St. Cloud State University
General Education Goal Area 7
Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the U.S.
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
1.
Proposal Number:
Prepared by: Beth Berila
Phone: 320-3912
Email: esberila@stcloudstate.edu
2.
Requesting Unit: Women's Studies Program
3.
Department, Course Number, Title: WS 220: Race and Gender in the U.S.
4.
New Course
5.
Is this course already designated as a Racial Issues course?
No
Yes
RIS Proposal Accompanying This Form
6.
Course bulletin description, including credits and semesters to be offered:
Existing Course
WS 220. Race and Gender in the U.S.
Interdisciplinary study of racism and sexism as institutionalized oppressions that shape the experiences of women
and men of color in the U.S. Cultural contributions women and men of color have made to society. 3 Cr.
DEMAND.
7.
Indicate the clientele for whom this course is designed. Is the course for general education only, or
does it fulfill general education and other program needs for this or another department? Obtain
signatures from any affected departments.
All incoming SCSU students who need to fulfill the Racial Issues component of the General Education
program.
8.
Indicate any changes that must be made in offerings or resources in your department or other
departments by offering this course.
We can offer the course with existing resources, but as we expand our offerings of the course to meet
university demand, we will have to have additional adjunct or faculty funding.
9.
For new courses or courses not yet approved for General Education, indicate any other SCSU departments
or units offering instruction that relates to the content of the proposed course.
All other departments offering Racial Issues courses: Ethnic Studies, Human Relations and Multicultural
Education, Sociology, History, and Community Studies.
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10.
Courses designated as General Education are included in the assessment plan for the Goal Area(s)
for which they are approved. Courses for which assessment is not included in the annual GE
assessment report for two years will be removed from the General Education Program.
The Requesting Unit understands and recognizes the above conditions.
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11.
Provide a concise explanation of how the following goal is a “significant focus” of the proposed course.
Goal Area 7: Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the U.S.
Examine patterns of racial and ethnic inequality in the United States; the heritage, culture, and
contributions of racially subordinated groups; and how race and ethnic relations are embedded in the
institutions that structure our lives.
WS 220 focuses on how gender and racial formations intersect to create particular experiences of
oppression and resistance for different men and women of color. The course will analyze how different
social instutions have enacted policies and practices that shape race and ethnic relations, both historically
and in contemporary society. We will also examine the cultural, social, and political contributions of men
and women of color.
12. In order for a course to be designated as fulfilling Goal Area 7, it must address at least 5 of the 6 student learning
outcomes (SLOs) below. Check the SLOs below that are focused on in the proposed general education course.
1. Demonstrate awareness and understanding of historical and current race relations in the United States.
2. Explain the concept of “race.”
3. Analyze current events and conditions at the local, statewide, and national levels using course theories and
concepts.
4. Identify forms of institutional discrimination in areas such as education, media, housing, employment,
economics, politics, and the legal system.
5. Describe the basic history of discrimination against and contributions of African Americans, Asian Americans,
American Indians, Latinos, and recent immigrants of color.
6. Engage in dialog and self-reflection concerning racism, racial oppression, and white privilege.
13.
Discuss how each Student Learning Outcome checked above is achieved in this course. (Note: Although
descriptions of typical assignments or types of assignments may be part of this discussion, it is not
appropriate to submit copies of actual assignments.)
1. WS 220 will include readings and class lessons that will study how racial and gender formations have
intersected and developed over time to shape historical and current race relations. Readings and class units will
address how racial formations produced oppression in the legal system, the criminal justice system, the
government, the aeconomic system, and in stereotypical portrayals in the media.
2. The readings and class units will define race and gender both as identity categories and as social constructions,
and examine how those definitions have changed over time with implications for racial relations. We will stsudy
how issues of power, oppression, and white privilege operate throughout social institutions.
3. The readings, films, student papers, and projects will apply course theories and concepts to historical and
current events. Students will be asked to apply the concepts to social issues to analyze how interesections of race
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and gender create particular racial formations. The class will discuss how beliefs about gender and racial
inequality are reflected in current news stories and events.
4. The readings, films, and course discussions will focus on institutional and structural analyses of the issues, so
that students will be asked to move beyond personal experience to also understand how the issues occur on more
systematic levels. The course will study patterns of racial inequality while also looking at the specific effects of
those structural oppressions on the lives of individual men and women of color.
5. The course readings, films, and research projects will examine the unique experiences of discrimination that
different communities of color have historically faced. We will use an intersectional analytical lens, so that we
can examine how race, class, gender, and sexuality intersect to create unique experiences for different
marginalized groups. The class will look at the commonalities between the experiences of different communities
of color but alos the differences in those experiences. The course will reflect the rich cultural, political, and social
contributions of different racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
6. Through papers, class discussions, and group projects, students will be asked to locate themselves within the
issues we study. The assignments and class discussions will help students reflect upon their experiences, roles,
and responsibility in the racism, racial oppression, and white privilege. The group projects and readings will also
address strategies of social transformation.
14.
List or attach the Course Outline (adequately described and including percentage of time to be allocated
to each topic). Curriculum Committees may request additional information. Topics larger than 20% need
to be broken down further. Indicate in your course outline where the Student Learning Outcomes
checked above are being met.
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St. Cloud State University
General Education Transmittal Form
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
Proposal Number
Department: Women's Studies
Course or Course(s): WS 220: Race and Gender in the U.S.
Department or Unit Chair Signature
Date
Department forward to Academic Affairs for publication and electronically to Chair of General Education Committee, Chair
of College Curriculum Committee, College Dean
Recommendation of General Education Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of University Curriculum Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of Faculty Association:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
FA Senate
Signature
Date
Action of Academic Vice President:
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Entered in Curriculum Data File
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Remarks:
Date