UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM COURSE OFFERINGS Spring '06

  (45845) English H258, 3 cr., (02) 9:30-10:45 T-Th: Prof. Jeff Jones
Honors Literature of Western Civilization.  Reading in selected classics of literature from the 17th century to the present, reflecting the development of Western thought and culure.  May be taken independently of English H257. Discussion format; satisfies core curriculum requirements for humanities.  Limit of 30.

(42142) History H102, 3 cr., (03) 10:30 MWF: Prof. Sean Quinlan
Honors History of Civilization.  This freshman-level honors course on the history of world societies shall explore the major themes, milestones, and debates in the history of the global community since ca. 1500 CE.  Using examples from around the world, the course examines such problems as the causes of revolution and war; the impact of religion, science, industrialization, and technology upon human communities; the development of global systems of slavery, colonialism, and labor migration; the growth of nationalism and global empires; ideologies of capitalism and communism; and the perceived differences between 'East' and 'West.'  Satisfies core curriculum requirements for social science, and the university's General Core Studies' International course requirement.  Limit of 30.

(60406) Philosophy H103, 3 cr., (17) 11:00-12:15 T-Th: Prof. Janice Capel Anderson
Honors Introduction to Ethics.  An introduction to philosophical reasoning through historical study of Western moral thought.  Readings and discussions, with required individual and group papers; satisfies core curriculum requirement for humanities.  Limit of 30.

Chemistry H112, 5 cr.: Prof. Thomas Bitterwolf
(45458) Sec. 21-- 9:30 MWF; Lab 2:30-5:20 Th, REN 233; Rec 12:30 Tu
(45460) Sec. 22-- 9:30 MWF; Lab 7:00-9:50 p.m. Th, REN 233; Rec 12:30 Tu

Honors Principles of Chemistry II.    Continuation of Chem 111 for students in the University Honors Program.  Some work in inorganic, organic, and biochemistry, electrochemistry, nuclear chemistry, and in qualitative inorganic analysis.  Three lectures, one three-hour lab and one recitation a week. 

Prerequisite:  Chem 111 or permission.  Satisfies core curriculum requirements in the natural and applied sciences.  Majors in natural sciences and engineering are encouraged to take Honors Chemistry.  Enrollment limit of 15 in each section.

(58753) CorS H219 (01) 3 cr., 1:30-2:20 MWF:  Prof. John Byers
Honors Human Nature.  Evolutionary psychology is a new discipline that offers considerable promise for understanding human nature, but which has also attracted considerable controversy.  The goal of this course is to teach students the basics of evolutionary psychology, with reference to the other methods of studying human social evolution, including the fundamentals of biological and human evolution.  By exploring and seeking to understand some of the heated controversy that surrounds evolutionary psychology, students will be introduced to the difference between science and speculation, the concept of hypothesis testing, and consider how empirical investigation can inform moral issues.  The course will explore the contention that human nature is the sum of our behavioral predispositions and emotional reactions to environmental and social events, and that these predispositions and emotions are evolved traits.  Satisfies core curriculum requirement in the natural and applied sciences.  Limit 30.

CORE - Discovery
(58440) Core H154, (01) 3 cr., 9:30-10:45, T-Th:  Prof. Dick Wilson
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; spring semester satisfies core curriculum requirements for humanities. Enrollment limited to 30 freshmen or sophomores.

(58479) Core H167 (03) 3 cr., 12:30-1:20, MWF: Prof. Sheila O’Brien
Honors The Movies, the World and 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 use numerous disciplinary lenses on both the movies themselves and the issues they raise.  Satisfies core curriculum requirements for social science and also General Core Studies International Course requirement.  Enrollment limited to 30 freshmen or sophomores.

(60168) Core H169 (02), 3 cr., 2-3:15 T-Th: Prof. John Mihelich

Honors Sports and American Society.  Sports and American Society will take a thematic approach in an effort to explore the many aspects of this topic.  The course is organized around specific sports–soccer in the fall, and baseball in the spring; around specific cultural icons–the Super Bowl, the World Series, college football bowl season, the Masters, and March Madness; and around specific topics–ethics and sports; sports and the arts; gender and race; drugs and athletics; class; sports and media, sport and popular culture, and sexuality and sport.  Satisfies core curriculum requirements for humanities in the spring semester.  Enrollment limited to 30 freshmen or sophomores.

(55240) Economics H272, (02) 4 cr., 2:00-3:15 TR and 3:30-4:20 W: Prof. Steven Peterson
Honors Foundation of Economic Analysis.  Introductory course on the principles of economics, covering both micro-and macro-concepts, theory, analysis, and applications. Carries no credit after Econ 201 AND 202; carries 3 credits after EITHER Econ 201 or Econ 202.  Satisfies core curriculum requirements for social sciences. Limit of 30.

(47952) AmSt H301, 3 cr., (01) 11-12:15 T-Th: Prof. Patricia Hart
Legacies:  Modern American Social and Cultural  Movements.  The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to  the task of understanding late 20th century/early 21st century  social and cultural movements as dynamic, challenging,  evolving, and enduring processes. The focus is primarily (but  not exclusively) on social/cultural movements of the United  States.  Award-winning documentary film will be analyzed,  movements from interdisciplinary perspectives explored,  heart/mind-moving classic American essays critiqued, and  meetings with guest speakers will generate personal knowledge  about contemporary social/cultural movements.  Satisfies core  curriculum requirements for humanities.  Enrollment limited to  20.

(55479) Intr H404, (04)1 cr. (pass-fail), 12:30-1:20 p.m., T:  Profs. Michael O’Rourke, Daniel Bukvich, Richard Fehrenbacher
Interdisciplinary Colloquium: Insight and Creativity.  UI faculty and staff present and describe their approaches to teaching and/or research in their respective disciplines in this series of lectures.  The lectures present the specific subjects and methodologies that define the disciplines and initiate conversations about those disciplines to explore and to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation.  Students attend the weekly lectures, complete journal and response assignments, and also meet with professors O’Rourke, Fehrenbacher, and Bukvich.   Limit 20.

(51799) Intr H499 (01), 1 cr., 3:30-4:20 p.m., T:  Prof. Mark Warner
Reading Food, Reading Culture.  “Food is not Feed”  This short phrase (borrowed from the title of an article by the anthropologist Mary Douglas), summarizes an important, but under-recognized aspect of humanity.   Simply put, the choices people make about the foods they eat are based on many factors besides mere subsistence.  The intent of this seminar is to investigate some of those seemingly ancillary factors and to explore how the food choices people make have wide-ranging ramifications.  Some of the topics that we will discuss in this seminar include race and class, marketing and globalization, health and even sexuality. 

Requirements:
Students who are interested in participating in Honors Vacation Reading should do two things.  First you should contact Mark Warner to let him know of your interest in participating in the course (this is done in part to try to keep tabs on enrollment).  Second, you should begin reading the texts listed below, perhaps also making a point to take some notes on the reading.  This will help you recall what you read as well as any reactions or questions that the reading may generate.  The class will meet to discuss these works once a week during the spring 2006 semester.  Students will be evaluated based on a combination of class participation, attendance, a series of short writing assignments and perhaps an in-class presentation.  Enrollment limit 12 students.

Tentative Course Texts:
Mintz, Sidney.  Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History.  (Basic Books: New York, 1985)  An ethnohistorical account of sugar and how this seemingly mundane commodity played a central role in the slave trade, lives of the working class and ultimately our diet today.

Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.  (Houghton Mifflin: Boston, 2001)  The work is an exploration of the growth of the fast food industry in America and its sweeping impacts on American culture.

Ozeki, Ruth L. My Year of Meats.  (Penguin Books: New York, 1998)  A work of fiction based on the premise of a woman who lands a job producing a Japanese television show, ostensibly on American "housewives," but is actually aimed at getting Japanese society to eat more beef.  Of course, the premise is merely the set up to explore an array of issues ranging from cross-cultural understanding to relationships, to agribusiness.

Spring 2006 Upper Division Honors Seminars

(60151) CheE H400 (01) 2 cr., 2:30-3:20, MW:  Prof. D. Eric Aston                        
Microcosms & Nanotechnology.  This course presents a diverse spectrum of topics related to the sciences and technologies that work within microscopic and submicroscopic levels (e.g., nanotechnology). Regular class discussions will delve into the very broad field of microscopy including basic scientific concepts, historical development, technological applications, societal impacts, and related economic, political, and ethical issues. While exploration into the pure sciences of biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering will constitute the backbone of this class, research into business, literature, and philosophy will make up a significant portion of student discussions and assignments.  A general secondary objective to this course will be the discussion of language and meaning in science and engineering, specifically, and throughout overlapping disciplines. Ample time will be factored into class meetings to discuss scientific technical writing and editing in relation to the written assignments.  Prerequisites: Junior or senior in good standing; no specialized skill, knowledge, or prior intensive coursework is required in math, science, or related disciplines.  Limit of 15.

(60266) Geog H404 (03) 3 cr., 12:30-1:45 T-Th:  Profs. Robert Goodrich and Gundars Rudzitis
The Geography of Conflict.  The course will focus on areas of the globe that have recently experienced conflict and strife.  Themes for discussion will include history, religion, disease, poverty, famine, resource allocation, and the legacy of colonization.  Geography provides a unique perspective in addressing these complex problems, with political geographers often at the forefront of the decision-making in today’s world.  The course will afford enough flexibility to cover other areas of interest as well; the class could consider some lesser-known regional conflicts and topics in greater detail.  Limit of 15.

(58560) Thef H404 (02) 3 cr., M 2:30-3:20, W 7-10:00 p.m. : Prof. Dennis West
Hollywood in the 1970s.  This  seminar will explore the thematic, esthetic, sociopolitical, and economic dimensions of the New Hollywood movement that lasted from 1967 to approximately 1980, the year of “Raging Bull.”  Key fiction films will be screened and these works will be closely studied as esthetic products. In addition, and more importantly, these texts will be examined in terms of the ways in which they seemed to mirror American society of the time in terms of the era's pressing social issues such as the Vietnam War, changing gender roles and sexual behaviors, the authoritarian strains in U. S. society, drug use, the economics of class, ethnic and racial questions, etc.  Limit of 15.

 Courses for Fall 2005

Courses for Spring 2005

Courses for Fall 2004

Courses for Fall 2003