispel the myths surrounding feminism. Feminism is a way of life, not something to be afraid of or a disease." –Andra Brill, '91

These conflicts reflect how the struggle for respect and legitimacy were shared by both the creators and editors of Artemis and the Women's Studies Program, even though they came from two separate areas of campus life. Throughout its time in print, Artemis regularly promoted women's studies classes and provided information about educational and crisis resources within the pages of the newspaper.

For more on Artemis and the activists that created the groundbreaking newspaper, please read this essay from the Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections entitled "Honoring Women's Month: A Look Back at Feminist Activism on the Brandeis Campus."

10 Years of Women's Studies

Article from The Justice (Nov. 15, 1988); Front cover of the program from "Creating A Feminist Legacy"

In 1988, the Women's Studies Program hosted a conference called "Creating a Feminist Legacy" to celebrate the program's tenth anniversary. Alumni, scholars, faculty and more gathered for a two days to discuss feminist theory, public policies, and potential threats to reproductive rights, like a possible repeal of the landmark decision Roe v. Wade.

At the time of this conference, a handful of specifically designated women's studies were offered to undergraduate students, including:

  • WMNS 5a - Women in Culture and Society: A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective
  • WMNS 10b - Feminist Liberation Theology
  • WMNS 98b - Independent Study
  • WMNS 99a/b - Senior Research
  • Several elective courses in American Studies, English, Sociology, and more.

An article from The Justice published Nov. 22, 1988 entitled "Feminism Threatened; Say Alumni Experts: Women Studies Program Turns Ten"

1990s & 2000s

A news brief in The Justice published on Sept. 1, 1992 announcing the women's studies Master's program,

The front page of Artemis Vol. 6, Issue 4 (Fall 1992)

The 1990s saw continued expansion of the Women's Studies Program at Brandeis University, notably in the form of a new graduate program. Beginning fall 1992, students were permitted to pursue a joint master's degree in both women's studies and one of ten other fields. The creation of this new graduate program, the growing size of the Women's Studies Program and the implementation of new feminist spaces on campus indicated success, but there were still many challenges to be faced. Despite the new access to graduate students, Brandeis undergraduates were only able to minor in Women's Studies.

Women's Resource Center and more

"Until we get past the mentality that the male 'winners' write history, attitudes aren't going to change. That is, until women's studies is included into the basic curriculum of social history." – Ari Schwartz '93

A May 1993 article in The Justice by Rebecca Forman discussed the recurring need for Women's Studies classes and designated affinity spaces like the Women's Resource Center, which was founded that year. Students like Ari Schwartz, who is quoted above, described how there was still much work to do to promote gender equality within academia in the article.

Sponsored by groups like the Rape Crisis Hotline, Artemis, and Brandeis Voice for Choice, the Women's Resource Center opened in the Usdan Student Center in spring 1993.

Picture of students marching and holding signs during a "Take Back the Night" protest in March 2000.

Events like annual "Take Back the Night" marches presented opportunities for students in the women's studies program to organize and make change in their communities inspired by the lessons they learned in the classroom. As part of the programming for Women's History Month, this march was sponsored by the Women's Resource Center and other organizations on campus that focused on sexual violence prevention. During the march students moved around the Brandeis campus while chanting and holding signs, occasionally stopping for speeches and poetry readings. The integration of art and politics as well student groups and professional organizations in this event reflects the interdisciplinary goals of the women's studies program at Brandeis, and the dedication students had to making their campus safe, equitable, and inclusive.

Headline from an article in The Justice on Nov. 4, 2003 written by Sara Tenenbaum

In 2003, two major achievements celebrated by the Women's Studies Program indicated significant growth and commemorated the tireless work of students and faculty alike. 2003 marked the 25th anniversary of the program, and was also the year that the undergraduate major was established.

Classes at this point included:

  • WMNS 105b - Feminist Theories in Historical and Cross-Cultural Perspective
  • WMNS 106b - Women in the Health Care System
  • WMNS 165b - Feminism and Human Rights
  • WMNS 195b - The Woman's Voice in the Muslim World
  • Several WMNS courses and cross-listed electives in a range of departments.

The name of the Women's Studies Program was officially changed to Women's and Gender Studies, according to a Union Senate update published in The Justice on April 14, 2005. This changed signified not only an expansion of the department but a move toward more inclusive language.

2010s & 2020s

In 2011, the program expanded yet again to offer a new minor: Sexuality and Queer Studies. Although the LGBTQ+ community has always made an impact at Brandeis through student organizations, activism, and more, this new minor offered an interdisciplinary way for students to study queer history, culture, and more through a variety of classes in various departments. For more on the creation of this minor and the impact it had on Brandeis students at the time, please read the article from The Justice below.

In 2014, the program was renamed from Women's and Gender Studies to Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, the three-term title the department carries today. For more about queer history and the impact of these changes on campus culture, please refer to this timeline presented by the WGS Department about queer life on campus. Featuring articles from The Justice, details about student organizations, and information about Pride on campus, this timeline also discusses the creation and development of the Women's Studies Program, including the addition of the Sexuality and Queer Studies minor.

"A lot has changed for women’s, gender and sexuality studies since the 1970s. This summer it shed its interdepartmental program status, officially becoming an academic department, approved by the Board of Trustees and the faculty senate."

In 2020, the Interdepartmental Program in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies was officially promoted to a full department. Jarret Bencks wrote about the milestone in BrandeisNOW, noting how the WGS program had functioned like an independent department long before 2020. From its beginnings during an era where struggles for legitimacy, respect, and adequate funding were commonplace, the WGS program reaching department status signified an important moment in the history of feminism at Brandeis University. For more on the shift from program to department, read the BrandeisNOW article below.

Change is fundamental to the WGS department. Every expansion, additional class, and name change signifies a place where feminism has become more inclusive, university offerings more dynamic and diverse. The idea for a dedicated women's studies program grew out of feminist discourse in the 1970s, and with every important development in this dialogue, our academic world has shifted as well. For the most up to date information about WGS, I recommend checking the WGS  department homepage  on the Brandeis University website, which contains links to social media pages, information about special events and programs, resources about queer life on campus, and more.

Works Cited

"How Brandeis: A History of Women at Brandeis University, 1947-2000." Prepared by Lianne Finnie, MA '00. Box 1, Women’s and Gender Studies Program Collection, Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections.

"Proposal for a Women's Studies Program." Box 2, Women’s and Gender Studies Program Collection, Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections.

Brandeis University Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences, 1977-1978. Brandeis University, 30 Sept. 1977.

"Artemis: a feminist paper" Vol. 1 Issue 1. Box 1, Women’s and Gender Studies Program Collection, Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections, University Periodical Collection.

Appel, Cheryl. "Women Present New Paper." The Justice, 21 Oct. 1980, p. 5

Card, David. "Nerds." The Justice, 18 Nov. 1980, p. 9

Fisher, Barnaby E. "To the Editor." The Justice, 25 Nov. 1980, p. 6

Kaufman, Beth. "Rebuilding a Voice for Women." The Justice, 26 April 1988, p. 13

Abramson, Karen Adler. “Honoring Women's Month: A Look Back at Feminist Activism on the Brandeis Campus.” Brandeis University, 6 March 2009. (x)

Tarr, Alyson. "Women's Studies Program to Celebrate 10th Anniversary this Weekend." The Justice, 15 Nov. 1988, p. 2

"Creating a Feminist Legacy" event program cover, Box 2, Women’s and Gender Studies Program Collection, Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections.

Brandeis University Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences, 1988-1989. Brandeis University, 25 Aug. 1988.

Gerwin, Carol. "Feminism Threatened; Say Alumni Experts: Women Studies Program Turns Ten." The Justice, 22 Nov. 1988, p. 1

"News briefs: Brandeis Offers New Graduate Program." The Justice, 1 Sept. 1992, p. 2

"Artemis: the Brandeis Feminist Magazine" Vol. 6 Issue 4. Box 1, Women’s and Gender Studies Program Collection, Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections, University Periodical Collection.

Forman, Rebecca. "Views on Feminism." The Justice, 4 May 1993, p. 10

Sherr, Susan. "Women's Resource Center Established." The Justice, 9 Feb. 1993, p. 1

Eisner, Deborah. "Community members protest sexual violence." The Justice, 28 March 2000, p. 3

Tenenbaum, Sara. "Women's Studies Program celebrates 25 years strong." The Justice, 4 Nov. 2003, p. 19

Brandeis University Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences, 2003-2004. Brandeis University, 25 Aug. 2003.

Vacek, Lindsay. "Union Senate." The Justice, 19 April 2005.  (x) 

Miller, Jessie. "The making of a minor." The Justice, 20 Sept. 2011.  (x) 

Bencks, Jarret. “Decades in the making, women's, gender and sexuality studies is now a department” BrandeisNOW, 31 August 2020. (x)

The front page of Artemis Vol. 1, Issue 1 (Oct. 1980)

"Nerds" comic strip by David Card from the Nov. 18, 1980 issue of The Justice.

An article from The Justice published Nov. 22, 1988 entitled "Feminism Threatened; Say Alumni Experts: Women Studies Program Turns Ten"

A news brief in The Justice published on Sept. 1, 1992 announcing the women's studies Master's program,

The front page of Artemis Vol. 6, Issue 4 (Fall 1992)

Picture of students marching and holding signs during a "Take Back the Night" protest in March 2000.

Headline from an article in The Justice on Nov. 4, 2003 written by Sara Tenenbaum