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General Education

The Human Community

GAMST 200. Introduction to American Studies. 3 credits

This interdisciplinary course examines representations of America and American identity in philosophy, literature and the arts. We investigate conflicts in values and beliefs as shaped by class, gender, race, landscape, and “progress.” Students will articulate an informed understanding of their own position in the development of America’s national and international identity.

GANTH 195. Cultural Anthropology. 3 credits.

An introduction to the nature of culture and its relationship to language, economics, politics, kinship and other institutions in diverse cultures. The course also provides an overview of the theories, methods and ethical responsibilities involved in the study of cultural systems and ethnographic writing.

GART 200. Art in General Culture. 3 credits.

An exploratory course which aims to develop a non- technical, general, cultural understanding of the space arts, such as architecture, painting, sculpture and industrial design. Emphasis is on the contemporary.

GARTH 205. Survey of World Art I: Prehistoric to Renaissance. 3 credits.

An introduction to the art and architecture of the world from cave painting through European Pre-Renaissance art. Includes ancient through medieval art in Europe and the Near East as well as Asian and African arts.

GARTH 206. Survey of World Art II: Renaissance to Modern. 3 credits.

An introduction to the art and architecture of the world from the Renaissance through Modern ages. Includes European Renaissance, Baroque, Enlightenment, 19th and 20th centuries as well as Asian and African art.

GBUS 160. Business Decision Making in a Modern Society. 3 credits.

This course introduces the concepts of basic technology literacy, information retrieval via electronic and hard copy; along with critical thinking skills. Basic business principles will be introduced to reinforce these concepts and their relationships. The course provides opportunity for applying the skills of oral and written communication to a variety of learning activities.

GCOM 121. Fundamental Human Communication: Principles and Practices. 3 credits

Study of human communication as a process. Emphasis on examining the role of self-concept, perception, culture, verbal and nonverbal dimensions in the communication process, using power and managing conflict, applying critical listening, practicing audience analysis within informative speech making. Overview of the principles and practices of interpersonal, small group, and public communication.

GCOM 122. Fundamental Human Communication: Individual Presentations. 3 credits

Study of human communication as a process. Emphasis on examining the role of self-concept, perception, culture, verbal and nonverbal dimensions in the communication process, using power and managing conflict, applying critical listening, practicing audience analysis, constructing informative and persuasive speeches with an emphasis on individual public speaking contexts.

GCOM 123. Fundamental Human Communication: Group Presentations. 3 credits

Study of human communication as a process. Emphasis on examining the role of self-concept, perception, culture, verbal and nonverbal dimensions in the communication process, using power and managing conflict, applying critical and interpersonal listening, understanding group dynamics and problem solving, practicing audience analysis, and constructing informative and persuasive group presentations.

GECON 200. Introduction to Macroeconomics. 3 credits.

Behavior of economic systems at the national and international levels. Topics include the methodology of economics as a social science, supply and demand, definition and measurement of important macroeconomic variables and theoretical models of growth, inflation, interest rates, unemployment, business cycles, stabilization policy, exchange rates and the balance of payments.

GEIC 101. Wellness Dimension: Individual Perspectives. 3 credits.

The study of individuals developing and functioning in the human community. Emphasis placed on genetics, social influences and interaction, health and wellness-related behaviors, and personal choices. Suggestions are given as to how these factors contribute to human development and influence dimensions of personal health and wellness throughout lifelong process.

GEIC 102. The Sociocultural Dimensions: Community Perspective. 3 credits.

The study of principles and practices of participation in communities. Emphasis placed on how leadership affects communication, conflict, diversity, community change, and social responsibility. Primary focus on interpreting behavior, identifying and evaluating one’s actions, understanding ethical and non-ethical practices, and identifying sociocultural and psychological variables within the social context.

GENG 235. Survey of English Literature: From Beowulf to the 18th Century. 3 credits.

A general survey presented chronologically.

GENG 236. Survey of English Literature: 18th Century to Modern. 3 credits.

A general survey presented chronologically.

GENG 239. Studies in World Literature. 3 credits.

Introduction to masterpieces of world literature with emphasis on non-Western literature. (May be focused regionally or topically.)

GENG 247. Survey of American Literature: From the Beginning to the Civil War. 3 credits.

A general survey presented chronologically.

GENG 248. Survey of American Literature: From the Civil War to the Modern Period. 3 credits.

A general survey presented chronologically.

GENG 260. Survey of African-American Literature. 3 credits.

Survey of literature by African-American authors from the 18th century to the present.

GGEOG 200. Geography: The Global Dimension. 3 credits.

This course promotes global understanding through the study of humans, their institutions and processes and the resulting interactions between humans and the environment. The course will include the study of western and non-western peoples and their social, cultural, political and economic relationships.

GHIST 101. World Culture to 1650. 3 credits.

A survey of important historical developments from prehistoric times to the mid-17th century. Emphasis is given to the rise and decline of great global civilizations and to their lasting contributions to humanity.

GHIST 102. World Culture Since 1650. 3 credits.

A survey of important historical developments from the mid-17th century to the present. Emphasis is given to the growth of nationalism, the development of colonialism and to global events, problems and conflicts of the present century.

GHIST 150. Critical Issues in Recent Global History. 3 credits.

This course examines issues in recent history as a means to introduce, develop and enhance critical thinking skills and to supplement writing, oral communication, library and computing skills objectives for General Education Cluster One. A seminar format allows for careful examination of issues in both oral and written formats. The course emphasizes the development and articulation of well reasoned arguments in organized and grammatically acceptable prose.

GHIST 225. United States History. 4 credits.

A survey of U.S. history from the colonial period to the present, emphasizing the development of American civic life, the involvement of the U.S. in world affairs and the cultural richness of the American people. This course stresses the analysis and interpretation of primary sources.

GHTH 100. Personal Wellness. 3 credits.

Emphasizes lifestyle behaviors contributing to health promotion and disease prevention. General areas affecting health status are identified and suggestions made as to how health-related behaviors, self-care and individual decisions contribute to wellness and influence dimensions of health. A one-hour weekly individual physical wellness lab is included.

GHUM 102. God, Meaning and Morality. 3 credits.

A study of the ways in which various communities perceive and understand the basis of knowledge, reality, meaning and purpose, ethics and aesthetics. Students will explore religious and nonreligious approaches to these issues.

GHUM 200. Great Works. 3 credits.

An intensive examination of great literary works that focus on key issues of knowledge and reality, meaning and purpose, ethics and aesthetics. Discussion, analysis and intensive writing are required. Texts will vary by section and instructor.

GHUM 250. Foundations of Western Culture. 3 credits.

This course is a study of the roots of our western tradition in Greek, Roman, Medieval or Renaissance culture. Students examine the interrelationships among history and literary works; the fine arts; philosophical and religious thought and intellectual contexts. Content will vary depending on section and instructor.

GHUM 251. Modern Perspectives. 3 credits.

An interdisciplinary study within the modern period of arts and humanities. Students will examine the interrelationships among history and the arts, philosophy, religion and the intellectual ideas of the time. Topics will vary by section.

GHUM 252. Cross-Cultural Perspectives. 3 credits.

This course is a cross-disciplinary study of a non-western culture. Students examine the ways people have responded to the human condition from different historical, religious and philosophical positions, and with their won artistic, musical and theatrical expressions. Sections, which vary by instructor, include East-Asian Experiences and West-African Humanities.

GISAT 112. Environmental Issues in Science and Technology (2, 2). 3 credits.

This course integrates the study of biology, chemistry and statistics within the context of environmental issues that include ozone depletion, acid rain, global warming, waste management and biodiversity. Corequisite: GISAT 141 or permission of instructor.

GISAT 113. Issues in Science and Technology: Living Systems (2, 2). 3 credits.

This course introduces current topics in the life science technologies through lecture and laboratory exercises. Topics include advances in genetic engineering, the hierarchy of life and the rise of infectious diseases. Prerequisite: GISAT 112.

GISAT 141. Analytical Methods I (3, 2). 4 credits.

This course introduces the student to science and the scientific method; introductory statistics and graphical data analysis, with emphasis on using the computer for managing data and for empirical modeling; functions for modeling real-world systems; critical thinking skills for analyzing arguments involving data; project management. Corequisite: GISAT 112 or permission of instructor.

GKIN 100. Lifetime Fitness and Wellness (2, 2). 3 credits.

This course is designed to help students adopt and maintain the behaviors associated with an active and healthy lifestyle. Through this course students will learn the importance of maintaining wellness through a physically active lifestyle. Through lectures and labs, students study and develop the behavioral patterns consistent with the current knowledge base in fitness and wellness.

GMAD 150. Mediated Communication: Issues and Skills. 3 credits.

Study of how mediated communication shapes the content, meaning and impact of spoken, written and pictorial messages. Emphasis on the skills required to integrate speech, text and imagery into mediated presentations. Consideration of issues involving the critical evaluation of mass-mediated communication, their effectiveness and influence.

GMATH 115. Environmental Mathematics. 4 credits.

A course emphasizing the nature of mathematical thinking and the relation between abstract concepts and real world problems. Special attention is given to applications in environmental science. Prerequisite or corequisite: GSCI 115.

GMUS 200. Music in General Culture. 3 credits.

Designed to increase the student’s perceptual ability in listening to music and to encourage an interest in both familiar and unfamiliar music. Primary study will be on music from the classic, western heritage. Folk, jazz, popular and non-Western music may also be considered. Meets fine arts general education requirement.

GMUS 203. Music in America. 3 credits.

Knowledge and skills to increase the student’s perceptual ability in music listening with a survey of American music; examining relationships between popular and classical music styles. Meets fine arts and American studies general education requirements.

GMUS 205. Global Music to 18th Century. 3 credits.

A survey of the musical traditions of Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. The course will focus on aesthetics, musical forms and styles and the relationship of music to the other arts. Emphasis will be placed on historical, religious and cultural events and their influence on the development of music.

GMUS 206. Global Music 18th Century to Present. 3 credits.

A survey of the musical traditions of Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.

GPHIL 101. Introduction to Philosophy. 3 credits.

An introduction to the basic problems and concepts of philosophy-the nature of man and the self, ethics, theories of knowledge, philosophy of religion, etc. as revealed in the writings of the major philosophers.

GPHIL 120. Critical Thinking. 3 credits.

An introduction to the techniques for analyzing and evaluating information in everyday experience. The functions of language will be discussed. Techniques for judging the strengths of arguments and the probable truth of the arguments’ premises will be examined.

GPOSC 200. Global Politics. 3 credits.

An exploration of political, social and economic issues and structures existing within and between states in the contemporary global community. Students are introduced to alternative approaches to analyzing these issues in diverse cultures and political settings.

GPOSC 225. U.S. Government. 4 credits.

An examination of institutions, processes and intellectual concepts which structure American political activity. The interaction of the political system with the changing American society and America’s changing role in world affairs are also treated. The course provides an introduction to quantitative methodology.

GPSYC 101. General Psychology. 3 credits.

A study of the nervous system, sensation, perception, consciousness, learning, memory, language, intelligence, motivation, emotion, life span development, personality, psychopathology, psychotherapy, social psychology and the scientific method.

GPSYC 160. Life Span Human Development. 3 credits.

An introduction to human development. Emphasis is on life span processes within physical, emotional, cognitive, psychosexual, social, personality and moral development.

GREL 101. Religions of the World. 3 credits.

An investigation of the world’s major religions which will give attention to their origin, history, mythology and doctrines.

GSCI 101. Physics, Chemistry and the Human Experience (3, 0). 3 credits.

A survey of the fundamental concepts, principles and ideas of chemistry and physics. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the development of the principles and their application in understanding the world around us. Prerequisite or corequisite: One of the following. MATH 103, MATH 107, MATH 205, MATH 220 or MATH 235.

GSCI 102. Environment: Earth (3, 0). 3 credits.

A study of geological processes causing global change and their impact on human thought. The relationship between some geological processes and life on the Earth is also considered. Students having credit for GEOL 100 or its equivalent may not receive credit for GSCI 102. Not available for major or minor credit in geology. Prerequisite: GSCI 101.

GSCI 103. Discovering Life (3, 0). 3 credits.

An introduction to major concepts in biology, with an emphasis on understanding science as a method for obtaining knowledge. Relationships between some biological and geological processes are also considered. Students having credit for BIO 101 may not receive credit for GSCI 103A. Not available for major or minor credit in biology. Prerequisite: GSCI 101.

GSCI 104. Scientific Perspectives (0, 2). 1 credit.

A study of topics selected to allow students to participate in mathematical and scientific problem solving approaches to knowledge. Prerequisite or corequisite as indicated in the schedule of classes.

GSCI 115. Earth Systems, Cycles and Human Impact. 3 credits.

Earth System science views the Earth as a single system consisting of processes operating at time scales from seconds to the age of the Earth. Earth System science integrates aspects of geology, meteorology, oceanography and biology in which humans are an integral part of the system. Earth System science provides an important tool for understanding the relationship between humans and the Earth. From the Earth Systems perspective, humans are a part of the Earth System, dependent on it, impacting it and responding to its variability. The systems of the Earth have been in dynamic equilibrium for billions of years, cycling matter, gases and energy through a set of complex reservoirs (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, lithosphere and near space environment). During the last few thousand years, humans have assumed an even larger role in Earth processes. Prerequisite or corequisite: GMATH 115 or MATH 205E.

GSCI 116. Human Ecology. 3 credits.

An introduction to the study of humans (Homo sapiens) as part of the natural world, with important relationships with other species and subject to the natural laws that influence all life on earth. Human ecology is the study of humans in their environmental context and this course examines the ways that ecosystems, both natural and human-modified, have profoundly affected human biology both in the past and in the present. Interactions between human biology and the myriad environments in which they live (and have lived) are driven by the forces of evolution, and the emphasis here is on the ways that humans have adapted to environmental change. Prerequisite: GMATH 115 or MATH 205E and GSCI 115.

GSCI 121. The Physical Nature of Light and Sound (3, 1). 4 credits.

A study of the physical properties of light and sound waves. Topics include production, propagation and spectral analysis of waves. Applications to be covered include musical instruments, sound reproduction, room acoustics, optical instruments (cameras, projectors, lasers) and color in art and nature. The course will include outside-of-class experiential activities.

GSCI 122. The Science of Vision and Audition (3, 1). 3 credits.

A study of human interaction with sound and light waves. Topics include basic neuroanatomy, anatomy of the auditory and visual systems, visual perception (color vision, object perception, perceptual illusions), auditory perception (pitch, loudness, sound localization), visual deficiencies. The course will include outside-of-class experiential activities. Prerequisites: GSCI 121 and either MATH 103, MATH 107, MATH 205, MATH 220 or MATH 235.

GSCI 161. Science Processes. 1 credit.

Observing, classifying, measuring, inferring, communicating, predicting and experimenting in all science disciplines. This course will introduce core science process skills for all science disciplines in a hands-on, integrated laboratory block.

GSCI 162. The Science of the Planets. 2 credits.

The course will focus on the Earth and her neighbors, including the formation, evolution and dynamics of the Solar System. Students will also explore the similarities and differences of different solar system bodies (stars, planets, asteroids, comets) and the possibilities for finding life elsewhere. Prerequisite: GSCI 161.

GSCI 163. The Matter of Matter. 1 credit.

This course will focus on the topic of matter: particle theory, forms, characteristics, properties, atomic theory and models, conservation of mass and energy, nuclear reactions, heat transfer within matter, chemical bonds and chemical structures.

GSCI 164. How Things Work. 2 credits.

A hands-on conversation on how technology, science and engineering come together to produce the tools and devices we use. The course will cover many of the traditional concepts presented in an introductory physics course by probing the way things work. The course will treat coordinate systems and their use in describing motion, forces and energy conservation, thermodynamics (temperature, pressure, heat), light (color, ray model, wave model), waves (sound), magnetism, and electricity. The course will indirectly reinforce skills developed in other courses in the package including scientific tools (mathematics, graphing, diagramming, experimenting, and analyzing data) and using informational resources. Prerequisite: GSCI 163.

GSCI 165. The Way Life Works. 1 credit.

Patterns, energy, information, life’s machinery, feedback, community and evolution. These are major themes in how life works. This course will use these themes as a backdrop for looking at the way life works.

GSOCI 210. Social Issues in a Global Context. 3 credits.

An examination of current global social issues, such as industrialization, economy, work, inequality, social movements and socio-political change. Addresses questions of definition, nature, history, patterns and consequences of various issues, using sociological perspectives to examine and critique proposed social policies.

GSOCI 240. Individual in Society. 3 credits.

This course explores the importance of social structure, agency and symbolic interaction in the social construction of realities. It will examine major contributors to the sociological social psychological tradition. The course will help students reflect on issues such as self, self-presentation and identity, relationships, body, inequality, citizenship, nonconformity and resistance.

GTHEA 210. Introduction to Theatre. 3 credits.

Study of the theater as an art form. Emphasis on introducing students to a broad spectrum of theatrical activity and opinion. Consideration of the components that comprise a theater event including acting, directing, design, costuming, lighting and playwriting.

GWRIT 103. Critical Reading and Writing. 3 credits

The course emphasizes the process of constructing a focused, logical, coherent, well-supported thesis, or point of view. The students will employ research and formal documentation to produce writing stylistically appropriate to its audience, purpose, and occasion. The course also places emphasis on editing for clarity and control of conventions. Instruction in writing and research includes critical analysis of primary and secondary sources through a series of reading and writing assignments. Students are prepared to use reading and writing in their personal, academic, and civic lives. GWRIT 103, or its equivalent, fulfills the General Education Cluster One writing requirement and is a prerequisite for all WRIT courses numbered 200 or above.