What do Eminem, Tupac, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and WB Yeats have in common? All five wordsmiths are poets who use rhyme, rhythm, figurative language and poetic structure to craft language. In this course, students will explore poetic devices and important global themes through examination of poetry, written by Nobel Prize and Grammy Award winning writers. Focusing on aspects of poetic form will build students’ understanding of and appreciation for the power of language.

The focus of the course will be on what goes into the reading and analysis of a film. Film is comprised of several arts – and the objective of this course is to learn to appreciate films and to see them as important social documents that tell us much about ourselves and our world.

This course will analyze cultural expressions of intellectual and social trends since 1950. Students will investigate literature, comics, movies, television, music, advertising, painting, computer games, and the Internet to probe the forces that shape our world. In this course, students will identify and evaluate the popular entertainment we consume and ask how our choices define us and shape our values. Understanding our values and culture enables us to understand why we buy what we buy, why we do what we do, and why we think the way we do.

This course will trace the long relationship between visual media and music. Students will study the movie industry from silent movies to the soundtracks that are an integral part of the movies of today. They will also study the importance of music in television, radio and the recording industry, particularly its role in commercials and the "selling" of products, people and programming. In addition, a substantial portion of the course will be devoted to the technology that has led to today's sophisticated performances and recording techniques.

Throughout history, artists and designers have created visual works that help to define historical eras. In this course, students will examine and analyze the most prominent design styles of the past one hundred years. They will learn the defining features and major proponents of each style as well as how each style fits within its historical context. They will then use the knowledge gained to produce designs that respond to past styles in an engaged, knowledgeable way. Course performance will be evaluated on student effort and growth as opposed to artistic talent.

Undeniably, the automobile has had an enormous impact on American culture. A majority of Americans rely on individual transportation daily, but the car is more than a means of heading to work. Automobiles impact our personal independence, our choice of employment, the country and world economies, the environment, and our social culture. The Automobile and American Culture is a course designed to study the broad impact that the automobile has and continues to have on our nation and the world. Students will examine the automobile through historical documents, films, photographs, and music.

Isaac Asimov called science fiction "the literature of change." The course will analyze films, short stories, and a classic science fiction novel to understand the ways this popular genre entertains us and gives us insight into the impact science and technology has had on us.

Do you know that women were denied the fundamental right to vote, and that some went on hunger strikes so others would hear their cries for justice? These women were imprisoned and force-fed before they were finally allowed to engage in the democratic process available to all citizens. In this course, students will learn about such injustices from the past to the present and understand how activists work to create a better future. Throughout history women have used their powerful voices to fight prejudice and to celebrate their own lives. We will read and listen to literary creations (essays, poems, songs, and stories) by writers from multicultural and diverse backgrounds to understand how language can be used to embrace equality. Through lively class discussions, multimedia lectures, formal writing, and a creative final project, students will develop their own voices by exploring topics important to them or to women they know.

Racing Through Film is a course dedicated to examining how the sport of motor racing has been explored through film. Through reading, discussion and viewing films we will consider such issues as the history of racing, questions of masculinity and the often countercultural and rebellious nature of racing, with particular interest in the anti-hero figure.

This course teaches critical thinking and problem-solving skills by using the game of chess as an empirical model for evaluating situations, calculating risks, predicting the consequences of possible actions, solving problems efficiently, and investigating the benefits and limits of reasoning and creative play. Students will demonstrate those skills by solving a wide variety of tactical and strategic problems in chess, by writing a thoughtful analysis of the qualities necessary for a successful thinker/problem solver, and by applying those qualities to situations in one’s personal life and career. Chess will be used as a model for critical thinking skills and life skills.

This course is a survey of films that have significantly contributed to the development of film as an art and as an industry. Topics of discussion include filmmaking techniques and theories of criticism.

Students of all disciplines must be ready to engage in a globally connected world requiring an understanding of cultural norms, differences, and beliefs which effect the workplace. This course will examine the students’ understanding of what culture is and what each citizen of a global world will need to provide knowledge, skills, and an attitude inherent in a culturally responsive manner.

This course will examine literary works that cross the boundaries of national lines and cultures and reflect the experiences that occur in the diverse United States. How do we learn to understand our own and different cultural identities and practices through interactions with others? What role does the experience of immigrants play in how we decide what is American culture? The purpose of this course is for all of us to gain an understanding and appreciation of culture, cultural values, and perspectives by reading various works, in different genres, written by authors of a variety of racial, ethnic, and national backgrounds.

HU 321 is an advanced course that analyzes portrayals of gender in both written and visual text including literature, film, and television to find patterns of meaning that illuminate human nature and society. Additionally, it will explore how gender intersects with other social constructs like race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

This course will explore the basic concepts of ethical theories and ethical values and apply these to technologically based dilemmas through case studies. These dilemmas will be considered in terms of their implications both for individuals, and for professionals involved in creating and maintaining technology, and mechanisms will be developed to guide ethical discussions and decision-making.

Course is currently in development

In this course, students will examine religious practices surrounding life passages (birth, marriage, death), and the food, clothing, sacred calendars, sacred texts, and ethics of several major world religions.

Through the study of fiction and poetry, students broaden their understanding of two important perspectives in healthcare – that of patient and caregiver. With the ultimate goal of engendering empathy for both parties, this course requires students to read a variety of literary texts that address the social, cultural, psychological, familial, institutional, and professional dimensions of healthcare. Course requirements include close reading, lively class discussion, short oral presentations, original research, and thoughtful writing.

This course will trace the various musical forms and technological advances that have led to the American popular music of today. Particular emphasis will be given to blues and jazz and their influence on early rock and roll. In addition, a substantial portion of the course will be devoted to the technology that has led to today’s sophisticated performance and recording techniques. Students will also experience some hands-on musical activities with instruments such as the guitar and keyboard that are vital components of today’s music.

This course offers students the opportunity to explore the visual arts throughout Western history. Students will develop knowledge of artists and artistic development and increase their ability to critically appreciate a wide range of art across media, styles, and time periods. The course will emphasize painting, and will additionally examine sculpture, architecture and photography, as time permits.

Students will examine art produced in the 20th Century by exploring a variety of factors including: the differences in this art from what had come before; the role of the machine and technology in subject matter, technique and production; the major social movements and political events of the 20th Century and how they were represented in art; and the major movements in art in this century. Important works by major artists of this period will be studied, so that students can recognize these and similar works, and appreciate their place in popular culture. Students will learn to be comfortable with art and be able to “read” art for their own enjoyment. They will come to appreciate the notion that art, in the final analysis, is a creative expression of their world, their lives, what they see and feel and experience every day.

As a result of globalization, we are interacting more often with people from other cultures. This course uses fiction, poetry, and drama from around the world to learn about other cultures.