Highlights

December 2009:

The College Awards for Exelence in Undergraduate Teaching: Terri Susan Fine

January 2009:

Jenna Cawly received the department's Outstanding MA Thesis award for 2008.  Her thesis, "Sex Education Policy in Florida: Strategies for Change” examined K-12 sex education policy as a federalism issue, and contextualizes it further to show how differences in sex education policy across counties are related to teen pregnancy rates.   The thesis identified possible legislative solutions to the high teen pregnancy rate in Florida compared with other states, and the economic and social burden that teen pregnancy brings. In showing that counties with comprehensive sex-education policies show lower teen pregnancy rates than do those counties mandating an abstinence-only curriculum, the thesis proposes that there be a state-level standard for sex education while also acknowledging that both public and elite opinion will play key roles in the likelihood that a statewide standard based on best practices will be accomplished.   The thesis was chaired by Dr. Terri Fine.