Several courses left out of study 






 By Tamara Miller 

tmiller@kansan.com 

Kansan staff writer 

The list of classes containing homosexual or bisexual references could 
be longer than the one the University turned in to the Board of Regents. 


The list, compiled by Provost David Shulenburger, included two ethics 
classes, Journalism 605 and a University of Kansas Medical Center 
course. The list was an answer to an anonymous research request by the 
Kansas Legislature. 

A course does not have to be a sexuality course to contain references to 
sexual orientation, said Dennis Dailey, professor of social welfare. 
Every class in the social welfare department could be submitted for the 
legislative request, he said. 

³There´s not a course that at some point in the semester doesn´t mention 
the issue,² he said. 

Dailey teaches Social Work 303, Human Sexuality in Everyday Life, a 
course that contains some discussion of homosexuality. Dailey said the 
topic was an important issue in his class because it represented an 
important aspect in human sexuality. 

³There is an enormous amount of emphasis on the impact of homophobia,² 
Dailey said. ³The topic is relevant to everyone.² 

Leslie Nelson, assistant professor of art history, said that sexuality 
was also an issue in her class, History of Art 577, Southern Baroque 
Art. Although it is not obvious in the course description, understanding 
the artist´s sexual orientation is an important part of art history 
classes. 

³It´s going to be relevant in lots of courses,² she said. ³We try to 
approach it from every angle possible.² 

For example, knowing an artist´s sexual orientation may be important to 
understanding his work. 

³It´s an issue that has been discussed since the 17th century,² she 
said. ³We think of these problems as new and they aren´t.² 

Robert Anderson, associate professor of French and Italian, said that 
both his Western Civilization class and his French literature class 
touched on the issue of homosexuality. Anderson said this was important 
because it exposed students to diversity. 

³Students are thoughtful, interested adults who are eager to learn and 
judge things,² he said. 

The topic of sexual orientation is discussed in psychology classes as 
well, said Chris Crandall, associate professor of psychology. Crandall 
teaches Psychology 465, a class that studies prejudice and 
discrimination in society. Homophobia is a topic included in the 
curriculum of this course. 

However, Crandall said that a discussion involving sexual orientation 
could also surface in Introduction to Psychology. 

³You might want to talk about dating and how people date people who are 
similar to them,² he said. ³For example, you talk about homosexual 
dating.² 

Crandall said that although the Legislature could try to monitor courses 
with homosexual or bisexual content, it would be an impossible task. The 
Legislature has a right to ask for a list of these courses, but it has 
no right to dictate course curriculum, he said. 

³You will find that instructors will increase the content of 
homosexuality in the face of a perceived threat to academic freedom,² 
Crandall said.