Saving Women Studies at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)



Hung 500 letters of support in the FDH!

On Thursday April 28th 2011, a group of about thirty students and supports including myself met at the CBC to organize a student action to stop the elimination and merge of the Women's Studies Department. The proposed elimination from the Dean of liberal arts was suggested because of the horrible cuts that UNLV is experiencing. Students, Faculty and community members have stepped up and have made their voices loud and clear for the dean to hear that even though women studies does in fact have the lowest amount of majors, it is only a reflection of the resources that the university has provided for the women studies department. Women’s studies excel in retaining students and creating safe spaces for marginalized students. It is one of the only programs at the university that takes diversity and consciousness raising as a number one priority. Students from Spectrum, ROAR, MEChA, and other organizations that focus on raising consciousness have worked with women studies and have had support where the overall university was lacking. It is obvious though that the dean recognized eliminating women studies was not an option. Now many students including myself see merging the women studies department as a personal attack. Mostly because there won’t be any money saved and if saving money was the true reason for eliminating women studies then retaining the autonomy of the department should be the valid reaction to the 2,000 letters of support.