In 1972, UNCG formed a faculty-student committee be created to examine women’s studies in a larger academic context, define objectives of a women’s studies program, and to make recommendations on what type of form a program might be created at UNCG. The committee’s findings would eventually lead to the establishment of a Women’s Studies Program, one of the oldest in the nation.
The Women’s Studies Program officially began to offer classes in 1974 as an interdisciplinary program. A year later, in 1975, the Women’s Studies Program began offering a minor concentration, with students selecting relevant courses from across departments.
In 1994, the Women’s Studies Program began offering a major in the field. In the Spring of 2003, the Program changed its name from Women’s Studies to Women’s and Gender Studies to reflect a growing trend in women’s studies programs across the country. The new name also more accurately represented the Program’s evolving scope.
Women’s Studies Program Chairs:
- Roy Neil Schantz (1974-1976)
- Jean Gordon (1977-1981)
- Harriet Kupferer (1981-1983)
- Jacquelyn W. White (1983-1987)
- Patricia Spakes (1987-1990)
- Jodi Bilinkoff (1990-1992)
- Katherine W. Mille (1992-1997)
- Jacquelyn W. White (1997-2000)
- Mary Ellis Gibson (2000-2003)