The mission of the Women's Studies Department is to provide a nurturing environment for the whole person -- to help each student find her or his own strengths, gifts, and path, as well as to raise awareness about the way that path concerns and connects with all other beings. Academically, we seek to provide our students with a solid background in knowledge about gender, race, and class issues; feminist analysis; and critical thinking and oral and written communication. Vocationally, we prepare students for contributions in a wide variety of fields. Our graduates have gone on to work in programs for runaway and homeless youth, battered women and victims of sexual assault, the developmentally disabled, and the Girl Scouts, as well as pursuing careers in midwifery, video production, elementary education, public relations, psychological counseling, and law, to name a few. Women's Studies recognizes the vital part a Women's Studies education plays in preparing students for employment after graduation, but we also recognize that education is as much about finding meaning, purpose, and wisdom as it is about finding a job; that one's life work is much larger than a job or career; and that contributing to one's
community may take many forms. We aim to prepare students for life.
