{"id":2582,"date":"2026-08-04T16:04:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T21:04:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/race-and-ethnic-studies\/?page_id=2582"},"modified":"2026-08-31T00:21:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:21:31","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"
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a Joint Department<\/span><\/h4>\n

For decades, Race and Ethnic Studies (RACE) and Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS) existed as separate programs without permanent home departments. After years of faculty advocacy, student demand, and demonstrated need, the college formed a joint department out of the two programs. On April 5, 2021, the St. Olaf Faculty voted to approve the creation of a joint Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality Studies Department. The resolution read as follows: \u201cWith their emphasis on critical thinking and the study of the intersections of race, gender, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, ability, religion, and age, both Race and Ethnic Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies uphold many facets of the College\u2019s mission. Backed by 100 years of combined curricular strength and interdisciplinary innovation, this new department will provide recognition and structural permanency to RACE and GSS and further solidify St. Olaf\u2019s commitments as a liberal arts college.\u201d REGSS coalesced in fall 2022, with Anthony Bateza serving as the inaugural chair (2022-2026). REGSS hired its first tenure-track faculty members (one joint appointment with English and one solely in REGSS) in 2023, and a second (joint appointment with Environmental Studies) in 2026. In Fall 2026, the REGSS established a department and community space in Old Main.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div> \n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t

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Race and Ethnic Studies<\/span><\/h4>\n

Established at St. Olaf in 1969, Race and Ethnic Studies (abbreviated RACE) represents a multigenerational faculty and student commitment to the interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and critical indigenous studies. Our program centers the concerns and experiences of Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities and proceeds from the recognition that race and ethnicity have been and continue to be crucial components within interlocking systems of oppression, as well as powerful sites of intersectional resistance. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Gender and Sexuality studies<\/span><\/h4>\n

In 1973, six faculty were appointed to the Task Force on Women\u2019s Studies. They worked diligently to highlight the needs of women who are students and faculty\/staff at St. Olaf College. In 1984, the college approved the creation of a Women\u2019s Studies major. GSS invites students to explore scholarship about women and gender across cultures and throughout history to examine intersections of gender, race, class, sexual orientation, nationality, ability, religion, and age. The interdisciplinary program fosters critical thinking skills that encourage students to become active and ethical participants in career, family, social life, and community.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div> \n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tFaculty & Staff<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCredit Petition<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCore Courses<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\n\t<\/div> \n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3511,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2582","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3511"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2582"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2582\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3157,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2582\/revisions\/3157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/regss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}