2006-07 PLU Catalog

Women's and Gender Studies

253.535.7296

www.plu.edu/~womenstu

At the core of the Women's and Gender Studies (WMGS) program at PLU is a vibrant, diverse, and supportive community of feminist women and men, working to enhance and reinforce the individual goals and strengths of each student.  This multiplicity of resources and talents allow our courses to draw upon many different academic areas, explore themes such as gender and sexual identity, emphasize critical examination of racism, classism, and other forms of inequity and discrimination, and focus on the pursuit of social justice.

Women's and Gender Studies courses offer critical analysis of traditional social institutions, such as religion, arts, science, law, education, medicine, and the family, and their relationship to each person's gender, sexual identity, class, and race. Reflecting the importance of dialogue and collaboration in feminism, classroom activities include a rich mix of group-based projects, discussion, and other forms of inquiry.  The multidisciplinary nature of our program invites Women's and Gender Studies students to sample many topics and learn through a variety of intellectual and life experiences, from reading the literatures of under-represented communities to creating visual artwork, visiting a prison for women, and learning how to initiate, mediate and engage in an ongoing discourse about challenging issues. 

The Women's and Gender Studies senior capstone exemplifies our program's emphasis on combining inquiry with experience. For the capstone, each Women's and Gender Studies major works with faculty mentors to design an internship or service learning project that fits creatively her or his unique vocational and academic interests.  One student with a background in nursing or biology, for example, might work in a program that offers pre-natal care for low-income women, while another student with expertise in social work and public policy might assist an organization working to reduce domestic violence, or a student interested in feminist theater could work with the Women's Center to shape PLU's annual production of "The Vagina Monologues"!

The Women's and Gender Studies program gives students the important tools, resources, and language needed for personal empowerment, especially useful since it is easy to feel overwhelmed and resigned in the face of  injustices. Upon completion of this program, each PLU Women's and Gender Studies graduate is prepared to creatively and effectively pursue social justice in her or his own way.  As teachers, scientists, volunteers, artists, writers, entrepreneurs, or family members, our graduates are making positive changes in the way gender and sexual identity are understood globally in the 21st century.  We invite you to join our community of scholars and agents of social change.

Faculty: Women's and Gender Studies Executive Committee: Kraig, Chair; Breazeale, Lisosky, Marcus, Sklar, Taylor, Trelstad.

Major:

The Women's and Gender Studies major is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary complementary major. Conferral of a baccalaureate degree with a major in Women's and Gender Studies requires completion of a second major from any discipline in the university. Students are encouraged to declare both majors simultaneously and to plan a program aware of the possibilities for applying individual courses to both majors. The Women's and Gender Studies major allows application of courses from the second major and for general university requirements (Core I and Core II) to the Women's and Gender Studies major.

32 semester hours, including:

• WMGS 201 (four semester hours)
  

• Two courses each from the Women/Feminism approved program core course list (eight semester hours)
  

• Two courses each from the Gender/Sexuality approved program core course list (eight semester hours)
• Two elective courses approved by the WMGS program chair or from the list of approved WMGS courses
• Completion of the Women's and Gender Studies and Vocation Capstone Experience (WMGS 495 or WMGS 491, four semester hours)
  
• Students are required to complete a minimum of four upper-division courses in the program core and electives.

1. WMGS 201: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies - four (4) semester hours

2. PROGRAM CORE COURSES - 16 semester hours
   

   Students must take one class each from the following four areas (one each from Group A and Group B under both Women & Feminism and Gender & Sexuality): 

This requirement can be satisfied in three ways:

a.  WMGS Service Learning (Four semester hours total of WMGS 491: Independent Study: Service Learning- SR)

Service learning refers to those broad or introductory experiences with groups, in agencies or organization that enable the student to gain awareness, to develop ideas, and to pursue social justice. Student identify a faculty sponsor approved by WMST, arrange for a service learning experience through the Center for Public Service or directly with the site of the service, then develop, with the approval of the WMST sponsor, a learning contact that includes learning objectives specific to women, feminism or gender. Service learning contracts also require the approval of the agency or organization supervisor.

 b1.WMGS Internship (Four semester hours  total of WMGS 495: Internship-SR)

Internships are pragmatic, employer based experiences in which students apply knowledge they've already acquired, build competence, and test values in setting like those in which they may seek employment. Students identify a faculty member approved by WMST, arrange for an internship through the Center for Public Service or directly with the site of the service, then, with the approval of the WMST sponsor, develop a learning contract that includes learning objectives specific to women, feminism or gender. Internship learning contacts also require the approval of the agency or organization supervisor.

b2. WMGS Internship concurrent with another, non-WMGS internship
 (Two semester hours of  WMGS 495,  plus at least two internship semester hours from another discipline)

Some fields of study allow or require students to complete an internship in which they integrate knowledge, demonstrate skills and act upon values learned in the classroom with current practice in an agency or organizational setting. For such an internship to count toward the WMGS major, students must select a faculty member approved by WMGS and develop a learning contract that pertains to the internship in the other major but reflects WMGS skills, knowledge, and applications. The student must then arrange for two additional internship credits in WMGS 495 with the sponsoring WMST faculty member. Internship learning contracts also require the approval of the agency or organization supervisor and the PLU faculty member supervising internship within the discipline. Earning credits from both WMGS and another department may not always require additional hours at the site, but the learning contact will require additional research, reading and writing to incorporate content specific to women, feminism or gender.

Requests for credit toward the Women's and Gender Studies major and minor from transfer courses must be approved by the Women's and Gender Studies Executive Committee. Submit syllabus and course assignments to the Women's and Gender Studies chair. At least 17 hours of the major and 10 hours of the minor must be completed at PLU.

Minor:

20 semester hours, including:

• WMGS 201 (Four semester hours)

• Two program core courses (eight semester hours): Four semester hours from Group A or B: Women and Feminism and four semester hours from Group C or D: Gender and Sexuality. Select from the Program Core courses as listed above under the WMGS Major.
  

• Two elective courses (eight semester hours) approved by the WMGS program chair or from the list of approved WMGS courses.
  

Students must complete  two additional courses beyond the core courses required. These may be selected from:


1. Additional WMGS core courses not taken to satisfy the Program Core Courses requirement.
   
2. Courses from an approved list published in the Women's & Gender Studies section in class schedules.
3. Courses from any discipline for which at least 60% of the assignments center on women, feminism, gender, and/or sexuality. This allows the integration of Women's and Gender Studies perspectives into courses that are not explicitly or entirely structured around those perspectives. Consent of the instructor is required. Students should consult the Women's and Gender Studies chair about this option before the course begins (when possible) and will be required to submit the syllabus and relevant assignments to the Women's and Gender Studies Executive Committee for approval upon completion of the course.

Course Offerings - Women's and Gender Studies (WMGS)

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WMGS 201: Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies – A

An interdisciplinary introduction to the themes, issues, and methodological approaches that are central to the study of women, feminism, gender construction, and sexuality. Open to all students; required for WMGS majors and minors. (4)

WMGS 491: Independent Studies – SR

Readings, research projects, or service learning projects in areas or issues of Women's and Gender Studies, under the supervision of a faculty member. With approval of WMST chair, may be used to satisfy WMST capstone requirement. (1–4)

WMGS 495: Internship – SR

A pragmatic, employer based experience in which students apply knowledge already acquired, build competence, and test values in settings like those in which they may seek employment. Internships require the approval of a WMGS faculty member who will supervise the work of the agency or organization supervisor who will directly supervise the student. With approval of WMGS chair, may be used to satisfy WMGS capstone requirement. (2–4)

2006-07 PLU Catalog

Pacific Lutheran University