Honors Program Current Courses

Honors Program Courses for Spring 2013

GEOL 211:  Discovering the Ice Age (3 credit hours):
Section HN:  MWF 10:00 - 10:50 a.m.  Dr. Nigel Brush

How was the Ice Age discovered?  This class will examine how 19th century scientists used stones, bones, and landforms to bring about a revolution in our understanding of earth history.  It will also examine the scientific evidence upon which current models of the Pleistocene Ice Age are built, as well as how ice, sediment, and rock cores are providing us with new insights into past and future ice ages.  Meets core credit for natural science.

HIST 113:  Western Civilization (3 credit hours):
Section HN: TTH  12:15 - 1:30 p.m.  Dr. John Moser

This course examines how the peoples of Western Europe understood freedom and sought to secure it in the 500 years from the Renaissance to WWII.  Focusing on selected historical moments during this period, the course considers how this question for freedom transformed politics, religion, economics, and morality; it also examines the reaction to this transformation, especially in totalitarianism.  Dr. Moser will be teaching this course using the Reacting to the Past method.  Meets core credit for historical reasoning.

PHIL 215:  Ethics (3 credit hours):
Section HN: MWF 2:00 - 2:50 p.m.  Dr. Louis Mancha

This course is a substantive study of major classical figures in western moral philosophy, including Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, Mill, and Nietzsche.  It deals with the questions:  What are the fundamental rules that guide our actions?  Can we ever rationally justify moral judgements?  What is the relationship between ethics and religion?  While this course emphasizes theory, the philosophers' views are explicated with regard to contemporary issues.  Meets core credit for humanities.

SOCWK 330:  International Perspectives on Women (3 credit hours):  
Section HN:  TTH  9:25 - 10:40 a.m.  Prof. Nancy Udolph

This course focuses on women's issues from an international perspective and addresses the diversity and similarity of women's experiences worldwide.  It considers the scope of gender injustice and the variety of factors (e.g. social, economic, political, religious) that contributes to it.  The course examines current cross-cultural attitudes toward the family, women's work, and women's status and explores international gender equality movements and women's rights as human rights.  Meets core credit for social sciences and international perspectives or GPS-Border Crossings.

TH 214:  Acting for NonMajors (3 credit hours)
Section HN:  TTH 1:40 - 2:55 p.m.  Prof. Ric Goodwin

This course is a study of acting as an art form.  It emphasizes an acting process and skills utilized by the beginning actor.  The approach to acting is grounded in contemporary acting theory and practice.  Meets core credit for aesthetics.

HON 310:  Honors Capstone Preparation Seminar (1 credit hour)
Section A:  M  3:00 - 3:50 p.m.  Dr. Christopher Swanson
Prerequisite:  Enrollment in Honors Program; at least junior status

The process of preparing a Capstone Project, including selecting a topic, choosing mentors, preparing a bibliography, constructing a written prospectus, and outlining a timetable for completing the Capstone Project.  This course is required for all juniors who plan to complete an Honors Capstone Project their senior year.  This course may be taken by conference if there is a scheduling conflict.  Graded S/U.

HON 390: Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar:  Grecian & Turkish Odyssey (3 credit hours):
Section A:  Time to be determined  Dr. Christopher Swanson and others to be announced
Prerequisite: Enrollment in Honors Program; at least sophomore status

A course devoted to various topics related to the Honors Program mission of challenging the mind and participating in an intellectual community devoted to discussion and dialogue.  This course in the spring 2013 semester will study historical, cultural, economic, social, and other current issues facing the countries of Greece and Turkey and will include travel to Greece and Turkey at the conclusion of the course for an additional cost.  HON 390 may be repeated once with a different topic.  Meets core credit for international perspectives and may meet credit for GPS-Study Away.