Nicole, The sex professor: Nicole K McNichols phD
December 28, 2021
She teaches the most popular class at the University of Washington. She is UWPsychology's own Nicole K McNichols, whose class, "The Diversity of Human Sexuality, has more than 4K enrollees per year. She has some great perspectives when she talks to hitherecatsuit
About the Professor
I teach my course **“Psych 210: The Diversity of Human Sexuality“** to 1200 students each quarter. I just added a summer session, so now the enrollment is close to 4000 students each year. It is currently the most popular undergraduate offering in the entire history of the University of Washington. This content is so critical and has touched so many of my students that I am now working to bring it outside of the classroom.
**My Philosophy…**
is consistent with a general movement happening nationally called Sex Positivity. We’re so used to hearing about the risks and dangers associated with sex yet there are so many diverse and wonderful things to celebrate! Sex positivity encourages safety but also highlights sexual pleasure. It embraces LGBTQI+ identities and issues. It rejects shame and stigma and it acknowledging that our sexuality feeds into the very essence of our self-identity and happiness. Beyond this however, I have found that in order to be truly sex positive, sex education must be empowering. It has to be collaborative, NOT authoritative in order to promote trust and a free exchange of ideas.
I received my undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1997, her Masters in Psychology at NYU in 2003 and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Washington in 2009. In addition to being a professor, Nicole writes bi-weekly for Psychology Today and is a TedX speaker and frequent contributor to other publications, news sources and podcasts.
I teach my course **“Psych 210: The Diversity of Human Sexuality“** to 1200 students each quarter. I just added a summer session, so now the enrollment is close to 4000 students each year. It is currently the most popular undergraduate offering in the entire history of the University of Washington. This content is so critical and has touched so many of my students that I am now working to bring it outside of the classroom.
**My Philosophy…**
is consistent with a general movement happening nationally called Sex Positivity. We’re so used to hearing about the risks and dangers associated with sex yet there are so many diverse and wonderful things to celebrate! Sex positivity encourages safety but also highlights sexual pleasure. It embraces LGBTQI+ identities and issues. It rejects shame and stigma and it acknowledging that our sexuality feeds into the very essence of our self-identity and happiness. Beyond this however, I have found that in order to be truly sex positive, sex education must be empowering. It has to be collaborative, NOT authoritative in order to promote trust and a free exchange of ideas.
I received my undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1997, her Masters in Psychology at NYU in 2003 and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Washington in 2009. In addition to being a professor, Nicole writes bi-weekly for Psychology Today and is a TedX speaker and frequent contributor to other publications, news sources and podcasts.