This file contains updates as of 11/18/04 in red. Jeff Colbert’s class has changed from
FMS 170-02 Social/Behavioral to FMS 160-01 Historical Perspectives.
College of Arts and Sciences
FRESHMEN SEMINARS PROGRAM
SPRING SEMESTER 2005
To see if any courses have changed or have been cancelled, please check the
website: www.uncg.edu. Click the U.N.C.Genie icon, click on “Class Schedule.”
Choose the term “Spring 2005”, subject: “Freshmen Seminars Program.”
Each Freshman Seminar gives you the opportunity to study a topic in depth while earning credit in
the General Education Core (GEC) or to fulfill the College Additional Requirements (CAR). The
seminars are small discussion classes taught by faculty selected for their commitment and interest in
undergraduate teaching. The seminars have no prerequisites and do not presume any special
knowledge about the topics to be covered. The seminars emphasize class discussion, critical reading
or original literature (rather than textbooks), and practice in writing and argument. Although some
are Honors classes, other sections are open to all freshmen; however, they are challenging courses,
intended for students who plan to take their education seriously.
You may not receive credit for more than one seminar under the same course number, even if the
contents of the seminars are different.
For more information write:
FRESHMAN SEMINAR PROGRAM
100 FOUST BUILDING, P. O. BOX 26170
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO
GREENSBORO, NC 27402-6170
or call:
(336) 334-3186
or see our website:
http://www.uncg.edu/aas/fms.htm
FMS 115
Freshman Seminars in Reasoning and Discourse I
FMS 115 satisfies GRD category of the GEC; in addition, it carries credit equivalent to ENG 101. You may
not receive credit for both FMS 115 and ENG 101.
FMS 115-01
M,W 2:00 – 3:15 p.m., location: Mary Foust Hall
“Life As We Know It: Contemporary Writers”
Instructor: Deborah Seabrooke
Residential College
This course is about lying, cheating, and longing, about missed opportunities and finding love. It's about writers
facing the world. Although the world is often harsh, contemporary writer Tobias Wolff says, "Storytelling is one of the
sustaining arts. The very act of being a writer seems to me an optimistic act." You'll be committing "optimistic acts"
yourself by writing and talking about the characters and situations we'll meet. It might sound amazing, but studying
contemporary fiction will teach you how to think critically, write a good essay, and engage your audience while cutting
to the bone of the matter.
This course is cross-listed with Residential College; 11 spaces are reserved for Residential College.
Deborah Seabrooke is a writer who teaches at the Residential College. She can also make a mean apple pie.
FMS 116
Freshman Seminars in Reasoning and Discourse II
FMS 116 satisfies the GRD category of the GEC; in addition, it carries credit equivalent to ENG102. You
may not receive credit for both FMS 116 and ENG 102.
FMS 116-01
T,R 3:30 – 4:45 p.m., location: Mary Foust Hall
“Identities: Reinventing Oneself in Society”
Instructor: Deborah Seabrooke
Residential College
Have you ever felt as if you were stuck in a category that wasn’t really you? It is hard to be put into a fixed
position and be told to keep it for the rest of your life. Yet what message does our society give us? Sometimes
society’s voice may seem in accord with ours. But sometimes it seems as if it would be easier to change the orbit of the
planet than to change the path we are told to follow by school, church, and family. What about our own path? Why
can’t we invent ourselves; after all, isn’t this what it means to be human?
This course will ask you what you feel is in your best interest as a human being. It will be interesting to compare
this to what our society demands regarding ITS best interest. How do society’s demands on our citizenship, faith,
gender, race, and productivity affect the individual person?
In the process, you will be challenged to think, to question, and to look at the future you want to build.
This course is speaking intensive.
Deborah Seabrooke is a writer who teaches at the Residential College. She can also make a mean apple pie.
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FMS 116-02
M,W,F 1:00 –1:50 p.m., location: TBA
“Civil Discourse”
Instructor: Laurie White
Honors Program
This Honors Freshman Seminar will fulfill a Reasoning and Discourse requirement and be based on the book “A
World of Ideas” by Lee Jacobus (sixth edition.) The book contains readings from across the world and the centuries
from the Buddha to Hannah Arendt to Rousseau. We will be observing—and imitating—the way these thinkers argue.
And we will take note not only of the variety of ideas—but the way that ideas recur. Students will read more
extensively from several of these writers and write argumentative papers based on current instances of the ideas that
these writers discuss. As a further advantage of taking this class, students will be able to out-argue everyone—
including everyone at Honors Coffee on Wednesday!
This course is an Honors course and is a speaking intensive course.
Laurie White teaches writing and literature. She is especially interested in teaching writing through imitation. She is
Assistant Director of the Honors Program and Admissions Tutor of Cornelia Strong College.
FMS 116-03
T,R 12:30 –1:45 p.m., location: TBA
“Studies in Narratology: Tone, Structure, and Style in Fiction and Film”
Instructor: Brian Crocker
Department of English
This course looks specifically at the novel, the novella, the contemporary short story, seventies cinema, and art house
film. We will examine the artistic and technical choices made by writers and directors to achieve a desired effect.
FMS 116-04
T,R, 2:00 –3:15 p.m., location: TBA
“Studies in Narratology: Tone, Structure, and Style in Fiction and Film”
Instructor: Brian Crocker
Department of English
See description for FMS 116-03.
FMS 116-05
M,W,F 9:00 –9:50 a.m., location: TBA
“What’s the Point? Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing”
Instructor: Bonnie Libby
Department of English
This semester, we will explore ways to think, read, write and speak more critically and knowledgeably about the
world around us. Through readings, informal and formal writing, debate, and group activities, you will develop
reasoning skills and an understanding of basic persuasive principles and theories. You will learn how to use rhetorical
tools to create effective, persuasive arguments, as well as how to use evidence, sustain interest, and develop ideas. This
course fulfills the Speaking Intensive requirement, and so students will be given several opportunities for oral
communication in class, from presentations to debates to class discussion.
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This course is speaking intensive.
Dr. Libby teaches in the English Department at UNCG. Her research interests include medieval literature, eighteenthcentury British literature, and rhetoric. Her favorite authors are C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and John Piper.
FMS 120, 121, 122
Freshman Seminars in Literature
FMS 120, 121, 122 satisfy the GLT category of the GEC. All sections carry a WI marker (writing-intensive).
FMS 121 also carries a GL (Global Perspectives) marker.
FMS 122 also carries a GN (Global Non-Western) marker.
FMS 120-01 CANCELLED
FMS 120-02
M, W, F 12:00 - 12:50 p.m., location: TBA
“Great Journeys”
Instructor: Bonnie Libby
Department of English
What do a boy named Huckleberry, an allegorical pilgrim named Christian, a Southern woman named Janie, a
hobbit named Frodo, and a first-semester freshman at UNCG all have in common? They are all embarking on
incredible journeys that will change their lives! This Freshman Seminar in Literature will focus on the voyages—real
and imaginary--of a variety of characters, depicted in works that range from medieval poems to modern novels. We
will explore the journey motif in literature, and how that motif has been used to address issues significant to the human
experience, like learning and growth, adventure, the search for identity, escape, a quest for something greater than
ourselves. Besides reading the works themselves, we will study methods of reading and responding to literature in ways
that are meaningful and relevant, as well as intellectually sound. I hope that we can interact with the texts and each
other in ways that are honest, thought-provoking, and perhaps even fun. Note that this course is also Writing Intensive.
Dr. Libby teaches in the English Department at UNCG. Her research interests include medieval literature, eighteenthcentury British literature, and rhetoric. Her favorite authors are C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and John Piper.
FMS 120-03
M, W, F 11:00 - 11:50 a.m., location: TBA
“Great Journeys”
Instructor: Bonnie Libby
Department of English
See description for FMS 120-02.
FMS 121-01
T, R 9:30 – 10:45 a.m., location: TBA
“Evil and the Quest for Knowledge: The Matter of Faust"
Instructor: Anita Campitelli
Department of German, Russian & Japanese
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The figure of Faust has played an important part in the imaginative life of Western culture for hundreds of years.
He is the quintessential Westerner, scorning tradition in favor of experience, faith in favor of reason, and pursuing his
quest for knowledge even at the expense of his soul.
In this seminar we will look at the changing fate of Faust, from condemnation to redemption and back, as we in the
industrialized world struggle with our own questions about the price we have paid socially, environmentally and
spiritually for our technological progress.
Students participate at least twice a week in an on-line discussion group, so they will need to have convenient
computer and internet access.
Anita Campitelli has been teaching in the Department of German and Russian for more than 10 years. At Northwestern
University, she was the teaching assistant of the late, great Erich Heller, whose “Faust through the Ages” course was
one of the most popular on campus.
FMS 121-02
M,W,F 11:00 – 11:50 a.m., location: TBA
"Mothers and Daughters in Literature and Film"
Instructor: Karin Baumgartner
Department of German, Russian & Japanese
The mother-child bond is one of the most complex human connections a person will ever experience. Through the
centuries, the mother has been celebrated as the giver of life, and she has been blamed for driving her daughter crazy.
Regularly, advertisement utilize an idealized mother-child image for selling their wares, and just as regularly we are
repelled by women who do not fulfill their mothering duties; moreover, we cannot understand women who ultimately
reject motherhood. Questions such as whether the maternal instinct is innate or whether women must learn to love their
children will be at the core of the course. Required readings include a play, a novel, Grimms' fairy-tales, mythology, and
films.
Karin Baumgartner teaches in the Department of German, Russian & Japanese and in the Women's Studies Program.
Her scholarly interest is in the stories of women from all walks of life. When she is not teaching, she can be found on
her inline skates.
FMS 121-03
T, R 9:30 – 10:45 a.m., location: Mary Foust Hall
“Visions of Hell”
Instructor: David Fein
Department of Romance Languages
What aspect of the human condition could be more universal and more troubling than the experience of suffering?
In this course we will explore a variety of literary approaches to the problem of human suffering, and to related issues
such as evil, isolation, and despair. The readings represent Biblical literature (The Book of Job), a medieval perspective
(Dante), nineteenth-century Russian fiction (Dostoevsky and Tolstoy), a factual account of life in Auschwitz (Wiesel),
an existentialist approach (Sartre), and a variety of voices from contemporary Latin-American literature, including some
of its most important women writers. Confronting difficult and disturbing issues, each of the readings struggles to find
meaning in the darkest moments of despair. The selections represent the literature of five languages: Hebrew, French,
Italian, Russian, and Spanish.
This course is cross-listed with Residential College; 11 seats are reserved for Residential College.
David A. Fein received his B.A. from Brown University and his Ph.D. in French from Cornell University. He has
taught French at UNCG since 1976, specializing in medieval French literature, but teaching a wide variety of courses
in French language, culture, and literature. He has directed several summer programs in France, and from 1996 to
2000 served as Head of the Department of Romance Languages.
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FMS 122-01
M,W,F 11:00 – 11:50 a.m., location: TBA
“Women's Autobiographical Writing on War, Terror and Revolution”
Instructor: Carrie Levesque
Department of German, Russian & Japanese
“Women's Autobiographical Writing on War, Terror and Revolution” examines women's different roles as
victims, survivors and critics of war and violence as they are expressed through autobiographical writings. These
writings will focus primarily (but not exclusively) on women's experiences of three 20th century tragedies: The Stalinist
Terror in the Soviet Union (1930s), the Holocaust (1940s) and the war in the Former Yugoslavia (1990s). We will look
at what role gender plays in how women experience and respond to war and explore autobiographical writing as an act
of resistance.
Carrie Levesque is a Lecturer in the Department of German, Russian and Japanese. She teaches 19th and 20th century
Russian literature and her specific interests include women's literature and dissident and satirical literature.
FMS 130, 131, 132
Freshman Seminars in Fine Arts
FMS 130, 131, 132 satisfy the GFA category of the GEC. All sections carry a WI marker (writing-intensive).
FMS 131 also carries a GL (Global Perspectives) marker.
FMS 132 also carries a GN (Global Non-Western) marker.
FMS 130-01
M 4:00 – 5:50 p.m. and W 4:00-4:50 p.m., location: Carmichael 02
“Classic Films of Sci-Fi & Horror”
Instructor: Kenneth Terres
Department of Broadcasting and Cinema
Analysis of selected motion pictures from the genre of Science Fiction and Horror from the 1930's to the 1970's.
These will include a look at the classics and 'B' features of this period.
Kenneth Terres is a faculty member and engineer for the Broadcasting/Cinema department. He has been a producer
and director as well as the Production Manager at several commercial television stations. He collects 16mm films and
has an extensive collection of features, shorts and television shows.
FMS 130-02 CANCELLED 10/20/04
M,W,F 11:00-11:50 .a.m.., location: TBA
“Tragedy, Togas, and Television”
Instructor: Michael Kamtman
Department of Classical Studies
FMS 140, 141, 142
Freshman Seminars in Philosophical, Religious and Ethical Principles
FMS 140, 141, 142 satisfy the GPR category of the GEC. All sections carry a WI marker (writing-intensive).
FMS 141 also carries a GL (Global Perspectives) marker.
FMS 142 also carries a GN (Global Non-Western) marker.
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FMS 140-01
Thursday 2:00 – 4:45 p.m., location: TBA
“Ecological Revolutions”
Instructor: Charlie Headington
Department of Religious Studies
What do we mean when we talk about a “sustainable society” or an ecological worldview? What ethical principles
would support a more earth-friendly way of life? What design principles would fashion a “green” home or city?
For the past 400 years the western world followed an industrial model of development. Our commitment to
complex technologies, an extractive economy, and the ideal of Progress brought us fabulous wealth and power. But we
also destroyed the land and decimated other cultures wherever we went.
Clearly, it is time for a new perspective, a revolution in the way we envision the future. A new model, one of a
sustainable or regenerative way of living and forming our societies, has emerged. We will study this new model,
contrasting it to the industrial one, and looking at the ways it will change our thinking and living. Through reading and
writing, visiting sustainable sites and institutions, and engaging in our own projects, you will be able to judge the worth
and possibilities of this new paradigm. You will gain both a theoretical and practical knowledge of this significant
alternative.
Charles Headington’s courses at UNCG and in the community examine our society’s preoccupation with destroying the
earth and propose a better way of restoration and cooperation. He likes to garden, walk, cook, daydream, be with his
family and learn Italian.
FMS 150, 151, 152
Freshman Seminars in Historical Perspectives: PreModern
FMS 150, 151, 152 satisfy GHP category of the GEC and GPM category of the CAR. All sections carry a WI
marker (writing-intensive).
FMS 151 also carries a GL (Global Perspectives) marker.
FMS 152 also carries a GN (Global Non-Western) marker.
FMS 151-01
T, R 2:00 – 3:15 p.m., location: TBA
“Classical Biography: Lives of Famous Greeks and Romans”
Instructor: John Starks
Department of Classical Studies
In addition to their general fascination with history, Greeks and Romans developed strong interest in the public
lives of the most famous personalities from their political and cultural traditions. What Augustus ate and how Cleopatra
looked were just as interesting and informative as Pericles’ imperial policies and Alexander the Great’s military tactics.
Ancient biographers crafted these public and private worlds into well organized, often meticulously documented and
thoroughly entertaining packages that express the best and worst of human behavior. Through reading and discussion of
the famous biographies of Plutarch and Suetonius, as well as some lesser known biographical sketches, the Gospel of
Luke and some ancient lives of saints, we will examine values and events that helped shape ancient and modern western
civilization.
John Starks is a Lecturer in Classical Studies with interests in Greek and Roman drama, theater history, public
speaking and historical writing. So don’t be surprised if some of the personal dramas in these biographies are
performed in class.
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FMS 160, 161, 162
Freshman Seminars in Historical Perspectives: Modern
FMS 160, 161, 162 satisfy GHP category of the GEC and GMO category of the CAR. All sections carry a WI
marker (writing-intensive).
FMS 161 also carries a GL (Global Perspectives) marker.
FMS 162 also carries a GN (Global Non-Western) marker.
FMS 160-01 (as of 10/4/04 this class changed from Social/Behavioral Studies to Historical
Perspectives)
T, R 9:30 – 10:45 a.m., location: TBA
“Politics and Religion”
Instructor: Jeff Colbert
Department of Political Science
Have you heard the old adage "never discuss religion and politics"? I have, and I think it's crazy. I believe the two
most powerful forces known to man are God and government. So, we're going to look at that relationship in the
American political system. We'll look at the early leaders of our country and attempt to understand their sense of that
relationship and we'll look at the relationship today.
This course is speaking-intensive course.
Jeff Colbert considers himself to be a passionate man. He is passionate about God and his church, his family, the
Spartans (!), and the Constitution (pretty much in that order!).
FMS 162-01
T,R, 9:30 – 10:45 a.m., location: TBA
“Latin America: The Hidden Omnipresence of Women”
Instructor: Mary Floyd
Department of History
In this Freshman Seminar, students will examine the history of women in Latin America. Women have always
played an important role in Latin American societies. Only in the past few decades, however, have historians and others
begun to reveal the variety of their experiences and their place in the history of Latin America. Through video, primary
documents where possible, and histories, we will explore the role of women in the history of Latin America from the
colonial period to the present. We will sharpen critical-thinking skills through the reading of the text and analyzing the
primary documents.
Dr. Floyd’s field of interest is nineteenth-century Venezuela. She is particularly interested in landownership in
Venezuela in the 1870s and 1880s and the role of the Church as a financial institution in coffee economies.
FMS 170, 171, 172
Freshman Seminars in Social and Behavioral Studies
FMS 170, 171, 172 satisfy the GSB category of the GEC. All sections carry a WI marker (writing-intensive).
FMS 171 also carries a GL (Global Perspectives) marker.
FMS 172 also carries a GN (Global Non-Western) marker.
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FMS 170-01
T, R, 11:00 am - 12:15 p.m, location: TBA
“War and Conflict”
Instructor: A. Leigh Sink
Department of Political Science
It has been estimated that there has been a war somewhere in the world 94% of the time since the dawn of
civilization. Why does mankind periodically organize himself for armed conflict and warfare? This course will begin by
asking these questions and try to answer them through an examination of the United States’ involvement in war and
conflict over the last hundred years.
Leigh Sink has been at UNCG since 1989 and has thoroughly enjoyed it. She enjoys playing tennis and watching
Carolina basketball.
FMS 170-02 (cancelled 10/4/04; changed to a different GEC category: Historical Perspectives)
T, R 9:30 – 10:45 a.m., location: TBA
“Politics and Religion”
Instructor: Jeff Colbert
Department of Political Science
FMS 171-01
T, R 11:00 am - 12:15 pm, location: TBA
“Refugee Lives/ Refugee Stories”
Instructor: Dorothy Davis
Department of Anthropology
Imagine being told that you needed to pack one suitcase and be prepared to leave your home and maybe your
country tomorrow morning. What if you had to choose to take some family members with you and leave some behind?
One out of every 142 people in the world today has been forced into flight. How would you support yourself if you were
a child left on your own at age 9 or 10? More than 80% of the world's refugees are women and children. This forced
displacement of people is one of the most pressing moral and ethical dilemmas in the world today. In this course, we
will be studying about refugees, internally displaced peoples and immigration issues from an anthropological
perspective. Not only will you be learning in the classroom, but you will be out in the
community working with new immigrants and helping to educate others about these issues.
This course is speaking-intensive and is a service-learning course.
Dorothy Davis has been the "freshman specialist" in the Anthropology Department for over 15 years. She enjoys a new
area of research: identical twins and identity issues. She loves to travel, and she loves to come home.
Natural Sciences:
FMS 183
Freshman Seminars in Physical Science
FMS 183 satisfies GNS category of the GEC and GPS category of the CAR. All sections carry a WI marker
(writing-intensive).
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FMS 183-01
T, R 2:00-3:15 pm; location: TBA
“Molecules and the Human Condition: From DNA to Weapons of Mass Destruction”
Instructor: Bruce Banks
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Humans live in a sea of natural and synthetic chemicals, and our very existence depends on the proper operation of
our own molecules. Is our world becoming more dangerous as we introduce new molecules with new properties? Are
we too addicted to petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals? Does our future look brighter as the result of advancements in
DNA technology, design of powerful new medications, and the introduction of “smart materials”? We will read, write
and debate about these questions and others in this seminar.
Bruce Banks teaches general chemistry, organic chemistry and other topics. His research interests are in bio-organic
chemistry, and his personal interests range from cooking and movies to SpongeBob SquarePants.
Natural Sciences:
FMS 184
Freshman Seminars in Life Science
FMS 184 satisfies GNS category of the GEC and GLS category of the CAR. All sections carry a WI marker
(writing-intensive).
No courses this semester.
FMS 195
Freshman Seminars in Mathematics
FMS 195 satisfies the GMT category of the GEC. All sections carry a WI marker (writing-intensive).
FMS 195-01
T,R 2:00-3:15pm, location: TBA
“Excursions in Mathematics”
Instructor: Linda Kilgariff
Department of Mathematical Sciences
“To most outsiders, modern mathematics is unknown territory. Its borders are protected by dense thickets of
technical terms; its landscapes are a mass of indecipherable equations and incomprehensible concepts. Few realize
that the world of modern mathematics is rich with vivid images and provocative ideas.”
Ivars Peterson, The Mathematical Tourist
Mathematics does not have to be dull and unrelated to our real world experiences. This course consists of brief
excursions through selected unconventional topics from ancient through contemporary liberal arts mathematics. Along
the way in this interdisciplinary mathematical adventure, the class will encounter fallacies and fuzzy sets; perfect,
deficient, and abundant numbers; the double-dabble method; cryptology; wallpaper groups; the Greedy algorithm,…
Linda Kilgariff is an Instructor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, where she has taught
calculus and various other mathematics courses for over 30 years. She mentors mathematics Teaching Fellows and
high school Fast Forward teachers and loves beach music, murder mysteries, and infinite shopping.
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