Individual Diversity Associate Application
Submitted by Rai Peterson, Associate Professor of English
ENG 494
Background:
During fall of 2008, with the generous support of the Office of Institutional Diversity,
I piloted a Queer Theory/ Queer Literature course in the department of English.
Because there was no course number for it in the catalog, I adapted a section of ENG
361, Contemporary American Literature to fit the subject matter. This constrained
the reading selections considerably, as I was confined to teaching a global, historical
problem with examples from mid-century to present-day American authors.
The response to the course was overwhelming. Two sections filled within hours of
their being posted, and the course evaluations for the class indicated that it was
highly successful, most notably in achieving the university’s strategic plan goal #3
regarding engagement. Students recognized during the semester that they were
taking the course, that it was changing their understanding of themselves and others
in positive ways. I realized that “immersive learning” can occur in regular, 3-hour
courses if the material is sufficiently engaging that the students cannot stop thinking
about it and applying it to situations outside of class. The pilot Queer Theory/Queer
Literature was immersive because it was thought-provoking and because it
addressed a pertinent need for much of our student population.
Before the pilot course began, I assumed that most of the students who enrolled in
the Queer Theory/Queer Literature course would be marginalized along gender
lines, students who classified themselves as queer. I was surprised to discover that
more than half of the students did not come to the class seeking identity politics
affirmations. Most were teaching, social work, nursing, and literature majors who
simply wanted to prepare themselves to lead a more just profession and world.
Proposal:
Based upon the success of the pilot Queer Theory/Queer Literature course, the
Department of English has added a new course to its catalog: ENG 494: Queer
Literature/Queer Theory. I will be teaching it for the first time during fall 2010.
I am seeking support to develop this new course. While it may seem that the pilot
course provided the foundation for ENG 494, it was far more focused by the
geographical and time constraints imposed by the course number we employed for
it.
Preparing for ENG 494 will entail extensive reading and text selection, not just from
the canon of contemporary American literature, but from works extending from
Ancient Greek literature into present day world literature. A solid course in Queer
Literature/Queer theory will investigate myths about the ancient Greeks’ condoning
homosexuality between men and boys as well as Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad’s assertion that there are no gays in Iran. As an American literature
specialist myself, this means I will be exploring the literature of many cultures and
time periods with which I am not currently familiar—always with an eye to what
texts remain in print and affordable for our students.
Queer Theory itself is a protean discipline; it encompasses all of gay and lesbian
studies, and expands their focus to encompass any kind of sexual activity or identity
that falls into divergent categories. Choosing materials wisely for a course with such
broad scope will require diligent “homework.” It is essential that this first offering
of the new course set a representative, engaging standard as I am certain it will be
taught by other faculty in coming years.
Future:
I continue to be committed to starting a distributive LGBTQ minor for BSU students.
To that end, I have applied to be a member of the Affiliated Faculty with the
emerging Women’s and Gender Studies Program. I am confident that with
continued support from the OID, the LGBTQ community at BSU will be able to
cooperate with the re-defined Women’s and Gender Studies program to achieve this.
I hope that BSU will emerge as an objective leader in the “culture wars” surrounding
homosexual marriage, immigration rights, and adoption laws.