New Course Descriptionsfor Spring Term 2019
Not Listed in 2017-2018 Catalog
(updated 9/4/18)
ART 228: Relief Printmaking (4)Printz
Relief printmaking is a centuries old process used by artists today for its bold and graphic quality. In this class we will begin with simple and direct processes and then develop our skills into more complex and larger scale approaches. We will carve wood, linoleum and MDF and will also look at examples of relief prints throughout history. Open to first-years. Prerequisite: ART 100
BIOL 150: Special Topic: Woman’s Best Friend: The Biology of Dogs (4) Beach
This course is designed to give an overview of canine biology, from the evolution of dogs to the influence of genes and inheritance on their health and behavior. We will explore such topics as studies on the origins of dogs and how dogs and humans evolved together, the genetic basis of diseases and disorders common to dogs, and how selective breeding has altered the anatomy and behavior of different breeds of dogs. Not intended for students majoring in biology. Open to first-year students. No prerequisite.
BIOL 250: Special Topics: Backyard Birds (2)Wilson
Have you ever wondered what the names of the birds are that frequent your backyard birdfeeder? Do you wish you could identify bird songs? Are you curious about the biology and natural history of birds? In this field-oriented course, students will develop skills enabling them to identify, by both sight and sound, birds common to southwestern Virginia. We will explore a variety of habitats and observe the morphology and behavior of birds in their natural environments during several key aspects of their annual cycle (over-wintering, spring migration, and breeding). Not intended for students majoring in biology. Open to first-year students. No prerequisite.
BIOL/ES 250: Special Topics: One Health: Linking Human, Animal, and Environmental Health (2) Gleim
Nearly two-thirds of all human infectious diseases are transmissible to animals and vice versa. One Health is a world-wide, interdisciplinary movement which studies the direct link between human, animal, and environmental health. This seminar-based course will explore concepts integral to One Health, key diseases for which this approach could or has been utilized, and its associated primary literature. This course is specifically targeted towards pre-health and pre-vet students, and those interested in public health and/or field biology.Also listed as ES 250. Pre-requisites: BIO/ES 207/207L, BIO 236/236L, or permission.
BIOL/ES 350: Special Topics: Wildlife Disease (4)Gleim
This lecture/ lab course will provide a general understanding of disease ecology and examine both common and newly emerging diseases that are known to impact wildlife. We will also work to better understand the roles these diseases play in population regulation, conservation of rare and endangered species, and also the impacts that these diseases can have on human and domestic animal health. Lab components of the course will involve both field and laboratory-based experiences involved in routine testing of wildlife and/or vectors for pathogens. Also listed as ES 350. Pre-requisites: BIO/ES 207/207L, BIO 236/236L, or permission.
CLAS 350: Special Topics: Aeschylus, Seneca, Shakespeare (4)Franko
Intensive study of representative plays from Aeschylus (Oresteia trilogy), Seneca (Agamemmon, Thyestes) and Shakespeare (Macbeth, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus). Topics will include: justice, revenge, and murder; the development of tragedy as a genre in ancient Athens, Rome, and early modern England: the effects of premodern staging conditions and practices; the role of tragedy as reflector and generator of social tensions: ideas of tradition, reception, and confluence among authors and audiences. Videos and performances will enhance our exploration beyond the scripts. (AES, PRE)
COMM 248: Social Media and Social Activism (4)Bratic
For hundreds of years, social activist have “taken to the streets” in an effort to promote change in their local and global communities. Over the last decade, applications like Facebook and Twitter offered an online forum through which activist can generate support and attention. This course explores the history and development of “social media activism” focusing on the case studies from political elections, the Arab Spring, the WikiLeaks affair, and other cases.
DANC 350: Special Topics: New Dance Realness/making (4)Rawlinson
Designed to engage students in a choreographic process and dance making with a strong emphasis on the relationship between research, performance, collaboration, and practice. This course will integrate students into a professional working environment in dance. The instructor will lead weekly rehearsals that require active participation and investigation through dialogue, listening, critical thinking, research, and embodiment all in part of the creative rehearsal and performance process. This process will be a collective manifestation between the instructor and the students, creating a group work, which will be shared throughout the semester in open rehearsals as the work develops. This work may be a part of the Fall Dance or Spring Dance Concert (to be determined). Enrollment by special permission only.
ENG 150: Special Topics: Medicine and Literature (4)Rosen
In this course, we will delve into the medico-legal and cultural underpinnings of pre-national and early national murder trials, execution sermons and other moments of cultural conflict. Topics will range from the Plymouth colony impact on Native Americans in the Northeast and the Salem Witch Trials to the use of forensic medicine in infanticide trials, accounts of monstrous births in popular print and the post-Revolutionary condemnation of American surgical leader William Shippen for the theft of black bodies. Students will read a wide range of primary legal and literary documents and analyze these texts using critical race theory, disability studies scholarship, and the tools of medical humanities research.
ENG 250: Special Topics: History of the English Language (4)De Groot
Derek Walcott wrote: “The English language is nobody’s special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.” This survey course tracks English’s growth from a localized Germanic dialect to a global literary language. We will look at the mechanics of grammar, as well as historical themes including linguistic change, the question of standardization, and the value of dialect and slang.
ENG 250: Special Topics: Shakespeare’s Kings and Clowns (4)Moriarty
High and low, Shakespeare portrayed hierarchy through the eyes of those at the top of food chain and through those who subverted or mocked it. Readings for this course will include some history plays and some early comedies. Some film adaptations will flesh out our textual approach. Prerequisite: one semester of college work or permission.
ENG 350: Special Topics: Madness in Shakespeare (4)Moriarty
Jealousy, hysteria, melancholy, demonic possession, and love—all kinds of madness will be the object of our study. Agreeing with Hamlet’s Claudius that “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go,” we will also view some dvd performance to observe different styles of performing madness. Plays may include As You Like It,Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.
ENG 350: Special Topics: Native American Life Writing from Occom to the Present (4)Rosen
This advanced American literature course will serve, simultaneously, as a survey of Native American and Indigenous literatures and histories from the eighteenth century to the present day and as an introduction to the field of Native American and Indigenous Studies. Students will close-read primary and secondary texts, and analyze them by applying Indigenous critical theory and the historical and critical work of Native Studies scholars. We will address the complicated generic entanglements of writers like Occom, Apess and Schoolcraft; the propaganda of the Carlisle boarding school; the pushback against boarding schools by Zitkála-Šá and Eastman; the role of memoir in affirming sovereignty; captivity and celebrity; and myriad other views of Native identity, with a particular focus on autobiography and other forms of life writing.
ENG 351: Writer-In-Residence: Time and Point of View (4)Durbin
Flannery O’Connor called a story “an experience of meaning” that “makes actual the mystery of our position on earth.” This class will explore how the use of time and the choice of point of view in stories and novels create the experience of that mystery. We’ll read and discuss novels and stories by Graham Swift, Jean Rhys, Katherine Anne Porter and Ron Rash, (among others) in pursuit of insights into how these two factors contribute depth and resonance to our imagined worlds and characters.Students will be asked to respond both analytically and imaginatively to the books and stories we discuss.
ES 250: Special Topics: Professional Development in Environmental Studies/Science (2)Godard
This course will introduce sophomore and junior environmental studies and environmental science majors to career options available in the field. Topics will include careers in the environmental field, the role of internships, graduate school application process, resume writing, and developing skills for interviews. This course is graded as pass-fail and is only open to environmental studies or environmental science majors with sophomore or junior standing or permission of the instructor.
FILM 250: Special Topics: Writing for Criticism (4)Berke
Film critic J. Hoberman once wrote: “Why settle for a mere laudatory blurb when the entire enterprise is available?” In this course, students will explore the “entire enterprise” of reading and writing film criticism, analyzing work from critics including Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael, James Baldwin, A.O. Scott, and numerous others. In the process, students will engage with issues of literary voice, audience or readership, and the question of “taste,” while writing across various genres of cultural criticism. Prerequisite: FILM 171 or permission
FREN 350: Special Topics: French Food Culture(4)Sampon-Nicolas
It is often said that food is a lens through which we can view the culture and values of any society, and for the French, food and culture are inseparable. Through the reading of fiction and non-fiction, students will develop a cultural perspective on the French connection to food and on the socio-economic conditions that have made French cuisine world-known. This course is a voyage of exploration into the culture, art, evolution, and invention of French cuisine through the ages. Prerequisite: 200-level course.
GWS/THEA 206: Theatre for Social Change (4)Nelson
Performance and performativity are radical ways to engage with notions of self, society, and identity politics. Who are we? How do we connect to our communities? How do we change alone and together? This class delves into these questions, pulling from the world of queer and feminist theory, philosophy, and performance aesthetics, and exploring the exciting new territories that spring up when these worlds collide. Open to first-years. No Prerequisite. (DIV)
GWS/SOC 250: Special Topics: Race, Gender, and Postcolonialism (4)Dhillon
This course investigates historical, contemporary, and conceptual frameworks for understanding postcolonial experiences of women using theory, research, and practical application. We will explore various women’s and gender issues from a multitude of perspectives, including race, religion, politics, and geography. We will also examine critical topics that will introduce students to gender in styles of communication, aesthetics, media, worldviews, and values.
INTL/POLS 250: Special Topics: The Culture of Ownership (4)Breske
This course will look at the politics of culture and examine how cultural property and heritage are defined throughout the world. Themes throughout the class will relate to identity, memory, and ownership. Students will learn about domestic and international cultural heritage laws, regulations, and policies; and, will explore the impacts of globalization and historical colonial practices on the idea of culture.
MUS/THEA 137: Exploring the Alexander Technique (2)Cline
The Alexander Technique is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support, flexibility, and coordination. It enhances performance and is a valuable tool for actors, dancers, musicians, and athletes. Students may repeat the course one time for credit. Open to first-years. No Prerequisite.
POLS/REL 250: Special Topics: Religion, Politics and the Modern World (4)Breske
We will examine historical and political implications of religion in the modern world. Throughout the semester, we will discuss the history of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to understand modern challenges to traditional religion and responses to these challenges, including the influence of religion on: law and sovereignty; gender and race; science and technology; and, identity and media representations.
POLS 250: Special Topics: Election Law and Voting Rights (4)Chenette
Where do voting and election regulations come from and how do they affect and reflect relationships of power, division, and inclusion in the United States? This course will look to Supreme Court cases, statutes, and the Constitution to explore how the law has defined who, when, where, how, and why we vote. Major themes include legal origins of the right; evolving interpretations of the Voting Rights Act; electoral design and representation in district drawing; racial and partisan gerrymandering; understanding the administration of elections; the protection or suppression of the right to vote and ballot access; revocation of the right; and campaign finance and money in politics.
POLS/SOC 323: Small Cities Studio (4)Bohland
The Small Cities Studio Class is designed to provide a hands-on and collaborative research environment for students to engage issues and projects with Roanoke, Virginia. Students design their own research projects in consultation with instructors from both Hollins University and Virginia Tech. The class includes students from both campuses and provides a unique opportunity to work with students at a different campus.
REL 250: Special Topics: Dining With God: Food, Religion, and Ethics (4)Schumm
Food customs play a vital role in many religious communities, but have been particularly key in the Jewish and Christian traditions. This course will explore the way food rules and customs (special diets, fasts, special foods used in religious rituals, etc.) have been used as a tool for the expression of spirituality in Judaism and Christianity.
REL 270: Sacred Story(4)Derrick
A survey of the major world religions through the voices of their sacred stories. We will consider how religious traditions understand and use their sacred texts – an exciting challenge since the meaning of these texts is not always clear. The course provides an opportunity to dig deeper into the texts, with the help of modern interpretation, to discover the richness of these religious writings and the faiths which inspired them. Open to first-years. No Prerequisite. (f, w, x, PRE)
SOC 250: Special Topics: Perspectives on Tourism (4)Jamerson
This course will explore views of the complex and multifaceted tourism industry—one of the world’s largest—from a variety of perspectives including: economic, cultural, racial and gendered.We will also look at various types of tourism activities, from theme parks to ecotourism, and from mass produced tours to intimate tourist experiences.We will explore various sources of touristic desire and the effect that tourism has on local communities. Open to first-years. No Prerequisite.
SOC 250: Special Topics: Digital Sociology (4)Jamerson
This course considers our relationships with digital technologies from a sociological perspective.We will explore how digital technologies have fundamentally changed our lives and our society, or whether what happens in digital spaces is merely a reflection of what is already present in the ‘physical’ world.This course uses foundational ideas from sociology to understand the significance of digital technologies in our daily lives. Open to first-years. No Prerequisite.
SOC 350: Special Topics: Critical Race Studies (4)Jamerson
This course will explore the roles of race in society; especially the notion that race is one of society’s ‘master categories’ and is a primary organizer of social inequality.This course covers the idea of race from multiple perspectives including: political, economic, cultural, and gendered.We will also explore the experiences of different racial/ethnic minority groups including peoples of African, Asian, Hispanic and Indigenous descent.No Prerequisite.
THEA 250: Special Topic: Passion, Possibilities and Purpose: Personalizing the Art of Making Theatre (4)Nelson, Zulia
What makes us choose to participate in the art of making theatre?It goes beyond the satisfaction and recognition that come with putting a carefully rehearsed performance, or a beautifully executed design, or a well crafted play in front of an audience. This course examines the art of making theatre as a way of living in the world, while at the same time making the world a better place. Theatre is an art form that is both deeply personal and gloriously collaborative. It takes on many forms as imagined by the artist.It demands a generosity of spirit to be shared with both fellow theatre makers andwilling audiences.The student will explore personal and public philosophies that will serve as guideposts along an unfolding theatricaljourney. In addition, the course will help identify the many skills acquired while studying and working in theatre, and how those skills can be applied to a positive and productive life in any arena.