Women's studies is an interdisciplinary field rooted in scholarship and activism that places gender at the centre of inquiry. Women's studies investigate and challenge social inequalities based on systems of gender as they intersect with class, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, and age. Faculty work in a number of new research areas, including theories of identities and bodies, women and the environment, queer theory, third-world feminism, and critical race feminism. The department maintains close relations with the Women's Resource Center and the Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center. Women's studies students tend to be people who want to make a difference in the world. Their personal goals and intellectual development are of major importance to our faculty. The program emphasizes collaborative learning and critical thinking in a global and activist context, one that gives students ownership over their education. Each student is assigned a faculty mentor who is a resource for majors who are pursuing graduate degrees, undergraduate research, academic publications, and career exploration within the field.