History

The Women’s Studies Institute was approved by the Georgia Board of Regents on July 14, 1994, and the Master of Arts degree in Women’s Studies was approved on March 8, 1995. Previous to the formal establishment of the WSI, the Women’s Studies Group, composed of faculty interested in Women’s Studies, began meeting in 1974, offering presentations, lectures, discussions, and other programs on Women’s Studies and feminist issues, research, and pedagogy. The group also published a newsletter. Individual faculty members in the group developed Women’s Studies courses through their various departments.

In 1984, an undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies was established: the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (B.I.S.) with a Concentration in Women’s Studies. In 2003, the Board of Regents approved a B.A. degree in Women’s Studies, which now offers an undergraduate major and minor. The M.A. degree in Women’s Studies was approved in 1995, and the WSI's first M.A. graduates received their degrees in 1997.

The first director of the Women’s Studies Institute was Diane Fowlkes, who served from 1994 to 1998. She was succeeded by Linda A. Bell, who was director from 1998 until 2004. The present director is Susan Talburt, who is also Associate Professor of Educational Policy Studies. Layli Phillips, Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and WSI Graduate Director, joined the WSI in 2000. She is also an Associate of the Department of African-American Studies.Amira Jarmakani, Assistant Professor of Women's Studies, and Julie Kubala, Lecturer in Women's Studies, joined our faculty in 2005. In the fall of 2006, Megan Sinnott, Assistant Professor of Women's Studies, joined our faculty. Charlene Ball, Academic Professional in Women’s Studies, is WSI office coordinator and business manager and also teaches Women’s Studies.

Graduates

The WSI has awarded 35 Master of Arts in Women’s Studies as of Fall 2007. Here is a list of students who have graduated from the WSI with the M.A. degree and the titles of their theses.