Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- GWST
- Women's Studies
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
In 1975 the newly formed Dalhousie Women’s Organization proposed the establishment of a women’s studies program. It was 1982 before such a program was approved by Senate, and it was further delayed by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Council (MPHEC), as similar courses were already being offered at Mount Saint Vincent and Saint Mary’s universities. Women's studies classes were first offered at Dalhousie in 1988, with Susan Sherwin as program coordinator and only three enrolled students. Judith Fingard took over as program coordinator in 1989 and introduced classes in science, political science and economics.
By 1992 Dalhousie had an active Women’s Studies Student Society, and the program was gaining attention through its lecture and seminar series. The program was not without detractors, particularly in the wake of the École Polytechnique massacre in 1989, and exams were written with security personnel present after some faculty received death threats.
In 2005, the program adopted a new name in an effort to be more inclusive, and officially became the Gender and Women’s Studies program.