Conclusions

While Santa Clara University is not officially considered a “feminist institution,” I argue that by exploring the history of women on campus that SCU has moved significantly closer to becoming a space of equality since women were first admitted on campus in 1961. Initially, Santa Clara was a place where gendered spaces were organized in the framework of binaries with rigid places for men or women. Over time, however, we can see that these spaces, in dorms, classrooms, and extracurricular activities, have been broken down, allowing feminist discourse to emerge and empowering all individuals in these spaces.