Fall 2009
FRESHMAN SEMINAR PROGRAM
UNCG College of Arts and Sciences
Marker Abbreviations:
WI: Writing Intensive
SI: Speaking Intensive
GL: Global Perspectives
GN: Global Non-Western
Perspectives
These seminars are open only to students who will be freshmen in the Fall 2009 semester. For the most current information including location of
the class, see UNCGenie on the web: www.uncg.edu. (TBA means To Be Announced) We encourage students not to sign up for a seminar without
first reading the course description or not to sign up for more than one seminar. Talk with your advisor about registering for a seminar. A more in
depth description of the class is available on the web at http://www.uncg.edu/aas/fms .
REASONING AND DISCOURSE II
Also carries credit equivalent to ENG 102. You may not receive credit for both FMS 116 and ENG 102.
Course
GEC category: GRD
Days/Time/Place
Course Title/Description
Instructor
FMS
116-01
SI
M, W, F
10:00-10:50 a.m.
TBA
Matt
McNees
FMS
116-02
SI
T, R
11:00-12:15 p.m.
TBA
FMS
116-03
SI
M,W,F
9:00-9:50 a.m.
TBA
Revolutionary Spirit and Romantic Agony: The Notorious, Vampiric, Satanic Lord Byron. This course
explores the various aspects of our individual, revolutionary spirit in the face of an imposing reality, with a
focus on one of history’s most compelling authors, Lord Byron. As a passionate poet, dubious lover, scathing
satirist, and restless traveler, Byron’s life and writing are testament both to individual freedom and deep
personal torment. Might we always remain “carefree” children? But our “soul is dark”? Byron wrote
movingly about women’s beauty yet also imported the “Vampyre” into English literature to explain this
horrible, agonizing passion. The tormented, solitary, often misunderstood Byronic hero is still alive today. So,
we will also explore the development of this heroism, particularly in its darker versions of the succubus and
the vampire, and consider their manifestations in today’s culture.
Truth, Reason, and the Practice of Discourse. In this seminar we will consider the aims of discourse in
relationship to the notions of truth and belief. In particular we will study how the conditions of persuasion,
identification, and cooperation affect how we communicate and understand what we believe. Drawing from
a wide variety of sources ranging from the classical philosophy of Plato, to the transcendentalism of Ralph
Waldo Emerson, to the spiritually-oriented education theory of Parker Palmer, we will practice the study of
discourse and reasoning while considering how the idea of truth gives these activities relevance as we work
to become better thinkers and communicators.
The Limits of Higher Education, or, The World Starts Here. What are the limits of higher education? Are
universities nothing more than "ivory towers?" What is the difference between "school" and the "real
world?" In this course we will investigate academia as a particular kind of human activity, often referred to as
"shared inquiry." Our readings will include selections from a variety of traditional and contemporary writers,
featuring the Fall 2009 All Freshman Read, Sonia Nazario's Enrique's Journey. Ultimately, the course will
ask students to articulate their understanding of how individuals interact with each other and the world at
large, focusing on the role of academic discourse as one such activity.
LITERATURE
Course
GEC category: GLT
Course Title/Description
Instructor
In Sickness and In Health: Narratives of the Body. Our human experience of bodily existence is both
universal and unique—as unique, literally, as a fingerprint. In this course, we will examine how in
representations of this experience on the page and on the screen, the body transcends mere physicality: it
emerges as property and as currency; as historical record; as a supposed marker of cultural difference; or as a
kind of outward reflection of some interior reality. Together, we will think, talk, and write about
representations of the body in slave narratives, novels, short stories, and popular culture, capping our semester
with a creative project.
From Sherlock Holmes to CSI: Roots and Legacy of the Literary Detective. This writing-intensive course
explores the history and appeal of mystery writing, with a specific focus on that icon of detectives, Sherlock
Holmes. We will read the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and trace his literary history and the fictional
detectives he inspired through the years, including various incarnations of Holmes in film and on television.
We'll read selections from other influential mystery writers, like Edgar Allan Poe and Agatha Christie. We
will also explore the genesis and development of "true crime" and police procedurals in American culture,
from "In Cold Blood" to television shows like The X-Files and CSI.
King Arthur: From Mythic British Monarch to Global Hero. This seminar will focus on a historical range
of texts dealing with Arthurian stories and myth in order to see how the “Once and Future King” weathered
the transition to the media-driven age of the 20 th and 21 st centuries. Roughly the first half of the seminar will
focus on providing students with a foundational knowledge of early Arthurian canon--including works from
Latin, French and Welsh texts-- as guides.
Deidre
Hall
WI
T, R
11:00-12:15 p.m.
TBA
FMS
120-03
WI
T, R
12:30-1:45 p.m.
TBA
FMS
121-01
WI
GL
M, W, F
11:00-11:50 a.m.
TBA
FINE ARTS
FMS
130-01
WI
FMS
142-01
WI
GN
William
Dodson
Jennifer
Whitaker
GEC category: GFA
Days/Time/Place
Course Title/Description
Instructor
M, W, F
9:00-9:50 a.m.
TBA
Acting Change in America: Human Rights Onstage. In this course we will look at the rich legacy of
American plays that have, at their center, the struggle for equality in a chaotic world. These dramas reflect the
nation’s political, social, and moral norms which have been in constant flux in the tumultuous 20th century
and they bring into sharp focus the troubling prejudices and conformities that have influenced and sometimes
dominated our culture.
Jeffery
West
PHILOSOPHICAL, RELIGIOUS, AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
Course
Charles
Tedder
Days/Time/Place
FMS
120-02
Course
William
Duffy
GEC category: GPR
Days/Time/Place
Course Title/Description
Instructor
M, W
3:30-4:45 p.m.
TBA
The Good, the Bad, and the Empty: Eastern Debates about Human Nature. This seminar focuses on
debates about human nature in Buddhist, Confucian, and Daoist traditions of East Asia. We will consider the
question of what it means to be human, and how these assumptions about the human condition lead to
different visions of how one should live one’s life. Beginning with classical Chinese discussions of human
nature being good or evil, we will then Examine how Buddhist notions of suffering, emptiness, and “no-self”
shift the terms of debate.
Beverly
Foulks
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES: Pre-Modern
Course
Course Title/Description
Instructor
You Don’t Belong! The “Other” in Medieval Western Culture. Are we “in” or are we “out”? The historian
R.I. Moore has argued that the high middle ages was the period of the “formation of a persecuting society”
during which the majority (those who were “in”) willfully prosecuted various minorities (those who were
“out.”) In this course, we will examine sources by and about those on the fringes of medieval society –
sources including romances, poems, art, laws, and religious texts – to see if we can find evidence to support or
reject Moore’s thesis.
Ancient Magic and Witchcraft. This course will explore the diverse practices of magic and witchcraft in
ancient Greece and Rome . After first considering what it is that constitutes magic and witchcraft in general,
we will examine developments in Greek and Romans uses of them over time, consider where—or whether—
lines could be drawn between magic and religion for these people, and analyze what the practices of magic
and witchcraft tell us about the lives and concerns of their practitioners. We will use methods of and
approaches to contemporary magic and witchcraft to provide us a frame of reference for examining the
ancient ones.
Anne
Barton
FMS
151-01
WI,
GL
M, W, F
1:00-1:50 p.m.
TBA
FMS
151-02
WI,
GL
T,R
9:30-10:45 a.m.
TBA
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES: Modern
Course
Instructor
Been in the Storm So Long: The Long Road of the American Civil Rights Movement. Pick up any high
school history book, and the story of 20th century America is always the same: a War, the Roaring Twenties,
the Great Depression, another war, then another war, this one of a different kind, affluence, and then, all of
the sudden, by the way, POOF! The Civil Rights movement comes out of nowhere. The real story is much
more deeply embedded in American History, with its roots at the very beginning. As with all history, the civil
rights movement did not up and occur one day, so we will look at each event in its larger historical context,
finding the roots of each.
This class is cross-listed with Residential College; 11 spaces are reserved for Residential College
God and the Constitution. 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.
This class is cross-listed with Residential College; 11 spaces are reserved for Residential College
Latino Immigrants in U.S. Society. An analysis of Latino immigration to the United States with a special
emphasis on the diversity of the immigration experience by national origin, region of settlement, and gender.
In order to understand this experience, we will pay particular attention to the histories of Latino immigration
to the United States in order to identify similarities between the receptions of Latino immigrant groups and
other immigrants in history. We will also discuss predominant theories of international immigration,
relationships between the historical and contemporary context, immigration policy, and the adaptation of
Latino immigrants in the U.S
Latino Immigrants in U.S. Society.
See FMS 162-01 for course description
Christine
Flood
M,W,F
10:00-10:50 a.m.
Mary Foust –
Ashby Parlor
FMS
160-02
WI
M,W,F
10:00-10:50 a.m.
Mary Foust 128
FMS
162-01
WI,
GN
M,W
2:00-3:15 p.m.
TBA
FMS
162-02
WI,
GN
M,W
2:00-3:15 p.m.
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL STUDIES
Days/Time/Place
FMS
170-01
WI
FMS
170-02
WI
T, R
2:00-3:15 p.m.
TBA
FMS
170-03
WI
T, R
11:00-12:15 p.m.
Grogan College
CANCELLED
Days/Time/Place
WI
Jeff
Colbert
Antonio
de la Cova
Antonio
de la Cova
GEC category: GSB
Course Title/Description
Instructor
War and Conflict. 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.
Psychopathology and Film. Mental illness (psychopathology) is frequently portrayed in popular culture.
The history of cinema is filled with classic films such as “A Beautiful Mind” and “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest” that have introduced society to a variety of mental disorders. The goal of the course is to use
examples from popular and independent cinema as a catalyst for discussion of psychopathology, treatment,
and the modern myths that often accompany mental disorders.
“The Narration of Healing: Social Science and Storytelling.” This course will focus on the historical and
conceptual foundations of the Narrative approach and the different ways the approach is applied within the
different social sciences to promote explanation and healing. Through a focused investigation of the
Narrative approach, students will not only learn about this important and powerful way of understanding
human behavior, they will also learn about the fundamental concepts and defining features of the core social
science disciplines, gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the social sciences,
and gain insight into the complexities and ambiguities of trying to understand and “heal” human behavior.
A. Leigh
Sink
NATURAL SCIENCES: Physical Science
FMS
183-01
GEC/CAR category: GHP/GMO
Course Title/Description
WI
Course
Robert
Simmons
Days/Time/Place
FMS
160-02
Course
GEC/CAR category: GHP/GPM
Days/Time/Place
Tom
Kwapil
Love
Crossling
GEC/CAR category: GNS/GPS
Course Title/Description
Instructor
Human Biophysics. Everybody is interested in how the human body works, because everyone has one. We
Promod
will examine the physical principles behind the basic physiological functions of the body: breathing, ingestion
Pratap
and excretion, sensory perception, sleep, and reproduction. Among the questions we will address will be:
Why do we have a circulatory system? How does the eye work? How can we balance on two legs? We know
that in general things decay; how does the body maintain its complexity and structure? How does the brain
work? The goal in the course is to show that physics rules the world!!!
This class is cross-listed with Residential College; 11 spaces are reserved for Residential College
NATURAL SCIENCES: Life Science
GEC/CAR category: GNS/GLS
Course
FMS
184-01
WI
M,W,F
1:00-1:50 a.m.
Mary Foust 128
Days/Time/Place
Course Title/Description
Instructor
M,W,F
9:00-9:50 a.m.
Mary Foust 128
Wildlife Issues in a Changing World. Why are some species abundant while others are threatened and
endangered? What are some of the solutions to the problems of diminishing wildlife? Of nuisance wildlife?
Students will help decide some of the issues discussed in this course. They will be encouraged to take a
historical perspective and use the scientific method in analyzing problems and solutions. Exercises will
include use of the World Wide Web to broaden perspectives and encourage critical thinking. Students
enrolling in the course must be able to participate in an off-campus field trip to the Natural Science Center in
Greensboro, begin class that day at 8 am. Transportation will be arranged after the class begins.
This class is cross-listed with Residential College; 11 spaces are reserved for Residential College
Ann
Somers