A group of mostly women from faculty to students to community members sat in a circle chomping on lunch and celebratory cake, while casually discussing the serious issue of women's and gender studies in the 21st century.
I won't work anywhere that doesn't have a women's studies program
said West Virginia University faculty associate Kim Cordingly. It's crucial.
Professors and students from the women's studies program at West Virginia University visited Ohio University's women's and gender studies program during the past two days, culminating in a Brown Bag Lunch and Learn in the OU Women's Center. The lunch was an opportunity to informally discuss differences, commonalities and ways to improve in a time of ever-tightening budgets. This year, Susanne Dietzel, director of the OU Women's Center, had her salary cut by one twelfth.
The Brown Bag program is held every Thursday at noon in the Women's Center, but this is the first time in the past few years that discussion has featured working directly with another university, said Judith Grant, director of women's and gender studies at OU.
We are working in Appalachia. We have that in common said Ann Oberhauser, director of the Center for Women's Studies at WVU. Sometimes we get stuck in our institutional boundaries that we have trouble thinking outside the box.
Oberhauser noted that WVU doesn't have a Women's Center, a lactation room or a women's and gender studies study abroad program, like those currently offered at OU. WVU's program also has been investigating changing its name, as OU did during the 2007-08 school year, from Women's Studies to Women's and Gender Studies.
I'm always struck by how we happen on the same strategies independent from one another said Grant during the lunch, citing how both schools have online classes, mentorship and are working on outreach with the community as well as with students.
I want to underline the importance of this program and this center to the university
Oberhauser said. It very significantly touches faculty
students
staff
and community members. Where else can they all gather? It's an open
inclusive environment.
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