Bellevue Community College Interdisciplinary Studies Archives

17-credit program: Includes an English class (101, 102, or 271); a class in American Studies (200 or 286) or English Literature (130 or 131); and one in International Studies (201) or Economics (100).

Instructors: Rossie Norris, Kimberly Pollock and Michael Righi

Think of Africa and what images come to mind? Do they represent a real Africa, or one fabricated for American consumption? Do these images say more about the U.S. and its society and culture than they do about Africa?

The program will investigate cultural, political and economic differences between "us" and "them" and also search for our connectedness. The course will draw upon tremendous local resources of speakers, films, dancers and drummers in addition to analytical texts, novels, and memoirs

10-credit: This course brings together Philosophy (100 or 102) and English (101, 271 or 272) into a combination.

Instructors: Erick Hakenson and Gordon Leighton

Everyone wants to get to the top, but is there a price for material success? Are there values that are more important? Should people be held to codes of "responsibility"? If so, to whom and why? The course will consider the questions raised by our materialism and its critics. It will highlight differing perspectives on corporate and individual utilization of wealth, exercise of freedom and attitudes concerning responsibility.

Instructors:Cathy Lyle, Kathy Steinert and Donna Sharpe.

Biology 101 and Chemistry 101 with a study skills class (HD 120 or 199) -13 credits all together ("full load").

The title says "Successful", and means it-this class is now in its third year because of student and instructor demand. Take the mystery and fear out of these science classes in a supportive learning community that focuses directly on the study strategies needed in science classes. Includes field trips and labs.

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Earn 10 credits: English and/or American Studies in a course.

Instructors: Kimberly Pollock and Jeffery White

Your choices: English 101, Literature 130 or 131, or American Studies 200.

Students will grapple with film, fiction and drama from many sources to illuminate and appreciate the richness and diversity of African-American "culture".

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17 credits: Anthropology (202), English (114, 130 or 131) and English writing (101 or 102).

Instructors: Jeffrey Cofer, David Jurji and Woody West

Films and novels are mirrors of culture, but often the reflection is distorted. Can we see the richness and diversity of the world's cultures through film and literature? What does Hollywood show us, or novelists, or independent filmmakers?

This course will explore the collisions and connections of cultures as reflected in imaginative cinema and novels. It will examine how people's lives are lived through their culture and how we all live a world of many intersecting cultures.

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10-credit course: Includes Writing (English 101, 271 or 272) and Myth and 2 Folklore (English 215).

Instructors: Linda Leeds and Julianne Seeman

This class will explore the search for adventure, wisdom and romance -the quest- in stories from Celtic, Middle Eastern, Eastern and Native American cultures.

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Instructors:Helen Taylor, Michael Righi and Jeffery White

This is a 17-credit program that includes English (101, 102, or 271); Psychology 110 (Applied) or Psychology/Sociology 240 (Social Psychology); Economics 100 (Intro) or Economics/American Studies 260 (Economic History of the U.S.); Economics or Psychology or English 299 (2 credits).

Domestic Abuse, school violence, road rage, hate crime, gang violence, warfare--why do people become violent? Are there psychosocial forces that lead to violence? Or is aggression just part of human nature?

This course will investigate--through films, guest speakers, literature and selected readings the economic and psychological factors that contribute to making ours arguably the most violent country in the world. We'll also attempt to chart the consequences of aggression and arrive at a deeper understanding of how best to address it.

Instructors:Anne Jackson and Robin Jeffers

Get an English class (101 or 092/93) and Information Technology (101 ) in one 10-credit program.

We hear every day about how computers will transform our lives. Are the rosy claims mere visions in Bill Gate's fevered mind? Or do we go on-line and off-track at once-onto the net, into our cubicles, flaming away alone?

This course will examine computers themselves and their impact on our lives, evaluating their social impact and investigating how to integrate them into our work and personal lives.

10 Credits:This course combine basic English (092) and Math (091)

Instructors:Rhonda Gilliam and Jennifer Laveglia

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. And you need the skills to navigate your chosen career path. The Basic Advantage will help you acquire skills in beginning algebra and composition.

This course offers a supportive learning environment and an opportunity to acquire team-building skills through group work. In addition, writing essays about math will help you master the basic skills in composition as well as math, giving you an advantage for success in future courses. If you find math and composition to be stumbling blocks on your educational journey, The Basic Advantage is for you.

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10-credits: A course offering English Composition (101 or 271/272) and Philosophy (115)

Instructors: Woody West and Mark Storey

Now, in our tine, what is truth? What is quality? What is beauty? In this class we will investigate the aesthetic experience of literature, art and the human form in the late 1990's. Such an inquiry can only help us experience a deeper and richer life.

This is a class for both men and women who want to get to know women better. Take a 17 credit program that includes an English Composition class (101, 102, 271, 272); an English Literature class 1130, 131); a Philosophy class (102); and elective credit in either Art History (299) or English Literature(299).

What does it mean to experience the world as a woman? Women live through their bodies, through their spirituality, their relationships with others--both public and private--and their understanding of the concepts of right and wrong.

Come join us as we explore this topic through film, essays, novels, poetry, art and philosophical dialogues to better understand the idea of woman, and to better understand ourselves.

Instructors:Robert Purser and Connie Wais

This course that combines English and American Studies. Choose from English 101 or 271(72); English Literature 130(31) or American Studies 200.Robert Purser and Connie Wais repeat their 10-credit program combining Environmental Design (Art 101) and 20th Century Furniture (Indes 151). This course traces changes in architecture, furniture and industrial design over the last century. Students will learn to describe and interpret buildings and furnishings in schools such as Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus and Post-Modern. Lots of slides and discussion along with lecture.

10-credits: This course that combines English and American Studies. Choose from English 101 or 271(72); English Literature 130(31) or American Studies 200.

Instructors: Jess Lerma and Michael Meyer

Why do we construct borders? Do they move, change or grow? Are borders socially and/or culturally constructed? Do borders contain or keep out? Who is the enemy?

This class will take a journey through and around our society's borderlands using Chicano Literature. We will identify the accepted beliefs that construct these borders, and then analyze, question, and redefine them. In the process, we will discover and define ourselves as individuals, a class, and a society.

Take 10 credits from a lineup that includes: English (101, 130, or 271) or American Studies (102 or 286) all transfer courses.

Instructors: Jeff Cofer and Jim Goldsmith

Step up to bat in the Spring quarter with a course that will examine the effects of baseball on American Society. How has the sport evolved to reflect the changes in our culture? Can baseball be seen as a mirror of both trends and problems in our lives? "Play Ball!" will examine how men and women of different ethnic and racial groups have impacted the sport and the country.

Course materials will include novels by major American authors, films, documentaries and essays dealing with baseball, the society and the individual. Designated guests will be visiting to share their insights with us. Batter up for a course that offers a great change.

This is a 17-credit program that includes: English (101, 271 or 272); Geography 100 or 105; and History 101 or 102.

Instructors: Gordon Leighton, Charles Dodd, and Graham Haslam

The Pacific Rim will be one of the most important areas for international economic and cultural exchange in the years to come. Explore with us its many cultures - their history economy, and geography, how its peoples might well trade and interact in the future. We will also look at how western culture has influenced the different people of the region. This will be an excellent course for students of international business. Course transfers as 5 credits of Basic Skills, 5 credits of Social Science or Humanities, and 5 credits of Social Science.

You got to look at things

with the eye in your heart,

not with the eye in your head.

--Lame Deer

Select 10 credits from: English 101,271, or 272 (English 271 and 272 count the same as English 102); American Studies 200, English 130 or 131.

Instructors: Michael Meyer and Laura Burns-Lewis

Enter a world where the bear speaks, the earth and sky are your mother, and your identify and destiny can be glimpsed in vision; enter a world that you are in, but might not be of.

This is the first America, where a diversity of Native American cultures exists, as various as the regions they are from and the languages they speak. Yet these cultures also share a common experience, in their stories of pain, loss, and struggle ot maintain their cultural identities in the face of political and social oppression. In a 10-credit course that allows you to earn 5 credits in the Humanities (American Studies or Literature) and 5 credits of composition (English 101 or 271), we'll explore the histories, voices and perspectives of many Native American writers from different regions, such as Louise Erdrich of the Chippewa in the Northern Plains and Great Lakes regions, M. Scott Momaday of the Kiowas in the Great Plains, Mary TallMountain of the Athabaskans in Alaska, Sherman Alexi of the Spokane Coeur D'Alene tribe. Join us for a quarter of exploration and discussion about these first American cultures

17-credit: Intl. Studies 203/Anthro 203 (Comparative Religion); Phil 145: History of Eastern Philosophy; English 101, 102, 271 or 272.

Instructors: David Jurji, Jerri Kennedy, and Mark Storey

As our campus and the world at large become increasingly multicultural, our students need to broaden their comprehension of other cultures and their ways of thinking. This course will give students a glimpse into the rich world of Eastern thought by combining the existing Comparative Religion class with the new History of Eastern Philosophy course. While Comparative Religion attempts to understand religious traditions as they are understood by those within communities of believers, the philosophical emphasis highlights various universal themes such as values, the self, the nature of reality, social/political issues, and aesthetics, in addition to the theological issues. Blending an anthropological and a philosophical viewpoint provides an exciting learning opportunity for students. In combining the two approaches, students will have a chance to "receptively listen" to the expressions of traditional Asian world views, as well as to examine the "reality claims" made by these traditions (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism).

10 credit: Bio 100, Psych 257, Spch 200, Psych or Spch 299.

Instructors: Dr. James Ellinger, Laura Nudelman, and Dr. Helen Taylor

What's love got to do with it? How much of what we describe as love is chemical, learned behavior or fate? This course explores the biological and social influences on our dating, mating and relationships. Some of the topics explored in this course are factors of human attraction, gender differences in our approaches to relationships, human sexuality, sexual identity and orientation, and the influences of hormones.

10-credit: Art 203, Engl 101 or 271.

Instructors: Ron Tanzi and Woody West

Floating hats, bird cages with arms and legs, dreamscapes where time melts. Is this where dreams and reality merge, coexist, thrive? Where does the surrealistic impulse come from? Our course will be an exploration of the dark recesses of the human mind via Art, Literature and Film. We hope to "discover and explore the more real than real world behind the real." The Surrealist Motto: "As beautiful as the chance meeting on a dissection table of a sewing-machine and an umbrella."

Why did artists and writers suddenly break away from traditional techniques and subject matter in the late 18th century? Dreams, sensations, visions, the supernatural and supranormal are back with us today. Television shows such as the X-Files, Twin Peaks; movies such as Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, Gothic, all appeal to our subconscious mind: our "dark side". Why are we so intrigued by otherworldly themes, dream images, the "super real?" We live in a most surreal time.

17 Credits: English 101, 102, or 271; American Studies/Communication 150; Communication/Media 101.

Instructors: Roger George, Jerrie Kennedy, Michael Korolenko

The future is digital. HDTV, telecomputers, satellite systems, microchips everywhere: never have we had so many ways to communicate. But who controls the hardware? The content? This course will teach you how to understand and, hopefully, control some of the stunning changes now underway in our media.

10 Credits: INDES 151 and Art 101.

Instructors: Robert Purser and Connie Wais

Modern Architecture & Design and 20th Century Furniture are linked to create an exciting course which traces architecture, furniture and industrial design spanning periods from the Victorian era to the present. Format: slide lectures, films, field trips and discussion groups. 10 transferable credits for Art 101 and Indes 151.

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10 Credits: English 101, 114 or 221; Japanese 101 or 201

Instructors: Terry Weston, Scott Bessho

Japanese anime (graphic literature and animated film) is a key to Japanese culture; the Japanese language is a key to understanding anime. Explore this exciting art form and find a deeper appreication for Japanese language and culture.

Julianne Seeman and Robin Jeffers present this 10 credit program that offers 5 credits in American Studies which transfers as either Humanities or Social Science plus 5 credits of written communication: English 101, 271.

Using the Northwest as our lab, we will explore how our surroundings affect the way we think, feel, and behave. Lots of field trips and discussion. This evening class meets Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

17 Credits: English 101, 102 or 271; American Studies/Economics 260; American Studies 286 or Economics 100.

Instructors: Michael Meyer, Michael Righi, Jeffery White

How much is enough? Do Americans "over-consume"? If we travel, we see both grinding poverty and the expansion to other countries of patterns and styles of American consumerism. We wonder whether the planet can accommodate ever-expanding production, whether the consumption of some is connected to the poverty of others, whether our lifestyles of material abundance are liberating from want or are soul-destroying. A critique of our economic system claims that a life organized around car and plane travel, a meat-based diet and wastefully packaged disposable products not only destroys planetary resources, but is also ultimately unfulfilling. On the other hand, many of us enjoy consuming and defend our right to get and spend what we have worked hard to earn. Who can decide these issues? This is your chance to apply the analysis of several dsiciplines to a challenging and meaningful problem.

10-12 Credits: English 101, 271 or 272; American Studies 286 or English 130.

Instructors: Gordon Leighton, Kimberly Pollock

Imagine a brisk walk past ivy-covered stone homes in New England, or a leisurely stroll under moss-draped oak trees in New Orleans. American Stories of the North and South: Preachers, Prophets and Poets will focus on the literatures of the northern and southern regions of the United States with attention to historical and cultural backgrounds and perceptions. Readings will include selections from Southern oral traditions, writings of the Puritans, as well as writing from authors such as Irving, Jewett, Hawthorne, O'Conner, Porter, Hurston, Wright, and Gaines. Through discussion, film, seminar, and writing, we will explore these two different regional identities.

10 Credits: English 101, or 271/272; American Studies 101.

Instructors: Julianne Seeman and Robin Jeffers

Myths of the West will explore The West as myth, dream, experience and dominant influence on American life. We will read, watch movies, write and discuss in order to understand the cultural and historical forces that created these myths that shaped, and still shape, American life.

17 Credits: English 101, 102, 271/272 or American Studies 200; Economics 100 or 260; Psycology 110, 205 or 250.

Instructors: Kim Pollock, Michael Righi and Helen Taylor

How do you think of yourself? Partly, we see ourselves as members of a family or a nation or an ethnic group. We also like to think of ourselves as unique individuals. Skin Deep invites you to think about how identities are formed -- how does class or gender or ethnicity affect us? Does advertising affect our self-image? We will use psychology, economics and literature to understand the sources of self. We hope to get under your skin.

10 Credits: English 101 or 271/272; Philosophy 100 or 267

Instructors: Woody West and Erick Haakenson

Each person completely touches us

With what he is and as he is

In the stale grandeur of annihilation.

--Wallace Stevens

Afterlife. Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?

Where ARE we going?

This course will explore the popular philosophical and literary notions of the afterlife.

10 Credits: INDES 151 and Art 101.

Instructors: Robert Purser and Connie Wais

11 Credits: English 101 or 271/272; English 130/131 or American Studies 200.

Instructors: Michael Hanson and Michael Meyer

Partner, steward, abuser, protector, peer? What is the relationship between people and plants? Between plants and plants? Join a learning community and investigate your connection to the plant world around you and the process by which you can clearly express what you observe about that world.

17 Credits: English 101, 102, or 271/272; American Studies 180 or English 130/131; Speech 225

Instructors: Robert Burke, Jess Lerma and Michael Meyer

"No individual citizen can be whole or healthy except as a member of a whole or healthy community."
--Daniel Kemmis, Good City and the Good Life

No magic pill or inoculation exists for social apathy, but this class will investigate cures, with your help. Service learning explores the opportunity to participate in creating a healthy community by integrating community service with academic instruction and civic responsibility. In an age where we are making more and more connections across the globe, there is a real need to make connections with the people across the street. We hope to build healthy communities through group collaboration and communication. In this course you will have the opportunity to learn and utilize those skills in connecting with others. Be part of the solution.

10-credits: American Studies 200 and Speech 102.

Instructors: Lee Buxton and Sayumi Irey

AMST 200 (Cultural Pluralism) course will explore prevailing issues, such as model minority, assimilation, prejudice, civil rights, and affirmative action. Students will also learn up-to-date research skills using the library resources, via hands-on approach. This class is open to all students.

SPCH 102 (Survey of Speech Communication) is a course that is designed to increase understanding of the wide variety of communicaiton contexts: interpersonal communication, public discourse, small group decision-making, intercultural communication and mass media. Stuents will work in small groups, lead discussions and choose individual research themes to develop insight into communication theory as it impacts us as individuals, as groups, as communities and as a culture.

12-credits: English 101; Health 250 and PE 110.

Instructors: Rhonda Gilliam and Stella Orechia

"What can I do to balance the demands of my life and still be healthy?" "How can I eat right, stay in shape, and control stress?"

Mind-Body Wellness investigates seven dimensions of wellness, ranging rom physical wellness to psycho-social wellness. Readings and paper assignments focus on these dimensions. The lcass provides students with information to assess and evaluate their own lifestyle behaviors. In addition, students will actively participate in a personal fitness program and journal their progress. Other topics include weight management, environmental health challenges, substance abuse, and related topics selected by students.

10 Credits: Economics 201; Environmental Science 204

Instructors: Rebecca Baldwin and Rob Veins

World population and the consumption of natural resources are growing. How do we, a society composed of vastly different opinions, balance the conflicts inherent in the human-environmental interactions? Through the lenses of economics and environmental science, this course will use case studies to develop a basis for resolving the identified conflicts.

10 Credits: English 101 or 271; Philosophy 225 or Art 225

Instructors: Woody West and Mark Storey

There is nothing wrong with going to a movie just to enjoy it, but film critics seem to be looking for something more. What character traits make some films stand out, while others are merely light entertainment? Why do people see Citizen Kane over and over again, but wouldn't bother to see another one twice? This course will use influential films from around the world, as well as the writings of critics who established the study of film as an acceptable academic pursuit. Students will learn to appreciate the techniques of filmmakers, and to assess films from formalist and realist perspectives. Watch out, Roger Ebert!

12 Credits: Astronomy, Basic Science and Geology
Instructors: Art Goss and Rob Viens

Explore the frontier of science with a journey through the solar system - from the birth and death of the sun, to active volcanoes on Io and the icy comets of the Kuiper belt. We'll examine the prospect for life outside of the Earth and the evidence for other solar systems. This class will include new information from the active spacecraft exploring Mars, Saturn and Comet Wild.

11 Credits: Botany 110 and English 101, 201, 271 or 272
Instructors: Michael Hanson and Michael Meyer

Partner, steward, abuser, protector, peer? What is the relationship between people and plants? Between plants and other plants? Join al learning community and investigate your connection to the plant world around you and the process by which you can clearly express what you observe about that world.

15 Credits: English 101, 271 or 272; Ethnic Studies 100 or American Studies 200; Sociology 110 or 170
Instructors: Sayumi Irey, Denise Johnson and Michael Meyer

Skin Deep explores the ways in which difference defines us and affects all our lives. What does it mean to be "white", "Asian" or even "American"? How does the U.S. role in the world affect how others see us as "Americans" and how we see each other? Skin Deep will give students a chance to critically engage these questions in a supportive, interactive learning community.

10 credits: Economics 201; Math 156
Instructors: Rebecca Baldwin and Jennifer Laveglia

Ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day? How can we find a balance between work and other obligations in our increasingly harried lives and hurried families? How is non-market work valued by individuals and by society? How has the labor market changed as more adults than ever before earn a college degree? Explore the root causes of this difficult balancing act. Use concepts from college algebra as a foundation for the study of standard microeconomics topics with special emphasis on the labor market.

Of Mice and Matter: A Successful Journey Through the Scientific Maze
(Fall 2006)

Instructors: Cathy Lyle, Glenna Kelso

Biology 101; Chemistry 101; and Basic Science 103.

When you think about a zipper, do you think about your jeans or your genes? Is a cell found only in the King Count Jail? Do you want to take the Chem-mystery out of Chemistry? Are you still looking for the card catalogue in the library? Do you need biology and chemistry for an Allied Health field or a transfer degree?

Enroll in this supportive learning community that combines beginning sciences with study skills and research techniques. Develop learning strategies and critical thinking abilities while participating in lively lab activities and fascinating field trips! Unravel the mysteries of the World Wide Web and probe controversial issues in science

Instructors: Michael Hanson, Michael Meyer

English 101, 201, 271 or 272; Biology 100, Biology 130, Botany 110 and/or Environmental Science 204.

Frankenfood or Organic; Hemp or Polyester; Mansion or Condo - How do you choose? Bacteria genes in tomatoes, hormones in meat, insecticides in potatoes - Do you know what's in your food? The focus of this course is the impacts of lifestyle choices in regard to food, clothing and shelter. We will examine our behaviors, choices, responsibilities and the consequences of our actions to our communities, nation and the entire globe by investigating ecosystem interconnections. Through our readings and disucssions, we will evaluate diverse opinions and values in order to scrutinize our own personal beliefs.

Instructors: Robing Jeffers, Kimberly Pollock

English 092 or 101; American Studies 200

This course focuses on the ways that filmmakers create real world expectations through portrayals of race - in black and white - on the screen. We will examine what American cinema reveals about power, privilege and the impact of race on all of us.

Viewing and analyzing films by both white and black filmmakers will form the center of the course, with additional readings on race and film.

Instructors: Carolyn Gates, Steve Yarborough

English 092 or 101; General Business 101

Are you interested in learning about American business but unsure of your communication skills? Come and join this unique learning community that will focus on the basics of both American business practices and professional written communication.

Freshman Experience: Creating the Good Life –Especially for Freshmen - Winter 2007

Instructors: Sue Cox and Lucy Czesak

English 092, 093 or 101; Sociology 110

Is life just a game of chance? What is the relationship between wealth, health, success and happiness? Are these values the same around the world? Develop the study skills and writing methods needed to explore these questions with a sociological perspective as you clarify your own values and educational goals.

Instructors: Art Goss and Rob Viens

Geology 101; Astronomy 101;Basic Science 103

Explore the frontier of science with a journey through the solar system—from the birth and death of the sun, to active volcanoes on Io and the icy comets of the Kuiper belt. We’ll examine the prospect for life outside of the earth and the evidence for other solar systems. This class will include new information form the active spacecraft exploring Mars, Venus, Saturn and beyond.

Instructors: Michael Hanson, Laura Matzke and Michael Meyer

English 101 or 102 or 271 or 272; English 221 or American Studies 286; Biology 100

"Sharing the Animal Planet" will explore the human/animal bond in a variety of categories: exploring the possibilities of human/animal communication, ranging from the sign language of Washoe, the great ape, to the training of dolphins for oceanarium entertainment; evaluating the ethical treatment of animals in legal, scientific, and agricultural domains; discussing the issues of stewardship and care taking of domesticated animals; and, above all, addressing our role with the other creatures who roam the planet: Are we their stewards? Their partners? Their lords?

English 101 or 201 or 272 or 272; World Languages, ASL 103

Is life just a game of chance? What is the relationship between wealth, health, success and happiness? Are these values the same around the world? Develop the study skills and writing methods needed to explore these questions with a sociological perspective as you clarify your own values and educational goals.

Instructors: Michael Hanson, Michael Meyer

English 101, 201, 271 or 272; and Biology 100, Biology 130, Botany 110, or Environmental Science 204.

Biology 101; and Chemistry 101; and Basic Science 103

When you think about a zipper, do you think about your jeans or your genes? Do you want to talk the chem.-mystery out of chemistry? Do you need biology and chemistry for an Allied Health field or a transfer degree? To improve your computer and information literacy skills? Then Mice and Matter is the course for you!

Playing in the Dark: Black/White in Film (Fall 2007)

Instructors: Kim Pollock & Robin Jeffers

Ethnic Studies 100; and English 092 or 101

Film makers create real world expectation through portrayals of race--black and white--on the screen. We will examine what American cinema reveals about power, privilege, and the impact of race on us all.

Women: Bodies, Sex & Science (Fall 2007)

Instructors: Sara Sutler-Cohen & Kelly Elsenbaumer

Sociology 110 or 170 or 256; and Health 250

What are women made of? Why do women make the choices they do? We'll explore women from a sociological perspective for a well-rounded inquiry about things like nutrition, stress, and media images. Come dig deep into issues that affect all of us!

Skin Deep (Winter 2008)

Instructors: Denise Johnson, Daubi Abe & Kimberly Pollock

English 101, 201, 271 or 272; and Sociology 110 or 170; and Ethnic Studies 100

Skin Deep explores the ways in which difference defines us and effects all our lives. What does it mean to be "white," "Asian," "Black," or even "American?" How does the U.S. role in the world affect how others see us as "Americans," and how we see each other? Skin Deep will give students a chance to critically engage these question in a supportive, interactive learning community.

Life, the Universe, and Everything (Winter 2008)

Instructors: Art Goss & Rob Viens

Biology 100; Astronomy 101; and Basic Science 103

Are we alone in the universe? Is there life on mars or Jupiter? Do aliens exist in other solar systems, and have they visited the Earth? Just how unique is life on Earth? Learn the answers to these and many other questions as we explore the wonders of life, the universe and everything, in an intergalactic search for extraterrestrial life.

Art 101 and Interior Design 151

Modern Architecture & Design and 20th Century Furniture are linked to create an exciting course which traces architecture, furniture and industrial design spanning periods from the Victorian era to the present. Format: slide lectures, films, field trips and discussion groups.

English 101, 201, 271 or 272; and English 130, 131, or 221; and American Studies 286

Man's best friend. Devoted pet. Guide dogs for the blind. War dogs. The Search-and-Rescue dogs of 9-11. Bomb detectors. Police dogs. Breeding stock. Therapy animal for the elderly and the disabled.

For 15,000 years dogs have been out closet companions and are quite possibly the very first domesticated animal. Their centuries-long relationship with us tells us much about their capacities and our needs. In this class we'll explore the many facets of our life with canis familiaris, to learn more about this amazing species and more about ourselves. We'll read nonfiction works examining dogs, as well as some of the classic dog stories of American culture, and write papers around this complex theme.

WhoseSpace? Picturing America (Spring 2008)

Instructors: Jeffrey White, Michael Righi & Eric Tomberlin

English 101, 271, 272 or 130; and Economics 100, 260 or International Studies 201; and Photography 150, 151, 199

Why does an avacado have more liberty than the farmer who grows it? How is it that car parts cross borders more freely than those who make them? Should the foreign-made Statue of Liberty douse its welcome light and hang a sign from her torch: No Vacancy?

America: Who gets in? Who doesn't? and way? What does the U.S. look like to an "outsider"? To an "insider"? To you? In this integrated course, we will read, write, and photograph our way through questions of who "we" are in terms of national, cultural and ethnic identities, and how we are to navigate in an interconnected, global world.

Journey into the Deaf World (Spring 2008)

Instructors: Michael Meyer & Rick Mangan