"I think one of the purposes of having this 10th anniversary celebration is to bring back into visibility how diverse women's studies can be," Suleiman says.

"It's sort of to say, if you thought that all women's criticism was 'x,' well, take another look," she says.

In addition to a series of speeches and colloquia, the Committee on Degrees in Women's Studies is planning a gala celebration in May.

Suleiman says the program had come a long way since its inception.

"Since then I think we have built up a program that's very, very impressive," Suleiman says. "Every year we have senior theses that win Hoopes Prizes, we have alumni that have gone on to medical school, law school, we have had very wonderful successful alumni."

The number of concentrators annually has ranged from about 15 to nearly 30. In 1995, the committee graduated nine seniors, with seven magna degrees and two summas.

"It's a kind of close-knit department where the faculty really cares about you, and they check up on you," says Ryono.

The committee includes 25 faculty members. Ulrich is currently the only professor to hold a joint appointment in women's studies.

In addition to sophomore, junior and senior tutorials, the committee lists 10 courses in the course catalog. Forty-two courses in other departments are also listed as being of primary interest.

Suleiman says the 10th anniversary of the degree-granting program will provide a good opportunity to re-evaluate the goal of the concentration.

"I think it's to make the program as intellectually exciting and innovative as it's always been," said Suleiman, "which means you can't sit back and sit on your laurels."

Suleiman insists, though, that the women's studies program fills a need in academia.

"In an ideal world you wouldn't need a women's studies concentration," Suleiman says, "but until that ideal world comes into existence, it is a good idea to have at least one department that pays very close attention to gender issues."