PROPOSAL:

 Minor in Sexualities and Gender Studies (SGST)

University of Delaware, 2005-06

 

 

CONTENTS

            Rationale and Demand for the SGST Minor

Description of the SGST Minor/Curriculum Specifics

Enrollments, Admissions, and Financial Aid

Administration of the SGST Minor/Resources Available and Required

Implementation and Evaluation

Appendices                

             

 

I. Rationale and Demand for the SGST Minor

 

Over the past thirty years, the study of sexualities and gender has become a vital and active field of academic inquiry and scholarly research.  Professional journals and periodicals in this field include: Feminist Studies, Gay and Lesbian Review, Gender and History, Gender and Society, Journal of Bisexuality, Journal of the History of Sexuality, Journal of Homosexuality, Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, Lambda Book Report, National Women’s Studies Association Journal, and Signs.  Academic studies in this field are now regularly published by university presses, e.g., Columbia, New York, Duke, Indiana, and Yale.  The relationship of gender and sexuality to the law, politics, religion, criminal justice, psychology, medicine, education, the arts, among other areas, is clearly displayed in articles in magazines and newspapers and other media every day. 

 

In her letter of support, Individual and Family Studies Professor Julie Wilgen states: “I speak from experience when I say that students’ interest in the subject of sexual orientation and gender diversity is very high.  Likewise, there is excellent support on campus for contributing to class lectures, panels, discussion groups and other interactive programming on these issues, which is consistent with the General Education Initiative Guidelines developed recently.”

 

The proposed minor is thus relevant and timely.  The various components of the study of sexuality and gender resonate with today’s student body.  These include, but are not limited, to behavior; biology; history; culture; law; art and literature; identity; roles; “affectional,” romantic, and erotic orientations; social attitudes and political implications; human sexual development; impact of homophobia and heterosexism; different constructions of gender.  The proposed minor would add an important dimension to the University of Delaware’s academic offerings.  Its multidisciplinary nature will attract students and draw expertise from many departments and programs.  The new minor in sexualities and gender studies will fill an important gap and offer students an opportunity for further study in an area of increasing scholarly and research interest.

 

 

II. Description of the SGST Minor/Curriculum Specifics

 

The SGST minor consists of 18 credits: three required courses and three elective courses of three credits each.  From the elective courses students should take at least two courses at the 300 or 400 level.  The minor represents a broad array of already existing, regularly offered courses across the College of Arts and Sciences (and other colleges), as well as proposed new courses. 

 

Required Courses (9 credits)

 

SGST/WOMS 200 Cultural Introduction to Sexualities and Gender Studies*

BISC 152 Biology of Human Sexuality or

IFST/WOMS/HESC 401 Foundations of Human Sexuality

PHIL/WOMS 216 Introduction to Feminist Theory or

PHIL/WOMS/BAMS 327 Race, Gender, Science

 

Elective Courses (9 credits)

 

ANTH/WOMS 305 The Evolution of Human Sex Roles and Reproduction

ENGL 214 Literature and Gender/Sexuality

ENGL/WOMS 380 Women Writers: when offered as Virginia Woolf and Lesbian

Writing**

ENGL 480 Seminar: when offered as Sexuality and Identity in the Age of

            Enlightenment**

FLLT 320 Varying Authors and Genres: when offered as (Homo) Sexualities in

Pre-Modern Europe**

IFST 338 Sexuality in Contemporary Society

MSST 206 Queer Sexual Imagery in the Visual Arts

POSC 401 Topics in Constitutional Law: when offered as Law and Sexuality**

SGST/WOMS 208 Current Issues in Sexuality and Gender*

SGST/WOMS 301 Gay and Lesbian Film*

SOCI/WOMS 213 Men and Women in American Society

SOCI/WOMS 407 Sociology of Sex and Gender

 

Other courses as approved by the faculty coordinator of the minor and the Women’s Studies Curriculum Committee.

 

*Proposed new course, previously offered under ARSC/WOMS rubric.  Once the minor and new courses are approved, the SGST rubric will be assigned.

**Topics course that counts toward minor when offered with appropriate content.

 

Faculty currently teaching courses for the minor:

 

Margaret Andersen, Professor, Sociology and Criminal Justice

Robin Andreasen, Assistant Professor, Philosophy

Anne Bowler, Associate Professor, Sociology and Criminal Justice

Hilton Brown, Harriet T Bailey Professor, Museum Studies

Gary Ferguson, Professor, Foreign Languages and Literatures

Matthew Kinservik, Associate Professor, English

Marie LaBerge, Assistant Professor, Women’s Studies

Larry Peterson, Professor, Music

Claire Rasmussen, Assistant Professor, Political Science and International Relations

Karen Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Anthropology

Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor, Women’s Studies

Julie Wilgen, Assistant Professor, Individual and Family Studies

Julian Yates, Associate Professor, English

 

III. Enrollments, Admissions, and Financial Aid

 

In recent years, sexuality studies have become a prominent research field in the social sciences and humanities, and the proposed minor will address these developments.  Courses in gender and sexuality that were offered on an experimental basis in fall 04 and spring 05 had a strong enrollment, clearly indicating students’ interest.  We expect that the SGST minor will initially be pursued by a relatively small number of students but, hopefully, it will eventually attract a larger segment of the student body.

 

Admissions and financial aid will not come into play in the administration of a minor.

 

 

IV. Administration of the SGST Minor/Resources Available and Required

 

The SGST minor will be housed within the Women’s Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.  Administration of the minor will be handled by a faculty coordinator appointed by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in consultation with the Director of Women’s Studies.  The faculty coordinator, chosen from the faculty teaching courses for the SGST minor, will oversee a minimal supplies and equipment budget provided by the College of Arts and Sciences.  Additional responsibilities of the faculty coordinator will include the following: acting as the contact person for the minor (email and telephone inquiries), maintaining an updated website from the Women’s Studies homepage, advising minors or assigning advisors to minors, crosslisting courses and monitoring the availability of courses for the minor. 

 

V. Implementation and Evaluation

 

Once approved, the faculty coordinator and the Women’s Studies Program can begin operating the minor in fall 2006. The Women’s Studies Program will evaluate the status of the minor after it has been offered for six consecutive semesters.

 

 

 

 

 

VI. Appendices

 

1. Statements of Support:

Tom Apple, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Susan Brynteson, May Morris Director of Libraries

            Chairs and Program Directors:

Fred Adams, Philosophy

                        Steve Bernhardt, English                      

Joel Best, Sociology and Criminal Justice

Dan Carson, Biology

Penny Deiner, Individual and Family Studies

James Magee, Political Science and International Relations

James Prodan, Music

Karen Rosenberg, Anthropology

Bryant Tolles, Museum Studies

                                    Richard Zipser, Foreign Languages and Literatures

 

2. Faculty:

Hilton Brown, Museum Studies

Gary Ferguson, Foreign Languages and Literatures

Julie Mapes Wilgen, Individual and Family Studies

            Julian Yates, English

 

 

 

 

UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS

 

Academic Program Approval

 

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs.  Proposing department should complete this form.  For more information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.

 

 

Submitted by:  Monika Shafi   phone number: 831-8474

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Action:  add minor

(Example:  add major/minor/concentration, delete major/minor/concentration,  revise major/minor/concentration,  academic unit name change, request for permanent status, policy change, etc.)

 

Effective term: 06F

                                                (use format 04F, 05W)

 

Current degree___________________________________________________________

                                    (Example:  BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

 

Proposed change leads to the degree of: ______________________________________

                                                                                             (Example:  BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

 

 

Proposed name: Sexualities and Gender Studies

                                            Proposed new name for revised or new major / minor / concentration / academic unit

                                                                                (if applicable)

 

Revising or Deleting:  

 

Undergraduate major / Concentration:_________________________________

                                                                                    (Example:  Applied Music – Instrumental  degree BMAS)

 

Undergraduate minor:_______________________________________________

                                   (Example:  African Studies,  Business Administration,  English, Leadership, etc.)            

 

Graduate Program Policy statement change:____________________________

                                                                        (Attach your Graduate Program Policy Statement)

 

            Graduate Program of Study:__________________________________________

                                 (Example:  Animal Science: MS  Animal Science:  PHD  Economics: MA Economics: PHD)

 

 

                Graduate minor / concentration:______________________________________

 

 

List program changes for curriculum revisions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List new courses required for the new or revised curriculum:

 (Be aware that approval of the curriculum is dependent upon these courses successfully passing through the Course Challenge list. If there are no new courses enter “None”)

 

WOMS 200* Cultural Introduction to Sexualities and Gender Studies

WOMS 208* Current Issues in Sexuality and Gender

WOMS 301* Gay and Lesbian Film

 

*Once the minor and new courses are approved, the SGST rubric will be assigned to these courses.

 

 

Other affected units:

(List other departments affected by this new or revised curriculum.  Attach permission from the affected units.  If no other unit is affected, enter “None”)

 

Library

Music Department (faculty coordinator for SGST minor)

Biology Department

Philosophy Department

Anthropology Department

English Department

Foreign Languages and Literatures Department

Individual and Family Studies Department

Political Science Department

Sociology Department

Museum Studies Program

 

 

Rationale:

(Explain your reasons for creating, revising, or deleting the curriculum or program.)

 

Over the past thirty years, the study of sexualities and gender has become a vital and active field of academic inquiry and scholarly research.  Professional journals and periodicals in the field include: Feminist Studies, Gay and Lesbian Review, Gender and History, Gender and Society, Journal of Bisexuality, Journal of the History of Sexuality, Journal of Homosexuality, Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, Lambda Book Report, National Women’s Studies Association Journal, and Signs.  Academic studies in this field are now regularly published by university presses, e.g., Columbia, New York, Duke, Indiana, and Yale.  The relationship of gender and sexuality to the law, politics, religion, criminal justice, psychology, medicine, education, the arts, among other areas, is clearly displayed in articles in magazines and newspapers and other media every day.

 

Student interest in the subject of sexual orientation and gender diversity is very high.  There is also excellent support at the University of Delaware or contributing to class lectures, panels, discussion groups and other interactive programming on these issues.

 

Program Requirements: 

(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the Course Catalog.  If this is a revision, be sure to indicate the changes being made to the present curriculum.)

 

The Sexualities and Gender Studies minor consists of 18 credits:  Three required courses and three elective courses of three credits each.  From the elective courses students should take at least two courses at the 300 or 400 level. 

 

Required Courses (9 credits)

 

SGST/WOMS 200 Cultural Introduction to Sexualities and Gender Studies

BISC 152 Biology of Human Sexuality or

IFST/WOMS/HESC 401 Foundations of Human Sexuality

PHIL/WOMS 216 Introduction to Feminist Theory or

PHIL/WOMS/BAMS 327 Race, Gender, Science

 

 

 

Elective Courses (9 credits)

 

ANTH/WOMS 305 The Evolution of Human Sex Roles and Reproduction

ENGL 214 Literature and Gender/Sexuality

ENGL/WOMS 380 Women Writers: when offered as Virginia Woolf and Lesbian

Writing *

ENGL 480 Seminar: when offered as Sexuality and Identity in the Age of

            Enlightenment*

FLLT 320 Varying Authors and Genres: when offered as (Homo) Sexualities in

Pre-Modern Europe*

IFST 338 Sexuality in Contemporary Society

MSST 206 Queer Sexual Imagery in the Visual Arts

POSC 401 Topics in Constitutional Law: when offered as Law and Sexuality*

SGST/WOMS 208 Current Issues in Sexuality and Gender

SGST/WOMS 301 Gay and Lesbian Film

SOCI/WOMS 213 Men and Women in American Society

SOCI/WOMS 407 Sociology of Sex and Gender

 

Other courses as approved by the faculty coordinator of the minor and the Women’s Studies Curriculum Committee.

 

*Topics course that counts toward minor when offered with appropriate content.

 

 

 

 

 ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION:        (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

 

Department Chairperson                                                                                                        Date                                       

 

Dean of College                                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Chairperson, College Curriculum Committee___________________________________Date_____________________

 

Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR Studies                                                                   Date                                       

 

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com.                                                                 Date                                       

 

Secretary, Faculty Senate                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Date of Senate Resolution                                                                                                      Date to be Effective               

 

Registrar                                                                  Program Code                                         Date                                       

 

Vice Provost for Academic Programs & Planning                                                                  Date                                       

 

Provost                                                                                                                                   Date                                       

 

Board of Trustee Notification                                                                                                                Date                                       

 

Revised 11/03/04   /khs