Women in Utah History - Fall 2026

Course Dates:

• Enrollment will open on 07/27/2026
• Course begins - Thurs Sept 3 The course is 12 weeks long, so with one week off for Thanksgiving it will end Dec 3.

Description
This is a three (3) credit, twelve (12) week online course designed to provide an overview of
themes, events, and key players in Utah women’s history. Together, we will explore the varied
ways women shaped Utah history as well as how themes and events in Utah history impacted the lives of women who lived here. Looking historically at their ideas and experiences, we will discover that women have been outlaws, debutantes, peacemakers, pioneers, and so much more in Utah history. They made change happen, sometimes quietly and sometimes through more visible activism. We will draw from research in U.S. women’s history to discuss where Utah women historically fit within national narratives and trends, and where they did not.

This course has two goals. First, it will help you deepen your understanding of Utah women’s
role in history. Second, it will provide you with materials and concepts to bring women’s stories into your own classrooms.

Expected Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, participants should be able to:
1. Analyze how trends and events in Utah history affected women’s lives and their social and
civic experience within Utah.
2. Identify major phases of Utah women’s activism, the factors that shaped them, and the
strategies and tactics women used to achieve their political goals.
3. Create materials to teach topics and concepts covered in this course.
Important

Weekly Assignments
Each week, you will engage with readings, videos, and podcasts to complete assignments that will help you reflect on and synthesize themes, people, and events in Utah women’s history. These assignments are meant to help you contextualize Utah women’s historical experiences and think through how to teach these stories in your own classrooms. You’ll also post about our weekly theme on the class discussion board most weeks, sometimes responding to a few classmates’ posts.

Final Project
By the end of this course, (actually the end of week 11), you will create a virtual tour or exhibit about a theme in Utah women’s history or an individual Utah woman whose life highlights themes we have discussed in this class. Or you could also discuss how an event in Utah history affected and was affected by Utah women. Parts of this final project will be due at different points throughout the class to help you plan, research, and build your tour or exhibit.