October 19, 2004 395H Seminars – Spring 2004-05 Following the description of the UHON 395H seminars you will find a course description for a one credit hour class offered by Professors Pardy and Tomkins. This course, BIOS 398H, is intended for Honors Program students and has a limit of 15 students. The course will NOT substitute for the 395H requirement in the Honors Program. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: Humanities – An Odyssean Search for Meaning – Pathfinding with Loren Eiseley Call No.: 7841 Section: 001 05:30-08:30p W – ARR NRC – Cook One of the goals of science, perhaps the ultimate goal, is to explain the human experience. Great thinkers and writers endeavor to interpret and illuminate that experience. Nebraska native and UNL graduate Loren Eiseley spent most of his life’s journey seeking those explanations and retelling his discoveries in ways that are profound yet appealingly simple. Acclaimed as one of the Twentieth Century’s finest science writers, Eiseley’s still-fresh essays and poems resonate twenty-five years after his death. They succinctly examine the historic tapestry of life on earth while nurturing our need to know and understand the impact of humanity’s breathtakingingly brief presence in the biosphere. His quest takes on epic proportions as he struggles to resolve some of life’s greatest mysteries, “how did we, as a species, come to this place in time,” and “what fate awaits humankind?” This undergraduate research seminar will also examine Eiseley’s life-journey, his deep love for the spoken and written word, as well as his strong identification with non-human life forms. Assignments will include weekly research contributions from assigned essay readings, personal journaling, and a series of exercises that will attempt to define the student’s journey of self-discovery as compared to the Eiseley template. End-of-semester presentations will reflect the discoveries students make during the course. There will be no mid-term or final examinations. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: Physics – Concepts of Modern Physics Call No.: 7931 Section: 002 08:30-09:20a MWF – 202 BL – Dowben The purpose of this course is to allow undergraduates to learn about some of the most exciting 20th century developments and discoveries in all of science, such as black holes, chaos, quantum mechanics, general relativity, cosmology, and modern technology. Even science majors, not to mention majors in other fields, rarely have any chance to study such forefront topics as undergraduates (since science departments usually only offer courses in these areas at the graduate level). Through readings of non-technical books for general audiences by noted physicists and science writers, the class focuses on the concepts and ideas underlying the most modern areas of physics. Classes discuss the ideas being read about and, after reading and discussion of each book is completed, students write reports about particular concepts of their choosing. At the end of the semester, each student prepares and presents an oral report to the class on a topic of the student’s choosing, selected from a long list provided to the class. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: History – The Postcolonial Writer: Literature and Politics in Contemporary Algeria, India, and South Africa Call No.: 6094 Section: 006 02:00-04:50p T – ARR NRC – Le Sueur This seminar will consider the relationship of contemporary writers in Algeria, South Africa, and India to their nations and the wider world. Readings will be a combination of novels, historical studies, and political essays and will focus on issues such as development and the “Third World,” the legacy of colonialism, religious and communal violence, gender inequalities and feminist movements, the role of culture, and the problems of democratic pluralism in the post-independence period. Among the writers to be considered will be Rachid Boudjedra, J. M. Coetzee, Tahar Djaout, Nadine Gordimer, Yasmina Khadra, Nelson Mandela, Khalida Messaoudi, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, Khushwant Singh, Gillian Slovo, and Bishop Desmond Tutu. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: History – The American Civil War Call No.: 6095 Section: 008 07:00-09:00p R – 638 OLDH – Maslowski This seminar will focus on the American Civil War. In particular, the class will address the question of, first, what caused the war and, second, why the North won (or to turn this around, why the South lost). Exploring the answers to these questions will entail an investigation of: --the nature of American society between 1840-1860 --the specific dramatic events during the 1840s and 1850s that stretched sectional tensions to the snapping point --the political leadership of both the Union and the Confederacy --the war's major military campaigns and leaders ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: Classics – After the New Testament Call No.: 6096 Section: 011 12:30-01:40p T & R – ARR ARR – Watley This seminar will introduce students to the historical study of Christianity’s formative age, the 2nd to 5th centuries CE. The first part of the course emphasizes the historical development of orthodox Christian doctrine and practice in the social and cultural contexts of the Roman Empire in late antiquity, through extensive engagement with primary source materials. The second half focuses more narrowly on a close reading of the formative age’s normative confession, the Nicene Creed, with emphasis on the question of its value for current ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: Management – Business, Ethics, and Society Call No.: 6097 Section: 012 02:00-04:50p T – 118 CBA – D. May This seminar is designed to provide students with: (1) a grounding in the philosophical foundations of business ethics; (2) the ability to recognize ethical problems; (3) an exposure to many of the ethically sensitive issues facing corporations and managers in business (e.g., layoffs, employee whistleblowing, employee privacy, employee health and safety, product liability discriminations, and the global responsibilities of business); and (4) the tools for analyzing and reaching closure on ethical problems. Students will study the role of ethics in the relation of business to employees, consumers, and society. Students in this honors course will have the opportunity to engage in stimulating class discussions, justify ethical positions in case study analyses, apply research material on ethics to their own lives, and interview managers about the ethical issues they face at work. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: History – The United States in the 1960s Call No.: 6098 Section: 013 09:30-11:50a T – ARR ARR – Borstelmann The 1960s was the most exciting, turbulent decade in recent American history. This course focuses on the social movements at the core of the decade’s struggles-the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement, the counterculture, and the women’s liberation movement-as we look closely at fundamental issues of national and personal identity and how social change occurs. The course also examines the American experience of the Vietnam War and the presidential administrations of John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon. In addition to briefer writing assignments, students compose a major research paper and give an oral presentation on a topic of their choice, and they help lead one of the weekly discussions. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: Deciding Right & Wrong Call No.: 6099 Section: 014 01:30-03:50p R – ARR ARR – Boohar This course will focus on discovering your own individual value system and on ways for you to use it to make choices of right or wrong on a conscious rather than an unconscious basis. We will use posed situations, real-world situations, and your own experiences as the study subjects. For your primary course assignment, you will write a paper on a social issue of your choice which you consider important and which involves decisions of right or wrong. In the paper you will use the insights gained during the class and the skills you have learned for dealing with your own values to decide how the social issue you chose should be handled. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: History – George W. Bush’s Global War on Terrorism Call No.: 6100 Section: 016 06:30-09:00p W – 638 OLDH – Ambrosius This seminar will examine various aspects of George W. Bush’s Global War on Terrorism, placing the experience of September 11, 2001 within historical perspective. It will explore the Bush administration’s reaction to the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, including the Bush Doctrine and its application in the Iraq war and elsewhere. Numerous web sites provide primary sources or documents on these subjects in contemporary history. Students will learn to use these Internet sources for weekly assignments and a research paper. Reading assignments include: Joanne Meyerowitz (ed.), History and September 11th (2003) and Stephan A. Halper and Jonathan Clarke, America Alone: The Neo-conservatives and the Global Order (2004). ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: Epidemics, Famines, and Bioterrorism Call No.: 6101 Section: 017 02:30-04:50p W – ARR NRC – Partridge After establishing the basic biological principles requisite for an epidemic in animals and/or plants, we will proceed to consider some of the historical disease epidemics and their legacies today. The class will then seek to identify those factors requisite for etiologic agents to be components of bioterrorism. Utilizing these two sets of principles and components the class will formulate a set of guidelines for identifying potential bioterrorism threats. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: English – Cultural Phenomena and the Arthurian Legend Call No.: 6102 Section: 018 11:00-12:15p T & R – ARR NRC – Lyons Interest in King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, the Knights of the Round Table and the Quest for the Holy Grail has ebbed and flowed through the centuries. High interest levels seem to appear following major cultural phenomena–the fall of the Roman Empire, the appearance of histories in Spain and Italy in the 12th century, the emergence of the vernacular as a viable medium for the educated and culturally elite in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, the Industrial, American and French Revolutions in the late 18th century, and WW’s I and II and computerization in the 20th century. With each retelling of the legend, authors also reflect their time-periods in interesting ways. We will explore these trends and investigate these connections, beginning by reading the earliest versions of the legend, then moving through the centuries to 20th century versions. Our reading and research will embrace historical, cultural, and aesthetic as well as literary concerns. We will look at such issues as the importance of religion, the treatment of women, morality, ethics, the relationship of authorial biases to the tale, and the influence of major cultural events on literature. (Familiarity with the legend is not a pre-requisite.) Additional opportunity: May 8-22, 2005: From Winchester to Tintagel: Exploring King Arthur’s England. We will fly to London and spend 10 days tracing some of Arthur’s footsteps through southern England. Beginning with Winchester, his military headquarters and current home of the Round Table, we will climb Glastonbury Tor, then explore Glastonbury Abbey, where he and Guinevere are buried, the Chalice Well Gardens, Stonehenge, which Merlin is said to have erected, South Cadbury, the site of Camelot, Tintagel, the place of Arthur’s conception, meet with scholars in the Medieval and Renaissance Center in Oxford, and spend four days in London. We’ll then take the Chunnel to Paris to explore the portion of the legend that comes from France. One hour of Honors Program credit, optional; 10 people minimum required. Approximate cost, $2200-2500 plus tuition and fees. See Dr. Lyons for more information. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: Engineering & Humanities – Fulcrums and Flights of Fantasy: Intersections of Engineering, Arts and the Humanities Call No.: 6103 Section: 019 01:30-03:50p W – ARR NRC – Lyons and Brand This course will explore the realms of engineering from an historical perspective, assuming there have been three major revolutions in that area: the Power and Energy Revolution, when humankind began harnessing wind and water in addition to animals, thus relieving ourselves of much large muscle work; the Industrial Revolution, when humankind began to develop precision machinery, thus relieving ourselves of much fine work; and the Computer Revolution, thus relieving ourselves of much mental drudgery. We will investigate the ways in which these advances in technology have affected the Arts, in such areas as architecture, bridge-building or furniture, and the social sciences, with implications for such issues as navigation, trade, religious developments and the ways in which we wage war. Much of the class time will be taken up with guest speakers and student presentations on such areas as windmills, lighthouses, ships and shipbuilding or famous engineering marvels, i.e. the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, or the pyramids. Students will be expected to participate in significant research, including the completion of a research paper. The class as a whole will complete a website to be linked to the Honors Program website. The possibility of a spring break trip to Mexico to see old feats of engineering exists. ______________________________________________________________________________ UHON 395H: Tchr: Film as Moral Educator Call No.: 6105 Section: 021 12:00-02:50p M – ARR ARR – Hostetler In the film “Braveheart” the hero stabs, hacks, and decapitates people all in the name of freedom. In “Fried Green Tomatoes” a racist wife-beater is killed, dismembered, and barbecued. What do these films teach us about ethical life for human beings? Seminar participants will view a number of recent films and explore this and related questions. Students will work in small groups to produce a film/video of their own creation. We will premiere these productions for the class and other people participants would like to invite. ______________________________________________________________________________ Consider the following special course that is offered by the School of Biological Sciences and the Public Policy Center. It is a one credit hour class that will meet for 5 consecutive weeks of the Spring Semester. Meeting times are 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Wednesdays. WE DO NOT YET HAVE INFORMATION OF THE STARTING DATE FOR THE CLASS-THAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY. We do not yet have a call number. WE WILL UPDATE THIS INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AS SOON AS IT IS AVAILABLE. BIOS 398H: Biological Sciences – Genetically Modified Foods: Science, Controversy, and Public Policy Call No.: XXXX Section: XXX 03:00-06:00p W – ARR NRC – Pardy and Tomkins Over the past 20 years the emergence of new techniques in biotechnology has been changing the face of agriculture, challenging scientists who must evaluate the safety of these new technologies, and vexing consumers who must decide whether they are willing to purchase the resultant products. Through a series of guest speakers, and guided literatures, this course will examine one facet of this large societal dilemma, the use of genetic modification (GM) in crop production and thus in the foods we eat. A major underlying theme of this course will be the implications biotechnology has for Nebraska’s and that nation’s food industry and consumers. The course will first explore the science behind the techniques. Are the arguments of scientists who are in favor of GM more persuasive than the arguments of those who oppose? Or vice- versa? The policy section of the course will address public decision making under the conditions of uncertainty that have developed as a result of the rapidity with which this technology has developed. We will examine the policy issues related to the production, sale, and use of GMs (e.g., should labeling be required?). We also will look at international and domestic consumer acceptance of the use of GM, and the implications this holds for US producers and policymakers. Students taking this course will have ample opportunity for interaction with experts and stakeholders in this debate. A major feature of the course will be the use of guest speakers to present expert views of the topics being discussed. Students will interact with these speakers through question and answer, as well as discussion. Topics covered will include: • History of GM • The Science of GM • An Introduction to Public Policy • How Scientists Evaluate Data Relating to GM • Producer and Consumer Reactions to GM • GMs in the Policy Arena • The GM Controversy’s Future: Blending Science and Public Policy Assessment 1) Weekly Journals These will be done online via the Blackboard Website. Students will be expected to react to both the readings and the class discussion and speakers. Integration of the literature and in-class materials/discussion will be an important consideration in evaluating these journals. 2) Class Participation In-class discussion will be an integral part of this course, and student participation will be essential. Students will be expected to read all assigned literature, and be prepared to fully participate in class discussion, including interaction with the guest speakers. 3) A Yet to be Determined Final Project Ideas include a position paper, or policy recommendation.