Philosophy, Languages, & Religious Studies Courses: Fall 2024
Literature in Translation
FLIT 200: Literature in Translation: Crisis of Identity in the 20th Century
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. The horror of the inequities between rich and poor, powerful and powerless, perpetrators and victims, is the most obvious manifestation of a profound crisis of identity that stems from industrialization and the growth of the nation states in the19th and early 20th centuries. This course will examine the theme of identity and marginalization through the films and the major works of literature of the pre and post-war period. Offered As Needed. (UG)
French
FRE 333: Special Topics in Literature
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors, and advanced language students with the opportunity to explore various authors or genres of French literature. Prerequisite: FRE 106, or four years high school French, or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times. Course type: Literature; Literature and Culture. (UG)
FRE 334: Special Topics in Culture
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors, and advanced language students with the opportunity to explore various aspects of French or Francophone culture. Prerequisite: FRE 106, or four years high school French, or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times. Course type: Culture; Literature and Culture. (UG)
FRE 335: Special Topics in Linguistics
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors and advanced language students with the opportunity to explore the field of French linguistics. The course is delivered in the French language. Prerequisites: FRE 106, or four years high school French, or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times (9 credits maximum). Offered as Needed. Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
FRE 398: International Experiential Learning
1-3 Credit Hour(s)
(UG)
FRE 399: Service Learning in French
1-3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. Service Learning. Students will perform service in French in a variety of settings: schools, community organizations, social service agencies, etc. Projects will vary depending on student interest. Students will conduct a needs assessment of the agency or individual, decide on a project or continue on a previously development project, and actively participate in implementing the plan. This course may be taken up to three times for credit. Prerequisite: 3 credits in French at the 300 level. (UG)
FRE 420: Methods and Assessment
3 Credit Hour(s)
Practicum level course. A study of the fundamental principles and practices of language learning theories and language instruction to prepare for work with and assessment of learners in various learning environments. Prerequisite: FRE 300-level or higher or permission of instructor, upper division status in Adolescent Certification French program. Offered As Needed. Taken with the practicum course block. (UG)
FRE 442: Senior Project Research
1 Credit Hour(s)
Each Modern Language major must complete a senior project as one of the requirements for graduation. In this course, which must be taken in the junior year, students select the topic for research and make substantial progress on researching the senior project under the direction of Modern Language faculty members. Students are required to: submit a polished research proposal, submit an annotated bibliography, and present the research proposal to the class and faculty orally. Students may not enroll in FRE 443 Senior Project until FRE 442 is passed. Note: ALL 443 projects must reflect work completed in 442; substantial changes in topic or content may require a student to repeat 442 before enrolling in 443. Prerequisite: All junior majors must register for this course. This preparation course for the Senior Project is required of all majors and must be taken in the junior year. (UG)
FRE 443: Senior Project
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Information Literacy. Research and Presentation requirement. Writing Intensive. The French major will complete this 3 credit project that demonstrates mastery of the language in the context of literary or cultural studies or professional applications. The project may be a traditional thesis on a literary or cultural topic, or it may reflect the student's involvement in professional or volunteer work in the language. The project will normally require a significant research base culminating in the submission of an extensive written report and presentation at the Academic Festival. Prerequisite: Successful completion of FRE 442. Note: ALL 443 projects must reflect work completed in 442; substantial changes in topic or content may require a student to repeat 442 before enrolling in 443. (UG)
FRE 499: Service Learning in French
1-3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. Service Learning. Students will perform service in French in a variety of settings: schools, community organizations, social service agencies, etc. Projects will vary depending on student interest. Students will conduct a needs assessment of the agency or individual, decide on a project or continue on a previously development project, and actively participate in implementing the plan. This course may be taken up to three times for credit. Prerequisites: Three credits FRE 300 level course or permission of instructor. (UG)
Language
LNG 309 : Language in Society
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. This course introduces students to the field of sociolinguistics, examining the relationship between language and society on a national and global level through the examination of social factors such as age, gender, educational level, social class, race, and the like. Topics include: monolingualism to multilingualism; language contact, prestige and change; diglossia and code switching; language identity, language socialization and language ideology; consequences for educational policy and practice. Offered As Needed. (UG)
LNG 335 : Special Topics in Linguistics
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors and advanced language students with the opportunity to explore the field of linguistics. The course is delivered in the English language. Prerequisites: completion of 3 credits at the 200-level or higher or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times (9 credits maximum). Offered as Needed (UG)
LNG 415 : 2nd Lang Acquisition/Applied Linguistics
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competencies: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Contextual Integration. This course examines the processes of language learning from linguistic, psychological, and social perspectives. While it address native language acquisition, the focus is on second language acquisition. The underlying assumptions of the three perspectives will be examined from a research vantage point as well as from the perspectives of the language teaching professional. Prerequisites: completion of 3 credits at the 200-level or higher or permission of instructor. (UG)
Philosophy
PHI 102: Medicine, Culture and the Self: Introduction to Medical Humanities
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency Contextual Integration; Affective Awareness; The course explores crucial questions about health, well-being, medicine, environment, and social inequality in the twenty-first century. Through a philosophical study of historical texts, scientific and clinical data, and first person narratives on illness and wellbeing, students will examine definitions of health and well-being; the strengths and limitations of science and medicine in making sense of illness; disparities in global burdens of disease; the relationship among health, illness, and narrative; and gendered, racialized, and cultural differences in the experiences of illness and the practices of healthcare and medicine (UG)
PHI 110: Philosophical Thinking
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. An exploration of the nature and content of philosophical inquiry. (UG)
PHI 113: Critical Thinking with Google
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking In this course critical thinking will be presented as a set of skills that has been long established and well defined in our philosophical tradition. (UG)
PHI 209: Science and Values
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will explore the standards, values, and goals of science by examining issues related to bioethics and health care, technology, the environment, and animal rights. Rather than viewing science merely as a cold impersonal way of arriving at the objective truth about natural phenomena, this course is premised on the idea that science is intimately involved in questions of values; it is committed to standards of right and wrong, and in doing so it moves toward larger social aims. (UG)
PHI 211: African American Thought
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Cross-listed as REL 211. This course explores the tradition of African-American response to slavery and legalized racism. After some brief historical background, this course will focus on three particularly important moments in this tradition of resistance: the slave narratives (especially Frederick Douglass and Linda Brent), the turn of the century debates over education (especially Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois and Marcus Garvey), and the civil rights movement (especially the student movement, Martin Luther King, Malcom X, and the Black Power movement.) (UG)
PHI 213: Ethics of Sex, Drugs and Sports
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Cross-listed as REL 213. Designed to be offered in learning community format with BIO 200 Science and Contemporary Social Issues. The course introduces students to moral issues and questions with regard to such matters as human cloning, genetic engineering, stem cell research, euthanasia, the environment and sustainability, and the emergence of life (e.g., fetal development). (UG)
PHI 216: Ethics
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competencies: Critical Thinking, Moral and Ethical Discernment. This course is an introduction to contemporary moral issues. In addition to examining arguments for both sides of different ethical topics, students will learn how to evaluate the soundness of moral arguments and strengthen their analytic skills by criticizing particular arguments. (UG)
PHI 225: Readings in World Culture
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Cross-listed as REL 225. This course is part of a learning community exploring the relationship among texts, historical contexts, and cultural conflicts. Students will study crucial moments in the modern era (i.e. slavery, the Holocaust, the Native American experience, the Cold War, and the immigrant experience) and will examine a variety of different texts (film, memoirs, novels, speeches, etc.) that reflect and comment upon these seminal historical moments and conflicts. (UG)
PHI 231: Moments of Vision
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Cross-listed as REL 231. Co-sponsored by the Jewish Chautauqua Society and the National Federation of Temple Brotherhoods. The objective of this course is to consider the human imagination as it gives rise to certain visions which speak to dimensions of human experience with respect to a depth otherwise lost and hidden in the everyday world. The course explores the predicaments of evil and suffering, joy and silence, to gain an understanding of the need for visions about the boundaries and depths which open within human experience. (UG)
PHI 234: Scientific and Religious Views of the World
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Cross-listed as REL 234. The focus of this interdisciplinary course is to engage in healthy dialogue with respect to problems and possibilities, conflicts and complementarities, differences and/or similarities of religious and scientific perspectives. (UG)
PHI 248: Selected Periods in the History of Philosophy
3 Credit Hour(s)
Selected periods in the History of Philosophy, e.g. ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, modern philosophy, etc. (UG)
PHI 306: Eastern Philosophies
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will explore various philosophical and religious concepts in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. Some cultural and historical background will be provided from which students can understand better how these various concepts, with their associated symbols and myths, arose. A methodology will be provided by which these concepts might be related to the spectacle of our age. (UG)
PHI 309: The Holocaust
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Cross-listed as REL 309. This course analyzes the variety of historical, religious, philosophical and political issues posed by the Nazi policy of systematic genocide. We will explore religious and racial anti-Semitism, the philosophy of fascism, the logic of genocide and the development and implementation of the final solution. Attention will also be paid to concentration camp life and to its effect upon the perpetrators and the survivors. (UG)
PHI 310: Nature in Human Experience
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. This course will examine the philosophical foundations of our relations with nature. It will explore the values humans find in nature, and the responsibility humans have to the natural environment. It will discuss the ethical dimensions of our relation with animals. Finally, it will study a number of contemporary environmental issues. (UG)
PHI 311: Philosophy of Mind
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course looks to an array of texts that address fundamental questions about the nature of the mind: . Can physical beings like us have free will? . How does the human mind relate to the brain? In this course, we will examine some of the ideas and answers that have been provided by some of the great philosophers, both ancient and contemporary, and we will critically evaluate the adequacy of those answers. These difficult questions and others like them will be the focus of our study in this course. (UG)
PHI 314: Philosophy of Art
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness; Critical Thinking; In this course we will read many of the classic works on the nature and value of the arts (including visual art, literature, and music), from the Ancients up to the mid twentieth century. We will address such questions as: What is art? How has the evolution of art forms over the course of time influenced philosophical conceptions of art? What is beauty? What distinguishes judgments of taste from purely factual judgments? Can such judgments be objective, or are they solely a matter of personal feelings? What makes a person beautiful? Are our judgments of human beauty solely the product of our evolutionary past, or do these judgments reflect cultural standards? This is a required course for Art programs. Signed off from Art and Theater. As well as PHI department. (UG)
PHI 315: Social Philosophy
3 Credit Hour(s)
An examination of some of the philosophical concepts and moral principles employed in the rational appraisal of social life. (UG)
PHI 320: Philosophy of Medicine
3 Credit Hour(s)
Medical decisions are moral decisions. When we, as individuals and as a society, make medical decisions about what the best treatment is, which illnesses and injuries should be covered by insurance, or what counts as a medical condition in the first place, we are also making a moral decision about what a good or healthy life looks like. This course looks at how those moral values about wellbeing guide medical choices, both on an individual and policy level. Instead of trying to eliminate values from healthcare, we will explore how moral reasoning is a fundamental part of resolving any medical problem. (UG)
PHI 321: Medical Ethics
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Topics to be discussed include general introduction to ethical theory, health as a value, death and dying, euthanasia, behavior control, medical care and distributive justice. (UG)
PHI 322: Philosophy of Law
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. An exploration of some of the fundamental issues in the philosophy of law. Topics discussed include: the nature of law, law and morality, issues involving freedom of speech and constitutional interpretation, equality and the law, responsibility, crime and punishment, issues in tort law. (UG)
PHI 326: Meaning of Care in a Technological Society
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. Cross-listed as REL 326. This course will probe the complexity of the issue of human values as these relate to a humane and meaningful future for society. It is a course committed to discovering the interrelations of religious and ethical thinking with the social issues of economics, politics, science and technology. (UG)
PHI 328: Comparative Genocide
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Writing Intensive. Cross-listed as REL 328. This course will examine phenomenon of modern genocide, with particular attention to the ideological motivation of the perpetrators and to the effect upon families and individuals. After some opening theoretical reflections on the connection between modernity and genocide, the course will focus on four particular examples: American slavery, the Nazi final solution, the Khmer Rouge revolution, and the Rwanda genocide. (UG)
PHI 329: Magic and Science: Principles of Scientific Reasoning
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Writing Intensive. Scientific reasoning applies the principles of critical reasoning to the pursuit of scientific activity, which consists of description, explanation, prediction, and control of empirical real world-phenomena. This course will examine the answers to a set of philosophical questions concerning the structure and the limits of scientific explanations, the principles of research design, and research methodology (e.g., quantitative or qualitative) in natural sciences, and social sciences, the differences and similarities between natural sciences and human sciences, discrimination of science from pseudoscience, objectivity of scientific knowledge, and the place for values in science. Students will learn to identify and apply the forms of critical reasoning (e.g., inductive or deductive) to evaluate these philosophical problems pertaining to scientific activity. Prerequisite: One 100/200/300 level Philosophy course or a writing intensive course. (UG)
PHI 330: Witches, Cripples & Other Monsters
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills Core Competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment; Cross-listed as REL 330. This course examines the construction of disability as a historical concept with real live consequences. We will learn about the different theoretical approaches to disability (moral, medical, social, cultural, limits models), and explore issues regarding sexuality, relationships, civil rights, cultural representation, and advocacy. We will also keep in mind the intersections with other bodily and social markers, such as gender, race, sexuality, class, and nationality.Special focus will be given to the role religion, particularly Christianity (its doctrines and practices), has played in how we understand disability as a concept, and persons with disability as members (or not) of our communities. We will analyze historical and contemporary sources like art, literature, religious and medical discourses to explore how images of the normal, healthy, and beautiful are generated and contested by embodied differences. For the purposes of this course, disability will include various ways in which bodies/minds can be seen as abnormal, including physical and cognitive disabilities as well as chronic illness and emotional/mental difference. (UG)
PHI 333: Religions in the World Sequence 1: Asian Traditions
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. Cross-listed as REL 333. This course provides an introduction to select major religious traditions originating in what is today called India and China: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Confucianism (if time allows, Daoism). We will consider basic components (teachings, practices) and historical developments in each tradition, including changes brought about by cultural interactions such as colonization and contemporary manifestations and issues. Offered regularly, in sequence with other Religions in the World courses. (UG)
PHI 334: Religions in the World Sequence 2: Monotheistic Traditions
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. Cross-listed as REL 334. This course will help the student distinguish between and appreciate the specific select religious and spiritual approaches covered in this course. This sequence will cover monotheistic religions with an emphasis on the so-called Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), as well as Mormonism. Origins, historical developments, rituals and practices, and modern lived expression (globally and in the US context) will be discussed. Offered regularly, in sequence with other Religions in the World courses. (UG)
PHI 335: Religions in the World Sequence 3: Indigenous and New Age Traditions
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. Cross-listed as REL 335.This course will help the student distinguish between and appreciate the specific select religious and spiritual approaches covered in this course. This sequence will cover indigenous and so-called New Age traditions: North American traditions, African traditions, Paganism, and select others (e.g. Aboriginal Australian tradition) as time allows. Origins, historical developments, rituals and practices, the religious situation of indigenous people in the postcolonial world, and issues/conflicts arising out of contemporary socio-political contexts will be discussed. (UG)
PHI 336: Sex, Love and God
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Cross-listed as REL 336 or WST 336. Religion and sexuality each name important ways that we experience the world, other people, and our own bodies. While these experiences are deeply personal, they often invoke other political or historical values about which feelings, acts, and sexual partners are morally appropriate. Using contemporary philosophical readings and historical texts from various religious traditions, we will explore how these values changed over time and discuss why this change matters for us today. (UG)
Religious Studies
REL 105: God and Violence
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. This course explores the nature of the three Western monotheistic religions of the Book (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and seeks to understand the way that these religions both encourage and discourage inter-communal violence. The course focuses upon the way that holiness and holy spaces function within the foundational texts and practices of each religion. Includes exploration of the role that the holy places in Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia have played in conflicts between Jews and Christians, between Muslims and Jews, and between Islam and the United States. (UG)
REL 109: Contemporary Religious Thought
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. An examination of the different approaches to religious thinking. The content and methodological assumptions of various schools of religious inquiry. (UG)
REL 114: Culture and Story
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. This course, which compliments and will be in continued dialogue with THA 119 Theatre, Madness and Power, examines the role that ancient religious belief plays in establishing and maintaining categories that have been essential to modern life: purity, holiness, morality, sexuality, and honor. We will then look at how modern life maintains, redefines and transgresses these fundamental categories. For the first part of the course, which deals with antiquity, we will primarily employ the Bible, which will be put in dialogue with the plays of Sophocles and Shakespeare. The modern part of the course will explore the relevant issues with the help of both historical events and secular and religious writers. (UG)
REL 203: The Question of the Human
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness Cross-listed as PHI 203. In order to explore the dignity and worth of the human, the course examines the relationship between the individual and community. Through a series of readings and reflections, the attempt is made to expose the inter-relatedness of various thinkers from the liberal arts tradition. (UG)
REL 211: African American Thought
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core requirement: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Cross-listed as PHI 211. This course explores the tradition of African-American response to slavery and legalized racism. After some brief historical background, this course will focus on three particularly important moments in this tradition of resistance: the slave narratives (especially Frederick Douglass and Linda Brent), the turn of the century debates over education (especially Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois and Marcus Garvey), and the civil rights movement (especially the student movement, Martin Luther King, Malcom X, and the Black Power movement). (UG)
REL 213: Ethics of Sex, Drugs and Sports
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Cross-listed as PHI 213. Designed to be offered in learning community format with BIO 200 Science and Contemporary Social Issues. The course introduces students to moral issues and questions with regard to such matters as human cloning, genetic engineering, stem cell research, euthanasia, the environment and sustainability, and the emergence of life (e.g., fetal development). (UG)
REL 225: Readings in World Culture
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Cross-listed as PHI 225. This course is part of a learning community exploring the relationship among texts, historical contexts, and cultural conflicts. Students will study crucial moments in the modern era (i.e. slavery, the Holocaust, the Native American experience, the Cold War, and the immigrant experience) and will examine a variety of different texts (film, memoirs, novels, speeches, etc.) that reflect and comment upon these seminal historical moments and conflicts. (UG)
REL 234: Scientific & Religious Views of the World
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Cross-listed as PHI 234. The focus of this interdisciplinary course is to engage in healthy dialogue with respect to problems and possibilities, conflicts and complementarities, differences and/or similarities of religious and scientific perspectives. (UG)
REL 241: Introduction to Islam
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. With 1.5 billion adherents, Islam is the second largest religion in the world and in the United States today. It is also the fastest growing religion of our time. One out of every five people is a Muslim. As we study Islam, we will be examining a religion that dominated and shaped world history for many centuries. This course will provide an outline of the history of Islam and the impact of Islamic belief and culture on the world's social and political development, as well as an introductory survey of the fundamental tenets and practices of the last religion in the Semitic tradition. Attention will also be given to contemporary Islam and to the modern interpretation of the Islamic tradition. The course will be divided into three parts: the first will focus upon the history of Islam; the second will examine Islamic faith, sources of authority, and practice; and the third will explore contemporary Islam. No prior knowledge is assumed. (UG)
REL 309: The Holocaust
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Cross-listed as PHI 309. This course analyzes the variety of historical, religious, philosophical and political issues posed by the Nazi policy of systematic genocide. We will explore religious and racial anti-Semitism, the philosophy of fascism, the logic of genocide and the development and implementation of the final solution. Attention will also be paid to concentration camp life and to its effect upon the perpetrators and the survivors. (UG)
REL 313: Religious Values and Contemporary Moral Problems
3 Credit Hour(s)
The interaction between religious values and contemporary moral concerns. A discussion of selected ethical topics and perspective, nature of religious ethics and the meaning of religious values for modern society. (UG)
REL 316: Gospels Scholarship: Assessing the Field
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Writing Intensive. This course will examine recent trends within New Testament scholarship, with particular attention to recent scholarship on the Gospels. The course will focus on three large sets of topics: methodological questions (what is the best approach to reading the Gospels?), ideological questions (what is the place of gender and social status in the analysis of the Gospels?), and historical questions (what is the relationship between the Gospels and their historical environment?). In particular, the course will focus on the following topics: historical reconstructions of the situation in Palestine during and immediately following the life of Jesus; feminist readings of the Gospel; Christian conflicts with Judaism; the relationship between early Christianity and the Roman empire; and the interrelationship between the Gospels. Students will be asked to read and evaluate the recent forms of criticism and to draw their own conclusions on how best to approach the text. (UG)
REL 322: The Gospels
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. After locating the Gospels in the complex and diverse world of first century Judaism, we will examine the four New Testament Gospels as well as other, non-canonical Gospels (The Coptic Gospel of Thomas, The Sayings Source). Particular attention will be paid to the distinctive structure, characterization, themes, rhetoric and theology of each Gospel. (UG)
REL 328: Comparative Genocide
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Writing Intensive. Cross-listed as PHI 328. This course will examine phenomenon of modern genocide, with particular attention to the ideological motivation of the perpetrators and to the effect upon families and individuals. After some opening theoretical reflections on the connection between modernity and genocide, the course will focus on four particular examples: American slavery, the Nazi final solution, the Khmer Rouge revolution, and the Rwanda genocide. (UG)
REL 330: Witches, Cripples & Other Monsters
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills Core Competency: Moran and Ethical Discernment; Cross-listed as PHI 330. This course examines the construction of disability as a historical concept with real live consequences. We will learn about the different theoretical approaches to disability (moral, medical, social, cultural, limits models), and explore issues regarding sexuality, relationships, civil rights, cultura representation, and advocacy. We will also keep in mind the intersections with other bodily and social markers, such as gender, race, sexuality, class, and nationality.Special focus will be given to the role religion, particularly Christianity (its doctrines and practices), has played in how we understand disability as a concept, and person with disability as members (or not) of our communities. We will analyze historical and contemporary sources like art, literature, religious and medical discourses to explore how images of the normal, healthy, and beautiful are generated and contested by embodied differences. For the purposes of this course, disability will include various ways in whichbodies/minds can be seen as abnormal, including physical and cognitive disabilities as well as chronic illness and emotional/mental difference. (UG)
REL 331: Reading List
2 Credit Hour(s)
Seminar provides a discussion of literature in the discipline. (UG)
REL 332: Reading List
2 Credit Hour(s)
Seminar provides a discussion of literature in the discipline. (UG)
REL 333: Religions in the World Sequence 1: Asian Traditions
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. Cross-listed as PHI 333. This course provides an introduction to select major religious traditions originating in what is today called India and China: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Confucianism (if time allows, Daoism). We will consider basic components (teachings, practices) and historical developments in each tradition, including changes brought about by cultural interactions such as colonization and contemporary manifestations and issues. Offered regularly, in sequence with other Religions in the World courses. (UG)
REL 334: Religiions in the World Sequence 2: MonotheisticTraditions
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. Cross-listed as PHI 334. This course will help the student distinguish between and appreciate the specific select religious and spiritual approaches covered in this course. This sequence will cover monotheistic religions with an emphasis on the so-called Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), as well as Mormonism. Origins, historical developments, rituals and practices, and modern lived expression (globally and in the US context) will be discussed. Offered regularly, in sequence with other Religions in the World courses. (UG)
REL 335: Religions in the World Sequence 3: Indigenous and New Age Traditions
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. Cross-listed as PHI 335. This course will help the student distinguish between and appreciate the specific select religious and spiritual approaches covered in this course. This sequence will cover indigenous and so-called New Age traditions: North American traditions, African traditions, Paganism, and select others (e.g. Aboriginal Australian tradition) as time allows. Origins, historical developments, rituals and practices, the religious situation of indigenous people in the postcolonial world, and issues/conflicts arising out of contemporary socio-political contexts will be discussed (UG)
REL 336: Sex, Love and God
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Moral and Ethical Discernment. Cross-listed as PHI 336 or WST 336. Religion and sexuality each name important ways that we experience the world, other people, and our own bodies. While these experiences are deeply personal, they often invoke other political or historical values about which feelings, acts, and sexual partners are morally appropriate. Using contemporary philosophical readings and historical texts from various religious traditions, we will explore how these values changed over time and discuss why this change matters for us today. (UG)
REL 443: Proseminar
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competencies: Communication Skills; Information Literacy. Research & Presentation; Writing Intensive. Introduction to research through an individual project. Required of all seniors. (UG)
Spanish
SPA 101: Elementary Spanish I
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. A study of the basic grammar and vocabulary of Spanish through oral and written drills designed to develop the ability to understand, speak, read and write Spanish. Prerequisite:No previous language experience required. (UG) Modality: face-to-face, hybrid, online. (UG)
SPA 102: Elementary Spanish II
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. A study of the basic grammar and vocabulary of Spanish through oral and written drills designed to develop the ability to understand, speak, read and write Spanish. Prerequisite: Credit for college level Elementary Language I study with an average of 80% or above, or a passing grade in SPA 101 at Daemen University. (UG) Modality: face-to-face, hybrid, online. (UG)
SPA 105: Intermediate Spanish for Professional Communication I
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. After a brief review of basics, the student continues to develop communicative ability in Spanish in professional situations. Prerequisite: Credit for college level Elementary Language II, or 3-4 years of high school language study, with an average of 80% or above. Passing grade in Daemen University 102. (UG) Modality: face-to-face, hybrid, online. (UG)
SPA 106: Intermediate Spanish for Professional Communication II
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. After a brief review of basics, the student continues to develop communicative ability in Spanish in professional situations. Prerequisite: Credit for college level Intermediate Language I with an average of 85% or above. Passing grade in Daemen College 105. (UG) Modality: face-to-face, hybrid, online. (UG)
SPA 110: Spanish for the Health Professions I
3 Credit Hour(s)
Effective communication is critical in Health Care fields. Providers with linguistic and intercultural competence are poised to elicit the required information for better diagnosis and treatment. Linguistic and intercultural competence helps to establish better provider-patient relationships thus enhancing the quality of care and quality outcomes. This three semester sequence guides future doctors (MD, DO), physician assistants (PA), nurses (RN), health care professionals (MPH), Pharmacists, and others in the field of health care with the medical terminology, grammar, and culture information required to engage with, and communicate effectively with, Hispanic populations. Level one requires high elementary level proficiency to begin the sequence. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Language of instruction is Spanish. Course type: UG. Literature & Culture. Proficiency level: Novice high to Intermediate Mid. Offered every Fall. Modality: online (UG)
SPA 207: Spanish Conversation and Composition I
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. Writing Intensive. These courses are intended to develop the conversational and writing abilities of students in non-technical areas. Grammar review as needed. A variety of media are used, including film, TV, newspapers and magazines. Prerequisite: SPA 106, four years high school Spanish, or permission of instructor. Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
SPA 208: Spanish Conversation and Composition II
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. Writing Intensive. These courses are intended to develop the conversational and writing abilities of students in non-technical areas. Grammar review as needed. A variety of media are used, including film, TV, newspapers and magazines. Prerequisite: SPA 106, four years high school Spanish, or permission of instructor. Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
SPA 209: Business Spanish
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competencies: Contextual Integration Class work will be designed to meet the career needs of the student. The class will include intensive career-specific vocabulary, role-playing, lesson planning and the use of trade and professional journals. Prerequisite: SPA 106, four years of high school Spanish, or permission of instructor. Course type: Fluency; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 210: Spanish for the Health Professions II
3 Credit Hour(s)
Spanish for the Health Professions-II Spanish for the Health Professions-II Effective communication is critical in Health Care fields. Providers with linguistic and intercultural competence are poised to elicit the required information for better diagnosis and treatment. Linguistic and intercultural competence helps to establish better provider-patient relationships thus enhancing the quality of care and quality outcomes. This three semester sequence guides future doctors (MD, DO), physician assistants (PA), nurses (RN), health care professionals (MPH), Pharmacists, and others in the field of health care with the medical terminology, grammar, and culture information required to engage with, and communicate effectively with, Hispanic populations. Level two requires intermediate low proficiency to begin the sequence. Prerequisite: SPA 110 or permission of instructor. Language of instruction is Spanish. Course type: UG. Language & Linguistics. Proficiency level: Intermediate-low to Intermediate-high. Offered every Spring. Modality: online (UG)
SPA 213: Spanish for Spanish Speakers
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. This course is primarily intended for bilingual Spanish students who learned Spanish informally, or at home (heritage speakers), and whose dominant language is English. This course will allow heritage students to examine the Spanish they have previously learned and develop it further, through the critical examination of Spanish language itself, its cultural heritage, literacy skills, and thematic vocabulary. Prerequisite: SPA 106 or permission of the instructor, or Heritage Speaker status. (UG)
SPA 219: Spanish for the Professions
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills Contextual Integration Competency; This course is designed for students who anticipate careers in which they will need to interact with Hispanic and Latinx communities. The course is designed around language for professional purposes in fields of (including but not limited to): business, health care, law/legal, social work, education. Offered as Needed. Language of Instruction - Spanish. (UG) Language/Linguistics Modality: online (UG)
SPA 220: Introduction to Literature in Spanish
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Writing Intensive. The course will introduce students to a variety of genres, time periods and authors of literature in Spanish from Spain, Latin America and the U.S. Focus will be on short stories, drama, poetry and the novella. While all work will be done in Spanish, the pace will be appropriate for a student's initial experience with literature in the language. Prerequisite: SPA 106, or four years high school Spanish, or permission of instructor. Course type: Literature; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 233: Special Topics in Literature
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors, and intermediate language students with the opportunity to explore various authors or genres of Spanish literature. Prerequisite: Three credits SPA 106-level or higher or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times. Course type: Literature; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 234: Special Topics in Culture
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors, and intermediate language students with the opportunity to explore various aspects of culture of Spanish speaking people. Prerequisite: Three credits SPA 106-level or higher or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times. Course type: Culture; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 235: Special Topics in Linguisics
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors and intermediate language students with the opportunity to explore the field of Spanish linguistics. The course is delivered in the Spanish language. Prerequisites: completion of 3 credits in Spanish studies at the 200-level or higher. May be taken for credit up to three times (9 credits maximum). Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
SPA 240: Grammar and Culture Workshop I
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. This course is a bridge between language-learning courses and more advanced study in Spanish. The course will teach the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), with greater emphasis on listening and speaking, focusing on the people and culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Pre-requisites: Prerequisite: SPA 106, or four years high school Spanish or permission of instructor. Course type: Fluency; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 250: Grammar and Culture Workshop II
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. A continuation of SPA 240 Grammar and Culture Workshop I. This course is a bridge between language-learning courses and more advanced study in Spanish. The course will teach the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), with greater emphasis on listening and speaking, focusing on the people and culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Prerequisite: Prerequisite: SPA 106, or four years high school Spanish or permission of instructor. Offered As Needed. Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
SPA 299: Service Learning in Spanish
1-6 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. Service Learning. Students will perform service in Spanish in a variety of settings: schools, community organizations, social service agencies, etc. Projects will vary depending on student interest. Students will conduct a needs assessment of the agency or individual, decide on a project or continue on a previously developed project, and actively participate in implementing the plan. Prerequisite: Three credits SPA 200 level course and permission of instructor. (UG)
SPA 307: Survey of Spanish Literature
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Writing Intensive. This course provides a survey of literature written in Spanish. This course will present narrative, poetry and drama from major authors from Spain approximately covering the Early Middle Ages to contemporary writers. Students will understand and appreciate the many cultures that have contributed to literature written in Spanish from the Islamic, Jewish and Christian traditions of early Spanish literature to the Italian influences of the Renaissance, the height of Spanish literary achievement in the Golden Age and the considerable French influence in the 18th and 19th centuries, the critical self-analysis of the Generation of `98, the innovations of the Generation of `27, the censorship of the Franco era and the explosion of creativity on the heels of democracy. Critical thinking skills will be promoted as students analyze literature as part of a broader cultural reality that deals with issues of national and personal identity, gender, social status and religion. Prerequisite: Prerequisite: SPA 106, or four years high school Spanish or permission of instructor. Course type: Literature; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 309: Survey of Spanish-American Literature
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Affective Awareness. Writing Intensive. This course provides a survey of literature originally written in Spanish by authors in the Spanish speaking nations of the Western Hemisphere. This course will present narrative, poetry and drama from major authors from pre-conquest indigenous writing to contemporary writers. Students will understand and appreciate the European, Indigenous and African cultures that have contributed to Spanish-American literature from the creation book of the Maya, Aztec poetry and Inca drama, the historical narratives of the Conquest, the nascent regional identities of Colonial texts, nationalistic post-independence literature, the innovations of Vanguardista poetry of the early 20th century and the phenomenal creativity of the Boom narrative of the late 20th century. Select contemporary readings will be included as well, including writings by US Latino authors. Critical thinking skills will be promoted as students analyze literature as part of a broader cultural reality that deals with issues of national and personal identity, gender, social status and religion. Prerequisite: 200-level Spanish course, or permission of instructor. Course type: Literature; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 312: Advanced Spanish Grammar
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. The more difficult concepts of Spanish grammar will be analyzed in order to increase the student's ability to use them correctly in both the written and spoken language. Prerequisite: Three credits of SPA 200-level or higher, or permission of instructor. Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
SPA 315: Spanish Civilization and Culture
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. The study of all the elements which combine to form the Spanish nation. This course will include contemporary culture and norms as well as the traditional civilization components of historical, religious, economic, literary and artistic trends. Prerequisite: Three credits SPA 200-level or higher or permission of instructor. (UG)
SPA 316: Spanish-American Civilization and Culture
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration; Communication Skills; Moral and Ethical Discernment. This course will introduce the student to the major geographic, historical, artistic, political and economic factors that reflect the diversity of Spanish-speaking nations in the Western Hemisphere. We will examine the significant linguistic, religious, artistic and political contributions of Spain, which reflect Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions, the importance of the varied indigenous societies that existed pre-conquest and how their legacy survives in language, culture, and social and political institutions and the impact of Africans from the slavery of colonial times, through independence movements and the cultural, social and political integration of the 20th - 21st centuries. We will analyze how in each nation of the Spanish speaking world - Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America - these three influences have combined to form distinct national cultures. This exploration of historical events will be examined concurrently with discussion and analysis of the moral and ethical concerns both of the historical period and in the context of our own sensibilities. Prerequisites: 3 credits of 200 level Spanish course or Permission of Instructor. (UG)
SPA 320: Spanish for the Heath Professions III
3 Credit Hour(s)
Effective communication is critical in Health Care fields. Providers with linguistic and intercultural competence are poised to elicit the required information for better diagnosis and treatment. Linguistic and intercultural competence helps to establish better provider-patient relationships thus enhancing the quality of care and quality outcomes. This three semester sequence guides future doctors (MD, DO), physician assistants (PA), nurses (RN), health care professionals (MPH), Pharmacists, and others in the field of health care with the medical terminology, grammar, and culture information required to engage with, and communicate effectively with, Hispanic populations. Level three requires intermediate-mid proficiency to begin the sequence. Prerequisite: SPA 210 or permission of instructor. Language of instruction is Spanish. Course type: UG. Language & Linguistics. Proficiency level: Intermediate-mid to Advanced. Offered every fall. Modality: online (UG)
SPA 326: Advanced Conversation in Spanish
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. This course will focus on oral expression, giving the student the opportunity to hear and speak Spanish exclusively in both directed and spontaneous conversation. Extensive use of Spanish media is included. Prerequisite: SPA 200-level or higher, or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times. Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
SPA 328: Spanish Language Film
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Contextual Integration. This course will use film in Spanish from Spain, Latin America and the US as a vehicle for artistic expression, for linguistic enrichment and for cultural understanding. Students will come to see film both as an art form and as a vehicle for social commentary. Prerequisites: 200-level SPA course or permission of instructor. Course type: Culture; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 333: Special Topics in Literature
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors, and advanced language students with the opportunity to explore various authors or genres of Spanish literature. Prerequisite: SPA 106, or four years high school Spanish or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times. Course type: Literature; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 334: Special Topics in Culture
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors, and advanced language students with the opportunity to explore various aspects of culture of Spanish speaking people. Prerequisite: SPA 106, or four years high school Spanish or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times. Course type: Culture; Literature and Culture. (UG)
SPA 335: Special Topics in Linguistics
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course will provide majors, minors and advanced language students with the opportunity to explore the field of Spanish linguistics. The course is delivered in the Spanish language. Prerequisites: SPA 106, or four years high school Spanish or permission of instructor. May be taken for credit up to three times (9 credits maximum). Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
SPA 336: Phonetics & Phonology-Spanish
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Communication Skills. Spanish Phonetics and Phonology is designed to bring an understanding of the phonetic features of Spanish sounds, the linguistic logic and historical context behind how the sounds are organized into a system, and how they operate when they form syllables, words, sentences and discourse (phonology). This course is both analytical and practical and covers: contemporary Spanish pronunciation (phonetics and phonology); how geographical, social and ethnic variation is manifest throughout the Spanish sound system through the study of geolects and dialects; as well as the interplay of morphological, syntactical and lexical elements with the phonological system. Ultimately students will: improve their pronunciation in Spanish, develop and improve their auditory perception of the Spanish sounds, reasonably successfully replicate L2 pronunciation and intonation patterns, recognize dialectal variation for improved comprehension and communication, all within sociocultural, historical, pragmatic, and contexts of the language and the cultures particular to the language. Prerequisite: Completion of a 200-level Spanish course. Course type: Fluency; Language and Linguistics. (UG)
SPA 337: Hipanic Sociolinguistics
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competencies: Contextual Integration; Critical Thinking. The purpose of this course is to introduce the study of the relationship between language and a range of social factors (class, ethnicity, gender, age, and the like) influencing human behavior in Spanish-speaking societies. Themes explored include but are not limited to linguistic identity, attitudes, language contact, and the like. It is designed to generate an appreciation of the link between language, culture, and society. Language of instruction: Spanish (UG)
SPA 338: Spanish in Contact
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fullfills core competencies: Contextual Intregration. The Spanish language comes into contact with a multitude of other languages (indigenous language in Latin America; Portuguese, Basque, Catalan, Galician in Spain; Arabic in Spanish Morocco; American English in the US & Puerto Rico; French, Creole, Papiamentu, English, and Dutch in the Caribbean; Philippine languages/dialects in the Philippines; Judeo-Spanish in various parts of the world). This course focuses on the various situations that have resulted from Spanish in contact with other languages (where in some cases it is the primary, dominant language, and in others it is the peripheral, minority language) and the cultural constructions that have emerged as a result of the various contexts. Offered as Needed. Language of Instruction - Spanish. (UG) (UG)
SPA 339: Spanish in the USA
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fullfills Core Competencies: Contextual Integration; Affective Awareness. This course examines the distinguishing characteristics of the major varieties of Spanish found in the USA. Historical analysis and sociolinguistic information are the backdrop for the short stories that tell the tales of the various groups' experiences living in the USA. Offered as Needed. Language of Instruction - Spanish. (UG), Literature & Culture, INTASC - Content, Communication (UG)
SPA 340: Aquistion of Spanish As a Second Language
3 Credit Hour(s)
This course examines the rules that govern Spanish language from a pragmatic, social, and discourse based perspective while exploring second language acquisition learning theories particular to acquiring Spanish as a second language. Attention is on metacognition even though there are activities designed for personal cognitive development and gains. Offered as Needed. Language of Instruction - Spanish. (UG), Language & Linguistics, INTASC - Content, Communication (UG)
SPA 398: International Experiential Learning
1-3 Credit Hour(s)
(UG)
SPA 399: Service Learning in Spanish
1-6 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. Service Learning. Students will perform service in Spanish in a variety of settings: schools, community organizations, social service agencies etc. Projects will vary depending on student interest. Students will conduct a needs assessment of the agency or individual, decide on a project or continue on a previously developed project, and actively participate in implementing the plan. Prerequisite: 3 credits of SPA 300 level or permission of instructor. (UG)
SPA 420: Methods and Assessment
3 Credit Hour(s)
Practicum level course. A study of the fundamental principles and practices of language learning theories and language instruction to prepare for work with and assessment of learners in various learning environments. Prerequisite: SPA 300-level or higher or permission of instructor, upper division status in Adolescent Certification Spanish program. Offered As Needed. Taken with the practicum course block. (UG)
SPA 442: Senior Project Research
1 Credit Hour(s)
Each Modern Language major must complete a senior project as one of the requirements for graduation. In this course, which must be taken in the junior year, students select the topic for research and make substantial progress on researching the senior project under the direction of Modern Language faculty members. Students are required to: submit a polished research proposal, submit an annotated bibliography, and present the research proposal to the class and faculty orally. Students may not enroll in SPA 443 Senior Project until SPA 442 is passed. Note: ALL 443 projects must reflect work completed in 442; substantial changes in topic or content may require a student to repeat 442 before enrolling in 443. Prerequisite: All junior majors must register for this course. This preparation course for the Senior Project is required of all majors and must be taken in the junior year. (UG)
SPA 443: Senior Project
3 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Information Literacy. Research and Presentation requirement. Writing Intensive. The Spanish major will complete this 3-credit project that demonstrates mastery of the language in the context of literary or cultural studies or professional applications. The project may be a traditional thesis on a literary or cultural topic, or it may reflect the student's involvement in professional or volunteer work in the language. The project will normally require a significant research base culminating in the submission of an extensive written report and presentation at the Academic Festival. Prerequisite: SPA 442. Note: ALL 443 projects must reflect work completed in 442; substantial changes in topic or content may require a student to repeat 442 before enrolling in 443. (UG)
SPA 499: Service Learning in Spanish
1-6 Credit Hour(s)
Fulfills core competency: Civic Responsibility. Service Learning. Students will perform service in Spanish in a variety of settings: schools, community organizations, social service agencies etc. Projects will vary depending on student interest. Students will conduct a needs assessment of the agency or individual, decide on a project or continue on a previously developed project, and actively participate in implementing the plan. Prerequisite: SPA 399 and permission of instructor. (UG)