New! WGSC Collaborative Teaching Exchange
The WGSC Collaborative Teaching Exchange is a monthly learning community that brings together educators from across the Universities of Wisconsin to share ideas, teaching strategies, and course materials while strengthening Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies curricula statewide.
New! Event Collaborations
Critical University Studies Hybrid Lecture Series
In collaboration with the Center for Research on Gender and Women, the WGSC brings you the 2026-27 lecture series “What is the University For?: Explorations of Transformative Learning, Critical Inquiry, and Liberatory Potential.” Taking a decolonial feminist approach, the six interconnected public events combine the arts and social sciences and showcase student activism, community-engaged partnerships, and research in critical university studies to analyze and strategize around the purpose of the university in the 21st century. Read more about this WGSC co-sponsored hybrid lecture series!
UNESCO Panels in WGSC Spring Conference
In collaboration with the UNESCO Co-Chair on Gender, Wellbeing and a Culture of Peace, the WGSC brings you UNESCO thematized panels in the 2027 WGSC Spring Conference. The UNESCO Co-Chair at UW–Madison promotes women’s international wellbeing through education and gender analysis, prioritizing joint efforts between academia, NGOs, political sectors, and local communities in knowledge exchange that is a core dynamic of the Chair’s international foundational dimension. Read more about this WGSC integration of UNESCO when conference proposal submissions open Sept. 8, 2026!
WGSC Conference Attendee Feedback
“I’ve been attending academic conferences for over 25 years, and this was by far the most well-organized conference I’ve attended. I found the variety of topics, presentation types, and speakers to be very engaging and the atmosphere to be welcoming and inclusive. It was a very enriching, enjoyable experience for my students and me. I’m so glad it was my students’ first professional conference experience, since it was so positive.”
Anonymous Feedback Form
“This continues to be one of my very favorite conferences (even in comparison to renown international/national ones). The organizers are so thoughtful and responsive to feedback in ways that have really fostered the growth and evolution of this conference. I continue to appreciate and learn from the variety of presenters and activities offered. This conference is extremely important not only for WGS but for interdisciplinary studies too.”
Anonymous Feedback Form
“The conference offered my students a transformative experience in submitting and presenting their work at a highly regarded, well-attended conference. My students and I both greatly benefitted from having the opportunity to engage in such excellent panels and workshops and hear important keynotes on a variety of WGS topics from a variety of disciplines and public intellectual work pertinent to academic, career, and personal development.”
Anonymous Feedback Form
2025-2026 Year-In-Review
- Hosted a statewide conference with 500+ attendees
- Convened GWSS leaders from all 13 Universities of Wisconsin campuses for 2 strategic planning sessions
- Transitioned the WGSC to a sustainable multi-campus funding model
- Recognized the accomplishments of 16 GWSS students statewide via the WGSC Student Award
- Developed new resources aligned with Regent Policy 14-3G
- Engaged collaborative networks with 4 units including the Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian, UW System IDEAS Alliance, UNESCO Co-Chair on Gender, Wellbeing and a Culture of Peace, and the Center for Research on Gender and Women
- Strengthened the national profile of the WGSC through leadership within the National Women’s Studies Association
News
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UW-La Crosse Dept of RGSS’s Self-Sufficiency Program, and Save the Date
UW-La Crosse’s Department of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies runs a community engagement program, The Self-Sufficiency Program (SSP), a free, pre-college class that helps participants explore academic and career interests and practice…
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UW System WGSC Director Stephanie Rytilahti named new Executive Administrator of the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians
WGSC’s own Stephanie Rytilahti named the new Executive Administrator of The Berkshire Conference of Women Historians (Berks). Founded in 1930, the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians promotes scholarship and supports the activities…
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UW-River Falls Professor Eric Withers’ Forthcoming Book
Eric Withers, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology at University of Wisconsin-River Falls, has a forthcoming 2025 book, “Arbiters of Race: Cultural Intermediaries, Racism, and Consumer Industries.” This volume, edited by…
About Us
The Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium directly serves Women’s and Gender Studies students, faculty, staff, and administrators in all Universities of Wisconsin institutions. The Women’s Studies and Gender Consortium is committed to scholarship, teaching and activism that benefit all UW campuses and communities throughout the state. To accomplish this work, the Consortium invites and considers diverse voices, and seeks collaborations to improve the life of each community and the state of Wisconsin.