OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
GENERIC COURSE SYLLABUS
I.
II.
Course
Prefix
Course
Number
Course
Name
HUM
142
Women and Creativity
Credit
3
Lecture
Lab
3
0
Prerequisites
None
III.
Course (Catalog) Description
Course explores selected creative work done by women. Content includes literature, art,
music, film, and philosophy; may also explore women’s creativity as manifested
through shaping of community and domestic institutions, and through domestic arts.
Focus may be either historical or contemporary. IAI HF 907D
IV.
Learning Objectives
After completing the course students should be able to:
A. Develop an understanding of the contributions made by women in at least three
areas of creative endeavor.
B. Analyze the nature and process of creativity, particularly as they relate to
women and their experiences.
C. Develop interpretations of creative work and offer support for their
interpretations both orally and in writing.
D. Explore the ways in which the creativity of women has been limited by their
social, political and economic circumstances and the strategies employed by
women to overcome these limitations.
E. Develop their abilities to appreciate and respond to creative work and explore
ways to develop their own creativity.
F. Exhibit an understanding of the creative contributions of women not only within
the context of Western civilization but also within the rich traditions of world
cultures.
G. Identify and debate the ideas, values and/or political views advocated in the
works assigned.
H. Exhibit values related to teamwork and collaboration, fostered by the pedagogy
of shared-inquiry and critical dialogue appropriate to the humanities and
philosophy.
Generic Course Syllabus
HUM 142
V.
Page 2
Academic Integrity
Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate
academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code
prohibits:
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cheating,
plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
helping others to cheat,
unauthorized changes on official documents,
pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
any other behavior that violates academic integrity.
There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s
policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against
you. If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the
assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office
of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.
Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.
VI.
Outline of Topics
(This is a sample outline of topics. Instructors may choose entirely different topics or
genres that demonstrate the breadth of women’s creativity. For example, drama, film
or dance might be emphasized. In your outline of topics please specify the dates when
you will cover specific topics and other important dates such as exams and paper
deadlines.)
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The nature of creativity
Creativity and women
The historical situation of women
Requirements for Creativity--Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own,
Gcina Mhlope’s The Toilet, Alice Walker’s In Search of Our Mother’s
Gardens
Literature--Christine de Pizan’s The City of Ladies, Aphra Behn’s The
Rover, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The
Yellow Wallpaper, Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony, Toni Morrison’s
Beloved, Selected Poets
Art--Quilts, Crafts and Folkart, Artemesia Gentileschi and Renaissance
women painters, Mary Cassatt and Impressionism, Kathe Kollewitz, Frida
Kahlo
Generic Course Syllabus
HUM 142
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VII.
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Music—Sappho, Hildegard von Bingen, Clara Schumann, Traditional
Native American Music, Miriam Makeba, Lila Downs, Women and the
Blues, Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, Contemporary American
music….Queen Latifah and hip hop, Sarah McLachlan and Lilith Fair,
Women Rockers
Philosophy—Hypatia of Alexandria, Ann Finch Conway, Mary
Wollstonecraft, Hannah Arendt, Simone de Beauvoir, Martha Nussbaum,
Judith Butler, Nel Noddings.
Women in Film, Photography and Architecture
Contemporary Art….Guerrilla Girls, Graphic Novels, Body Art
Methods of Instruction
Course may be taught as a face-to-face, media-based, hybrid, or online class.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Lectures and discussion
Small group work
Films and slide shows
Listening to musical selections
Field trips to galleries, plays, and musical performances
Guest artists
VIII. Course Practices Required
(Please include information here about all expectations you have for your students
regarding behavior, work, etc. The following are sample topics you may wish to cover.
Please be aware that you must require students in this course to produce at least 15
pages of critical written assignments over the course of the semester. These may be
assigned in a variety of ways including journals, response papers, field trip projects,
etc.)
A. Standards for written work
B. Quizzes/Exams
C. Participation
D. Essays
E. Final Project
Special policies about make-up exams, late papers, or other matters of concern
IX.
Instructional Materials
Note: Current textbook information for each course and section is available on
Oakton’s Schedule of Classes.
(Appropriate instructional materials include novels and poetry written by women. An
anthology such as Women in Music edited by Carol Neuls-Bates or Women, Art, and
Society by Whitney Chadwick would also be appropriate.)
Generic Course Syllabus
HUM 142
X.
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Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
(In this section, the instructor will present the percentages or point breakdown for all
the elements of the final grade. Please note that at least 40% of the grade must be based
on written work rather than objective exams, oral presentations, etc.)
For example:
Quizzes/Exams…………………………………………40 points
Journals/Essays…………………………………….......40 points
Oral Presentation of a Final Project……………………10 points
Attendance and Participation…………………………..10 points
Grading Scale. 90% - 100% = A // 80% - 89% = B // 70% - 79% = C // 60% - 69% = D
// below 60 = F
XI.
Other Course Information
A. Disabilities
If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may
be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services. To request
accommodations or services contact the Access and Disability Resource Center at
the Des Plaines or Skokie campus. All students are expected to fulfill essential
course requirements. The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement
of a course or degree program.
B. Discrimination
The Oakton Community College Catalog states:
Oakton Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed,
religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status in
admission to and participation in its educational programs, activities and services,
or employment practices. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment or
sexual assault by or of its students or employees.
In keeping with this policy of tolerance and non-discrimination, in this class all of
us (myself included) should strive to listen and give careful consideration to all
ideas expressed in class, especially those that are different from our own, without
attacking or demeaning the people who have those views. We should also strive to
avoid using insulting terms or telling offensive jokes when talking to or about
individuals or groups.
C. Instructor information
Office number and office hours:
Phone number:
Email and website:
Generic Course Syllabus
HUM 142
Page 5
Approval Dates:
(Faculty: Do not include the following information on your individual syllabi created for class
distribution.)
Effective beginning term:
Fall 2013
Ending term:
Syllabus prepared by: Hollace Graff
Date: March 2006
Revised by:
Date: June 2010
Kathleen Carot
Reviewed by Chair:
Hollace Graff
Date: July 2010
Approval by Dean:
Linda Korbel
Date
June 2013