Core Curriculum

Core Capstone Courses: Fall 2013 

ABEC 404:  Wildlife, Ecology, and Conservation in South Africa

Instructor: Susan Margulis
Prerequisites: Senior ABEC Majors only

Travel to South Africa for three weeks during the summer to study wildlife ecology and conservation from a more global perspective.  Students will have the opportunity to interact and collaborate with students and researchers from the University of Venda and the research staff of the Lajuma Research Centre as part of their field experience.  In addition to the scientific components of the course, students will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural, historical, and political issues of South Africa, and the realities of conservation in a developing nation, via discussion and reading. The class also involves travel to Kruger National Park.  Research projects are completed during the fall semester.  Students must apply for this course during FALL of their junior year.

CLG 400: Paideia TR 10:00-11:15

Instructor: Thomas Banchich
Prerequisites: Seniors Only

The range of meaning of the Greek work Paideia encompasses our notions of education, culture, and literature. The course will be devoted to the study of a particular ancient Greek author—for example, Homer, Sophocles, or Aristotle—, group of authors—for example, Thucydides and Euripides or Plato and Aristophanes—, or genre—for example, philosophy, tragedy, or history. Whatever the authors or texts, most of them will be read in the original Greek.

As a result, though the course is not limited to Classics majors, students will be required to have had at least three semesters of ancient Greek. To ensure that this is the case and that those who wish to register have completed or are in the process of completing their core requirements, the permission of the instructor will be required for all who wish to take CLG 400. CLG 400 may count toward the completion of the major or minor in Classics.

CLL 400: Humanitas MWF 12:00-12:50

Instructor: Kathryn Williams
Prerequisites: Seniors only; see description below

The range of meaning of the Latin work Humanitas encompasses our notions of education, culture, and literature. The course will be devoted to the study of a particular ancient Latin author—for example, Virgil, Cicero, or Suetonius—, group of authors—for example, Plautus and Terence or Caesar and Sallust—, or genre—for example, philosophy, poetry, or history. Whatever the authors or texts, most of them will be read in the original Latin.

As a result, though the course is not limited to Classics majors, students will be required to have had at least three semesters of ancient Latin. To ensure that this is the case and that those who wish to register have completed or are in the process of completing their core requirements, the permission of the instructor will be required for all who wish to take CLL 400. CLL 400 may count toward the completion of the major or minor in Classics.

ECCH 494: Capstone Seminar for Teachers

Instructor:TBA
Prerequisites: Seniors Education Majors Only

This seminar is the reflective course that accompanies student teaching for education majors. Teacher candidates reflect on their student teaching experience, engage in classroom discussions, and complete readings, reflection papers, and a final project related to issues of diversity, ethics, global awareness, and social justice.

EDE 494: Capstone Seminar for Teachers TBA

Instructor: TBA
Prerequisites: Senior Education Majors only

This seminar is the reflective course that accompanies student teaching for education majors. Teacher candidates reflect on their student teaching experience, engage in classroom discussions, and complete readings, reflection papers, and a final project related to issues of diversity, ethics, global awareness, and social justice.

EDS 494: Capstone Seminar for Teachers TBA

Instructor: TBA
Prerequisites: Senior Education Majors only

This seminar is the reflective course that accompanies student teaching for education majors. Teacher candidates reflect on their student teaching experience, engage in classroom discussions, and complete readings, reflection papers, and a final project related to issues of diversity, ethics, global awareness, and social justice.

EDY 494: Capstone Seminar for Teachers TBA

Instructor: TBA
Prerequisites: Senior Education Majors only

This seminar is the reflective course that accompanies student teaching for education majors. Teacher candidates reflect on their student teaching experience, engage in classroom discussions, and complete readings, reflection papers, and a final project related to issues of diversity, ethics, global awareness, and social justice.

FAM 390: Sounding Society MWF 1:00-1:50

Instructor: Richard Falkenstein
Prerequisites: Seniors only

The premise that music is one of the richest cultural expressions of a community forms the basis for this course, which explores how music represents, instills, and challenges the values of ethics, justice, diversity, and global awareness in different societies. In addition to art music (Western and otherwise) the course also encompasses popular and indigenous music. The course is flexible enough to accommodate students without music reading skills.

HIS 460:  The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt T 2:00-4:45

Instructor: Nancy Rosenbloom
Prerequisites: Seniors only

This course explores the life and times of Theodore Roosevelt (1859-1919), a period that saw the birth of modern America.  If historians sometimes argue that the man makes the times, alternatively they also argue that times make the man.  Roosevelt helped to forge a political culture in response to modernity and articulated a national and international vision that reflected both an understanding of American diversity and the demands of being a player on the world stage.  At the same time, Roosevelt developed a concept of civic virtue that met the ethical standards of what he famously called “the strenuous life,” and, as President from 1901-1908, he used his office as a “bully pulpit” towards the achievement of a more just economic and social order. For this reason, The Age of Theodore Roosevelt focuses on the period that roughly encompasses the political career of one of the most fascinating figures in modern American history.

PED 494: Capstone Seminar for Teachers TBA

Instructor: Jeffrey Lindauer
Prerequisites: Senior Education Majors only

This seminar is the reflective course that accompanies student teaching for education majors. Teacher candidates reflect on their student teaching and observations, complete readings, engage in classroom discussions and complete reflections and other projects related to issues of diversity, ethics, global awareness and social justice and how these pertain to their own development as teachers.

PHI 399D: Ethics, Justice & The Problem of Poverty MWF 11:00-12:50

Instructor: Sean Johnston
Prerequisites: Seniors only

This course synthesizes the learning experiences from having completed the components of the Core Curriculum. The course has two parts. The first part takes up consideration of two texts that provide a strong yet accessible background in ethics, justice, and diversity: (1) Kwame Anthony Appiah: Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers; and (2) Michael Sandel: Justice. The second part of the course examines the controversy between two development economists; here the texts are: (3) Jeffrey Sachs The End of Poverty; and (4) William Easterly: The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good. The emphasis then is on global awareness. Examining the controversy between Sachs and Easterly raises concern about how good will and a commitment to justice by themselves seem not to entail clear and easy solutions to the problem of world poverty.

Open to all students from all majors, this core capstone course was partly designed for Business Majors. We will consider several rival versions of our moral self-understanding and several rival versions of how to address contemporary moral problems. Our goal is to apply these different approaches to the problem of world poverty. Since by current estimates, over 1.7 billion people live in absolute poverty [less than $1.25 per day], how do different economic approaches to these problems entail different conceptions of justice and of the living well? The course considers our position as moral beings in a poverty stricken world.

PHI 399N: Ethics, Justice & the Problem of Poverty TR 1:00-2:15

Instructor: Stephanie Rivera Berruz
Prerequisites: Seniors only

This course synthesizes the learning experiences from having completed the components of the Core Curriculum. The course has two parts. The first part takes up consideration of two texts that provide a strong yet accessible background in ethics, justice, and diversity: (1) Kwame Anthony Appiah: Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers; and (2) Michael Sandel: Justice. The second part of the course examines the controversy between two development economists; here the texts are: (3) Jeffrey Sachs The End of Poverty; and (4) William Easterly: The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good. The emphasis then is on global awareness. Examining the controversy between Sachs and Easterly raises concern about how good will and a commitment to justice by themselves seem not to entail clear and easy solutions to the problem of world poverty.

Open to all students from all majors, this core capstone course was partly designed for Business Majors. We will consider several rival versions of our moral self-understanding and several rival versions of how to address contemporary moral problems. Our goal is to apply these different approaches to the problem of world poverty. Since by current estimates, over 1.7 billion people live in absolute poverty [less than $1.25 per day], how do different economic approaches to these problems entail different conceptions of justice and of the living well? The course considers our position as moral beings in a poverty stricken world.

PSC 442: Seminar in International Relations W 2:30-5:00

Instructor: Jonathan DiCicco
Prerequisites: Senior International Relations Majors Only

PSC 442 is the senior seminar for students majoring in International Relations (IR), a multidisciplinary major that draws on multiple disciplines and requires international experience and foreign language training. To help IR majors draw on such knowledge and experience to formulate a coherent worldview and reflect on what it takes to become a global citizen and potential leader, PSC 442 focuses attention on leaders and leadership in international politics, broadly construed. We consider and discuss different ways of conceptualizing international leadership, and analyze leaders of the international system (historically and in the 21^st century) as well as leaders of organizations, countries, and social movements with global significance.

PSY 320A: Cultural Psychology MWF 11:00-11:50

Instructor: Dewey Bayer
Other: In-class and online experiences
Prerequisites: Seniors only

Cultural psychology is the comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology (socialization, learning, perceptions, emotions, and motivations). It examines psychological diversity and the links between cultural norms and behavior. It also examines the ways in which particular human activities are influenced by social and cultural forces. Furthermore, cultural psychology primarily uses the comparative method to establish psychological concepts, principles, and hypotheses. The purpose of the seminar is to introduce the field of cultural psychology and its contemporary applications. Through discussions and readings students can expect to develop a broader, global perception of contemporary psychology. Additionally, the course will assist in developing a useful set of critical-thinking tools with which to analyze and evaluate psychology from various, ethnic, national, and religious groups, thereby applying the attributes of the college core. Information literacy and advanced writing are required.

PSY 320B: Cultural Psychology MWF 10:00-10:50

Instructor: Dewey Bayer
Other: In-class and online experiences
Prerequisites: Seniors only

Cultural psychology is the comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology (socialization, learning, perceptions, emotions, and motivations). It examines psychological diversity and the links between cultural norms and behavior. It also examines the ways in which particular human activities are influenced by social and cultural forces. Furthermore, cultural psychology primarily uses the comparative method to establish psychological concepts, principles, and hypotheses. The purpose of the seminar is to introduce the field of cultural psychology and its contemporary applications. Through discussions and readings students can expect to develop a broader, global perception of contemporary psychology. Additionally, the course will assist in developing a useful set of critical-thinking tools with which to analyze and evaluate psychology from various, ethnic, national, and religious groups, thereby applying the attributes of the college core. Information literacy and advanced writing are required.

PSY 470:  Controversial Issues TR 3:00-4:15

Instructor:TBA
Prerequisites: Seniors only

This course will address some of psychology’s controversial topics in order to illustrate how psychologists address and debate the core issues.  As is the case in complex human affairs, there are no easy answers, simple solutions or quick resolutions.  You will use critical thinking and information literacy skills to arrive at answers to some of the most interesting and perplexing issues in psychology today.  Four of the issues selected for analysis will relate to the core attributes of ethics, justice, diversity and global awareness.  Come prepared to read, research, write, discuss and debate.

RST 399C ONL: Liberation Theologies TBA

Instructor: Patrick Lynch, S.J.
Other: Online Course

This course will study the origins and development of Liberation Theology in Latin America before investigating the ways in which this theology developed among other racial, ethnic, and gender groups in the United States and elsewhere in the world. In particular, the course will study aspects of African American, Latino/Latina, GLBTQ, and feminist theologies in the U.S. and liberation theologies in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Within these theologies special attention will be given to issues of social justice. Ethical issues will also be addressed when considering liberation in the context of feminism, health care, and criminal punishment.

SPE1 494: Capstone Seminar for Teachers TBA

Instructor: Julie Henry
Prerequisites: Senior Education Majors only

This seminar is the reflective course that accompanies student teaching for education majors. Teacher candidates reflect on their student teaching and observations, complete readings, engage in classroom discussions and complete reflections and other projects related to issues of diversity, ethics, global awareness and social justice and how these pertain to their own development as teachers.

SPEB 494: Capstone Seminar for Teachers TBA

Instructor: Julie Henry
Prerequisites: Senior Education Majors only

This seminar is the reflective course that accompanies student teaching for education majors. Teacher candidates reflect on their student teaching and observations, complete readings, engage in classroom discussions and complete reflections and other projects related to issues of diversity, ethics, global awareness and social justice and how these pertain to their own development as teachers.