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| Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center |
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| "The
Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center is a true asset
- not only as a vehicle for education, leadership, and empowerment
for women students of Aquinas College, but to the community
at large." |
- Marie Wilson,
White House Project Director and Author,
"Closing the Gap, Why Women Can and Must Help Run the
World" |
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| Our Vision |
| The Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies
Center prepares students to become catalysts for change and
voices for feminist ideals, both in our society and around
the globe. |
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| Our Mission |
The Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies
Center serves as a community resource for women's and gender
issues; promoting awareness of these issues through its programs
and curriculum, and empowering students and community members
to become advocates for gender equality and social justice.
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| Our Services |
- Offers an academic program, the Women's Studies Minor.
- Offers a student internship program.
- Sponsors the Women Make a Difference Lecture
Series.
- Acts as a clearinghouse for information about services
available for women.
- Offers literature, books, and videos about women and
gender issues.
- Advocates for women's and gender issues, on campus and
in the community.
- Serves as a liaison to other women's organizations.
- Partners with the West Michigan Women's Studies Council.
- Supports women's academic growth at all stages of their
lives.
- Hosts a student conference.
- Sponsors a student organization.
- Sponsors GET (Girls Empowering Together), an after-school leadership program for high school girls
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| What
We Do |
The Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies
Center supports its mission through both its programming activities
and its academic curriculum. The Women Make a Difference
Lecture Series brings in experts such as conservationist
Jane Goodall, Senator Debbie Stabenow, author Ann Crittenden,
White House Project Director Marie Wilson, and environmental
biologist Sandra Steingraber. These speakers, along with many
others, increase awareness on campus and in the community
about important issues that impact the lives of both women
and men. |
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| The Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center
also sponsors lectures, films, a student conference, a student
organization, and various events such as the Equality Bake Sale,
"What if Santa Were a Woman?" celebration, and International
Women's Day. These programs offer varying perspectives on gender
issues. |
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| Click
here to view our brochure. |
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| Our
History |
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| The initial interest in developing a Women's
Studies program at Aquinas began in the fall of 1980 (Kozal,
1994). At that time, a small group of women--Jane Hibbard Idema,
Sister Yvonne Greiner, and Betty Jennings--recognized the need
for broadening the curriculum to include topics and concerns
that were relevant to women. In part, their observations stemmed
from their personal experiences with the Encore Program, which
was geared toward returning, non-traditional women students. |
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Additionally, however, their ideas to develop
courses in women's studies coincided with larger educational
transformations that were occurring nationally in the United
States in response to the second wave of the women's movement.
Formal structures for courses in Women's Studies were becoming
increasingly visible nationwide. |
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| At Aquinas, the impact of such educational
changes was reflected in a move to formalize the structures
in which women's studies courses were offered. Subsequently,
the Women's Studies Cognate was established in 1983 (Kozal,
1994). |
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| Once the academic program was established
it became important to designate a space where women could
come at Aquinas to ask questions, receive guidance, and feel
welcome. The Women's Studies Center was established in 1986. |
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| In 2000, Mary Caroline "Twink" Frey and James
E. McKay generously contributed an endowment which enables the
Center to provide wonderful services and programs to the Aquinas
community and the greater Grand Rapids area year after year. |
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|
Kozal, Patricia.
1994 (March). "Celebrating 10 Years of Women's Studies at
Aquinas." Newsletter. |
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| Our
Name |
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| On November 3, 2000 the Jane Hibbard Idema
Women's Studies Center was re-named in honor of Jane Hibbard
Idema for her work with the Encore for Women Program at Aquinas,
which was designed to meet the needs of women returning to
school. Jane's early interest in helping women improve the
condition of their lives led to her involvement with a small
group of women at Aquinas who together established the Women's
Studies Center in 1986. |
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| To acknowledge her work with the Encore Program
as well as her dedication to improving women's lives, the Center
was renamed the Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center in
November, 2000. |
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| Our
Supporters |
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| The Jane Hibbard Idema
Women's Studies Center's accomplishments would be impossible
without the help of the following: |
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| The
Mary Caroline "Twink" Frey and James E. McKay Endowment
Fund. |
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| Advisory Board |
| Margaret Idema Cheff, Chair |
Molly Patterson |
| Linda Esparza |
Ana Ramirex-Saenz |
| Lisa Fraser |
Susan J. Smith |
| Twink Frey (honorary committee member) |
Helen Sterk |
| Anne Hagen |
Jennifer M. Van Horn |
| Susan Haworth-Hoeppner |
Susan Vogel-Vanderson |
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| Programming Board |
| Kati Gross, Chair |
Kathy Kremer |
| Dana Freeman |
Sharon Smith |
| Susan Haworth-Hoeppner |
Deb Steketee |
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| Resourceful
Women Conference Committee |
| Rebecca Coogan, Chair |
Jenn Hess |
| Penny Avery |
Elizabeth Jensen |
| Kathy Burgis |
Charmayne Mulligan |
| Pamela Dail-Whiting |
Miriam Pederson |
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| Curriculum Committee |
| Molly Patterson, Chair |
Susan Haworth- Hoepnner |
| Rebecca Coogan |
Deb Wickering |
| Michelle DeRose |
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| GET (Girls Empowering Together Advisory Board) |
| Nkechy Ezeh, Assistant Professor of Education, Aquinas College |
| Rosa L. Fraga, Principal of Holy Name of Jesus School |
| Mary Jo Kuhlman, Executive Director of Organizational Learning, Grand Rapids Public School |
| Loraine Phillips, School Improvement Facilitator, Central High School |
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| Gifts
to the Center are welcome and will be used to support
the Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center Lecture Series
as well as other programmatic efforts at the Center. |
| Click
here to give to the Center. |
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