To commemorate Women’s History Month, NIU Today is publishing a series of articles highlighting faculty, staff, students, alumni and programs that make an impact at NIU and beyond.
Take a quick look at new courses offered by the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS): Gender and Environmental Justice, Gender and Migration, Transgender Studies, Gender and Digital Culture.
One thing quickly becomes clear—the offerings demonstrate the far-reaching impact of the contemporary field of study.
What started four decades ago as a few courses in women’s studies at NIU has steadily grown into the vibrant and diverse center, offering a major, minor and certificate programs that promise to boost students’ critical thinking skills—and potentially their careers.
At NIU, the seeds for the center were planted during the 1970s, at the height of the “second wave” of feminism. It brought attention to a wide range of issues, including sexuality, equal pay, workplace issues and reproductive rights. Keep in mind, times were different. It wasn’t until 1974, for example, that women gained the right to apply for credit without a male co-signer.
Jessica Reyman, director for the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality.
“As things were happening in the cultural and political sphere, the academic discipline was developing,” says Jessica Reyman, CSWGS director. Like the early NIU courses, today’s center reflects contemporary society—and the focus has expanded greatly to include all forms of gender and sexuality.
“It’s a time of exciting change,” Reyman says. “Without the basic rights for women established over the past decades we wouldn’t be where we are today. Currently in the public sphere we continue to fight for rights for all genders and for LGBTQ+ people, including anti-discrimination laws for marriage, employment and education.”
Academic offerings have expanded with the times, too.
In 2020, the center began offering a major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS). It also offers undergraduate minors and certificates in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, as well as graduate-level certificates in those two programs plus Law and Women’s and Gender Studies. NIU students can also meet the general education human diversity requirement through center courses.
“In a contemporary context, our research and academics examine gender equity and equality and also social justice and transformation,” Reyman says. “We’re talking about who has a seat at the table but also how the table is constructed—what institutions, systems and structures give rise to inequity.”
Another important aspect of the academic field today is the framework of “intersectionality.” The framework is useful in understanding how race, class, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation and other individual characteristics “intersect” with one another and influence the ways that individuals with historically marginalized identities encounter the world.
“The work that we do is inclusive of all genders, including non-binary gender, gender fluidity, transgender identities and diverse sexualities,” Reyman says. “The academic study has evolved to think of gender not as a binary system but as being more fluid or complex. The issues addressed within the center affect all humans and all people.”
It’s no surprise then the center’s work requires an interdisciplinary lens.
CSWGS has more than 40 faculty associates who work together as a committee to ensure the interdisciplinary nature, development and continuity of center programs. The faculty come from a wide array of disciplines, including history, English, communication, counseling, anthropology, sociology, psychology, computer science, foreign languages, art education, electrical engineering and environmental studies.
“Our faculty are active in their research and are some of the most dedicated teachers,” Reyman says, noting that NIU has the most diverse student body in its history. “There’s a strong shared value on having diverse perspectives heard, and I think our center helps the university deepen our understanding of how to enhance the potential of that community.”
Junior Rachel Tork, who’s majoring in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a minor in English, recommends the center’s academic offerings for all students.
“Even if your major doesn’t directly correlate, WGSS classes or participation in the center can greatly enhance your experience at NIU,” Tork says. “WGSS classes help students improve communication skills, strengthen their writing and foster social justice awareness.”
Outside the classroom, the CSWGS supports a variety of educational and outreach programs and activities, including performances, visiting speakers, talks by current students and alums and other events. Additionally, internships are available to those who qualify.
The center also works closely with the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC). It offers students a home away from home—inclusive of gender and sexual identities. The GSRC, which organized the 2022 Women’s History Month calendar of events, is committed to helping students find resources and support to enhance their campus experience and academic success.
Both centers work to identify and be responsive to the needs of their diverse communities, and students are often their best ambassadors. Tork urges other students to check out the academic offerings within Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
“WGSS classes are also open to students outside of the major, and I think they can really add a lot to a student’s academic path, and later on, their career path,” Tork says.
Reyman adds that the center doesn’t have to work as hard as decades ago just to establish its relevance.
“We have students who come to us and say, ‘I know this is important.’ They really appreciate the academic experience, because it’s not only the content but the class community where so many diverse voices are heard.
“I often hear students say, ‘This is a class where I feel like I found my community,’ ” Reyman adds. “I think that’s unique to our courses.”
