Institute for Women’s Studies and Services

The Institute for Women’s Studies and Services offers a range of academic courses that explore the diversity of women’s lives and experiences in the U.S. and globally. Students may elect to major or minor in Women’s Studies or minor in Genders and Sexualities. Several women’s studies courses are offered for General Studies course credit, Guaranteed State Transfer or in fulfillment of the Multicultural graduation requirement. Students seeking licensure as secondary education teachers in the social sciences may select from a number of women’s studies courses in fulfilling their requirements. Also offered are internships in business, government, and community organizations.

Academic Programs

Commitment to Diversity

Women’s studies values a diverse curriculum, fostering the inclusion of material that highlights the unique elements and intersections of gender, class, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, disability and multiple other social identities that have historically experienced oppression. Women’s studies identifies and encourages faculty, administrative, and professional mentoring of women students and facilitates collaborative interdisciplinary research on women. The Institute also provides support services for all students whether or not they select women’s studies courses. These services include advising, information, and referral; various workshops including scholarship and salary negotiation, conferences, and seminars: on-line resources such as Community Resources; and a small, multimedia library focused on women’s issues. The Institute coordinates an extensive number of co-curricular activities and events every March as part of Women’s History Month.

Scholarship Information and Awards

Information and application materials for a number of scholarships are available through the Institute, among them the Pamela McIntyre-Marcum Scholarship, the Meredith Wetzel Memorial Scholarship, the Activist Scholarship, American Association of University Women scholarships, and the Executive Women International Scholarship. The Institute also engages in cooperative ventures with community organizations in education, business, government, and the community, for example; 9to5, the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking. Project WISE, Zonta Denver, The Denver Film Society, Colorado Anti-Violence Project, The Women’s Bean Project, The Gathering Place and The American Association of University Women. Finally, to encourage and recognize excellence, the Institute sponsors the Outstanding Women Awards celebration annually in the spring.