Isn't Feminist & Gender Studies a department?

Yes! As of May 2023, Feminist & Gender Studies is now a Department!

What is the department's mission statement?

The Feminist & Gender Studies Department fosters inquiry into structures and modes of power as they are mediated by gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, class, caste, nation and citizenship, age, and ability. Through teaching, scholarship, and service, we study and develop critical interdisciplinary and feminist theories and practices in collaboration with artists, activists, and scholars at Colorado College and beyond.

What is the department's vision statement?

Feminist & Gender Studies aims to embody a feminist ethos of critical engagement and responsiveness that is attentive to shifting relations of power; to be an intellectual, political, and creative space for the pursuit of exemplary collaborative initiatives locally, regionally, nationally, and transnationally; and to remain conversant with myriad intellectual legacies while reimagining the possibilities of feminist knowledge and practice.

When did the department graduate its first students?

The first class of Feminist & Gender Studies (then Women's Studies) minors graduated in 1987. They were Monica J. Backsen, Stephanie A. Donaldson, Sheila J. Farr, Ann H. Lenz, and Kristin L. Mernitz. The first class of Feminist & Gender Studies (also then Women's Studies) majors graduated in 1998. They were Blake H. Hedinger, Briana N. Kerstein, and Christina A. Pierson. Blake and Briana were advised by Margaret Duncombe (Professor Emerita, Sociology), and Christina was advised by Charlotte Mendoza (Professor Emerita, Education). In 2005, the name of the major was changed to Feminist and Gender Studies.   

In 2018, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the major during Homecoming, featuring keynote speaker Brady Montalbano-Connaughton (Feminist & Gender Studies '03). Brady was also featured in our first annual "Alumni Spotlight" in 2019. Read more about her and to view or read her keynote address.

In 2023, just in time for the 25^th anniversary of our major, Feminist and Gender Studies officially became a department. You can read more about the significance of this change in the Block 1 issue of The 2023 Monthly Rag.

Who are the Feminist & Gender Studies faculty?

Professor Heidi R. Lewis (Associate Professor), who joined the college as a Riley Scholar-in-Residence in 2010 (and is also now Director of that program), became a Visiting Assistant Professor in 2011, then Assistant Professor in 2012, earning tenure during the 2017-2018 academic year; Professor Nadia Guessous (Chair and Associate Professor), who joined the college in 2015; Professor Rushaan Kumar (Assistant Professor), who joined the college in 2017; and Professor Joana Chavez (Assistant Professor), who joined the college in 2025. See our full faculty listing.

Which courses does Professor Lewis teach?

CC106 Knowledge, Identity, and Power; FG110 Introduction to Feminist & Gender Studies; FG200 Feminist Theory; FG212 Critical Media Studies; FG214 Hidden Spaces, Hidden Narratives: Intersectionality Studies in Berlin (study abroad); FG240 Hip Hop Feminism; FG309 Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack: Critical Whiteness Studies; FG312 Black Feminist Theory; and FG316 Critical Race Feminism. For more information.

Which courses does Professor Guessous teach?

FG211 Critical Feminist Methodologies, FG218 The Discourse of the Veil, FG219 Gendered Controversies, FG222 Gender & Sexuality in the Modern Middle East and its Diasporas, FG318 The Politics of Transnational Feminism, FG320 Middle Eastern and Islamic Feminist Thought, and FG322 Junior Seminar. For more information.

Which courses does Professor Kumar teach?

FG114 Introduction to Queer Studies, FG236 LGBTQ Social Movements in the U.S., FG258 Masculinities, FG302 Transnational Sexualities, and FG416 Senior Seminar. For more information.

Which courses does Professor Chavez teach?

FG110 Introduction to Feminist and Gender Studies, FG206 Chicana and Latina Feminisms, FG206 Gender, Race, and the Criminal Legal System, FG308 Latina Incarceration, and FG416 Senior Seminar. For more information.

What are Professor Lewis' research areas?

Feminist theory, politics, and discourse (particularly Black feminism); hip hop culture; and critical media studies. See her full profile.

What are Professor Guessous' research areas?

Gender and sexuality; postcolonial and transnational feminism; religion and secularism; progressive politics; modern subjectivity; affect and viscerality; and North Africa, the Middle East and Islam. See her full profile.

What are Professor Kumar's research areas?

Transnational gender and sexuality, critical trans/masculinity studies, postcolonial media, public culture, and queer social movements in India and the South Asian diaspora. See his full profile.

What are Professor Chavez's research areas?

Archives; carceral studies; abolition; gender, race, class, and sexuality; Chicana feminism; Chicanx studies; group homes; testimonios; and Inland Empire. See her full profile.

Are there opportunities to conduct research with professors in the department?

Professors Lewis, Guessous, Kumar, and Chavez typically contact prospective students about research opportunities. However, interested students may also contact the professors for more information.

Who is the Academic Administrative Assistant?

Whitney Hampson is the Academic Administrative Assistant for the Feminist & Gender Studies Department, as well as the Asian Studies Program and the Race, Ethnicity, & Migration Studies Department. See their full profile.

How can I graduate with distinction?

Students graduating with distinction have maintained a 3.7 GPA in their Feminist & Gender Studies courses and earned an A- or A in FG404 and FG405.

How can I earn the Shannon McGee Prize?

This prize is awarded to juniors or seniors who have demonstrated a real and abiding interest in Feminist and Gender Studies. Feminist & Gender Studies faculty decide who will receive the reward, which is presented at Honors Convocation in recognition of the student's active engagement, activism, or leadership. See full information.

What is Iota Iota Iota (Triota)?

In 2011, Feminist & Gender Studies developed the Student Advisory Council, which provided majors and minors with myriad leadership opportunities. In August 2016, the Council became an official chapter (Delta Mu) of Iota Iota Iota (Triota), a National Women's Studies Honor Society with over 50 chapters nationwide, with "Iota" selected to represent three goddesses: Inanna, Ishtar, and Isis. Triota strives to maintain the feminist values and encourage diversity, egalitarianism, and a supportive academic environment for all students, while encouraging volunteerism, advocacy, and activism within the community as important methods for promoting and maintaining feminist values.

The Delta Mu chapter assists with The Rag; plans and implements programs (in collaboration with student organizations and other departments and programs), including, but not limited to, film screenings, panels, workshops, and guest speakers; supports and represents the department during on and off-campus events, such as New Student Orientation and Homecoming; develops and maintains networks with other feminist organizations at neighboring colleges and universities, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and other Triota chapters; and represents the department at the National Women's Studies Association annual meeting. See full information on CC's Triota webpage and the Femgeniuses Triota webpage.

Can I be a member of Iota Iota Iota (Triota)?

We invite you to join Triota if you are at least a second semester sophomore, have a GPA of 3.0 or above, and have taken at least 6 units in Feminist & Gender Studies (cross-listed courses count). See full information here.

Can I become an officer of Iota Iota Iota (Triota)?

Delta Mu chapter officers--President, Vice President, and Administrator--are elected by Feminist & Gender Studies majors and minors each spring. See full information here.

What is The Rag?

The Rag (fka The Monthly Rag) is a newsletter published periodically that provides feminist analysis, art, interests, and ideas by members of the Colorado College community (not necessarily Feminist & Gender Studies majors or minors). Click here to see the call for submissions and to read past issues.

Can I be the Coordinator for The Rag?

The department typically hires a paid Coordinator for the publication as well as an Apprentice in the spring semester. The position is advertised on Handshake, and the Apprentice (typically a first-year student or sophomore) is trained by the current Coordinator. Pending a successful experience (determined by the Chair of Feminist & Gender Studies, the current Coordinator, and the Apprentice), the Apprentice is promoted to Coordinator during their junior or senior year. For more information, please contact Whitney Hampson, the department academic administrative assistant.

Can I create or submit content for The Rag?

The Rag accepts submissions from the CC community; contributors do not need to be a major or minor in FGS. Click here to see the call for submissions and to read past issues.

I have exciting news I'd like to share, but I don't want to seem like I'm bragging—what should I do?

Sharing great news isn't bragging! We are always excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our community. Please share your news here!

What are the 100-level courses offered in the department?

These courses introduce students to foundational theories, modes of inquiry, and key debates within Feminist & Gender Studies. They are survey courses that emphasize breadth without preoccupation with comprehensiveness, locating and historicizing feminist thought and politics. They assume no prior knowledge and emphasize accessibility to different learning styles, requiring varied assignments that require minimal original or secondary research outside the syllabus.

100-level courses offered in the department include CC106 Knowledge, Identity, and Power; FG110 Introduction to Feminist & Gender Studies; and FG114 Introduction to Queer Studies. Students who are majors or minors must complete either FG110, FG114, or a CC100 course taught by an FGS faculty member.

See more information here.

What are the 200-level courses offered in the department?

These courses cultivate deeper understanding of theories, concepts, and interdisciplinary sub-fields within Feminist & Gender Studies, assuming no prior knowledge and requiring no prerequisites. They emphasize ways of connecting, synthesizing, and employing feminist theories and concepts, continuing to pay attention to foundational texts and concepts in relevant sub-fields, while recognizing the always shifting landscape of Feminist & Gender Studies. Assignments require intermediate level independent thinking and research skills.

200-level courses offered in the department include FG200 Feminist Theory (required for the major and minor); FG211 Critical Feminist Methodologies (required for the major and minor); FG212 Critical Media Studies; FG214 Hidden Spaces, Hidden Narratives: Intersectionality Studies in Berlin (study abroad); FG218 The Discourse of the Veil; FG219 Gendered Controversies; FG222 Gender & Sexuality in the Modern Middle East and its Diasporas; FG236 LGBTQ Social Movements in the U.S.; FG240 Hip Hop Feminism; and FG258 Masculinities.

See more information here.

What are the 300-level courses offered in the department?

These courses generate complex understandings of theories of identity and subjectivity within relevant sub-fields, paying attention to intellectual and activist legacies, including a consideration of methodological questions. They permit more engagement with advanced contemporary texts and require prerequisites in order to presume prior knowledge and skills that may or may not be related to the relevant sub-field. Building on prior intellectual work, students position themselves within relevant sub-fields in service to their developing critical preoccupations, so these courses emphasize advanced level independent thinking and research.

300-level courses offered in the department include FG302: Transnational Sexualities; FG309 Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack: Critical Whiteness Studies; FG312 Black Feminist Theory; FG316 Critical Race Feminism; FG318 The Politics of Transnational Feminism; FG320 Middle Eastern and Islamic Feminist Thought; and FG322 Junior Seminar.

See more information here.

What are the 400-level courses offered in the department?

These courses require senior standing and are taken within the pass/fail paradigm. They permit critical interventions that generate fresh perspectives on relevant sub-fields in Feminist & Gender Studies, emphasizing the co-creation of various aspects of the course curriculum with the professor. They also focus on the impetuses for and broader implications of feminist epistemologies.

400-level courses offered in the department include FG404 Senior Project, FG405 Advanced Senior Project, and FG416 Senior Seminar.

See more information here.

What are the differences between core and other courses?

We use the phrase "core courses" to refer to non-electives required for the major or minor, including, but certainly not limited to, FG110 Introduction to Feminist & Gender Studies, FG211 Critical Feminist Methodologies, and FG416 Senior Seminar. Other courses in the department taught by our faculty are considered elective courses.

See more information here.

Are there opportunities to study off-campus or abroad in the department?

Professor Lewis has taught FG214 Hidden Spaces, Hidden Narratives: Intersectionality Studies in Berlin each summer since 2014 (except 2020 due to COVID-19). See more information and stay tuned for upcoming opportunities for engaging in off-campus study.

Additionally, the Feminist and Gender Studies Department allows majors to earn up to two (2) credits, and minors one (1) credit, from off-campus study programs outside of CC to count towards the degree, typically in the form of one of the electives. You may submit course approval requests through Summit to initiate the review process with the department; however, the second step required for any course taken in an off-campus study program to count towards your FGS major or minor is a written rationale, submitted via e-mail to your academic advisor and the department chair in the FGS department. This 150- to 200-word rationale should explain how you are proposing to count this specific course towards your FGS major or minor. Summit is the first step, but this rationale is the second important step that must be completed and approved for any approvals in Summit to count to your specific degree progress. Check with your FGS advisor or the Office of International Programs if you have any questions about these two steps. (Click here for more information.)

Does the department offer summer courses?

Typically, yes. See Banner and more information here.

The Major

How do I declare the major?

We recommend students take some courses with Professors Lewis, Guessous, Kumar, and/or Chavez before deciding to major. Subsequently, students may contact any one of these professors to discuss declaring. Please note, however, that students do not choose their major advisor. Rather, to be considerate of labor equity, we have an advising rotation practice that will be explained to students at the point of declaration.

Full information about major requirements.

Can I choose my major advisor?

No. To be considerate of labor equity, we have an advising rotation practice that will be explained to students at the point of declaration.

How do I complete the major?

Students must complete 12 units for the major. See full information about major requirements.

Is there a limit on how many 100-level courses can count for my major?

Yes. In addition to the required 100-level core course (FG110, FG114, or a CC100 course taught by an FGS faculty member), students may take one additional 100-level elective with the approval of their major advisor.

See full information about major requirements.

Is there a limit on how many 200-level courses can count for my major?

Yes. In addition to the required 200-level core courses (FG200 and FG211), students may take up to three 200-level electives with the approval of their major advisor. 

See full information about major requirements.

Is there a limit on how many 300-level courses can count for my major?

Not typically. However, we recommend students take an ample amount of 100 and 200-level courses before taking 300-level courses and discuss their plans with their major advisor.

See full information about major requirements.

Can I count cross-listed courses for my major?

As of 2026, Feminist & Gender Studies is no longer accepting cross-listed courses from other departments, and only FGS courses may be counted towards the major. If you declared your major prior to Spring 2026 and have taken cross-listed FGS courses, please reach out to your major advisor to discuss your options. See full information about major requirements.

Can I count courses that are not offered by FGS for my major?

Not typically. However, special cases may be considered by the major advisor.

Can I choose my senior capstone project topic?

Typically, yes. Students articulate these and other interests when they submit capstone project proposals in FG322 Junior Seminar.

What kind of senior capstone project can I do?

Students can submit traditional essays, creative writing, grant proposals, and other types of projects, which reflects the plurality of our discipline. These ideas are articulated when capstone project proposals are submitted in FG322 Junior Seminar.

Can I choose the first and second readers for my senior capstone project?

While students articulate their preferences when they submit capstone project proposals in FG322 Junior Seminar, the decision regarding first and second readers is ultimately decided by the Feminist & Gender Studies faculty with consideration for the faculty's areas of expertise and labor equity.

How many courses can I take pass/fail in the major?

We do not recommend majors take any core courses pass/fail. Taking other required courses pass/fail should be discussed with the major advisor.

Who are the current Feminist & Gender Studies majors?

List of current Feminist & Gender Studies majors.

Who are the Feminist & Gender Studies major alumni?

List of Feminist & Gender Studies major and minor alumni.

What can I do with a Feminist & Gender Studies major after graduating?

As scholar Vivian M. May points out, our field’s “focus on the intersections of knowledge and power offers a heightened capacity to navigate and negotiate institutional structures, policies, and procedures […] interdisciplinary training translates into an ability to cross boundaries, to move among different groups, forging connections with people who might otherwise remain isolated, asking questions others might not think of, and sometimes accomplishing projects others think are impossible.” On that note, FGS majors become artists, teachers, librarians, non-profit professionals, journalists, lawyers, social workers, and policy makers, just to name a few. Consult with our faculty and the Career Center about how an FGS major or minor can be meaningful you. Contact the Career Center for assistance.

You can also read our Alumni Spotlight column and see our news and events to get an up-close look at what other students have done since graduating.

How do I declare the minor?

We recommend students take some courses with Professors Lewis, Guessous, Kumar,  and/or Chavez before deciding to minor. Subsequently, students may contact any of these professors to discuss declaring. Please note, though, students do not choose their minor advisor. Rather, to be considerate of labor equity, we have an advising rotation practice that will be explained to students at the point of declaration.

Full information about minor requirements.

Can I choose my minor advisor?

No. To be considerate of labor equity, we have an advising rotation practice that will be explained to students at the point of declaration.

How do I complete the minor?

Students must complete 6 units for the minor. Full information about minor requirements.

Is there a limit on how many 100-level courses can count for my minor?

Yes. In addition to the required 100-level core course (FG110, FG114, or a CC100 course taught by an FGS faculty member), students may take one additional 100-level elective with the approval of their minor advisor.

Full information about minor requirements.

Is there a limit on how many 200-level courses can count for my minor?

Yes. In addition to the required 200-level core courses (FG200 and FG211), students may take one 200-level elective with the approval of their minor advisor.

Full information about minor requirements.

Is there a limit on how many 300-level courses can count for my minor?

Not typically. However, we recommend students take an ample amount of 100- and 200-level courses before taking 300-level courses, which should be discussed with their minor advisor.

Full information about minor requirements.

Can I count courses that are not listed in FGS for my minor?

Not typically. However, special cases may be considered by the minor advisor. Full information about minor requirements.

Do I have to complete a senior capstone project if I'm a minor?

No.

How many courses can I take pass/fail in the minor?

We do not recommend minors take any core courses pass/fail. Taking other required courses pass/fail should be discussed with the minor advisor.

Who are the current Feminist & Gender Studies minors?

List of current Feminist & Gender Studies minors.

Who are the Feminist & Gender Studies minor alumni?

List of Feminist & Gender Studies major and minor alumni.

What can I do with a Feminist & Gender Studies minor after graduating?

As scholar Vivian M. May points out, our field’s “focus on the intersections of knowledge and power offers a heightened capacity to navigate and negotiate institutional structures, policies, and procedures […] interdisciplinary training translates into an ability to cross boundaries, to move among different groups, forging connections with people who might otherwise remain isolated, asking questions others might not think of, and sometimes accomplishing projects others think are impossible.” On that note, FGS majors become artists, teachers, librarians, non-profit professionals, journalists, lawyers, social workers, and policy makers, just to name a few. Consult with our faculty and the Career Center about how an FGS major or minor can be meaningful you. Contact the Career Center for assistance.

You can also read our Alumni Spotlight column and see our news and events to get an up-close look at what other students have done since graduating.

Can I work in the Interdisciplinary Studies (ID) House?

Paid student Office Assistant positions are advertised on Handshake typically during the spring semester. However, please note these employees are hired to serve not just the Feminist & Gender Studies Department but also the Asian Studies Program and the Race, Ethnicity, & Migration Studies Department. For more information about working at the ID House, contact the department's academic administrative assistant, Whitney Hampson. 

Can I request funding from the department for events I'm organizing?

Feminist and Gender Studies has a limited amount of money reserved for funding student activities that advance our mission and vision. On that note, our priorities for funding students are as follows, listed in order of descending importance: requests from declared majors, requests from declared minors, and requests from students who are not declared majors or minors.

Application for Funding

Can I request funding from the department to attend an academic conference?

Feminist and Gender Studies has a limited amount of money reserved for funding student activities that advance our mission and vision. On that note, our priorities for funding students are as follows, listed in order of descending importance: requests from declared majors, requests from declared minors, and requests from students who are not declared majors or minors.

Application for Funding

Can I request funding from the department for my senior capstone project?

Yes. Application for Funding

Can the department help me find jobs, internships, and graduate programs?

We recommend you contact the Career Center for more assistance along these lines.