Learning Perspective course descriptions, 2024-25 spring semester

ARHI-161 Global Art in Perspective (4 Credits) (PA) (G) Works of art from around the world examined thematically and chronologically as visual evidence of cultural heritage.

ART-101 Drawing (4 Credits) (PA) Fundamentals of drawing such as value, line, form, space and composition, exploring abstraction as well as traditional subject matters through observational studies. Theory and practice through a variety of drawing media including use of color. $60.00 lab fees.

ART-123 Design: Two Dimensional (4 Credits) (PA) Theories of basic design, with emphasis on both formalism and expression in art. Design fundamentals of color, texture, shape, line, value and principles of balance, repetition, variety, harmony and unity explored. A variety of media will be investigated. $60.00 lab fee

ENCW-201 Writing Poetry (4 Credits) (PA) Practice in writing poetry with an introduction to poetic form, voice and techniques. Emphasis will be on generating, critiquing and revising student work, but students will also study the work of published poets.

ENCW-202 Writing Fiction (4 Credits) (PA) Practice in writing with an introduction to the various forms the genre assumes (memoir, profile, literary journalism, nature writing, spiritual autobiography) and emphasis on techniques writers use to translate personal and researched experience into artful nonfiction. The class stresses drafting, workshopping, and revising.

ENCW-204 Screenwriting (4 Credits) (PA) Practice in writing screenplays with an introduction to narrative structure. Emphasis will be on generating, critiquing and revising student work, but students will also study contemporary scripts and films.

GRD-170 Process & Materials (4 Credits) (PA)This course provides an experimental studio environment focused on rapid iterative making. We explore a variety of media and consider how these ways of working are applied in a range of design practices. $40 lab fee.

GRD-222 Typography (4 Credits) (PA) This studio-based course focuses on typographic design while encouraging experimentation with form-making and concept development. Methodically advancing technical skills while developing a process of working that is unique to the individual encouraged. $40.00 lab fee

GRD-225 Intro to Graphic Design (4 Credits) (PA)This studio-based course asks students to both leverage basic design elements and principles to generate visual works and apply design processes to complex problems. While emphasis is placed on concept development, methodically advancing technical skills while developing a process of working that is unique to the individual is encouraged. $40.00 lab fee

GRST-253 German Film (4 Credits) (PA) An overview of major films, movements, and directors of German cinema in the 20th and 21st centuries, along with the fundamentals of the analysis of film as an art form. Also considers the historical and political contexts in which films were produced. Credit may not be earned for both GRST 253 and GRST 353. Taught in English.

JPST-230 Japanese Theatre (4 Credits) (PA, G) The primary goal of this course is to invite students into an intellectual and physical investigation of Japanese performing arts. It introduces the classical performance genres of No, Kyogen, Kabuki, and Bunraku (puppet theatre) in their historical, cultural and performative context, and considers their aesthetic formation. Students shall be able to analyze and appreciate different kinds of performance through lectures, readings, videos, and possibly some hands-on workshops. As such, a selection of plays will be examined in English alongside the work of theatre directors and performance makers including artists working to develop interdisciplinary and intercultural forms of expression.

MUSC-101 Introduction to Music (4 Credits) (PA) Exploration of the fundamental elements, various forms, and styles of music. Through listening, discussion, and live concert experiences, students will learn about music in various cultural and historical contexts. This course is not a part of the music major and no experience in music is required.

MUSC-107 Music in Worldwide Perspective (4 Credits) (PA,G) Introduction to ethnomusicology and survey of indigenous music of the various regions of the world. Does not apply to major in music.

MUSC-133 Video Game Music (4 Credits) (PA) An introduction to the history and function of musical sound in video games.

THEA-100 Intro to Theatre (4 Credits) (PA) Introduction to Theatre. Theatre as a collaborative, vital and multi-faceted art form that reflects and impacts culture and society. Through study of theatre practice and various dramatic texts from Ancient Greece to contemporary times, this course will examine how the written word is translated into action and images on stage.

THEA-240 Acting I (4 Credits) (PA) Introduction to the acting process through study of its basic principles and development of fundamental performance skills. Studio work includes improvisational exercises, scene study and various performance projects. Emphasis on the use of creative imagination in the context of performance.

ASIA-200 Intro to Asian Studies (4 Credits) (PH, G) An introduction to Asia as a world region of great diversity, dynamism, and contemporary significance. Students will encounter interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Asia and attend to the lived experiences and perspectives of Asian peoples and individuals.

CHST-240 Intro Chinese Culture (4 Credits) (PH) (G) An overview of Chinese culture, with emphasis on various aspects within Chinese society, including religions, literature, art, language and philosophy. Readings are supplemented by audiovisual material, discussion and projects. Taught in English. May not take CHST-240 if CHST-340 has already been taken.

CLAS-228 Classical Epic (4 Credits) (PH) Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" are the foundational texts of Greek civilization, while Vergil's "Aeneid" is the most influential Roman equivalent. By coming to understand these epics in their historical and cultural contexts, students will examine how the Greek and Roman epics influenced and interacted with developing ideas of heroism, individual responsibility, communal identity, and the human condition in a hostile world, while re-interpretation of tradition refreshed these questions and answers over time. May not take CLAS-228 if CLAS-228W, CLAS-328 or CLAS-328W has already been taken.

COMM-260 Communication and Culture (4 Credits) (PH) (G) Examines how communication helps create culture and how culture constrains communication, reasoning, and morality; introduces similarities and differences in understanding self and other in cultural contexts.

DISA-200 Disability and Society (4 Credits) (PH, D) People with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the world, with approximately 25% of adults in the United States (pre-COVID) having one or more impairments that would be considered disabilities. Additionally, it is the only minority group that people can join at any time (via age, accident, etc). Despite the large number of people with disabilities in the U.S. and around the world, the majority of nondisabled people are not knowledgeable about the barriers faced by people with disabilities and how to be good allies to their disabled family members, friends, and co-workers. This course will explore some of the social, structural, and medical barriers faced by people with disabilities. A Disability Studies perspective will be used to help students explore the systemic issues faced by disabled people in our society, and intersectionality will be emphasized throughout the course.

MJMC-215 News Literacy (4 Credits) (PH) Examines forces that shape news today and how the news media have changed. Prepares students to understand journalism and critically evaluate news sources as well as analyze their own roles as news consumers and communicators using current events as a backdrop. Assignments and discussion focus on topics such as: news values, detecting bias, source credibility, journalistic constraints, and media economics.

PHIL-101 Knowing & Being (4 Credits) (PH) Introduction to central topics in philosophy, such as ethical theory, metaethics, knowledge and skepticism, theology, free will, personal identity, and the nature of meaning. Attention is paid to the careful formation and critical evaluation of arguments.

PHIL-105 Life and Death (4 Credits) (PH) An introduction to ethics, approached through an examination of the ethics of living, letting die, and killing. The course will introduce students to major theories of morality, such as utilitarianism and Kantian ethics, and apply these theories to issues that may include euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment, and just war.

POLS-107 Contemporary Political Ideas (4 Credits) (PH,D) Politics is ultimately the struggle over ideas. This course aims to pay close attention to this struggle by seeking to understand how these ideas (from classic liberalism to neoliberalism, conservatism, socialism, feminism, etc.) have influenced how we are living our social, political, cultural and economic lives today. This course will ask the following questions: How have our interpretations of liberalism shifted overtime? What does it mean to conserve politically, culturally, or economically? What is the proper balance between freedom, equality, and democracy? How do we see these ideas playing out in the politics of our day? The course focuses on primary texts from a variety of political traditions in an attempt to answer these questions.

CLAS-258 Greek Warrior Myths (4 Credits) (PS, G) In antiquity, much of the literature about war was composed and performed by veterans who had experienced battle firsthand and knew the difficulties of long separation from home and family. Other myths dealt with chronic illness, suicide, the death of a child, and other difficult topics. In recent years, these texts have been used to help people in our own society who have suffered from war, suicide, racial violence, incarceration, and more process their trauma and communalize their grief. This class will explore these uses through selections from ancient epic and tragedy, supplemented by scholarly commentary. Content Advisory: this course includes consideration of topics that may be difficult for some students.

COMM-220 Communication & Social Relationships (4 Credits) (PS, D) Examines how family, peer and cultural socialization influences communication in close relationships. Consideration of race, class, gender and sexual orientation as they relate to communication in diverse relationships.

COMM-240 Advert & Consumer (4 Credits) (PS) COMM240 traces the evolution of the persuasive strategies, effects and messages in commercial discourse, from its origins in colonial America to today, with special emphasis on portrayals of race, class, family and gender in contemporary America. Course assignments will incorporate instruction on media content analysis and textual analysis as research methods.

ENVR-101 Social Dimension (4 Credits) (PS) This course provides an in-depth examination of the structure and dynamics of complex sustainability problems. We pay particular attention to the role of humans in creating and responding to these problems by investigating the relationships between our natural world and social, cultural, and political institutions. Particular topics may include: population and consumption dynamics; environmental justice; social and behavioral change; environmental policy; and food, energy, and water systems. Students will complete a campus-based sustainability project focused on social and/or behavioral change. Seniors by permission only.

GEOG-120 Human Geog Global (4 Credits) (PS, G) Human geography focuses on social, economic, political, cultural, and human-environment processes and patterns and how they change over space and time. This course examines the interconnections between places around the world and how global flows intersect in our local communities. Major topics include economic globalization, geopolitics, the spatial aspects of population growth and distribution including international migration, health, urbanization, cultural differentiation and the spread of ideas and innovation, and the environmental impacts of development. The course aims to engender a critical geographical perspective on the past, present and future development of the social world.

GEOG-130 Geog World Region (4 Credits) (PS, G) Geography of World Regions is an exploration of the critical, interrelated, and diverse characteristics of the world's major geographic regions. This course will explore issues of global and regional significance facing our planet through the diverse lenses of geography. Our primary focus is on globalization and the linkages between places, the impact of globalization on diversity, and the importance of "local" and "global," unevenness in development, the legacy of colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism on world regions, and the relationships between societies and environments at various scales.

PHIL-103 Social Ethics (4 Credits) (PS) An introduction to the philosophical examination of issues in three areas of social ethics-global problems, family matters, and societal policies. The following general questions will be considered in light of three moral theories (utilitarianism, rights, and the ethics of care): What do we owe the poor and starving in other countries? What do we owe our family members? How should we treat criminals in our society?
POLS-101 American Govt Natl (4 Credits) (PS) A study of constitutional principles and their implementation to create a functioning national government. Development of basic institutions--presidency, Congress, courts, bureaucracy. Analysis of Political Behavior -- political parties, campaigns, and interest groups. Examples from public policy are used to show the institutions and groups in action.

POLS-103 Global Perspectives (4 Credits) (PS,G) Examination of major issues of world politics from various theoretical and country perspectives. Considers issues -war and peace, international law and organization, economic globalization, climate change, nuclear weapon proliferation and human rights- which pose questions of justice or represent threats to the peace or to global survival.

PSYC-100 Intro to Psychology (4 Credits) (PS) A survey course of the major areas of interest within the field of Psychology (physiological, cognitive, clinical, and social), including fundamental principles and theories about human behavior as well as the scientific methods used by psychologists to draw these conclusions.

PUBH-100 Introduction to Public Health (4 Credits) (PS) This course introduces the interdisciplinary field and application of public health. Students will explore the social, political, and environmental determinants of health, and will be introduced to the institutions that shape health outcomes at the local, national, and global levels. This course will also help students understand how public health impacts the health of populations on a daily basis. Course activities will examine a diverse range of topics such as community health organizations, ethics in public health practice, maternal and child health, control of chronic and infectious disease, health through the lifespan, mental health, nutrition, and more. This course has no prerequisites. First year or sophomore status required.

SOAN-101 Intro to Sociology (4 Credits) (PS, D) A general introduction to society and culture, socially learned patterns of human behavior, formal and informal organization, collective behavior and social change.

SOAN-102 Intro to Anthropology (4 Credits) (PS, G) A general introduction to society and culture, diverse cultural systems and groups of people from around the globe, and a holistic examination of the many parts of culture. Students will learn the tools, methods and key concepts anthropologists use to study humanity.

WGSS-130 Intro to Gender Studies (4 Credits) (PS) This course serves as an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Familiarizes students with key terms, authors, and debates, while paying special attention to how gender and sexuality intersect with race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, ability, and immigration status to create systems of oppression. Students examine intersectional feminism as a framework for engaging in social justice work.

ARHI-166 Survey World Art II (4 Credits) (PP, G) A chronological survey of the art and architecture from around the world from the Renaissance in Europe to the contemporary global art market. Students learn to analyze the formal elements of works of art and architecture, examine works within the original cultural and historical contexts, and compare art across cultures and from different time periods.

ENGL-265 History Amer Lit (4 Credits) (PP) American literature and social history from 1620 to the present. This course will introduce students to the study of literature by emphasizing the aims, methods, and tools of the discipline. Students will become familiar with critical vocabulary, with selected authors, and with genre and historical context in a way that will carry over to more advanced classes.

HIST-116 Europe 1800-Present (4 Credits) (PP,G) This course will address central moments in modern Europe, including the Industrial Revolution, WWI, fascism, WWII, the Holocaust, the birth and death of Soviet Communism, the Cold War, and the foundation of the European Union. Special emphasis will be placed on developing students' ability to write their own historical interpretations through a critical use of eyewitness accounts.

HIST-131 Rethinking American History, 1877-Pres (4 Credits) (PP) Rethinking American History, 1877-Present Almost everything most people know about American history is at worst, wrong, and at best, oversimplified. This course examines enduring problems, powerful stories, and common misconceptions about the American past. Students will learn a set of problem-solving skills that historians use to make sense of the past, so that they can reach their own conclusions and recognize sense from nonsense.

HIST-250 Parade of Nations (4 Credits) (PP, D) The modern Olympic Games are a product of the age of the nation state. This course examines the Olympic Games as a stage for twentieth-century international politics, from the Nazi Olympics and the Cold War to the rise of East Asian countries as economic powerhouses. The Olympics will also serve as a prism through which course participants will investigate the relationship between sports and society, including issues of gender, race, technology, and media. We will analyze primary sources from the digital archives of the International Olympics Committee, documentary and film, interviews of athletes and spectators, and academic scholarship. D suffix became effective as of May 5, 2021.

PHIL-203 Modern Philosophy (4 Credits) (PP) Studies in the Rationalist philosophical tradition of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz and the Empiricist tradition of Locke, Berkeley, Hume. Topics will include perception, knowledge and skepticism, mind and matter, the nature and existence of God, the character of reality.

COMM-230 Comm, Poli, & Citiz (4 Credits) (PL) Addresses issues of communication effects and ethics as they impinge on citizens of a free society, with a focus on political discourse in the public sphere. Features rhetorical tactics, communication strategies and argument patterns in political campaigns, public policy, and the media.
ENGL-125B athletes competing while seeking greater meaning in their lives. For First Year and Sophomore students only.

ENGL-210 Language of Lit (4 Credits) (PL) An analysis of the ways that ordinary language and literary language communicate meaning. Half of the course will consider grammatical standards and fluent, stylish sentences. This learning should help students both to write with more control and to understand their reading at a deeper level. The other half of the course will consider specifically literary communication, such as biblical and classical allusions, symbols, forms and genres, and figurative language. This learning should help students to read literature with deeper understanding. Required for English Language Arts majors; strongly encouraged for literature majors in any language, especially English.

ENGL-235 Sci Fi & Fantasy (4 Credits) (PL) An introduction to the alternative worlds of myth, fantasy, utopia and dystopia. Students will develop the close-reading skills and vocabulary of the discipline as they explore deeper meaning, ambiguity, and complexity in classic and contemporary works of fantasy and science fiction.

ENGL-275 Intro to African-American Lit (4 Credits) (PL,D) Principal works by African Americans representing literary forms and significant currents of thought from the era of slavery to the present.

ENGL-283 Intro Irish Lit (4 Credits) (PL) Irish Literature has long been considered both a sub-field of British literature and a national literature of its own. This course is designed to illustrate the long development of Irish literature in Gaelic and in English over the centuries, as well as to highlight some of the most celebrated individual Irish works and authors..

SPST-251 Latino/a Culture in US (4 Credits) (PL) Exploration of major themes and issues around Latino/a cultural production including fiction, memoirs, essays, films, and music. This course will consider interaction between individuals and social groups as they reflect on and give meaning to the concept of Latinidad in the United States. No knowledge of Spanish is required. All texts will be read in English translation. Does not count toward the major/minor in Spanish.

WLIT-217 Topics in French Lit (4 Credits) (PL)Thematically organized selection of French and/or Francophone literary works read in translation. Topic varies. May be repeated once for credit with different topic and permission of instructor. May be counted toward the French major once only.

ASTR-135 Planets (4 Credits) (PN) A non-calculus course intended for all majors on planets and planetary systems. Topics include the history of planetary astronomy, formation and evolution of the solar system, solar system physics, properties of solar system objects and the discovery of extrasolar planets. Results of recent space discoveries and the methods and tools used by astronomers will be emphasized. Evening observing sessions in the Carl Gamble observatory will be required. Suggested prerequisite: A math-index score of 840 or higher is recommended (pre-calc ready).