Kutztown University is home to hundreds of socially and politically aware students, but it is my understanding that many still do not know about the Women’s and Gender Studies minor. I only learned about the minor myself last year while enrolled in a course called Women Writers Around The World. My professor, Dr. Colleen Clemens (WGS Director), taught with unwavering passion. Her energy fueled my interest. As soon as Clemens mentioned the minor, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.
It surprised me to learn that the WGS minor has been an option at KU since the ‘90s. Supposedly, efforts for this minor were resisted as late as 1995. Eventually, after the persistence of the first director Angela Scanzello and others, the minor was made official. I sat down with Clemens to discuss the importance that this minor has on KU’s campus and beyond.
As the WGS Director, Clemens is also in charge of the WGS advisory board, is the only advisor for 85 advisees, has a seat on the commission for the status of women, and is a delegate for PASSHE. She does not receive extra pay for her director position. Additionally, she advises the KU’s Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and Her Campus chapter.
When I express how exhausting that must be, she sighs in agreement. However, without skipping another beat, she seems excited to discuss the WGS minor in more depth. It is obvious that she is proud of the work being done with this program (and I can’t help but smile with a sense of pride as well). She says the number of WGS minors has tripled in the last three years, and she is hoping it will only continue to grow.
Clemens has become a primary voice for gender issues on campus. With her level of dedication, I am not surprised that this role fell on her shoulders. As a feminist, she explains that the WGS minor is made for anyone interested in the study of gender. She emphasizes that a WGS minor does not have to be a woman, “I think people get spooked by the misconceptions but intersectionality is the focus.”
Her hope is that gender-study-focused classes across a variety of departments will spark conversations about intersectionality. As far as benefits go, Clemens says the program helps WGS minors pick their path in the real world. Clemens cautions that if a potential employer is turning up their nose at the minor, chances are that is not the workplace for you.
If gender studies is a subject a student is already interested in, they will often complete over half the minor requirements without ever picking up the minor. The program allows students to add credentials to these interests. If more students knew about the minor, they could take the gender classes they were already going to take and use them as another asset in the real world. As Clemens bluntly puts it, “I don’t see how you wouldn’t use this minor [in the future].”
She speaks hopefully about an eventual Women’s and Gender Studies major program (and she elaborates that this is technically already possible under certain circumstances). In addition to providing an environment for conversations about gender issues and intersectionality, the WGS minor is valuable for student retention. With the country’s current political status, more and more young (possibly future KU) students are standing up for many of the issues that are addressed through the WGS program. These students may one day find themselves in a Clemens course, discovering a program that perfectly suits their interests, just like I did.