FYS 101A Representations of Buffalo: This section will study Buffalo’s prominent place in the nineteenth century, its technological prowess at the turn of the century as represented at the Pan-American Exposition, and its demise throughout the latter half of the 20th century due to various economic, planning, and social changes on a local, state, national, and worldwide level. We will also use available research to predict Buffalo’s future, identify means to stimulate Buffalo's reinvigoration, and/or consider if a rebirth is even possible.
FYS 101B Language and Thought: Examines language as an evolutionary biological adaptation and explores the complex relationship between the nature of language and human knowledge. We will consider critical differences between oral and written language and the role language has in our expression and understanding of beliefs, prejudices, ideals, and aspirations.
FYS 101C/D Wordplay: the Power and Pleasure of Shaping Verbal Words: Examines how written and spoken language can be a most powerful skill in college careers, professional lives, and personal worlds We will work in teams to describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate what we read in a variety and range of word shapes, including memoirs, essays, speeches, and one instance of historical fiction.
FYS 101E How Our Minds Work: Examines how our minds work: our senses, the nature of memory, definitions of the “self,” means of communication with other minds, and how to interpret and make sense of animal minds and artificial intelligences. We will analyze essays about these topics as a means to think and write about emerging knowledge of these issues and how they relate to our own sense of self.
FYS 101F/I Envying God: Visionary Writers and their Doubts: Examines how imagination unconstrained by time and place reconstructs commonplace understanding of human relationships and life in its everyday patterns. We will analyze works by Dante, William Blake, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Flannery O’Connor (and others) to witness how wisdom emerges when flecks of doubt impair visions of transcendent reality.
FYS 101G Digital Scholarship: In modern times there has been a dialog between the arts and scholarship. In this course we will examine the diverse and interesting ways that knowledge is expressed through multiple forms of intelligence. With the Internet, there is a muddling between epistemology (knowledge) and aesthetics (design, style, form). In this course we will study this traditional split, and how the ability to communicate through multimedia (sound, images and video) presents unique opportunities for both conventional and media literacy. This course will combine intensive reading, writing and media analysis; with simple hands-on assignments that help students utilize their own creativity and easy-to-use digital tools to produce scholarly works.
FYS 101H Teaching for Equity & Social Justice: Development of writing skills will take place under the content lens of teaching for equity and social justice. This will include readings of primary authors such as Jonathon Kozol, Gloria Ladsen-Billings, David Kobrin, Jacqueline Jordan-Irvine, and Rethinking Education Inc. Students will have the opportunity to evaluate their own experiences against the writing of authors related to issues such as diversity, race, socio-economic status, culture, and gender and the social justice movement that promotes educational and socio-economic equity for all learners in all educational settings. .
FYS 101J Fairy Tales in Literature and Film: Examines different Western cultural representations of women, discussing fairy tales such as "Cinderella," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Blue Beard," and "Beauty and the Beast.".
FYS 101K Mark Twain in Buffalo: What was Mark Twain’s take on Buffalo’s infamous snowy winters? Did Twain really go over Niagara Falls? Why did he hate the Buffalo coroner so much? Was he afraid of a cemetery near his Delaware Avenue home? You’ll find out by reading the hilarious, satirical, and opinionated stories and editorials that Twain wrote when he lived and worked as a newspaper editor in Buffalo from 1869 to 1871.
By studying Twain’s original contributions to the Buffalo Express, you will analyze Twain’s comic writing style and practice some of those techniques yourself. You will visit key Twain-related locations in Western New York and learn about Buffalo’s booming post Civil War culture and Twain’s contributions to it. Finally, you will read and write about Twain’s lifelong connection to Buffalo and his enduring legacy here.
FYS 101L Scholarly Community and Harry Potter: Students will examine scholarly texts that use J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series as their inspiration and pay special attention to paratexts from the Wizarding World. I highly recommend that students read the Harry Potter Books 1-6, or at least view the films, before the semester begins, since the course will focus on Book 7 and other scholarly texts that presume readers already know how the series ends. Students will work to lead seminar discussions, engage in epistolary journaling, form scholarly panels and conduct independent research, and present their expertise.
FYS 101M Paradise Lost & Found: This FYS section will focus on utopias and dystopias in literature, beginning exploration of the theme by analyzing the components of a space or place (the built and unbuilt environment; social structures; internal and external control systems) and their interrelations, and then studying positive and negative imaginings of space and place in prose fiction.
FYS 101N The American Dream: Examines the development of American culture after World War II, emphasizing its possibilities, problems, and challenges. Topics include: impact of World War II, the 19602, the civil rights movement, the gender revolution, the Vietnam War, and America challenges in the 21st century.
FYS 101Q Money and You: The course will focus on financial literacy, incorporating articles or books that address the history of the use of money, the way in which our Western economy operates, and personal finance. Thus we will take approaches to money that are historical and cultural, political, and personal (including some how-to topics—for instance, how to manage credit—or deal with student loans). The instructor is not an economist or a finance scholar but will lead the students as they consider the various aspects of their economic lives. Throughout the semester we will tap into the sophisticated popular press (sources like Business Week or The Wall Street Journal) to keep informed about current events.
FYS 101R Writing about Buffalo: Examines writing about Buffalo, including Verlyn Klinkenborg’s The Last Fine Time, Tim Russert’s Big Russ and Me, and poems, essays, and chapters from novels that capture Buffalo’s distinctive culture and rich ethnic heritage. We will also write about Buffalo.
FYS 101S Exploring and Writing about the Physical World: Scientists have developed a set of powerful techniques and principles for explaining the physical world. In order to share these techniques with each other and non-scientists alike, they have also developed multiple ways of writing that present information in different contexts. This semester we will learn both sets of tools, and utilize them to perform our own experiments and describe them for an array of audiences. While the content is physics specific, the course is an introduction to scientific writing in general.
FYS 101T Office Space: writing about work and workers: Examines representations of work and workers in nineteenth- and twentieth-century American literature and in contemporary film and television. We study classic depictions of working class life, but the course has a special emphasis on the complicated meaning of office space—the ambiguous "white collar" experience that may shape your professional lives in the future.
FYS 101V Robots: This course will introduce you to computer science through robotics, the foundations of artificial intelligence, and logic. There will be some hands-on experimentation with robots and programming, in addition to readings and movies. Philosophical aspects of robots, including their place in society, religion and law will be explored. Students do not need to know any programming or computer concepts before taking this course.
FYS 101W Knights and Maidens: From the 12th century canonization of the medieval romance to modern novels and films with Arthurian themes, the legends of King Arthur and his knights have fired the imagination of audiences everywhere. From what sources do these legends originate? How do King Arthur and his Knights change to accommodate various cultural and historical influences? Did King Arthur really exist? Beyond the fact of mere entertainment, what social commentary is revealed through a reading of the legends? These are but a few of the questions we will explore this semester as we romp through the fascinating world of knights and maidens.
FYS 101X Tales of the Titanic: Examines the 1912 sinking of RMS Titanic as an historical event, as an early example of “media frenzy,” as a memory and “symbol of an era,” and as a recurring image in popular culture. Course materials will include contemporary documents and images, historical and literary accounts, and both fictional and documentary films.
FYS 101Z The Writers Art: The theme “turning points” refers to essays chosen because they examine a crucial moment or event that precipitated change. Some of the readings are personal essays, some put forth an argument in a more impersonal way; some are oriented toward explaining an idea or a process. The variety of perspectives and audiences is deliberate. The text is The Essay Connection (ninth edition), edited by Lynn Z. Bloom.
FYS 101CC Exploring Pop Culture in America: Examines the values, beliefs, outlooks, practices, information, objects, etc., that make up our everyday lives. We will analyze various media, such as music, television, and advertising, objects or artifacts like toys, graffiti, and technology, and practices like sports and hobbies. The course will ask students to study popular culture as something that both produces cultural “meaning” and has meaning projected onto it, as something that both shapes and is shaped by popular opinion.
FYS 101DD The American Century: Explores a variety of ideas and issues representing developments in the 20th Century, such as the cultural world of 1900, Modernism, Psychoanalysis, Marxism and the left, traditions on the right and postmodernism, along with a sprinkling of literature came each intellectual movement.
FYS 101EE Educating the Imagination: This is a multidisciplinary course which draws on literature, art, philosophy and music to explore the place of the imagination in the modern world. The term imagination comes from the Latin verb imaginari meaning "to picture oneself."
RST 101 Introduction to Religious Studies: An academic introduction to the nature and role of religion in human life and society, including the Jesuit and Catholic traditions as well as other world religions.
PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy: This course aims to develop a capacity to interpret common experience in a philosophic way by becoming familiar with principal branches of philosophy — metaphysics, epistemology, ethics — being able to identify the elements of good argumentation, and recognizing the value of reason in a meaningful personal life.
CLS 205 Mirror of the Past: Greece: Fundamental social, political, moral, religious and intellectual aspects of the human condition as reflected in a variety of Greek writers.
CLS 207 Mythology and Literature: Major classical myths: origin, content, and interpretation. Modern approaches to mythology. Influence upon literature.
ENG 147 Acting I: Introduction to the art of acting. Through lecture and practice in acting assignments in class, students gain understanding of the actor’s role in theater.
FAH 101 Introduction to Art History I: Introduction to formal and cultural analysis of the major works of art of Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Covers Prehistoric through Gothic Art.
FAH 102 Introduction to Art History II: Introduction to formal and cultural analysis of the major works of Western Art from Renaissance through the twentieth century.
FAH 109 History of Architecture: Formal and cultural analysis of major monuments of global architecture from antiquity to the present.
FAM 115 Fundamentals of Music: Basic elements of music as perceived and notated, and the styles and forms of music derived from them. Practical theory applications including ear training, keyboard playing, and composition.
FAM 119 Masterpieces of Music: A survey of Western art music from medieval Gregorian chant to 20th Century electronic music, including study of musical elements, historical background, musical style, and masterworks of various periods.
FAM 124 America’s Music: Music made or continuously used by Americans from beginning to present. Sacred congregational music, vernacular music, African-American music, and cultivated traditions. Historical and sociological development of folk, jazz and popular music as uniquely American.
FAM 212 Canisius and the BPO Experience: Classes meet at both Canisius College and Kleinhans Music Hall as students study music on stage, behind the scenes, and in literature with Canisius faculty, BPO conductors, soloists and managers.
FAM 214 Music and Film: Functions of music in silent film, animation, and the golden age of American Cinema as an extension of European musical practices through the rise of the Hollywood studio system.
FAM 219 19th Century Music: Great composers of the Romantic period, including their life, selected works, musical style, and influence.
FAM 220 Art Music from 1900-Present: Impressionism in music which ushers in the twentieth century. European music 1910-1945. American music. New music since 1945.
FAM 224 Afro-centric Music: Music of West Africa and how, due to the African Diaspora, this music has come to influence both art and pop music on a worldwide basis.
FAS 110 Two-Dimensional Design: Investigation of the formal elements and principles of design in two dimensions. Hands-on studio environment with computer-based assignments will involve students in practical and creative solutions to design problems.
FAS 120 Drawing I: Investigation of the formal, material and historical fundamentals of drawing. Exercises with dry and wet media progress through perceptual rendering, collage, narrative and imaginative drawing.
FAS 130 Three-Dimensional Design: Investigation of the formal elements and principles of design in three dimensions and their relationship with the space they occupy. Particular emphasis is placed on material and presentation.
CLS 103 Greek History: Social, political, and intellectual history of the Greeks from the end of the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period.
HIS 107 History of Modern Europe to 1815: The major political, economic, social, and intellectual currents in Western Civilization from 1500 to 1815.
HIS 109 History of Asia to 1800: Comparative study of civilizations, cultures, religions and institutions of the Far East, and South Asia.
HIS 110 History of Asia since 1800: The various independence and revolutionary movements and their evolution into the modern nation-states of Asia.
HIS 123 History of the US: The Colonial Period to Reconstruction: Introduction to major themes of American history through the Civil War including: the Columbian Exchange and colonization, American Revolution, paradox of freedom and slavery, emergence of a market economy, secession and Reconstruction.
HIS 124 History of the United States: 1877 to the Present: Industrialization and urbanization of the United States with the accompanying social, economic and political problems; America’s emergence as a major power in world affairs.
HIS 211 Women in the Western World: Comparative history of women in Europe, Britain and America from Renaissance to present. Deals with changing role of women in society, politics and the economy and on the development of feminism as an intellectual and political force.
HIS 212 Men and Ideas in History: Role of ideas in historical change. Relationship between the ideas of a particular period and the social, political and economic forces that helped to shape them.
HIS 213 Twentieth Century Europe: Major political, economic, social and intellectual currents in Europe since 1900.
HIS 234: From Jamestown to Yorktown: Making the United States: An in-depth survey of the earliest stages of the development of the United States, focusing on the natures of North American and European societies before first contact; the settlement and nature of the English colonies in the Chesapeake, New England, the middle colonies, and the Carolinas; Indian and European contact and conflict in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; the “revolutions” of the late-seventeenth century; the growth and maturation of the colonial economy, society, and culture (including religion); the eighteenth-century battle for empire (both as an ally with England and as an enemy striving for independence and self-governance); and the consequences of victory in those battles.
HIS 242 The Family in American History: This course explores the social history of American families from colonial times to the present. By looking at the experiences of a variety of families – colonial Puritan, slave, middle-class Victorian, frontier, immigrant, 20th century suburbanite — it examines themes such as work, childhood, marriage and gender roles.
HIS 254 First Peoples: The story of the first peoples of the Americas from their first appearance 20,000 years ago down to the present, with a special emphasis on native North America. Includes a survey of the histories and cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, employing the latest findings from archaeology, anthropology, genetics, ethno botany as well as history.
ANT 230 Introduction to Archeology: Old and New World sites provide insights into human lifestyles and modes of adaptation.
COM 204 Interpersonal Communication: Examines the theoretical and pragmatic aspects of interpersonal communication in various contexts to enhance self-awareness and effective self-expression in relationships.
COM 205 Mass Communication and Society: Survey of mass communication processes and the mass media in terms of development, structures, functions, effects and interactive relationships with American society.
ECO 101 Principles of Macroeconomics: Explanation of market system through supply and demand analysis. Measurement of important macroeconomic variables and development of economic models to analyze problems of unemployment, inflation and economic growth. Efficacy of various fiscal and monetary policies.
PSC 103 American Constitution: Provides a thorough grounding in the Constitution, America’s founding document, and the basis for the operation of its political system.
PSC 104 American Political Process: An introduction to American politics including political socialization, public opinion and ideologies, political participation in electoral systems and mass movements, political parties and interest groups.
PSC 140 Introduction to International Relations: Introduces paradigms of world politics. International security, political economy and globalization. Power politics and international organizations.
PSC 150 Comparative Government and Politics: Introduces comparative analysis of foreign countries. Governments, ideologies, parties, elections, political culture, civil society and democracy in industrialized and developing countries.
SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology: Topics include theory, methods, culture, socialization, race and ethnicity, groups and organizations, and social inequality; analysis of everyday events, using sociological imagination.
WST 201 Introduction to Women’s Studies: An interdisciplinary introduction to the field that focuses on how gender roles have been impacted by historical and cultural circumstances, concluding with an emphasis on contemporary gender and diversity issues.
BIO 109 Nutrition: How food intake influences us as individuals and as components of society; what food
is; how we get and use food; processes regulating its use.
BIO 116 Disease: Myth and Reality: Exploration of causation, treatment, and prevention of illness. Objective: to increase understanding and awareness of health and disease.
PHY 133 Dinosaurs: An introduction to dinosaurs and their world through an examination of their anatomy, evolution, phylogeny, behavior, metabolism, and the cause of their extinction. Exploration of geological concepts such as uniformitarianism, stratigraphy, sedimentation, fossilization, and taphonomy will help to explain how this knowledge was extracted from rocks.
GEO 325 Introduction to Physical Geography: Focuses on the reshaping of the Earth’s surface through the many interactions that occur between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. It entails an examination of the terrestrial and aquatic character of the Earth, its climate and biodiversity and the sources of energy that promote change. Ultimately, physical geography provides a panoramic view of our relationship to a physical setting that is undergoing constant modification.
BIO 101 Introduction to Cellular/Subcellular Biology: Introduction to principles governing biological processes at the molecular level with emphasis on the role of experimentation in scientific process. Three hours of lecture, one three-hour lab and one one-hour recitation per week.
BIO 107 Human Anatomy and Physiology: Specialized introductory course in human biology for those students requiring a rigorous and thorough understanding of the structure and function of the human body. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour lab per week.
CHM 111 General Chemistry I: Emphasizes physical chemical principles. Includes atomic structure and periodicity, chemical bonding, kinetics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, and periodic chemical properties. Laboratory includes quantitative and qualitative analysis. Three hours of lecture, one laboratory, and one recitation class per week.
CHM 111X General Chemistry I with Review: Same course content as General Chemistry I above, but also includes a review of basic concepts in science and mathematics. The course meets 6 times a week, 3 times for lecture and 3 times for problem solving in teams, plus one three-hour lab.
BIF 101 Introduction to Bioinformatics: This course introduces students to the field of bioinformatics, including on-line computational resources, basic programming concepts, genetics, sequence analysis, algorithm development and ethical issues. Lab required.
CSC 108 Introduction to Web Computing: Introduction to computer science through web sites, web pages, web page programming, HTML, XML, XHTML, CSS and JavaScript. The history and social impact of computers, networks and the World Wide Web are included in the course. Lab required.
CSC 109 Robotics Introduction to Computer Science: Introduction to computer science through robotics, the basics of artificial intelligence and the fundamental ideas of logic, algorithms, computer systems and programming. Lab required.
CSC 127 Introduction to Game Design: Computer game development and underlying computer concepts necessary for game programming. The course will examine the game components of player elements, game elements, the game story, characters, game play, the player interface, and audio. Students will develop a set of simple games using a game engine. Lab required.
MAT 105 Finite Mathematics: Introduction to finite (non-calculus) mathematics and its applications: linear, quadratic, exponential and logarithmic functions and equations; systems of linear equations and linear programming; compound interest problems and annuities.
MAT 106 Calculus for Non-Sciences I: Fundamentals of calculus for students in business, or social or behavioral sciences.
MAT 109 Calculus with Review I: For science and mathematics majors. Calculus, with topics from precalculus, logarithms, exponentials, trigonometric functions, limits, differentiation, related rates, max-min problems, antidifferention, and definite integral.
MAT 111 Calculus I: For science and mathematics majors. Functions of single variable. Functions, limits, differentiation, continuity, graphing, logarithm, exponential and inverse trigonometric functions, related rates, max-min problems, mean value theorem, l`Hospital`s rule, anti-differentiation, definite integral.
MAT 112 Calculus II: Applications of integration. Inverse trigonometric functions, integration techniques, improper integrals, l’H pital’s rule, sequences, series, convergence tests, Taylor’s theorem, applications. Prerequisite: MAT 111 with minimum grade C- for majors in Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering, or score of 4 or 5 on AP Calculus AB exam.
MAT 115 Calculus for Business I: Differentiation/integration of functions of one variable. Applications: concepts, examples, and problems in Economics and Business. Prerequisite: 3 ½ years of high school mathematics. For Business majors only.
MAT 131 Statistics and Computers: A first course for majors in social or health sciences. Descriptive statistics, calculators, computer programs, and introduction to inferential statistics. Prerequisite: High school intermediate algebra.
ASL 101 American Sign Language: Introduction to American Sign Language (ASL), its structure, major grammatical features and language functions. Vocabulary acquisition. Captioning and telecommunication devices. Deaf cultural information. Deaf co-teacher and deaf consultants. Language lab required.
ARBC 103 Introductory Arabic: Reading, writing, listening and speaking. Introduction to Arabic culture. Almost exclusive use of Arabic in class. Supplemented by required aural-oral practice in Language Laboratory (ARBC 299).
CLG 101 Elementary Greek: Intensive introduction to grammar, syntax and vocabulary of classical Greek.
CLL 101 Elementary Latin I: Intensive introduction to grammar, syntax and vocabulary of classical Latin. For students with 0-2 years of high school Latin.
CLL 102 Elementary Latin II: Intensive introduction to grammar, syntax and vocabulary of classical Latin. Selected readings in second semester. This course is appropriate for students with more than 2 years of high school Latin, but who did not take Latin in the senior year.
FRC 103 Introductory French: Reading, writing, listening and speaking. Introduction to French culture. Almost exclusive use of French in class. Supplemented by required aural-oral practice in Language Laboratory (FRC 299). For students with 0-1 year of high school French.
FRC 115 Advanced-Introductory French: Continued development in writing, listening, speaking and especially reading French literary and cultural material. Comprehensive grammar review. Almost exclusive use of French in class. Lab required. For students with 2-3 years of high school French.
FRC 215 Intermediate French: This course is designed as a thorough review of grammatical structures. Also emphasized is the building of vocabulary, increasing competence in the four skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and gaining an overview of Francophone cultures. Exclusive use of French in class. Includes service-learning. For students with 4-5 years of high school French.
GER 103 Elementary German: Reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Introduction to German culture. Almost exclusive use of German in class. Supplemented by required aural-oral practice in Language Laboratory (GER 299). For students with 0-1 year of high school German.
GER 115 Advanced Introductory German: Continued development in writing, listening, speaking and especially reading German literary and cultural material. Comprehensive grammar review. Almost exclusive use of German in class. Lab required. For students with 2-3 years of high school German.
GER 215 Intermediate German: This course is designed as a thorough review of grammatical structures. Also emphasized is the building of vocabulary, increasing competence in the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and gaining an overview of German culture. Exclusive use of German in class. Includes service-learning. For students with 4-5 years of high school German.
ITA 103 Introductory Italian: Reading, writing, listening and speaking. Introduction to Italian culture. Almost exclusive use of Italian in class. Supplemented by required aural-oral practice in Language Laboratory (ITA 299). For students with 0-1 year of high school Italian.
ITA 115 Advanced Introductory Italian: Continued development in writing, listening, speaking and especially reading Italian literary and cultural material. Comprehensive grammar review. Almost exclusive use of Italian in class. Lab required. For students with 2-3 years of high school Italian.
POL 103 Introductory Polish: Reading, writing, listening and speaking. Introduction to Polish culture. Almost exclusive use of Polish in class. Supplemented by required aural-oral practice in Language Laboratory (POL 299).
SPA 103 Introductory Spanish: Reading, writing, listening and speaking. Introduction to Hispanic culture. Almost exclusive use of Spanish in class. Supplemented by required aural-oral practice in Language Laboratory (SPA 299). For students with 0-1 years of high school Spanish.
SPA 115 Advanced-Introductory Spanish: Continued development in writing, listening, speaking and especially reading Hispanic literary and cultural material. Comprehensive grammar review. Almost exclusive use of Spanish in class. Lab required. For students with 2-3 years of high school Spanish.
SPA 215 Intermediate Spanish: This course is designed as a thorough review of grammatical structures. Also emphasized is the building of vocabulary, increasing competence in the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and gaining an overview of Hispanic cultures. Exclusive use of Spanish in class. For students with 4-5 years of high school Spanish.
BUS 100 Business Explorations: A non-credit course that allows undecided students the opportunity to explore different business majors and careers. Practicing managers from all areas of business will visit throughout the semester to discuss career options and answer student questions. Although the focus is on business, all students regardless of their academic interests may find the information helpful. The course also offers tips important for being successful in school.
MLS 101 Introduction to Leadership (ROTC): Introduction to leadership skills, communication development and team building. Course designed for the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program to help students become more effective leaders in any setting. Time management, study habits, working in groups. 50 minutes per week. Participation in Leadership Lab (MLS 111) is optional.
MLS 111L Basic Course Leadership Lab (ROTC): In this two-credit lab, students are given opportunities to lead their peers in hands-on training in basic military skills such as land navigation, rifle marksmanship, tactics, drill and ceremony, first aid and survival swimming. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in MLS 101.
PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology: The study of behavior from a psychological perspective. Topics include: methods of psychological inquiry, motivation and emotion, thinking and language, learning, memory and physiological basis of behavior. Students taking PSY 101 are expected to be available for participation in research studies or equivalent activity.