2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at Illinois State University. In addition to several exciting events that showcase the program’s landmark achievements over the last half century, WGSS has launched a Hatch campaign to grow the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Excellence Fund to continue supporting students in their endeavors.
From its ever-expanding curriculum and annual Student Research Symposium to its continued support of advocacy and awareness-raising through The Clothesline Project, Take Back the Night, and the WGSS/QueerTalks Speaker Series, WGSS has been preparing students to think, act, and write critically about contemporary social issues since the program’s formation in 1974. However, it hasn’t always been easy. WGSS Director and University Professor of Philosophy Dr. Alison Bailey, who has been involved with WGSS since 1993, said funding is a consistent struggle for the program.
“This is true of most interdisciplinary programs, not only on this campus,” Bailey said. “To get funding, you have to do a lot of additional work.”
Dr. Kyle Ciani, professor of history and core faculty in WGSS since 2001, echoes Bailey’s thoughts; however, she stresses that WGSS “navigates the funding challenges by applying for and receiving campus-wide grants and departmental buy-in for programs like the annual Student Research Symposium.”
Similarly, Rebecca Fitzsimmons, former WGSS resource librarian and current special collections librarian, said: “Throughout its history, there’s a lot of programming, a lot of things that are coming out of a very underfunded area that (WGSS has) been able to make happen.”
While the WGSS program does its best with what it is given, faculty, staff, and students are left wondering how many more incredible feats could be achieved if the program simply had a bit more funding to offer. Bailey emphasizes that WGSS needs “the support of people who realize what we do is good for humanity, not just the University.”
The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Excellence Fund endows the program’s annual Student Research Symposium, student art gallery and resource center in Rachel Cooper Hall, and provides students funding for off-campus research opportunities. If you would like to assist the WGSS program in raising $5,000 by April 30, in support of its 50th anniversary, please donate to the Hatch campaign.
