2025-2026 WGSC Annual Report

The Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium (WGSC) continued to strengthen Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) across the Universities of Wisconsin during the 2025–2026 academic year through statewide leadership, collaborative programming, faculty support, and long-term organizational planning. As the formal systemwide organization supporting WGSS programs, the Consortium advanced its mission by fostering collaboration among faculty, students, administrators, librarians, and community partners while promoting excellence in teaching, scholarship, public engagement, and interdisciplinary research.

This year was marked by several significant accomplishments. The WGSC convened leadership from all 13 Universities of Wisconsin campuses through biannual Advisory Board meetings, campus consultations, and annual program assessment activities that informed statewide strategic planning and strengthened communication across the network. The Consortium also successfully hosted its 50th Anniversary Conference, Rooted in Justice: Fifty Years of Feminist Scholarship and Community Engagement, which welcomed more than 500 participants representing every Universities of Wisconsin campus, 17 additional states, and 2 countries. Through external grant funding, registration costs were eliminated for 288 undergraduate and graduate students, significantly expanding access to professional development, research dissemination, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Consortium also strengthened the statewide infrastructure supporting Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in alignment with Regent Policy 14-3G. In collaboration with the Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian, new asynchronous instructional resources were available for conference attendees and instructors across the state, including the Making the Case for GWS resource and accompanying bibliographies, to support teaching, curriculum development, and program advocacy across all campuses. The WGSC further expanded interdisciplinary collaboration through partnerships with the UW System IDEAS Alliance, strengthening relationships between WGSS and STEM, health sciences, education, and other academic fields while promoting the integration of feminist scholarship throughout the curriculum.

Perhaps the most significant accomplishment of the year was the successful transition of the WGSC to a sustainable multi-campus funding model. This transition, informed by years of strategic planning, expanded partnerships, diversified funding strategies, and broad consultation with provosts and campus leadership, established a stable financial foundation that will sustain the Consortium’s statewide mission for years to come.

The WGSC also expanded its strategic partnerships to increase interdisciplinary, national, and international engagement. New collaborations with the Center for Research on Gender and Women and the UNESCO Co-Chair on Gender, Wellbeing and a Culture of Peace broadened opportunities for public scholarship, interdisciplinary programming, and global knowledge exchange. At the national level, the Consortium strengthened its leadership through continued service within the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA), where the Director led the Program and Directors Leadership Group (PAD) and facilitated the exchange of resources and best practices among Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies programs nationwide.

Collectively, these accomplishments demonstrate the continued strength and relevance of the Women’s and Gender Studies Consortium as a statewide network advancing the goals of Regent Policy 14-3G. Through collaborative leadership, innovative programming, strategic partnerships, and sustainable organizational planning, the WGSC continues to enhance educational excellence, support faculty and students, strengthen interdisciplinary research, and ensure that Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies remains a vibrant and essential component of the Universities of Wisconsin.