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Marketing and University Communication UW-Green Bay, CL 815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2626 E-mail: hildebrs@uwgb.edu Last update: 9/27/07 |
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In
the News Archive - Year:
April 26, 2004 UWGB student looks to step to head of class — to lead it By Cynthia Hodnett Next semester, that's exactly what Aaron Hulse, a 22-year-old junior
and history major at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, plans to do.
Hulse hopes to receive approval from the university to teach a course
on sexual orientation through an opportunity that allows students to teach
on campus.
"This isn't a part of my major, but I saw this as an opportunity for
me and as something that is needed," Hulse said. "As a gay man, these
issues are important to me. Secondly, I've been in the GLBT (gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transgender) movement since I came out at 18. I think that experience
gives me an unique insight."
New voice, key issue
Hulse was a part of a subcommittee that revised guidelines for student-led
courses that were approved last week by the 25-member Faculty Senate.
The senate also agreed to allow students to teach after the next academic
year.
In addition to teaching, Hulse will take nine credit hours, and he will
earn three for teaching the class. He also plans to work part-time.
"Same-sex marriage is an issue that is pertinent not only to our current
national debate but on the state level and on our campus," he said. "Teaching
the course would not only benefit me, but it will benefit other students."
Under the revised guidelines, interested students can propose an idea
for a course that isn't currently offered at the university. Students
would be in charge of creating a syllabus, assignments and tests under
the supervision of a faculty adviser who teaches in the department related
to the course. The adviser would review the proposal before it is approved.
Copies of the proposal would then be submitted to the appropriate dean.
Students leading courses will determine the standards for passing the
course and issue grades on a pass/no credit basis.
"So far, the most challenging part was getting all of the relevant materials
together," Hulse said. "I've already found a textbook, talked with numerous
law professors who teach courses on this topic at other schools around
the country. I realize that this won't be an easy task. I expect that
my biggest challenge will be actually teaching the class."
Hulse found out about student-led courses after learning that a course
on GLBT issues had been offered several years ago, but it focused more
on psychology.
Last fall, he began working on a proposal for the course. He presented
the proposal to a faculty member in the political science department where
it is currently being reviewed. He expects to learn if he will be allowed
to teach by the start of the fall semester.
"There were a lot of people who didn't know that this existed," said
Kenneth Fleurant, a humanistic studies professor and secretary of the
Faculty Senate at UWGB.
"Aaron spoke to the Senate so eloquently," Fleurant said. "He was responsible
for convincing some people, including me, why we should continue it. He
made a case of how the student leader gets an awful lot from this experience
as well as the students who take the class."
Michael Kraft, a public and environmental affairs professor at UWGB
and member of Faculty Senate who also served on the subcommittee, said
student-led courses have been around since the university's early years.
Applying knowledge
The courses reflect the university's interdisciplinary program, which
focuses on practical problem-solving rather than traditional teaching
methods to encourage students to apply what they learn to everyday issues,
he said.
About a dozen or so students have taken advantage of the opportunity,
most during the 1970s. The last student-led course was taught about four
years ago, Kraft said.
"Not a lot of students know about this, but this isn't something that's
going to be used by a lot of people," Kraft said. "It would have to be
unique student who would be willing to do this. There's a lot of work
involved, and I don't think there will be many students who are willing
to take on such a challenge."
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