Wayne State announces new Minor in Queer Studies
Thanks to the efforts of an ambitious group of students, Wayne State University now offers a new minor in queer studies through the Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies (GSW) program.
In 2019, the WSU Student Senate passed a resolution which called on university leaders to better support LGBTQ+ student and academic life. In recognition of the university's mission of diversity and inclusion, the senate sought new opportunities to allow students to academically engage in the field of queer studies. WSU leaders heeded that call.
Located in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the new program is designed for students interested in deepening their knowledge about queer genders and sexualities and the methods used to study them.
The interdisciplinary minor will begin in fall 2021 and interested students can declare it now.
"The queer studies minor is a great way for students in all majors to highlight their commitment to and training in diversity and inclusion with a special focus on gender and sexuality," said Simone Chess, director of Wayne State's Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program. "Beyond what the minor offers to our students, it also signals Wayne State's commitment to including LGBTQIA+ identities in our community at all levels, from the curriculum on out."
In addition to the new minor, students studying GSW have the opportunity to join two new learning communities starting this fall. GSW 2500: Humanities Perspectives and GSW 3100: Womxn of Color: Social Activism and Power will both offer students the unique opportunity to build a community alongside their studies.
Beyond studying cutting-edge scholarship, these learning communities will allow students to participate in community events, engage in service-learning, reflect on their own experiences and produce a creative final project. Peer mentors will join course instructors to add extra support and engagement opportunities. "Our learning communities are a great way for students with interests in feminism, gender and sexuality to take their learning beyond the classroom," adds Chess.
Students interested in the queer studies minor can learn more at go.wayne.edu/queerstudies.