Physics 451/Women 485 Course Requirements

This is a reading, writing, and discussion course. These are the major requirements:

• participating in class discussion (with evidence of having completed the readings) (12% of final grade)
• leading/facilitating a class presentation, and a report on this presentation (28% of final grade, partly by peer evaluation)
• preparing four short reports (60% of final grade)

• The above requirements (renormalized to total 60% of the final grade).
• research and policy paper (40% of final grade)
  

Submission Format:

• All electronic submissions should be submitted at the Electronic Submission Site.  Admissible formats are text, html source, MSWord and pdf.
• All hard-copy submissions should be submitted in duplicate.  If not turned in during class, one hard copy should be given to Prof. Olmstead (PAB B433 or her mailbox in the Physics department office) and a second one to Prof. Ginorio (Padelford B110P or her mailbox in the Women Studies department office).

Written products (details include in-class requirements as well):

• Class Participation (details)
  
• an evaluation of each student presentation
[due within a week of the presentation; submitted via Catalyst WebQ (linked via the class web page]
• Class Presentation  (details)
  
• one-page summary or abstract of the presentation, to be posted in the web page, submitted as a group.  The summary should include the main references used for the presentation.
[due one week before the presentation; electronic submission]
• list of readings the class should complete before the presentation, submitted as a group.
[due one week before the presentation; electronic submission]
• copy of viewgraphs or other materials used in presentation, submitted as a group
[due one week after the presentation; electronic or hard-copy submission]
• three page report on the class presentation / topic of the presentation, submitted individually.  Groups should divide the topic among themselves for the information to be summarized in the reports.
[due one week after the presentation; electronic or hard-copy submission]
• Short Reports (each maximum three pages in length) (details)
• report on status (numerical statistics and individual) (details)
[due Tuesday 27 January; either electronic or hard-copy submission]
• report on UW intervention program  (details)
[due Tuesday 17 February; either electronic or hard-copy submission]
• personal reflection on climate issues (details)
[due Tuesday 24 February; either electronic or hard-copy submission]
• report on policy issue in memo format  (details)
[proposal due Tuesday Feb 17; first draft due Tuesday 03 March; Final draft due Monday 16 March; either electronic or hard-copy submission]

• Final project  ONLY for Women 485 students (details)
• proposal for project (maximum one page)
[due Tuesday 10 February; either electronic or hard-copy submission]
• full paper (18-25 pages)
[due Monday 16 March; both electronic or hard-copy submission.
Students taking course for W-credit must submit first drafts by Thursday 26 February]

Referencing Work of Others

• It is essential that all your written products and materials presented in class be properly referenced.  Direct quotation or simple rewordings of other people's work (including that posted on a web page) without attribution is plagierism.  The UW library statement plagierism is worth reading [link]. 
  

Class Participation (12%)

participation in class discussions,

asking questions of speakers and panel members, and

completion of the peer evaluations in a timely, fair and thoughtful manner.

participation in class chat room

Your class participation should follow from the readings and the speaker’s presentations. You are expected to complete assigned reading(s) before each class. Participation that is grounded on the readings -- whether reporting on them or critically assessing them against other knowledge your have or your own experiences -- will be considered of a high quality. Thoughtful responses to others’ comments, reflections from your own experiences, sharing of materials that you have observed on TV or read in the paper are also forms of class participation, but participation that consists only of these forms is not sufficient.  Questions for class discussion or for the speakers may also be submitted by email to Profs. Olmstead and Ginorio by 11 a.m. on the day of the class, and follow-up discussion may take place in the class chat room.

[NOTE: If you find active class participation very difficult but want to stay in this class we might explore other alternatives. You need to consult with instructors immediately about this issue.]

As part of your class participation you will evaluate each student presentation. Using a form that lists the criteria to be used, you will evaluate the presentations. This form is to be submitted through the web page within a week of the presentation. (Because your classmates’ grades are affected by this rating, no delays are possible. If you miss a class presentation, turn in an evaluation of the readings.) Giving the same rating to all criteria and/or all respondents does not qualify as a fair or thoughtful evaluation.

We require everyone in this class to use e-mail and the world-wide web regularly. Minimally the e-mail will be used to forward information that is pertinent to the class. Optimally, students will continue class discussion (or initiate discussions of the readings before class) in the class chat room.

Your class participation will be assessed both in terms of quantity and quality using the criteria listed in the second paragraph of this section.

Class presentation (28%)

• definitions of the issue under consideration
• relevant statistics about the issue, if appropriate
• frameworks or theories behind the readings chosen
• results or conclusions reached by the authors
• your own critical analysis or interpretation of the readings

Students must agree among themselves about the division of labor for all of the steps below since 2/3 of your grade on class presentation will be graded jointly with your co-presenters. As part of your class proposal please describe what agreements you have made among yourselves regarding division of labor. If after reaching this agreement difficulties arise, please communicate with the instructors before the graded activities (writing of the abstract and list of readings, presentation) are due.  If you wish separate evaluations and grading of your oral presentation, this must be communicated before your presentation.

One half of your grade for the presentation will be based on your in class presentation, as evaluated by both your peers and the instructors.  The remaining half will be allocated to the written materials: abstract and choice of assigned readings (1/6), and summary report (1/3).

Because many students have never made a class presentation, we detail the steps under four headings: preparation, mechanics in preparation for the presentation, presentation, and summary of the presentation. You should keep in mind the evaluation form of the presentation as you prepare each of the steps below.

PREPARATION

2.  Decide on partition of labor within your group.  Meet as a group to define the topic and subdivide the effort.  Set definite times for meetings and deadlines for preparing parts of the presentation.

3. Find background material. Start with a computer library search. Review reference lists of materials assigned by instructors or visiting speakers--these may lead you to other references. You may also consult with the instructors.  Take care to separate peer-reviewed from self-published material, especially for web-based materials.

4. Consult with the instructors about the approach you want to take and the readings that you want to include in your presentation. The student(s) will base their presentation on at least three readings.

[NOTE: If you borrow materials from the instructor: Materials that you assign for your presentation must be returned a week before the presentation. All materials must be returned by the last day of classes. If material is not returned, course requirements will be considered as incomplete.]

5. Select the bibliography. The reading(s) should be selected because of centrality to the issue and to the approach that you want to pursue, it should serve to frame your presentation. Readings need not be in agreement with each other, when this is the case you must address in your presentation these disagreements or discrepancies. The supplemental readings should be selected because they clarify, expand, challenge, etc. the core reading(s).  Determine which material should be read by the entire class before your presentation.

Materials that address issues of gender and race in the context of science and engineering are central to the concerns of this course. Materials that address socially defined identities that may also characterize ethnic minorities or women (for example: disabilities, sexual orientation) and that have also affected their participation in science or engineering in the U.S., as well as reports on the scientific or engineering work by ethnic minorities or women and their impact on the disciplines or professions are also relevant to some topics.

Popular journals, web-based commentaries, Wikipedia and other non-peer-reviewed material can be used to illustrate issues, but should not be chosen as main sources of information. Videos or other audio-visual aids are appropriate; speak to the instructor about how to use and obtain these.

6. Decide on the format of the presentation. Presentations can follow any format: lecture, conference-style with a poster, powerpoint presentation or overheads, role playing, debates, inclusion of poetry, video, etc. Do what feels most appropriate to the task; feel free to consult with the instructors about this.

7. Prepare the one-page abstract of the presentation. Describe your presentation in less than 200 words.  You should include the major topics to be discussed and enough information to guide the class as they read the assigned material before your presentation.  This abstract, to be submitted electronically, is due one week before the presentation and will be posted on the class web page.

8. Prepare the list of assigned readings. The list of readings should be prepared in American Psychological Association style. Examples of this style will be distributed in class. For each reading, include a one sentence summary of what the students should concentrate on in the reading.  The list should be submitted electronically one week before the presentation and will be posted on the class web page.  If material is available electronically, include links.  If not, you will need to secure either a scanned pdf copy of the reading or enough copies for the class to share.

ONE WEEK BEFORE THE PRESENTATION

PRESENTATION

1. Introduction. Each presentation should begin with an introduction of the topic and an explanation for the approach chosen in discussing it. A rationale/context should be provided for the choice of the readings.

2.  Main Body of Presentation.

• Format You are free to format the presentation in any way you feel is most effective.  You may have a single student present the entire report, or divide the time among yourselves.  Regardless of the format that you choose, the content of the presentation should cover the items listed in the next bullet.

• Content. Address all of the following:
• definition of the issue under consideration
• relevant statistics about the issue, if appropriate
• frameworks or theories behind the assigned readings
• results or conclusions reached by the authors
• your own critical analysis or interpretation of the issue

3. Class Discussion. Facilitate all students’ participation. Be sure to pay attention to all students’ contributions. If someone has not participated you may want to be particularly encouraging of their participation.  Answer questions clearly and succinctly.

WEEK FOLLOWING PRESENTATION:  SUMMARY REPORT

Your report should summarize the presentation and the conclusions you reached. This summary will flow from the readings and the approach you have selected, and makes reference to the assigned readings and other literature.  You may also note any substantial points raised during the class discussion. The abstract you submitted may serve as an outline to use for this summary. Attach to this summary  copies of any handouts or overheads that you used.

Short reports (60%)

Report 1.  Status of Ethnic Minorities and Women in Science and Engineering (15%)
    [Due Tuesday 27 January]

1. a statistic or number about a group (one - two pages)

2. a number about an individual (one - two pages)

The statistical/group part of the report will focus on a number or figure of interest to you that you would like to explore over at least eight instances.  It should include at least two related items over at least two time points.  The following are examples of the kinds of statistics that may be used for your short report; feel free to develop your own question about any such figure or statistic.

• what has been the proportion of women undergraduate students in US physics and biology departments in 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2005?
• how many ethnic minorities received degrees from four different physical science departments at the UW in 1975 and 2005?
• what are the four institutions with the highest percentage (or total number) of women of color in engineering in the U.S. at two different time points?
• what fraction of girls from four ethnic groups took calculus (or physics) classes in high school at two different time points?
• what is the number (or fraction) of assistant, associate and full professors of a particular field that are women (or minorities or women of color) at three time points?
• what are the average math SAT or GRE scores for four ethnic groups at two different time points? (or for women vs. men at four time points)
  

The number about an individual refers to something about that individual that makes them unique or of historical significance. The following are examples of the kinds of numbers about an individual that may be used for your short report; feel free to develop your own question about any individual.

• who was the first woman of color to graduate with a degree in a particular science or engineering field in the U.S. OR at the UW?
• who is the only woman or ethnic minority to hold a particular position in science (for example, full professor in a department, or the president of a technical university)?
• who is the first  female chemist or physicist to receive a major prize from the American Chemical or Physical Society?
• who is the highest ranking woman in a science-related job in the national government?

Report 2.  UW Intervention Program (15%)
    [due Tuesday 17 February]

• Mission and Goals
  
• Target audience (age, gender, race, career stage, etc.)
  
• Connection to UW
• Name and background of director
• Most prominent ("flagship") program and how it functions
  
• Brief history (when and how started; number of participants, both current and historical; approximate budget)
• Examples/Evidence of successful interventions

Report 3.  Personal Reflection on Climate Issues (15%)
    [due Tuesday 24 February]

A personal reflection is intended as an opportunity to use both cognitive and affective aspects of your experience in and out of the classroom. For example,

• a reading or presentation in this class reminded you of some experience you have had in a science or engineering or math class and now you find yourself re-interpreting that earlier experience and perhaps re-experiencing the emotions of that first experience
• during a discussion in this class you did not feel free to share your thoughts about a topic because you were concerned with your classmates’ reactions, but you can see the tie between that experience and the experiences of ethnic minorities or women in science or engineering settings
• you found a statement in an article that contradicted what you have learned in another context through readings or personal experience
• you see a TV report or news or listen to a radio program and find yourself arguing with what you’re seeing because of what you are learning in the class

A good reflection (that will receive a high grade) will be clear in its references to incidents or articles, will indicate that reflection has occurred about the what/why/how for what is being described. A good reflection will indicate how the knowledge you are gaining from your participation in this class has grown as the quarter has gone by--for example, something that seemed obscure or difficult in the beginning is clearer now; or the knowledge has served to question things that you may not have given a second thought to previously. It will also state clearly what your position is.

Report 4.  Policy Issue in Memo Format (15%)
    [topic due Tuesday 17 February; 1st draft due Tuesday 03 March; Final draft due Monday 16 March)

• to address the issue of retention of women in the physics major at the UW you write a memo to the chair of the department arguing for a proposed action that--based on your learning in this class--can be argued will very likely increase the retention of women in physics
• to address the issue of under-representation of women and/or minorities in a graduate program relative to the applicant pool you recommend a change to the admissions criteria based on studies of the preditive power of these criteria for success in graduate school.
  
• to address the issue of reduced participation of minorities and women in calculus-based physics relative to the university population, you write a memo to the deans for undergraduate education and engineering with suggestions of improvements to the freshman advising process that will remediate this situation.
• to address the shortage of qualified science teachers in low-income school districts, you write a memo to your state legislator and the chair of the appropriate legislative committee suggesting a plan to enable science Ph.D.'s (post-doctoral fellows) to spend a limited time teaching in the school system without a degree in education.
• to address the decline in interest in science and engineering by minorities and women during middle and high school, you write a memo to the dean of the graduate school and the dean of the college of education detailing ways to entice science and engineering majors and graduate students to volunteer in the public schools.
• other policy issues you may choose to address are work-life balance, methods to insure salary equity, intervention programs you believe should be initiated, new courses or seminar series that should be offered, programs that should be protected from the budget crisis, etc.
  

Final Paper (for students taking the course for 5 credits; 40% of total grade; The other 60% is a scaled total of the above requirements)
    [Proposal due Tuesday 10 February; 
    1st Draft (for W-credit or general input) due Thursday 26 February; 
    Final Draft due Monday 16 March]

The following factors will be considered for your grade:

1. clear thesis or purpose

2. accurate information, clearly presented

3. relevant and documented historical and/or statistical background

4. thorough coverage of relevant issues

5. appropriate and complete references in consistent bibliographic style (for example, American Psychological Association or American Institute of Physics style).

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