Social Justice
Minutes
Friday, November 13, 2009
Members Present: Liz Cannon, Christie Launius, Carmen Heider, Donna Altepeter, David
Jones, Quin Sullivan, Andrea Bell, Andrew Rojahn
Recorder: Thomas Wolf
I.
Approval of 10/16 minutes (Jones/Sullivan): unanimous
II.
Minor Reps on Committee
a. Andrea Bell
b. Andrew Rojahn
III.
SJ Minors
a. 25 declared
b. 10 new students this semester
1. Thomas will receive peoplesoft training to assist Liz in
management of program.
IV.
Curriculum
a. Margaret Knox, WS 397: If Women Ruled The World (syllabus)
i. Social Activism
ii. Prejudice
1. Already approved for Social Activism and Prejudice options.
2. How about Poverty?
a. The week by week does not indicate much about poverty.
3. Did we ever talk about a limit to the number of options a course
fits into?
a. We will when we get to cross-listing
4. We will leave as is.
b. WS 366 Service Learning Course Thursdays 1:20-2:50 pm
Students will engage in experiences through their internship and explore
opportunities to embrace social change through leadership. The chosen text,
Leadership for a Better World, will provide a framework of understanding of
the Social Change Model of leadership development. Students will share their
internship site experiences and discuss concepts outlined in the book in an
informal setting that challenges each student to make the world a better place.
1. Course is not getting enrollment right now.
2. Looking at it for capstone until we get one.
3. This course is on a 2-year cycle.
c. Introduction to Social Justice
i. Spring enrollment: 25!
ii. Copy of syllabus
1. Donna would like feedback on what is included or excluded from
the course.
iii. 2010-2011 class
1. Donna has been teaching an overload.
2. Not sure if Donna will be teaching course for the next academic
year.
a. She is willing to teach the course but will ask around for
others.
3. Liz could teach but as an overload.
4. Donna will teach the course for another year.
V.
Minor Proposals
a. Melissa Hayes: Liberal Studies 311: Environmental Issues
i. No face-to-face with instructor
ii. Environmental studies would not accept
1. Problematic if we do.
iii. Difficult sense of what is theme/objectives
iv. Suggest a different course.
v. Denied by general consensus
b. Independent Track Proposals
i. Jenna Blaha
1. Native American would be great for SJ program
2. Gender and Lit optional content – should not accept in general.
3. Neat way to approach social activism
4. Do we need to approve of the independent track proposals?
a. Seems more official to students if we do.
5. Accepted by general consensus.
ii. Heather Soehle
1. Social work major
2. accepted by general consensus
iii. Brittany Vandenbergh
1. Social work major
2. Ecosphere in crisis does not quite fit.
3. society of gender more fitting
a. suggest switching to this course
4. accepted by general consensus
VI.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Create a form for how a course fits within our SLOs.
2. Assessment program
a. Get feedback to help program
3. Took some SLOs that were already on web.
4. Want to have experts in the option areas look at the SLOs.
a. Jim Feldman = Enviroment
b. Quin Sullivan = Poverty
c. David Jones = Human Rights
d. Donna Altepeter = Social Activism
e. Christie Launius = Prejudice and Discrimination
5. Quin: outcomes should be general enough that everyone can
achieve.
6. How do we measure?
7. Modifications to SLO
a. Section 1: Understanding of concepts Central to the Field
of Social Justice.
i. Understanding of the intersectionality of socially
and culturally constructed identities based on race,
ethnicity, gender and gender expression, sexuality,
class, ability, and religion.
1. Add: age, national origin, geography,
spirituality
b. Section 2: Critical Thinking, Writing and Communication
Skills:
i. Change: Ability to write clear, effective prose
1. remove prose and add verbal
communication
ii. Remove: Ability to communicate informatively and
persuasively to diverse audiences in appropriate
languages.
iii. Remove: Ability to analyze situations according to
different social, historical, political paradigms.
1. good but lofty
2. Maybe not analyze but understand and
recognize?
iv. Remove: Ability to formulate and evaluate policies.
1. Cannot require unless we require a policy
course.
v. Ability to conduct research using qualitative and/or
quantitative methods
1. Ability to understand research that uses?
2. Women’s Studies ha a research requirement
3. We do not have capacity to do research yet.
VII.
Categories for Social Justice Courses:
a. Political Economy,
b. Ethical and Cultural Foundations,
c. Social Problems and Policies.
1. leave categories for another meeting
VIII.
Spring 2010 meetings
1. will send out general doodle.
2. Are we inviting more people to committee?
a. Yes: Jim Krueger and Jennifer Considine
IX.
Travis Swanson’s Resolution for Gender Neutral Restrooms
X.
Social Justice Minor Social: October 27 from 4:30 – 6:00.
Next Meetings: all on Fridays from 1:30 – 2:30; all in Swart 210
December 11
Adjourn 1445