May Term Courses

BIOL 108: ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY  (Goodman)

A consideration, based on basic biological concepts, of the processes leading to the degradation of our environment. The course includes discussions of such topics as environmental pollution by pesticides, industrial by-products, and radioactive materials; the historical background and future prospects of the population explosion; and the need for preservation of our natural resources. Prerequisite: none.

CHEM 108: CHEMISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT  (Deifel) 

This course is a survey of the basic concepts of chemistry as applied to the environment and current environmental issues. Topics include current issues of water, soil and air pollution; reactions controlling natural chemical species in our environment; the fates of chemical species in the soil, water, and air; and the basic chemical principles behind production and consumption of energy. In addition, the course emphasizes evaluating data and making informed assessments about the issues discussed. This course is intended for students with primary interests outside of the sciences and does not satisfy the prerequisite for requirements for any other chemistry course. Prerequisite: none.

 

ECON 217: ECONOMICS OF SPORTS  (Isaacs)

Economic analysis of individual, team, and league sports. This course focuses not only on the market structure and industrial organization of sports leagues, but also addresses the public finance issues of municipal stadium construction and the labor issues involved with free agency and salary caps. Prerequisite: Economics 101.

 

ECON 285: SPECIAL TOPICS: Applied Economics  (Isaacs/Carilli)

The field of economic statistics and econometrics is rapidly changing. Increasing data availability combined with powerful computing and advanced software allows researchers to address issues of statistical inference and analysis in innovative ways. Despite these advances students must still have a strong foundation in research methods and data analysis. This course provides students with practical knowledge and skills to take advantage of these new developments. This course extends and enhances the Department’s traditional theoretical courses by introducing modern research methods and multivariate statistical tools via real-world applications. Over the course of the semester, students will learn how to use computing software like Excel and R to address issues of large data, non-experimental methods, exploratory data analysis, and visualization. Special topics in the class include methodological appropriateness, factor analysis, causality, nonlinear system modeling, multivariate time series, Bayesian statistics, and machine learning. All topics are presented in a hands-on manner and students will work through sets of examples using topic templates.

 

GLOBAL CULTURES 103: BEGINNING TO 1500 C.E.  (Basham)

Introduces students to global processes across time. The course is thematically organized and contextually centered. It does not attempt to narrate a “history of the world;” rather, it compares hierarchal structures, cultural frameworks, and regional and global networks from the beginning of human history to 1500. It emphasizes how contingency and human agency have shaped the global past, how civilizations are mutable “works in progress,” and how texts serve as examples of authors writing within specific historical contexts.

 

GVFA 101: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT  (Dabling)

A review of the theory, institutions, and practices of the national government in the United States. The constitutional basis of the federal system, the protection of civil liberties and citizenship, and the role of the people in politics are studied with frequent references to leading Supreme Court decisions and other primary sources. Prerequisite: none.

 

HIST 240: FIELD METHODS AND PRACTICE IN HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

(Pearson)

This course offers a hands-on introduction to basic excavation, recording, and laboratory techniques employed on historical period archaeological sites throughout the United States. The various topics covered include survey and excavation strategies, as well as the interpretation of ceramics, faunal remains, plant phytoliths and pollen deposits, and interpreting the spatial distribution of artifacts across sites and larger landscapes. Prerequisite: none.

 

HIST 385: HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES  (Hattox)

The course will deal with the history of the Eastern Mediterranean during the Age of the Crusades, from roughly 1000 to 1400 AD; topics to be discussed include: Europe and the Near East Before 1000; Alexius Comnenus, Urban II and the First Crusade; Conditions in The Crusader States; the Muslim Counteroffensive and the Second Crusade; Frederick Barbarossa, Philip II Augustus, Richard I and the Third Crusade; the Sack of Constantinople by the Franks; Later Crusades: Why did the Crusades Succeed? Why did the Crusades ultimately Fail? The Legacy of the Crusades. Grades will be based on three in-class examinations and several short papers.

 

HIST 420: TOPICS IN COMPARATIVE HISTORY: Man and Dog (Hattox)

The course will explore the working relationship between humans and dogs since the slow domestication of canis lupus familiaris, through classical and medieval times to the present day. Topics to be discussed will include, but are not restricted to: the evolution of the dog from several different canid species; the role of the dog as a working partner for early hunter-gatherers; the role of the dog in the domestication of other species as livestock; dogs in war—ancient, medieval and modern; the evolution of the modern breeds and the specialization of the work of dogs.

 

INDS 185: SPECIAL TOPICS: The Writing On the Skin: The Culture of Russian Prison Tattoos  (Basham)

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the life of the ‘thieves in law’, greatly respected and feared members of Russian organized crime, has become a subject of immense interest to both Russians and Westerners. The detail that is attracting the most attention is the prisoners’ tattoos. Ever since the thieves in law started formally organizing and acting as leaders of prison groups in the Soviet gulags, the tattoos have been used as a powerful coded system for communication that tells the story of the prisoners’ lives, states their views on political and social issues, shows their place in the criminal world hierarchy, and decides their fate amongst their cellmates. In this class the students will learn about the history of organized crime in Russia, the Soviet gulag system, the culture that developed around the prison tattoos, and the laws and regulations issued by the authorities as a response to this culture. The students will also understand the meaning of the different categories of prison tattoos and will be able to decode the information they carry. The students will also explore the global significance of tattoos as a secret language outside of Russia by learning about the use of tattoos in ancient Greece and Rome, China, Japan, Borneo, Samoa, the Marquesas, New Zealand, France, and Italy.

 

PHYS 185: SPECIAL TOPICS: Physics of Rock Climbing  (Auner)

This experiential learning course is an exploration into the physics underlying the sport of rock climbing. This course is encouraged for non-science majors interested in learning about physics while experiencing it outdoors. Some possible areas of exploration include: the physics of belaying, locomotion, the climbing gear, and balance.

 

PHYS 185: SPECIAL TOPICS: Introduction to Biophysics  (Auner)

This course is a conceptual survey of biophysics examining many topics in this broad area from a physics perspective. This course is intended for non-science majors interested in learning about a growing field of interdisciplinary science. Some topics that will be covered include: miniature motors in the cell, how genetic information is stored compared to computer memory, locomotion (swimming, running, rock climbing), and how blood flows.

 

PSYC 107: CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY  (Mossler)

This is an entry-level course designed to introduce students to conflicting views on a variety of important issues in different areas of psychology. The focus of this course is the gulf between public opinion and empirical knowledge. Discussions about each controversy begins with a presentation of some basic information about the general topic under study (e.g., the accuracy of eyewitness testimony and the nature of human memory) and is followed by an in-depth examination of each controversy in light of what the public believes to be true and what psychologists have learned. Videotapes, web resources, and readings from the critical thinking monograph are used to supplement the primary text in this course.  Prerequisite: none.

 

PSYC 285: SPECIAL TOPICS: Psychology of Violent and Criminal Behavior   (Mossler)

This course will provide the student with insights about crime from a psychological perspective. Specifically, the course will focus on how different kinds of criminal offenders are influenced by multiple systems within the psychosocial environment. As we explore the origins of violent and criminal behaviors, we will focus on biological risk factors (e.g., mental illness), developmental risk factors (e.g., child maltreatment), and situational risk factors (e.g., availability of guns). We will discuss and develop different profiles for children, adolescents, and adults who commit a variety of crimes including: murder, mass shootings, sexual assault, stalking, hate crimes, bullying, and terrorism. Throughout the course, students will acquire knowledge and practice in the application of psychological methods to understanding violent and criminal behavior. Towards the end of the course, we will explore ways to reduce violent and criminal behavior in our society.

 

RELI 103: INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS  (Harris)

An introduction to the origins, development, and current meaning of several spiritual traditions. The course is designed to show the diversity of religious traditions, as well as to indicate the common questions that the various traditions address. The course begins with a consideration of the relation between religion and the human condition as we experience it. In the light of this introduction, several traditions chosen from the Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Muslim, and Native American are examined. Prerequisite: none.

 

SPAN 201-202: INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I/II  (Palmer/DeJong)

The first component of the course is a continuation of the 101-102 sequence. Continued development of the four basic skills: speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing. Emphasis on the use of Spanish in the classroom. In the second component of the course, the emphasis is on the productive skills of speaking and writing with a general grammar review. Continued practice in reading of authentic Hispanic texts, both popular and literary. Several oral presentations are required.

 

WESTERN CULTURE 101: BEGINNING TO 1500 C.E.  (Dabling)

Western Culture 101 introduces students to the history, cultural achievements, and dilemmas of western civilization, from its roots to 1500. The course is grounded in a consideration of significant historical events and cultural questions. It examines a variety of texts – literary, philosophic, theological, and artistic – placed in historical context. Ultimately, the course aims to give a perspective on the contemporary world through an exploration of the West’s cultural legacy.

 

Time	Course:	Title:	Instructor:	Room:
8-10:00am	HIST 385	History of the Crusades	Hattox	WC 201
8-10:00am	INDS 285	Writing on the Skin	Basham	WC 102
8-10:00am	WCUL 101	Beginning to 1500CE	Dabling	Morton 323
9:30-11:30am	SPAN 201/202	Intermediate Spanish I/II	Palmer/DeJong	Bagby 312
10:15-12:15pm	CHEM 108	Chemistry of the Environment	Deifel	Gilmer 220
10:15-12:15pm	ECON 217	Economics of Sports	Isaacs	Morton 224
10:15-12:15pm	GVFA 101	Intro to American Govt	Dabling	Morton 323
10:15-12:15pm	HIST 420	Topics in Comparative History: Man and Dog	Hattox	WC201
10:15-12:15pm	PHYS 185	Physics of Rock Climbing	Auner	Gilmer 025
10:15-12:15pm	RELI 103	Intro to World Religions	Harris	Maples 201
12:30-2:30pm	SPAN 201/202	Intermediate Spanish I/II	Palmer/DeJong	Bagby 312
1:15-3:15pm	ECON 285	Applied Economics	Isaacs/Carilli	Morton 224
1:15-3:15pm	HIST 240	Field Methods and Practice in Historical Archaeology	Pearson	Morton 121
1:15-3:15pm	PHYS 185	Intro to Biophysics	Auner	Gilmer 025
1:15-3:15pm	PSYC 285	Psychology of Violent and Criminal Behavior	Mossler	Dupont
3:30-5:30pm	BIOL 108	Environmental Biology	Goodman	ONLINE
3:30-5:30pm	GCUL 103	Beginning to 1500CE	Basham	WC 102
3:30-5:30pm	PSYC 107	Controversial Issues in Psyc	Mossler	DuPont