Current Course Offerings - Honors Program

Fall Semester, 2009

 

HON 1101 The Literature of Social Change
4 credits Dr. Thomas Morgan AD: Interdisciplinary Studies* TR 2:00-3:40 p.m.
This class introduces students to a variety of perspectives and attitudes toward social change. Students will read classic and contemporary works and hear from local activists who devote a significant amount of their time working for change. Students will read several genres--fiction, autobiography, political philosophy, and propaganda. They will be encouraged to adopt a critical and skeptical attitude toward what they read and hear.

HON 1111, Sec. 1 The Responsible Self: Brave New Words - Dark Visions of the Human Condition
2 credits Dr. Thomas Morgan Meets Fall Dignitas Requirement R Noon-1:40 p.m.
Classic and contemporary novels that describe distressing possibilities for our future will be the readings. We will read these novels critically and perhaps compare then to recent nonfiction social and political commentary. Three novels per semester will be read and several films will be watched. The course sequence includes considerable class discussion, regular short reflection papers and two short text-based papers.
This class fulfills the fall Dignitas requirement. Dignitas is a year-long common experience for first year student that serves as an introduction to The College of St. Scholastica: who we are, what we stand for, and how to find your place in this community. It provides a framework for your college experience by introducing you to the key components of a St. Scholastica education: community, reflection, intellectual challenge and social justice.

HON 1111, Sec. 2 The Responsible Self:
2 credits Dr. Thomas Zelman Meets Fall Dignitas Requirement T Noon-1:40 p.m.
What is human dignity and how is it reflected in the world of competitive sports? We have all seen examples of undignified behavior in sports--it's headline material. But what is dignified behavior and does it have a place in a win-at-all-costs profession? Students in this section will read essays and articles (and perhaps a couple of novels) that comment on the intersection of sports and dignity. Required will be two essays, two speeches, and lots of class discussion.
This class fulfills the fall Dignitas requirement. Dignitas is a year-long common experience for first year student that serves as an introduction to The College of St. Scholastica: who we are, what we stand for, and how to find your place in this community. It provides a framework for your college experience by introducing you to the key components of a St. Scholastica education: community, reflection, intellectual challenge and social justice.

HON 2405 The World
2 credits Dr. Anthony Barrett AD: Interdisciplinary Studies* MW 3:30-4:30
This course aims to give students, largely from the Upper Midwest, exposure to and an opportunity to analyze current issues from around the globe. Since the text is a British publication, it will give the students exposure to foreign perceptions of the United States. Students will gain the research skills needed to quickly get additional information on events around the world.

HON 3777, Section 1 Social Issues and Social Change
4 credits Sister Edith Bogue, Ph.D. AD: Interdisciplinary Studies*, Writing Intensive TR 2:00-3:40 p.m.
How does social change come about? Why do some problems come to public attention while others do not? These questions are just as important as gaining knowledge about a particular set of social issues. Students in this course study the process by which social issues are constructed, gain attention and support, and become social movements. While analyzing controversial current issues, students gain skills in researching issues of interest to them, see them from the perspective of multiple social theories, formulate positions, and present positions in an accurate and effective manner.

HON 3777, Section 2 1989: The Wall Comes Down
4 credits, Mr. Edward Smith, M.A. AD: Interdisciplinary Studies* MW 3:30-5:10 p.m.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent end of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was perhaps the most visible symbol of the Cold War, erected in 1961 by the East German Government to stem the tide of East Germans escaping to the West. Many people who grew up during the Cold War thought they'd never see the wall come down.

However, there were many other watershed events in 1989--freedom protests and brutal police action in Tiananmen Square, China; the overthrow and execution of Ceausescu in Romania; the dismantling of barbed-wire borders in Hungary and Czechoslovakia; and the withdrawal of Soviet Union troops from Afghanistan.

On this anniversary, students will reexamine this historic year through various lenses: film, news media accounts, books and testimonials to name a few.

HON 3777, Section 3 Gospel of John
4 credits Dr. William Campbell AD: Interdisciplinary Studies, Writing Intensive R 5:00-8:00 p.m.
The Gospel of John is unique among the four gospels in the New Testament. Indeed, it is often referred to as the "maverick gospel" because of the many ways it differs from the others. John is also the most adventuresome of the gospels, born as it was out of opposition and rivalry. Discover why this gospel has fascinated Christians and non-Christians alike through the centuries. The course will explore the many facets of the Fourth Gospel-historical, sociological, literary, and theological. Students will have an opportunity to probe the depths of this captivating book and, at the same time, to develop the ability to critically read and interpret biblical writings.

HON 4777 The Russian Revolution
4 credits Dr. Randall Poole AD: History T 4:00-7:00 p.m.
The Russian Revolution was arguably the most important event of the twentieth century. It ushered in a long, brutal era of totalitarian dictatorships in Europe and Asia. This course begins in the last decades of imperial Russia, examining the nature of Russian state and society, the radical intelligentsia and its ideologies, the revolution of 1905, and Russia's prospects in the years leading up to the cataclysm of the Great War. Our focus then shifts to a detailed consideration of the two Russian revolutions of 1917: the first, in February, which ended the three hundred year-old Romanov dynasty, and the second, in October, which brought the Bolsheviks to power. Next we turn to Russia under the Bolshevik regime, exploring topics such as the communist ideology, the sinister phenomenon of the one-party state, civil war, famine, state terror, and Lenin's legacy. The last several weeks of the course will be devoted to the research, writing, and presentation of seminar papers.

 

Spring Semester, 2010

HON 1112, Section 1 And Dignity for All
2 Credits Dr. Thomas Morgan Fulfills Spring Dignitas Requirement
R Noon-1:40 p.m.

This is a continuation of Honors section 1 of Dignitas from the Fall. It fulfills Spring Dignitas, but will be taught using the methods and at the level appropriate for Honors.

HON 1112, Section 2 And Dignity for All
2 credits Dr. Thomas Fulfills Spring Dignitas Requirement
T Noon-1:40 p.m.

This is a continuation of Honors section 2 of Dignitas from the Fall. It fulfills Spring Dignitas, but will be taught using the methods and at the level appropriate for Honors.

HON 2777 Conspicuous Consumption
2 credits Sr. Edith Bogue, Ph.D. Area Distribution: Interdisciplinary Studies*
T 10-11:40 a.m.

This course involves investigation into the sources of the high-consumption lifestyle of Americans, and its impact on individuals, families, institutions, our own society, and those around the world. The first part of the course will explore whether our passion for spending is a problem, what we are trying to achieve by spending, and alternatives offered by the "downshifting" movement. The second part of the course will involve examining what maintains our pattern of spending. Finally, the limitations that human choice and social action place on changing our consumption habits will be explored.

HON 2280 Russian Literature in Translation
4 credits Dr. Thomas Morgan Area Distribution: Interdisciplinary Studies*
MWF 10:30-11:35 a.m.

This course involves the study of literature written in Russian and translated into English. Selected works of prose and poetry from a particular period with emphasis on careful reading and reader response as well as on the cultural, historical, political, religious, and economic developments that provide content will be the focuses.

Psychology of Religion and Belief
2 credits Dr. Darryl Dietrich Area Distribution: Interdisciplinary Studies*
R 10:00-11:40 a.m.
The classical and modern psychological theories of belief, focusing on religious belief and on the evolutionary/cognitive basis of belief, will be addressed in this course. Exploration of issues such as: how we believe, why people believe in god(s), the psychological needs that faith satisfies, the reasons why people differ in the ways they express and satisfy those needs, and what it is about the certainty of belief that leads to proselytizing, persecution, or feeling threatened by the beliefs of others. Seminar format and application of empirically supported theory and concepts through projects. See 2009-2011 Undergraduate Catalog for pre-requisites.

HON 4600 Global Issues After 9/11
4 credits Dr. Neal Keye Area Distribution: Interdisciplinary Studies*
W 1:00-4:00 p.m.

This course offers students the opportunity to engage in historical reflection on 9/11 and its aftermath. Toward this end, we will trace recent debates in the history of religions, cultural anthropology, and political philosophy on the nature of religious and cultural difference, the scope and impact of American imperialism, war, and transnational peace and justice movements. As the tragedy of 9/11 and the "war against terror" should make crystal clear, the challenge of living humanely and justly in the world today demands a different kind of political ethic - one that persistently values the place of difference and otherness in understanding (and perhaps transforming) the utter violence of modern and postmodern worlds. With this in mind, the course's main objective is to come to a clearer understanding of the radical implication of modern Western forms of power, knowledge, and history-making in this very violence.

HON 4640 The Pre-Raphaelites
4 credits Dr. Patricia Hagen Area Distribution: Interdisciplinary Studies*
MWF 10:30-11:35 a.m.

In 1848, John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, students at London's Royal Academy of Art, agreed that art had taken a wrong turn three centuries earlier. Calling themselves the PRB-Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood-they set to work reclaiming the spirit of the early Italian master painters, using biblical, mythological, and medieval subject matter to create passionate, visionary art. Although the original three members stayed together as the PRB for only five years, they attracted a wide range of disciples-poets, painters, and social reformers-who expanded their influence well into the 20th century. This class will examine the literature and visual art of the PRB and allied writers and painters. We will attempt to understand the Pre-Raphaelites' works in a variety of inter-related ways: as art and literature, as spiritual expression, as cultural product, as personal/biographical expression and as agent of social reform.

HON 4777 Strangers in Their Own Land
4 credits Dr. Diane Kessler Area Distribution: Cultural Diversity, Writing Intensive
TR noon-1:40 p.m.

What happens to people when they are suddenly conquered or colonized by an outside group? Africa, Quebec and Vietnam are three examples of cultures that have developed under the heavy hand of an outside authority. This course will examine both the theory of colonization and then examples of its consequences in the literature of these areas of the world. Students will have the opportunity to argue the merits of colonization and to research other areas not covered in the course (such as India and Latin America).

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*Interdisciplinary Course Option - Honors Program
Some Honors courses fulfill the traditional General Education areas (history, literature, fine arts, social science, philosophy, religious studies, natural science, analytical reasoning). However, many courses will be identified as "Interdisciplinary" (IDS) courses, the content of which spans more than one academic discipline. Students and their advisors decide on an appropriate General Education area each IDS course will meet .

A minimum of 20 credits of regular General Education courses must be taken. Students must enroll in the Writing and Oral Communication components of the General Education Program. Students should review what General Education courses are required for their majors and minors before selecting Honors courses.

For more information, please contact the instructor or Dr. Debra Schroeder.