Githens taught full-time at
Goucher College from 1965 to 2014. She taught part-time until 2016. She was recognized by peers as a "pioneer scholar" in the field of women in politics Githens was an advocate for inclusion, diversity, and equity. This advocacy included women's rights and for urban neighborhoods in
Baltimore. She was a co-founder of the Women's Studies Program at Goucher and served as the chair of the political science program. In 1977, Githens and
Jewel Prestage authored the anthology
A Portrait of Marginality. In 1993, Githens was commissioned to write a report on women in Europe by the
European Commission's Commission of the European Communities for Program Development. In 2000, Githens was named Goucher College's Elizabeth Conolly Todd Distinguished Professor due to her "leadership, scholarship, teaching and community activism." The appointment provides five years of funds to pursue research. == Personal life ==