FALL 2012 HONORS COURSES
Registration dates:
All students who have completed 100 or more credits (not counting courses in progress)
will begin registering on Monday, April 9.
All students who have completed between 90 and 99.9 credits (not counting courses in progress)
will begin registering on Tuesday, April 10.
All Honors students who have completed fewer than 90 credits (not counting courses in progress)
will begin registering on Wednesday, April 11.
Course descriptions:
Art History 125-04H ● Renaissance to Modern Art (4583)
MWF 11:00-11:50 ● Professor Thomas Stubblefield
Three credits. This course explores the art and architecture of Western Europe 1250-1860, a period of exceptional change in the theory, practice, and purpose of art, as well as a primary touchstone for modern and contemporary arts. Class discussion is supported by short papers, quizzes, and field trips to exhibitions as appropriate, including one to New York City to tour the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Biology 103-04H ● Topics in Biology: Campus Biodiversity (6426)
TuTh 11:00-12:15 ● Professor Tara Rajaniemi
Beyond the Ring Road, the UMD campus is full of fields, forests, streams, and wetlands. Come see what’s living out there in this survey of campus biodiversity. About half our time will be spent outside (exploring, measuring, identifying, collecting samples) or in the lab working with the collected samples. For example, we will identify native and invasive trees, shrubs, and other plants in various community types; look for patterns in soil texture and composition; estimate carbon storage in campus trees; and collect insects with sweep nets and pitfall traps. We will work with a state forester to establish permanent monitoring plots in our forest. Lectures will provide a biological and ecological context for what we find. Students in this class will also complete a project to help describe campus ecosystems and species for the public. Be prepared to go out in fabulous (or lousy) weather, get dirt under your fingernails, handle plants and bugs, and explore parts of campus that most students never see!
Biology 131-03H ● Biology of Organisms Laboratory I (6434)
Wednesday 2:00-4:50 ● Professor Guillermo Paz-y-Miño
One credit. Biology of Organisms Laboratory BIO-131H is the arena in which students’ analytical skills and critical thinking develop. BIO-131H is a challenging and enjoyable journey. As a consequence of exploring scientific hypotheses and working in unique experimental settings, students retain much information concerning the structure, function, and behavioral adaptations of living organisms. Most importantly, students become independent learners of biology and value both its philosophical and practical significance in today’s world. Students discover that nature is measurable and factual (=observable) and that biology provides them with naturalistic explanations about life processes and patterns. Students feel comfortable working in the laboratory and become skillful at using sophisticated equipment; they understand and apply statistical concepts, write scientific papers, design posters and multi-media-based oral presentations, participate in workshop-like experiences, and attend scientific meetings specifically organized for college audiences. Corequisite: BIO 121.
Biology 244-04H ● Biology of Cells Laboratory (6458)
Wednesday 2:00-4:50 ● Professor Whitney Hable
One credit. A laboratory course focusing on molecular, cellular and microscopic procedures used to study the functions of cells. A special emphasis is placed on guiding students through the processes of 1) defining their own hypotheses about biological phenomena, 2) designing their own experiments to test these hypotheses, and 3) interpreting and evaluating data from the scientific literature. Corequisite: BIO 234. Natural Science; Gen Ed S
Chemistry 155-02H/02R1 ● Modern Chemical Principles I (5486/5487)
MWF 11:00-11:50, Wednesday 1:00-1:50 ● Professor Timothy Su
Three credits. This first semester of the introductory chemistry course for science and engineering majors explores the principles of atomic and molecular structure, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, gases, thermochemistry, and chemical bonding theory. This course is the beginning of a journey to the world of atoms and molecules. Students will experience the beauty of various chemical processes, witness the magic of the behaviors of matter and energy at subatomic levels, meet the challenges of solving problems which integrate quantum scales with classical applications, and more. Students in the Honors section will participate in the excitement of this course in an environment that builds on small classes and close interaction between students and faculty. The scope of coverage is more extensive than regular sections. Corequisite: CHM 161.
Chemistry 161-05H/05L1 ● Introduction to Applied Chemistry I (5500/5501)
Thursday 11:00-1:50 ● Professor Zhiwei Liu
One credit. An introduction to chemical laboratory techniques and methods with emphasis on preparation, purification, and identification of compounds, elemental analysis, reaction stoichiometry, chemical ionization, thermochemistry, spectrophotometric techniques, and selective descriptive inorganic chemistry. Most experiments involve the identification of unknowns and statistical analysis of data. Corequisite: CHM 155.
Economics 231-02H ● Principles of Microeconomics (4892)
TuTh 2:00-3:15 ● Professor Sarah Cosgrove
Three credits. This course will introduce the fundamentals of microeconomic theory and practice. Students will learn about the method and impact of decision-making by firms, consumers, and workers. Specific topics include: supply and demand analysis, elasticity, short and long run costs, four major industry types and government intervention. The Honors course includes a greater focus on current examples and applications of the topics covered as well as more interactive work than the non-Honors course.
English 101-06H ● Critical Writing and Reading I (5772)
MWF 9:00-9:50 ● Instructor TBA
English 101-09H ● Critical Writing and Reading I (5781)
MWF 10:00-10:50 ● Instructor TBA
English 101-24H ● Critical Writing and Reading I (5801)
MWF 2:00-2:50 ● Instructor TBA
English 101-37H ● Critical Writing and Reading I (5823)
TuTh 9:30-10:45 ● Professor Tracy Harrison
English 101-41H ● Critical Writing and Reading I (5827)
TuTh 12:30-1:45 ● Professor Tracy Harrison
English 101-63H ● Critical Writing and Reading I (5842)
MWF 1:00-1:50 ● Instructor TBA
English 226-01H ● Multicultural American Literature (5867)
TuTh 12:30-1:45 ● Professor Shari Evans
Three credits. The latest Census asked individuals to identify themselves by designated labels of race, gender, and ethnicity, checking off appropriate boxes and/or filling in their own. Like each census before it, these questions sparked debate about the nature of identity, the history and present of racial, gendered, ethnic, religious, or cultural experience, and the determination of what it means to be American. What (or who) is named? What (or who) is counted? What (or who) is left off (or out)? How do we reduce ourselves to a box? In this Honors course, we will examine the ways fiction from a variety of cultural perspectives engages these questions of identity and negotiates multiple subject positions in American society. We will develop our understanding of this literature by looking at the cultural, political, social, and aesthetic contexts out of which it was created, paying special attention to the narrative formation of a particularly “American” literature, but one that also becomes inclusive of—because in confrontation with—difference. We will consider the ways writers are in conversation with one another, or the ways we can place them in conversation by looking at their works together, and think about how this placement changes the texts and our understanding of them. Similarly, we will investigate the ways aesthetics and ideology both clash and confirm one another in literary texts, and at the ways that literature has conversations (and arguments) about race, gender, and class. To this end, we will engage—both through class discussion and in written assignments—the richly diverse material that taken altogether constructs an American literature and helps to create a complex American identity. We will read work by Leslie Marmon Silko, Maxine Hong Kingston, Toni Morrison, Bernard Malamud, James Baldwin, Sherman Alexie, and Gene Luen Yang.
Foundations 125-05H ● 3D Workshop: Honors Sculpture (5051)
Monday & Wednesday 1:00-2:50 ● Professor Stacy Latt Savage
Two credits. This course utilizes the tactile, physical and visual richness of three dimensional discipline areas to explore object making and related processes. Students will explore basic design in one of the following studio areas: ceramics, metals, sculpture or wood. The limited class sizes provide significant contact between faculty and students, and the inclusion in a studio community provides exposure to creative problem solving techniques and innovations used by advanced students. This course strives to help students develop an awareness of what is meaningful and of personal interest to them, promoting idea generation and self confidence. CVPA majors only.
History 101-02H ● History of Western Civilization I (7259)
TuTh 8:00-9:15 ● Professor Robert Pontbriand
Three credits. This is not your father’s Western Civilization survey course! Rather, it is a lively and interactive romp through the development of Western civilization from the time of the cave paintings of Lascaux to the stained glass windows of the Gothic cathedrals. The approach is multidisciplinary. You can expect to explore this history through a variety of media including art, music, literature, philosophy and religion. After all, history is not the mere march of events or facts through time but is, more importantly, an inquiry into their meaning. The intention is to facilitate an understanding of the process of historical continuity and acculturation and to develop an appreciation for the study of history and the humanities and to recognize their importance in your own life. You know what the oracle said: “Know thyself!”
Honors 101-01H ● Scholarship in Community (7452)
TuTh 9:30-10:45 ● Professor Jennifer Mulnix
Three credits. This course explores the relationship between scholarly inquiry and community, and includes a service-learning component that provides a practical application of these issues. This section focuses on the themes of social and educational justice, including questions of human nature and the value of liberty, moral responsibility and moral luck, and the importance of community and education to democracy, and the service-learning component involves working with elementary school students in Fall River.
Honors 101-02H ● Scholarship in Community (7455)
TuTh 11:00-12:15 ● Professor Christopher Larkosh
Three credits. This course will explore the capacity for communities to retain and transmit cultural and historical awareness, not only through literature, film and other forms of cultural production, but also through interaction with fellow students and members of the local community. This course will examine not only different forms of political ideology as represented in a wide range of 20th century global cultures (Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia), but will also cultivate opportunities for students to ask senior citizens, immigrant groups, and members of the university community about their memories and understanding of historical events, political ideologies and social movements, as well as their views on modernity and social change, as articulated in their lived experience over the course of the 20th century.
Honors 101-03H ● Scholarship in Community (7457)
TuTh 9:30-10:45 ● Professor Deborah Carlson
Three credits. Imagine a world where homelessness and hunger are solved as design problems when artists and designers step in. This course is an introduction to artists and designers who work to address issues of sustainability, social justice, and community engagement. Through readings, videos, class discussion, and group projects, students will prepare to make positive contributions to their world.
Honors 301-01H ● Honors Research Across the Disciplines (7460)
Monday 5:00-5:50 PM ● Professor Robert Darst
Honors 301-02H ● Honors Research Across the Disciplines (7461)
Monday 11:00-11:50 ● Professor Robert Darst
Honors 301-02H ● Honors Research Across the Disciplines (7464)
Monday 12:00-12:50 ● Professor Avery Plaw
Three credits. This seminar will prepare you to undertake your Honors thesis or project. You should take this seminar no later than the semester BEFORE you plan to begin work on your project. We will explore topics such as creative and critical thinking, project and time management, research ethics, and public presentation. By the end of the semester, you will identify your project supervisor and submit your initial project proposal. If you wish to begin work on your project in Spring 2013—an option that would allow you to have your project in hand by the time graduate school applications and job interviews begin in late 2013—then you should enroll in Honors 301 now!
Medical Laboratory Science 200-01H ● Introduction to Forensic Science & DNA Analysis for the Non-Scientist (5252)
TuTh 9:30-10:45 ● Professor Elizabeth Hart
Three credits. Learn about the real science behind the popular “CSI” television franchise with the Medical Laboratory Science faculty in UMass Dartmouth's state-of-the-art laboratories. In this interesting hands-on alternative to traditional science courses, you will have the opportunity to investigate sample crime scenes to collect evidence, check out your own DNA, and engage in many more fascinating applications of contemporary science and technology.
Music 103-01H ● Introduction to World Music (4610)
MWF 12:00-12:50 ● Professor Jamie Eckert
Three credits. In this class, we will explore the musical traditions of various cultures with respect to their historical, social, and cultural backgrounds. We will also explore different approaches to musical organization, musical practice, and significant aspects of style within a world music setting. Historical and contemporary styles of world music studied include reggae, salsa, high life, rock, and calypso.
Nursing 106-01H ● Introduction to Professional Nursing (5193)
Monday & Wednesday 3:00-4:15 ● Professor Kerry Fater
Three credits. Introduction to the discipline of professional nursing. Learners examine their values and beliefs in relation to the basic concepts and behaviors that define the discipline. Promoting health, guiding clients through the health care experience and shaping the health care environment are presented as key processes to maximize health for individuals, families, groups and communities. Emphasis is placed on socializing the learner as an active, developing professional within the context and dimensions of the discipline. Learners will explore their relationship to self, individuals, families and communities as well as to the profession of nursing. Aspects of the AACN (2008) Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice have been incorporated into the course. For students in the College of Nursing only.
Nursing 214-02H ● Scholarly Inquiry (5198)
Thursday 3:30-6:15 ● Instructor TBA
Three credits. This knowledge foundation course, based on the American Nurses Association (ANA) (2004) Scope and Standards of Practice, is designed to introduce the baccalaureate nursing student to the process of scholarly inquiry. The course focuses on preparing students to be consumers and users of research. The scholarly development of the discipline is presented to provide a historical perspective. Specific connections between theory, components of the research process, and their application to evidence-based practice are explored using nursing exemplars. Strengths and weaknesses of various quantitative and qualitative research designs are discussed, as is their appropriateness for investigating various practice-based problems. For students in the College of Nursing only.
Psychology 101-11H ● General Psychology (6361)
MWF 2:00-2:50 ● Professor Patrice Hartnett
Three credits. Psychology is a course for people who are interested in everything. The study of the mind and behavior can help us understand ourselves as individuals, but it also has applications to fields ranging from education and medicine to marketing and criminal justice. Topics include intelligence, personality, the brain and nervous system, perception, learning, memory, stress, social interaction, and psychological disorders. Our emphasis throughout the semester will be on how and why we use the methods of science to pursue answers to psychology’s questions.
Sociology 101-08H ● Introduction to Sociology (5363)
TuTh 9:30-10:45 ● Professor Glória de Sá
Three credits. Ever wondered why certain people and countries have more wealth, power and prestige than others; why trying to change our health care system is proving so difficult; or why the U.S. imprisons a larger proportion of its people than any other country in the world? Are you curious about what you can do be successful, save the planet or reduce crime? “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both,” said American Sociologist C. Wright Mills. In this course, you will have the opportunity to use sociological theories and methods as well as personal observation, reflection and discussion to understand how social structures constrain and shape what happens to you and to our communities, while exploring how individual and collective actions impact personal and social outcomes.
Sustainability Studies 202-02H ● Topics in Sustainability: Sustainability on Campus (12000)
TuTh 3:30-5:00 ● Professors Robert Darst & Jennifer McGrory
Three credits. What does it mean to live “sustainably” in a world of limited resources and an increasingly overburdened natural environment? Although these are questions of great global importance, the answers begin at home. We will examine this challenge by exploring almost every corner of UMass Dartmouth and almost every aspect of its daily operations: transportation, power production, architecture, purchasing, landscaping, food services, and more. Our class project this semester will be the creation of an educational program for the newly renovated library that will explain the building’s “green” features and the ideas and techniques of the original campus architect, Paul Rudolph. Joining us as co-instructor will be the lead architect of the library renovation project, Professor Jennifer McGrory of the Boston Architectural College. No prior knowledge is necessary—the only prerequisites are curiosity and a pair of sensible shoes!
