Gender Studies
Gender Studies at FMU
Cultivating awareness and deeper perspectives
The Gender Studies program at Francis Marion is an interdisciplinary program designed to offer students opportunities to engage critically with identities, experiences, and conditions through social, cultural, psychological, political, literary, and historical lenses.
Awareness of women’s and gender issues benefits individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions while interrogating power relationships, equity concerns, ideas of privilege, and identity’s complex intersectionalities.
Such interrogations cultivate and hone valuable skills, including analytical thinking, information literacy, and social awareness, while enhancing students’ existing programs of study. Open to all students, the program works with departments across campus to help minors and collaterals construct paths that complement their respective majors and desired focuses of study.
Why gender studies?
A Gender Studies minor or collateral enhances all areas of study in ways that are directly applicable to life, both personally and professionally. Gender Studies students will strengthen their understanding of self, others, and systemic structures while exploring interconnectedness and raising social consciousness.
Such social and cultural awareness, multifaceted viewpoints, and critical thinking skills are credentials that employers regard as advantageous. Those who engage with women’s and gender studies often develop into effective leaders because of their abilities to communicate across populations, examine matters from multiple and new perspectives, implement unbiased action items, and prioritize just methodologies. This interdisciplinary field of study pairs naturally with service professions and complements any and all careers, adding insight related to positionalities, grounding perspectives theoretically, and enriching one’s liberal arts foundation.
Varied and various program events and activities foster additional learning experiences, chances for community building, and platforms for professionalization.
Gender Studies Minor
A Gender Studies minor consists of 18 hours, or 6 courses, that earn program credit. These courses must include GNDR 200 and five additional courses, with no more than two classes from any one discipline.
Special topics and applicable courses may also be counted for credit towards the program with the approval of the program director.
Gender Studies Collateral
A Gender Studies collateral consists of 12 hours, or 4 courses, that earn program credit. These courses must include GNDR 200 and three additional courses, with no more than two classes from any one discipline.
Special topics and applicable courses may also be counted for credit towards the program with the approval of the program director.
Upcoming Events
Committee Members
-
Dr. Coleman Mary FrancesDr. Mary Frances Coleman Associate Professor of Music Industry, Director of Voice and Choral Activities mcoleman@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1537 DepartmentsFine ArtsGender StudiesOfficeHFAC 112More info
-
Dr. Panza NicoleDr. Nicole Panza Associate Professor of Mathematics, Coordinator of First Year Initiatives npanza@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1585 DepartmentsGender StudiesMathematicsOfficeLSF 409EMore info
-
Dr. Perez Lauren K.Dr. Lauren K. Perez Assistant Professor of Political Science Lauren.Perez@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1613 DepartmentsGender StudiesPolitical ScienceOfficeFH 134
-
Dr. SaizdeLaMora KitDr. Kit SaizdeLaMora Assistant Professor of Education, Coordinator of Early Childhood Education Program, Coordinator of Montessori Education Graduate Programs Kit.Saizdelamora@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1487 DepartmentsGender StudiesSchool of EducationOfficeSOBE 255 - Office hours are posted on syllabus. Please email to schedule an appointment.More info
-
Dr. Spear Rachel N.Dr. Rachel N. Spear Associate Professor of English, Director of Gender Studies Program rspear@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1506 DepartmentsEnglishEnglish and PhilosophyGender StudiesOfficeHC 109More info
-
Dr. Coleman Mary FrancesDr. Mary Frances Coleman Associate Professor of Music Industry, Director of Voice and Choral Activities mcoleman@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1537 DepartmentsFine ArtsGender StudiesOfficeHFAC 112Additional information
Dr. Fran Coleman is a professional soprano and voice teacher originally hailing from Richmond, VA. She holds a BM and MM in performance, as well as a BM in music education. In 2015, Fran also earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory. Before moving to Florence, SC she sang regularly in the VA regional area with VA Opera, Aurora Opera, Washington National Chorus, Capitol Opera Raleigh, as well as with her wedding band and jazz quartet.
Fran is one of the founding artistic directors with Capitol Opera Richmond, and a deputy director with Classical Revolution RVA.
In addition to being a performer and advocate for the arts, Fran was also a small business owner. She owned a private voice studio in Midlothian, Songbird's Studio, LLC. Most recently, Fran accepted a vocal position at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. She is excited about the new chapter she is starting there.
-
Dr. Panza NicoleDr. Nicole Panza Associate Professor of Mathematics, Coordinator of First Year Initiatives npanza@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1585 DepartmentsGender StudiesMathematicsOfficeLSF 409EAdditional information
Education
Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University
-
Dr. SaizdeLaMora KitDr. Kit SaizdeLaMora Assistant Professor of Education, Coordinator of Early Childhood Education Program, Coordinator of Montessori Education Graduate Programs Kit.Saizdelamora@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1487 DepartmentsGender StudiesSchool of EducationOfficeSOBE 255 - Office hours are posted on syllabus. Please email to schedule an appointment.Additional information
Areas of Specialty
Early Childhood Education
-
Dr. Spear Rachel N.Dr. Rachel N. Spear Associate Professor of English, Director of Gender Studies Program rspear@fmarion.edu Phone843-661-1506 DepartmentsEnglishEnglish and PhilosophyGender StudiesOfficeHC 109Additional information
Dr. Spear is an Associate Professor of English and the Director of Gender Studies. Joining FMU in 2014, she directed the First-Year Composition program from 2015 to 2021. Prior to FMU, she held the Interim Expanded Composition Coordinator position at the University of Southern Mississippi, taught general education courses at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington, and worked with Communication across the Curriculum at Louisiana State University. She received her doctorate in Comparative Literature in 2010 from LSU, focusing on writing studies, and was awarded the Ann Veronica Simon Outstanding Gender Studies Dissertation Award.
Her research relies on an interdisciplinary approach to investigate women’s life-writing post-trauma and the transformative benefits of writing one’s story. Concentrating primarily on writing, cultural, and pedagogical studies, Spear has spoken at a number of conferences, including the Conference on College Composition and Communication and the Northeast Modern Language Association, where she served as Women’s and Gender Studies Board Representative. Publications range from creative nonfiction to theoretical work and include “Uprooted” in NOLA Diaspora and “Let Me Tell You a Story’: On Teaching Trauma Narratives, Writing, and Healing” in Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture. At FMU, Dr. Spear primarily teaches first-year writing, upper-level writing courses, and courses affiliated with the Gender Studies program.
Education
PhD, Louisiana State University
EdS, Louisiana State University
MA, Louisiana State University
BA, Millsaps College