Letter from Annette Chappell to the Association of American Colleges, 1989

STATE UNIVERSITY Towson, Maryland 21204-7097 College of Liberal Arts Office of the Dean (301) 830-2128 August 25, 1989 Association of American Colleges 1818 A Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009 Dear Colleagues: In response to your letter of July 18, 1989, soliciting nominations of outstanding major programs in the liberal arts and sciences, I wish to nominate the Women's Studies program at Towson State University. The only drawback to nominating the program js that at present it is not officially a major, but what is called a concentration within the General Studies major. This status is the product of the kind of politics which characterized universities' relationships with state coordinating boards in recent years; we treat the program as if it were a major (except for what goes on the student's transcript), and we are now in the process of going through the bureaucratic steps required to make it in fact a major (Board of Regents and state coordinating board approval). However, given the strength and national/international reputation of the program, I would certainly not want you to overlook it simply because it has a slightly anomalous status at this point. Since 1972, when Towson State University created its Women's Studies program, one of the first in the state of Maryland, increasing numbers of students have chosen either the minor or the concentration in Women's Studies within the General Studies major. The program has experienced strong enrollment growth recently. From Fall 1987 semester to Spring 1989 semester, the program saw a 91% increase in student enrollment in its courses; it currently enrolls 700 students per semester, and the number continues to increase. Currently. Women's Studies has approximately 30 concentrators (i.e., majors) and minors (sophomores, juniors, and seniors) at any given time, and graduates five to eight concentrators and minors per year. A commitment to Women's Studies is part of Towson State University's mission, as demonstrated by the inclusion of Women's Studies courses among the options in the General University Requirements. The university officially recognizes the importance of learning about women as part of a liberal arts education, and has undertaken extensive curriculum revision designed to incorporate scholarship about women throughout the curriculum. Because of the high quality and extensive achievements of the Women's Studies program, Towson State University has recognized Women's Studies as one of the academic programs that give the university special distinction. Towson's Women's Studies program, established in 1972, is one of the oldest in the country. Several of the faculty associated with it are nationally and internationally recognized scholars in the field. Its high quality, together with other initiatives undertaken under its aegis, led to Towson's being included among the three public coeducational universities in the entire