WGSS Mission Statement
Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) expands the traditional base of a liberal arts and sciences education by focusing on women’s contributions, roles, and perspectives that are otherwise omitted from traditional curriculum offerings. WGSS engages feminist practice to further the understanding and analysis of gender and sexuality. Faculty from all schools within the University take a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to the study of women, gender, and sexuality in WGSS courses offered through both General Studies and degree-granting academic programs.
Participation in the program can lead to a minor in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, which is noted on a student’s academic transcript. Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies courses are open to any student at Stockton University.
WGSS Goals and Learning Outcomes for the Minor
The Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies’ curriculum facilitates critical thinking, student and faculty engagement, and an awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures and experiences by developing competency in feminist activism, theory, and methods. In particular, the WGSS minor will be able to demonstrate achievement in the following:
- Identifying and defining fundamental principles, generalizations, or theories related to the study of women, gender and sexuality;
- Applying feminist theories and methods to multiple academic disciplines and texts as well as to experiences beyond the classroom;
- Analyzing and critically evaluating global and national perspectives and representations related to women, gender and sexuality;
- Engaging with communities, from the local to the global, through feminist activism and scholarship;
- Developing a clearer understanding of and commitment to personal values;
- Developing skill in expressing oneself orally and in writing.
Not every WGSS course will address all the above learning outcomes; students completing the minor will demonstrate their competency in these six areas through the completion of their final portfolio.
–Betsy Erbaugh, Coordinator
What can I do with a degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies?