Office of Sustainability

The purpose of POLI 3720, offered through the College of Liberal Arts, is to introduce students to ways gender factors into studies of global politics. Topics include research on women; both formal and informal political institutions; women in violent conflict; gender and development; and comparative public policies regarding education, health, and work. Through lectures and informed discussions, the course explores how politics and power are gendered. By understanding the role of gender in politics and global barriers to women in leadership and society, these challenges can be addressed to enable women to enter into leadership, empower other women, and move toward a more equitable society for all.

Women’s Initiatives, overseen by the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, represent and support all Auburn University women, including faculty, staff, students, and administrative and professional personnel by addressing issues that affect personal well-being and professional needs of women across campus. Some of the programs housed within Women’s Initiatives include the Women’s Center, the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Institute, the Pathways to Full Professor and Beyond program, and the Women’s Leadership Conference. Women’s Initiatives promote gender equality by guiding efforts to facilitate the recruitment, hiring, retention, and professional development of women.

In her paper, “Speaking Truth to Power: Exploring the Intersectional Experiences of Black Women in Computing,” Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s Jakita Thomas explores the unrealistic expectations from others, isolation, and gendered racism experienced by 11 black women in computing. Thomas’s research found that, despite the obstacles confronting these women, they persisted in the field of computing. By identifying the factors that encouraged these women to persist in their field, Thomas’s work will help encourage and retain talented people from underrepresented groups in computing.