Women’s and Ethnic Studies

Director: Andrea Herrera
Columbine Hall
Room 1025D
(719) 262-4001

Program Office:
Columbine Hall
Room 1025
(719) 262-4553

Faculty

Professors: Andrea Herrera and Abby Ferber; Assistant Professors: Aditi Mitra and Carole Woodall; Senior Instructor: Dena Samuels; Instructors: Tracy Crosby and Abeer Ibrahim.

The Women’s and Ethnic Studies Program (WEST) was established in the spring of 2008 as an interdisciplinary course of studies with a major in Women’s and Ethnic Studies, and two separate minors in Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies respectively. The Program evolved from existing programs in Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies. Both the WEST major and the Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies minors provide an intersectional approach to the study of race, gender and other systems of oppression and privilege. The WEST Program and Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies minors also promote curricular and faculty development and sponsor a variety of cultural programming in collaboration with The Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion.

Minors in Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies

Associate Directors
Women’s Studies: Elissa Auther,
Columbine Hall, Room 2007, (719) 262-4612
Ethnic Studies: Andrea Herrera,
Columbine Hall, Room 1025D (719) 262-4001

General Requirements

The minors may be earned by students enrolled in any undergraduate program at UCCS. Students must take at least 18 semester hours of designated Women’s Studies orEthnic Studies courses for each respective minor. WEST 201 (Introduction to Race and Gender) is the only required course for either minor; it is strongly recommended that WEST 201 be taken before any other WEST course work is completed.

Overall, 12 of the 18 hours earned for either minor must be through upper-division courses. A minimum grade of C (2.0) must be received for any course counted toward the minors. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not be accepted. Transfer credits are limited to 9 hours and must be approved by the Associate Directors. Students may count up to three courses (nine credits) toward either the Women’s Studies, or Ethnic Studies minor and their majors.

Students are strongly encouraged to consider taking WEST 366 Service and Learning Internship, a three-credit upper-division course that provides students the opportunity to put into practice the theoretical knowledge gained in WEST through campus placements and placements with community-based organizations and programs.

Exit Focus Group: During the senior year, each student is required to participate in an exit focus group. This is a mandatory meeting to discuss students’ understanding and mastery of material presented in the program.