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Honors Opportunities at DU

Course Offerings 2012-13

Honors Courses Winter Quarter 2013

The following Honors courses are offered Winter Quarter 2012 to fulfill University common curriculum and Honors Program Requirements.  For students who have already met university Humanities (AHUM/AISC) or Social Science ( SOCS/SISC) requirements, please see the list of pre-approved courses.    There are no preapproved classes for Fall 2012.

Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture (AHUM Foundations):

HIST 1510-1(CRN 4372):  War and the Presidency, Susan Schulten, TR 10:00-11:50, Sturm 258
Course Description:
This course examines five wars in American history, and the relationship of those wars to the sitting presidents. Together we explore the reciprocal influence of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson and World War One, Franklin Roosevelt and World War Two, and Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War. We will pursue questions such as: To what extent were these presidents’ reputations enhanced or damaged by their experience with war? Did the presidents control the nation’s entry into these wars? What latitude did they have in decisionmaking, and to what extent were they simply responding to circumstances? How did they understand their position, at the time as well as in retrospect? How has the Constitution fared in these four conflicts? More generally, is it useful to compare these cases, or is each so radically different from the others that comparisons are of limited use?

COMN (course number and CRN TBA): Between Memory and Imagination, Kate Willink, TR 10:00-11:50, Mary Reed 1
Course Description:
How do our human memories and imaginations give rise to the stories we tell and to the selves that we are becoming? In this course we consider the nature of memory and its relationship to imagination, both in the evolving life of the individual and in the development of the larger group or culture. We regard the self, then, as both singular and collective, fixed and in flux, determined inwardly and shaped by external forces. We look at the relationship of identity to power, and address the question of how re-considering memory and identity might open up new imaginative spaces in global contexts. Specifically, we will consider how shared memories of events and experiences in the past are produced and reproduced through culture and social practices — i.e. through texts and images, objects and sites, rituals and ceremonies, institutions, and the practices of everyday life. We will write descriptively and critically, drawing on memory and imagination as well as analysis to develop and revise our understandings. In this process we will employ on a range of sources, including texts, visual images and observations.

Scientific Inquiry:  Society and Culture (SOCS Foundations): 

ECON 1020-3 (CRN 1197): “Introduction to Micro and Macroeconomics,” Yavuz Yasar, TR 12:00-1:50, Sturm 358
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to economics, a social science that studies the workings of the economy. It has developed through argument and debate among economic theorists as well as the development and transformation of actual economic institutions. In that sense it differs from natural science, the subject of which is given and is subject to universally applicable laws. On the other hand, like the other social sciences, economics must recognize the ever-changing nature of economic theories, ideas, and institutions in the workings of the economy, just as the workings of the economy play a role in the formation of economic thought. For these reasons, an understanding of modern economies and economic theory, even at the introductory level, requires two different but related forms of historical study: economic history (the study of actual economic institutions and relations and their development), and the history of economic thought (the study of the development of economic theory itself). In addition, since the economy is only one element in a complex society, some understanding of its place among the other elements of society is necessary. Thus, it is necessary to study modern economy and economic theory from an interdisciplinary perspective that utilizes explanations from other social sciences such as psychology, sociology, political science, etc. As a result, the course aims to expose students to different lines of thought and different perspectives without suggesting who is right or who is wrong. On the basis of this understanding, the course is designed to provide an overview of the evolution of economic institutions and ideas from a historical and critical point of view. In this course, students will acquire basic tools to understand what economics is all about, why the current economic system (i.e., capitalism) is different than previous ones, how it works, and how thinkers have understood and interpreted it so far. Ultimately, this course aims to help students to understand current social and economic issues from a broad and critical perspective.

PLSC 1610-2 (CRN 4487): “Introduction to Political Science: Power and Justice,” Nancy Wadsworth, MW 10:00-11:50, Sturm 491
Course Description:
In the context of political structures, what is state power, what legitimizes it, and can it be exercised justly? Correspondingly, what is citizenship, and what values does it rest on—property ownership? consent to be governed? liberty? equality? gender? virtue? And why should we care about how political thinkers have worked through these subjects? This course introduces students to the writing of influential political thinkers within the canon of Western political thought to explore different philosophies of human nature, governing, citizenship, power, and resistance. At the heart of the course is an examination of the philosophical foundations of, as well as the ongoing tensions within, what is known as liberal democracy. Along the way, students will be exposed to some competing political philosophies: socialism, anarchism, fascism, environmentalism, and some varieties of nationalism. As students learn to read important texts in political philosophy, you will enhance critical reading and reasoning skills to deconstruct concepts like liberty, community, social contract, individualism, capitalism, the public/private dynamic, inclusion, labor, and hegemony. In the process, you will, I hope, be persuaded that all these “big ideas” are still extremely relevant to our contemporary world in all its complexity.

Scientific Inquiry:  Nature and Physical World (NATS Foundations):

BIOL 1271-1 (CRN 2605):  “Living in the Microbial World II," instructor TBA, TR 12:00-1:30, KRH 202
Course Description:
This is a three-quarter honors sequence.  In the first quarter we will examine the mechanisms of life seen through our unseen partners-microorganisms.  In the fall quarter our discussions will start with a description of what microorganisms are and how they interact with the human species.  We will consider the properties of complex molecules, including: DNA, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, in order to see how such molecules are used and organized by microorganisms.  We will consider this unicellular form of life in some detail and will discuss how humans manipulate microbes to their benefit.  We will also examine how microbes are busy keeping us and our planet alive even when we are not looking!  At the end of the quarter you will possess a foundation of knowledge needed to discuss the topics of the second and third quarters.

Labs for "Living in the Microbial World II":
CRN 2606 - BIOL 1271-2: TBA, W 2:00-4:50, Olin 125
CRN 2607 - BIOL 1271-3, TBA, W 2:00-4:50, Olin 145
CRN 2608 - BIOL 1271-4, TBA, R 2:00-4:50, Olin 125

GEOG 1265-1 (CRN 2636): "Global Environmental Change and Sustainability II," Mike Daniels, MW 12:00-1:30, Sturm 253
Course Description:
“Global Environmental Change” is a three-quarter honors course that introduces students to the fundamental processes that govern Earth’s changing physical and biological environments.  The first quarter explores the dynamic nature of Earth’s atmosphere including processes that affect weather and climate, the role of energy in the atmosphere and the causes and potential implications of global climate change.  The second is devoted to the impacts of global change on the biosphere including topics such as biodiversity, evolution and speciation, and the origins of agriculture.  The third quarter of the sequence focuses on terrestrial landscapes and environments, including changes from plate tectonics to human modifications of Earth’s land surface.

 Labs for "Global Environmental Change and Sustainability II ":     
CRN 2637 — GEOG 1265-2: Mike Daniels, R 8:00-9:50, Boettcher West 124
CRN 2638 — GEOG 1264-3: Mike Daniels, R 2:00-3:50, Boettcher West 16
CRN 2639 —- GEOG 1264-4: Mike Daniels, R 10:00-11:50, Boettcher West 16

Advanced Seminar (CORE: Writing Intensive):

ASEM 2646-1 (CRN 3184):  Dance in India, Sarah Morelli, MW 10:00-11:50, Newman 214
Course Description:
As a discipline in which the body is trained to become naturalized in very specific ways, dance tells us much about the culture in which it is a part. This course will introduce several dance forms from South Asia as a way to explore the history and culture of the subcontinent and its diaspora. Dance movements and meanings become sites of conflict during periods of cultural transition, and yet, because of dance's ephemeral nature, its relative adherence to tradition is difficult to ascertain, and thus, often hotly contested. During the last two centuries of India’s history, not only dance movements themselves have changed, but we also see dramatic shifts in performance contexts, in the gender and social standing of performers, and in dances’ religious meanings – even those that purport to be over 2,000 years old. The class will draw on materials from history, religious studies, gender studies, ethnomusicology, dance ethnology, psychology, anthropology and South Asian studies in order to examine what dance communicates, how and to whom and to consider dance’s connection to ritual, belief systems, politics, and social organization. This course also has an intensive experiential component. Through the combination of dance workshops, readings, and film, we will examine the various ways that movement is structured and organized as well as what makes it powerful and expressive.

ASEM 2666-1 (CRN2692): Murder in America, Lisa Pasko, TR 4:00-5:50, Sturm 433
Course Description:
Lethal violence in the U.S. is a constant and complex social problem that far exceeds that of other developed nations. As an example, the homicide rate in London is one-tenth of New York City’s, while Sydney’s homicide rate is less than 5% of what Los Angeles experiences. What is going on in America? Are we “built” for murder and what does that mean? How have homicide rates changed over the decades, and why do we have such an on-going fascination with lethal violence? In order to examine these queries as well as other facets about homicide, this course covers: (1) the definitions, scope, causes, and historical trends of murder in America over the last century; 2) an in-depth case study investigation into why the murder rate dropped dramatically in New York City in the late 1990s; 3) past and current sociological/cultural, biological, and psychological explanations for lethal violence, including a concentrated look at serial, mass, and spree killers, school shootings, and mothers who kill; 4) crime policies and techniques aimed at reducing lethal violence; and 5) media representations of homicide defendants and victims.

Honors Seminars

HNRS 2400-1 (CRN 2014): Che Guevara,” Matthew Taylor, M 5:00-6:50, Mary Reed 1
Course Description:
 Che Guevara’s spirit lives on. Upon the murder of Ernesto “Che” Guevara in 1967 the Che myth grew and spiraled beyond control, especially beyond the control of Western governments. Millions around the world mourned and continue to mourn his passing. The face of Che adorns millions of t-shirts around the world and revolutionary movements adopt Che Guevara’s image as the symbol of their struggle for freedom. Moreover, scholars flock to the Che Guevara Studies Center in Havana. The list is long. In short, we see the image of Che everywhere, but what do we really know about this young man from an aristocratic Argentine family who, at the age of thirty-six, left behind all of his accomplishments (including important positions in the revolutionary Cuban government) and family to try and save the world with his dream of a tri-continental revolution? In this seminar we will begin to understand Che Guevara and how he came to fight for change and then go on to symbolize revolution. To understand Che we will read some of his writing and what others have written about him. The goal of this seminar is to understand the man behind one of the most popular and easily recognized images of the last 100 years.

HNRS 2400-2 (CRN TBA): Pets, Partners, and Pot Roast, Gary Brower, W 2:00-3:50
Course Description:
“Fish are friends, not food” is the mantra of Bruce the Shark’s 12-step program in Finding Nemo. He wants to counter the impression that sharks are just “mindless eating machines”. Are humans simply “mindless ‘eating’ machines?” “Pets, Partners or Pot-Roast?” seeks to address this question. This is not a course about vegetarianism. Nor is it about animal rights, per se. It is about human morality and ethics. It is an opportunity to engage the question of whether or not humans are simply mindless consumers, users, or abusers, of animals—the emphasis on “mindless”. More specifically, it is engaging in a conversation about moral consistency and ethical consistency . . . or inconsistency, as the case may be. The world’s religious traditions, and the disciplines of philosophy and science will form the backdrop as we consider issues such as: wildlife and the environment, animals in research, service animals, animals as livestock, animals as pets, and animals as food. Throughout the course we will be asking the questions of “WHERE do we draw the line” on certain issues (e.g., which animals have souls; when is research on animals permissible; how much should we spend on Fido’s health, etc.), as well as “HOW do we draw that line”—that is, what informs our decision-making (‘public good’, logic, science, personal morality, religion, etc.), especially as different authorities provide, and advocate for, contradictory positions?

HNRS 2400-3 (CRN 2323): Engaging the Bard: DU Students and the DPS Shakespeare Festival, Shawn Alfrey, R 3:00-5:00, Mary Reed 1
Course Description:
In this course DU students will work with the students and program of the Denver Public Schools Shakespeare Festival. Originally begun as a way to support DPS efforts in literacy and enrichment, the Festival takes place every May in the Galleria and on the grounds of the Denver Center for Performing Arts. It involves around 4000 DPS students and has been a model for school districts from San Diego to Germany. DU students will work with a group of elementary students as they master a scene and then perform it at the Festival. The course is offered both winter and spring quarters to meet the needs of the DPS students, whose semester runs from January through May. Those taking the course in the Winter quarter will choose and edit the scene, help cast students and help students understand the play and block it. Those in the Spring will see it through to its conclusion at the Festival. In their coursework, they will explore the history and purpose of efforts at mass education, analyze the role of Shakespeare as a focus of cultural value, develop strategies for working with primary students and explore the value of engaging them in such sophisticated literary and dramatic traditions.

HNRS 2400 -4 (CRN TBA): Mind of a Leader, Karen Loeb, T 12:00-1:50, Mary Reed 1
Course Description:
This course is intended to explore advanced topics in Leadership by examining the relation between human development and leadership behaviors that extend beyond a single occupational or professional domain. Howard Gardner’s book, Leading Minds, will serve as primary text, in which he explores this relationship, as documented in the stories of eleven well-known 20th century leaders. Some of these leaders were direct, some indirect, some innovative, some visionary, some domain-specific, some national leaders. This approach differs from the classical approaches of psychology personality theorists who study leadership behaviors or traits as well as more recent conceptions of transactional and transformational models of leadership which promote a focus on the interactions between leaders and followers. Gardner’s model, instead, emphasizes the connection of the minds of leaders and followers through the compelling narratives that leaders convey. In this course, students will also critically examine the applicability of Gardner’s model to 21st century leaders who head nations, who work for women’s rights in Muslim countries, who campaign on behalf of indigents’ rights in South Africa and India, and who expose public policies that restrict opportunities for minorities and women.

HNRS 3991 (CRN 1802), Honors Independent Study. For projects under the guidance of DU faculty that you would like to work on for Honors credit, to be approved by the Honors Program

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