UCC/UGC/ECCC
Proposal for New Course
Please attach proposed Syllabus in approved university format.
1. Course subject and number: WGS 432
2. Units:
See upper and lower division undergraduate course definitions.
3. College:
Social and Behavioral Sciences
4. Academic Unit:
3
Women’s and Gender
Studies
5. Student Learning Outcomes of the new course. (Resources & Examples for Developing Course Learning
Outcomes) Students will:
 understand key ideas that inform Queer Theory and apply concepts such as compulsory
heterosexuality, normalization, governmentality, discourse, and hegemony as they contribute
to an understanding of the complexities of gender and sexuality in educational contexts.
 demonstrate knowledge of the variations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex
peoples’ experiences in relation to systems of power in educational contexts.
 analyze queer experiences within gender systems of power and privilege critically and
comparatively.
 demonstrate knowledge of tools for advocacy and social change.
 understand the intersectionality of queer and gendered identities along with other institutional
and cultural hierarchies of domination (e.g. race, ethnicity, ability, class).
 demonstrate ability to discuss, research, and write critically.
 demonstrate the capacity to communicate assumptions, conclusions, and positions orally and
in written form.
 demonstrate an understanding of the skills of leadership, organization, and self-direction.
 demonstrate skills of cooperation and understand complexities of community building.
 learn to read and critically engage challenging materials drawing on critical, feminist, queer,
and postmodern theories.
6. Justification for new course, including how the course contributes to degree program outcomes,
or other university requirements / student learning outcomes. (Resources, Examples & Tools for Developing
Effective Program Student Learning Outcomes).
This course offers to fulfill three important goals at Northern Arizona University:
First, this course will support the development of a Queer Studies Minor in the Women’s and Gender
Studies Program. This course extends the efforts of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program to
offer educational experiences that transcend traditional academic boundaries.
Second, there are no courses currently offered at NAU that specifically and centrally address issues
of sexual diversity and gender identities in educational contexts through primary and secondary
schools. This course offers important background in society’s changing work environments and
needed skills for students majoring in teacher education, counselor education, educational
psychology or in human resources, etc.
Third, NAU’s focus on student retention calls for institutional and curricular strategies that deliberately
support LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning) students. LGBTQ
students face lower rates of retention and higher rates of social alienation in university contexts.
Courses of this nature allow both a safe space where LGBTQ students can recognize themselves in
the curriculum and where other groups of students can deepen their understanding of the wide range
of human diversity and the advantages it offers us all.
7. Effective BEGINNING of what term and year?
See effective dates calendar.
Fall 2013
8. Long course title:
Queering Schools: Rethinking Sexuality and Gender Identit(ies) in Educational
Contexts
(max 100 characters including spaces)
9. Short course title: Queering Schools
(max. 30 characters including spaces)
10. Catalog course description (max. 60 words, excluding requisites):
This course offers critical, feminist, queer, and post-modern theoretical grounding that supports an
examination of issues of sexuality and gender identity/performance in educational contexts (pre KHigher Education). Students will develop frameworks for evaluating and responding to school policies
and educational experiences from a variety of contexts: as students, as parents, as educators, and as
citizens.
11. Will this course be part of any plan (major, minor or certificate) or sub plan (emphasis)?
WGS Queer Studies Minor
Yes
No
If yes, include the appropriate plan proposal.
12. Does this course duplicate content of existing courses?
Yes
No
If yes, list the courses with duplicate material. If the duplication is greater than 20%, explain why
NAU should establish this course.
13. Will this course impact any other academic unit’s enrollment or plan(s)?
If yes, include a letter of response from each impacted academic unit.
14. Grading option:
Letter grade
Yes
Pass/Fail
No
Both
15. Co-convened with:
14a. UGC approval date*:
(For example: ESE 450 and ESE 550) See co-convening policy.
*Must be approved by UGC before UCC submission, and both course syllabi must be presented.
16. Cross-listed with:
ECI 432
(For example: ES 450 and DIS 450) See cross listing policy.
Please submit a single cross-listed syllabus that will be used for all cross-listed courses.
17. May course be repeated for additional units?
Yes
No
16a. If yes, maximum units allowed?
16b. If yes, may course be repeated for additional units in the same term?
Yes
No
18. Prerequisites:
Junior status or higher
If prerequisites, include the rationale for the prerequisites. Students need to have at least Junior
status skills to complete the coursework required.
19. Co requisites:
If co requisites, include the rationale for the co requisites.
20. Does this course include combined lecture and lab components?
Yes
If yes, include the units specific to each component in the course description above.
Dr. Joseph Wegwert
21. Names of the current faculty qualified to teach this course: Dr. Arianne Burford
No
Answer 22-23 for UCC/ECCC only:
22. Is this course being proposed for Liberal Studies designation?
If yes, include a Liberal Studies proposal and syllabus with this proposal.
23. Is this course being proposed for Diversity designation?
If yes, include a Diversity proposal and syllabus with this proposal.
Yes
No
Yes
No X
Annette Lawrence 12/12/12
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate
Date
Approvals:
Department Chair/ Unit Head (if appropriate)
Date
Chair of college curriculum committee
Date
Dean of college
Date
For Committee use only:
UCC/UGC/ECCC Approval
Date
Approved as submitted:
Yes
No
Approved as modified:
Yes
No
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Women’s and Gender Studies
College of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning
WGS/ECI 432 Queering Schools: Rethinking Sexuality and Gender Identit(ies) in Educational Contexts
SEMESTER: SPRING 2013
3 credit hours
Instructor: Dr. Joseph Wegwert
Office Location: Eastburn 209M
Office Hours: M/W 12:30-2pm
Course Prerequisites: Junior Status or higher
Course Description
This course offers critical, feminist, queer, and post-modern theoretical grounding that supports an examination of
issues of sexuality and gender identity/performance in educational contexts (pre K-Higher Education). Students will
develop frameworks for evaluating and responding to school policies and educational experiences from a variety of
contexts: as students, as parents, as educators, and as citizens. Letter grade only.
Student Learning Expectations/Outcomes
Students in Queering Schools will:










Understand key ideas that inform Queer Theory and apply concepts such as compulsory
heterosexuality, normalization, governmentality, discourse, and hegemony as they contribute to an
understanding of the complexities of gender and sexuality in educational contexts.
Demonstrate knowledge of the variations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex peoples’
experiences in relation to systems of power in educational contexts.
Analyze queer experiences within gender systems of power and privilege critically and comparatively.
Demonstrate knowledge of tools for advocacy and social change.
Understand the intersectionality of queer and gendered identities along with other institutional and
cultural hierarchies of domination (e.g. race, ethnicity, ability, class).
Demonstrate ability to discuss, research, and write critically.
Demonstrate the capacity to communicate assumptions, conclusions, and positions orally and in
written form.
Demonstrate an understanding of the skills of leadership, organization, and self-direction.
Demonstrate skills of cooperation and understand complexities of community building.
Learn to read and critically engage challenging materials drawing on critical, feminist, queer, and
postmodern theories.
Course Structure
ECI/WGS 432 requires student engagement characterized by pre-class preparation (readings, assignments, reflections,
etc.), in-class contributions (thoughtful, informed, dialogue that reflects preparation and willing membership in the
learning community), and post-class reflection (continued research, thematic analysis, and recursive scrutiny). Such
engagement is central to accomplishing the learning objectives for this course. Engagement opportunities draw from
among models of instruction based on best practice in learning communities (small group, cooperative learning,
problem-based learning, simulations, varied technologies, etc.).
Teaching Philosophy
Enriched and enhanced through an informed and nuanced understanding of students’ cultural and educational contexts,
my central objective for student learning calls me to draw students into the world of the intellect. That is, learning that is
transformative extends well beyond the technical; it invites students into a world that names the theory-in-use rather
than negating ideas as abstract and irrelevant. Students are scholars-in-practice; this notion requires offering students
curricular experiences that locate education and schools within culture; it requires surfacing and analyzing issues of
power; and, it requires that questions of ethics—of social justice—become core in the learning conversation.
Accordingly, the underlying goals in my teaching philosophy center around the following:



complexity
o complicating students’ understanding of social and cultural processes and encouraging within them an
increased tolerance for ambiguity and the unknown;
empowerment
o helping students strategize about how to become transformative citizens and human beings who have
the knowledge and dispositions to respond to social injustice and human suffering;
purpose
o encouraging students to tap into their best selves, to invest spiritually in what is nothing less than a a life
of nurturance, care, and possibility.
Required Texts
Pascoe, C. J. (2012). Dude, you’re a fag: Masculinity and sexuality in high school. Berkley:
University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-27148-7
Quinn, T. & Meiners, E. (2009). Flaunt it! Queers organizing for public education and justice.
New York: Peter Lang. ISBN 978-1-4331-0265-3
Rodriguez, N. & Pinar, W. (Eds.) (2007). Queering straight teachers: Discourse and identity in
education. New York: Peter Lang. ISBN 978-0-8204-8847-9
Other assigned readings available on BbLearn
Course Outline
Abbreviations: QST (Rodriquez & Pinar)
Flaunt (Quinn & Meiners)
UNIT 1: QUEERING K-12 SCHOOLS
Week 1: The Role of Queer and Critical Theories in Understanding School Contexts I
Readings:
Britzman, “Is there a queer pedagogy? Or, stop reading straight”
Loutzenheiser, “Citizenships, sexualities, and education”
Week 2: The Role of Queer and Critical Theories in Understanding School Contexts II
Reading:
QST – Rodriquez, “Queer Theory and the discourse on queer(ing)
heterosexuality”
Sumara & Davis, “Interrupting heteronormativity: Toward a queer curriculum
theory
Week 3: Queering Elementary Education I
Readings:
Agostinone-Wilson, “The Existing Climate of K-12 Classrooms”
Bickmore, “Why discuss sexuality in elementary school?”
Week 4: Queering Secondary Education I
Readings:
Klein et al, Undressing the Hidden Curriculum: Sexuality Education and Middle
School Literature
Pascoe, Dude, you’re a fag: Masculinity and sexuality in high school,
Chapters 1-3
Week 5: Queering Secondary Education II
Readings:
Krywanczyk, “Queering public school pedagogy as a first year teacher”
Pascoe, Dude, you’re a fag: Masculinity and sexuality in high school,
Chapters 4-6
REFLECTIVE ESSAY 1 DUE
UNIT 2: QUEERING TEACHER EDUCATION
Week 6
Readings:
Week 7
Readings:
Week 8
Readings:
Week 9
Readings:
Week 10
Readings:
Colleary, “How teachers understand gay and lesbian content in the elementary
social studies classroom”
Goldstein et al, “Safe positive and queering moments in teaching education and
schooling”
QST – Meyer, “‘But I’m Not Gay’: What straight teachers need to know about
Queer Theory”
QST – Rasmussen et al, “The queer story of ‘The Heterosexual Questionnaire”
Mayo, “Education by association: The shortcomings of discourses of privacy and
civility in anti-homophobia education”
QST – Petrovic & Rosiek, “From teacher knowledge to queered teacher
knowledge research: Escaping the epistemic straight jacket”
QST – Ruffolo, “Giving an account of queer: Why straight teachers can become
queerly intelligible
Flaunt – Introduction, Chapters 1-3
Flaunt – Chapters 4-5, Conclusion
REFLECTIVE ESSAY 2 DUE
UNIT 3: QUEERING UNIVERSITY AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS
Week 11
Reading:
Week 12
Readings:
Week 13
Readings:
Week 14
Readings:
Week 15
Readings:
Ripley et al, “Heteronormativity in the university classroom”
de Castell & Bryson, “Don't Ask Don't tell: ‘Sniffing out’ queers in education”
Wickens, “Homophobia and heterosexism in a college of education: A culture of
fear, a culture of silence”
McKinney, “On the margins: A study of the experiences of transgender college
students”
Grey, “Sexuality Education: Lessons From Drag Kings”
Russell & Bohan, The Gay Generation Gap
Loutzenheiser, “The ambivalences and circulation of Globalization and
identities: Sexualities gender and the curriculum”
REFLECTIVE ESSAY 3 DUE
Finals Week
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
Methods/Timeline of Assessment
Efforts to “capture” the thinking and learning around dialogue, relationship, and process are complicated and call for a variety of
strategies. The work we engage in will include elements such as reading quizzes, reflection essays, and class discussion.
Reading Quizzes:
Reading quizzes are not announced. Students should expect 5-7 reading quizzes over the course of the semester. These
quizzes are designed to identify students’ familiarity with the major arguments and evidence offered by assigned texts.
Class Discussions:
Students should utilize class discussions to practice and demonstrate the skills of analysis, including the ability to
connect various readings and apply theoretical constructs.
Reflection Essays:
Students will complete three (3) Reflection Essays over the course of the semester based on the three major units of
study. Reflection Essays are formal written assignments using APA format and are designed to offer students the
opportunity to synthesize readings, discussions, and media explored during the unit of study. Reflection Essays are a
minimum of 1500 words.
Grading System
ASSSIGNMENTS/GRADES
GRADING SCALE
Reflective Essay 1
20 %
90-100 A
Reflective Essay 2
20 %
80-89
B
Reflective Essay 3
20 %
70-79
C
Reading Quizzes
20 %
60-69
D
Engagement
20 %
less than 60 percent F
Course Policies
Make-up Work
If you must miss a class, you need to contact me as soon as possible. If you can manage it, I would appreciate advance notification. If
you do miss class I expect that you will email or call to let me know the reason for it. I also expect that you will seek information
about missed materials, assignments, etc., and offer a plan to make up for missed class time.
Attendance
This class is about the exploration, interrogation, development and integration of ideas and their impact on the appropriate
application of skills in the context of classrooms and teacher work. It is the task of each of us in this course to excavate and analyze
our individual experiences, our individual and collective cultural contexts, and to produce meaning so as to broaden our
understandings and deepen our professional and personal commitments. In this regard, your attendance and engagement are
essential, non-negotiable requirements. There is a direct correspondence between these requirements and intellectual and
academic success in this course.
While I hope it is not the case, there may be occasions during the term when you need to miss class. Illness, family emergencies, and
personal crises are legitimate reasons for absence. Remember, however, that even absences for good reasons can negatively impact
your educational experience and academic performance.
Engagement
The specific content explored in this course is designed to draw you into and prepare you for opportunities to examine, reflect on,
and critique LGBTQ issues as they intersect with educational institutions. This is an intellectual and professional project that requires
scholarly engagement with ideas, contexts, and analysis. Out of these efforts will come some levels of confusion, conflict, and
anxiety—all of which are to be expected, welcomed, and carefully and artfully nurtured in learning communities. Along the way we
will practice and model for one another human/humane dispositions of intellectual generosity, personal empathy, and purposeful
community. In short, this course places a heavy emphasis on dialogue, relationship, and process.
Statement on Academic Dishonesty
(Adapted from NAU Student Handbook, Appendix G)
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY is a form of misconduct that is subject to disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct
and includes the following: cheating, fabrication, fraud, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Plagiarism: any attempt to knowingly or deliberately pass off other's work as your own.
Cheating: any attempt to gain an unfair advantage over one's fellow students.
Fabrication: any attempt to present information that is not true when the author knows the information presented is
false.
Fraud: any attempt to deceive an instructor or administrative officer of the university.
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: any attempt to assist an act of academic dishonesty by another individual.
University Policies
If special accommodations are needed please talk to me as soon as possible.
Please see the university policies on Safe Working and Learning Environment, Students with Disabilities,
Institutional Review Board, and Academic Integrity: http://www4.nau.edu/avpaa/UCCPolicy/plcystmt.html.
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
POLICY STATEMENTS
SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY
NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within
the university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national
origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by
anyone at this university.
You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean’s office or from the NAU’s Affirmative Action website
http://home.nau.edu/diversity/. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair,
dean’s office, the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), or NAU’s Office of Affirmative Action (928-523-3312).
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting Disability Resources (DR) at
523-8773 (voice)or 523-6906 (TTY), dr@nau.edu (e-mail)or 928-523-8747 (fax).Students needing academic
accommodations are required to register with DR and provide required disability related documentation. Although you
may request an accommodation at any time, in order for DR to best meet your individual needs, you are urged to
register and submit necessary documentation (www.nau.edu/dr) 8 weeks prior to the time you wish to receive
accommodations. DR is strongly committed to the needs of student with disabilities and the promotion of Universal
Design. Concerns or questions related to the accessibility of programs and facilities at NAU may be brought to the
attention of DR or the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (523-3312).
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU—including a course project, report, or
research paper—must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in
research and research-related activities.
The IRB meets monthly. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly meeting. You
should consult with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to
secure information or appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review. Your instructor and department chair or college dean
must sign the application for approval by the IRB. The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the
project: exempt from further review, expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further
review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted
procedures.
A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department’s administrative office and each college dean’s office
or on their website: http://www.research.nau.edu/vpr/IRB/index.htm. If you have questions, contact the IRB Coordinator in the
Office of the Vice President for Research at 928-523-8288 or 523-4340.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic community, NAU’s
administration, faculty, staff and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining
the academic integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all
forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in
an academically honest manner.
Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty members then
recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy on
academic integrity is in Appendix G of NAU’s Student Handbook http://www4.nau.edu/stulife/handbookdishonesty.htm.
ACADEMIC CONTACT HOUR POLICY
The Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-206, Academic Credit) states: “an hour of work is
the equivalent of 50 minutes of class time…at least 15 contact hours of recitation, lecture, discussion, testing or evaluation, seminar,
or colloquium as well as a minimum of 30 hours of student homework is required for each unit of credit.”
The reasonable interpretation of this policy is that for every credit hour, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of
two additional hours of work per week; e.g., preparation, homework, studying.
SENSITIVE COURSE MATERIALS
If an instructor believes it is appropriate, the syllabus should communicate to students that some course content may be
considered sensitive by some students.
“University education aims to expand student understanding and awareness. Thus, it necessarily involves engagement
with a wide range of information, ideas, and creative representations. In the course of college studies, students can
expect to encounter—and critically appraise—materials that may differ from and perhaps challenge familiar
understandings, ideas, and beliefs. Students are encouraged to discuss these matters with faculty.”