Women's and Gender Studies Program
Fall Semester 2008
Some readers might notice that Oakton’s Women’s
Studies Program has transformed into the Women’s and Gender Studies
Program.
After debating the merits of this change, the Women’s Studies Steering
Committee decided that the new name would signify
a more inclusive program and allow us to offer a broader and more interesting
range of courses.
| WGS Program
Makes Local and National Connections |
| Over the past year, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Oakton has been forging links to colleagues and organizations in the world of women’s and gender studies. In June 2007, representatives from Oakton attended the annual conference of the National Women’s Studies Association(NWSA), the premiere professional organization for college and university women’s studies programs. Held at Pheasant Run Resort in suburban St. Charles, the conference gave our group the opportunity to meet a host of new friends and gather good ideas. The experience was so fantastic that two WGS Program ambassadors are slated to attend the NWSA’s June 2008 conference in Cincinnati. Oakton also recently became one of a growing number of community colleges to join as an institutional member of NWSA. This commitment will help solidify our reputation nationally and bring myriad benefits to our students. WGS at Oakton also was invited to join CAWGS – the Chicago Area Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium. CAWGS represents women’s and gender studies programs at all of the major four-year institutions in the Chicago area. Through connections made with faculty and program directors at the NWSA national conference, as well as informal outreach, colleagues at Oakton’s transfer schools became aware of our growth in the discipline and made us the first community college to be included in this august group. Oakton representatives now attend CAWGS meetings and workshops and are working to fortify our reputation in the local community. |
| CALL FOR PROPOSALS:
Oakton Community College Women’s and Gender Studies Conference “Chicago Feminisms: Past, Present and Future” |
|
The Women’s and Gender Studies Program
Steering Committee of Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, Illinois, This one-day conference will present scholarly and creative work that examines the Chicago area’s rich tradition of challenges faced and contributions made by its feminist activists, artists, writers, and scholars to liberation and social justice movements. The conference keynote speaker will be Chicago writer and activist Sara Paretsky. Proposals are sought for panel presentations – consisting of research papers, readings, performances, or media presentations – as well as roundtable discussions and poster sessions focused on topics relating to the overall conference theme, “Chicago Feminisms: Past, Present and Future”. The deadline for proposals is November 1, 2008. The steering committee encourages proposals for fully-formed panels and roundtables. Proposals for fully-formed panels should include the names and brief (2-3 sentence) biographies of all presenters. Proposals will also be accepted from individual presenters; individuals will be grouped with presenters on similar themes. Panel presentations consist of individual papers, readings, or performances organized around a single topic, concluding with a brief question and answer session. They should feature 3-4 presenters, plus a non-presenting moderator responsible for introductions, time-keeping and overall coordination of the panel. Panel sessions will be 75 minutes, with the time divided equally among presenters leaving 15 minutes for introductions and follow-up discussion. In lieu of a panel presentation, selected one-person workshops will also be considered. Roundtable discussions will feature 4-6 presenters, hosted by a moderator. Each presenter will make brief opening remarks on a particular theme or project, followed by discussion and audience participation. Roundtable sessions will be 75 minutes, including introductions and opening statements. The committee also invites proposals for poster sessions. Posters will be centrally displayed throughout the conference and featured at a special afternoon reception. Presenters must be present to set up, take down, and discuss posters with viewers at the afternoon reception. The committee welcomes submissions by established scholars and artists. However, both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to submit proposals as well. All accepted presenters must register for the conference. Conference fees will be $15 for Oakton students, $20 for all other students, and $35 for non-students. Fees cover a luncheon and refreshments during breaks. For more information and a full proposal prospectus,
please contact Kathleen Carot, Coordinator of Women’s and Gender
Studies, at kcarot@oakton.edu or 847-376-7061. |
| Women's History Month
March 2008 |
|
| Guerrillas came to Oakton
on March 5, 2008 – Guerrilla Girls, that is. The Guerrilla
Girls are an internationally-known collective of activists
and performance artists who, for the past 20 years, have made it their
mission to fight sexism and racism in the worlds of art and popular
culture. Oakton has a special connection to the Guerrilla Girls because
for many years we have used The Bedside Companion to the History of
Women in Art, the group’s landmark primer on women’s art,
as a textbook in several courses. More than 200 students and community
members attended this cutting-edge evening event. |
Additional highlights
of Women’s History Month at Oakton included a presentation entitled
“Ella Baker and Women in the Civil Rights Movement,”
by renowned historian Barbara Ransby, and a screening of Refusing
to Be Enemies, the moving documentary on Zeitouna, a group
of Jewish and Arab women working for peace. After the screening, we
were honored to host a conversation with members of Zeitouna, an experience
many of our students described as life changing. Special thanks to National
City for helping to sponsor these and other special WGS events throughout
the year.
|
| Save the dates! |
|
| The 2008-2009 academic year promises to be equally exciting for WGS events at Oakton. Opening Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at the Koehnline Museum of Art, is “Feminist Ecology: Women and the Earth,” a juried exhibition of art by women artists from across the Midwest. Don’t miss the gala opening night reception, 5p.m. – 8 p.m., for an opportunity to converse with the artists about their work. The exhibition runs through November 7. |
On March 6, 2009, the WGS is excited to announce its first-ever academic conference. “Chicago Feminisms: Past, Present and Future” will feature panel discussions on a wide range of subjects, from Hull House founder Jane Addams to the development of contemporary feminist literary and hip hop scenes. The highlight promises to be a keynote address on activism and art by acclaimed author Sara Paretsky. Don’t miss it! |
For more information about the program or
any events our courses, contact Kathleen Carot, program coordinator,
at (847)376-7061 or email: kcarot@oakton.edu
________________________________________________________________
Women's and Gender Studies Courses for Fall Semester 2008
Who should enroll in Women’s and Gender
Studies at Oakton? You, of course! All course credits
transfer to a four-year institution; indicated courses fulfill general education
requirements.
Women's and Gender Studies classes are open to all Oakton
students. All courses transfer as major or elective credit, and most can be
used to fulfill general education requirements. So whether you want to take
a few Women's and Gender Studies courses as you satisfy your general education
requirements, are interested in transferring as a major to one of the many
area institutions offering an undergraduate Women's Studies degree, or just
wish to explore this discipline for personal enrichment, Women's Studies has
something for you.