History

The will program was founded in 1980 as part of Westhampton College's response to a growing body of feminist scholarship and research demonstrating that women's colleges provide exceptional learning opportunities for students.

The University of Richmond's innovative program was one of the first in the U.S. to combine coursework in women's studies with professional and academic opportunities outside of the classroom. The academic program changed its name to Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in 2004 and to Gender & Sexuality Studies in 2025 to reflect dynamic changes in the field. 

Initially known as Women Involved in Living and Learning (WILL), the program stopped using WILL as an acronym and added an asterisk (WILL*) as a creative way to signal the full inclusion and support of its trans and non-binary students in 2013.

In 2020, the program announced the new but familiar name of will. The name signals that will is a verb, a call to action as demonstrated by the question: How will you change the world?

will agilely responds to cultural shifts, academic developments, and emerging student needs and demands. The will program name, discussed above, is one example of how the program has responded to changes in both student needs and current scholarship in GSS. 

Over the years, a number of public and private institutions have replicated this model, including Duke University; Ohio University; Pace University; The College of New Jersey; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and University of Michigan-Dearborn.