Office of Undergraduate Education,
Student Engagement
FRESHMEN SEMINARS AVAILABLE FOR FALL 2012:
These are available to students who are not already participating in other special UAlbany freshmen programs like the Honors College, EOP, and Living-Learning Communities.
We recommend all students eligible register for one. Speak with your advisor for more information!
Freshmen Year Experience 1-credit classes (UFSP 100 – 1 credit, graded A-E)
These classes are designed specifically for freshmen to get to know each other and a member of our faculty in a small class setting. They are great opportunities to learn about a cutting edge topic from our best faculty while developing the skills needed to be a successful UAlbany student. Classes meet once a week for 55 minutes and provide students with an intimate learning experience designed to help them acclimate to the academic challenges at the University at Albany.
Professor Diane Dewar Health Care Reform: What it Means to You
#8637W 10:25AS 15
What will health care reform mean to you? To your family?This course offers a brief history of U.S. health reform, walking you through President Obama’s eight principles to guide the development of health reform.Specific strategies that will be used to reform the health insurance system will be examined as well as how such reform will affect different groups of individuals based on age, income level, and health status. Students will be engaged in what-if exercises as well as working through economic and political perceptions and realities
Professor David SmithLessons from Warren Buffett and other Billionaires
#8649M 9:20LC 11
Warren Buffett, of Omaha, Nebraska, is the third-richest person in the world. Many observers have debated the source of Mr. Buffett’s “edge” over other investors in accumulating more than $40 billion in personal wealth. Is it his superior analytical techniques? His unusual personal temperament?His access to investment opportunities and information that others cannot access? Many were surprised that as Mr. Buffett approached age 80, he began redirecting his priorities toward education, population control, and disease prevention, especially in developing countries.
This course investigates the various factors that most likely led to Mr. Buffett’s extraordinary success, and whether his techniques and behaviors can be replicated by students today. More generally, the course examines research findings that reveal common lifestyle characteristics of people who become wealthy, as well as the benefits and costs of extraordinary wealth accumulation from a societal and family perspective. Finally, the course considers the idea and potential impact of personal philanthropy.
Professor Lauren KozakiewiczGender & Power in American Politics
#8665M 10:25ED 123
This class will look at the different challenges experienced by male and female political leaders. The American political culture has historically treated men and women differently when it comes to political leadership. We will see how this history still influences how we view current political figures and even political power couples.
Professor Dayna ManicciaWhy do People do What They Do?
#8635TH 4:15-5:10ED 125
Have you ever wondered why people behave the way they do? Why some people take better care of themselves than others? How about why some people change behaviors while others do not? If you have, than this class is for you. During the semester we will discuss the behaviors people engage in that influence their health and explore the reasons for those behaviors. Additionally, we will explore techniques to change health related behaviors.By the end of the semester, students willpossess an understanding of some of the factors that influence healthbehaviors andstrategies to facilitate behavior change.
Professor Sean RaffertyCritical Thinking and Skepticism
#8722W 10:25LC 14
Do you believe everything you read? This class will present students with the basic principles behind thinking critically. Students will be presented with a range of real world examples to show the value of a scientifically literate and skeptical outlook. Throughout the course, we will read The Demon Haunted World which is described on Amazon.com as “Demons, UFO's, the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, fairies and the like are all investigated in this incredible non-fiction book by the late Carl Sagan.”
Professor Robert KeeseeGlobalization and the Environment
#8639F 1:40ES 232
You’ve probably heard the phrase “The world is getting smaller”. Advances in technology, including communication and transportation, have made resources, goods, labor, and services more accessible from far ranging places across the globe. A challenge in a globalizing society is how do people respond to their local situation and at the same time maintain a global perspective. In other words, how do we “act locally, think globally”. What we will do in this seminar is explore how this process of globalization provides both problems and opportunities in dealing with the environment from the local to global scale. After a little groundwork is laid down, the specific topics will depend on the interests of the class. Students will be responsible for presentation and discussion of these topics.
Professor Thomas Ross and Professor Alan OliveiraIntroduction to Science Education
#8666Th 4:15ES 144
Thinking about becoming a teacher? This seminar is designed to introduce undergraduate students to the field of science education. It will focus on issues of essential importance to the science teacher profession including scientific models, nature of science, controversial issues (e.g., evolution), curriculum, technological resources for science teaching, classroom management, and equitable education. Students will learn to (1) understand the tools needed to teach science effectively, (2) become familiar with the professional science education literature terminology, (3) explore some key challenges and trends related to school science teaching, and (4) familiarize themselves with a variety of teaching strategies and methods.
Professor Ellena YoungWhat It Means to Be A Human Person: Personal Identity
#8699W 2:45LC 3B
What does it mean to “be yourself”? What does it mean to be “fake”? How do you know when you are being “authentic”? How do you figure out who you are? The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to fundamental philosophical questions by investigating the nature of personal identity. The course is structured around activities that are designed to help you master philosophical tools and concepts. You will deploy these tools and concepts to arrive at a fuller understanding of who you are as a person.
Professor Edward DuBoisIssues in Personal Morality
#9894M 4:15LC 11
Students often encounter challenges during their first year at a university; many of these obstacles involve academic pressures and time-management. However, the average student will also find him- or herself thrown into a new lifestyle that comes with a variety of ethical dilemmas. These can often be more troubling than other kinds of stress, and philosophy can provide some helpful tips to assist students in clarifying their own ethical thinking.
This course will give students a solid understanding of Greek ethical thought about personal and public virtue, as well as discuss ways to mitigate and reduce the frustrations and problems we all encounter in daily life, by examining the ethical philosophy of the Stoics. Stoic philosophy has long been understood as a 'therapeutic' virtue ethics for our hectic day-to-day lives. Learn how it can help you be a successful and ethical UAlbany student.
Professor Irina HoldenFood and Our Future:Understanding Sustainability through Science Literacy
#8721TH 4:15LI 048
We often read and hear about scientific studies in popular media, but how do we understand and use them? In this class, students willstudybasic concepts of science literacy - civic, practical, and cultural -while learning about issues relatedto food sustainability, such as food supply, production, and consumption. Course activities will includeexamining case studies andlearning basic principles of online research.On completing the course, students will have gained a betterunderstanding of food sustainability, as well asof the importance ofscience literacy in their academic and personal pursuits.
Professor Susan HarrisPublic Health Ethics:What the Heck is Public Health, and Why Should I Care?
#8640W 12:35LC 11
Public Health issues, dilemmas, and ethics surround us. They affect us personally. Selected readings will introduce what public health is all about and will present public health controversies to spur discussion and debate. How should you weigh your rights against the interests of the community where you live? Is your community responsible for the care of individuals who know better, but persist in unhealthy behaviors? In a time of scarce resources, is universal health care cost effective and is it built on social justice? Why should you care about social justice? How much government regulation of food and drugs is good for public health and safety, and how much intrudes on one’s personal lifestyle? Where does personal privacy and choice end, and where does community health and safety begin when it comes to contagious diseases, seatbelts, or alcohol use? This is just a sample of the opportunities and challenges this seminar has to offer those who want to get to know each other by joining in a lively public health conversation that affects each and every one of us and the college community.
Professor Blanca RamosMulticulturalism in Today's U.S. Society
#8723M 2:45FA 114
How do your heritage, background, race and ethnicity influence your view of the world? Your day-to-day interactions? This course helps students expand their awareness and understanding of how culture shapes and influences daily life, enhance your appreciation of different cultural groups within and outside of the U.S., and prepare you to function successfully in cross-racial, cross-ethnic, and cross-cultural contexts. Topics covered include immigration and the immigrant’s experience, racial and ethnic identity, and western and non-western values. You will be encouraged to analyze concepts, issues, and themes from a social justice perspective. The course offers you an opportunity to heighten awareness of your own immigrant background, racial and ethnic heritage, and cultural values and beliefs, particularly as this will strengthen your ability to grapple effectively with issues of multiculturalism in today’s U.S. society.
Professor Mary Ellen Mallia Choices for a Healthy Planet
#8646M 1:40ED 125
How do choices in everyday life affect the environment? Most people are disconnected from the process by which goods and services are produced and disposed of, making it easier to develop unhealthy habits for the environment. This course will explore the meaning of sustainability, consider the link between lifestyle choices and their impact on the Earth and learn about steps that can be taken to create a healthier planet. Students will engage in reflective discussions based on assigned readings and hands on activities designed to promote environmental sustainability at the university.
Professor Sally FriedmanCurrent Controversies
9679W 11:30LC 14
How informed are you about current political issues? No, this is not a test and being informed is not a prerequisite to this course! We will—through debates, simulations and a general discussion of the policy process—however deepen your understanding of some current controversial issues, issues to be picked by the class. It is hoped that, by the end of the course, you will have not only enhanced your understanding of the issues we pick for discussion but also gain some tools to analyze current events more generally.
Professor Kevin BronnerPersonal Financial Planning for Freshman
9680M 11:30LC 14
This course will instruct students how to conduct financial planning related to events such as 1) student loan payments, 2) credit card debt, 3) housing costs, 4) automobile payments. Basic accounting principles will be reviewed in class to enable the students to understand personal finance issues. Students will be able to construct a real or hypothetical personal financial plan.
Professor Ryan King Is It Me or Where I Grew Up?
9681M 12:35LC 14
How much in your life is determined by your DNA, and how much by your social environment? This is a longstanding question that continues to inform the work of sociologists, psychologists, and other scientists. In this class we will see what scientists say about the physiological and sociological factors that influence a range of outcomes, such as happiness, health, violence, wealth, and civility.
Professor Carol StengerSex and American Culture
9682TH 11:45AS 15
Sex is ubiquitous in American culture. Whether in the selling of sexy images in ads, movies and television to the pornographic and adult entertainment industries that have boomed with the advent of the internet, the old adage holds true that “sex sells.” But what kind of impact has this had on American society? What positive benefits has it brought and what negative impacts has it incurred? With these questions in mind, this seminar will explore the rise of thesexualization ofAmerican culture in the 1970s, the decade that witnessed the maturing of the Sexual Revolution, the women’s liberation and the gay rights movements, the rise of the pornographic industry and sex districts in major urban centers.
Professor Kajal Lahiri Use and Abuse of Forecasting in Business and Economics
#9746M 2:45BI 152
The Nobel Laureate Economist Paul Samuelson once commented, "Wall Street indexes predicted nine out of the last five recessions!" In order to understand how forecasts can be used fruitfully in businesses, governments and households, we will discuss real life examples highlighting their nature and complexity. Topics will include forecasting recessions, sales & earnings, supply chains, and rare events like bank failures. We will also explore the role of expert judgment, and how forecasts are evaluated in practice.
Professor Tim Taylor Current Constitutional Issues
9683M 12:35ES 108
This course examines a wide range of current constitutional issues in the news from abortion rights to hate speech. Students will study, analyze and critique Supreme Court decisions. The course introduces the students to major constitutional themes. Primary attention will be given to decisions involving voting rights, housing, criminal procedure, education, privacy, health care, and national security. The students will research the 2011-2012, 2012-2013 Supreme Court terms using the Court’s website. This course will provide the students with an opportunity to develop oral advocacy and research skills.
Professor Heather LarkinWhole Person Support for Post-Trauma Wellness
9684T 11:30ES 139
Childhood trauma, mental illness, substance abuse, homelessness and other social problems are often interconnected, calling for a comprehensive approach to assisting people experiencing multiple problems. Using Restorative Integral Support (RIS), all parties work together to better help those in need. In this seminar, students will explore how an understanding of self, environment, and others guides the delivery of needed and effective social services. We will focus on key aspects of leadership, policies, and culture in the design of “whole person” supports. Case examples will be presented and explored, and we will begin to address implications for evaluation and research.
Professor Noah SimonHow Do I Get There From Here?
#9745Th 2:45HU 108
As students embark on their college career, the thought of what they are going to do with the rest of their life might seem overwhelming. In this course we will learn how to identify career options, goals and how college majors work outside of the University. In addition, students will acquire essential career and job searching skills, including how to write a resume and cover letter, interview, search for a job/internship and network. Students acquire knowledge in the classroom, but need to learn how to translate that into a fulfilling career. Career decision-making is a lifelong process that starts now. Don’t Delay…Start Today. Be prepared to get involved and step out of your comfort zone.
Professor Brian KeoghPride in our Past: A History of the University Albany from 1844 to the Present
#9744T 10:15SL 360
Did you know that the University at Albany is the oldest state-chartered public institution of higher education in New York, opening its doors as the New York State Normal School on December 18, 1844? Through lectures and behind the scenes visits to the Library’s University Archives, this course will trace the remarkable history of nearly 170 years of the University at Albany from its founding in 1844 to train teachers for New York’s growing population. As the United States’ fourth normal school and the first one outside Massachusetts, the first class in 1844 consisted of 29 students and a distinguished faculty of leading American educators. Throughout its history the University often experienced powerful and dramatic change as it transformed from a distinguished college for teachers into a high-quality research university with an internationally recognized faculty, an accomplished student body and nationally recognized academic programs. This course will provide an opportunity for students to handle historical documents while developing a greater understanding and insight into our proud legacy as the University continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of New York State.
Professor Jeannine ChandlerAdvice from the Dalai Lama: Ethics for the New Millennium
#9747W 12:35ES 108
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Nobel laureate and head of the Tibetan Government in Exile, is revered as a spiritual and temporal leader by millions of people around the world, though he refers to himself as “a simple monk.” In this seminar, we will read the Dalai Lama’s “Ethics for the New Millennium”. In this book, he discusses happiness and links it to positive, ethical behavior, and argues that our unhappiness and suffering is of our own making. He investigates ethics from a secular standpoint, and claims that a moral compass and its link to happiness is an inherent quality of humanity, irrespective of religion. In this course, we will discuss and critique the Dalai Lama’s advice, and explore the practicality of his ideas and their utility in our modern world.