Undergraduate Class Schedule for Summer Session 1 and Session II

Course Descriptions

African Studies

Anthropology

102. Cultural Anthropology.
This course offers a general exploration of cultural anthropology, a discipline that addresses the spectrum of human cultural diversity in the attempt to understand what people do and why they do it. We will read and talk about a wide variety of human communities from a number of topical viewpoints, ranging from the ways people construct relationships to the ways they perceive the world around them. We will discuss some of the ways anthropologists and others have attempted to account for human cultural phenomena and try to view these approaches with a critical eye. The object of the course is to develop a good acquaintance with aspects and examples of human cultural diversity and a grasp of some of the processes affecting human societies. Throughout the semester various issues will recur: What factors affect the relationships between female and male? Why do some groups fight a great deal, while others appear to be more peaceful? Why are some relatively egalitarian, while others emphasize differing ranks and statuses? We will read about and discuss six very different communities to shed light on these and other issues. Also offered through Global Studies.

201. Introduction to Human Origins
This introductory course provides an overview of the fascinating and often controversial study of human origins. Emphasis isplaced on the integration of prehistoric archaeology with human evolution. Topics we will examine include early human fossils and prehistoric sites in Africa, the emergence of Neandertals and modern humans, and the origins of language and art.

Computer Science

140. Introduction to Computer Programming.
This course gives students an introduction to programming usinga high-level language, with emphasis on problem solving and algorithm development. Computer programming skills are enhanced through individual student projects.

Economics

205. Government and Business
We will examine the influence of government regulation on markets, businesses, and individuals' economic decisions. Differing views of the appropriate level of government intervention in markets and business decisions will be discussed. Price regulation, regulation of big business (monopolies, oligopolies), and social regulation (environmental regulation, health and safety) will be studied. There is an emphasis on studying these topics in the context of real world events. The main goal of the course is to help you understand economic perspectives on important economic and social issues regarding government regulation and to see different sides of these issues. This will help you make better informed political, personal, and business decisions in the future.

Prerequisite: Econ 100. No juniors or seniors allowed.

290. Supervised Independent Study

Course Description: Supervised independent study consists of in-depth consideration of a subject not normally covered comprehensively in a regular economics course. In past summers, students have studied the economy of Botswana, the impact of the Euro, the effects of New York State land purchases in the Adirondacks, and the local economic impact of Wal-Mart location decisions. This course also provides an academic component for students to engage in summer internships in the field of economics. Past summer internships have included opportunities with Citicorp, First Albany Corporation, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Prudential Securities and St. Lawrence County. Students engaged in non-paid community internships may also apply for this course.

Education

203. Contemporary Issues in Education (A)
A multidisciplinary consideration of current issues in education, to serve as a vehicle by which students may explore the idea of entering the teaching profession. The course includes a multicultural examination of current educational issues through lectures, readings, research and discussions of position papers prepared by the students. A field experience is required. Registration priority to sophomores and juniors intending to enroll in the Professional Semester.

305. Educational Psychology (A)
A consideration of educational and psychological principles and theories applicable to learning, with emphasis on the public schools. Particular attention is paid to such areas as human growth and development, motivation, theories of learning and teaching, evaluation and assessment, student differences and behavior management in the classroom. A field experience in the public schools is required. Registration priority will be given to juniors and sophomores intending to enroll in the Professional Semester.
Prerequisites: Psychology 100 or 101.

English

238. American Literature II (A)
A survey of major and minor works and writers that have shaped the American literary tradition from 1900 to the present, with attention to historical and social backgrounds. It covers the literature of the 20th century, including works by Dreiser, Wharton, Cather, Frost, Eliot, Stevens, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, O'Neill, Wright and Flannery O'Connor.

243. Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction Writing (A)
An introductory study of basic technical problems and formal concepts of the literary essay. Students read and write essays on various topics, including travel, personal experience, landscape, natural science and politics. Weekly written exercises and student essays are read aloud and discussed in class

290. A. Expository Writing (A)
ON-CAMPUS Description:
290. Expository Writing: Offered on campus
A course for students who have successfully completed the First-Year Program and who want further work in writing, revising, and editing prose. Over the five weeks of the session, students will write in a variety of forms, from personal narratives to argumentative pieces to academic essays. The course addresses both rhetorical and formal issues, such as organization, voice, clarity, style, and review of grammar. Writers will be regularly asked to discuss their work in peer workshops.

On-Line Description:
A course for students who have successfully completed the First-Year Program and who want further work in writing, revising and editing expository prose. Over the five weeks of the session, students will write in a variety of forms, from creative non-fiction to the academic essay. The course addresses both rhetorical and formal issues: organization, voice, prose rhythm, clarity and grammar. Writers are regularly asked to discuss their work in peer workshops.

What is different about this course is where those workshops will happen: they will happen on-line, in a virtual workshop. In this distance-learning course, students can participate no matter where they are during the session, using e-mail and Web pages. As in a traditional workshop, students will be asked to read and respond to assigned texts, respond to drafts, participate in class discussions and exercises and receive detailed responses to their writing from the instructor. Although students can take this virtual course from home, abroad, or campus, it will require daily participation for the entire session. Regular attendance and informed participation will weigh heavily in the final course grade.

Prerequisite: First-Year Program or equivalent

Students interested in this on-line course are encouraged to contact Professor Jenseth at 315-229-5367 in advance of the first day to discuss participation in the course. Advance registration is strongly urged. Students must participate fully on the first and subsequent days of the class to maintain standing in the course. There is also a series of required readings. If possible, pick up the reading packet from Professor Jenseth before leaving campus.
Technology requirements: Besides access to a Windows-capable computer for word processing, students must have daily access to e-mail and the Internet.

Richard Jenseth
On-line

Fine Arts

121. Introduction to Studio Art: Expressions and Impressions of Nature (A)
Using the natural world as subject matter, this course will focus on graphic expression through drawing, painting and simple non-toxic printmaking processes. Classes will be held in the studio and outdoors, taking advantage of North Country summer weather and beautiful surroundings. We will visit local sites for first-hand observation, drawing and collecting natural artifacts with which to work. Some of the projects included will be drypoint on Plexiglas (an intaglio process), monotype, relief printing (linocuts) and collagraph printing. The printmaking aspect of this course will employ nontoxic materials and processes to create images inspired by our environment.

There will be at least two visits and lectures by local artists whose work involves the natural world through process, materials and/or subject matter. Another emphasis of the course will be the holistic nature of image-making that connects with our environment throughout the creative process.

There is no prerequisite. However, an active imagination and willingness to take creative risks in search of an image are recommended. This class will fill the foundation requirement for more advanced studio art courses. In addition, the structure of the class will allow independent study students to explore related areas of interest in more depth and intensity.

Government

103. Introduction to American Politics (A)
Increasingly, Americans are cynical about politics. This course examines the problems that give rise to that skepticism, as well as what might be done about them. The course is an introduction to the major institutions and actors of the American political system, including the Constitution, parties, interest groups and the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. Attention is also given to cultural, ideological and economic contexts and to the mechanisms and possibilities of political change.

108. Introduction to International Politics (A)
An analysis of international relations as a political process with particular emphasis on patterns of conflict and cooperation. Major areas of study include theories concerning the nature of the international system, nationalism, balance of power, collective security, alliance systems, international law and organization, political economy, war, deterrence, arms control and disarmament, the emerging international order, human rights and the environment.

History

106. Modern East Asia
This course examines the East Asian region from approximately 1650 to the present. We will discuss the creation, dismantling and continuing remnants of colonialism, World Wars I and II in the East Asian context, the Cold War, the Korean and Vietnam Wars and recent economic development, especially as it affects womenand the environment. The course begins with an overview of East Asian geography, culture and history. The course is designed to introduce students to major events and issues of modern East Asia and also to improve students’ skills in critical reading, writing, use of primary and secondary sources and oral communication.

Mathematics

110. Concepts of Mathematics (A)
An introduction to significant ideas of mathematics, intended for students who will not specialize in mathematics or science. Topics are chosen to display historical perspective, mathematics as a universal language and as an art, and the logical structure of mathematics. This course is intended for non-majors; it does not count toward either the major or minor in mathematics. Students who have passed a calculus course (Mathematics 135, 136 or 205) may not receive course credit for Mathematics 110.

134. Precalculus.
A development of skills and concepts necessary for the study of calculus. Topics include the algebraic, logarithmic, exponential and trigonometric functions; Cartesian coordinates and the interplay between algebraic and geometric problems; functional equalities and inequalities and their graphs. This course is intended for students whose background in high school was not strong enough to prepare them for calculus; it does not count for distribution credit or for the major or minor in mathematics. Students who have passed a calculus course (Mathematics 135, 136 or 205) may not receive course credit for Mathematics 134. Offered fall semester only.

135. Calculus I
An introduction to the subject, intended primarily for students in mathematics, science, economics or basic engineering. Topics include limits; continuity and differentiability of real-valued functions of a single variable; derivatives; graphing and optimization problems; anti-differentiation; applications.

Performing and Communication Arts

111. Rhetoric and Public Speaking
An introduction to the art and skill of public speaking, focusing primarily on the construction and critique of persuasive discourse. Students study the classical rhetorical tradition as a continuing influence on the contemporary theory and practice of persuasion..

Psychology

100. Introductory Psychology.
This course surveys the scientific study of behavior and mental processes as natural phenomena. Basic psychological areas such as biopsychology, perception, learning, memory, motivation and emotion are typically addressed. Broader, integrated topics such as development, personality, social and abnormal psychology are also explored. The laboratory section (101) focuses on how psychologists formulate research questions, gather data and interpret findings based on the major conceptual approaches in the field of psychology. Psychology 100 or 101 is a prerequisite for all other courses. Required for Neuroscience major.

248. A Special Topic: The Psychology of Happiness (A)
The course will connect with a number of traditional topic areas in psychology while asking how experiences influence one's quality of life. Examples of traditional topic areas include learning, motivation, thinking, problem solving, emotion, mental health, stress, and social psychology.
Prerequisites: Psychology 100 or 101 or permission of the instructor.

402. Memory and Cognition
This lecture-laboratory course offers a fairly comprehensive study of human cognition. In addition to extensive coverage of human memory, the course includes an analysis of such major areas as object perception, attention, semantic organization, language processing, problem-solving and metacognition. Where possible, evidence that sheds light on the neural correlates of cognition –drawn mainly from the related disciplines of neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience – will be considered. An introductionto leading theories and empirical findings is also provided, and the importance of previous knowledge and contextual factors em-phasized. Prerequisite: Psychology 100 or 101; if taken for laboratory credit, Psychology 205.

Sociology

101.Principles of Sociology
An introduction to how and why particular groups of people act, think and feel as they do from a social rather than psychological perspective. The course explores different kinds of sociological explanations as well as a variety of substantive areas within the discipline, including deviance, power, social inequality, the family, collective behavior, formal organizations and others. The substantive areas emphasized vary by instructor. Not open to seniors.

226. Sociology of Families
This course will introduce the student to perhaps the most important and controversial of social institutions - family. The focus of the course will be on the American family, although marriage patterns and family forms in other cultures will be examined for comparative purposes. Particular emphasis will be placed on the changes that have taken place in the structure of American households and families since the World War II. Among the topics to be included are courtship, dating and cohabiting: the sexual revolution, pre-marital sex and the problem of teenage pregnancy; marriage and divorce patterns; remarriage and step families; changing family roles of men and women with particular emphasis on dual-worker and dual-career families; the issue of whether or not to have children; and the challenges of parenthood. the course will also examine a number of hotly contested policy issues related to the family such as childcare, family leave, abortion and the right to privacy.

228. Race and Ethnic Groups (A)
This course introduces students to race and ethnicity from a sociological perspective. The focus is on racial and ethnic stratification in the United States. Basic concepts and theoretical frameworks that provide the foundation for the sociological study of racial, ethnic and other minority groups are stressed. The first half of the course covers topics such as the social definitions of race and ethnicity; the American immigration experience; patterns of racial and ethnic integration in the United States; theories of prejudice; and the multiple forms of discrimination. The second half is devoted to an examination of specific racial and ethnic minorities, such as African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and Asians. The experiences of Jews and women in the United States are covered.

Sports Studies and Exercise Science

216. Philosophical Perspectives on Sport.
This course provides an introduction to sport through a philo-sophical perspective. Primary emphasis focuses on a general notion of reality, knowledge and values and their relationship to sport. The implications of the impact of sport on education and leisure lifestyle patterns are explored.