Spring 2007

HON 151 Contemporary Issues in Science and Technology

01 Dr. Martin Farley

M/W 2:30-3:45

Dinosaurs and the world they lived in

Course deals with:

What is a dinosaur?

What kinds of dinosaurs are there?

How did dinosaurs live (how big were they, how fast could they move,

how smart were they, were they warm-blooded?)

What was the world (environment) like in which they lived?

And how we can determine these things

We will have "lab" (hands-on) exercises for a number of these topics and students will give a presentation on some topic on dinosaurs.

HON 201 Humanistic Tradition II: From Baroque to the Present

01 Dr. Monika Brown

M/F 10:00-11:15

An interdisciplinary seminar in humanities, arts, and media that surveys, within historical and cultural contexts, a selection of enduring works of art, architecture, literature, music, film, and philosophy. Studied are creative works, from Western nations and representative global cultures, that illustrate and contribute to the development of Western cultures. Honors 201 focuses on significant artifacts of our enduring cultural legacy from the last four hundred years. from the Reformation, Baroque, and Enlightenment, through Nineteenth-Century Romanticism and Realism, to Modernism and the Postmodern. These humanistic achievements have shaped modern civilization: our social and political and religious institutions, our ways of studying and interpreting reality, our ideas and values, and our arts and media.

HON 275 The Individual in Society

01 Dr. Mario Paparozzi

MWF 12:30-1:20

A basic premise of social life is that individuals develop in a variety of social contexts. Societies can impede or foster the individual growth of its members. The reaction of individuals to social forces, which include social structures, social institutions, and individual interactions, shape and construct the everyday realities of social life.

In this course, we will examine how and why societies evolve in the manner that they do. We will also undertake a detailed analysis of common societal forces that are created by and for the benefit individuals, but which often transform into individual and societal albatrosses. One of the principle goals of the course is to understand how individuals can contribute to the creation of desirable futures and foster the development of civil society. Students will be expected to develop an understanding of how an individual’s membership in subgroups shapes their visions of and beliefs about themselves.

By the end of the semester students will be exposed to major theoretical approaches involving the relationship between individuals and the societies in which they live. Particular emphasis will be placed on theories drawn from sociology and social psychology.

ENG 106 Composition II: Honors

90 Dr. Kim Gunter

T/R 2:00-3:15

Race. Gender. Money. Geography. Politics. In what country do these factors decide who gets the death penalty more than the guilt or innocence of the accused? In the United States. Enroll in this course to learn the facts and figures about capital punishment in today's America. The course includes a field trip to Raleigh's Central Prison and a tour of North Carolina's death row as well as guest speakers and documentary films. Ultimately, students will be charged with defending their positions, be they in favor of or against this most ultimate of state-sanctioned punishments.

91 Dr. Anita Guynn

T/R 2:00-3:15

Do you know how to move out of an apartment on two days' notice? Have a favorite restaurant in Paris? Have calendars and desk organizers in your home? Your answers to these questions, along with the size of your paycheck, may be indicators of your class standing in US society. Class may be the only thing Americans are more reluctant to talk about than race -- let's talk about it, and about how class is complicated by race and gender.

BIO 100 Principles of Biology: Honors

90 Dr. Bonnie Kelly

MWF 9:00-9:50

This course will satisfy the General Education requirement for a Natural Science. Since it is a Gen Ed course it must adhere to the goals and objectives of that program, so the course follows the same general outline of all BIO 100 sections covering Organic Molecules, Cell Structure and Function, Genetics, Ecology, and Evolution. However, since students in the Honors College have better backgrounds in Biology than the average Freshman (some having had AP Biology), additional material is incorporated to expand on the basic knowledge base, specifically addressing more current topics like genetic engineering and loss of biodiversity and more controversial topics like stem cell research and human evolution. The Science Tuesday section of the NY Times, case studies, and web assignments are used to stimulate discussion and students are encouraged to be active learners.

PHI 100 Introduction to Philosophy: Honors

90 Dr. Jeffery Geller

T/R 12:30-1:45

In PHI 100 next semester, we will read and discuss several figures in the Modern period, which saw the rise of science, historical consciousness, and individualism. Modernism for philosophy is different from modernism in art, music, and literature. As opposed to those fields, whose modern periods began around 1900, philosophical Modernism began around 1600 with a challenge to dogmatic beliefs inherited from the Middle Ages. Beginning with such thinkers as Rene Descartes and Francis Bacon, the new period was called by its proponents the Enlightenment. Students will come away with an appreciation of the origins of the Enlightenment, an idea of the variety of thought patterns it generated, and a better understanding of the patterns of thinking characteristic of our time today. At each step along the way, we will cast a critical eye on the ideas we examine. Students will be able to improve their critical thinking skills while also finding out about the historical pedigree of ideas that we often take for granted, ideas like objectivity, democracy, and individual initiative.

ECN 100 Economics of Social Issues: Honors

90 Dr. Charles Harrington

T/R 11:00-12:15

The goal of this course is to use economics as a window to observe social behavior and analyze pertinent social issues. A broad range of issues will be addressed to facilitate an understanding of the role of economics and its relationship to cultural development and social policies. Economic thinking applied to persistent economic problems and issues in a market economy. Emphasis on implications for government policy rather than on the underlying theory. Topics include the nature of an economic system, demand and supply, monopolies, pollution and public goods, ethics and law, unemployment, inflation, the Federal Reserve System and money. In addition, class time will be spent discussing relevant current issues which arise, whether economic, social, or political.

MAT 221 Calculus I: Honors

90 Dr. Steve Bourquin

M/W 4:00-5:15

A study of functions of one variable, topics from analytic geometry, limits and continuity; differentiation of algebraic functions, curve sketching, various applications chosen from physics, economics and optimization.