May 18, 2024  
2021-2022 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
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2021-2022 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Course Descriptions

 

Spanish Literature in Translation (SPLT)
  

  • SPLT 014S - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Spring

    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:

    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and only one 14S or 12S seminar.



  

  • SPLT 050 A-Z - (LT) Contemporary Debates in the Spanish-Speaking World

    Semester Hours: 3

    Periodically

    These courses deal with specific issues, themes, genres, or authors in the Spanish-speaking world. Class readings and discussions are in English.

    Current Special Topics

    SPLT 050J: (LT) EMPIRES CRASH: MEXICO CITY 

    The now 500-year-old defeat of the Aztec Empire produced such enormous changes in the world´s political, economic, environmental, and cultural histories, that climate scientists discuss the beginning of a new geological era –the Anthropocene—as an after effect of the fall of the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan to the hands of Spanish Conquistadores. Nothing, from everyday human diet to global commerce would be the same. In this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of a class, we will study the consequences of the five centuries-old epic fall of Tenochtitlan, reviewing the exchanges, clashes, and resistances that gave birth to the first modern city in the continental Americas. Exchanges, clashes, and resistances produced by the 500-year-old fall of Tenochtitlan and the birth of modern Mexico City.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    May be repeated for credit when topics vary. As individual subjects are offered, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. (Formerly Special Topics in Spanish and Latin American Literature in Translation.)
  
  

  • SPLT 052 - (LT) Interpreting the Hispanic Legacy

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Spain’s legacy on a global basis with special attention to its mutual relationship with Hispanic America and their respective values, as expressed in their literary and traditional myths. Matters of multicultural origins, the assessments of the modern dilemma, and projections of Hispanic literature, politics, art and other cultural manifestations are discussed. Readings are interpretative as well as historical. Attendance at a designated theater performance and art exhibition are required.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  
  
  
  
  

  • SPLT 057 - (LT) Going Public: Women Reading and Writing

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    The course examines the ways in which women have participated in the social practices of reading and writing. We will read works of fiction from different periods of Hispanic literature, as well as critical texts that investigate the gender issues that inform reading and writing. The course will look at narratology (e.g., who is telling the story and with what degree of authority; the use of different narrative devices to create different meanings), as well as at the cultural, social, and historical circumstances surrounding the texts and their readership.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    (Formerly (LT) Gender and Culture: Women Through the Lens of Spanish Female Writers.)
  

  • SPLT 058 - (LT, CC) The Empire Writes Back: Autobiography and Resistance in Colonial Spanish America

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    The course provides a new interpretation of Spanish American Colonial experience, examining resistance and subversion in the imperial context through the prism of autobiography. Themes include intellectual, ideological and spiritual subversion; resistance to slavery; gender transgression; and re-negotiation of power within the patriarchal family and nation. Students examine the role of memoirs, travel accounts, private and public letters, and other autobiographical resources as part of a history of self-exploration and awareness.
  

  • SPLT 059 - (CC, LT) Farewell to Columbus: Rethinking the Latin American Heritage

    Semester Hours: 3

    Periodically

    Through a variety of documents –both written and visual— this course addresses Latin American cultures from pre-Columbian times to the coming of independence in the nineteenth century. The key themes will necessarily include exploration; military and spiritual conquest; the formation, consolidation, reform, and collapse of colonial institutions of government, and Church; the accompanying changes in the economy and labor; issues of race and class; and the role of indigenous peoples, women, and subaltern identities in society. The overarching goal of the course, however, is to offer a deeper appreciation of Latin American cultures by decolonizing our understanding of these individual themes. On the one hand, we will put into question the western myth of Columbus and other figures traditionally associated with discovery, conquest, and cultural formation. On the other, in place of the old myths, voice will be given to the historically marginalized sectors of society. In approaching this subject matter, we will reassess some classic western texts, but students will also be encouraged to rethink traditional conceptions of the Latin American past through a close reading of under-explored sources such as private letters, sermons, local legislation, travel accounts, business treaties, wills and testaments, and other indigenous written and non-written records. The course will pay equal emphasis on non-verbal documents, which had a paramount role both before and after the conquest, including carved stones, maps, clothing and textiles, and a wide range of artistic forms such as altarpieces, church interiors, portraits and paintings, monumental inscriptions, and public architecture. 
  

  • SPLT 060 - (CC, LT) Literary Food

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Aside from being essential for survival, food is a system of meanings that articulates cultural values, social hierarchies and identities. This course analyzes how food is used in Latin American literary texts to present interpretations of culture, history and politics. Authors studied include Laura Esquivel, Gabriel García Márquez, Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda and Octavio Paz.
  

  • SPLT 061 - (LT) Love, Romance, and Eroticism in Medieval and Early Modern Spain

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    This course focuses on literary texts written in Spain between circa 1050 and 1600 that depict the way love, romance, and eroticism were understood during this period in the Iberian Peninsula. It will also help understand how our contemporary ideas about love and erotic companionship are very much influenced by these medieval and early modern conceptions. The texts, which were originally written in the various romance languages spoken in Spain during the period, will be read and analyzed in English.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    (Formerly Chivalric and Picaresque Novels in Medieval and Renaissance Spain.)
  

  • SPLT 062 - (LT): Magic and Witchcraft in Spanish Literature

    Semester Hours: 3
    This course analyzes literary works originally written in Spanish in which there is a clear reference to sorcery, demonic possessions and any kind of spiritual heterodoxy that has a direct influence on human behavior. On the one hand, we will focus on how the “Devil” is asked for help in the name of love or simply to achieve one’s goals and how sometimes the “Devil” takes the initiative. On the other hand, unorthodox ways to achieve divine contact between the human soul and God will be analyzed. This is a fascinating course that offers new ways to approach the study of literature. The course will be taught in English and the readings will also be in English.
  

  • SPLT 063 - (CC, LT) On Soccer and Latin America

    Semester Hours: 3
    Soccer is a game, a professional sport, a multi-million dollar industry, a space for global utopias, and a sinister ideology-reinforcing machine. It’s a battlefield for all cultural wars and an intense stage in all gender inclusion discussions. It’s a fabric in which race, ethnicity, and economic power intersect in live television and a factory of dispensable heroes and myths; in Argentina, it’s even a religion. In this course, we will review the cultural production surrounding the sport in the Latin American orb ­­––a true soccer powerhouse–, and put it at play with the framework of a series of ideas fundamental to contemporary thinking. We will read Latin American fiction and non-fiction, learn about popular music, and review films related to the sport from a critical humanist point of view.

Special Education (SPED)
  

  • SPED 101 - Inclusion: Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers, and K-6 Children

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Survey course designed to provide the student with practical skills and knowledge about young children with disabilities; serving on IFSP and IEP teams and collaborating with special educators and related services personnel; planning play and other intervention activities; and monitoring child progress, including referral to special education if needed. Field visits of 20 clock hours are required.
  

  • SPED 102 - Inclusion: Meeting Special Needs in PreK-12 Programs

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    This is a survey course designed to provide the student with practical skills and knowledge about including preK-12 children with disabilities, with emphasis upon middle-school and secondary school settings, and including health education; serving on IEP teams and collaborating with special educators and related services personnel; modifying curricula, materials, and methods to meet the special needs of students with mild or moderate disabilities, including referral to special education if needed. Field visits of 20 clock hours are required. Recommended prior to special methods courses.

Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences (SPCH)
  
  
  

  • SPCH 008 - Introduction to Hearing Science

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring

    The course will describe the structure and function of the hearing mechanism and the application of principles of physics to the measurement of hearing. The nature of sound, perception of sound, current theories of audition, frequency, decibels, pure tones, noise, spectrum, psychoacoustics, binaural hearing, localization, interaural attenuation, making, recruitment, impedance, and acoustic reflex will be covered.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SPCH 009 , 137 .
  

  • SPCH 009 - (BH) Exploring the Communication Sciences

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Basic concepts in communication science are introduced and related to disorders of speech, language and hearing.  Emphasis is placed on the analysis of speech production, comprehension, auditory perception, and the cognitive and social dimensions of language.  The role of professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders is introduced.
  

  • SPCH 010 - (BH, CC) Multicultural Aspects of Communication and Communication Disorders

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring

    This course explores sociocultural influences on normal and disordered spoken and written communication in monolingual and multilingual populations. Emphasis is placed on understanding the role of cross-cultural communicative differences in the perception of normal and disordered communication. Topics include multilingualism and multiculturalism; pidgins and creoles; gender, age, and communication; social and regional varieties of language: literacy; variation in normal and disordered communication.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  
  
  

  • SPCH 014F - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Fall
    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:

    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and only one 14S or 12S seminar.



  

  • SPCH 014S - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Spring

    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:

    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and only one 14S or 12S seminar.



  

  • SPCH 100 - Departmental Honors Candidacy: Essay/Project

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Research for the writing of a substantial essay, or the research, execution, and presentation of a creative project in the speech-language-hearing sciences. Open only to senior department majors who are eligible for and desire to graduate with departmental honors and who secure, before registration, written permission of the supervising instructor.
  
  

  • SPCH 102A - Normal Language Development

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Patterns of normal language acquisition in children are examined at different developmental levels. Aspects of phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax and pragmatics are studied along with the cognitive, social and cultural factors that contribute to language learning and literacy. Students learn how to obtain and analyze language samples.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SPCH 009 .
  
  

  • SPCH 131 - Introduction to Communication Disorders

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    This course provides a comprehensive overview of communication disorders across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on disorders of articulation, fluency, voice and aphasia. Theories, etiologies, and symptoms, as well as the educational and sociocultural impact of these disorders, are addressed. Students conduct a literature search, develop a bibliography, and complete a focused research paper.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SPCH 103 .
  
  

  • SPCH 133 - Clinical Methods in Speech and Language Disorders I

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring

    Supervised observation, report writing, and discussion of clinical methods used to evaluate and treat speech, language, and hearing disorders.  Students are exposed to a variety of clinical settings and service delivery models.  Professional ethics and responsibilities are discussed.  Students are required to document 15 hours of clinical observation.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SPCH 005A , 006 , 009 , 101A , 102A . Prerequisites or corequisites: SPCH 131  and 132 .
  

  • SPCH 134 - Clinical Methods II: Evidence-Based Practice

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring, Summer
    This advanced course on current issues in speech, language and hearing sciences is intended to integrate theoretical and clinical information. Students develop enhanced critical-thinking skills, professional and technical writing skills and problem-solving skills as they engage in projects that examine and analyze current research, participate in clinical case study reviews and develop empirical studies that focus on communication disorders. Ethics of clinical research practices and evidence-based practice will be emphasized. Clinical intervention techniques and empirical studies for treatment in articulation/phonology, aphasia, dysarthria, apraxia, cognitive rehabilitation and voice are covered. Students are required to orally present a detailed case study and analysis of a specific communication disorder within an evidence-based practice framework. Written lesson plans and simulated clinical interactions are a part of the requirements of the class. Students are required to document 10 hours of clinical observation.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SPCH 131 , 132  and 133 . (Formerly Clinical Methods in Speech, Language and Hearing Disorders II.)
  

  • SPCH 137 - Introduction to Audiology

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Summer
    This course will present an overview of the profession of audiology, and introduce undergraduate students to the principles and clinical practices of audiology.  Anatomy and physiology of the ear will be introduced and basic related disorders will be reviewed.  Types of hearing loss will be discussed.  Audiometric procedures, including pure-tone, speech audiometry and acoustic immittance will be discussed.  Basic information regarding physiological tests, such as OAE/ABR/ENG, will be provided.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Either SPCH 101A  or 103  recommended.
  

  • SPCH 138 - Integrative Aural Rehabilitation

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring, Summer
    The ramifications of hearing loss and hearing test results as they relate to the rehabilitative needs of hearing impaired people. Techniques and technologies used in audiologic rehabilitation. Topics include: hearing aids, cochlear implant, assistive listening devices, speechreading, auditory training, counseling, hearing conservation, and deaf education.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SPCH 009  and 137 . No liberal arts credit.
  
  

  • SPCH 160 - Field Experience in Communication Disorders

    Semester Hours: 1
    Fall, Spring
    This course serves as a field experience in communication disorders provided under the guidance of an instructor and a speech-language pathologist or audiologist who will serve as the mentor in the field. Students will be exposed to the roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists and audiologists in either a health-care or educational setting.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Students may accrue observation hours, but may not use experiences for clinical clock hours. Students are required to complete 28 hours of field work and meet at least four times with the instructor. To be eligible to participate, students are required to have an overall GPA of 3.0 and a departmental GPA of 3.3 and must have completed SPCH 005A , 006 , 009 , 102A , 131  and 137 . Grades will be based on both academic and on-site work. An on-site evaluation of “poor” results in a maximum overall course grade of C. This course may not be used toward meeting a major or minor requirement. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. No liberal arts credit. This course is repeatable for up to a total of 2 credits.

Sustainability Studies (SBLY)
  

  • SBLY 001 - (IS) Our Sustainable World

    Semester Hours: 3
    Summer

    This course includes a history of the development of the field of sustainability studies and will expose students to the basic concepts and the three major themes of sustainability studies: environment, equity and economic development. It will examine sustainability issues related to energy, water, natural lands, resource conservation, urban and suburban development, food and agriculture, brownfields, environmental justice and equity, green entrepreneurialism, and sustainability management. It will also review the major political and social movements associated with sustainability. The course includes lectures, readings, films, websites, and a variety of social media.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    (Formerly Introduction to Sustainability Studies.)
  

  • SBLY 002 - (IS) Sustainability Planning and Policy

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    This course focuses on issues in urban and suburban sustainability; cities and suburbs, because they are developing measurable approaches to improving their overall sustainability, are the leaders in the contemporary sustainability movement. The course will 1) review the history of the sustainability movement and the evolution of urban and suburban sustainability, with a strong emphasis on the development of benchmarking efforts; 2) examine various sustainability approaches that are used to manage resources, maintain environmental equity, and improve cities; and 3) examine several case studies in order to evaluate sustainability efforts in specific cities. Students will complete a final group project in which they will assess the sustainability of Hofstra’s campus.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    There will be guest lectures and two field trips. (Formerly Issues in Urban and Suburban Sustainability.)
  
  
  

  • SBLY 014F - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Fall
    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit. Students may take only one 014F or 012F seminar and only one 014S or 012S seminar.
  

  • SBLY 014S - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Spring
    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit. Students may take only one 014F or 012F seminar and only one 014S or 012S seminar
  

  • SBLY 100 - Departmental Honors Candidacy: Essay

    Semester Hours: 1-3
    Research and writing of a substantial essay in the field of sustainability studies.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SBLY 001  and 18 hours of course work taken in fulfillment of the requirements for the BA  or BS  in sustainability studies. Open only to qualified sustainability studies majors who have attained senior standing, wish to graduate with departmental honors, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, and have secured, before registration, written permission of the program director and of the instructor who will supervise the essay. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 6 s.h.
  

  • SBLY 104 A-Z - Special Topics in Sustainability Studies

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    This course provides an opportunity for students to take a unique course on a particular topic in sustainability studies. Topics may vary widely—for example, from environmental equity to land-use management. Students should consult with the instructor each time the course is offered to determine if prior preparation for the topic to be covered is required.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule. May be repeated for up to 9 s.h. of credit when topics vary.
  

  • SBLY 105 - Seminar on Sustainability

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall

    This senior capstone course focuses on understanding research on urban and suburban sustainability, with a strong focus on applied and pure research methodologies. Students will have the opportunity to read a variety of interdisciplinary literature on sustainability, write a literature review, and develop and present a research proposal on a topic of their choice, in consultation with the instructor and with a local community client. The seminar is a prerequisite to SBLY 110  where students will bring their research ideas to practice, and is, in addition, a service-learning class where students will partner with a local community in order to come to an understanding of its needs and concerns in the area of sustainability.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SBLY 001  and 002 ; senior class standing or permission of program director. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  

  • SBLY 110 - Sustainability Studio

    Semester Hours: 3
    Spring

    In this capstone studio course, students will work both individually and as a class on sustainability projects in consultation with a local community. Students will develop an individual research paper based on their work, and they will, as a class, collectively construct a professional technical report for delivery to the community partner. Each week, students will discuss the progress of their projects and meet with local sustainability leaders. Feedback and critiques will be provided by the instructor as projects are developed. Students will make poster presentations of their final projects for the class and for community representatives. This service-learning course will expose students to a variety of real-world topics in sustainability and will provide an opportunity to work on projects that will have a positive impact in the region.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SBLY 105 ; senior class standing or permission of program director. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  

  • SBLY 140 - Energy and Sustainability

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically

    This course provides an overview of energy science, economics, and policy with special attention to sustainable energy resources. The course content includes an overview of the different forms of energy, the historical context of energy use and policy, energy efficiency, conservation strategies, and analysis of the pros and cons of all forms of energy resources in terms of environmental, economic, and societal impacts.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SBLY 001  or permission of instructor. Credit given for this course or SBLY 104A, not both. (Formerly SBLY 104A: Energy Sustainability.) May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  

  • SBLY 145 - Geospatial Analysis in Sustainability

    Semester Hours: 3

    Periodically

    This course provides an overview of geospatial analysis in sustainability fields. Students will analyze sustainability data using geospatial approaches in order to solve problems in areas such as energy, air pollution, water resources, and environmental management.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SBLY 001  and GEOG 060  or 161 , or permission of instructor.  Credit given for this course or SBLY 104B, not both. (Formerly SBLY 104B: Geospatial Analysis in Sustainability.) May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  

  • SBLY 151 to 154 - Readings in Sustainability Studies

    Semester Hours: 1-3
    Periodically
    Independent study courses where students do intensive reading and produce oral reports and written essays focusing on topics of relevance to sustainability studies. These courses are only open to students pursuing advanced work in sustainability studies who have obtained permission of the program director and arranged to work with a supervising faculty member.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SBLY 001  and 12 s.h. of course work taken in fulfillment of the requirements for the BA  or BS  in sustainability studies, or permission of the program director. Students may take up to 6 s.h. of SBLY 151, 152, 153, 154 for credit. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  

  • SBLY 180 - Sustainability Internship

    Semester Hours: 1-6
    Fall, January, Spring, Summer
    The purpose of this course is to allow students to apply their course work to real-world situations. Students will earn credit for sustainability work experience with public agencies, non-profit organizations, or private businesses.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SBLY 001  and 18 hours of course work in fulfillment of requirements for the BA  or BS  in Sustainability Studies. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. This internship requires a minimum of 28 hours of on-site work per semester hour of credit accompanied by a minimum of 10 hours of academic work—for example, reading, research, and papers, and/or a term paper or final project, to be determined by the faculty adviser in conjunction with the student. Students must present an internship possibility to the director of Sustainability Studies for discussion and approval. A preliminary interview will take place between student and director to discuss the nature of the academic work associated with the on-site work of the internship. Final grades will be based on both academic and on-site performance. An on-site evaluation of “poor” will result in a final grade no higher than a “C.” 1-6 s.h. may be applied toward the BA  or BS  major in Sustainability Studies. 1-3 s.h. may be applied toward the minor in Sustainability Studies .

Swahili (SWAH)
  
  
  
  
  

  • SWAH 110 - Advanced Swahili

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    This course is designed to improve students’ speaking, understanding, reading, writing, and conversing skills in Swahili. Includes an intensive review of Swahili grammar. Reading and analysis of modern Swahili novels and plays. Vocabulary building and advanced conversation skills. Course focuses on Standard Swahili from Tanzania but includes introduction to other major written dialects such as Mrima from Tanzania, general Kenyan, and the Northern Swahili of Lamu District.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SWAH 004  or placement on exam.
  

  • SWAH 113 - Advanced Swahili

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    This course is designed to improve students’ speaking, understanding, reading, writing, and conversing skills in Swahili. Includes an intensive review of Swahili grammar. Reading and analysis of modern Swahili novels and plays. Vocabulary building and advanced conversation skills.  Course focuses on Standard Swahili from Tanzania but includes introduction to other major written dialects such as Mrima from Tanzania, general Kenyan, and the Northern Swahili of Lamu District.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    SWAH 004  or placement on exam.

Technology and Public Policy (TPP)
  

  • TPP 001 - (NS) Introduction to Environmental Systems

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Develops an understanding of environmental science and applies it to environmental public policy issues. Fundamental scientific principles discussed include conservation of energy, atmospheric transport, radioactivity, biodegradation and thermodynamics. Public policy issues include acid rain, global warming, nuclear energy, recycling, asbestos and toxic wastes. (2 hours lecture, 2 hours laboratory.)
  

  • TPP 004 - (NS) Introduction to Forensic Science

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Accidents, crimes, terrorist activities, and natural events can result in harm to people and property. Forensic investigation uses the scientific method and principal laws of the natural sciences to explain facts surrounding these events. This course covers handling evidence, fingerprint identification, footprint identification, microscopic and trace element examination; and fire, structural failure, vehicular accident, crime scene, and various nondestructive material investigations. The laboratory instructs students in the techniques and science used and allows the student to judge which are the best techniques for determining important facts surrounding the event in question. (2 hours lecture, 2 hours laboratory.)
  
  
  

  • TPP 014F - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Fall
    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests. 

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and only one 14S or 12S seminar.
  

  • TPP 014S - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Spring
    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests. 


    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit; consult the Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F or 12F seminar and only one 14S or 12S seminar.
  

  • TPP 015 - (NS) Designing the Human-Made World

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    An introduction to design of devices and structures created by humans.  Discussion of the design process with links to laws of science that underpin the devices.  The development of problem-solving skills is embedded in the student design projects. (2 hours lecture, 2 hours laboratory.) The course is designed to promote the development of student competency in the oral presentation of technical information.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Credit given for this course or ENGG 015 , not both.
  

  • TPP 019 - Technology and Society

    Semester Hours: 3
    Spring
    The interrelationship between technology and society in the past and present is established. The technological achievements of major civilizations from the Egyptians and Babylonians through the classical Mediterranean, Medieval, Renaissance and modern industrialized eras are all examined. The worldviews of different cultures toward technology are investigated, as well as both the desired and the unforeseen consequences of technological change. The course is designed to promote the development of student competency in the oral presentation of technical information.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Same as ENGG 019 .
  

  • TPP 060 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    This course introduces students to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) foundations, concepts, and application techniques. GIS are used to encode, store, analyze, and report spatial data and provide a repository, which can be constructed, maintained, edited and analyzed. By linking different information technologies such as mapping and database management systems, spatial information can be used to facilitate management and decisions in a wide array of fields. These include marketing, industrial and commercial location, resource inventory and management, environmental impact assessment, urban planning, transportation, tracking crime data.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Same as GEOG 060 .
  

  • TPP 110 - Energy and Society

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    The effect of the production, distribution and consumption of energy by man on the environment and society. Examination of the scientific principles associated with the energy problem and energy forms such as petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear, geothermal, solar and others with respect to characteristics, availability and magnitude of these resources. Various technologies are studied to determine the techniques for conversion to electric energy and other forms. The priorities and policies for future development, the social conflict between demand and environmental degradation are considered.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Permission of instructor.
  

  • TPP 112 - Technology and Human Values

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Investigation of the origin, nature, and status of human values in contemporary forms of technological civilization. The course combines three elements of coverage: survey of basic axiology (study of values); introduction to philosophy of technology (including its relations to science and society); examination of engineering ethics and/or aesthetics (including professional duty, cultural conscience, and environmental responsibility).

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Sophomore standing required. Same as PHI 091 .
  

  • TPP 113 - Technology and Defense Policy

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Emphasis is on weapons technology (ABM’s, long range missiles, nuclear weapons) and how evolving technology influences and is, in turn, influenced by changing policies in military security and arms control. Analysis of major U.S. policy decisions concerning strategies, arms control and military systems. The technological, environmental, political, strategic and budgetary factors affecting these decisions are examined.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Same as PSC 113 .
  

  • TPP 114 - Technology and Urban Problems

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    An examination of technological, social and economic factors which influence the planning and design of urban areas. Analysis of topics such as (1) land use, water use, pollution and energy factors used in the planning of housing, schools, hospitals, factories and recreational facilities, and (2) urban transportation problems involving methods of mass transportation, pollution, energy, parking and traffic safety.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    TPP 110 .
  

  • TPP 115 - Environmental Planning

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Local, regional and national environmental goals, policies and planning are examined. The course includes environmental quality control, land use planning, pollution abatement policies, environmental impact studies with regard to public works projects, utilities and large industries, The National Environmental Policy Act and Environmental Regulations and Enforcement.
  

  • TPP 116 - Technology and Communications Policy

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    The examination of the usage and potential control of communications. Topics include use and effectiveness of media, public and private policy with regard to communications, social, political, legal and economic factors, and assessment of regional and national communications systems. Typical of the technologies to be examined are cable TV, computerized instruction, communications satellites, newspapers, radio and standard TV.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    ECO 131  or approval of instructor.
  

  • TPP 117 - Technology Assessment

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Consideration of the management and control of technology by government. Examination of the interaction of institutional, political and technical considerations. Development of techniques for anticipation of social, economic, human and environmental consequences of technological development in order to provide the public and policy makers with the bases for decision making.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    TPP 110 , PSC 105  or approval of instructor.
  
  
  

  • TPP 130 - Media Technologies and Public Policy

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    Provides an interdisciplinary examination of new technologies, their impact on the media, global communication systems, and the international information society. Considers and analyzes who are the new media players, the legal and personal implication of media ownership patterns, fragmentation of society, and the controversial shaping nature of telecommunication and information technologies on the dimensions of our culture, social structure, economy, and politics.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    MASS 011  or approval of instructor. Same as MASS 130 .

University Perspectives (UNIV)
  

  • UNIV 001 - Academic Success

    Semester Hours: 1
    Fall, January, Spring, Summer
    This course will assist students in developing academic (e.g., reading; note taking; test taking), time management, communication, financial management, and wellness (e.g., managing stress and avoiding substance abuse) skills; gaining self awareness regarding personal learning styles; and becoming familiar with the various resources and support services available to students. 

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    This is an online (Blackboard), self-paced, eight-week course. Not for liberal arts credit. Pass/Fail grade only.
  

  • UNIV 006 A-Z - Special Topics: Careers and the Liberal Arts

    Semester Hours: 1

    In this course students will explore and articulate their own professional interests, identify learning experiences that will help them achieve their long-term professional goals and plan to engage in those experiences, and practice writing materials they can use for applications and participating in interviews for internships, jobs, and admissions to graduate and professional schools.  Students will gain a deeper understanding of the learning outcomes of a liberal arts education and practice describing, in both speech and writing, the transferable skills they will have acquired in their liberal arts majors.  Course activities will include panel discussions with Hofstra alumni who are liberal arts graduates now working in the private, public, and non-profit sectors.  

    Current Special Topics

    UNIV 006A: Careers in the Liberal Arts

    This course, co-taught by Dr. Rosanna Perotti (Political Science) and Ms. Sabeen Sheikh (Career Center), is designed to help HCLAS students discover their career interests (first few weeks) and explore options and opportunities at Hofstra that they can take advantage of to prepare for the best possible “launch” to those career trajectories after graduation.
    Highlights of the course include three alumni speaker panels, scattered throughout the semester, featuring Hofstra alumni who majored in the liberal arts and then went on to careers in the private sector (businesses large and small), the public sector (government agencies on the local, regional, state, and national level), and the non-profit sector (including social service agencies and political lobbying organizations).
    The faculty teaching the course try to recruit alumni whose majors at Hofstra reflect the majors of students in the given semester.  The curriculum also features a presentation on how to prepare to apply for graduate or professional school.
    If you’re sure you know what you want to do after you graduate, this course could help you make your best choices to achieve that very goal.  If you’re unsure as to what you want to do after you graduate, this course will help you figure that out.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Sophomore standing.  Grading is Pass/Fail.  No liberal arts credit.  
  

  • UNIV 101 - University 101

    Semester Hours: 1
    University 101 is designed to assist first-year students in making a positive adjustment to and to assimilate into University life. Students will discuss topics that have an impact on a college experience, and they will also learn about important resources and support services available at the University.  Through discussions, readings, and assignments students will develop the skills and awareness that will serve them throughout their years at Hofstra and in the future.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Not for liberal arts credit.

Women’s Studies (WST)
  

  • WST 001D - (IS) Women, Sex and Power

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    An interdisciplinary course that introduces concepts central to women’s studies through the study of a variety of gender-related issues. Students learn about the historical roots of women’s inequality, the impact of changing gender roles on the lives of women and men, and the relationship of gender and sexuality to other forms of human diversity such as race and ethnicity, social class, nationality, and physical ability. This course prepares students for more discipline-specific courses in other departments with special focus on women, as well as for further course work in women’s studies. Students engage course materials both in written assignments and in collaborative discussions of issues and texts.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    [Formerly (IS) Introduction to Women’s Studies.]
  

  • WST 008 - (IS) Female Identity Through Art and Literature

    Semester Hours: 3

    Once a Year
    This course will explore the theme of female identity as expressed in both literary and visual texts. What societal factors contribute to the shaping of one’s identity? What cultural stereotypes have been attached to women? How have these stereotypes been upheld–or rejected–in Western art and literature? Through our reading of critical essays, short fiction, drama, and poetry and our examination of visual texts (paintings, photographs, advertisements, films) we will explore these issues. We will also consider the correlation between the literary and visual arts–how they speak to and inform each other.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
     

     
  
  
  
  

  • WST 014F - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Fall
    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.


    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit; consult Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F/12F seminar and only one 14S/12S seminar.
  

  • WST 014S - First-Year Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3-4
    Spring
    This course gives first-year students the opportunity to work in a seminar format with a member of the faculty in an area of the faculty member’s research interests.


    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    The course is open to first-year students only. Topics vary by semester. This course is offered for distribution credit; consult Semester Planning Guide for proper category listing. Students may take only one 14F/12F seminar and only one 14S/12S seminar.
  

  • WST 102 - (IS) Body Politics

    Semester Hours: 3
    Once a Year
    This course addresses the various ways that people imagine, represent, regulate, and discipline their own and others’ bodies. For instance, how do understandings of the human body vary across cultures or at different historical moments within a culture? Whose bodies are privileged and whose bodies are marginalized? How are our bodies marked by social practices? We will consider how science and medicine, law, philosophy, literature, and the media contribute to individual and shared understandings of our bodies. We will also explore how claims regarding the natural facts of the human body have been used to organize, justify, enforce, and resist unequal social relations.
  

  • WST 103 - Theories of Feminisms

    Semester Hours: 3
    Once a Year
    This course will examine some of the theories that exist within the field of feminism, focusing on their differences from each other and on the significance of their contributions to the concept of gender equality. This course serves as an in-depth introduction to the various theoretical frameworks that continue to inform scholarship in the field of women’s studies.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    WST 001D .
  

  • WST 150 A-Z - (IS) Topics in Women’s Studies

    Semester Hours: 3

    This course will offer an in-depth study of major issues in Women’s and Gender Studies. Topics will reflect current developments in the field and will address issues such as women’s roles in work, family, sexuality, and reproduction; language, representation, and performance; feminist politics and policies; transnational and cross-cultural perspectives of gender; and the impact of science and technology on women’s lives.


    Current Special Topics

    WST 150 X (WI, IS) Radical Women and the Struggle for Social and Economic Justice in the US
    “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” so the saying goes. This course will use the lens of biography + social movement studies to construct portraits of women who refused to behave well and explore how these women-led, challenged, and otherwise influenced movements for social and economic justice in various eras, up to, and including, the present.
    Cross-listed with RHET 189A and LABR 155A. 


    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Subjects will change from semester to semester and the course may be repeated for credit when topics vary. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.
  

  • WST 151 A-Z - Special Topics in Women’s Studies

    Semester Hours: 1-4

    Periodically

    Studies in special topics in the field of women’s and gender studies. Topics vary by semester. May be cross-listed with courses in other departments or disciplines. 
     

    Current Special Topics

    WST 151E Women Writers in America  

    A course on American women writers raises the question of what difference if any, the gender of a writer makes. From the colonial era to the present, women writers have contributed to American literature, but how those contributions have been valued (and whether they have been considered worthy of study) has varied over time. Moreover, some women writers have imagined themselves writing for women readers and contributing to a female-authored literary tradition, while others have resisted this idea. According to literary critic Elaine Showalter, “the female tradition in American literature is not the result of biology, anatomy, or psychology. It comes from women’s relation to the literary marketplace and from literary influence rather than essential sexual difference. It comes from pressures on women to lead private rather than public lives, and to conform to cultural norms and expectations” (Jury of her Peers xv). In this class, we’ll study some well-known and some lesser known women writers, and we’ll discuss their audiences and the popular and critical reception of their work, the emergence of writing as a vocation for women, and the obstacles and opportunities women writers have faced at different historical moments. We’ll read fiction and poetry and address the relationship of the literary texts we read to significant events in U.S. history and literary traditions.
    Cross-listed with ENG124A. 

    WST 151K – Gender: A Policed State

    This class will explore how Mass Incarceration uniquely impacts Womxn and the need for gender-responsive criminal justice reform efforts. Historically, Criminal Justice reform, research, and rhetoric have focused on the experiences of men, assuming that whatever reforms are beneficial to men will extend to their womxn counterparts – data and research confirm that this has been a huge mistake. Yet, while Womxn today are the fastest-growing correctional population in the United States, there is surprisingly little research on the causes of this trend. Exploring the epidemic of mass incarceration for Womxn through feminist frameworks and theories will lead the course to critique gender as a policed state and imagine alternatives outside of a patriarchal carceral system.
    This course can be substituted for the Feminist Theory (WST 103) requirement in the WST major.

    WST 151L – Psychology of Women and Gender

    This course will examine the social construction of being female in American society, focusing on how growing up female impacts lifespan development and mental health. We will consider the impact of male power and privilege on the psychological development of women; discuss genes, sex hormones, and the brain; explore our current understanding of gender differences and our appreciation of sex/gender beyond the binary, and learn about the intersection of gender and ethnicity.  

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    May be repeated for credit when topics vary. As individual subjects are selected, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.
  

  • WST 180 - Women’s Studies Seminar

    Semester Hours: 3
    Periodically
    An examination of the interdisciplinary research methods and techniques used in women’s studies. Students will choose and pursue a semester-long research project on a related women’s studies and/or gender topic. The research project will culminate in an oral presentation to the class and a written paper.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    WST 001D . Restricted to WST majors  and minors  with at least junior standing. May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  

  • WST 197 - Departmental Honors Candidacy: Essay

    Semester Hours: 3
    Fall, Spring
    Research for and writing of a substantial essay in women’s studies. Open only to women’s studies majors  who are eligible and desire to graduate with departmental honors. Interested students must secure, before registration, written permission of the instructor who will supervise the essay. 

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Minimum overall GPA of 3.6. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 6 s.h., if taken in both fall and spring of senior year.  May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis.
  

  • WST 198 - Independent Study in Women’s Studies

    Semester Hours: 1-4
    Fall, Spring
    Individualized course of readings or plan of study prepared by student in consultation with and under the guidance of a faculty instructor. Written and/or other requirements for completion are established by the faculty instructor.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Permission of instructor and of the director of Women’s Studies. May be used in partial fulfillment of requirements for a minor in Women’s Studies . May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 6 s.h.
  

  • WST 199 - Internship in Women’s Studies

    Semester Hours: 1-6
    Periodically
    This internship program provides students with an opportunity to apply academic and theoretical knowledge to practical situations. A minimum of 28 to 168 hours of work in an approved academic, government, non-government, or research institution is combined with academic work including an in-depth term paper that situates the internship experience within the broader framework of theoretical women’s studies scholarship.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    Successful completion of at least 18 semester hours of women’s studies courses , including WST 001D . May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 6 s.h.

Writing Studies and Composition (WSC)
  
  
  

  • WSC 002 - Composition

    Semester Hours: 3

    Fall, Spring, Summer

    Continued instruction in expository writing, and an introduction to writing in the disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Reading and writing assignments are organized around a central theme.

    Current Special Topics

    Health, Illness, Disease, and Somewhere In-Between

    What contributes to health?  What causes illness and disease?  And how and why do we waiver in-between? We will research immunological issues regarding our bodies and minds; we will address these findings through discussion and writing, considering how best to promote health and well-being for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

    Dangerous Reproductions

    Our discussions will evaluate the cross-disciplinary literature we read in class based on questions such as: What were the prevalent social attitudes during the period in which the literature was written? How did families, political leaders, writers, artists, scientists, and other individuals, live, dress, eat, and think during this period? What were the political and cultural views that influenced the author’s work? These perspectives will dominate class conversations as we examine the theme of “Dangerous Reproductions.” These issues will circulate around the major influential novel of nineteenth-century England written by Mary Shelley in 1818, Frankenstein, Or the Mode, Or the Modern Prometheus.

    Sleep and Dreams: An Inter-disciplinary Investigation

    Sleep. All living things require it in some form or another. By rough estimate, human beings spend 1/3 of their lives doing it. Next to love, but more than money, we crave it most. You’d probably rather be doing it now than reading this, yes? So, to meet you halfway, this semester our course theme is “Sleep and Dreams: An Inter-disciplinary Investigation.” Readings for our course will consist of texts in the Natural Sciences (Biology, Neurology), Social Sciences (Anthropology, Psychology), and Humanities (Literature). We will engage with these texts through reading responses, class discussions, and composition. The composition portion of our course will focus on students’ continued practice in developing thesis and argument, through each stage of the composition process; discovery, organization, drafting, and revision. All major assignments are designed to give students a proper grounding in the kinds of academic writing with which they will be engaged during their Hofstra careers.

    Travel and Community in American Life

    From the wagons of the western frontier to the building of the railways and highways, travel in America has taken many forms.  In WSC 002, we will explore the theme of travel in American life and how to travel for purposes such as recreation, business, education or social escape affects individuals, communities, and the natural world.  Through reading the work of various authors, we will discuss, question, and write about travel as an integral aspect of American life and identity

    Parameters of the Mind

    Our thematic focus will be on the human desire to discover the many dimensions of the human mind, its imaginative voyages, and its hidden potential.  To that end, we will begin by reading, discussing, and writing about the “fantastic,” first as it appears in fairy tales.  Next, we will examine the “findings” in the field of parapsychology. Finally, we will look at the mind’s attempt to envision where science will lead us in the future.  You will be reading and writing evaluations of essays by psychiatrists, anthropologists, linguists, medical doctors, and novelists.  Perhaps you will come to some conclusion about what humans want to believe, what they should believe, and what they may decide to disbelieve. 

    Pop People, Words and Music

    The goal of this course is to assess critically the American popular culture of the past 50 years. We will focus on lifestyles, technology, music, film, television, and visual art, with the goal of commenting on the direction pop culture is, will be, and/or should be taking.  Students will write three (3) papers (in a way, one large paper in three parts) showing some logical progression/evolution/devolution of pop culture: a genesis, a turning point, and the current state of affairs.

    Through a Glass Darkly: Viewing America Through Its Movies

    If art reflects life, it does so with special mirrors. – Bertrolt Brecht, poet, and playwright

    The cinema uses the language of dreams. - Federico Fellini, film director.

    We would be foolish to think movies offer us a realistic picture of our lives.  In real life, folks can’t fly, heroes don’t banish evil-doers, and few of us find true love with sea monsters. And yet, would movies really hold such a fascination for us if they did not speak to our real lives in some meaningful way? In this course, we will view the movies as projections of our own cultural anxieties, values, beliefs, and ideals.  Like a psychoanalyst interprets dreams (the “movies” we create in our sleep), we will examine how Hollywood films transform our fears, hopes, and desires into stories, images, and emotions that speak to us on levels we may not always be aware of.  Through close film study, secondary texts, class discussions, and presentations, we will examine the complex relationship between our movies and ourselves, and consider how these powerful cultural products reflect, shape, and distort the social, political, and psychological realities of our lives.

    Silence Is A Deafening Sound

    The Inspiration for the theme of this course, Les Miserables, a work of art that has transcended multiples, disciplines, and forms, reminds us of an important power that silence has:  “When the beating of your heart”/Echoes the beating of the drums,”/”There is a life about to start”/When tomorrow comes?” The first is a sound that remains largely unheard unless we seek it, and the second is a sound that is difficult to ignore.  However, “Do You Hear The People Sing?” places the same amount of weight on both of them.  Silence, in both its implied and literal forms, is a concept with the power to inspire and transform literature, awaken society, and symbolize both the beauty and sadness found in the natural world.  In this course, we will examine the concept of silence in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

    Social Justice and Diversity

    Multicultural perspectives on advocacy for social justice and an affinity to identify the appreciative value of diversity are still imbued within marginalized ethnic, racial, and gender differences.  This course examines how written discourse in the Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Humanities has contributed morally, legally, financially, politically, and scientifically either to exacerbate or to preclude bias; it explores how individuals can empower themselves as conduits of civility, civil liberty, and civil rights.

    Dust, Depression, Drama – the 1930s

    Edward Abbey’s 1956 comment about what was then Arches National Monument, Utah, is simple: “This is the most beautiful place on earth.”  In 1971, Arches became one of 59 national parks out of 417 sites the US National Parks Service maintains throughout the United States.  This semester we’ll visit some of the parks found in Utah, Arizona, and Colorado.  These Western locations are culturally alive, rich in literature, and have become the natural backdrops for many artists, photographers, and filmmakers.  As we take in the landscape, we’ll observe the physical history of these constantly changing rock formations.  We’ll also discuss the influences that led people to build their dwellings in the red sandstone canyon walls, making these deserts and canyons their homes. So this semester, let’s take a trip out west to learn as we discover.

    Why Pop Music Matters 

    We will study the various ways popular music has contributed to social and cultural constructs in American society. Students will examine several genres and their relationship to shifts in societal attitudes. Students will analyze music’s role as social commentary and its impact on changing the status quo. The course delves far beyond mainstream hooks and catchy beats, instead, students begin to rigorously frame popular music in a global and sociological context. This class requires students to independently research and write about many aspects of popular music

    The Gothic

    In this course, students will explore the broad genre known as Gothic by defining the term. Students will investigate the Gothic genre, critiquing and adapting their approaches and theories through writing.  Students will view classic thriller films, read short stories by writers such as Angela Carter, and read articles on the psychology of fear.

    Writing from Both Sides of the Brain

    This composition class will examine the role of creative thinking in a robust society. Stanislavsky’s “method” parallels Freud; Meisner’s work mirrors Autism research. The Arts tap into our collective unconscious. The Arts can reflect our society’s unfolding narrative, help us metabolize rapid changes, restore the community, and help us decide what it all means. Readings will include Carl Jung’s “Man and His Symbols,” Joshua Foer’s “Moonwalking with Einstein,” and Kim Addonizo’s “Ordinary Genius.”

    The Business of Sports

    The influence that sports have on world culture is the strongest it has ever been.  Over the last 100 years, the world of sports has transformed from simple athletic competitions to a multi-billion-dollar industry.  From the clothes and shoes children wear to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, the sports industry impacts people personally and globally.  The Business of Sports will examine how athletes have gone from semi-professional individual to purveyors of a global brand, and how industries have been created or modified to accommodate this new business world.  Behind every sports hero, every winner, and every loser, is an army of people wrestling over dollars and television coverage.  This section of WSC 002 will study and write about the sports world through interdisciplinary texts, media, and discussion of the industries that thrive behind the veneer of the sports world.

    The Truth Behind The Facade

    WSC2 is a theme-based course that includes readings in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The class will concentrate on critical reading and critical thinking as well as focus on instruction in expository writing. Specifically, the class will focus on the interaction of children and the choices children make. This will include the intricacies of human nature and the difficulty in making ethical decisions. Through close analysis, critical thinking, discussion, and writing, the anomaly of the human conscience will be explored.

    NON-CONFORMITY

    Sue Coe writing about the horrors of the slaughterhouse, Fly writing about the people living on the margins, squatting in abandoned buildings, Hubert Selby Jr. writing about the illusion of the American dream, Timothy “Speed” Levitch writing about the dark side of capitalism —all these writers are known as non-conformists and are often labeled outlaws for daring to write about the truth.  These courageous writers, as well as many others, using ink and fire, challenge the reader to remove the cataracts of conformity from their eyes, and really see the truth.  In this course, we will read some non-conformist writers and discuss why truth-telling is important in a land where, as Alan Watts so bluntly put it, “it’s taboo to really know yourself.” And at the same time, we will attempt to write our non-conformist essays. #truthtellers  #non-conformity

    Cultural Myths and Realities: An Exploration in Personal and Social Identity

    What is identity? What directs who you are and the choices you make?  Is our environment or our internal “make-up” what directs us to make the choices we do?  In this course, we will look at the historical, scientific, philosophical, and cultural factors that might determine our thinking about who we are and what develops our ideology. We will examine the cultural myths and realities that shape these decisions and questions whether some of these factors are our decisions at all. We will also investigate how social stereotyping can often lead to the misuse and abuse of power, how beliefs about culture, language, race, gender, and genetics play into our personal and social identities. Through a variety of texts, we will examine varied intersections culturally and physically that define who we are through reading responses, class discussion, and composition. The composition portion of the course will focus on students’ continued practice and developing thesis and argument through each stage of the writing process – discovery, organization, drafting, and revision – to give students the proper grounding in academic writing, critical analysis, and argumentation.

    Hacking the Climate: Geoengineering and the Coming Climate Crisis

    With carbon emissions continuing unabated, even after repeated efforts to reach a global consensus on reducing them, scientists, economists, business leaders, environmentalists, and others are taking a hard look at methods of intervening in natural processes on a global scale to avert what many see as an impending ecological disaster. Call it hacking the planet, playing God, tuning the weather, fixing the sky, or simply madness, the debate over its viability has begun. This course weighs the legal, ethical, economic, political, and scientific arguments being made for and against geoengineering for their implicit assumptions, values, and rhetorical methods.  Although the course addresses the scientific bases for various geoengineering proposals, its focus is on scrutinizing the logic and rhetoric of the arguments for and against geoengineering and on writing in response to these arguments.

    Love, Marriage, and Friendship

    Love, marriage, and friendship: which of these ideals is most important to us as human beings? Can love for one’s partner be compatible with deep friendship with one’s friends? Does marriage require love? What historical, scientific, philosophical, and cultural factors might determine our thinking about these ideals? To answer these questions (and many more), our course takes an interdisciplinary approach towards examining the varied intersections and tensions among love, marriage, and friendship.

    Wicked Problems:  Solving Social Challenges Through Science and Stories

    This section of WSC 2 seeks to improve students’ writing abilities through the analysis of “Wicked Problems.”  This term refers to social ills that are so tangled and complicated that they defy our attempts to solve them.  A few examples include Poverty, Inequality, Crime, Addiction, Family Dysfunction, Historical Trauma, and Housing Insecurity.  Our class will examine how scientists, artists, and leaders use writing, rhetoric, and argumentation as they wrestle with these and other problems.  Ultimately, students will gain exposure to different writing forms across the disciplines, and cultivate their own abilities in writing and analysis.

    Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
    WSC 001 . May not be taken on a Pass/D+/D/Fail basis. The Writing Proficiency Exam is given as part of the course.
  
  
 

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