Call for Papers

[Ruth Samson]

Educating Women/Women’s Education In the Post-Secondary Context

Mount Saint Vincent University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
February 8 – 10, 2007

Call for Papers and Presentations

PLEASE CIRCULATE AND POST

Papers and presentations are invited for a conference to be held in 
Halifax, Nova Scotia,  from Thursday February 8, 2007, to Saturday, 
February 10, 2007, on the topic of “Educating Women/Women’s Education—In 
the Post-Secondary Context”.  

Mount Saint Vincent University, the host of this conference, has a proud 
and distinctive history as a leader in innovative and creative learning 
approaches with an emphasis on women, academic excellence, distinctive 
programs, and a personal approach to education.

“Educating Women/Women’s Education” will explore the education of women 
within the context of twenty-first century post-secondary education in 
North America and around the world.  The keynote speaker is Jill Ker 
Conway, former vice-president of the University of Toronto, first female 
president of Smith College, and author of many books including A Woman’s 
Education, Modern Feminism: An Intellectual History, and The Road from 
Coorain.  

The conference focus arises out of (but is by no means confined to) 
questions such as the following:

· After decades of extensive feminist discussion about the 
heterogeneity of the category “women,” is there a need for educational 
institutions that are primarily or even exclusively for women?  

· Is post-secondary education still gendered?  Should it be?

· What are the goals of women’s post-secondary education?  What are 
the goals of educating women?

· What would a post-secondary education of and for women be like?  

· Does the sex/gender of role models, mentors, and instructors matter 
in the post-secondary context?

· Has there been any global warming of chilly university climates?

· What is the role of Women’s Studies in educating women?

· What is the role of feminism in educating women?

· What are the effects and the roles of co-educational institutions 
in educating women?

· What are the causes, meanings and significance of the “gender gap” 
created by the greater numbers of women than men students in post-secondary 
education?


We welcome 

· research papers on women’s post-secondary education from the 
perspectives of history, literature, or the social sciences; 
· more informal workshops and discussions on experiences of women’s 
post-secondary education—whether as student, instructor, administrator, 
alumna, or member of the support staff; and 
· philosophical and normative reflections and arguments about what 
post-secondary education by, for, and of women would look like.  

We are particularly interested in contributions that explore the status, 
role and outcomes of post-secondary education with respect to 
race/class/sexuality/ability/age diversity among women.

Presentations should be no more than twenty minutes’ reading time.  In 
addition to formal papers, we welcome proposals for alternative formats, 
including panels, workshops, and media presentations.  

Conference presentations will be considered for inclusion in a future 
special issue of Atlantis: A Women’s Studies Journal.

You may send a complete paper, or a long abstract (1000 words, plus a 
bibliography), or a detailed description (1000 words) of a proposed panel 
or workshop.  The deadline for receipt is Friday, November 17, 2006.  
Please send hard copies only to

Dr. Christine Overall
Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies
ISW 4
Mount Saint Vincent University
166 Bedford Highway
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada   B3M 2J6

Inquiries may be directed to Christine Overall at 
christine.overall at msvu.ca. 

In your submission, please indicate any special needs you may have.