University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences. Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records
Abstract
The University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences. Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records (dated 1972-2013, undated, bulk 1997-2009; .76 cubic feet; 1 document box, 1 oversized flat box) primarily comprise flyers, newspaper clippings, calendars, and brochures that document the academic, social, and artistic events, goals, and developments of the Women's Studies/Gender and Women's Studies Department at the University of Kentucky (UK) from the 1970s to early 2010s
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences. Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records
- Date
- 1972-2013, undated (inclusive)
- 1997-2009 (bulk)
- Extent
- .76 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Women in higher education -- Kentucky -- Lexington
- Education, Higher -- Kentucky -- Lexington
- Women in higher education
- Women college teachers -- Kentucky -- Lexington.
- Women's studies -- United States -- 20th century.
- Sex role -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- United States
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by format into three series: Graduate and Undergraduate Education; Events; and Newspaper Clippings.
- Preferred Citation
- 2014ua041 : [identification of item], University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences. Gender and Women's Studies Department records, 1972-2013, undated, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- The precursor to the Gender and Women's Department, the Women's Studies (WS) Program, was established when the standing Dean of Undergraduate Studies, John B. Stephenson, approved Women's Studies as a topical major in 1973. The Women's Studies Program remained a topical major and an academic minor that was primarily housed in other academic departments from 1973-2009, with courses such as "Women in Literature" and "Education in Other Nations" offered through the English and Education departments respectively. As the WS Program continued to grow, from 1976-1989, the WS Program was able to bring in more faculty members through dual appointments, such as Karen Tice (Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation) and Joan Callahan (Philosophy), which allowed the Program to more consistently offer courses directly through Women's Studies, such as "Race, Class, and Gender" and "Introduction to Women's Studies in the Social Sciences." This trajectory continued until, in 2002, under the direction of the acting director of the WS Program, Joan Callahan, the WS Program was moved from Patterson Office Tower to Breckinridge Hall with the African-American Studies and Research Program. With the two programs housed together, the university hired Patricia Hill Collins to be the Bryan Chair of Women's Studies and African-American Studies in 2002. The Bryan Chair was established by a nearly $3 million donation from William T. Bryan, a 1936 College of Engineering graduate. Collins was hired with the goal of integrating both programs more into the university and the surrounding Lexington, Kentucky, community.
- Under the direction of Callahan and Collins, the WS Program brought in a series of new hires and new courses, which provided the necessary resources to have an undergraduate topical major and academic minor primarily supported by WS Program-listed courses. In 2002, the WS Program added "cross-cultural" courses as requirements for participation in the undergraduate program. Furthermore, in 2002, the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, James E. O'Reilly, approved the WS Program's Graduate Certificate curricula, which allowed the Program to offer in-house graduate-level courses, such as WS 616, which integrated the cross-cultural requirements into the WS graduate certificate. While there had been a WS graduate certificate offered since 1995, the changes described in the 2002 memo from James E. O'Reilly document the approval of in-house graduate-level courses offered by the WS Program directly. From 2002-2008, the WS Program continued to develop a more focused curricula, with courses such as "Feminist Theory," "Post-Colonialism," and "Transnational Feminism" highlighting the continuing independence of the WS Program. This continued until 2009, when the WS Program became an official academic department renamed Gender and Women's Studies (GWS), which offered a full undergraduate major and minor, and, in 2013, a fully independent graduate program.
- The WS Program and GWS Department have also integrated into the university and local Lexington, Kentucky, area through a combination of artistic, social, and academic events. Starting in at least 1985, the WS Program hosted and co-sponsored film showings, guest speakers, and artistic events that focused primarily on issues of race, disability, and sexuality. Many of the events were oriented towards both academic research and social/political activism--such as the "Take Back the Night" events, which ranged from 1999-2003, and the Film Series events, ranging from at least 2001-2010--and were intended to integrate academic research and feminist thought with artistic representation for a public audience. As the WS Program shifted from a topical major and Program to an academic research department, the events moved towards bringing in more academic guest speakers and "Research Matters" brown bag events starting in 2008. Beyond the events directly hosted and sponsored by the WS Program and GWS Department, the Department co-sponsored and affiliated with a number of academic departments (such as African American and Africana Studies), community outreach programs, and the university at-large to bring in events that were aligned with the educational and social goals of the Department. Similar to the events directly hosted by the Department, the affiliated and co-sponsored events have been a combination of social, artistic, and academic events, with the focus shifting to academic events and speakers from 2005-onward.
- Sources:
- 1. 2014ua041. Department News, 1999-2009, undated. University of Kentucky, Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- 2. 2014ua041. Undergraduate Education, 1972-2009, undated. University of Kentucky, Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- 3. 2014ua041. Graduate Education, 1994-2009. University of Kentucky, Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- 4. 2014ua041. Department Brochures and Logos, 1993-2013. University of Kentucky, Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- 5. 2014ua041. "Take Back the Night" program, reviews, correspondence, calendars, and announcements, 1982-2010, undated. University of Kentucky, Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
- Scope and Content
- The University of Kentucky. College of Arts and Sciences. Department of Gender and Women's Studies Records (dated 1972-2013, undated, bulk 1997-2009; .76 cubic feet; 1 document box, 1 oversized flat box) primarily comprise flyers, newspaper clippings, calendars, and brochures that document the academic, social, and artistic events, goals, and developments of the Women's Studies/Gender and Women's Studies Department at the University of Kentucky (UK) from the 1970s to early 2010s. The collection also includes posters, announcements, and calendars for academic, social, and artistic events, including a Film Series, "Take Back the Night," and "Research Matters," that were aligned with the mission and goals of the department at both the university-level and the municipality-level. There are also correspondence and administrative memoranda that document the development of Women's Studies/Gender and Women's Studies programs into official UK departments.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment
- Use Restrictions
- Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Women's Studies/Gender and Women's Studies Graduate and Undergraduate Education, 1972-2009
Women's Studies/Gender and Women's Studies Events, 1982-2013, undated
Department-sponsored events, 1994-2011, undated
Film Series flyers, calendars, and posters, 1982-2010, undated
"Take Back the Night" program, reviews, correspondence, calendars, and announcements, 1999-2003
"Research Matters" brown bags events flyers and calendars, 2009-2011
Artistic and social events brochures, calendars, and announcements, 1999-2009, undated
General department-sponsored event flyers, 1997-2007
Academic speakers flyers, announcements, CVs, and posters, 1985-2012, undated
Department co-sponsored events flyers, announcements, and order form, 1995-2008, undated
University-sponsored events flyers and announcements, 1993-2013
Department and university event calendars, 1997-2005, undated
- Box 1, folder 12
Scope and Contents
See folders 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 for specific event calendars.
Newspaper Clippings, 1993-2011, undated
Opinion editorials and calls to action, 1993-2007
Department calendars, announcements, and events, 1999-2009, undated
University events and calendars, 1997-2010, undated
Department members and guest speakers, 2000-2011, undated
Subjects, 2001-2007, undated
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
