Content Matters

Inclusive Syllabi Project

Whether you are taking small steps towards diversity awareness or reworking your entire course for social change, the syllabi listed below can walk you through the process.

Even if you do not see any syllabi from your field in this collection, you may still be able to find useful references from other disciplines.

As an introduction, we recommend the University of Minnesota's syllabus tutorial. The article A Syllabus' Worth of Difference gives further examples of ways that faculty have reworked their syllabi to express their commitment to inclusive teaching. We also recommend that you refer to your own institution's policies regarding syllabi.

This collection, a collaborative project between CIRTL and the National Women's Studies Association, emphasizes gender issues. We welcome contributions that address other areas of diversity. Submissions can be sent by e-mail to diversity@cirtl.net.
 

Our site is divided into the following five categories:

1. Featured Courses, Departments of Chemistry. These innovative syllabi combine Chemistry with inclusive course design. Some "before and after" examples are included.

Faculty: Burstyn
Course Title: Advanced General Chemistry
Department: Chemistry
University: University of Wisconsin - Madison
View Syllabus Before    View Syllabus After

Faculty: Middlecamp
Course Title: Chemistry in Context
Department: Chemistry
University: University of Wisconsin - Madison
View Syllabus

Faculty: Middlecamp
Course Title: Contemporary Physical Sciences
Department: Chemistry
University: University of Wisconsin - Madison
View Syllabus

Faculty: Middlecamp
Course Title: Race and Ethnicity in the Teaching of Chemistry
Department: Chemistry
University: University of Wisconsin - Madison
View Syllabus

   
2. STEM Courses which have been changed to reach students from underrepresented groups more effectively.
   
Department & Course: Forestry 496-10
Faculty: Yanai, Kuehn and Engelman
Course Title: Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions
University: State University of New York
View Syllabus

Department & Course: Nutritional Science 350
Faculty: Shapiro and Thurlow
Course Title: World Hunger and Malnutrition
University: University of Wisconsin - Madison
View Syllabus

Department & Course: Veterinary Medicine and Public Health 555
Faculty: Wyer and Correa
Course Title: Public Health, Sustainable Development and Gender in Global Context
University: North Carolina State University
View Syllabus


3. Interdisciplinary Courses which include diversity-related social science content. The syllabi contain many ideas that can be integrated into other science courses.
   
Department: Gender Studies and Physics
Faculty: Johnson and Lehr
Course Title: Gender and Science
University: St. Lawrence University
View Syllabus

Department: Geography 390
Faculty: Rigg
Course Title: Women In Science
University: Northern Illinois University
View Syllabus

Department: Independent Study Courses 918
Faculty: Reimer
Course Title: Women in Mathematics and Science
University: Fresno Pacific University
View Syllabus

Department: Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty: Lederman
Course Title: Gender and Science
University: Virginia Polytechnic Institute
View Syllabus

Department: Medical History 565  
Faculty: Streiffer
Course Title: The Ethics of Modern Biotechnology
University: University of Wisconsin-Madison
View Syllabus

Department: Environmental Studies 112
Faculty: Kloppenburg
Course Title: Environmental Studies: The Social Perspective
University: University of Wisconsin-Madison
View Syllabus

Department: Environmental Studies 400
Faculty: Wang
Course Title: Environmental Justice Course/Recommended Readings
University: University of Wisconsin-Madison
View Syllabus
View Recommended Readings


4. Social Science Courses which provide insights into diversity issues in STEM disciplines. Although cultural barriers often separate these fields from STEM, research shows that STEM students can benefit from learning social science perspectives.
 
Department: History 380
Faculty: Bix
Course Title: Women in Science, Technology and Medicine
University: Iowa State University
View Syllabus

Department: History 4528
Faculty: Johnson
Course Title: Women in Modern Science and Technology
University: Villanova University
View Syllabus

Department: Science Studies
Faculty: Faulkner
Course Title: Gender, Science and Technology
University: University of Edinburgh
View Syllabus

Department: Science, Technology and Society 40101
Faculty: Cochrane
Course Title: Ecofeminism and “the Science Wars”
University: University of Calgary
View Syllabus
 
Department: STSS 4560
Faculty: Layne
Course Title: Gender, Science and Technology
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
View Syllabus

Department: Women’s and Gender Studies 493B
Faculty: Ozturk and Wyer
Course Title: Women and Technology
University: North Carolina State University
View Syllabus

Department: Women’s and Gender Studies 493
Faculty: Wyer and Graham
Course Title: Race and Gender in Science
University: North Carolina State University
View Syllabus

Department: Women’s and Gender Studies 210
Faculty: Wyer
Course Title: Women and Gender in Science and Technology
University: North Carolina State University
View Syllabus

Department: Women's Studies 530
Faculty: Allen
Course Title: Biology and Gender
University: University of Wisconsin-Madison
View Syllabus

Department: Women’s Studies 220
Faculty: Hughes
Course Title: Women and the Natural Sciences
University: University of Rhode Island
View Syllabus

Department: Women's Studies 582
Faculty: Rose and Coenen
Course Title: Women, Plants and Politics
University: Allegheny College
View Syllabus

Department: Women’s Studies 582
Faculty: Roy
Course Title: Science and Technology in Women’s Lives
University: San Diego State University
View Syllabus

Department: Women's Studies
Faculty: Scott-Dixon
Course Title: Women and Technology
University: York University
View Syllabus

Department: Women’s Studies 297B
Faculty: Subramaniam
Course Title: Race, Gender and Science
University: University of Massachusetts- Amherst
View Syllabus


5. Other Syllabi Collections on the Web.

Science, Women and Gender, UMBC:
http://www.umbc.edu/cwit/syl_sci.htm

Women’s Science Literacy Project, American Association of Colleges and Universities:
http://www.aacu.org/womenscilit/syllabi.cfm