Integrative Learning Course

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both Arts and Letters: Literature and Faith and Reason: Philosophy. This course brings together pairs of philosophers and poets in conversation on themes common to their works and times, such as the affirmation of life in all its manifestations, the dehumanization of war and oppressive governments, the unexpectedness of events and the unlikeliness of their meanings, and the elemental connectedness between living beings. Although philosophers and poets address the human condition, they have different styles of writing and ways of examining it. By reflecting on the different themes as poets and philosophers write and think about them, students will gain deeper understanding for the human condition and greater appreciation for philosophy and poetry.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both Faith & Reason-Philosophy and Social Science.

The Elusive Self: On Mi Brain, and Consciousness.

No concept is more central to our lives than the notion of "I." We could not navigate the world if we lacked a fundamental sense of self-hood. Yet, for philosophers and psychologists alike, this commonplace idea has been the starting point for much speculation, research, and wonder. This course explores various dimensions of what we call the self from both psychological and philosophical perspectives. We begin with questions on the nature of consciousness, with special emphasis on the relationship between the mind and the brain. We then explore issues related to personal identity, self-awareness, and memory. We next consider the prospects for consciousness and self-hood in non-human animals and machines. Finally, we reckon with the self's ultimate limitation, death.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both Arts & Letters-Literature and Social Science as well as Cultural Diversity.

This course will examine social justice and human rights issues in global and local contexts through critical engagement with world cinema. We will interrogate the relationship between the aesthetics and the politics of world cinema within multiple cinematic traditions (e.g. Neo-Realism, Third Cinema, Indigenous Media, etc.) and genres (narrative cinema, documentary, etc.). We will focus on the intersections between the global and the local, between history and memory, and between the self and the "other." Students will apply their knowledge of the critical frameworks and themes learned through the course to their examination of similar issues in their community.

An Integrative Learning Course for which students receive CORE credit in both Arts and Letters: Literature and Social Science.

A Discerning Eye: Depression, Trauma and Madness in Literature.

How do we diagnose a mental illness? How are symptoms of mental illness portrayed in literature? Depression, Trauma and Madness will examine the ways in which psychology and literature both overlap and diverge on the subject of mental illness. The course will consist of a conversation between literary texts that portray mental illnesses and psychologists' current understanding of those illnesses. The course will focus on comparing and contrasting current diagnostics for many common psychological disorders and how certain disorders are reflected in the literature. The course will have distinct units with specific texts used to highlight important aspects of depression, trauma and madness.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in Arts & Letters-Fine Art.

Roles, Politics and Persuasion: How to Act in the Business World.

In this course, students will work in teams and on individual projects to simulate the business environment and create learning opportunities on how to act in a business setting. Success in the business environment, whether a corporation, start-up, or non-profit, depends on soft skills and communication to a large degree. The Harvard Business School, in fact, defines intelligence as knowing how to act in different situations. The course applies to those in business, the social sciences and the arts and will help them learn the fundamentals of behavior, roles, communication and how to act under different challenging business settings.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in Arts & Letters-Fine Art.

This course introduces students to basic concepts of professional communication and artistic creation in the context of the French fashion industry. Over the semester, students will learn to sketch clothing for both fashion and theatrical contexts, to render the costumes using appropriate scale, to add color using watercolors, and to communicate with a director or editor, and with clients, vendors, and co-workers about their work both in English and in French.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both Arts & Letters-Fine Art and Quantitative Analysis.

This course is designed to provide data literacy skills through practical application of data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings as it relates to research in the arts. Students will perform internet research, analyze their findings in relation to other published studies and prior year's data, and create a presentation suitable for an academic conference. Students will gain valuable knowledge and awareness which they can take into their professional lives and apply as advocates for the underrepresented.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both Fine Arts and Theology.

Social Documentary Photographer & Catholic Social Teaching.

Students will learn fundamental camera skills and how to apply them to the field of documentary photography. They will also learn the core themes of Catholic Social Teaching. The course will culminate with each student presenting a portfolio of work employing the techniques of documentary photography and illustrating at least one core theme of Catholic Social Teaching. The course will include a review of the principle photographers in the field (e.g., Henri Cartier-Bresson, W. Eugene Smith, Sebastio Salgado, etc.) and the role of documentary photography in promoting social awareness and change.

La France: Terroir et Patrimoine(GD)

This course will provide a basic understanding of the cultural and chemical makeup of food in France. The course is appropriate for students not majoring in science or French, but students in those disciplines are welcome. There is no assumption of any previous high school chemistry, but knowledge of high school algebra will be helpful. The course will satisfy both the science/lab requirement and global diversity requirement within the current core curriculum. The laboratory portion of the course will reinforce the lecture topics, as well as provide valuable hands-on experience with how science is performed. All laboratory exercises will take place in a common kitchen and in the kitchens of the students' rented apartments. Laboratory activities will involve investigating basic chemical concepts through the experimentation with foods and the preparation of French dishes.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both Arts & Letters-History and Social Science.

The destruction of European Jewry is among the most heinous crimes of Nazi Germany. The Holocaust seems almost inconceivable; yet, close study shows it as a set of comprehensible human interactions. This course integrates psychological perspectives into the study of the historical event. Misconstrued psychological concepts (e.g., personality and racial differences) informed German policies under Hitler. Psychological scholars immigrated to the United States as the Nazi party gained power, and fields of psychological inquiry developed after World War II to better understand what had occurred (e.g., obedience to authority, racism). This ILC will explore the motivations and actions of those involved while familiarizing the students with the origins and operation of this genocide. Disciplines: History and Psychology. An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in two distributions. Distribution 1 Arts and Letters-History. Distribution 2 Social Science.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both Arts & Letters-History and Social Science.

A Shared Space - Animal and Human Geography and History.

This course focuses on an examination of how spatially situated human-animal relations have changed through time. Looking critically at the relationships that exist among people, animals, and the landscape this course engages students in the study of the ways in which interrelationshipss between humans and animals have been constructed over time and space. It also illustrates how the study of animals - past, present, even mythical - demands critical analyses of the three main fields it brings together, anthrozoology, history, and geography, enriching all three.

An Integrative Learning Course for which students receive CORE credit in both Arts & Letters: Literature and Natural Science with a lab. The Missouri River Plains: Words and Watersheds. This course is a summer, field-intensive course that is centered around multi-day field trips along the Wild and Scenic Upper Missouri River in Montana and the Lower Missouri River in Kansas/Nebraska. The primary focus is the diverse interactions that form the ecosystems of the Missouri River Plains in the central United States. We will explore the interplay between Biology and Literature by experiencing the effect that biological systems have on our culture and society as well as the way literature affects the way we experience nature. Additional emphasis in the course is placed upon the scientific method, the evaluation, analysis, and synthesis of information, and on communicating scientific information and integrating it with cultural, historical, political, economic, and artistic endeavors. This course fulfills the Natural Science and Literature core distribution requirements.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both History and Theology.

This course will seek to weave together the problem and question of God with historical case studies illuminating humanity's capacity for cruelty, atrocity, and genocide. By exploring some of the leading philosophical and theological arguments regarding the problem of evil, for example, alongside real historical examples, we will force the class to confront the reality that neither discipline has all the answers to the difficult questions posed by the human potential for evil.

Exploring Gender, Literature, and History.

An Integrative Learning course where students receive CORE credit in both History and Philosophy. This course will seek to weave together the problem and question of God with historical case studies illuminating humanity's capacity for cruelty, atrocity, and genocide. By exploring some of the leading philosophical and theological arguments regarding the problem of evil, for example, alongside real historical examples, we will force the class to confront the reality that neither discipline has all the answers to the difficult questions posed by the human potential for evil.

Independent study is open to junior and senior students only. At the time of application, a student must have earned a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. A student may register for no more than one (1) independent study in any one term. In all cases, registration for independent study must be approved by the appropriate department chairperson(s) and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.