Fall 2012
Lecture: Tues. and Thurs. 9:55-11:40, CO 314
Professor: Jennifer Dever, Ph.D.
Office
HR352 Hours: Wednesdays 1:30-3:30 or
by appointment
Phone:
422-5481
Email: jadever@usfca.edu
Female
Biology is designed specifically for Biology majors to gain insight into the
unique biological aspects of the female gender. We will focus on topics specific to females which will
include the following: health
issues, reproduction, genetics, evolution, sexuality, anatomy, physiology and
behavior. This is a service learning course and therefore there is an off-campus service requirement in addition to the lecture portion of the course.
Prerequisite: C in Genetics.
Learning
Outcomes:
Outcome 1. Analyze female anatomy, physiology, behavior and its evolutionary significance.
You will be able to describe how females are genetically, anatomically, physiologically and neurologically distinct from males in comparative vertebrate systems.
You will be able to analyze the differences in behavior and sexuality between males and females and identify the biological importance of these differences.
You will be able to describe the evolutionary significance of sex and of the female role.
Outcome 2. Investigate the major biomedical issues facing women today and have a better understanding of how women deal with these issues.
You will interpret specific health problems that women encounter and discuss how these problems can be addressed.
You will evaluate how women confront and solve health problems differently from males.
You will be able to discuss specific local and global social justice issues involving aspects of women's health.
You will be able to relate to how biomedical issues facing women directly impact your own lives.
Outcome 3. Apply your knowledge in the setting of women's non-profit organizations and health centers for the betterment of women.
You will acquire an awareness of how women deal with issues in a real-world setting.
You will formulate attitudes and self-concepts related to female issues through engaging in hands-on service learning.
You will reflect and report on your service learning experience, connecting lecture material with your service work.
Course
materials:
REQUIRED: The Second X: The Biology of Women (2nd Edition) by Belk and Borden; ISBN 0030480442
Our Bodies, Ourselves (2011) by the Boston's Women's Health Collective; ISBN 9781439190661
SUGGESTED:
The Biology of Women by Ethel Sloan
Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity,
Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People by Joan Roughgarden
Additional
Readings: assigned papers
| Grades: | Grading Scale: |
| 3 exams (75%) | A- 90-92%, A 93-96%, A+ 97-100% |
| Service Learning Project (20%)** | B- 80-82%, B 83-86%, B+ 87-89% |
| Homework/Quizzes (5%) | C- 70-72%, C 73-76%, C+ 77-79% |
| D- 60-62%, D 63-66%, D+ 67-69% | |
| F <60%
|
-You
are responsible for keeping a running total of your grade points. If you plan on withdrawing from this course, you must do so prior
to the withdraw deadline – after that date, no audits will be approved.
**Service Learning
Projects
(click on link for details)
20% of your grade is based
on your completion of a service-learning project with a women’s
organization in the community.
This service learning project will be a guided endeavor to directly
expose you to current health issues that specifically impact women. You will be participating with
organizations that will provide you with hands-on experience as well as allow
you to participate actively in aiding women in your community. During your time at an
organization which must be first approved by me, you will be responsible for chronicling your
activities and directly relating them to material we are covering in
class. For your grade, each student is required
to:
1)
complete at least
40 hours worth of service during
the semester
2)
keep a daily participant
record of your activities and journal of your experience
3)
write a paper on your experience and organization and connect it directly to the course material
4) participate in the weekly in-class reflection sessions
Course
Policies:
| 1.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Throughout the course, you
are expected to attend all class meetings, be prepared, and be on time. If you are absent, you must
provide official documentation (provided by your doctor, etc.) for missing
class. Missing more than 4 courses during the semester may result in a reduction of your final grade.
|
| 2. Exams: Exams must be taken when scheduled. Excused absences for exams will be granted only for medical reasons, which are documented by a physician. You must arrange to make up exams within 24 hours of your return to campus. Make-up tests must be taken within two days of the scheduled exam date or an automatic zero will be recorded for that exam. You must take every exam. Final exams cannot be taken early. |
| 3.
Academic Honesty: Plagiarism on assignments or cheating on exams, or quizzes
will not be tolerated. You may not
copy any part of another person's work and call it your own. Plagiarism or cheating will result in
an F on that assignment or exam, a report to the Dean and a record of the
incident in your academic file. See the Honor Code section in the 2011-2012 U.S.F. Catalog.
|
| 4.
Drop policy: After the University deadline, the
course may be dropped only for serious and compelling reasons. In accord with
University policy, I interpret “serious and compelling” to mean
“unforeseeable.” Illness, sudden impoverishment, and similar catastrophes
qualify; poor academic performance does not. An Incomplete (I) is given
only when extenuating circumstances prevent you from completing work in the
course; earlier exam scores stand unchanged. Per University policy, an
“I” grade remaining incomplete after one year will automatically be changed to
“F”.
|
| 5.
Students with disabilities: Please discuss your needs
with me during the first week of classes. Any student who, because of a
disabling condition may require special arrangements in order to meet course
requirements should contact the Disability Related Services Dept. at 2613.
|
**If
you carry a personal phone, it must be turned off during lecture - if
you are texting or surfing the web during class your phone, iPad or laptop may be confiscated -
just excuse yourself from the classroom if something is that important rather
than distracting the rest of the class.