the women's studies program at Hope College is one of 196 undergraduate women's studies programs listed in the spring 2009 issue of "Ms. Magazine."

the women's studies program at Hope College is one of 196 undergraduate women's studies programs listed in the spring 2009 issue of "Ms. Magazine."

The alphabetized listing is in a 16-page "2009 Guide to Women's Studies" featured in the publication.  The listings also include programs at community colleges, and at the master's and doctoral levels.  The section commemorates 40 years of women's studies, noting that the first program in women's studies was established at San Diego State University in 1970.

According to the guide, there are women's studies programs at more than 700 colleges and universities in the U.S. serving more than 90,000 students.  The undergraduate listings include the number of students enrolled in the schools' major and minor programs at the time the data was collected.

Hope began offering women's studies courses in the 1980s, and began offering a minor in the 1990s and expanded the program to include a major in 2005.  The interdisciplinary program includes courses from multiple departments, including art, communication, English, history, modern and classical languages, music, political science, psychology, religion and sociology.

The program has been directed since 2007 by Dr. Annie Dandavati, professor of political science, whose office is in Lubbers Hall Room 203.  The college's first director of women's studies was Dr. Jane Dickie, professor of psychology.