Honors Course Schedule Fall 2024

Honors Great Ideas of World Civilizations

This course is considered the “capstone course” of the Honors Program, even though students may take it at any time during the Honors Program. This course is required to be an Honors Program Graduate. In the Great Ideas course, students will read and discuss texts from a variety of disciplines, covering a variety of eras and cultures, so as to examine how these ideas shape our thinking and our world today. (The course counts toward the Humanities Gen-Ed Requirement.)

HST 105 HN1(CRN 35751) or HUM 105 HN1 (CRN 35752) MW 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Professor S. Horton

Professor Horton describes her course:

This exciting and engaging Humanities course will provide students with the opportunity to explore the defining parameters of human identity, discovering how ideas from antiquity and the Middle Ages inform identity frameworks in the 21st Century. By reading and interrogating texts ranging from Ovid’s Metamorphosis and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales to modern works like Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, in conjunction with contemporary theory, students will be challenged to analyze and interrogate the systems that construct both political and cultural identity. In doing so, this course will prepare students to understand and think critically about how our current culture produces identity and the myriad ways identity production is disrupted.

HST 105 HN2(CRN 32137) or HUM 105 HN2 (CRN 32138) W 6:00 p.m. – 8:40 p.m.

Professor M. Horton

Professor Horton describes his course:

I have always thought that language was one of the more interesting things about human beings. More and more these days, language looks like one of the more interesting things about software, as Gemini or ChatGPT demonstrates. In this class, our topic is language. We will talk about aspects of the mind that go on behind the scenes. We will discuss what it is to know a language. We will deep dive into rules of language that can undermine or reinforce a speaker's standing when they speak a language. We might even ask what's the difference between AI's use of language and our own. Along the way, we'll look at mainstream and not-so-mainstream content and sources on our topic. I envision a collaborative course where each of us has the opportunity to contribute ideas and suggestions toward our discussions. I hope you'll join me for that.

Honors First Year Seminar

FYS 101 HN1(CRN 36127) MW 12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Professor J. Garcia

Professor Garcia describes the course:
This class is an “honors-ified” First Year Seminar Class. These classes are designed to introduce students to college and help them think about potential majors and careers. This particular class will focus on the specific needs of Honors students, and it is designed to be beneficial whether or not you are undecided about a future major and / or career. In this course, we will think together not just about the direction your academic and career path may travel, but also how to put yourself in a position to achieve your various goals. Most importantly, we will think about the question of “why?” Why college? Why certain types of courses? Why choose one career or major over another? In other words, we will look not just at where you want to go and how to get there but we will think about our values and how they can shape our decisions about our future.

Courses Counting toward the Communication Gen-Ed Requirement

SPE 101 H01(CRN 34040) M 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Professor J. Przybylo

Professor Przybylo describes the course:

This course features an environment of active learning, collaboration, and practical application, rather than relying on teaching from a textbook. At the heart of the course is the emphasis on teamwork, discussions, and exercises, serving as the pillars upon which students build their confidence and competence in communication. Through a series of engaging activities and interactive sessions, students not only learn the fundamental theories and techniques of speech communication but also actively apply them in a supportive and nurturing environment.

The absence of a conventional textbook allows for a more hands-on and personalized learning experience. Instead of relying on passive reading, students are encouraged to immerse themselves in practical exercises, real-world scenarios, and experiential learning opportunities.

With a deliberate focus on small class sizes, Professor Przybylo ensures that each student receives individualized attention and personalized feedback. This intimate setting cultivates a sense of community and trust, enabling students to explore their strengths and weaknesses in a safe and supportive space. Whether it's honing their delivery techniques, refining their message clarity, or mastering the art of persuasion, students are provided with the guidance and resources needed to excel in their public speaking endeavors.

Courses Counting toward the Humanities General Education Requirement

PHI 105 HN1(CRN 36109) MW 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Professor R. Scott

Professor Scott describes the course:

The discipline of philosophy has a reputation for involving the study of texts and ideas of people from long ago. In other words, in many introductory philosophy classes, every author that students read is long dead. But philosophy is not just a historical discipline! A vibrant community of living philosophers continue to bring the tools and questions of philosophy to bear on distinctly contemporary problems, such as misinformation, neuroscientific discoveries, social identity, and more. In this course, instead of introducing students to philosophy by looking at authors from the past, we will read only living philosophers. Not only that, but each of the philosophers whose texts we study will join us (virtually) for a discussion about their work. In this way, students will have the chance to meet contemporary philosophers and see how the discipline of philosophy can help us to explore issues relevant to our twenty-first century lives.

ART 105 HB1(CRN 36428) Intro to Visual Art (Blended) M 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Professor C. Roderick

Professor Roderick describes the course:

This course is a non-traditional introduction to how we study (consume), and make (produce) visual art and culture. From the perspective of artists, theorists, art historians, and philosophers, students will actively participate in developing a foundation in visual literacy and methodologies for different ways of looking at, discussing, and critiquing traditional and contemporary art media. This includes making art! The student will be introduced to the various processes, materials, vocabulary, and styles that constitute the diverse world of the visual arts. Students will produce projects, both solo and collaborative, aimed at connecting to the course subject and the larger world.

Courses Counting toward the Social Sciences General Education Requirement

ECO 211 HB1(CRN 33127) Microeconomics (Blended) T 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Professor M. Raza

Professor Raza describes the course:

This Honors Microeconomics course is designed to equip students with the analytical tools and intuition required to analyze important topics in the economics framework. The science underlying the study of economics explores how economic agents within a society individually and collectively make decisions and allocate scarce resources. The focus of this course is considering how the households, firms, the government, and the rest of the world behave in the marketplace to maximize utility by rationally allocating their scarce resources. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, case studies, and analytical exercises, students will develop their ability to think critically about economic phenomena, analyze data to support arguments, and communicate economic concepts effectively.

By the conclusion of the course, students should feel comfortable discussing how a society determines how much of everything desired will be produced, exchanged, and consumed with given (fixed) resources and technology (production possibility frontier) to satisfy the unlimited wants of its citizens. Students will develop the skills necessary to comprehend and analyze current economic issues, with a strong emphasis on applying classroom concepts to interpret news articles, scholarly literature, and economic research.

PSY 101 HN1(CRN 33905) Intro to Psychology T Th 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Professor K. Matthews

Professor Matthews describes the course here:

Can you rewire your brain to be happier? Would you obey orders to harm others? Do unconscious mental shortcuts guide your feelings and behaviors? How do you learn and break habits? Can Psychology combat climate change? Explore these questions and many more by integrating theories, scientific research, and real-world applications. In this Honors section of PSY101, you will also research a topic of your choosing, then communicate your findings in an APA Style paper.

Courses Counting toward the Math General Education Requirement

Courses Counting toward the Life Sciences (w/ lab) General Education Requirement

BIO 115 HN1(CRN 35982) Fundamentals of Cellular Biology M 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (lab)

Professor K. Hollis T Th 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Professor Hollis describes the course:

This Honors course includes an introduction to cellular and molecular biology with a focus on genetics and biotechnology. Students will investigate cellular processes and how they relate to expressed traits and inheritance patterns. A core component of the course will be to explore biotechnology and its applications in more detail. Traditional laboratory activities will be enhanced with more hands-on experience.

Courses Counting toward the Physical Sciences (w/ lab) General Education Requirement

CHM 121 General Chemistry I 3 Sections, see below for dates and times

Professor A. Kidwell

CHM 121 HN1(CRN 34139) M 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. (discussion)

W 8:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (lab)

T Th 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (lecture)

CHM 121 HN2(CRN 34155) M 9:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. (discussion)

M 10:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (lab)

T Th 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (lecture)

CHM 121 HN3(CRN 34156) M 2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. (discussion)

W 2:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. (lab)

T Th 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. (lecture)

Preview of Courses for Spring 2025

Special Courses
- HUM/HST 105 (Honors Great Ideas of World Civilizations) 2 sections (counts as HUM gen-ed)
- “Living Sustainable Lives” - Learning Community course focusing on the environment
  Combines: PHI 115 (Ethics) & CHM 103 (The Chemistry Connection)
  - You can get 3 credits of Humanities general education credit + your Phys. Sci. lab general education requirement
Communications General Education Requirement
- ENG 102
- SPE 101
Humanities General Education Requirement
- ART 105 (Intro to Visual Art)
- HUM / HST 105 (Great Ideas of World Civilizations - see above)
- PHI 115 (Ethics - see above)
Social and Behavioral Sciences General Education Requirement
- ECO 212 (Macroeconomics)
- PSY 228 (Psychology of Human Development)
- SOC 101 (Intro to Sociology)
Physical and Life Sciences General Education Requirements
- BIO 116 (Fundamental of Molecular Biology)
- CHM 121 (General Chemistry II)
- PHY 201 (General Physics I - Mechanics)
Mathematics General Education Requirements
- MTH 201 (Calculus II)