The Council of Academic Affairs approves new Psychology of Sexual and Gender Diversity course unanimously on Thursday in Booth Library.

PSY-3628, Psychology of Sexual and Gender Diversity, was approved as a new three credit course beginning in the fall 2022 semester and following available on demand.

The new elective psychology course is an introduction to psychological research and theory on diverse sexual attractions and gender identities open to all majors.

Steven Scher, a psychology professor, presented the proposed new course to CAA.

“I think that it’s important to understand both the history of how psychology has treated people who are queer or sexual minorities and trans people over the past years and our unfortunate contribution to the stigmatizing of those identities,” Scher said. “As well as how we can do now and hopefully develop over the years as this thing can read more literature, more recent findings to the students.”

CAA unanimously approved the new psychology course with revisions.

CAA also approved two new theatre courses: Theatre History and Literature Lab course and Advanced History and Literature Lab.

Both courses are worth one credit each and are both hand-ons theatre production experiences as various roles in a production with the execution of the elements of a production related to theatre history including dramaturgy, criticism or dramatic writing.

These two courses are a part of a series of labs attached to the theatre department’s productions throughout the year. 

This lab is fulfilled by a student being in a production or working on a production, and the student gets class credit for the practical work they complete in the semester.

The two labs are built to follow one another with THA-2009 Theatre History and Literature Lab being followed by the THA-3003 Theatre History and Literature Lab course.

Both courses will be available starting in the fall 2022 semester and both available every fall and spring semester following.

CAA approved unanimously of both new courses with revisions.

CAA also approved a program revision for the department of theatre bachelor’s degree.

The changes are to include an emphasis on the course for dramatic writing and to include the two new lab courses.

Madelyn Kidd can be reached at 581-2812 or at mekidd@eiu.edu.