Environmental Career Strategies
for Women
Spring 2008 (FOR 496-10 &
797-2)
Class meets Tuesdays, 3:00-4:00, 321 Bray Hall
IF THERE IS A GUEST SPEAKER, class will meet from 4-5 pm, 146 Baker
Laboratory UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
|
Instructors |
|
|
Speaker coordinator |
|
Diane Kuehn 310A Bray 470-6561 |
Laura Lautz 206 470-4765 |
|
Heather Engelman B9 Marshall 315-470-4868 |
Course
Overview:
This
is a 1-credit, college-wide seminar geared towards a diversity of students from
various departments at ESF. The main goal of the course is to provide an open
forum for female and male faculty and students to interact and discuss gender
issues pertaining to academia and other professional arenas. The course
consists of one hour of lecture or discussion per week, with opportunities to
interact with female professionals outside of class. Updates to this syllabus
can be found at: http://www.esf.edu/for/kuehn/syl2008.htm
.
Course
Objectives:
After
completing this course, the student should be able to:
Course
Layout:
This
seminar is comprised of two types of class meetings: (1.) discussions of
general interest topics facilitated by class members and (2.) guest speaker
presentations that comprise the ESF "Women in Scientific and Environmental
Professions" lecture series (http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/speakers.htm).
In addition, students are STRONGLY encouraged to attend the mentoring sessions
(usually dinner) that are organized with each guest speaker of the lecture
series.
Students’
responsibilities:
1.
Assist in the arrangements for speakers (25% of your grade). You or a pair of you will develop a
schedule for one speaker during her visit. "Instructions for Student
Hosts" offers tips and recommended timelines. Specifically, you are
responsible for:
a. Arranging meetings with interested students and
faculty (generally at ESF, but SU, Upstate, and some local groups might also
request an audience; the speaker may also have specific requests);
b. Arranging speaker pick-up and drop-off at the
airport if needed;
c. Making arrangements for a post-lecture reception;
and
d. Making arrangements for a mentoring dinner with
the speaker and class participants.
To assist you, the speaker coordinator (Heather
Engelman) will take primary responsibility for sending out e-mails to ESF
faculty and will arrange overnight accommodations, parking, publicity, and
reimbursements to the speaker for travel expenses. She will also arrange the
date and location of each mentoring dinner. She has made initial contact
with the speakers, their sponsors here at ESF, and faculty members offering
their homes for the mentoring dinners, and will provide you with this
correspondence.
2. Write a press release on the
speaker's presentation (15%).
Following the speaker's visit, the hosting student(s) will (jointly) write a
brief press release about the speaker’s presentation. Press releases are to
be submitted electronically to the instructors by the Tuesday following the
speaker's presentation; the instructors will then forward it to the Knothole
and sponsors on your behalf. The press release should include the speaker’s
name and affiliation, the title of the presentation, and a summary of the
presentation, and conclude with presentation sponsors and biographical
information about the speaker.
3. Facilitate a discussion on one
general interest topic (20%).
Each student will lead or co-lead a discussion on one general interest topic
listed below in the class schedule. The articles that each student is required
to read in preparation for class discussions are listed below each topic. You may choose additional or different articles for
your class facilitation. If articles are not listed for a topic, it is the student’s
responsibility to invite guest speakers or to choose and distribute articles
for the discussion. The student facilitator(s) should prepare questions based
on the articles that will foster class discussion. You may find
Bloom's taxonomy (http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html)
useful in developing questions. Discussion questions should be typed for
distribution in class. The student should give the instructor the typed
questions by noon on the day of the class so that photocopies can be made.
You are encouraged to talk with the instructor about your facilitation prior to
it.
4. Write two brief paragraphs
stating the two most important points of your facilitated session (10%). These paragraphs should be no more that two to
three sentences each, and should state the two most important discussion points
resulting from the class that you facilitate. These should be e-mailed to
the instructor by the Tuesday following your facilitated discussion.
5.
Weekly class participation (30%). Every
student is expected to participate in class discussions on a weekly basis by:
a. Reading the assigned articles and participating in
the class discussion (15%).
b. Completing a discussion assessment form at the end
of each session (15%). Discussion assessment forms are due to the
instructor by the Tuesday following the session. Anonymous copies will be
given to the discussion facilitator to help them improve their facilitation
skills. The instructors will assess and grade the original assessments
and return them for the purpose of improving the constructive commentary of
students.
c. Attending the "Women in Scientific and
Environmental Professions" Lecture Series that has been scheduled during the
normal class meeting time. There will be a 10% deduction in final class grades
for each lecture missed. You are also encouraged to join all of the speakers
for the mentoring dinners.
Deductions for lateness:
Written
assignments and discussion evaluations are due to the instructor by the
following class. Deductions of 10 points per day for each day that assignments
are late will be made on written assignments that are received after the due
date.
Instructor
responsibilities:
The
instructors will answer any questions the student facilitator(s) have
concerning appropriate questions for class discussions and will facilitate
interactions between the speaker and sponsors. The instructor will grade
discussion assessment forms and written assignments and will provide
constructive commentary in a timely manner. The instructors view this syllabus
and its development as a work in progress, and we expect to modify it during
the semester to better meet the needs of the students and speakers.
Schedule
for Spring 2008
January 15:
Introductions, expectations, and speaker preparations
January 22:
Discussion: Feminist Theory; demonstration of facilitation skills. Diane Kuehn
to facilitate.
·
Lengermann,
P. M., and J. Niebrugge. 1994. “Contemporary Feminist Theory.” In
Ritzer, G., and D. Goodman, eds. Modern Sociological Theory. McGraw Hill
Publishers:
January
29: Discussion: Mentoring
n
Sandler,
B.R. Mentoring: Myths and Realities, Dangers and
Responsibilities. In: A hand up: Women Mentoring Women in
Science.. pp: 271-279.
n
Kohler,
C.C., J.E. Wetzel. 1998 . A report card on mentorship in graduate
fisheries education. Fisheries 23(9): 10-13.
n
Murphy,
B.R. 1998. Graduate Mentoring: Advancing Students'
professional development. Fisheries 23(9): 7-9.
February 5: Discussion: Career patterns of women and men
n
Sonnert,
G., and G. Holten. 1996. Career patterns of women and men in the sciences.
Am. Scientist 84:63-71.
n
Benditt,
J. 1992. Women in science. Science 255:1365-1388.
n
Kimmel, M. 1993. What do men want? Harvard Business
Review: 4-12.
n
Hewlett, S. A., and C. B. Luce. 2005. Off-ramps and
on-ramps: Keeping talented women on the road to success. Harvard Business
Review: 1-9
February
12: Discussion: Women's
Voices and/or learning styles
n
American Association of University Women. 1994. Shortchanging girls,
shortchanging
n
Hyde,
J. S., and M. C. Linn. 2006. Gender similarities in mathematics and science. Science,
314: 599-600.
n
Rosser,
S.V. 1990. Women's Ways of Knowing.
In Female Friendly Science. Pergamon Press.
February 19: Discussion: Campus Climate
n Phillips-Miller, D. L., K Guilfoyle,
D. Ehrenreich, F. Sammarruca, and B. Howard Meldrum. 1999. Exploring
campus climate for women. Women in Natural Resources.
n
Phillips-Miller,
D. L., K Guilfoyle, D. Ehrenreich, F. Sammarruca, and B. Howard Meldrum. 1999.
Exploring campus climate for women: part II. Women in Natural Resources.
n Williams, J., T. Alon, and S.
Bornstein. 2006. Beyond the “chilly climate:” Eliminating bias against women
and fathers in academe. NEA Higher Education Journal: Thought and Action
(22): 79-96.
February 26: Discussion: Balancing work and family
n
Excerpts from: Equality
in the University of Wisconsin System: A Focus for Action in the Year 2000;
Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in the University of Wisconsin
System; University of Wisconsin System Initiative on the Status of Women; October
25, 1999, (http://www.uwsa.edu/acadaff/status/equal.htm).
n
Romano,
C. 2001. Get a life and a career. What a concept! The
Chronicle of Higher Education (chronicle.com) March, 23 issue, B12.
n Wolf-Wendel, L.E.; S.B. Twombly; and S. Rice. excerpts from Dual-career couples: keeping them together. The Journal of Higher Ed 71(3): pp. 1-2 and 14-16.
March 4: GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Robin Bell, Columbia University
March 11: Spring Break
March
18: Discussion: Productivity
differences in women and men
n
Sonnert,
G. 1995. What makes a good scientist? Determinants of peer evaluation among
biologists. Soc. Studies of Science 25:35-55.
n
Creamer,
E.G. 1998. Equity and equality in measuring faculty productivity.
Women in Higher Ed., Sept. issue: 7-8.
n
Holton, G. 1999. Different perceptions of
"good science" and their effects on careers. Annals NY Acad.
Sci.
869: 78-86.
n Loehle, C.
1987. Why women scientists publish less than men. Bulletin of the Ecological
Society of
March
25: Discussion:
Whistle-blowing and harassment issues
n
Sexual
harassment in the federal workplace: Trends, progress, continuing challenges.
US Merit Systems Protection Board
n
Sexual
harassment: Suggested policy and procedures for handling complaints. Am. Assoc.
of University Professors.
n Gunsalus, C. K., 1998. How to
blow the whistle and still have a career afterwards. Sci. and
April 1:
No class; class time changed to April 4 instead (see below).
April 4: FARNSWORTH
PRESENTATION: Dr. Maggie Shannon, The Rubenstein School
of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont
April
8: GUEST SPEAKER: Ms. Pat Riexinger, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
April
15: GUEST SPEAKER: Ms. Susan Crow, PlaceMatters
April
22: International and
cultural perspectives on women in science.
·
Panel
to be selected by student facilitator.
April
29: Discussion: Personal and Professional
Strategies (Course Wrap-Up)
Please be prepared to recap our
discussions this semester and discuss what topics that should be added to the
2008 syllabus.