The Senior Integrative Seminar in Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary course which draws from scholarship in history, English, philosophy, political science, psychology, and religion. The course is designed to serve as a “”capstone”" experience for women’s studies majors and graduating seniors interested in women’s issues. Through service-learning, students are encouraged to draw connections between the personal and the political and to recognize that ultimately, the status of women depends on the collaboration and creativity of women working together across the boundaries of race, class, and sexual orientation. The service-learning component of the course concentrates on promoting education and providing assistance through the delivery of health and human services, with student services placements varying from a high school child care center for the children of single teenage mothers to the city commission on the status of women. While students serve in a range of community based agencies, all placements address community needs as identified by the agencies and involve work which will ultimately benefit women from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Structured activities in the course, such as journals, class discussion, and a major research paper, require that students draw connections between theory and application. Theses assignments, particularly the research paper, help students analyze how their service learning experiences relate to feminist theories.

Contact: Program Director Dr. Gerise Herndon cgh@nebrwesleyan