Spring 2008 Honors Courses
HON 200 H, Democracy and Its Friendly Critics (Required for all Honors
Students; 3 Hours Credit)
HON 200HA
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Democracy and Its Friendly Critics MWF 11:00-11:50 Dr. Eric Sands
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HON 200HB
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Democracy and Its Friendly Critics TH 12:30-1:45 Dr. Eric Sands
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Course meets these requirements:
- Required course for all honors students
- General Education core requirement in Behavioral & Social Sciences --
200 level for Government and International Studies.
Course description:
America 's leading statesmen such as
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and
Franklin Roosevelt understood that popular government is extremely difficult to
sustain. They understood what we largely have forgotten: Democracy, like all
forms of government, comes with its own set of challenges and pathologies.
These lessons about democracy are best expressed by Alexis de Tocqueville, a
critic, albeit a friendly one, of American democracy who thoughtfully and
forcefully articulated the dangers facing the emerging democratic world. This
course will use Tocqueville's Democracy in America to illustrate the perpetual
issues and problems of democracy--many of which are still very real despite our
being blind to them---and we will also draw on works of literature, philosophy,
film, and theology to give concrete meaning to these problems as they are
manifested in American political and social life.
HON 200 H, Democracy and Its Friendly Critics (Required for all Honors
Students; 3 Hours Credit)
HON 200 HC
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Democracy and Its Friendly Critics MWF 12:00-12:50 Dr. David McKenzie
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Course meets these requirements:
- Required course for all honors students
- General Education core requirement in Humanities--100 level for Philosophy.
- May also count as the fifth humanities elective, if religion or philosophy
course requirement has been met by other means (e.g. AP credit).
Course description:
The motto “e pluribus unum” was
inscribed on the United States National Seal, created by the Continental
Congress during the Revolutionary War Period. The motto referred originally to
the one nation arising from the many nations whose settlers came to America and
from the thirteen states which constituted the original union. The idea that it
would be possible to create a nation that really is “one, from many” is a
seminal idea of American history. As the phrase comes to us, it stands more
broadly for the dialectic of the one and the many in American experience,
reflected in a wide array of issues. This course focuses on certain moments in
this rich dialectic in which the tensions inherent in the interplay of unity and
diversity have come to full expression. It explores early arguments related to
state and nation from the discipline of politics, cultural conflicts between
Native-Americans and European settlers from the disciplines of history and
literature, persistent issues of race relation from the disciplines of
philosophy and Black studies, treatment of immigrant populations from the
disciplines of literature and sociology, the long struggle for gender equality
from the disciplines of history and women’s studies, and arguments pertaining to
religious identity and separation of church and state from the disciplines of
religious studies and politics.
English 102, The Rhetoric of Analysis and Argumentation, Honors (3 Hours
Credit)
ENG 102 HB
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Inquiry and Writing TH 12:30-1:45 Dr. M.E. Cooley
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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 hrs credit)
Course description:
The course focuses on developing
analytical and critical thinking and writing skills in argumentative and
persuasive prose for academic and professional audiences. Four essays and a
revision essay are required; all final drafts require several rough drafts.
Class is a combination of lecture and workshop activities. Current event issues
are used as the basis for readings and discussions which then become topics for
writing.
English 102, Rhetoric and Writing, Honors (3 Hours Credit)
ENG 102 HS
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Inquiry and Writing MWF 10:00-10:50 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 hrs credit)
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.).
Honors 250/HIS 450A, Slavery in the Age of Freedom (3 Hours Credit)
HON 250 HA
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Slavery in the Age of Freedom MWF 1:00-1:50 Dr. Jonathan Atkins
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Course meets these requirements:
- an HON 250 course (3 of 9 elective required hours for all Honor students)
- General Education core requirement in Humanities-- 200 level for History
- an elective requirement for the History major or minor
- may count as one of the two free electives, outside of major/minor, required
for graduation; OR, as the fifth humanities elective
Course description:
In the late eighteenth century, the
American and French Revolutions established the principle that society’s purpose
is to promote human freedom and equality. But while the belief in freedom and
equality spread throughout the western world, the institution of slavery not
only survived but in some areas became more deeply entrenched. This course
presents a study of American slavery in the context of western society from the
sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. Organized as a seminar, the course
examines from a historical approach the contradiction between the celebration of
liberty and the practice of human bondage. It also explores the legal,
religious, economic, sociological, and anthropological arguments for and against
the institution, as well as portrayals of slavery in literature.
As a seminar, this course combines lectures and examinations with short
papers, discussions, and an oral presentation on an original research paper.
Class discussions focus on the implications of slavery for human relations as
well as on the institution’s legacy for the modern world. Assigned readings
include The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano;
selected pro-slavery writings; Uncle Tom’s Cabin; and readings on
emancipation and its consequences. Students will be required to attend two
evening screenings of films.
Honors 250/ PHI 357A, Contemporary Philosophy (3 Hours Credit)
HON250 HB
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Contemporary Philosophy MW 3:30-4:45 Dr. Michael Papazian
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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 Humanities -- 100 level for Philosophy
(3 hrs credit)
- May count as one of the two free electives, outside of major/minor, required
for graduation; OR, as the fifth humanities elective
Course description:
This course is a study of trends in
late 19 th and 20 th century philosophy with a focus on existentialism. Readings
consist of philosophical and literary works written by Kierkegaard, Nietzsche,
Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, Kafka, and Ortega y Gasset. The course will end with a
discussion and reading of the political and religious implications of 20 th
century European philosophy and especially its impact on contemporary Islamic
political thought. Authors on this topic include Paul Berman and Mark Lilla. The
course will consider the following questions: What is existentialism? Is it a
uniquely modern movement or is it a perennial philosophy? Is fiction a proper
way to do philosophy? What is the relation of philosophy to modern politics and
religion?
Honors 250/REL 345A Mysticism East & West (3 Hours Credit)
HON250 HC
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Mysticism East & West MW 2:00-3:15 Dr. Jeffrey Lidke
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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 Humanities -- 100 level for Religion
(3 hrs credit)
- May count as one of the two free electives, outside of major/minor, required
for graduation; OR, as the fifth humanities elective
Course description:
This course seeks to understand
mysticism as a phenomenon common to all major religions. Through a careful
exploration of mystical tradition from the East (particularly Hinduism) and West
(particularly Christianity) we will investigate the impact of mysticism on
theology, politics, and cultural practice. Most class sessions will begin by
discussing different devotional practices and inviting the students to
participate in the practice under discussion for a few minutes. The links with
this experience/discussion to the larger themes of the course will be explored.
Honors 250/PSY 385IA Psychology of Women (3 Hours Credit)
HON250 HD
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Psychology of Women MWF 12:00-12:50 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)
- General Education core requirement in Behavioral & Social Sciences --
100 level for Psychology (3 hrs credit)
- May count as one of the two free electives, outside of major/minor, required
for graduation.
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.
Honors 250/PSY 370A History and Systems of Psychology (3 Hours Credit)
HON250 HE
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History and Systems of Psychology TH 12:30-1:45 Dr. Richard Hughes
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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 & Social Sciences --
100 level for Psychology (3 hrs credit)
- May count as one of the two free electives, outside of major/minor, required
for graduation.
Course description:
Modern Psychology is a diverse,
multi-perspective discipline that seeks to describe, to predict, and to explain
human mental and behavioral processes. The major objective of this course is to
introduce the student to the many theoretical perspectives-both past and
present-that psychologists use to understand human and animal behavior.
Throughout its short history, psychology has been through many important
‘revolutions’ in terms of how the discipline views the causes of why we think
and behave as we do. At any point in its past, what academic psychology believed
to be the appropriate subject matter was greatly influenced by older, more
established traditions such as philosophy, the physical and natural sciences,
theology, and anthropology; today, though modern psychology continues to be
affected by these traditions, conceptual analogies from computer science and
research on genes and behavior also permeate contemporary psychological science.
Honors 250/COM 416IA Mass Communication Law (3 Hours Credit)
HON250 HF
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Mass Communication Law MWF 1:00-1:50 Dr. Brian Carroll
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Course meets these requirements:
- An HON 250 course (3 of 9 elective required hours for all Honors students)
- COM major elective
- COM major, journalism concentration course
- May count as one of the two free electives, outside of major/minor, required
for graduation.
Course description:
Constitutional and legislative
foundations of freedom of speech and press, with special emphasis on the law of
privacy, libel, censorship, access and broadcast regulation.
We examine the delicate balance that exists between freedom and control of
the media in the United States. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is,
of course, the major guarantee of freedom of expression. Since the courts,
especially the U.S. Supreme Court, are ultimately responsible for interpreting
the First Amendment and maintaining the balance between freedom and control, our
study focuses on judicial decisions and reasoning, examining how tensions in the
law are resolved. Other very significant sources of press freedoms and controls
exist, as well, including those produced and enforced by the marketplace,
government regulation and even popular opinion or sentiment. Therefore, we
consider other factors that influence the balance between freedom and control of
mass communication, including statutory law, executive and administrative
actions, and ethical concerns. The course also examines how the nature of a
medium affects or even dictates how it is controlled or not controlled.
The course is organized into three major sections: Freedom of Expression
& the First Amendment; Media Malpractice (privacy invasion and libel); and
Special Areas of Media Law (telecom, commercial speech, the Internet, copyright
and intellectual property, trial coverage). Because law is largely derived from
precedent, there is a significant historical thread that runs throughout the
course, providing a timeline on which landmark Supreme Court cases mark the eras
of jurisprudential change.
Honors 250, Oxbridge Lecture Series: Our Technological (and
Biotechnological) Republic: The Modern Metamorphosis from Locke to Blogs (3
Hours Credit)
HON250 HG
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Oxbridge Lecture Series MW 3:30-4:45 Dr. Peter Lawler
(Three public lectures that meet outside of class are also required.)
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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 & Social Sciences --
200 level for Government and International Studies (3 hrs credit)
- May count as one of the two free electives, outside of major/minor, required
for graduation.
Course description:
This course will be a moral,
political, and even theological exploration of the ways technology shapes our
lives. It will be less about machines and other inventions than about how the
idea of technology shapes our self-understanding. Do we have the marvelous
ability by thinking abstractly and imaginatively actually to transform who we
are? The course will begin with our country’s partly technological foundation in
the philosophy of John Locke and our Founders’ choice of a large republic. It
will celebrate the progress in terms of individual freedom and security that
come with a technological self-understanding. But it will also come to terms
with the dangers that arise when a technological self-understanding becomes too
complete--such as a reconstruction of all of human life in terms of meritocratic
(or productive) qualities, nihilism (or the reduction of all non-technological
or moral and political distinctions to nothing), disorientation and displacement
that replace happiness itself with its endless, futile support, the deformation
of language, and the replacement of real truth with mere effectiveness. We may
lose any sense of gratitude for what we’ve been given by nature and God, as what
appears to us to be impersonal natural evolution is gradually displaced by
conscious and volitional evolution. Specific contemporary issues will be
addressed in detail--such as psychopharmacological mood control, the ambiguous
prospect of indefinite longevity, and the possible emergence of a postpolitical,
postfamilial, postreligious world.
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.