Fall 2009 Honors Courses
ENG 102, The Rhetoric of Analysis & Argumentation, Honors (3 Hours Credit)
ENG 102 H section A |
Critical Inquiry and Writing MWF 9:00 – 9:50 |
Course meets these requirements:
- An HON 250 course (3 of 9 elective required hours for all Honors students)
- General Education core requirement in Communication (3 of 9 hours required)
Course description:
The purpose of the course is to prepare students to become knowing and productive participants in academic, cultural, or civic discourse. Students will learn to use multiple and sustained modes of critical inquiry to build arguable perspectives within particular cultural contexts and conversations. These modes might include writing to learn, report, review, criticize, clarify, convince, persuade, or negotiate. In addition, students will be coached in the rhetorical concepts of persona, ethos & pathos, argument structure, counterargument, and logical fallacy. By the end of the course, students will be able to summarize, evaluate, and synthesize multiple sources in order develop a critical perspective and advance a thesis of their own. Students will also receive guidance in the evaluation and appropriate documentation of print and non-print sources (e.g., online databases, world wide web, film, photography, television, etc.).
COM 203, Rhetoric and Public Address, Honors (3 Hours Credit)
COM 203 H section B |
Rhetoric and Public Address MWF 10:00 - 10:50 |
Course meets these requirements:
- An HON 250 course (3 of 9 elective required hours for all Honors students)
- General Education core requirement in Communication (3 of 9 hours required)
Course description:
This class surveys pivotal rhetorical documents of American movements for social change including abolitionist, women's rights, civil rights, and environmentalism. Through written rhetorical analysis and oral presentations on social justice issues, students will understand rhetorical strategies that best promote social justice.
ECO 110, Principles of Economics I, Honors (3 Hours Credit)
ECO 110 H Section G |
Principles of Economics I TH 12:30 - 1:45 |
Course meets these requirements:
- An HON 250 course (3 of 9 elective required hours for all Honors students)
- General Education core requirement in Behavioral and Social Sciences (3 of 9 hours required)
Course description:
Analysis of markets, consumers, business firms and government agencies; the market mechanism for determining resource use and income distribution. Introduction of the factors that determine macroeconomic activity and growth. Discussion of the American banking system and the basis for foreign trade.
Honors 201, Perennial Questions: What is the Good Life? (3 Hours Credit)
HON 201 HA |
Perennial Questions TH 12:30-1:45 Dr. Michael Cooley |
HON 201 HB |
Perennial Questions TH 2:00-3:15 Dr. Michael Cooley |
Course meets these requirements:
- Required course for all Honors students
- Counts as the 200-level literature requirement or the fifth free elective course in the Humanities general education core (3 of 15 hours required)
Course description:
The course investigates the “perennial question” of what makes a life “good” and how best one might understand and pursue that “good life.” Readings from classical and contemporary philosophy, literature, psychology, sociology, pop-culture, religion and education each provide perspectives on the question of “What is a Good Life?” Four films provide further perspectives on the basic issue of the good life.
Class is conducted as a seminar; discussion of assigned readings rather than lecture is the general format for class. Reading journals and a term essay are required.
Honors 201, Perennial Questions (3 Hours Credit)
HON 201 HC |
Perennial Questions TH 9:30–10:45 Dr. Michael Papazian |
Course meets these requirements:
- Required course for all Honors students
- Counts as the 100-level philosophy course requirement or the fifth free elective course in the Humanities general education core (3 of 15 hours required)
Course description:
This course is an honors introduction to the main questions and problems of philosophy. The best way to approach these questions is to read, discuss, and write about how some of the best philosophers have answered them. So we will read and discuss how philosophers such as Plato, Augustine, Descartes, Nietzsche and others have dealt with such questions as the following: Is there any good reason to believe in God? Or is it OK to believe things without good reasons? Is the mind a machine like a computer or is it not physical at all? Are moral positions just subjective opinions? What is the relationship of religion and morality? How should human societies be organized? What is the purpose of education? Why should we care about any of this?
Honors 250A/PSY 385, Psychology of Women (3 Hours Credit)
HON 250H Section A |
Psychology of Women MWF 11:00 - 11:50 |
Course meets these requirements:
- An HON 250 course (3 of 9 elective required hours for all Honors students)
- Counts as the psychology course requirement in the Behavioral and Social Sciences general education core (3 of 9 hours required)
- May count toward the major with departmental approval
Course description:
This course is an interdisciplinary investigation of the psychological, social, emotional, and cognitive aspects of gender in our society. In particular, the unique issues and challenges to women’s psychological well-being created by the impact of society (both direct and indirect) and culture will be addressed. Some of the specific topics we will cover include how gender identity is formed, the preponderance of sexist stereotypes, how the media influences our ideas of masculinity and femininity, the occupational and domestic challenges women face, the culture of violence against women across their lives, the experience of birth and mothering, love relationships, and other developmental events unique to women’s development such as menstruation and menopause. Throughout the course the existence of sexism within American culture and beyond will be covered such as inequity in political representation and salaries, sex trafficking, female genital mutilation, and role expectations. This class is a discussion oriented class. Students take weekly quizzes, complete a group presentation on a topic of their choice, and complete five writing assignments.
Honors 250B/COM 416IA, Media Law (3 Hours Credit)
HON 250H Section B |
Media Law MWF 2:00 - 2:50 Dr. Kathy McKee |
Course meets these requirements:
- An HON 250 course (3 of 9 elective required hours for all Honors students)
- May count toward the major with departmental approval
Course description:
Constitutional and legislative foundations of freedom of speech and press, with special emphasis on the law of libel, privacy, censorship, access and broadcast regulation.
Topics include discussion of the ways in which the interests of the state, society and individuals have been balanced in such arenas as political speech, commercial speech, sexual expression, student speech and technological change. For example, examining the changes in the freedoms or restrictions governing student speech require an examination of the purposes served by public and private K-12 educational systems; the changes in both prompted by social movements from the integration of the 1950s to the social conservative movement of the 1980s, and the changes in technologies available to students inside and outside the school environments.
Honors students will be required to complete an annotated bibliography as they prepare for the major research-based essay required of all students. They will also complete a more detailed writer’s workshop report and will respond to a different writing prompt on the final exam.
Honors 250D/HIS 450, The Era of Al Capone (3 Hours Credit)
HON250 H Section D |
The Era of Al Capone TH 9:30-10:45 Dr. Christy Snider |
Course meets these requirements:
- An HON 250 course (3 of 9 elective required hours for all Honors students)
- Counts as the History gen. ed. requirement or the fifth free elective in the Humanities general education core (3 of 9 hours required)
- May count as one of the two free electives, outside of major/minor, required for graduation.
- May count toward the major with departmental approval
Course description:
This course will use the life of Al Capone, one of the world’s most notorious criminals, to study American urban society from 1899 to 1948. Capone came of age during a time in history when old laws, old customs, and old values were no longer able to deal with the changes occurring throughout the country. He was able to use this upheaval to leave his mark on city politics, organized crime, and prohibition. An examination of Capone touches on issues that include immigrant communities, working class culture, urban life, jazz, the Florida real-estate boom, and the Great Depression. The class will also discuss why Capone’s fame, which should have been fleeting, instead lodged permanently in the consciousness of Americans. The course will be conducted as a reading seminar, meaning there will be little to no lecturing. Instead, students are required to read a variety of secondary sources, including historical monographs, journal articles, literature written during the time period, and then discuss this material in class.
Honors Thesis
Register for HON 450H if you are starting your thesis.
Register for HON 451H if you completed HON 450H last semester.
You will need an authorization form signed by your thesis director, department chair, and the honors director.
Honorization of Courses
“HONORIZING ” a course or a course within a major.
As you know, an honors student may request to change a “regular” course within a major into an honors course. Follow the procedure below.
BEFORE you begin attending the course, during registration, meet with the instructor. Print and take the form with you (see Forms on the Honors Web page); this form has guidelines for you and your instructor. Discuss with the faculty member your interest in receiving “honors” credit for a particular course. He or she will define the nature of the honors work to be completed.
Honorizing any course is NOT Permitted after the first week of classes.
Complete your part of the form and return the form to Dr. Cooley.