MTSU’s President’s Commission on the Status of Women is once again offering grant money for faculty who come up with ideas for infusing the curriculum with the experiences of women.

Dr. Christine Eschenfelder

Dr. Jackie Eller

Friday, March 16, is the deadline for submission of proposals for the Curriculum Integration Grants. Two grants of $2,700 each are available. They would be awarded in the summer of 2018.

Applicants may propose the revision of a new course, the revision of a general education course for a study-abroad program, the creation of a new course, the reconceptualization of a current minor or the creation of a new minor.

Dr. Jackie Eller, a professor of sociology, and Dr. Christine Eschenfelder, an assistant professor of journalism, won the grants in 2017.

Eller proposed a new course, “Embodiment: Culture and Human Anatomy,” which she defines as “an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the interplay of both biological and social forces on the human body.”

Students will discuss what it means to be human and study race, gender and class as social constructs. Possible course requirements include quizzes, class discussion and debates, exams, papers and an extensive reading list.

Eschenfelder used her grant to create “Seminar in Media Issues: Women in Broadcast Journalism: Identity, Inequality and Empowerment.” She is teaching the course in the current semester on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“Students will become aware of the status of women in broadcasting, best practices to survive and thrive in the industry and how women can empower each other,” Eschenfelder states in her syllabus.

Proposals for the 2018 grants should demonstrate a commitment to innovative teaching techniques, as well as careful consideration of the intersection of women’s concerns with notions of race/ethnicity, class and sexual orientation.

Courses that are developed or revised for the undergraduate curriculum and those that can be implemented within two years will receive priority. Eligibility is limited to faculty who have not received a Curriculum Integration Grant in the past four years.

Proposals will be reviewed by selected members serving on the PCSW’s Academic Issues Subcommittee. Grant recipients will be required to present the completed projects to both the PCSW and encouraged to exhibit those projects at the annual Faculty Fair.

Recipients will also be required to provide the committee with a copy of the finished syllabus, course proposal, minor proposal or revised minor no later than the fall meeting of the PCSW.

Complete application guidelines are available at www.mtsu.edu/pcsw/grants.php.

Inquiries should be directed to Leah Tolbert Lyons at 615-898-5778 or leah.lyons@mtsu.edu.

— Gina Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)