UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM COURSE OFFERINGS

Fall Semester 2007

NOTE: Class time and location may change at any time.  Please check the most current class schedule at http://www.uidaho.edu/schedule/. 

(15866) English 257 (01) 3 cr., 12:30-1:45 TR: Prof. D'Wayne Hodgin
                                                 
Honors Literature of Western Civilization.  Reading in selected classics of Western Literature from Classical Greece to the Renaissance, reflecting the development of Western thought and culture.  Discussion and lecture format; satisfies core curriculum requirement for humanities.  Limit of 30.

Chemistry 111, 4 cr.:  Prof. Thomas Bitterwolf (Lecture location TBA)
               (10727) Sec. 33-- 8:30 MWF, Lab 2:30-5:20 M, REN 222 (12/section)
               (10728) Sec. 34-- 8:30 MWF, Lab 2:30-5:20 M, REN 222 (11/section)
               (10729) Sec. 35-- 8:30 MWF, Lab 2:30-5:20 W, REN 222 (12/section)
               (10730) Sec. 36-- 8:30 MWF, Lab 2:30-5:20 W, REN 222 (11/section)
               (31279) Sec. 37-- 8:30 MWF, Lab 7:00 pm - 09:50 pm R, REN 222 (12/section)
               (31280) Sec. 38-- 8:30 MWF, Lab 7:00 pm - 09:50 pm R, REN 222 (11/section)

               Honors Principles of Chemistry.   Intensive treatment of principles and applications of  chemistry.  Honors labs have an emphasis on independent laboratory exercises.  Satisfies core curriculum requirements in the natural and applied sciences.

(15581) Psychology 101 (01) 3 cr., 9:30-10:45 TR: Dr. Alan Whitlock

Honors Introduction to Psychology.  An exploration of the evolution of psychology, personality theory, memory, research in psychology, biology related to psychology, sensation and perception, learning, states of consciousness, psychological disorders, and psychotherapy.  Each student will evaluate their own personality and search for new meanings in their experience.  Satisfies core curriculum requirements for the social sciences.  Limit 30.

(31930) Sociology 101 (04) 3 cr., 12:30-1:45 TR: Prof. Leontina Hormel

Honors Introduction to Sociology.   Sociology trains individuals to understand how social structure and institutions affect, and are affected by, our personal conditions andchoices. This course introduces students to the skills of thinking sociologically and of testing social theory through empirical research.  To fulfill this challenging goal, we will read and examine several books that provide rich analyses of social phenomena.  These books inform a variety of subfields within sociology: Race, Class, and Gender, Power Structures, Political Economy, Deviance, Social Movements, Environmental Sociology, and Research Methods.  Most important, this course intends to open students’ imaginations as we encounter societal experiences differing from, and relating to, our own.  Satisfies core requirement for the social sciences .  Limit 30.

CORE - Discovery

(27246) CORE 104, (03) 4 cr., 9:30-10:20 MWF: Prof. Mark Warner

Honors Contemporary American Experience.  This course takes a broad look at contemporary American life in the context of the last fifty years.  Students analyze films, stories, poems, court cases, personal narratives, popular media, and objects of material culture for what they portray about six aspects of American experience: religion, family, the sense of place, gender/sexual orientation, race and class.  The course also includes readings from the social sciences; fall semester satisfies core curriculum requirements for social science.  Limit 30.

(27275) CORE 116, (01) 4 cr., 11:00-12:15 TR : Prof. Rodney Frey

Honors The Sacred Journey: Religions of the World.  This year-long course will introduce students to Primal Religions (Coeur d'Alene and Crow Indian), Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism during the fall semester, and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam during the spring semester.   In each of these traditions, the forms of sacred journeys will be considered.  Sacred journeys can be of a personal nature, such as rites of passage.  They can be collective in nature, such as a pilgrimage to a sacred place.  And sacred journeys can have a societal focus, such as a revitalizations movement.  To understand these varied religious traditions and interpret their religious symbols, values, and narratives, an academic approach will be utilized toallow students to better see the world's great religious traditions from the perspectives of the adherents themselves.  By juxtaposing what can be unique and distinct along side what is often veiled, this approach a will also help students to more clearly reveal and appreciate his or her  own religious values.  Fall semester satisfies humanities credits in general studies core curriculum.  Limit 30.

(27279) CORE 117 (02) 4 cr., 9:30-10:45 TR:  Prof. Anna Banks

Honors The Movies, the World & You.  Across cultures, movies entertain, delight, and challenge their viewers; they explore and document our world.  In the process, this medium both reflects and shapes people's perception of the world; watching movies is not the passive activity that many think it is.  A major aim of this course, therefore, is to enable students to become more active, critical, and compassionate viewers.  Another aim is to introduce students to aesthetic values and social concerns in a variety of world cultures. The course will adopt numerous disciplinary lenses to explore both the movies themselves and the issues they raise.  Satisfies core curriculum requirements for humanities and also General Core Studies International Course requirement.  Limit 30.

Fall 2007 Upper Division Honors Courses and Seminars

(26231) Communication 335 (01) 3 cr., 2-3:15 T-Th: Prof. Steve Banks

Honors Intercultural Communication.  Honors Intercultural Communication challenges basic assumptions about culture, communication and the theories that link these two constructs.  Students read classic and contemporary literature on intercultural communication, travel on Web-based sojourns, write critical evaluations of research reports, create and present case analyses, and conduct a semester-long investigation of a culture of choice.  Satisfies core requirement for the social sciences and the General Core Studies International Course requirement.  Also counts as upper-division course credits toward the UHP certificate. Limit 27. 

(12592) Math 315 (01) 3 cr., 10:30-11:20 MWF: Prof. Mark Nielsen

Honors Topics in Pure Mathematics: The Fourth Dimension.  We will make the jump from three to four dimensions by examining how the jump from two to three dimensions is done. While we will use only elementary mathematics in our investigations (calculus is NOT a prerequisite!), we will learn some geometry and topology along the way. In particular, if you've ever wondered about non-Euclidean geometry, the possible shapes for the universe, and the elementary workings of special relativity, this course will give introductions to all of these.  Also counts as upper-division course credits toward UHP Certificate. Limit 30.

Note: 300-400 level honors courses and especially the following seminars are reserved for juniors and seniors (third and fourth year students) in the program.  Sophomores (second year students) will be allowed to register for seminars on a space-available basis only with juniors and seniors being given first priority.  Three credits of Honors course work must be completed in order to register for a seminar. 

Seminars:

(30874)  Geog 404 (03) 3 cr., 1:30-2:20 MWF: Samuel Ndegeah (PhD student in Geography) and Prof. Harley E. Johansen

Africa: A Developmental Trajectory.  Many popular images of Africa are based on stereotypes that present fragmented and at times fallacious representations of Africa.  This seminar aims to deal with the ways in which Africa has been and continues to be misrepresented to, and imagined in the minds of many Americans. What is needed is a thorough understanding of societal values, history, resources, beliefs, institutions, and environment.  To effectively assist African countries, future decision-makers (including Honors Students) need to understand Africa’s developmental trajectory.  Students will examine Africa’s physical and human geography and resources, and the history of the African continent and its global connections.  Emphasis will be on sub-Saharan Africa.  Limit 15.

(29230) Chemistry 400 (01) 3 cr., 1:30 MWF:  Dr. Tom Bitterwolf

Energy Issues.  Virtually every morning brings a news report of an issue relating to the broad question of how our society and the world will deal with providing sufficient energy for our populations while walking like a drunken sailor on the edge of global climate catastrophe. Energy Issues is a student led exploration of the issues that make up energy policy.  Belying its home in Chemistry, the course covers political, economic, environmental, and technical issues with a focus on understanding the complex weave of these components. The course features a number of speakers ranging from UI faculty such as Roger Korus (nuclear reactor design), Dean Edwards (batteries and electric cars), Dave Drown (energy efficient housing), Dean Emeritus Mal Miller (global climate change), Gazzi Ghazanfar (Middle East politics), as well as visiting speakers such as Prof. Phil Appel of Gonzaga University (wind energy and batteries), former Sen. Jim McClure, representatives of the Northwest Power Commission, a nd staff from both the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (hydrogen energy) and the Idaho National Laboratory (nuclear energy and fuel recycling). Students are expected to read voraciously and participate energetically in class discussions. A paper and in-class presentation provides closure to the semester. There are no prerequisites, but each student is expected to bring insights from his/her major and personal experiences to the table. Limit 15.

(29569) History 401 (01) 3 cr., 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm TR : Prof. Richard Spence

The Occult in History .  This seminar will explore the influence of occult doctrines, groups and individuals on Western society and culture from roughly the 17th century to the present with emphasis on the 19th and 20th.  While the common perception is that modern Western history has been shaped by scientific rationalism and materialism, beneath the surface there also has been a pervasive and powerful influence of the “occult” which has shaped popular culture, politics, economics and even the sciences themselves.  Such topics as witchcraft (past and present), paganism, shamanism, Satanism and occult elements in mainstream religions will be examined.  Occult themes and influences in popular culture, including film and television, the connections of occultism to crime and politics and the efforts of military and intelligence agencies to exploit the paranormal and "weaponize magic" will also be covered.  Limit 15.

Courses for Spring 2007

Courses for Fall 2006

Courses for Spring 2006

Courses for Fall 2005

Courses for Spring 2005

Courses for Fall 2004

Courses for Fall 2003