Really BIG thinking—
starts at the beginning
Exciting new first-year classes about global issues!
We want you to be ready to help solve the problems that are facing our planet—during school and after you graduate. That's why we are delighted to introduce a new series of classes called Grand Challenge courses, which are specifically designed to explore these issues. The coolest part is that these courses are exclusively for first-year students!
These new Grand Challenge classes are significantly different from high school. They offer smaller class sizes, more focused content, and the opportunity to learn from professors who are collaborating across subject areas. These classes are taught by full-time faculty members who are engaged in dynamic research, and they encourage you to actively participate in the learning process.
Click on a course title below to learn more about the class and the instructors or browse through the challenges using the "Previous and Next buttons!
FINE ART & LITERATURE
LETTERS
NATURAL SCIENCE
SOCIAL SCIENCE
FINE ART & LITERATURE
Literature and the Environment
From Henry Thoreau to contemporary authors, we will explore how writers with extraordinary vision teach us about how the ethical, cultural, and theoretical issues of modern life, such as pollution, global warning, and resource exploration, are connected. We will explore local Rhode Island and URI campus environment with field trips to a tide pool and other local sites.
Instructor:
Karen Stein |
Instructor: WRT 104
Hensley Owens
|
| Class |
Section Number |
Class Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
Gen. Ed. category |
| GCH 101 |
1 |
7192 |
TTH |
12.30-
1.45 |
3 |
FA |
| Wrt 104 |
28 |
3578 |
TTh |
11-
12.15 |
3 |
ECw |
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I am excited to be teaching about such a timely, relevant, and crucial subject. We are currently facing serious challenges to the environment, such as global warming, that threaten life on planet earth. Our only hope for survival is to educate and inspire people to appreciate our natural environment, to understand the threats to it, and to work toward reducing our carbon footprints.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
This course will go beyond reading textbooks and writing reports. There will be at least one, hopefully several, field trips: to a tide pool, and possibly to the Johnston recycling facility and to the Alton Jones campus. There is also an action project component to this course.
Apocalypse Now! Film and Fiction in the 21st Century
We will examine current and contemporary films and novels from around the world, that reflect a sense of anxiety 21st century challenges, like apocalypse and terror, environmental disaster, and humans who seem to have lost control of their surroundings.
Instructor:
Rebecca Romanow |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
Gen. Ed.
category |
| GCH 101 |
2 |
7761 |
W |
3-5.45 |
3 |
FA |
| Wrt 104 |
18 |
3563 |
MWF |
2-2.50 |
3 |
ECw |
|
What excites you most about teaching this course?
There is no one "right" answer in this seminar, so what is most exciting for me is to learn from the students and to see the world through their eyes and their experiences. Each novel and film allows us to interpret and see characters, events, and places that resonant with each of us on particular ways. Sharing these perceptions, and changing my own reading of our material, is wonderfully enlightening and broadens my own understanding, as well as that of each of us on the class.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
What do you think would most surprise students about the course?
What is most surprising for students in this course is the incredibly unique worlds that we see. Across geographic locations, the films and novels present unfamiliar places and people, and, most importantly, entirely different ways of living in the 21st century. The final surprise is that, in many ways, no matter how "foreign" places and people may seem on first look, commonalities abound, and we see the connections that exist between all of us.
Surround Sound: Music in Our World
We will listen, discuss, and analyze the sounds encountered in varied genres within the world of music, from America and the world. We will learn about the various styles and cultural importance of contemporary American genres such as jazz, folk, blues, and musical theater, as well as the genre of 'world' music.
Instructor:
Peggy Frazier |
| Class |
Section Number |
Class Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
Gen. Ed.
category |
| GCH 101 |
3 |
7769 |
TTh |
9.30-
10.45 |
3 |
FA |
| Wrt 104 |
12 |
3557 |
MWF |
12-
12.50 |
3 |
ECw |
|
Telling Without Words: A Journey from Oral to Visual Narratives within the African American Community
Many elements of contemporary African American art derived from the oral tradition of story
telling; highlighting memory, history, folklore, myths, religious beliefs, ceremony fantasy,
mystery, magic, and more that are translated into visual art forms. This course explore objects,
artifacts, trends, styles, and approaches to various art formats, and by working directly with an
African American community, show connections between those art forms the culture from which
they come.
Instructor:
Bob Dilworth |
| Class |
Section Number |
Class Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
Gen. Ed. category |
| GCH 101 |
4 |
7770 |
MWF |
2-2.50 |
3 |
FA |
| Com 100 |
28 |
3040 |
TTH |
11-
12.15 |
3 |
ECw |
|
What excites you most about teaching this course?
My painting is about the portrait that reveals more than a likeness. It is a non-linear narrative that is at once a dialogue and a monologue about life’s contradictions - the real and the imaginary self, the approved and disapproved participant, the mythical figure, private voices that persist inside and outside of our heads (questioning who we are) – in this nation that is changing in heart and soul, transforming its relationship with many of its people as it creates an alliance and commitment to goals beyond its shores. The events that have occurred since 2000 have shaped our 21st century views and thinking - a new world order was created, a global mission was sanctioned in the eleven years since, begging at this time the question, what is American?
I am particularly interested in a visual narrative format as it relates to African American culture in the South, starting with my hometown. In a new world of shifting hegemony and cultural paradigms I question what will be left of that old culture. It is changing, but into what remains the big question. Is it a dying culture or an emerging new one? I hope this course will help me get closer to answers.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
Students are always surprised to learn that they each have a vital story to tell, that they are self-aware, self-made, and serious self-observers of life. They are surprised to learn that they possess a vernacular voice that they can become familiar with and use to promote what they already know. All media is used for telling stories, every life is a story unfolding, through research and looking at different alternatives to story telling this course will help them to find the medium through which to “voice” their story.
LETTERS
Get a Job! Careers, Jobs, & Joblessness in Modern Literature and Culture
We know how much anxiety over finding the right career can cause. We will study fiction and nonfiction texts, current and historical, that treat the themes of career-anxiety, job-fatigue, and unemployment.
Instructor:
Carolyn Betensky |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
Gen. Ed.
category |
| GCH 102 |
2 |
6280 |
TTH |
12.30-
1.45 |
3 |
L |
| Com 100 |
46 |
4936 |
TTh |
2-3.15 |
3 |
ECw |
|
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I am most excited about teaching my students to think about jobs, joblessness, and their future careers in larger historical, cultural, and economic contexts. I want my students to understand that they are coming of age in a culture that exerts an especially heavy pressure on young people to anticipate and organize their working lives along certain story lines. I try to help my students to demythologize this pressure so that they may feel less overwhelmed by it.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
My students will be probably be most surprised to learn how many ideas they have about working and identity that contradict each other. They will also likely be surprised to learn how many different ways people handle their worst nightmares.
The Death of Disease?
In 1955, a campaign to eradicate malaria was launched, and failed. Eleven years later a campaign to eradicate smallpox was launched and succeeded. We will compare and contrast these campaigns looking at medical, political, social, economic, and cultural factors that worked and that failed to better understand how to control disease today.
Instructor:
Andrea Rusnock |
Instructor: Com 100
Joanne Mundorf
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
Gen. Ed.
category |
| GCH 102 |
2 |
6351 |
MWF |
1-1.50 |
3 |
L |
| Com 100 |
2 |
3020 |
MWF |
8-8.50 |
3 |
ECw |
Sexuality, Gender, and Law in the Modern United States
We will explore the history of sexuality and gender as it relates to U.S. law. The course is organized around four central unites: gender and pay equity in the workplace, sexuality and military service, heterosexual and gay marriage, and fetal and maternal rights.
Instructor:
Miriam Reumann |
Instructor: Com 100
Elizabeth Benoit
|
| Class |
Section Number |
Class Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 102 |
3 |
7722 |
MWF |
11-11.50 |
3 |
| Com 100 |
31 |
3043 |
MWF |
12-12.50 |
3 |
M.R.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I hope that examining the people, groups, struggles, and stories behind key legal decisions, will encourage students to think in new ways about ongoing debates over issues such as same-sex marriage, who should serve in the U.S. military, and workplace rights.
What is your particular area of focus/research within this field today?
My research focuses on the modern history of sexuality in the United States, especially the rise of sexual science and the development and use of sex surveys.
B.B.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
Having the opportunity to collaborate with experts from other fields excites me about the Grand Challenge course. It will be as much of a learning experience for me as it will be for the students.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
Students may be surprised to see how relative communication is to the other Grand Challenge field, and just how applicable the skills they will gain in Com100 will be.
Topics in Disability
This course offers the opportunity for exploring social, political, and ethical dimensions of disability in American culture through reading/writing/discussion. In addition, students will enjoy an engaging experiential component.
Instructor:
Celeste Martin |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 102 |
4 |
7763 |
M |
4-6.46 |
4 |
| Com 100 |
49 |
4939 |
TTh |
2-3.15 |
3 |
|
Issues of the Information Age
Do individual privacy rights exist in the digital age? Who controls the Internet? As global citizens, what should we do about the digital divide? We will investigate the landscape of today's information world through the filter of four powerful themes: Privacy, Accuracy, Property, and Access.
Instructor:
Mary MacDonald |
Instructor:Com 100
Regina Bell
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 102 |
5 |
7764 |
TTh |
9.30-10.45 |
3 |
| Com 100 |
18 |
3031 |
MWF |
10-10.50 |
3 |
M.M.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
Exploring the information landscape of the 21st century is exciting because it is constantly changing and shifting in reaction to, and reflection of, society and culture. Engaging students in researching contemporary global information issues offers rich opportunities for both instructor and students to reach beyond our every day understanding of the information world.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
I believe students will be surprised at their ability to both discern complex information issues and to research information sources that will suggest and support new directions to solve these issues.
R.B.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
For me, participating in a Grand Challenge Course is a genuine learning
opportunity. As a life-long learner, I look forward to collaborating with
Mary MacDonald (as well as my other Grand Challenge colleagues) to offer
students an “out-of-the-box” introduction to Fundamentals of Communication and
GCH 102. At the same time, Mary and I will design innovative assignments to
strengthen the link between the two courses. By creating a seamless learning
experience, students will be encouraged to include the skills mastered in this
class in their personal toolbox to support their academic career at the
University.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
We anticipate students to have “WOW” moments as they recognize the
far-reaching implications of issues in the Information Age. Though the
ubiquitous world of social media has created a unique way of communicating,
students will realize the significance and importance of exploring the essence
of communication. By integrating major concepts from Fundamentals of
Communication in GCH 102, students will probably be surprised by the power of
the media and its influence in our society.
Which Box to Check? Constructing Race, Gender, and Sexual Identity
We will examine the process of socially constructing difference, examining how inequalities in our society impact our life experiences, while also seeking to understand the social and legal history around difference.
Instructor:
Lynn Derbyshire & Kyle Kusz |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 102 |
6 |
7765 |
TTh |
11-12.15 |
3 |
|
Cultural Competency and Multicultural Health
Everyone wants to be healthy and feel good, but people think about how to accomplish that in very different ways - often related to culture and upbringing. This class will focus on understanding healthcare from a culturally competent perspective. Blended online/classroom course.
Instructor:
Anita Derreza |
Instructor:
Cynthia Taylor
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 102 |
7 |
7842 |
F (online) |
2-2.50 |
3 |
| Com 100 |
14 |
3853 |
TTh |
9.30-
10.45
|
3 |
A.D.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
The subject is one that I am very passionate about. I am excited to share this information with Freshman who plan to work with a diverse population of patients or clients before they may have picked up some “bad” habits. Understanding differences and starting to develop awareness of cultural health issues will be of critical importance for students in many majors across our university.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
I suspect many students will be surprised to learn that a minority of people globally have access to and/or are treated by Western medicine practices that we have come to take for granted in the US. I anticipate that they will be surprised by the prevalence of complementary alternative medicine use in the US and the innovative practices that are beginning to integrate traditional and Western medicines/therapies.
C.T.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I'm most excited about the truly interdisciplinary nature of our course GCH 102: Cultural Competence and Multicultural Health. The combination of my background in anthropology, Anita Jackson's background in pharmacy practice, and Daphne Wales' emphasis on communication studies is going to offer students three very different, but complimentary approaches to looking at issues in multicultural health.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
For most of our students, this course will likely be their first introduction to the interdisciplinary approach. I think student are going to be most surprised at how much overlap there is between seemingly disparate disciplines, and how much each individual discipline informs, and is informed by, the others.
(HONORS)From Slater to Slate: The Rise of Literacy in Rhode Island
We will focus on historical and contemporary literacy education in Rhode Island, exploring issues such as child labor, public education, and mills, through various texts, including biographies, personal writings, and textbooks.
Instructor:
Mike Pennell
|
Instructor: Com 100
Crystal Fonseca
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 102 |
1 |
7781 |
TTh |
12.30
-1.45 |
3 |
| Com 100 |
1 |
3517 |
TTh |
8-9.15 |
3 |
M.P.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
Working with students to explore and investigate literacy issues in Rhode Island history. Students offer such an interesting perspective on literacy education, especially the ways in which the past connects to present discussions. I look forward to seeing what they teach me!
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
They may find that much of the history of literacy in Rhode Island relates to them and issues of today, including public versus private education, the role of technology, and definitions of literacy. And, they may be surprised about how much interesting material there is to explore in such a small state.
C.F.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I am really looking forward to collaborating with faculty from two different departments. I have not had such an opportunity yet in my ten years of teaching. I am excited to learn about and apply new pedagogy in my COM100 course.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
I think that the students will be very surprised at how applicable the course is to their everyday life. Once we cover the interpersonal component of the course, students really become excited at how much the material improves their relationships, especially those with their roommates. I also think that the public speaking component shocks them. At the end of the semester, they are very surprised at their growth (ability to organize information and lessened anxiety infront of groups).
NATURAL SCIENCE
Hot Topics in Science
We will read newspaper accounts of current prominent scientific discoveries and learn about the underlying science in each, as well as learn to recognize and critically question their significance and to analyze subjectively, objectively and quantitatively the veracity and impact of the work.
Instructor:
John Merrill |
Instructor:
Brian Heikes
|
Instructor: Com 100
Josh Choma
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 103 |
1 |
7766 |
MW |
3.30-4.45 |
3 |
| Com 100 |
25 |
3038 |
MWF |
11-11.50 |
3 |
J.M.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
The pleasure of sharing the excitement of scientific discovery with students
new to the University is a great opportunity
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
The wide range of areas of science that are in the news, and the flexibility to
select articles on which to focus are things that surprise students about this course.
J.C.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
What excites me most about teaching this course is the opportunity to integrate a crucial topic to our incoming class of students giving them insight on scientific challenges that are occurring within the various communities. It also excites me to discuss some of these topics as relating to particular communication theories and practices.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
I think students will be surprised that this course will be something different than the average COM 100 course with the fact that most examples and assignments will reflect global climate change and other scientific events. The fact that they will learn and see examples that are more relatable to their generation's experiences I feel they will be more enthusiastic to engage in discussion rather than strictly textbook examples.
Earth Gone Mad?
We will look at how a changing environment may affect people and how we can respond to these changes regarding climate, energy, and water.
Instructor:
Thomas Boving
|
Instructor: Com 100
Daphne Wales
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 103 |
2 |
7767 |
TTh |
9.30-
10.45 |
3 |
| Com 100 |
5 |
3335 |
TTh |
8-9.15 |
3 |
Small Science/Big Impact
This is an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology with an emphasis on current and emerging consumer products, public perception and education, and environmental, health, and economic implications.
Instructor:
Geoff Bothun |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 103 |
3 |
7768 |
TTh |
9.30-
10.45 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
6 |
3023 |
TTh |
8-9.15 |
3 |
|
Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field that integrates engineering with life, physical, and social sciences. Students will examine how nanotechnology bridges the molecular and macro worlds, and its environmental and societal impacts.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
Informing students on what nanotechnology is, who is involved, and how it will impact their lives in the next decade. This is always accompanied by an "ah hah" moment when students realize that they CAN understand nanotechnology.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
Nanotechnology is everywhere and involves everyone! There are already 1000+ nanotechnology-based consumer products ranging from sunscreens to electronics. What most people do not know is that the health and safety aspects of many of these products are unknown.
Going with the Flow: How the World Impacts our Ocean State
This course will investigate how our beaches, salt ponds and estuaries are affected by global changes. We will look at how scientific, economic, social, and political pressures impact our waterways.
Instructor:
John King |
Instructor:
Robert Pockalny
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 103 |
4 |
7771 |
MWF 1-1.50 |
W 2-4.45 |
|
| Com 100 |
4 |
3022 |
MWF |
8-8.50 |
34 |
The Environment and You
This course will provide basic knowledge regarding commonly known environmental chemicals and how they impact human health. It will also introduce students to the potential hazards to health posed in such products as foods or cosmetics.
Not for program credit for nursing or pharmacy majors.
Instructor:
Angela Slitt |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 103 |
5 |
7772 |
TTh |
11-
12.15 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
56 |
7198 |
TTh |
12.30-
1.45 |
3 |
|
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Life Begins at Consumption: How Advertising Infiltrates our
Personal, Cultural, and Environmental Landscape
This course evaluates and critiques contemporary mass media as makers of meaning
and shapers of society. Specifically, this course will take a critical look at the advertising
industry, and its propaganda about personal identity, culture, and environment. We will
question the role of corporate media in our lives, with the hope of developing a new
vision for what we want our future to look like.
Instructor:
Kristine Cabral |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
1 |
6292 |
TTh |
12.30-1.45 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
24 |
3569 |
TTh |
9.30-10.45 |
|
|
K.F.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I'm excited to teach WRT 104 geared toward a specific interdisciplinary approach. I'm also enthusiastic about working with another instructor to create a learning environment where students will practice a multitude of skills and see that what they learn in one class is truly connected to concepts they learn in others.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
That writing is truly a communication skill they'll use throughout their lives—a skill that they've already been using for a long time, but perhaps they haven't considered the weight of its importance. I think students will see that the writing we do isn't just for a grade on a cluster of assignments in one given semester. The skills they practice and the results of their learning will be far-reaching—into their professional lives and beyond.
What Got You Here, Won't Get You There: Leadership for a Changing World
The habits of behavior which brought you success in the past may become barriers when the environment changes, but it is hard to give up "what got you here". This course will help you understand your strengths as a young leader trying "to get there", and through both study and experience, set you on the path to true leadership.
Instructor:
Bob Carothers |
Instructor:
Melissa Boyd-Colvin
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
2 |
6325 |
TTh |
2-3.15 |
4 |
| Com
100 |
51 |
4964 |
TTh |
3.30-4.45 |
3 |
What excites you most about teaching this course?
The students! I loved my experience teaching GCH in the fall of 2010 mainly because of the opportunity to build a cohort and community of excited new learners at URI. It was a pleasure to get to know these students - their strengths and their hopes for their collegiate experience - and to be a part of their first academic experiences at URI. Witnessing their transformation, from new students to engaged learners, was a privilege.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
Two things: How much they will learn about themselves and how much they will benefit from learning from each others' experiences (this includes the instructors as well!). The course is about leadership, but ultimately this is a course about values, knowing yourself and your strengths, developing as a leader, and learning how to put leadership into action in a collegiate setting for the purpose of creating positive change.
Media and Race Relations
We will examine how the media deal with issues of race, covering both news and entertainment, looking at representations of various groups of people with an emphasis on the interaction between races. We will also watch some popular films that deal with racial issues including some lectures and films in the 2011 Honors Colloquium.
Instructor:
John Pantalone |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
3 |
6335 |
TTh |
9.30-
10.45 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
34 |
3046 |
MWF |
12-12.50 |
3 |
|
J.P.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
The racial history of the United States and current race relations are fascinating topics to me because they embody the essence of the American struggle to achieve its own stated ideals. As a journalist and a journalism professor who also teaches mass media studies, I understand the critical role played by news and entertainment media in contributing to both aspects of this struggle. The mass media can instigate racial problems and help resolve them, and they have done both over the course of history. This course examines exactly how the mass media do that.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
Based on previous experience, I would say almost everything. At the end of the semester, when asked to name something they learned about themselves by taking the course, most students have said they were surprised to see how their opinions of races other than their own were influenced by the content of mass media. The surprise for me has been discovering how much of the history of this subject students are unaware of. It's a learning experience for everyone.
J.D.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I'm most excited to see students learn and discover the vital role that communication plays in other fields of study.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
I think students will be most surprised by the amount of practical knowledge they will have gained by the end of the semester.
Health and Disease: On the Brink of Disaster
We will evaluate current and historical trends in fertility, morbidity, and morality to learn how factors such as economics, politics, and environmental changes impact health in a society. We will learn through evaluating recent events such as the gulf coast (hurricane Katrina, BP oil spill), war-torn IRAQ, the US post IRAQ war inception and the economic downturn.
Instructor:
Brian Quilliam
|
Instructor:
Com 100
Tracy Proulx
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
4 |
6340 |
TTh |
9.30-
10.45 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
37 |
3048 |
TTh |
12.30-
1.45 |
3 |
Education and Social Justice
Some people count more than others - especially in the educational system. We will look through the lens of social justice at the educational system and understand the dynamics of marginalized groups (e.g. minorities, English language learners, LGBTQ youth, persons with disabilities, the poor) to bring clarity to a call for action.
Instructor:
Adam Moore |
Instructor:
Mona Neidbala
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
5 |
6347 |
TTh |
11-12.15 |
3 |
A.M.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
This topics within the course, Education and Social Justice, are truly at the heart of why I personally chose to become an educator. My hope is that this team taught course with Librarian Niedbala will inspire first-year students to become active and engaged on the URI campus and beyond!
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
I think students will be surprised at the lack of discourse that took place in their previous schooling around the topics of marginalized groups within the education system. While the topics of this course are not new to education, oftentimes they are ignored within our society.
M.N.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I am excited about continuing my collaboration with Professor Moore at teaching a freshman course. I am looking forward to teaching information literacy skills for academic research on education and social justice, a much debated topic in today's American society.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
I think that students will be surprised to have a professor and a librarian teaching in a team. I am also looking forward to seeing students' excitement to learn about the technology and tools available to effectively address problems related to social justice in education.
How Did You, Your Bed, & Your Laptop End up in this Gathering?
Become a fan of this course. We will study human behavior in the social and cultural context of social media networks, focusing on narratives (storytelling) that are created through social networks. We will explore the global implications and ethical standards that are part of social media networks.
Instructor:
Martha Waitkun |
Instructor:
Kim White
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
6 |
7774 |
MW |
3-4..15 |
3 |
The Weight is Over
This course will review the relationship between behavior and obesity and explore the role of personal responsibility versus social responsibility in maintaining a healthy weight.
Instructor:
Deb Reibe |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
7 |
7775 |
MWF |
1-1.50 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
29 |
3041 |
MWF |
11-
11.50 |
|
|
People are Strange: The Role of Irrational Behavior in Health
This course will introduce basic principles in behavioral economics as a way to understand how individuals health behavior decisions fail to follow rational models. New ways of influencing health behaviors will be illustrated.
Instructor:
Bryan Blissmer |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
8 |
7776 |
MWF |
10-10.50 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
45 |
4935 |
TTh |
11-12.15 |
3 |
|
Sustainability and Behavior Change
We will explore the connection between sustainability, health, and behavior change by analyzing ways in which communication affects environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Students will conduct video interviews and design communication campaigns regarding ecological responsibility.
Instructor:
Norbert Mundorf |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
9 |
7777 |
MWF |
10-10.50 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
9 |
3025 |
MWF |
9-9.50 |
3 |
|
What excites you most about teaching this course?
Sustainability and Behavior Change
Much of my work in sustainability is geared towards communicating fairly complex connections and implications to different constituencies. Getting freshmen involved and excited about this topic is rewarding for them because it challenges their civic involvement early on. It is also rewarding to me because it gives me an opportunity to create awareness for this major challenge facing us in the 21st Century.
We will explore the connection between sustainability, health, and behavior change by analyzing ways in which communication affects environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Students will conduct video interviews and design communication campaigns regarding ecological responsibility
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
The course will utilize a blended format. Rather than limiting instruction to a conventional lecture format we will either have discussions using online chat or students will work with their groups on video production and projects.
There will be a tangible product at the end of the class—a website, video or similar message.
Sustainability in Textiles and Apparel
What is “green” in textiles and fashion? Why is “sustainability” now the buzz word in manufacturing and design? Learn what environmental concerns are what you can do about them.
Instructor:
Martin Bide |
Instructor:
Karl Aspelund
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 103 |
6 |
7773 |
MWF |
11-
11.50 |
3 |
Communicating the Science of Global Limits
Science uses specialized language to understand and explain the complexity in our world. But the language they use may not lead to clarity, in fact it can make things more complicated. We will ask, with all that science knows, how can we use politics, the economy, and education to persuade more rational human behavior?
Instructor:
Patrick Logan |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104 |
10 |
7778 |
TTh |
9.30-
10.45 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
3 |
3021 |
MWF |
8-8.50 |
3 |
|
(HONORS) BE the Solution for Global Health Problems
Teams of students will study a global public health problem and present a sustainable solution that integrates human innovation with existing global technology.
Instructor:
Jeffrey Brattberg |
Instructor:
Mary Cloud
|
Instructor:
Roger Lebrun |
Instructor:
Steve Kogut
|
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104H |
1 |
6548 |
TTh |
9.30-
10.45 |
4 |
S.K.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
The opportunity to get outside my comfort zone and interact with students from other colleges.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
The learning is hands-on and designed to progress down varied pathways according to students' curiosities.
J.B.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
I am most excited to witness the energy and interest first-year students have for the content, and observing them develop skills to relate their new college experiences to the on-going experiences of citizens suffering from mostly preventable health problems around the world.
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
I think that students will be amazed at how well they can use technology to evoke an emotional connection to their global health solutions.
M.C.
What excites you most about teaching this course?
What excites me the most is the opportunity to involve students at a very early stage in their college career on a topic that I am passionate about using an interdisciplinary format. A very unique and exciting learning experience for all involved!
What do you think would most surprise students about this course?
What might surprise the students is the low faculty- student ratio ( in our case, it was 4 to 1!) and the chance as first semester Freshmen to take a class with very experienced faculty.
(HONORS) Entrepreneurship Approaches to Wicked Problems: Confronting Persistent Poverty in the Global South
There is a growing and exciting body of work, both academic and practical, on how individuals and organizations are confronting poverty alleviation in the Global South through novel approaches such as fair trade and microfinance. This course reviews this work with an emphasis on these new approaches. It will also train students on skills for "how to" think about all ill-defined problems.
Instructor:
Silvia Dorado Banacloche |
| Class |
Section
Number |
Class
Number |
Day |
Time |
Credits |
| GCH 104H |
2 |
7780 |
TTh |
11-12.15 |
3 |
| Com
100 |
57 |
7202 |
TTh |
12.30-1.45 |
3 |
|
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