NIU is adopting a definition of “affirmative consent” that requires anyone attempting to initiate a sexual encounter to ask for – and receive – a clear and voluntary “yes” before beginning. Its implementation prohibits sexual activity that does not involve the affirmative consent of each individual. Moreover, NIU’s definition holds that consenters can withdraw their...

The Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS) might be the new kid on the block, but it arrived at NIU with a rich Huskie history. “Before this, we were just a program, which didn’t have the same institutional clout or recognition as other diversity centers,” said Kristen Myers, Presidential Teaching Professor...

NIU’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Women will host a fall conference on “Creating a Safer Campus: Supporting Survivors and Removing Barriers – Part 1.” Scheduled from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, the conference is open to all faculty and staff looking to obtain resources and gain insight on how to support...

Everyone is talking about this year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, which some are saying pushes the limits of good taste. The chatter is nothing new, says NIU’s Kristen Myers, a Presidential Teaching Professor in the Department of Sociology and director of Women’s Studies at NIU. What is new, Myers says, is that the cover model’s...

Kristen Myers, a professor of sociology and director of Women’s Studies at Northern Illinois University, will present a multimedia lecture titled, “Mean Girls, Manly Boys: Anti-feminist Messages in Kids T.V.” at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Room 315 of Altgeld Hall. Myers, a 2014 Presidential Teaching Professor, focuses her research on privileges and disadvantages,...

The late Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, once described a litmus test on whether he – or anyone else – truly grasped what they claimed to comprehend. He “argued that one does not understand a complicated subject unless one can clearly explain it to a class of freshmen,” says Brianno Coller, a professor of...

Enrolling in a sociology course taught by Kristen Myers? Prepare to ask questions – and be questioned. Prepare to slip up. Prepare to learn, and to change. “Taken together, my teaching and mentorship embodies my feminist philosophies about equity and human potential. I promote the growth of all of my students, both in and out...

Members of the NIU community soon will have the opportunity to hear presentations on multicultural curriculum transformation given by faculty and staff from a wide range of disciplines, including nursing, history, business and education. These events are the result of the presenters’ participation in the 2013 Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute. The institute, which took place...

The Women’s Studies Program at NIU has appointed a new director – Kristen Myers. An associate professor of sociology, Myers brings more than 15 years of experience to the position. In her supplementary role at the university, she looks to promote an understanding of gender inequality in the United States and abroad, in contemporary society...

The Northern Illinois University campus community is invited to join in this year’s “Take Back the Night” evening march promoting an end to violence against others, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2. Advocacy groups are scheduled to speak before participants march together though campus and surrounding streets to raise awareness for domestic violence....

Christopher McCord, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is announcing leadership changes at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), as well as in Women’s Studies, the Department of English and LGBT Studies. McCord said anthropology professor Judy Ledgerwood has been selected to serve as CSEAS director. One of only nine federally...

The 2011 Outstanding Women Student Awards have been presented to 48 women from across all disciplines at Northern Illinois University and representing undergraduates, graduate students and law students. NIU’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Women gave out the awards during its April 17 reception on campus. The recognition program was created in 1980 and is held annually to:...