The Famous Five, a major part of women’s history, are Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Nelly McClung and Irene Parlby.(Photo File)

The women’s studies department at Queen’s University is currently in the process of changing its name to “gender studies” as a way to open up the program to new possibilities. However, they are not the first to do so.

Since Nipissing University changed its women’s studies program to gender equality and social justice, enrolment in the program has increased a significant amount.

“Gender studies is the more inclusive term,” said Beverley Baines, head and undergraduate chair of women’s studies at Queen’s.

“It is a name that has widespread recognition and acceptance for the work that we do, which includes anti-racist-critical race studies, sexual diversity studies and women’s studies.”

Baines said the students at Queen’s believe the name change will boost the program’s enrolment, which already has around 140 student concentrators from second, third and fourth years.

“Queen’s women’s studies students have been arguing strongly in favour of the name change for almost a decade,” Baines said, adding that they believe what they’re learning is so important that it should be taught to both sexes.

University of Guelph, which eliminated their women’s studies program last spring because of budget cuts, doesn’t have the same interest in the program.

“Women’s studies was not a major part of the Guelph community,” said first-year student Heidi Andrew who heard a lot of negative things about the program at Guelph.

This past fall, the women’s studies department at Queen’s was authorized to open a master’s program in gender studies, Baines said, proving they receive strong support from the university and faculty administration.

In a letter posted on the alumni page of Queen’s program website, Katie Ansell explained why she think women’s  studies is an important field of academia.

“A faculty member once referred to me as a ‘change agent’ and I think it sums up the beauty of a women’s studies degree — developing knowledge to incite positive change, however big or small, wherever you go, whatever you do.”