UW creates lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender studies certificate

Starting this fall, UW–Madison will offer an undergraduate academic certificate program in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) studies.

The field of LGBT studies investigates and theorizes on the concept, practice and history of sexuality as an element of social organization. It also examines sexuality’s impact on law, medicine, religion, literature and numerous other facets of society.

The 15-credit interdisciplinary program will require students to take a three-credit introduction to LGBT issues course, three three-credit electives chosen from a growing list of courses with significant LGBT content, a three-credit capstone seminar or a directed study that includes a major research paper.

The Women’s Studies program will serve as the administrative home for the certificate. The program will be composed of existing courses taught by current faculty and will require no new university funding.

The certificate should have a positive effect on campus climate by allowing any interested student to gain knowledge and understanding of LGBT issues, says Mariamne Whatley, chair of the Women’s Studies program, who will serve as the certificate adviser. Joe Elder, a professor of sociology, has served as chair of the certificate committee, which consists of faculty members appointed by the dean of the College of Letters and Science.

The certificate will be officially offered beginning in the fall semester; students who are planning to graduate in December will be the first group eligible to be granted a certificate. Courses taken before the certificate was approved may be counted toward the certificate.

The certificate program was first proposed as part of a 1997 Faculty Senate report on LGBT issues. Several LGBT-oriented classes have been popular among students, with enrollments reaching as high as 120. Those numbers are likely to rise as the program becomes official, Whatley says.

Many other universities across the country have initiated similar programs. The UW–Madison certificate should also energize faculty by supporting scholarship in LGBT studies, she adds. A significant number of scholars at UW–Madison already work on LGBT issues.

Students who are interested in the certificate, or who would like to receive credit for courses taken before the certificate was approved, should contact Whatley, 262-2463.