New SNL Undergraduate Courses

Descriptions of New Courses for December 2009 and Winter 2010 - Registration Begins Oct. 19

Descriptions of New Courses for December 2009

Loop Campus (Dec.)

AI 112 - Exploring China: the Language, the Culture, and the Visual and Martial Arts – (Mon/Wed)

This is a course of active learning that requires a student to speak basic Chinese, explore the origin of Chinese characters, paint with brushes, and meditate in motion through Tai Chi. It introduces the fundamental structure of Chinese pronunciation and explores methods and techniques for English speakers to memorize the sound of Chinese words. By introducing students to the pictographic nature of Chinese characters, it engages students in a process of learning through visualizing the “image” of Chinese characters. In addition to language and culture exploration, students will be introduced to the Chinese philosophy of Yin Yang balance and applies it through their practice of Tai Chi, an ancient form of Chinese martial art for strengthening and relaxation of both body and mind. Can only be taken for one competence. Competences: A1H, H1E. Faculty: Sharon Guan

Naperville Campus (Dec.)

HC 113 - MidWinter Rituals– (Tues/Thurs)

This course uses methods of comparative religion and cultural anthropology to explore the specific manifestation of religious, ethnic and family traditions during the winter season of the northern hemisphere. The similarities between the winter celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah, Hogmanay, Diwali, Soyal, Las Posadas, Zagmuk, Loi Krathong, Santa Lucia's Day, Saturnalia, Yule and (more recently) Kwanzaa have been noted by scholars and laypersons alike. In some way, all these ritually based festivals relate to the common astronomical fact of the winter solstice – the shortest day and longest night of the year and the slow “return of the light” to the world. Can only be taken for one competence. Competences: A3G, A3X, H1E, H2E, H2X. Faculty: Rebecca Armstrong

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O’Hare Campus (Dec.)

HC 108 - Breathing with Two Lungs: An Introduction to Eastern Catholic Churches – (Mon/Wed)

In 1995 and 2001, John Paul II, stated that the Catholic Church needs to breathe with both lungs; East and West. What he meant by this was that it’s time for those who belong to the Western/Roman Catholic church to become familiar with their Eastern Catholic brethren, so that by acknowledging and accepting them, the universal Catholic Church can be whole. In this course, students will learn about the three of the largest of fifteen, Eastern Catholic churches, of both the Byzantine and non-Byzantine Catholic traditions; Ukrainian Catholic (European Byzantine), Melkite Catholic (Middle Eastern Byzantine) and Syro Malabar Catholic (non-Byzantine from India). Through videos, readings and class discussions, as well as three field trips (one to each of the above churches), students will learn about how the Christian church, which split in 1054, came to be reunited in the 16th and 17th centuries. By exploring and recognizing the similarities and differences of one catholic faith, students will conversely learn about the history, traditions and immigration of diverse communities. Can only be taken for one competence. Competences: A3E, H1B, H2E, H3I. Faculty: Christine Hayda

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Oak Forest Campus (Dec.)

HC 107 – Managing Emotions in Difficult Times – (Mon/Wed)

Though we look forward to holidays and special occasions, they often present challenges in managing our emotions. The occasions for stress and disappointment, as well as peace and joy, abound, requiring us to practice self-awareness, self-management, and relationship management at home and at work. This course will introduce a framework of emotional intelligence and provide opportunities for participants to assess their emotional intelligence and improve it through reading, discussion, role-play, and film analysis. Can only be taken for one competence. Competences: FX, H3X, H2X, A3X. Faculty: Donna Younger

AI 111 – Health Care: Right or Privilege – (Thurs/HYBRID)

Nations across the globe provide their citizens with subsidized health care. In the contemporary political climate, many people are clamoring for the United States to do the same. What are the issues that define this decision? Does national health care work? Do we deserve subsidized health care? Who benefits? Who doesn’t? What will it cost? In this course, students will examine the notions of providing health care from philosophical, financial and social perspectives. Learner should expect to walk away from this experience with facts, figures, and ideas that will help them make up their own minds about the American health care dilemma. Can only be taken for one competence. Competences: H2A, A4, FX. HYBRID course. Meets 12/3, 12/10, 12/7 with two additional online sessions. Faculty: Mark Enenbach

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Descriptions of New Courses for Winter 2010

The deadline to pre-register for Michael Skelley's Spring, 2010 "Externship: Mindfulness Meditation Retreat at Starved Rock State Park" is January 15th, 2010. For information on how to pre-register, students should send an email to Michael Skelley, Ph.D. at mskelley@depaul.edu Space is very limited for this course, so interested students should pre-register as soon as possible. Research Seminar is a pre-requisite for taking the course.

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Loop Campus (Winter)

AI 106 – The Resisters: The Latina Quest for Justice – (Tues)

This course will introduce students to the issues of violence, oppression and abuse in the lives of U.S. Latinas, here after referred to as Latinas, and in Latin American women’s lives. The course will look at the different types of violence, oppression and abuse these women experience as well as the factors that contribute to the situation, such as harmful traditions, discrimination, religion, politics, sexism and war. These factors will be reviewed and analyzed in order to have a better understanding of how they directly affect their lives and contribute to the violence, abuse and oppression they endure.

Students will become familiar with the many ways of resistance expressed by Latinas and Latin American women. Because defiance has been demonstrated in various forms, students will therefore be introduced to Latina and Latin American female writers, journalists, artists and activist, who have resisted violence, abuse and oppression and, in their own way, have changed the culture that perpetrates the hostile behavior. Students will learn about women such as Puerto Rican poet Julia Burgos, Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho, and Latina writers Gloria Anzadua and Cheri Moraga, just to name a few. Students will be introduced to local resisters, as well. Students will also be encouraged to draw connections between their own experiences and that of the women about whom they will be studying. Finally, students will have an opportunity to compare and contrast methods of resistance that exists between these women and women in the U.S. who do not identify as Latinas. Competences: A1X, A3C, H1X, H4. Faculty: Lu Rocha

AI 286 – New Orleans in Song, Story and Struggle – (Tues)

The tapestry of New Orleans culture is tremendously rich and varied. This course will concentrate on two strands in that tapestry – music from New Orleans and fiction about it. Students will learn about music forms which originated in the city or its environs and which have gone on to dazzle the world, including jazz, r&b, zydeco and funk. We will situate these art forms in social and historical context and examine the complex creative processes which have shaped them. We will become familiar with inoovators and icons such as Louis Armstrong, Professor Longhair, Clifton Chenier, the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. We will also read works by literary artists who have a background in and/or fascination with New Orleans, including The Awakening by Kate Chopin; A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams; and Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed. Moreover, we will consider the role played in American history and imagination by New Orleans as well as the role played by images and fantasies of New Orleans in struggles for social justice at the local and national level. Competences: A1X, A5, H4, H1X. Faculty: John Kimsey

HC 273 - Reframing Organizations – (Thur.)

We are surrounded by organizations of varying size and purpose. The workplace from large corporations to small-entrepreneurial companies, non-profit organizations, the spiritual community, and academic institutions all provide ample opportunities for failure in communication, effective management, and a thriving workforce. This course identifies the various strategies, tactics, and solutions that have been successfully employed to understand and resolve organizational problems at the levels of both theory and practice. Each of the solutions offers a particular perspective on organizational life with a focus on organizational structures, human relationships, political processes, and organizational symbols. Competences: H2C, A3D, FX, H3X. Faculty: Michael Shapiro.

Modern Brazil – (Tues/Wright Bridge course) TBA

HC 194 – Organizational Communication: Perspectives and Trends – (Wed)

The study of organizational communication can be important to you for it can improve your understanding or organizational life, provides you with an awareness of important communication skills in organizations, and perhaps starts you on a path to a career in the field. Organizational communication is a complex and continuous process through which organizational members create, maintain, and change the organization. Two important issues associated with this definition: First, it is important that all organizational members participate in this process, and second, shared meaning is not always achieved in organizational settings. Certainly, the process is mutual, and understandings are created, however, the interpretations created or derived from these interactions may not be mutual among all members of an organization. There are at least three different perspectives of organizational communication: traditional, interpretive, and critical. These perspectives differ in the ways that they study organizational communication and in the assumptions that they make about the nature of organizations. The traditionalism has evolved from an early form into a different contemporary form. Early traditionalism understands organizations as machines and regards communication as a machinelike process. Recent traditionalism sees organizations as living systems and communication as a dynamic, organismic process. Interpretivism and critical theory have developed as serious alternatives to the traditionalist study of organizations. Interpretivists are concerned with the symbolic processes through which organizational reality is socially constructed, and critical theorists are concerned with the relationship between structure and symbolic processes in the efforts to criticize oppression and the systematic distortion of organizational communication. Competences: L7, H1A, H3D, S3F, FX. Faculty: Kumiko Watanuki

HC 233 – Christianities: Ancient, Modern, Global – (Wed)

A close reading of the New Testament reveals a diversity of beliefs and practices that developed when people of different cultures accepted the preaching of early Christian missionaries. The engagement of later Christian communities with an even greater variety of cultures has contributed to the spread of various ideas, practices, and institutions--religious and secular--to many parts of the world. Meanwhile, local and regional expressions of Christianity reflect the influence of the cultures with which they have interacted. This course will identify some of these varied expressions of Christianity and will explore the development of "modern" culture both as a consequence of, and a reaction to, the dominant role of Christian beliefs and practices in many European cultures. We will also consider the impact of the rejection of modern values by some believers, which has led to profound divisions within many Christian denominations. The course will investigate how Western Christianity may have contributed to the various cultural phenomena that are associated with globalization. At the same time, we will also address the criticisms of globalization by many Christians and communities of Christians throughout the world. Competences: A3X, H2X, H3G, H5. Faculty: Kevin Buckley

HC 236 – U.S. Business and the Politics of Trade – (Wed)

Understanding the relationship between U.S. business and government in the creation and execution of trade policy is more important than ever. In a period of intense economic change, financial instability and changing power structures, we should have a greater appreciation for how interest group politics affect decision-making in the United States and abroad and how policy choices are made. With the rise of emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC), the United States and Europe no longer fully control global institutions like the World Trade Organization. The traditional key players in the international marketplace – and the businesses originating in those countries -- must adapt to new challenges, opportunities and commercial flows in order to ensure successful global business. In this class, we will examine why individuals and countries engage in international trade and what are the benefits and challenges created by import and export flows. We will determine how business and government in the United States have interacted over time to create policy and adapt to changing economic realities. We will look at the challenges U.S. businesses have confronted in marketing products and investment abroad. And we will explore the programs and policies the U.S. government has adopted to address those overseas challenges, taking into consideration the priorities and ideologies of a range of domestic and overseas stakeholders. We will compare the U.S. public-private partnership model and interplay with those of selected foreign countries. Competences: H5, H2X, A3X. Faculty: Marian Barell

SW 224 - Environmental Sociology – (Thurs)
This course opens the discussion of the relationships and conflicts of society’s perception of the built and natural landscape. It crosses the intersection of technology and industry and their resulting social problems. The study of society includes the phenomena of equity and inequality that beset humans and the living and non-living components that we experience daily. The act of consumption and the economy of technology, over time, impact human populations, mold our social experiences, and inform the actions that determine the physical environment in which we live. Ideologies, cultural, moral and ethical values present risk and knowledge that hone the attitudes and actions within our human communities. Humans, often being pragmatic, ultimately learn to mediate conflicts (environmental, social, cultural, economic and political) in order to perpetuate the institutions and social dynamics of our civilization. Competences: S3E, S1B, S3C, H1E. Faculty: Nadine Bopp

LL 302 – Externship: Caring for Our Most Vulnerable Youth – (Mon.)

The mission of the juvenile court is simple and straightforward. As one Illinois advocate wrote “The fundamental ideas of the juvenile court is so simple it seems anyone ought to understand it---It is “the acknowledgement by the state of its relationship as the parent to every child within in its borders.” However, too often this mission seems to become lost. Every year over 15,000 juveniles are tried in adult court, many for misdemeanors. These juveniles are now considered “unsalvageable”. Over 60% of juveniles say they can readily obtain a gun. These statistics confirm there is a great need for reform.
In this intensive externship learners will work with youth in the juvenile justice system: delinquent, disabled or dependent. The course provides valuable hands-on experience in working with young people and is essential for anyone considering career or volunteer work in field of behavioral health or community development. In addition to the 20 hour service learning component, learners will understand the complexity of youth and social issues through an overview of the juvenile court system of Cook County. Competence: L10, 11 (LEX). Faculty: Barbara Donnelly

AI 179 – Leadership Lessons in Literature and Creative Media – (Tues/Wright Bridge)

In this course, students will examine issues of leadership and self-leadership as we analyze several short works of fiction and non-fiction, and other creative media including film, plays and music. Students will study authors of various genres along with contemporary political and 20th century historical figures who exhibit leadership qualities that are worth exemplifying. In so doing, students will learn the structure and concepts of the academic research paper. For the research paper, students will select a topic that is personally or professionally relevant. The course assumes a basic understanding of grammar and the structure of academic papers. Because students will practice writing and revising academic papers, the course can serve as a gateway to other college courses.
During this course various teaching and learning strategies will be used such as: workshops, discussions, short lectures, small group work, movie/play analyses, creative projects, conferences, at home and in class assignments, critical reading, learning from others through peer editing, and lots of writing. Students should expect to write and rewrite extensively. Can be taken for up to 3 competences. Competences: A1X, A3G, H1X, H3X. Faculty: Peggy St. John & Suzanne Sanders-Betzold. NOTE: The class will meet on ground for 9 weeks (Tuesdays from 1/19/10 - 3/16/10) and will include a required minimum on line commitment of 4 hours. The tentative idea is to have students work in small groups to write a leadership manual for themselves. They will read assignments on line, share ideas and discuss on line and then post their manuals on line for everyone in the class to see de-brief, assess and discuss.

FA 208 – Successful Sales Management for Business Today – (Tues)

Sales Management is one of the most important jobs in business today. It is the focal point for managing customer relations, and is critical for sustaining profitability and growth. It draws on a broad spectrum of skills and offers many desirable career paths for both entry level as well as experienced workers. Sales Management techniques are applicable in a wide variety of business settings, and the basic framework and details apply in all of them. The purpose of this course is to present a practical, contemporary framework for Sales Management. It starts with basic sales analysis techniques for determining company position in the market. From there it explores modern sales techniques for facilitating the customer’s buying decision. It then covers the major Sales Management job functions, such as Territory Management and Sales Training. The course concludes with a discussion of leadership and psychological skills that make for Sales Management excellence. Students will learn Sales Management via course lectures, textbook reading, Internet searches and independent research at the company they work for. The class will be divided into teams whose Course Assignment is to apply the course material to a Sales Management Case Problem of their own choosing. Overall course grade will be determined by how well they do weekly homework assignments and how well their teams apply the course material to their Sales Management Case Problem. Competences: H2X, H3X, S3F, FX. Faculty: Clifford Ratza

SW 235 – Yoga and Well-Being – (Tues)

The ancient practice of yoga offers a combination of benefits: physical endeavor, relaxation, contemplation and stress reduction. This course will explore the many dimensions of yoga. Class meetings provide time for the practice of yoga movement, focused breathing and meditation, all of which help to reduce stress. Students explore the impact of these practices on body and mind through independent research, reflection and class discussion. As a result of this course, students will learn fundamental yoga movement; identify the impact of yoga on the physical body; explore yoga philosophy; and understand how yoga is one component of well-being. Competences: A3B, H3F, S1X, S2C. Faculty: Rebecca Russell

SW 208 – Issues in Science and Religion – (Wed)

This course develops students’ understandings of the scientific and religious constructions of self in the modern world (natural and social). The institutions and bodies of knowledge comprising science, religion, and their overlap are critically analyzed. Key historic debates are examined, for example: the Vatican’s trial of Galileo for his teachings of a heliocentric universe; the controversial reception of Darwin’s theory of evolution; and the 2001 U.S. policy on embryonic stem cell research. Through such analyses, the course develops students’ skills in making ethically-informed decisions and thus recognizing their roles in the public debates involving the intersection of science and religion. Competencies: S3D, H1F, A3X, S2X. Faculty: Donald Opitz

IN 307 – Advanced Elective Seminar: The Emotionally Intelligent Leader – (Thurs.)

Because of the roles they play in influencing the lives of individuals and organizations, leaders bear a greater obligation to manage themselves and their relationships with insight and sensitivity. This course will examine the attributes of effective leaders in various settings and how they have drawn on skills of emotional intelligence to support their success. In addition, participants will identify their leadership qualities and strategies for developing them at work and beyond. Competences: E1, E2, FX, A3X, H3X, H2X. Faculty: Donna Younger

SW 238 – Biology of Aging – (Thurs)

Students will explore current and historical understanding of the human aging process, with emphasis on normal versus abnormal changes. Each student will select 1) a body system and 2) a related disorder/abnormality to focus on in anchoring their experiences. In addition, students will complete a project for each competence selected on enrollment: S1C, S2C, S3X, S4. Faculty: Jennifer Holtz

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Oak Forest Campus (Winter)

SW 242 – Food: Culture, Cuisine and Science – (Mon)

Food is much more than sustenance. It often defines us, our origins, our families and speaks to us about succor, satisfaction, and the winning of hearts. This course sets students loose in the environment of their own kitchens with a number of structured exercises that demonstrate scientific principals first hand. It includes classroom discussion and examination of these principles. Furthermore, students will discuss how cuisine and cooking styles are unique to and important to world cultures and the people who experience them. In addition to attendance and discussion, learners will keep food journals and short final papers or presentations. The course will be a hybrid class, meeting both on line and on campus. Competences: S4, H5, H1E, S3C. Faculty: Jill Joachim

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Online (Winter)

FA 260 - Essentials of Project Management

This 5-week course consists of 5 modules and provides an overview of the fundamentals of Project Management for non-Project Managers. It introduces the four phases of the project management process (Initiating, Planning, Managing and Closing), the role of the Project Manager, tools, techniques and deliverables associated with successful project management, & troubleshooting techniques. Competences: H2X, FX. Faculty: Lynn Royster & Norene Trondsen. Can only be taken for one competence. Course will run second 5 weeks of the quarter; regular registration deadlines still apply.

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