The Women's Studies Program will change its name to Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies starting next fall, a move meant to better represent the department, Women's Studies Interim Program Director Sonia Hofkosh announced at the LGBT Center's 20th anniversary celebration on Saturday.
The faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences unanimously passed the name change at a March 6 meeting, according to Hofkosh and Secretary of the Faculty for Arts, Sciences and Engineering Jillian Dubman.
The program has been evolving since its introduction more than 30 years ago, Hofkosh said. She said she hopes the change will emphasize the importance of gender and sexuality in the university and nation's changing approach to this field.
"Experiences of women and the lives of actual women is still crucial," Hofkosh said. "But there are other pieces that weren't somehow being recognized in a program that was just called Women's Studies."
Periodically discussed in the last decade, the push for a name change began last year when a new administration took over, Hofkosh said.
After months of conversation between program faculty and Women's Studies students, Dean of Academic Affairs for Arts and Sciences Nancy Bauer, who has a background in feminist philosophy, said she received the proposal.
Bauer said she led the proposal process from the provost and to the faculty vote for approval. Once presented, it was accepted without question.
"There was discussion among the women's studies faculty weighing the pros and cons of making a name change, but once it was brought to the whole faculty it just seemed ... like a no-brainer," Bauer said.
Hofkosh noted that, in the past, some opponents worried the change would leave out important elements of social consciousness that do not get as much attention in the university's course offerings.
"I think there was concern that highlighting sexuality, as opposed to say race or class, meant that we were going in that direction, which isn't a bad direction, but it's making a choice to go in a certain direction and not the other directions," Hofkosh said.
Bauer felt the name change fits well with the nature of the program, as the subject areas the program explores have expanded in recent years. Questions surrounding gender and sexuality, such as whether a person's body determines his or her gender, are natural to the field of women's studies, Bauer said.
"Really, what has happened is that things have changed politically in academia so that we can bring ... sexuality and gender into the program title without worrying that we're watering down the main focus," she said.
Students involved in women's studies were in favor of the change, Hofkosh said. Last year, students like Grainne Griffiths submitted a petition and letter with 90 percent of majors and minors in the program indicating their support for the change.
"From my very first classes, I realized that there's way more to women's studies than just feminist history," Griffiths, a junior, said. "Gender studies [and] queer studies are ... really important intersectional aspects of a lot of the stuff we do in women's studies, but [currently] there's no home for it in Tufts."
Hofkosh saw this student support as an especially strong cause for change because, historically, students have been a dominant force in sexuality-related and feminist fields.
"Women's studies started, really, as a collaboration between students and faculty and administrative staff," she said. "It's always been that."
Hofkosh hopes the name change will make the program more in line with student's interests. She said faculty have already begun work on gender and sexuality courses.
In the meantime, staff will be busy changing the program's name in documents and postings in preparation for next autumn.
"We'd love people to know that this is happening," Hofkosh said. "We think that it is a very, very positive thing, and we're really looking forward to a renewed energy."
