Don’t be bored: class choices for the Spring

Screen Shot 2013-10-24 at 12.45.19 PMGrace Williams, Business and Social Media Manager

   At SNU, we are required to take about 57 hours of general education classes. We are all forced to take Modern World, Christian Faith and Life, Health and Wellness, Integrated Software Applications and more.

   After these classes are finished, we get to make real adult decisions about what classes to take that fit under certain categories. The requirement becomes a 3 credit hour class in Aesthetic Analysis, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Civics, Ethics, and Stewardship, Effective Communication and Science and Technology.  Some of the classes that fall within these general education categories for Spring 2014 may surprise you. So figure out the credits you need and find your options below:

  Critical thinking and problem solving

   Dr. Neuenschwander teaches Science, Technology and Society on Tuesday evenings at 5pm. He said, “It is about understanding the questions, realizing that reality is complicated. We—and others—pay a stiff price for our devotion to the gods of convenience and consumerism, we depend on technologies that we take for granted but do not understand, sometimes we own our technology, sometimes it owns us, and the human race is part of Nature, not detached from it.”

   On Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10am, Dr. Lively will teach introduction to politics. He said “The purpose of this class is to help students learn: the outline and particulars of the discipline of Political Science and its major sub-disciplines, the process of political thinking and the nature of political concepts, clarity and effectiveness of written and spoken communication and the variety of Christian perspectives on political life.”

   Microeconomics will be offered at 11am on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays by Prof. Mills. He said, “I hope students will learn how to analyze consumer behavior from an economic perspective, develop insight into demand, supply, and cost, volume, profit relationships, and understand the market structures, developing a working knowledge of microeconomic theory and how it relates to business.”

   Just before chapel at 9:25 on Tuesdays and Thursday, Dr. Clemmer will be teaching Historical Methods. She said, “The main emphasis of the course is on the methodologies utilized in historical research and analysis, the ways in which historians approach their subject matter, examine various types of evidence and analyze the conclusions of other historians.”

    If online classes are more your speed, you can take Earth’s Natural Disasters (END) or Intercultural communication. END will explore several different types of events and disasters and will connect learning with pragmatic and personal actions to help others and ourselves deal with the array of natural disaster risks that we face. Intercultural communication introduces the concepts of culture and worldview and examines the many ways cultural differences can create obstacles to communication and mutual understanding.

   Civics, Ethics and Stewardship

    Dr. Montgomery will teach Ethics at 1:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Montgomery said, “This  course extends the centuries-­old debate about ‘How does one determine the morality of any  action?’ and,‘How can one resolve ethical dilemmas?’”

   Topics  in  American  History:  American West will be offered by Dr. Clemmer on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:45am. She said, “ This course is an introduction to the basic themes and events in the  history of the American West and the clash of cultures from the arrival of the Europeans to  the present.”

   At 9:25 am, Dr. Lively will teach International  Relations on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  He said, “This is  an  upper-­division course that  helps students understand  the ways in which nation states interact in the post Cold War world.”

    Juvenile  Delinquency will be taught by Dr.  Colbert on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12:00 pm. She said, “This course is an overview of the US Juvenile Justice System with an emphasis on the history and development of philosophical approaches to juvenile delinquency. Examination of theoretical paradigms, current  issues and social  problems.”

   Prof. Hughes will teach the Legislative  Process on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm. She said, “[It is] a study of state  and national  legislatures with  their committee systems and pressure politics; legislative leadership;  the  legislator and constituents; lobbyist and special interest groups and the relationship between  the  legislative and executive and judicial branches of government. Emphasis will  be placed on the  operation of  the Oklahoma  State legislature, which will be in session during the spring semester.”

  Effective Communication

    Technical  Communications will be taught by Michelle  Bowie on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 am. She said, “[The course will include:] practical  experience  with  major  forms  of  technical  communication, such  as   letters,  reports,  instructions  and  proposals, used  in  professional  fields  related  to  science,   business,  English,  mass  communication,  sport  management  and  religion.”

   Prof. O’Bannon will teach two sections of Principles  of  Marketing, one at 9:00 am  and 11:00 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He said, “The class will study  the  marketing  mix  elements,  trends  and  the  competitive,  social,  economic,  environmental and   technological  influence,  which  affect  these  factors. The  communication  process  will  be  primarily  focused  on   consumer  behavior  both  from  the  buyers  and  sellers  perspective.  The  understanding  of  this  communication  process   is  vital  to  all  students  across  all  disciplines.”

   At 10:00 am, Dr. Broyles will be teaching  Introduction to  Organizational  Communication on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. She said, “[It is] an  introduction  to  the  communication  behaviors  inherent  in  today’s  complex  organizations.  The  course  covers   topics  ranging  from  communication  networks  to  leadership  styles  to  interviewing.”

   Introduction  to  Literature will be taught by Dr. Bracken on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:25 am and Dr. Hackler will teach it at 11:45 am. They write, “This course is designed  to  introduce  students  to  the  processes  of  critically  reading  written  texts   (fiction  and  non-­‐fiction),  visual  texts  (film  and  other  forms  of  media)  and  oral  texts  (performance  and  oratory). Focus  will  be  on  global  literatures  as  well  as  literacies  appropriate  to  their  various   histories,  cultures  and  themes.”

Aesthetics Analysis

      Introduction  to  Fine  Arts will be taught by Dr. Reighard (as seen in SNL) on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:45 am. He said, “This  course  is  designed  to  introduce  the  student  to  a  variety  of  masterpieces  in  art,  sculpture,  architecture  and   music across many cultures.”

   Dr. Weaver will be teaching Survey  of  American  Lit  II at  10:00 am Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She said, “The course will feature selections  from  major  American  writers  from  1860  to  the  present  as  representative  interpreters  of  American  life   and  ideas.”

   Prof. King, library director, will be taking students to Costa Rica for Literary  Field  Studies:  Costa  Rica  beginning with a class on Wednesdays at 3:00 pm. She writes, “[This is a] special  studies  course  that  features  a  travel-­study  experience  designed  to  acquaint  students  with  the  various   geographical,  cultural,  and  historical  settings  in  which  great  20th  –  21st  century  Costa  Rican  writers  produce(d) their  literature.”

   Genre  Studies:  Global  Cinema by Dr.  Bracken on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm. Global  Cinema  is  a  genre  course  in  which  students  explore  some  of  the  major  developments  in  world  cinema   outside  of  Hollywood  during  the  last  several  decades.

  If you like online classes, then check out Mythology with Dr.Hackler spanning from 3/24-­5/2. She said,  “This course  provides  an  introductory  exploration  of  classical  and   comparative  mythology  and  an  examination  of  the  role  of  myth  in  society,  the  relation  of  myth  to  other  disciplines  and  the  relationship  between  myth  and  Christianity.”

   Additionally, Prof. Bowie will be teaching African American Literature online. She said, “This  special  studies  course  is  an  overview  of  African American  Literature  from  colonial  times  to  the  present  and examines all types of literary  works  written   by/for/about  African Americans  and  is  at  once  a  study  of  literature,  race  and  ethnicity.”

   Science and Technology

   Dr. Bentley will teach Intro  to  Biological  Science  at 9:25 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She said, “The  purpose  of  this  course  is  to  introduce  students  to  a  variety  of  current  issues  in  the  field  of  biology.  The  scientific   method  will  be  demonstrated  through  hands  on  activities  as  well  as  case  studies  will  be  used  to  help  students  learn   to  evaluate  biological  events  they  may  encounter  in  their  everyday  lives.”

    Origins will be taught by Dr. Winslow on Tuesdays and Thursday at 11:45 am. He said, “The course will be an  exploration  and  Christian  understanding  of  cosmological,  geological  and  biological  evolution.”

   Calculus  I  will be taught by Dr. Zoller Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at 11:00 am with a lab at 2 pm on Wednesday. This class requires a  prerequisite of  high  school  math  through  Algebra  II  and  Trigonometry  or  Pre-­Calculus. He said, “This course is an  intuitive  introduction  to  the  basic  concepts  of  Calculus:  limits,  derivatives  and  integrals,  using  graphical,   numerical  and  symbolic  points  of  view.”

   Design  Technology will be offered by Prof. Berens on Monday at 3:00 pm. He said, “[This is] a  studio-­based  introduction  to  the  design  software,  Adobe  Creative  Suite;  projects  will  implement  the  creative   problem-­solving  process  which  emphasizes  observation,  evaluation,  communication  and  implementation  while   learning  the  Adobe  programs:  Illustrator,  InDesign  and  Photoshop.”

      Dr. York will teach Chemistry,  Environment  and  Health on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:00 am with a lab at 1:30 pm on Wednesday. She said, “[This] course [is] designed  to  help  the  student  understand  the  role  that chemistry has  in  modern  living.  Topics  such  as  polymers,  medicines,  food,  etc.  will  be  discussed  with  emphasis   placed  on  health  and  the  environment. This course does  not  count  towards  a  major  or  minor  in  chemistry.”

   If you prefer online courses, Intro  to  Astronomy taught by Mark Winslow is the option for you. He said, “[This is] an  exploration  of  the  night  sky,  seasons,  stellar  evolution,  cosmology,  etc.”

Global Perspectives

    Cultural  Anthropology by Dr.  Young will be taught Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at 9:00 am. He said, “[This is] a  study  of  the  beliefs,  practices  and  major  institutions  of  selected  groups  around  the  world,  with  attention  to the effects of missionary work.”

   Prof. Rhodes will be teaching World  Civilization 1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 am. She said, “This  course  offers  an  overview  of  the  development  of  human  civilization  from  our  prehistoric  roots  to  1500.    It  will   analyze  political,  social,  economic,  moral  and  ideological  foundations  important  in  the  development  of  today’s   global  society.”

   Survey  of  World  Lit:  Classics  of  Western  World taught by Dr. Poteet on Thursdays at 6:00 pm.   “A  study  of  major  literary  works  of  Western  Civilization,  such  as  Greek  epics, Candide,  The  Divine  Comedy,  Don   Quixote,  Castle  of  Otranto,  All  Quiet  on  the  Western  Front–works  that  are  often  alluded  to  and  works  that  an   educated  person  should  be  familiar  with.”

  Dr. Lively will be teaching Modern  Middle  East on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:00 pm. He said, “ The  course  focuses  on  the  critical  importance  of  the  Middle  East   in  global  politics  as  part  of  world  system  that  came  into  being  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century  and  continues  to   the  present  day.”

   If you want a class that is a hybrid Online class, then take International Economic  Development with Prof. LaVigne. He said, “This  course  will  be  a  detailed  look  into  the  international  world  of  poverty  and  poverty  alleviation and examine  one  current  solution;  microfinance  practices.”

    These class times and professors may change so check with your advisor at enrollment on Monday, October 28 for Seniors, Honors, L.I.F.E. (formerly SSS) and Track 3, Thursday, October 31 for Juniors and Monday, November 4 for the rest of campus.