First-Year Seminar Courses

In this FYS section, we will examine our perceptions of the Arab World and learn about the conflicts and upheavals that have shaped modern Arab society and culture. Throughout the semester, we will be introduced to a wide variety of thought-provoking Arab films, stories, poetry, and music that will spark a new understanding of the major trends and themes of this region. This will be a discussion-based seminar, in which our short essays will be geared toward developing the critical tools and skills needed for academic success in this course and beyond. 

Zahi Khamis

How is the human body a powerful tool of self-expression and an extension of your intellectual and creative self? This course will challenge you to integrate your intellectual, physical, and emotional responses to the world around you by using your unique body as a powerful medium to express what words sometimes cannot. In a constantly changing world, nurturing creativity and experimentation is integral to the development of a mind that has the ability to produce innovative ideas and to fearlessly forge into unknown territories. We will transform our ideas, discussions, and individual and group research into impactful performance pieces. Movement skills will be developed and practiced through improvised and structured studio experimentation. Prior movement/dance experience is not necessary for this course. Everyone has the capacity to fulfill their creative potential and discover the power of one’s physical and creative voice.

Linda Garofalo

Jill Zimmerman

What does it mean to “be a leader?” Ever wonder if you have those qualities? Or, if you’re already a leader, are you looking for a place to fine tune any of those skills? If so, this is the class for you. Designed for students early in their college careers, this course will introduce leadership theories, approaches, and types as well as provide space to practice skills through interactive activities, discussions, and experiential opportunities. Together we will explore opportunities to prepare students to indeed, Run the World.

Katherine Carnell

Are leaders born or made? This class takes you on a journey of discovering your leadership potential, an introspective and developmental journey that involves understanding your unique strengths, weaknesses, values, and aspirations. It is a process that enhances your self-awareness and prepares you to guide and inspire others effectively.

Maureen Malomba

This course is intended to get us discussing and applying the skills needed to negotiate. The art of negotiation applies to several settings including business, law, job offers, even relationships. In this course we will discuss and apply a variety of negotiation scenarios and activities. While you will learn about several negotiation techniques, the actual purpose of this course is to generate discussion and have fun.

David Grossman

Songs are a part of the fabric of our lives from childhood; why do words and music add up to more than the sum of their parts? How does music have meaning? Students will choose songs to investigate using the basics of music theory (no prior knowledge required!) and perspectives from sociology and psychology. The final project may pursue any or all of these lines of inquiry or even the creation of an original song.

Kendall Kennison

In this age of rapid globalization and heightened cross-cultural contacts, nations, communities, and individuals are working hard to hold on to and reaffirm their own identities and values. In the United States, one of the most precious values is free speech, embedded in the First Amendment.

David Zurawik

Mathew Hale

The ancient Greeks described seven kinds of love; more recently scholar Cornel West said that “justice is what love looks like in public.” From love for friends to chosen family and community, from "lovers" to our relationships with animals and the planet, what are the many kinds of love that exist in addition to what is commonly mythologized and celebrated? Through readings in many disciplines, as well as film and music, we will explore the many different ways love shows up in our lives, or could, as well as defining what different kinds of relationships work best for each of us, their how and why.

Ailish Hopper

Modern conveniences and scientific progress are not always without cost. In this course we will take a look at what we put in the environment and what we take from the environment, while exploring how our “giving” impacts the natural world and our “taking” impacts the health of our communities and lives. We will ask questions about how different parts of the world approach policy making, how chemicals may improve or harm our lives, and who is really being impacted by chemical use. 

This course focuses on the art and practice of digital storytelling—combining narrative with multimedia tools such as video, audio, images, and web platforms. Students will explore the principles of compelling storytelling, learn basic technical skills in digital media production, and create their own digital stories. Emphasis is placed on storytelling as a tool for communication, self-expression, and social impact.

Why do heroes venture into the unknown, face trials, and return transformed? In this seminar for first-year students, we’ll explore Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Hero’s Journey and trace its influence across literature, global mythology, and modern comic books. We will also examine Carl Jung’s theory of archetypes and how they influenced Campbell’s work. Through close reading, discussion, and creative analysis, students will investigate how these narrative structures shaped, and continue to shape, stories across cultures and media.

Through reading, discussion, and writing, students will sharpen their ability to think deeply and critically about both simple and complex texts and ideas. Students will analyze cultural myths from all over the world as well as read, discuss, and examine modern works of Fantasy and Sci-Fi. They'll explore how individual stories function on their own terms, while also discovering meaningful connections between works from different cultures, genres, and time periods. The course emphasizes clear and thoughtful communication, both written and spoken—and encourages students to reflect on their learning process in a transferable way that helps further support them as they grow to meet the college level work expectations.

Sean Johnson

By exploring the spread of popular cultures in East Asian region, students will learn the cultural, social, political and historical issues connected with popular cultures in East Asia, Chinese-speaking territories, Korea and Japan.

Clay Chou