THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

 

                                                                                                                                                            FACULTY SENATE

 

Senate Document Number    1910S

 

Date of Senate Approval      01/21/10

 

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

 

APC Document 7:                    Addition of new course, LIT 346, Readings in Gender and Sexuality

 

 

Effective Date: Fall 2010

 

 

1.         Add:     On page 188, new course, LIT 346:

           

346             Readings in Gender and Sexuality (3)

Explores major authors, critical theories and themes with a focus on representations and expressions of gendered and/or sexual identities in literature. These identities are considered within historical and social contexts and in terms of their relationship with other forms of cultural identity (e.g. class, race, nationality). May be repeated as content varies for a total of 6 hours credit. See department chair.

 

 

Impact:

There should be no impact on the resources and staffing of the Literature and Language Department, Women’s Studies or other departments on campus with this addition. The course has been taught as a Special Topics three times by the same instructor (Lorena Russell) in correspondence with the UNCA glbtq conference. Broadening the title will also allow other instructors within LIT & LANG to bring their specific expertise in gender and sexuality to the class.

 

Rationale: 

“Queer Fictions,” a DI and Cluster 10, “Identity and Its Expressions” course, has been taught as a special topics course for the past six years. Given the course’s inclusion in a cluster, its potential status as a DI course, and its contribution to the Women’s Studies Program, “Readings in Gender and Sexuality” should be added as a part of the curriculum in the Literature and Language Department. Removing the class from special topics also allows it to be listed as an elective in the WMST curriculum, where it contributes to expansion of that major to include gender and sexuality. Finally, this addition is part of the Literature & Language Department’s process of updating our current curriculum to reflect changes in the profession and to more adequately represent our current course offerings. The field of gender and sexuality (including queer studies) is one of the more dynamic and expansive areas within English studies. Courses on gender and sexuality are standard in most English departments today, and this area of study provides a good fit for UNC Asheville, insofar as we are a campus known for our well-represented glbtq student population.

 

 

 

2.         Add:     On page 268, LIT 346, as option in the WMST curriculum under “Humanities”

                                   

                                    LIT       346                   Readings in Gender and Sexuality (3) (GS)

 

 

Impact:

There should be no impact on the resources and staffing of the Literature department or Women’s Studies Program. This course has been taught as a Special Topics three times as “Queer Fictions”.

 

Rationale:

Women’s Studies welcomes new options for its majors and minors, and is expanding its curriculum choices in the direction of gender and sexuality.  Therefore “Readings in Gender and Sexuality” should be listed as a Women’s Studies offering in the catalog.