In the Fall of 2025, I began my first year as a student at Eastern Washington University. Coming into higher education as a “non-traditional” student in my thirties, I was full of zest and excitement for the path I was embarking upon.
In my first quarter, I took Introduction to Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies (GWSS), taught by Dr. Jessi Willis. By the end of the first week, the course had flipped me upside down, and I began challenging everything I thought I knew. GWSS impacted me more than any subject matter ever has. I quickly began to understand the interconnected power structures at play in our world and how they disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. My mind expanded almost instantly, and anger and passion began filling my body. I resonated with the material and information so deeply that I knew I needed to continue doing the work.
During winter quarter, I took my second GWSS course: Social Policy and Social Justice taught by Dr. Judy Rohrer. I developed a new awareness of the intersectional issues affecting marginalized populations worldwide. The material was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching at times, but ultimately gave me the motivation to learn more.
I started hearing rumors that the administration was planning to eliminate the GWSS major. “They can’t do that, can they?” I thought to myself. I didn’t quite understand the severity of what was happening, but I increasingly saw devastation on the faces of many students and faculty. It became clear that the GWSS major was among a handful on the Provost’s list of “low performing” majors slated for elimination.
The GWSS program mobilized on different fronts. On February 19, GWSS brought Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown to campus to speak about the importance and impact of GWSS. The event was a success, and afterward, many students, faculty, community members, and alumni decided to share their voices at the Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting.
We signed up for the BOT public comment period the next day. However, before we spoke, BOT President Uriel Iñiguez said, “We have no plans to eliminate any programs at this time.” We all looked at each other, confused at this remark, and quickly realized we were being gaslighted.
That remark was the gas that lit our fire, and one by one, students, faculty, and alumni spoke about their personal experiences with GWSS, how the field impacted them and the world around them. Each person spoke from the heart; you could feel the emotion circulating through the room.
Months have gone by. The Faculty Senate will vote on elimination of the major on June 1. Then the provost will make his recommendation and the BOT will make their final decision later in June, when most students and faculty are gone. This is by design, and when I think of it, I cannot help but prepare for the loss of the major.
GWSS is more than a major or a program; it’s a fundamental part of understanding the societal structures we all live in, and then pushing to change those structures to create a more just world. GWSS empowers its students to go beyond themselves and engage in meaningful work specifically intended to help others. The professors who teach this work are among the most dedicated individuals, with a passion and care that extend far beyond the classroom. The lifeblood of this university is its students and faculty, without them this institution would be nothing.
On Friday, May 15, student organization Scary Feminists is hosting an on-campus rally to “Show Out for the GWSS Major” before the BOT meeting’s public comment period at 1 pm. I plan to look each one of the trustees in the eyes and tell them I am ashamed – ashamed to fund an institution that blindsides, gaslights, and dismisses its faculty and students. This is especially true when we are right in front of you, telling you what we need. Decisions like the one to eliminate the GWSS major from Eastern’s curriculum speak volumes as to whom the university prioritizes and who it believes is disposable.
