Fall 2009 Honors Courses
ENG 102, The Rhetoric of Analysis & Argumentation, Honors (3 Hours
Credit)
ENG 102 H section A
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Critical Inquiry and Writing MWF 9:00 –
9:50
Dr. Lara Whelan
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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
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Rhetoric and Public Address MWF 10:00 - 10:50
Dr. Bob Frank
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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
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Principles of Economics I TH 12:30 - 1:45
Dr. Frank Stephenson
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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
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Perennial Questions TH 12:30-1:45 Dr. Michael Cooley
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HON 201 HB
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Perennial Questions TH 2:00-3:15 Dr. Michael Cooley
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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
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Perennial Questions TH 9:30–10:45 Dr. Michael Papazian
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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
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Psychology of Women MWF 11:00 - 11:50
Dr.
Susan Conradsen
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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
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Media Law MWF 2:00 - 2:50 Dr. Kathy McKee
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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
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The Era of Al Capone TH 9:30-10:45 Dr. Christy
Snider
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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.