Notes from the Director Comings and Goings Donors Techno News Lounge

Addenda to Course Guide AAUW Undergrad News Undergrad Opportunities Graduate News

Greetings to the UMass Women's Studies community in the real first year of the new millennium! This is my last year as Director of the Program and I will be sad to leave after 6 years here. However, I feel that I have accomplished most of the goals I set for myself. The new graduate certificate program is thriving, as is the undergraduate program. We have established a regular lecture series and forums of faculty members associated with the Program that continue to further our goal of a feminist interdisciplinary teaching and research community on campus. Our students are successful, some as innovative activists and others win many academic and service awards. We are searching for a new mid-career tenure-track faculty position for the first time in a number of years, whose appointment should bring new energy and direction to us. At the same time we have the assurance that at least one of the incoming faculty fellows at the Five College WOST Research Center will teach a course on race, gender and globalization issues for our UMass WOST program next fall.

In the midst of these hopeful developments for the program, there are also some clouds. General concerns about the overall UMass budget in the future, due to the state tax cut, make our hopes for future expansion of the faculty uncertain. We are still working out a proposal for an M.A. degree in Women's Studies with a specialization in Race, Gender and Globalization, but it may have to be shelved due to budgetary concerns.

To ensure that our curriculum program remains strong and up to date, the Women's Studies Executive Committee has decided that it will do a curricular review of our undergraduate major and minor course requirements. The core faculty has met and will propose a process of surveys and discussions to involve students, faculty, including associated faculty in other departments, and staff. We expect the process to take about a year, since we want to give our new faculty hire, coming in fall 2001, a chance to participate. We may follow this up with an evaluation of our graduate program the following year.

To sum up, I remain hopeful that we can consolidate the achievements of the past and weather the problems that continuing budget cuts bring. Hopefully we can do this, since our commitment remains firm and we have an excellent and dedicated staff and faculty to face whatever challenges the future brings.

Welcome also to Gabriela Delgadillo, our new TA from the Center for International Education. She'll be taking over for Jan Dahms who is working for the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program at Hampshire College as their Operations and Finance Manager. Thanks, farewell and good luck to Jan.

For the 25+ years that Women's Studies has existed, community support and financial contributions from graduates, parents and friends have buoyed our spirits and fulfilled practical needs. We depend on our donors to pay for events like our festive graduation brunch, and do some office upgrading we cant otherwise support.

Special thanks to:

Brenda Bergstrom
Ellen P. Berries
Judith Branzburg
Lisa Calchera
Michele M. DeMarco-Parker
Rebecca Dobkins
Alicia Georgantas
Abbie Hatton
Amy Hoffman
Paul and Judy Lederer
Karen Shack
Dale Melcher
Patricia Murphy-Sheehy
Roberta Stone
Margo Vargas

Women's Studies has set up some new rules for our lounge. Mornings will be set aside for faculty meetings and office hours for our TAs. Afternoons, starting at 12:30 we will sign out the key if students are interested in using the lounge. We currently have two computers with printers, one of which has a working ethernet connection. The other will be set up with an ethernet connection some time this semester. Finally, there will be some class readers available for signing out in the office for use in the lounge. Please see Linda in the office (208 Bartlett Hall) to sign them out.

AAUW LOCAL BRANCH FORMING

A new branch of the AAUW (American Association of University Women) is now being formed in the Pioneer Valley. Several interested women have come together to discuss and organize a local AAUW branch. The organizing team met in December and meets again January. Meetings will be scheduled on a monthly basis and your participation is welcome at all levels. Please contact Nancy Campbell Patteson at patteson@educ.umass.edu or call 545-5332 for a meeting schedule and for information on joining the Pioneer Valley branch of AAUW.

The American Association of University Women promotes equity for all women and girls, lifelong education, and positive societal change. AAUW is open to all graduates who hold the baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university. In principle and practice AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability.

Notes from the Chief Undergraduate Advisor, Karen Lederer

Majors, potential majors, please check in with me. I look forward to seeing you all, 545-1922 or email me at lederer@wost.umass.edu. If you have academic questions, concerns, problems, special circumstances, a double major (especially a double major between 2 colleges), triple major (yup, we have them!), or honors, fieldwork or exchange questions give me a call. Many interesting and varied students applied to the program during the Fall. A catch-up orientation session will be held in February or March for those who applied last fall and were unable to attend the small December orientation. For potential majors, the regular deadline to become a Women's Studies major is April 1.

Welcome new Women's Studies minors from Nancy!

A warm welcome to all students coming into the Women's Studies program for a minor concentration and a hearty farewell to those who have graduated. Requirements for the minor include filling out the application, getting a sponsor, taking Critical Perspectives in Womens Studies (WOST 201), completing a Women of Color course and finishing 12 additional Womens Studies credits. If you think you might be heading for a minor, check in with Nancy Campbell Patteson, Minor Advisor.

Fieldwork Opportunities

Fieldwork is a wonderful opportunity for Women's Studies students to work in the community and blend theory with practice. Now is the time to begin applying for the summer. We are fortunate to have Colleen Doherty, Assistant Director of Field Experience Humanities and Fine Arts, Bartlett Hall 264, 545-6266 or colleend@acad.umass.edu. Visit the HFA Career Resource Area, Bartlett, 2nd floor lobby, for binders listing internships and co-ops including one on Women's Organizations. Colleen is organizing the Field Work panel in March. See EVENTS page.

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Clinical Project

The Legal Studies Department and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) have created a Clinical Project. This project enhances students understanding of the practical and theoretical realities of civil rights and anti-discrimination law. There are 3 courses plus a full time internship at MCAD. MCAD investigates allegations of civil rights violations and discrimination. Womens Studies students are encouraged to apply to the program. Applications for fall 2001 due March 30, 2001. For info contact Jessica Thrall at 413 739-2145 ext. 128, jpthrall@hotmail.com

Honors Program/Commonwealth College

There are many opportunities in the Honors Program/Commonwealth College. See Karen or contact the Commonwealth College, 504 Goodell, 545-2483, The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (Goodell) is available to assist students in applying for national scholarship programs such as Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright and Truman. 577-2610

Notes from Nancy Patteson, Graduate Program Coordinator
Happy New Year and warm wishes to all!

The Graduate Certificate in Advanced Feminist Studies continues to grow and evolve into a well-rounded program designed to meet the needs and demands of our students and this University. The Graduate Studies Committee often reviews curriculum goals and objectives and small, yet significant, changes are made to the program requirements. I urge our students and anyone interested in the program to check in with me regularly to keep up with updated materials. The Graduate Studies Committee includes faculty members Ann Ferguson of Women's Studies and Philosophy, Marta Calás from the School of Management, Christine King of Nursing, Susan Michelman of Consumer Studies, myself, and Beverly Weber, PhD candidate in Comparative Literature and graduate student representative. We welcome your questions and encourage your active participation in policy decisions.

The deadline for getting applications in for fall 2001 admission is Monday, March 12, 2001. Applications are available in the Women's Studies office and I am available to meet with prospective students.

Spring Lecture Series
Save these dates!! Feminisms in Action, the spring lecture series begins on Wednesday, February 28th from 12:30 to 1:30 in Herter 301 and continues on Wednesdays March 14 and 28 and April 4 and 11. 1 credit available for students. Contact the Womens Studies office for details. Free and open to the public. See EVENTS page for details.