Anthropology 103. Introduction to Archaeology
A general overview of the branch of anthropology that investigates ancient societies through the material remains they have left behind. Students learn that archaeologists engage in detailed, systematic detective work aimed at answering a wide range of questions about human behavior. The course introduces students to the history of archaeology, the main goals of archaeological research and the basic techniques of excavation, site survey and artifact analysis, as well as the famous discoveries and excavations that have broadened our knowledge about the human past.
Anthropology 215. Science & Pseudoscience in Archaeology
Lost continents, ancient astronauts, mysterious giants: In the mass media, archaeology has often been the subject of fantastic myths, frauds and endless speculation about what “really” happened in the past. This course will critically examine various popular and pseudoscientific claims about the human past, including the search for Atlantis, the shroud of Turin, psychic archaeology and the Piltdown Man, and introduce students to the scientific goals, methodology and techniques of archaeology. Students will learn how archaeologists “know” things — how they work within logistical theoretical frameworks, how they systematically explore the patterns and contexts of archaeological remains, and how they interpret the material and scientific evidence to draw educated conclusions about past human experiences.
Biology 147. Human Reproduction: Biotechnology and Bioethics
From birth control, to in vitro fertilization, designer babies, stem cells, gene therapy, and human cloning, we as a species are more than ever in control of our reproductive, genetic, and possibly even evolutionary destiny. This course provides a fundamental understanding of the biology behind these complex and timely topics, and also explores ethical questions raised by these technological issues. This introductory-level course is designed to appeal to students majoring in the sciences and non-sciences alike.
Economics/African Studies 228. African Economics
An overview of sub-Saharan African economies with emphasis on basic economic principles, problems and indigenous institutions within an African context. Current development and structural adjustment issues are analyzed as well. Contrasts and comparisons with North American counterparts are made. Special emphasis is placed on exploring how cultural differences affect economic activities and institutions. Students learn of the diversity and complexity of economic relationships in African societies and increase their understanding of economics in their own society. Prerequisite: Economics 100. Also offered through African Studies.
Economics 100. Introduction to Economics
A general introduction to the discipline of economics, including both microeconomics and macroeconomics. The course is designed to develop an understanding of how economic principles and analysis can be used to study social problems and issues. Topics include supply and demand, comparative advantage, inflation, unemployment, economic growth, money and the banking system. Applications and issues vary by section.
Education 203. Contemporary Issues in Education
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 multi-cultural examination of current educational issues through lectures, readings, research and discussions of position papers prepared by the student. A field experience is required. Registration priority to sophomores and juniors intending to enroll in the professional semester.
Education 305. Educational Psychology
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 to juniors and sophomores intending to enroll in the professional semester. Prerequisite: Psychology 100 or 101.
English 243. Techniques of Creative Nonfiction
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. Also offered through Outdoor Studies.
English 290. Expository Writing
A course for students who have successfully completed the First-Year Program and who want further work in writing and revising expository essays. Students write for a variety of audiences and in a variety of forms, including everything from personal narratives to the academic essay. The course addresses both rhetorical and formal concerns: organization, voice, prose rhythm, clarity. Prerequisite: First-Year Program or equivalent.
English 290. Expository Writing On-line
An on-line course for students who have successfully completed the First-Year Program and who want further work in writing and revising expository essays. Students write for a variety of audiences and in a variety of forms, including everything from personal narratives to the academic essay. The course addresses both rhetorical and formal concerns: organization, voice, prose rhythm, clarity. Prerequisite: First-Year Program or equivalent.
Film 211. Introduction to Film Studies
The first course in a sequence that examines the structures, techniques, history and theory of film. Questions of history and theory are treated only in passing; the prime focus is on learning to identify, analyze and articulate what we see when we watch a film. The course studies the terminology used to describe film techniques and applies this terminology to the films viewed. The goal is to pass from close analysis of film technique and film construction to interpretation. Students learn not only how a film is constructed, but also how the techniques employed contribute to its values and meaning.
Fine Arts 121. Introduction to Studio Art
Introduction to Studio Art is a course designed to give the student hands-on experience and involvement in the creative process from the point of view of the artist and the art appreciator. The curriculum is structured around a series of short term projects that will deal with both the visual form and the emotional content of aesthetic experience. Various issues will be dealt with in relation to critiquing and understanding art. Through practical process and analytical discussion the student will progress toward visual literacy and an understanding of the concepts and practice of making visual art. This class can be described as a studio survey class and will cover a wide range of approaches and applications in the creation of primarily two dimensional work. Individual projects will focus attention on different aspects of art making process or concepts that will lead the student to a better understanding of the possibilities of various media. Using the natural world as subject matter, this course will focus on drawing, painting and other applications of basic art skills and concepts. Classes will be held in the studio and outdoors, taking advantage of our North Country summer weather and beautiful surroundings. We will be Visiting local sites for first hand observation, drawing, and collecting natural artifacts from which to work. Some of the projects included will be drawing and painting through direct observation, relief printing (Iinocuts), collage, and various mixed media projects. I am planning visits with lectures by local artists whose work. involves the natural world either through process, materials, and or subject matter. Another emphasis of the course will be the holistic nature of image making that connects us with our environment throughout the creative process. There is no prerequisite for this class. However, an active imagination and willingness to take creative risks in search of an image is 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.
Fine Arts 229/230/329 Painting I, II, III
This course will place emphasis on gaining understanding of pictorial space in painting and use of basic elements such as color, value, form, composition and surface. Through various exercises and formal/thematic projects, students will learn how to work with paint, make transition from drawing into painting, and understand the process of transforming visual perception and ideas into an image/object. Regular presentations of relevant historical and contemporary paintings will complement the studio practice. Maintaining a visual journal will be required. Students will be expected to invest work outside the class, write response papers to readings and exhibitions, actively participate in discussions and critiques, and devise and execute their own final project. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 121, and/or permission of instructor. Registration limited. The instructor can gear this course to students in all levels of painting.
Fine Arts 247A. SPTP: The Illuminated Word
The Illuminated Word will be a course that focuses on the study of adult texts of the fairly modem world that have been illustrated by five renowned artists in the field. During studio sessions the projects will include various types and aspects of book illustration such as type design, a linoleum cut, a dry point etching, and culminating in the creation of a handmade book. The Illuminated Word would appeal to the art student, the art history student, and the English literature devotee. FA 121: Introduction to Studio Art is a recommended prerequisite, although it is not mandatory. The class will be a studio art course with outside readings of the involved texts of all of the artists. Over the course of the five week term, one week each will be devoted to each of these illuminators". The class will begin with William Morris' Chelmscott Chaucer, progress through the work of Rockwell Kent, Fritz Eichenberg, Peter Milton's Henry James Aspern Paper and Jolly Comer Suite, and finish with the study of Barry Moser's wood engravings for Joyce Carol Oates' First Love and his Bible illustrations. Field trips are planned for visits to the Rockwell Kent Gallery at Plattsburgh State and more locally to the Print and Drawing Room of Gibson Gallery at Potsdam College and our own Collections room here at ODY Library. I also plan on taking the class to at least one letterpress studio and hope to have a visit by a wood engraver for a demonstration in class.
Global Studies 101. Introduction to Global Studies I: Political Economy
This course introduces students to the reasons for the emergence of a global political economy. Using case studies, students will examine the basic concepts and vocabulary in the political-economic analysis of globalization such as free trade, capital accumulation, international division of labor, neo-liberalism, privatization, structural adjustment and sustainable development. The course will explore the consequences of changing patterns of transnational economic and governance structures for nation-states, ecosystems and people’s lives. The repercussions of economic globalization on the international and international distribution of power will also be examined. Finally, the course will introduce students to the opposition movements that have formed to contest globalization, such as those emerging from labor movements, environmentalism and feminism.
Global Studies 247B. Africa and Globalization
In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, Africa seemingly appears to be marginalized or absent from contemporary imaginations and discourses of globalization. Often, what we hear about Africa today it is about crises, failures, and problems. Yet, Africa, a heterogeneous continent differentiated along geographical, historical, social, cultural, religious, economic, and political lines among others, has been and continues to be integral to the global economy. Beyond Africa in general, this course seeks to examine and understand how particular global processes intersect with and manifest differently in specific places and social realities in Africa. Though interactive discussions of books, articles, films, case studies from different parts of Africa, the course will explore, among others, themes around African youth experiences of technology, cultural ideas and conflict, women's experiences in the global economy, and contemporary African diasporas and their transnational activities.
Government 103. U.S. Government
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.
Government 108. Introduction to International Relations
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. Also offered through Global Studies.
Government 270. SPTP: New York State Government
For a century and a half, New York was the nation's leading state. It was an economic and political powerhouse and was the nucleus of political and economic reform. With the 1976 crisis where New York City was faced with bankruptcy New York's political and economic leadership waned. The task since then has been to rebuild the economic structure which led New York in productivity and attack the financial crisis which was a result of the state's economic decline. Despite the downsizing, New York ranks number 11 in the world in GNP. What needs to be done now is a reform of the political system to correspond to contemporary political governance in the country.
History 105. Early East Asian Civilization
An introduction to the early history of East Asia, from the 4th century BCE to the late 17th century CE. The course is chronological but not comprehensive. It focuses on several themes, all turning around how cultures and societies evolve and develop in interaction with each other. We explore cultural encounters through trade, war and diplomacy, personal encounters between individuals of different cultures and the processes of cultural diffusion, and pay attention to geography and the critical use of primary documents. This is a core course for the Asian studies interdisciplinary major and minor. Also offered through Asian Studies and Global Studies.
Mathematics 110. Concepts of Math
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 and students who have passed a calculus course (Math 135, 136 or 205) may not receive course credit for Math 110.
Music 100. Introduction to Music
An introduction to the study of music, this course includes the development of listening skills as well as an overview of the basic materials and techniques of musical organization. The music is chosen from a wide range of times and places. Students use the resources of the music library and the Newell Center for Arts Technology lab for listening, research and composition. As a complement to class work, students attend concerts and recitals on and sometimes off campus. The course does not require previous music study. Students who wish to include individual lessons in voice or on an instrument as part of their work for this course enroll in Music 101.
Outdoor Studies/Biology 121. The Natural World
A field biology-ecology course for non-majors emphasizing the plants and animals of the Northeast. The course focuses on ecological factors and processes affecting individual organisms, communities and ecosystems. Students visit a variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats to study local ecosystems and to learn the natural history of local plants and animals and how to identify them. Students also learn how to conduct a scientific study and record observational data. This course does not count toward the biology majors but does count toward the outdoor studies minor. Also offered through Outdoor Studies.
Performance & Communication Arts 111. Rhetoric & 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.
Performance & Communication Arts 313. Repertory Scenic Production
Repertory Scenic Production course explores and applies the art of building permanent sets that have to be movable in repertory form. During the course the students will analyze the script for action required and meet with the scenic designer to discuss his interpretation of the scenic needs. The class will then explore different options of construction so this set can be moved in a few hours from storage to the stage and still meet the designers and directors needs, and be safe for the actors and crew to work on. The final project will be to construct the set for repertory application which will be used in the fall of 2009.
Philosophy 100. Introduction to Philosophy
A non-historical survey that approaches the field through consideration of such perennial problems as ultimate reality, free will, knowledge, morality, political obligation and the existence of God. This course is open to students without previous work in philosophy. Also offered through European Studies.
Philosophy 248. SPTP: Wisdom Literature of India
An exploration of Indian philosophical thought through a close reading and analysis of selected passages from its seminal source works, the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. What do these works tell us about the Indian view(s) of the nature of the world, the self, and ultimate reality? What is the purpose of a human life? Is there free will? What insights does this literature offer us about the nature of knowledge, and its function in philosophical inquiry? Is there a moral philosophy, and if so, what is its relationship to other philosophical issues? These works, originating in the particular cultural and geographical context of the Indian subcontinent, are among the most ancient extant written works. What relevance do they have for us today, either in addressing perennial human questions, or in the wider global context of helping us understand our neighbors?
Psychology 402. Memory & Cognition w/Lab
This lecture-laboratory course involves a fairly comprehensive study of human cognition. In addition to extensive coverage of memory, the course includes an analysis of such major areas as concept formation, problem-solving, semantic organization, reading and language learning. An introduction to contemporary theoretical formulations is provided. The importance of previous knowledge and contextual factors is emphasized. Prerequisite: Psychology 100 or 101; if taken for laboratory credit, Psychology 205.
Religious Studies 248F. Islam in North America & Europe
This seminar will explore the topic of Islam in Europe and North America, focusing on the past 100 years of conversion and immigration. The aim is to review some of the fundamental debates facing Muslim Diaspora communities in Europe and North America where we will try to explore unique challenges of maintaining and transmitting Islam in a non-Muslim environment. The course will investigate an indigenous American interpretation of Islam--the Nation of Islam, and a contemporary African-American intellectual's analysis of the future of Islam among African-Americans. The course will also examine immigrant Muslim experience in Europe in the light of the impact of globalization on notions of religion. Students will be able to study new Muslim voices in the West with an eye toward how these Muslim intellectuals have produced a "Western" Islamic discourse. The course will also look over the notion of Islamic mysticism in Europe and North America, and a critical appraisal of contemporary American and European perceptions of Islam and Muslims. The objective of the course is to acquaint students with the relatively new manifestations of Islam in the West in the context of the recent history of religious expression in North America and Europe.
Sports Studies and Exercise Science 216. Philosophical Perspectives on Sport
This course provides an introduction to sport through a philosophical 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.
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