Vanguard will add women’s studies

Christine Carrillo

Vanguard University will offer its first women’s studies minor for

the 2004 spring semester, an area often neglected at Christian

schools.

The new minor, offered through the school of humanities, will

focus on areas of women’s study ranging from women’s roles in

literature, history, leadership and religion. It will be offered as

an interdisciplinary minor.

“We have a number of reflections of [the Assemblies of God]

heritage and this will be another reflection of that heritage,” said

Elizabeth Dermody Leonard, professor of sociology and co-director of

the university’s Center for Women’s Studies.

The Academic Senate approved the new minor on April 25.

While the university already offers a majority of the courses

included in the minor, they will incorporate three additional

requirements.

Students will need to take an introductory course, attend a

seminar discussing issues pertinent to women’s studies and complete

their coursework by conducting a project, writing a research paper or

doing an internship.

“For a lot of these women, it’s a way to give a voice to their

personal journey,” said Kelly Walter Carney, chair of the division of

modern languages and literatures, the division that will house the

new minor. “It’s a way to enable them to say, ‘This is a way I’ve

grown personally, and I want to help others grow.’”

Just as the new women’s studies minor will provide students with a

voice to express their personal growth, the university’s revamped

Center for Women’s Studies, which will be enhanced through the

offering of a women’s studies minor program, aims to provide students

and the surrounding community with a safe haven.

“We want to be a resource ... academic as well as praxis,” Leonard

said. “We want to be a resource center for the community for one

thing, but we also want to deal with women in ministry and women in

society.”

University officials, faculty and students are pleased to be

moving into the world of women’s studies.

“This Center for Women’s Studies really represents one of the core

values of Vanguard University,” said Murray Dempster, president of

the university. “Empowering women for ministry and leadership roles

in the church became a core value [in the beginning of our history]

when women were ordained. ... For us, this is really a commitment to

extend our core values as part of our mission.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com.