Summer courses

ART 124 – Mobile Digital Photography with Brandon Bauer; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course is an introductory course in the creative use of mobile digital media. Students will learn basic techniques that will help them to take better photographs with a smartphone. The course will cover image acquisition, image manipulation, and creative control. The final work will be output for critique through online forums. The course will progress as an exploration of mobile photography tools and applications. The course will provide foundational skills for understanding and increasing control of photographic techniques and processes through a smartphone. 

ART 310 – Global Art History with Debbie Kupinsky; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course is a lecture and discussion based course, with a student research component, that will explore non-Western art and architecture from a cultural, religious and historical perspective. The thematic organization of the course will allow students to make connections between the spread of religions, cultural values, conquest, trade, and the expression of these elements in artistic traditions. The course will explore the arts of Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East with an emphasis on art as the fluid expression of culture. Non-Western canonical works in art, sculpture, and architecture will be highlighted in covering major works from these four significant regions of the world. Through readings, discussion, research, and presentations students will gain the ability to recognize, analyze, and interpret non-Western art.

BIOL 120 – Intro to Cell & Molecular Biology with Adam Brandt; in-person synchronous instruction; Summer Session 3

Location/schedule – Gehl-Mulva Science Center; M-F, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

A lecture and laboratory study of living systems with particular emphasis on the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels of organization in plants, animals and prokaryotes. Genetic mechanisms and aspects of development are included. Fall semester. Note: BIOL 120 and BIOL 121 are considered an introductory sequence for biology majors in both the biomedical and organismal concentrations in biology and are recommended for pre-professional students who desire an emphasis in biological sciences, and does not fulfill the Core PN requirement. 

BIOL 386 – Neuroscience +L with David Bailey; online asynchronous instruction, Summer Session 1

A lecture, laboratory, and discussion course on the scientific study of the nervous system. Topics covered include a history of the field, nerve, and glial cell physiology, the evolution of neurotransmission, learning, and memory especially relating to sensitive periods, sexual differentiation of the nervous system, and nervous system disorders. Laboratory exercises will focus on histological techniques, immunohistochemical localization of components of neuroendocrine systems, neuroanatomy and gene expression patterns in rodents, and stereotaxic surgery. Current articles from the primary literature as well as those seminal to the field of neuroscience will be discussed. Prerequisites: BIOL 120 and BIOL 121. BIOL 372 preferred. J-term or summer sessions.

BUAD 386 – Leading Through Adversity with Jamie O’Brien; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 2

This class in Leading Through Adversity: Historical Case Studies will take an interdisciplinary approach that includes psychology, communication, and management and examine some of the most historic human error case studies. The class will explore scenarios where: leaders and managers must solve significant problems; humans have made critical errors; the role of the individual is vital in solving these problems in various settings; and recommendations need to be made so as to learn from these scenarios and stories. These case studies will explore a variety of areas: societal problems (for example – leadership in the face of challenging societal norms), cultural problems (for example – leadership issues in different cultural contexts), decision making (for example – the biases that cause human error and prevent robust decision making), and understanding how individuals interact (for example – how humans working in groups can cause problems and how we solve them), to name a few. J-term and Summer

BUAD 387 - Aviation Disaster Exploration with Jamie O'Brien; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This class in Aviation Disaster Exploration: Decision Making Errors will explore some of the most famous aviation disasters through the lens of human decision-making errors. It will take an interdisciplinary approach that includes social psychology, communication, and management as we examine some of the most interesting aviation case studies. The class will explore scenarios where:

• leaders and managers must solve significant problems;
• humans have made critical errors,
• the role of the individual is vital in solving these problems in various settings, recommendations need to be made so as to learn from these scenarios and stories.

These case studies will explore a variety of applied theoretical areas: resilience in decision making (for example – leadership in the face of extreme crisis), cultural problems (for example – accidents caused by issues in different cultural scenarios), cognitive biases (for example – accidents caused by the unchecked biases that cause human error and prevent robust decision making ), and understanding how individuals interact (for example – how humans work and communicate in groups and how several aviation accidents have been caused by not understanding group dynamics), to name a few.
 

BUAD 388 - International Management with Jamie O'Brien; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

The study of international management is gaining importance as organisations expand their operations globally. This International management class is designed to help students learn the fundamentals of international management strategies and cross-cultural management. Further, throughout the course, students are expected to develop a sense of ease to engage in business in a multicultural business management environment. The course is comprised of three segments. The first is devoted to providing a better understanding of the international environment challenges. Focus is placed on the analysis of country differences in political economy and political risks as well as cultural and social contexts. In this segment, the course covers the major facets of the international management environment (legal, political, economic, and cultural). The central debates surrounding the culture construct, formal and informal institutions, economic development, and regional integrations are presented in class, along with the major frameworks that have been used to describe these phenomena. Students are exposed to a diversity of ideas about cultural values in different nations, and how those values influence management and organisational practices. The readings build upon students’ existing knowledge of the functioning of American and Western European business organisations, and help them develop an understanding of how organisations function in a wide variety of cultures. The second section of the course builds on the first section and analyses global organisational forms and international strategies. Its focus is on the strategic challenges confronting firms that compete in the global economy. It aims to develop understanding of how to gain competitive advantage and compete successfully in the international marketplace. In other words, its objective is to achieve an enhanced understanding of the most fundamental question in international management: What determines the international success and failure of companies? Finally, the third section deals with international management operations and covers an array of organisational issues such as human resource staffing and motivating a multi-cultural workforce, global marketing, design of global products and services, global R&D, and financing and accountability.

BUAD 390 - Business Law with Marc Hammer; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 3

Students will study basic principles of law as it relates to business. Topics will include civil procedure, tort, contract, agency, employment, partnerships and corporations. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Note: Students may not get credit for both BUAD 352 and ECON 390.

CHEM 100 - Applications of Chemistry – Nutrition with Cynthia Oshser; hybrid online and in-person instruction; Summer Session 1

Location/schedule: Gehl-Mulva Science Center; T-Th 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

The course is primarily designed as a terminal course for non-science majors but is open to all students. Many of the traditional chemical theories will be presented but always in association with a topic of everyday interest. The selection and sequence of topics will vary with the instructor and times. Labs illustrating applications will be carried out where appropriate. A student who has received credit for CHEM 105 or CHEM 107 may not take CHEM 100 for credit without the Registrar’s consent.

COME 122 – Interpersonal Communication with Anna Antos; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 2

Develops basic principles, characteristics, types and summary propositions of personal communication. Examines the relationships between concepts such as language, perceptions, self-concept, listening and values in their bearing upon personal communication.


COME 317 – Netflix: Disruptive Entertainment with Valerie Kretz; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course will explore the ways that Netflix is (and is not) disruptive across three major components of media: content, production, and consumption. One of the primary topics will be Netflix and groups that are typically underrepresented in entertainment media both behind the scenes and on screen.

ECON 101 – Principles of Macroeconomics with Marc Schaffer; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

Introduction to macroeconomic problems — unemployment and inflation. National income accounting — measures of gross domestic product. Aggregate demand and supply. Fiscal and monetary policies. Open-economy issues.

EDUC 103 – Intro to Education with Reid Riggle; online asynchronous instruction, Summer Session 1

The course combines content from two classes, EDUC 101- Education and Society: Exploring Systemic Problems in the Context of Education and EDUC 102- Learning and Instruction: Preparing Expert Teachers to Nurture Diverse Learners. This integrated course connects the curriculum through a broad examination of how research on learning/motivation/and development can drive school reform in ways that achieve high levels of learning of students from diverse backgrounds. This set of equality minded strategies helps us understand the nature of the education system in the United States, the strengths and challenges facing the system, and achievable changes that you can participate in as an educator.

ENGL 221 – American Short Story with Deirdre Egan-Ryan; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course concentrates on the development of the American short story by studying selected works of Irving, Hawthorne, Poe, Harte, Bierce, Crane, James, Anderson, K.A. Porter, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Faulkner, O’Connor, Welty, Carver and others. The course includes analysis of individual stories and some attention to literary history and theory.  

ENGL 240 – Modern Catholic Fiction with AnaMaria Clawson; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

The Catholic intellectual tradition has been particularly fruitful for fostering artistic ways of imagining humans’ encounters with the divine – the Mystery undergirding all that is – because of Catholicism’s sacramental imagination, its tendency to approach the divine through human images and stories. This course will explore a variety of modern Catholic fiction writers who have done just that – they have used fiction as a way to express, probe, and critique images of the divine and experiences of faith (and of the struggle with faith). The writers who will be studied may include James Joyce, Graham Greene, Flannery O’Connor, Mary Gordon, Andre Dubus and Colm Toibin. 

ENGL 306 – Professional Writing with Katherine O'Meara; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 3

This course teaches students to write effectively in a professional context. In it, students will become acquainted with the basic genres of professional communication, such as research briefs, project/grant proposals, public outreach documents, web design, résumés, and cover letters. They will also learn a range of strategies for controlling their argumentation, organization, and prose style in a professional setting. Importantly, students will conduct this work on behalf of a local non-profit organization. In that way, they will be asked to apply the skills learned in this course for a variety of real-life readerships, each with its own strongly held values.

FREN 101 – Elementary French 1 with Terri Schroth; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 3

An intensive introduction to practical French with an emphasis placed on the four language skills: understanding, speaking, reading and writing. Fall and spring semesters. 

FREN 102 – Elementary French 2 with Terri Schroth; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 4

Continuation of FREN 101. 

GEOG 225 – Social Geography with Mark Bockenhauer; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course provides an introductory survey of geographic themes and concepts of social and cultural relevance in our fast-changing world, with a particular emphasis on the United States. The course offers an opportunity to raise understanding of and appreciation for geographic realities in the lives of others — as well as in our own daily existence. Topics include population dynamics, migration, ethnicity, gender, language, religion, urbanization and the political landscape. Geographic/spatial aspects of these issues are examined on a variety of scales in diverse locales. Map work is emphasized.

MATH 120 – Numbers and Operations with Lindsey Bosko-Dunbar; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

Intended for Elementary Education majors, this course examines the mathematical content knowledge underlying the numbers and operations taught in elementary school. Students will explore content in the Common Core State Standards, such as place value; algorithms for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; and arithmetic properties of counting numbers, integers, fractions, and decimals. This course focuses on mathematical content, not teaching methods. Prerequisite: Four years of college preparatory mathematics in high school. Every semester.

MATH 123 – Applications of Contemporary Math with Jonathan Dunbar; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course is designed to help students recognize the place of mathematics and mathematical reasoning in society. Students will be given the opportunity to enhance their ability to see the relevance of mathematics behind many current topics and to use mathematical techniques to address those topics. Topics include: mathematics of finance, logic, probability, and statistics and counting techniques, graph theory, and additional topics at the instructor’s discretion. Every semester.

MUSI 176 – Music Appreciation with John-Franis Hennecken; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 3

Designed for minors and non-majors, this course is concerned with the art of intelligent and perceptive music listening for those interested in increasing their knowledge and enjoyment of music. The course traces the development of music up to the present day. Various media are employed. Note: Course not open to Music majors. 

MUSI 184 – History of American Popular Music with Eric High; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1 OR Summer Session 3 OR Summer Session 4

The course will cover the history of popular music in the United States from the late 19th-century to the present day. Genres discussed include modern styles such as rock, R & B, hip-hop, folk, country, jazz, ragtime, blues, and early musical theater. A chronological study of popular styles will expose students to important songwriters and performers and show how their music was influenced by elements like racial prejudice, political events and social structures. Modern technological influences (radio, recording media, television, computers) will also be explored. 
 

MUSI 276 – Music and Catholicism with John-Francis Hennecken; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 2 OR Summer Session 4

This course focuses on the Catholic intellectual tradition and its profound dialogue with music. This course will explore genres in Catholic music such as the mass, requiem mass, oratorio, passion, and other biblically inspired works. Course content will generally focus on pieces of music that are inspired by sacred texts. With each work, students will engage with the meaning of the text and how the music exemplifies it. Through the study of music fundamentals, we will aim to build frameworks for listening that increase understanding and transform the listening experience. Coursework will involve readings, exercises in listening, lecture, discussion posts, and short essays. Students will improve communication skills and contemplate how the course material impacts a life lived with purpose.
 

MUSI 318 – Evolution of Jazz with Eric High; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 2 OR Summer Session 3

The study of jazz from its origins in New Orleans to the present day. The course focuses on important performers and songwriters, types of literature, an appreciation of jazz improvisation, as well as the interaction of social, political, and economic elements that strongly influenced the genre. Audio and video presentations will be used extensively.

PHIL 120 – Philosophy Foundations in Human Nature with Joel Mann; online synchronous instruction T & Th, 6-8 p.m.; Summer Session 2

This course provides a thematic and historical introduction to basic philosophical issues regarding human nature utilizing primary texts from established figures in the philosophical tradition. Topics include the moral dimension of human experience, the fundamental nature of the world, the nature of truth and knowledge, and justice. Readings include dialogues of Plato, authors from at least three of the four philosophical epochs (ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary), and at least one author from the Christian philosophical tradition. Emphasis will be placed on methods of logical inquiry including Socratic dialectic, deductive and inductive inference, and other forms of philosophical discourse with the goal of developing the student’s skills in written and oral communication. 

PHIL 344 – Feminist Philosophy with Sydney Keough; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 2

This course provides a survey of topics in contemporary feminist philosophy. We'll consider questions like: what is gender, and how do gender categories impact our experiences of the world and of each other? What does it mean to be objectified? Is objectification necessarily a bad thing, or can self-objectification ever be liberating? What is consent? What role does consent play in an ethical sex life? And, finally, we’ll survey some of the recent literature in feminist epistemology, focusing on the ways that gender can impact the production and dissemination of knowledge.
 

PHIL 389 – Moral Epistemology with Sydney Keough; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course provides a survey of topics in contemporary feminist philosophy. We'll consider questions like: what is gender, and how do gender categories impact our experiences of the world and of each other? What does it mean to be objectified? Is objectification necessarily a bad thing, or can self-objectification ever be liberating? What is consent? What role does consent play in an ethical sex life? And, finally, we’ll survey some of the recent literature in feminist epistemology, focusing on the ways that gender can impact the production and dissemination of knowledge.

PSYC 100 – Introduction to Psychological Science with Raquel Lopez; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course provides a survey of the many aspects of behavior which are of interest to psychologists. This includes a survey of the nervous system and biological bases of behavior, mental processes, human development, learning theory, personality, mental health and abnormality, interaction and group dynamics, and other aspects of social behavior. The course introduces the scientific methods used in all the basic fields of modern psychology and covers alternative ways of understanding the human experience. The focus of the course is on the complex interplay between external and internal stimuli and the environmental, individual, social and cultural factors affecting human behavior and relationships. Note: Some sections of this course are writing intensive (Core: WI). These sections may be particularly helpful for students majoring/minoring in psychology and/or the other social or natural sciences.

SSCI 224 – Basic Statistics with Jamie Lynch; online asynchronous instruction, Summer Session 1

Introduction to the basic statistical concepts and techniques (including computer-based software programs) for data analysis in the non-business Social Sciences. Includes descriptive statistics, random sampling and probability, correlation, regression, hypothesis testing and parametric/nonparametric inferential statistics. Intended for students in Education, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology; also appropriate for students in the natural sciences. Prerequisite: Advanced high school algebra. Recommended sophomore standing or above.

SSCI 408 – Social Inequalities with Omobolade Delano-Oriaran; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

The exploration of social inequality will move beyond the place of individuals in society and try to understand how social inequality is a feature of society. Students will see themselves in some of what they are studying and they will find much of the subject matter familiar. At the same time, the course is intended to encourage students to think in different ways about some of what is “known” and taken for granted in large sections of society. Students will read materials that may present perspectives far different from what they have heard before. It is expected that students will be surprised, perplexed, challenged and perhaps angered by some of the material. Moreover, because the course examines issues that affect us daily, this course will elicit more than intellectual growth. Since each person is a part of the world and occupies positions in systems of social inequality, students will find themselves dealing with emotional and spiritual questions about who they are and where they fit into the world.

SOCI 320 – Culture and Consumption with Alexa Trumpy; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course uses a sociological perspective to explore cultural production and consumption in the United States. It examines the relationship between culture and society with a focus on how cultural consumption is linked to status, boundaries, inclusion, exclusion, and inequality. In what ways are cultural norms, values, and objects associated with status, class, race, gender, sexuality, and/or other intersecting identities? How is American culture impacted by global changes? Course readings and assignments will encourage students to question their cultural environments and consumption habits.


SOCI 346 – Intersections of Privilege with Erinn Brooks; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course engages in an interdisciplinary and multi-media examination of social inequality, focusing on the complex and intersecting ways that social groups gain advantage over and marginalize others. Students will examine topics including race (whiteness), sexuality (heterosexuality), gender (masculinity), class (economic and cultural capital), and nationality (global privilege associated with first-world status). This course will integrate perspectives on how privilege is reinforced in day-to-day interactions as well as in larger social structures.

SPAN 102 – Elementary Spanish 2 with Judy Cervantes; online synchronous instruction M, W, F 12-2 p.m.; Summer Session 1

Continuation of SPAN 101. Prerequisite: SPAN 101 or formal placement.

THEA 189 – Costume Construction with April Beiswenger; in-person synchronous instruction; Summer Session 3

Location/schedule: Pennings Hall of Fine Arts, T & Th 10 a.m.-1:50 p.m.

THRS 117 – Theological Foundations with Adam Beyt; in-person synchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

Location/schedule: Boyle Hall, M-F 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

This course will introduce students to the principal elements of Christian theology, particularly in the Catholic tradition, including biblical studies, historical and systematic theology, and ethics. It will address foundational theological questions, including: What does it mean to study God, and why do we do it? What sources are available for the investigation of God and how do we evaluate these sources? What images and metaphors have been and continue to be used for God? What implications does belief in God have on ethical behavior and the building of communities?

WMGS 346 – Intersections of Privilege with Erinn Brooks; online asynchronous instruction; Summer Session 1

This course engages in an interdisciplinary and multimedia examination of social inequality, focusing on the complex and intersecting ways that social groups gain advantage over and marginalize others. Students will examine topics including race (whiteness), sexuality (heterosexuality), gender (masculinity), class (economic and cultural capital), and nationality (global privilege associated with first-world status). This course will integrate perspectives on how privilege is reinforced in day-to-day interactions as well as in larger social structures.