Women's Studies Classes being offered Fall 2012

ARTH 301/431 - (Bridging Art History) American Women in the Arts MW 4- 5:15pm Roann Barris

CORE 201-55 “Ins” and “Outs”-Sex, Gender & Identity in Pop Culture TR 11:00 am-12:15 Shalin Krieger

CORE 201-59 “Ins” and “Outs”-Sex, Gender & Identity in Pop Culture TR 12:30-12:45  Shalin Krieger

CRJU 365 Diversity Issues in the Criminal Justice System MWF 11:00 am-11:50 am Lori A. Elis

CRJU 365 Diversity Issues in the Criminal Justice System MWF 12:00 pm-12:50 pm Lori A. Elis

CRJU 365 Diversity Issues in the Criminal Justice System W 6:00 pm-9:00 pm Lori A. Elis

ENGL 453 The Female Literary Tradition TR 12:30-1:45 Renee A. Dickinson

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence TR 09:30 am-10:45 am Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence M05:00 pm-08:00 pm Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence TR11:00 am-12:15 pm Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence TR 2:00 pm-3:15 pm Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence W 1:00 pm-4:00 pm Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence M 1:00 pm-4:00 pm Staff

NUTR 316 Nutrition in the Life Cycle I: Maternal and Child W 05:00 pm-07:45 pm Staff

PSYC 250 Psychology of Diversity TR 11:00 am-12:15 pm Valerie S. Leake

PSYC 343 Social Psychology TR 08:00 am-09:15 am Staff

PSYC 343 Social Psychology MWF 08:00 am-08:50 am Jared J. Caughron

PSYC 343 Social Psychology TR 09:30 am-10:45 am Peter N. Christensen

RELN 305 Religion and Women MWF 09:00 am-09:50 am Kay K. Jordan

SOCY 250 Social Inequality MWF 03:00 pm-03:50 pm Elizabeth C. Lyman

SOCY 389 Sociology of the Family TR 03:30 pm-04:45 pm Carla Corroto

WMST 101 Women in the World: Introduction to Women's Studies MWF 11:00 am-11:50 am Michele Ren

WMST 101 Women in the World: Introduction to Women's Studies MWF 12:00 pm-12:50 pm Michele Ren

WMST 101 Women in the World: Introduction to Women's Studies TR 11:00 am-12:15 pm Dana Cochran

RU Women’s Studies Recommends … Books

At the beginning of the Spring Semester, I almost fainted when a student asked me to recommend some feminist literature.  If that wasn’t shocking enough, another student emailed me at the end of the semester to ask me to recommend books for her summer reading list.  One would think on a college campus that this would happen all the time, and, while I am in the English department and this should be the norm, I don’t teach English majors, I teach 100-level CORE classes in written and oral communication and women’s studies.  The majority of my students have no qualms about telling me – an English teacher! – that they hate to read.  For this reason, I signed up to be a book giver on my college campus for World Book Night USA.  So, between fainting spells caused by my two students who like to read and want to do more of it, my son and I gave out 19 free copies of Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred.  

I chose Kindred because I’m a fan of Octavia Butler and because I have taught the novel before, on this same campus, and the students in my American Literature class – also not English majors – seemed to enjoy it.


Which gets me to the whole point of this post: recommending some good feminist reads.  In case you missed it, Octavia Butler’s Kindred is one, I also enjoy(ed) her speculative/dystopian novel The Parable of the Sower (students in several of my classes have seemed to like it, too).  Another  book that I have taught a few times and students have nearly unanimously loved is Denise Giardina’s Storming Heaven.  I never tire of reading it.  If I’m going to mention Kindred and/or books I never tire of, then I’ll have to mention my favorite: Toni Morrison’s Beloved.  I don’t teach this one often because I love it too much and I tend to get angry if students don’t also want to carry it with them everywhere, always.  


Another couple of books that are with me always, at least metaphorically, are Virginia Woolf’s non-fiction pieces A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas.  Phrases from these always seem to pop in my head like those bad 80’s songs you hear on the radio for 90 seconds and then find yourself singing all day, but, these are not bad, they are really, really good.  A book that I taught in the class with the two students who like to read is Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi.  The suffering the protagonist must endure is a bit over the top, but lots of great second wave feminist fiction is like that: The Color Purple, for example, which was the first book I recommended to student #1, after I picked myself up off the floor, that is. 

So that this post did not just end with me scanning my book case and writing about every other book that my eyes alighted on, I asked the members of the RU Women’s Studies Committee to also recommend some good reads.  Some responded via email, and others – we hope! – will respond via comment after this post goes up.  For Fiction, Leigh Kelley, from Media Studies recommends Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea (a “prequel” to Jane Eyre) because it “was one of the required texts for my undergraduate course on Caribbean Women Authors. It made me rethink the canon; I still have my copy.” For Non-fiction she recommends Personal History, “the Pultizer Prize-winning memoir of Katharine Graham, who led The Washington Post Co. after her husband’s suicide.” Alyssa Archer from the McConnell Library, “a big Barbara Kingsolver fan” suggests this blogpost from the New York Public Library for Essential Texts in Feminist Theory & Feminist Thought and, I concur.  If nothing here strikes your fancy, you can check out Kathy J. Whitson’s Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature from the RU Library, or, if you’d like a preview, you can try your hand at "First Lines of Feminist Fiction".


And, please, share with us some of your favorites in the comments below :-)

   

Women's Studies Courses Being Offered at Radford University: Summer/Fall 2012

May Term 2012

ENGL 314 Women and Drama MTWRF 8:00 am-10:45 am Renee A. Dickinson 

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence MTWRF 11:00 am-01:45 pm Boyoung Park

PSYC 343 Social Psychology MTWRF11:00 am-01:45 pm Peter N. Christensen

PSYC 393 Psychology of Human Sexuality MTWRF 08:00 am-10:45 am Tracy J. Cohn

Summer I 2012

ARTH 431 War, Women, and Film: The Surrealist Muse MTWR 11:00 am-01:15 pm Roann Barris

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence TWR 5:00-8:00pm Glenna S. Gustafson

Summer II 2012

CRJU 365 Diversity Issues in the Criminal Justice System MW 02:00 pm-04:15 pm Bakhitah B. Abdul-Ra'uf

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence TR 12:00 pm-04:30 pm Boyoung Park

Fall 2012

ARTH 301/431 - (Bridging Art History) American Women in the Arts MW 4- 5:15pm Roann Barris

CORE 201-55 “Ins” and “Outs”-Sex, Gender & Identity in Pop Culture TR 11:00 am-12:15 pm Shalin Krieger

CORE 201-59 “Ins” and “Outs”-Sex, Gender & Identity in Pop Culture TR 12:30-12:45 pm Shalin Krieger

CRJU 365 Diversity Issues in the Criminal Justice System MWF 11:00 am-11:50 am Lori A. Elis

CRJU 365 Diversity Issues in the Criminal Justice System MWF 12:00 pm-12:50 pm Lori A. Elis

CRJU 365 Diversity Issues in the Criminal Justice System W 6:00 pm-9:00 pm Lori A. Elis

ENGL 453 The Female Literary Tradition TR 12:30-1:45 Renee A. Dickinson

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence TR 09:30 am-10:45 am Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence M05:00 pm-08:00 pm Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence TR11:00 am-12:15 pm Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence TR 2:00 pm-3:15 pm Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence W 1:00 pm-4:00 pm Staff

HUMD 300 Human Growth and Development: Birth through Adolescence M 1:00 pm-4:00 pm Staff

NUTR 316 Nutrition in the Life Cycle I: Maternal and Child W 05:00 pm-07:45 pm Staff

PSYC 250 Psychology of Diversity TR 11:00 am-12:15 pm Valerie S. Leake

PSYC 343 Social Psychology TR 08:00 am-09:15 am Staff

PSYC 343 Social Psychology MWF 08:00 am-08:50 am Jared J. Caughron

PSYC 343 Social Psychology TR 09:30 am-10:45 am Peter N. Christensen

RELN 305 Religion and Women MWF 09:00 am-09:50 am Kay K. Jordan

SOCY 250 Social Inequality MWF 03:00 pm-03:50 pm Elizabeth C. Lyman

SOCY 389 Sociology of the Family TR 03:30 pm-04:45 pm Carla Corroto

WMST 101 Women in the World: Introduction to Women's Studies MWF 11:00 am-11:50 am Michele D. Ren

WMST 101 Women in the World: Introduction to Women's Studies MWF 12:00 pm-12:50 pm Michele D. Ren

WMST 101 Women in the World: Introduction to Women's Studies TR 11:00 am-12:15 pm Staff

Women's History Month at Radford University

March 1 Opening Reception. Welcome Address: President Penelope Kyle. Keynote Speaker: Professor Hilary Lips (Psychology) “The Gender Pay Gap: Where Do Women Stand Now?” 3:30 Bonnie Auditorium. Film: Miss Representation 5:30 Bonnie Auditorium

March 1 National Eating Disorder Awareness Week 10—2 Bonnie Lobby (Sponsors Peer Educators & SHAC)

March 12 Professor I-­Ping Fu (Foreign Languages) “Looking Back, Looking In and Looking Forward: Being a Chinese Woman in Modern DayTaiwan” 2:00 Heth 22

March 12 Professor Nitza Kats (Music) “Almost Spring” Piano Recital (Sponsor CVPA) 8:00 Performance Hall, Covington Center

March 13 Circle of Life Intergenerational Dialogue (50+) Lee Carter (SAVES) & Professor Jenessa Steele (Psychology) 12:30 Heth 14

March 13 Professors danah bella, Margaret Devaney, and Deborah McLaughlin (Dance) Paradigm Shift: An Evening of Women’s Work 7:30 Albig Studio Theatre, Peters Hall

March 14 Professor Carlee Bradbury and students: Sara Briers, Jenny Johnstone, Lynn Baluh (Art) "Medieval Women Shaping their Futures with Books" 12:00 Heth 16

March 14 Professor Rebecca Scheckler (School of Nursing) “Women's Use of the Internet to Create Social Change” 4:00 Heth 22

March 15 Stephen Vetter, Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, “Women in International Development” 11:00 Heth 14

March 15 Student Presentations on Women and Gender 6:30 Hurlburt 249/250

March 16 Professor Lucinda McDermott Piro (Theatre) Play Reading: “A Most Silent Train: Abby Kelley and the Underground Railroad” 6:00 Bonnie Auditorium

March 19 Professor Joseph Jones (Teacher Education & Leadership) Viewing and Discussion: “Beyond the Silence” Documentary onHomophobia in Schools and Universities" 3:00 Bonnie Auditorium

March 20 Circle of Life Intergenerational Dialogue (30s/40s) Lee Carter (SAVES) & Professor Jenessa Steele (Psychology) 12:30 Heth 14

March 20 Professor Roann Barris (Art History) Viewing and Discussion: "Women, Art, and Revolution" 2:00 Bonnie Auditorium

March 21 Professor Dana Cochran (Women’s Studies) “Boarding Houses, Hotels, and Mansions: Appalachian Women as Property Owners inTurn-­of-­the-­Century Bramwell, W VA” 2:00 Bonnie 249/250

March 21 Professor Mythianne Shelton with Students Haley Lee and Brooke Myers (Physics) “Women Educators Bringing Arctic Research to K-­12 Classrooms in Barrow, Alaska” 5:00 Heth 043

March 22 Dr. Kathy Jordan “Leadership Principles of Wise Women” 4:00 Bonnie 249/250

March 23 Professor Anja Whittington (Recreation, Parks, & Tourism) “Adventure Girls: Rationale and Benefits of Adventure Recreation Programs for Girls” 1:00 Bonnie 249/250

March 26 Professor Roann Barris and Students (Art History) "The Dinner Party: Feminist Art or Pornography?" 5:00 Heth 16

March 27 Circle of Life Intergenerational Dialogue(teens/20s) Lee Carter (SAVES) & Professor Jenessa Steele (Psychology) 12:30 Heth 14

March 27 Professor Suchitra Samantha (Virginia Tech) Reading from Sanctuary: Stories of Kolkata, its Gods, and its People 7:00 Heth 43

March 28, 29:  Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues. Directed by Professor Diane Montgomery (Theatre); Starring Students, Faculty, Staff, and Community Members. Sponsored by: Office of the Provost, CPC, GSA, SHAC, QEP, Women’s Studies Program, Women’s Studies Club) 6:00 Bonnie Auditorium

March 29: Professor Diane Hodge (Social Work) “Transformation at Mid-­Life: Activism Internally and Externally” 10:00 a. m. Bonnie 249/250

March 30: Professors Theresa Burriss (Appalachian Studies/ English), Deborah McLaughlin (Dance), Rick VanNoy (English), Tim Filbert (Community Engagement), Gabriella Smith (Sociology) “Women, the Arts, andSocial Change: Challenging the Commodification of People and Nature” 1:00 Heth 22

March 31: Closing Remarks, Provost Sam Minner Final Performance of The Vagina Monologues Closing Reception 2:00 Bonnie Auditorium

RU Distinguished Women Announced

As part of our Women's History Month celebration, the Women's Studies Program would like to announce the names of the faculty, staff and students selected for our RU Distinguished Women Poster Project. A subcommittee of the Women's Studies Committee called for nominees from the colleges. The selection criteria were: 1) the student, faculty, and staff persons nominated have shown extraordinary commitment to learning or to their profession, 2) they have demonstrated the desire to use that learning or professional skill to contribute to the betterment of society, and 3) they are an inspirational model for others. The selection subcommittee made final selections, accepting all the nominees from colleges that responded, and adding to the list of honorees women whose work significantly supports the goals and values of Women's Studies, including a concern for social justice and service to others. Starting on March 12, when we return from spring break, we will display 13 photo/posters each week, with each one highlighting one of our honorees. By March 31, we will have honored 39 unique and wonderful RU distinguished women.   RU Distinguished Women Honorees, 2012: Alison Armstrong Staff McConnell Library Dr. Liz Altieri Faculty CEHD—Special Education Christal Benton Student CHBS Ann Brown Staff CSAT Dr. Virginia Burggraf Faculty WCHHS--Nursing Christine Carter Staff CHBS Lee Carter Staff Dean of Students--SAVES Paige Cordial Student CHBS—Psy.D. Hilda Dickerson Staff Food Services Dr. Deneen Evans AP(Faculty) WCHHS—Social Work Erin Fowler Student CSAT—Biology, Senior Dr. I-Ping Fu Faculty CHBS—Foreign Languages Dr. Christine Hermann Faculty CSAT--Chemistry Kashia Hogan Student COBE—MBA (Dec. graduate) Stephanie House-Niamke Student COBE--Marketing Sarah Kenney Staff Student Health Services Penelope Kyle President Shannon Landes Student WCHHS—O.T. Emily Latimer Student Pscyhology, Senior Harriet (Jenene) Lewis Staff WCHHS Dr. Hilary Lips Faculty CHBS--Psychology Rhonda McCroskey Staff CHBS—Exec. Sec. to Dean Deborah McLaughlin Faculty CVPA--Dance Elizabeth Moore Student WCHHS—School of Social Work Kiersten Newtoff Student CSAT--Environmental Biology Lucinda McDermott Piro Adj.Fac. CVPA--Theatre Dr. Michele Ren Faculty CHBS—English Arielle Retting Student CHBS—Journalism Colleen Roberts Staff Campus Police Chief Lauren Robinson Student CHED--ESHE Gabriella Smith Faculty CHBS--Sociology Dr. Sumati Srinivas Faculty COBE--Economics Dr. Andrea Stanaland Faculty COBE--Marketing Dr. Fran Steigerwald Faculty CEHE—CounselorEd Dr. Jill Stewart Faculty CSAT--Math Susan Underwood Staff CSAT Kimberly Vest Staff Dean of Students Dr. Erin Webster-Garrett Fac/Admin English/QEP Teresa Whitt Staff WCHHS—ComSci&Disorders

Eating Disorder Awareness Week by LeeAnn Dye (RU Peer Educator)

Since the Fall semester, the Peer Educators have been giving various presentations to their fellow students about everything from STIs to binge drinking to eating disorders. With the mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa being 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 - 24 years old, and the fact that 95% of those who do have an eating disorder are between the ages of 12 and 26, we thought making the RU students aware of this disease through Eating Disorder Awareness Week would be a great idea. 

The eating disorder presentation that is being given to the students throughout the year is called "No Body is Perfect" and it ends with a challenge from Operation Beautiful (operationbeautiful.com), which asks everyone to leave random sticky-notes of kindness for someone else to find and hopefully make their day a little brighter. Our goal is to make EVERYONE realize they are beautiful, and this is a great way to begin that process.

(click on image to enlarge)

Monday - Thursday of this week from 10am-2pm we will have a table setup in the Bonnie Lobby with information about body image and eating disorders (including new ways of looking more healthily and happily at yourself and your body, signs and symptoms of eating disorders, and how to talk to a friend who has an eating disorder).  At our table we also have Operation Beautiful information and materials to make the notes, as well as free bracelets that promote healthy body image.  We are focusing on encouraging people to have a positive self image because people with negative body images have a greater likelihood of developing an eating disorder and are more likely to suffer from feelings of depression, isolation, low self-esteem and obsessions with weight loss.

In addition to the table, we are also sponsoring a workshop "Body Outlines" to help people see themselves as others see them.  The event is facilitated by Erin Sullivan, Director of Student Counseling, on Tuesday from 12-1pm in Bonnie Room 249 & 250. 

Please join us!

References:

http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm

http://www.anad.org

Her-story 2012: YOU are invited!

March 2012 will mark the Ninth Annual Her-Story Project at RU, an online network of writers and readers who gather to share stories about the women or aspects of womanhood that have moved, influenced, or affected us.  Coordinated in conjunction with the Women’s Studies Committee’s programming for National Women’s History Month, the celebration takes place every year from March 1-31st.  

Subscribing to the Her-Story listserv
For each day during the month of March subscribers to the Her-Story List will receive an essay, character sketch, photo journal, or poem submitted by a community member contemplating the women or aspects of womanhood that have had an important impact upon, or been a source of inspiration for, the writer. Our celebration is unique in that we strive to showcase tributes composed by RU students, staff, or faculty members. To subscribe to this unique event, send an email to ewebster2@radford.edu  

Share YOUR story
We welcome essays, character sketches, poems, and photo essays. Because of the email platform we are using, the pieces should not exceed 500 words and image files should be submitted as .jpg files with an overall file size of 1mb. All tributes should take as their subjects the women or aspects of womanhood that have had an important impact upon, or been a source of inspiration for, the writers.

ALL RU community members are invited to participate and to submit their essays; we welcome tributes written by students, staff, administrators, and faculty. We invite faculty to promote participation of your students. 

To subscribe, contribute a memorial, or ask for further information, please contact Erin Webster-Garrett.