Reasons that Hunter College of the City University of New York developed a Women's Studies Program, rather than a department, in 1975-1976 are discussed. Attention is directed to the question of what courses should become part of the program, along with efforts to expand course offerings and to foster collaboration with other programs and departments. Issues of academic freedom and program independence are also addressed. The ways that the Women's Studies Program increased academic outreach are considered, including the writing of an introductory textbook and workshops to help integrate the new scholarship on women into courses. Specific attention is focused on the need for a women's studies program, the academic reputation of women's studies as a discipline, whether the program can be a power base or ghetto in the academic community, and whether the issues of feminist scholarship are vital to the academic pursuits of a university. It is concluded that the roles that women studies programs play in reshaping fundamental scholarship are critical to their existence, as are their efforts to lead concern about issues involving classroom pedagogy. (Author/SW)