Courses in the Honors College
Please note: this list may be incomplete and will be updated with new information as it is received. If you have questions about the following courses, please contact honors@wsu.edu.
A wide variety of course topics are available to Honors College students. Please check back often, as changes may occur until the semester begins. Need an appointment with an Honors College advisor? Schedule your appointment online here!
Course descriptions are intended to provide general information about the scope of the class, the name of the faculty member teaching it, credits, and texts. All descriptions are posted as soon as possible the semester preceding so students can consider their options and plan accordingly. Listings from previous semesters are located at the bottom of this page.
Spring 2021
Meetings: M 7:00-8:15pm
Instructor: Lydia Gerber
Honors MESI Workshop Spring 2021
Our (1 credit) Spring 2021 Honors 201 MESI class will be offered as a series of ten ZOOM meetings featuring teachers in our MESI program and guests with experience in mindfulness and compassion practices. Each meeting will begin with a practice session led by our featured speaker for the night. Following this, we will engage our speaker in discussing and sharing their own ways of practicing, lessons they learned based on personal experience, and other insights. Breakout sessions will offer an opportunity for students to share their own thoughts and ideas in a more informal and smaller circle.
Assignments will include a brief written reflection about each meeting and participating in a virtual community engagement event. Students will receive a letter grade.
The class will meet on the following Mondays: 1/25; 2/01; 2/08; 2/22; 3/01; 3/08; 3/15; 3/22; 3/29; 4/05.
Please take note: you do not have to have taken courses in the MESI program or have a personal mindfulness practice in order to be successful in this class. Students at all levels of experience are welcome to join this class.
*This course qualified as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Materials:
No purchase is necessary. All course materials will be made available in the Blackboard course space.
HONORS 212.1*
MESI Community Engagement Lab Course
Instructor: Lydia Gerber
Prerequisites: Honors 211, unless an exception has been granted by the Honors College
Active and Immersive Community Engagement
This one-credit course fulfills one credit of the Community Engagement requirement for Honors students in the Mindfulness Based Emotional Intelligence (MESI) Certificate program. Students will register with the Center for Civic Engagement on the WSU Pullman campus and with the center’s help establish a working relationship with a suitable partner program. The program of their choice needs to include a strong focus on serving human needs. It may be engaged with communities anywhere across the globe.
1 Credit / S/F Grading / can be taking repeatedly (up to 3 times)
*This course qualified as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 270.1* +
Principles and Research Methods in Social Science
Meetings: W 2:10-4:40pm
Instructor: Phyllis Erdman
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Overview of human-animal interaction research
This course is an introduction to the field of human-animal interaction research and is designed as a seminar for students from any discipline who are interested in the field of human-animal interaction. The course is designed with an interdisciplinary focus to help students explore various topics and current research related to human-animal interactions. Examples of topics include the benefits of animal assisted interventions, how to assess animal behavior, ethics of animal research, homelessness and pet ownership. The seminar will include lectures by various faculty, and class discussion and participation.
*This course qualified as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Materials:
None. Reading assignments will include various articles.
+ Please note that ECONS 198 (below) and the Honors section of HD 205 (below) will fulfill the HONORS 270 requirement.
HONORS 280.1
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: M,W,F 9:10-10:00am
Instructor: William Hamlin
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Twice-Told Tales: Classical & Biblical Stories Retold in the Renaissance
This class will explore various important narratives from the Hebrew Bible and the Greco-Roman classical tradition, investigating how they were altered or transformed during the European Renaissance. For instance, in a unit called “Coping with the Fall” we will begin by reading the Book of Genesis and then move to such literary retellings as John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Andrew Marvell’s poem “The Garden.” Similarly, our unit entitled “God + Suffering = The Problem of Evil” will start with the Book of Job and then turn to two English tragedies, Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and Shakespeare’s King Lear. A final unit, “Sex, Crime, and Punishment,” will juxtapose plays by Sophocles and Euripides against the famous French tragedy Phaedra by Jean Racine; the focus will be on ways in which people respond to sexual transgression and violations of social taboos. Students in this class will be expected to provide multiple discussion questions, take a number of in-class reading quizzes, write a research-based argumentative essay of roughly 10-12 pages, and complete a take-home comprehensive exam.
Required Course Materials:
Seven paperback books; total cost around $65.
HONORS 280.2 (online course through WSU Global Campus)
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Instructor: Annie Lampman
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Creative Writing: Fiction, The Short Story
This is a creative writing course that introduces students to the art and craft of short-form fiction writing. We will read, analyze, and discuss award-winning short stories, complete writing exercises, and write two short stories while working to explore and develop short-story craft elements including characterization, point-of-view, dialogue, plot, scene and summary, setting, and the use of metaphorical language and themes. Throughout the semester, each student will have one of their short stories workshopped with written peer reviews and instructor feedback provided. No previous creative writing experience is necessary, although strong general writing abilities are required to do well in this course.
Required Course Materials:
Method and Madness: The Making of a Story, Alice LaPlant. ISBN#: 9780393928174
HONORS 280.3*
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: TU, TH 10:35-11:50am
Instructor: David Shier
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
The Good Life
Everyone wants the good life, but what does that really mean? What makes a life most worth living? Pleasure? Wealth? Purpose? Friendship? Freedom? Love? Wisdom? Power? Compassion? Balance? These are among the proposals we will discuss. Our philosophical investigation into the concept of the good life will be informed by a number of classical and contemporary readings, with an emphasis on the way-of-life philosophies of the ancient Greeks and Romans such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and the Stoics. We will also consider some the ways that literature, architecture, politics, and the arts envision the good life and contribute to it, and the course will include guest speakers from a range of disciplines and perspectives, including Todd May, the official philosopher of the tv show “The Good Place.”
The main project in this course is you – because you will refine your own answers to the question “what is the good life?” The main project reflecting this work will be a “theory to practice” project in which you’ll discuss the week or more that you spend trying one of the way-of-life philosophies in your own life. Coursework will include essays on films and tv episodes, periodic quizzes, and some other assignments.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Materials:
_The Good Place and Philosophy_ (ed. by K. Engels) plus about 12 classical and contemporary readings (free online), 4 feature films and numerous short videos, all easily accessible and mostly free.
HONORS 280.4
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: MWF 1:10-2:00PM
Instructor: Cameron McGill
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Sibling Art: Poetry & Song
Do you think your favorite song could be a poem? Could your favorite poem be a song? Perhaps, though these questions may be more difficult to answer than you think. In an era of unlimited access to recorded music and the written word, the lines of genre are blurring in beautiful ways. We will explore how these two disciplines (whose origins can be traced to the ancient world) have carved out unique artistic spaces while seamlessly influencing one another. We will study contemporary and historical avatars of each genre: those who write poems, those who write songs, and those who write both.
This course will delve into the art and craft of both poetry and lyric writing. Where do these distinct disciplines overlap and diverge? Why are certain song lyrics referred to as “poetic,” and their writers as poets? We will establish a groundwork of poetic terminology to aid our discussions. Through reading, listening, analyzing, and discussing contemporary poems and songs, we will seek out as Dr. Elizabeth Renker suggests, “the intersections between these sibling art forms.
Coursework will include weekly reading and writing exercises, short presentations/discussion leads, developing “blueprints” of poems and lyrics, peer review exercises, short craft analyses, and lots of class discussion. And yes, students will write their own poems and lyrics (no previous musical knowledge needed, but if you have some, wonderful!). A final project will combine original student work, a reflective letter, and a craft analysis of an artistic influence on their creative work.
Required Course Materials:
The Poet’s Companion by Dorianne Laux & Kim Addonizio (W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.), 1997 ISBN: 978-0-393-31654-4″
HONORS 290.1
Science as a Way of Knowing
Meetings: MWF 2:10 – 3:00pm
Instructor: Richard Gomulkiewicz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
How Science Works
Most people think of modern science as a discipline that proceeds toward clear goals by way of “the scientific method.” They likewise presume that science involves logical thinking, cutting-edge technology, precision, and lots of data, and that, in the end, it proves absolute facts about our world. Of course, these popular notions are only partly correct at best and some are simply wrong. The main goal of this course is to provide a general understanding of how science actually works. We will focus on the following questions:
- What are the goals of science and how are they determined?
- How is science practiced?
- How does science progress?
As we explore their answers, we will learn about the philosophical, psychological, historical, and social aspects of science. This will reveal the central role of uncertainty in science and show how science is more a creative and social endeavor than it is a rigid method for understanding the world.
Required Course Materials:
Theory and Reality by Peter Godfrey-Smith. ISBN# 9780226300634
The meaning of it all by Richard P. Feynman. ISBN# 9780465023943
HONORS 290.2
Science as a Way of Knowing (online course through WSU Global Campus)
Instructor: Joanna Schultz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
The Hungry Plague
Two bestselling novels by MR Carey, the first in the “The Hungry Plague Series, “ depict the following: a future dystopian Earth caused by a worldwide plague due to a highly infectious fungal pathogen, resulting in the total demise of Homo sapiens as we define our species. We will examine how near human extinction occurs and evolution/natural selection operates in this post-apocalyptic environment.
In this course, we will use shared inquiry/the Socratic Method to assess the bridge between MR Carey’s bestselling novels, “The Girl With All The Gifts” and “The Boy on the Bridge” and the evolutionary processes driving the fungal pathogen, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which at its core, is the fundamental element in the novel and the primary force behind the downfall of our species.
We will spend the first third of the term examining evolutionary patterns and processes in a discussion format reading essays from Stephen J. Gould’s “Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History” as you read the novels. Subsequently, we will break into shared inquiry/the Socratic Method for the remainder of the term. Two students will develop a “Basic Question” based on a on an evolution/natural selection topic derived from the novel, which you will present to your peers using a Discussion Forum. The two student facilitators can only ask questions to maintain the discussion, as the remainder of the cohort discuss the facilitators’ questions originating from the basic question.
This course requires written discussion as a major portion of your grade, which is derived from your contributions to the discussion board forum. You will be challenged to develop creative and critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication skills in this course. If you are not comfortable in this type of learning environment, you should not enroll in the course.
Black Box Warning: The novel contains language that might be offensive to some students (R-rated).
Required Course Materials:
The Girl With All The Gifts, MR Carey, Publisher: Reprint Edition. 2015.
ISBN-10: 0316334758
ISBN-13: 978-0316334754
The Boy on the Bridge, MR Carey, Publisher: Orbit Reprint Edition. 2018.
ISBN-10: 031600349
ISBN-13: 978-0316300346
Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History, Stephen J. Gould, Publisher W.W. Norton and Company. 1993.
Free pdf download:
HONORS 290.3
Science as a Way of Knowing
Meetings: MWF 1:10 – 2:00pm
Instructor: Michael Allen
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
Observational astronomy
Project-driven course in practical astronomical observing and standard methods of investigation and data reporting. The ability to meet deadlines is essential to student success because we must plan around the day/night cycle, unpredictable weather, and (rare) equipment failure.
Required Course Materials:
One-semester subscription to WebAssign.net (Cengage Learning) at $65; this pays for telescope time and cloud computing resources. One-semester subscription to Perusall.com at $15.
HONORS 298.1
Approaches to Global Leadership
Meetings: W 3:10-5:00pm
Instructor: M. Grant Norton
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student.
The Honors Global Leadership Program focuses on leadership in a global context in areas that include the demands of world trade, concerns for the environment, and the advancement of technology.
The course content includes presentations from and discussions with leaders who recognize the importance of leadership in a globalized world. Students will work in teams on a global case challenge in which each team will select a global issue that impacts both the United States and China. During the semester students will gather specific data relevant to the challenge, then study, reflect on, and analyze the information. With the conclusions obtained, they will propose and argue for possible approaches to addressing the challenge.
Required Course Text:
None
HONORS 298.2*
Approaches to Global Leadership
Meetings: W 4:15-6:05pm
Instructor: Cory Custer
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student.
Compassionate Leadership is designed to empower students to begin leading transformational change – in themselves, their relationships, the organizations they are a part of and, ultimately, the world we live in. It is a highly experiential course that combines the elements of personal development through mindfulness practices, leadership development through the principles of compassionate leadership, and social impact through a service-learning project. The course will feature presenters from a wide variety of fields and industries to provide a rich and diverse learning experience.
The goal for this course is to leave students with practical tools to respond to their life and leadership challenges more wisely and compassionately. We will:
- Learn mindfulness practices that have been shown to increase self-awareness, equanimity, empathy, compassion, relationship management skills, and leadership effectiveness.
- Explore key course concepts through self-reflection, small-group sharing, and whole-class discussion.
- Create Compassion Leadership projects by working individually and in small groups.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 370.1
Case Study: Global Issues in Social Sciences
Meetings: TU,TH 10:35-11:50am
Instructor: Kim Andersen
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 270 or ECONS 198.
The Fall of Rome, Barbarians, and Christianity
Over the expanse of history cultures and empires have come and gone. What happens when empires disintegrate? While the dynamics of disintegration may depend upon a variety of factors, e.g. internal conflicts and external pressures, the Roman Empire certainly faced external pressures in the form of barbarian invasions culminating in the 5th century. Yet, internal transformation may well have played a great role in shaping the empire during the first four centuries A.D. as a new religion grew and was accepted. How did it gain foothold and transform an empire whose secular and religious traditions deviated sharply from the new organization? In this course we will explore this important history and ponder which lessons may be drawn for our modern world. Final grade to be determined by active participation, written assignments, and in-class presentations.
Required Course Text:
The Fall of Rome: And the End of Civilization, by Bryan Ward-Perkins. Publisher: Oxford University Press; New Ed edition (September 7, 2006) Other texts handled by the instructor.
HONORS 370.2
Case Study: Global Issues in Social Sciences
Meetings: TU,TH 12:05-1:05pm
Instructor: Mary Bloodsworth-Lugo
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 270 or ECONS 198.
The Global Food System
Raj Patel notes, “Global hunger and obesity are symptoms of the same problem.” The “stuffed and starved,” he maintains, “are also linked through the chains of production that bring food from fields to our plate.” Barry Estabrook points out, “the life expectancy of a migrant worker in the United States is only forty-nine years, about the same as that of a person living in equatorial Africa.” And regarding access to clean water, Anna Clark conveys, “Monthly water rates [in Flint] were among the most expensive in the country, and yet 42 percent of residents lived below the federal poverty level.” Using a case study framework, we will examine the modern global food system (including access to clean water) to understand the various issues, ironies, and inequalities embedded within it.
HONORS 370.3
Case Study: Global Issues in Social Sciences
Meetings: MWF 11:10am-12:00pm
Instructor: Shawna Herzog
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 270 or ECONS 198.
Global Inequalities
The concepts of social egalitarianism and “universal human rights” are relatively recent historical phenomena. Since the emergence of the world’s first civilizations societies have used religious, political, and/or cultural ideologies to justify and enforce social and cultural hierarchies. Some argue these hierarchies are basic ‘human nature,’ or unavoidable consequences of modern mass society while others have asserted that they reinforce oppressive systems of inequality and were strategically constructed for a utilitarian purpose. This course examines the foundations of caste, gender, race, and class systems within ancient, medieval, and modern periods to better understand current societal divisions and inequalities around the world. In addition to a thorough and critical analysis of the current scholarship about the formation of inequalities in world history, students in this course will make substantive use of primary source material develop an independent research project focused on a particular component or aspect of the theme. The reading materials, class discussions, and the final research project are all designed to challenge students to analyze the components of these internal structures, draw comparisons between systems, and investigate their impact on modern society.
Required Course Text:
Isenberg, Nancy. White Trash: The 400-year Untold History of Class in America. New York: Penguin Books, 2016.
Wilkerson, Isabel. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. New York: Random House, 2020.
Additional materials provided in Blackboard course space.
HONORS 380.1
Case Study: Global Issues in Arts and Humanities (online course through WSU Global Campus)
Instructor: Sergey Lapin
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
Introduction to Russian Culture, History, and Language
This course surveys Russia’s cultural past and present. This course is an introduction to Russian
civilization, presenting an overview of art, architecture, literature, music, philosophy, and film. In this course we will place the cultural phenomena into a larger historical context. Examples of Russian culture and the Russian Religious faith are discussed alongside with daily life and folk beliefs. Also included is a brief introduction to the Russian language: alphabet and elementary reading.
The course format consists of slides, video and audio presentations, assigned reading and online discussions. All materials are in English. No prior knowledge of Russian history, literature, language or culture is required.
Students will utilize research skills developed in Honors 280 and further develop their skills in creative and critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication skills.
HONORS 380.2*
Case Study: Global Issues in Arts and Humanities
Meetings: TU,TH 10:35-11:50am
Instructor: Lydia Gerber
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
The Art of Living in Traditional China
In Traditional China, living in harmony with the natural world throughout the seasons of the year and of one’s life required awareness and understanding of the life force qi and a balancing of its yin and yang aspects. Chinese philosophical texts from Daoism (Taoism) and Confucianism relate to these ideas. Chinese Medicine and nutrition, Qigong, Taijiquan and other forms of Martial Arts, Feng Shui (the Art of Placement), Calligraphy and Chinese traditional painting are all based on the concept of qi as an all-pervasive life energy present throughout the cosmos that can be balanced, channeled, and harnessed to improve the well-being of “all under Heaven.” In this class we will familiarize ourselves with these traditional views and practices. We will explore them through the lens of modern science, but also through the lens of “MESI” to see whether some of them can support us in balancing our own lives within the framework of Mindfulness-based Emotional and Social Intelligence. Please take note: prior knowledge of Chinese culture is not required to be successful in this class!
Please feel free to contact the instructor at lgerber@wsu.edu if you have questions about the class!
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Text:
There is no textbook for this course.
We will rely on journal articles made available without charge through the WSU Library system
HONORS 380.3
Case Study: Global Issues in Arts and Humanities
Meetings: TU 1:30-4:00pm
This class is in the process of being updated and may be only be held once a week at the meeting time listed above.
Instructor: Phil Gruen
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
The Global Palouse
Our Palouse region is popularly understood as a beautiful, remote landscape of rolling hills, rich soil, and amber waves of grain. It is, indeed, this. Yet it is less recognized for the conquests that secured its agricultural cultivation; its inhabitants (including those peoples historically excluded), its environmental consequences, and its global imprint.
To reveal the complexities of the Palouse, this course loosely follows the travels and travails of a single grain seed: from its germination in the local soil to its transformation into breads and pastas in overseas markets—and the people and places affected along the way. Our journey is circuitous: we will stop and explore a selection of small Palouse towns changed by the grain trade over time; we will examine the industrial and engineering infrastructure necessary for its transportation; and we will investigate cities and countries where products from the Palouse are consumed to better understand their role within a global society. We will periodically find our way back home, too: recognizing our region’s universities with respect to their surroundings while delving into the complicated, yet pertinent, notion of land-grant institutions in a global landscape of systemic inequality and injustice. In effect, we will learn to read the Palouse as an interconnected place that is local as well as global, helping us better root the remote region we call home—if only briefly.
This course is designed as discussion-based, seminar-style, “flipped classroom” experience, where instructor lectures accompany student participation and presentations (both individual and group). Active, engaged student participation is crucial to class success, and will account for the majority of the semester grade. To delve into the complexity of the global Palouse with reasonable depth, this course meets for two-and-a-half hours (but just once a week); to best engage discussion using remote technology, “breakout” rooms, in-class written chat dialogues, and other shared activities will be encouraged. Pending state health directives, safety, accessibility, and weather, the course may feature individual student exploration to make connections between the local and the global. Students need not be in the Palouse to take this course: they can be anywhere in the world.
Required Course Text:
A selection of articles, chapters, podcasts, documentaries, and/or videos will accompany weekly or bi-weekly themes or topics. Every effort will be made to ensure that course materials are provided free of charge.
HONORS 380.4*
Case Study: Global Issues in Arts and Humanities
Meetings: TU,TH 12:05-1:20pm
Instructor: Annie Lampman
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
Creative Writing: Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
In this creative writing course we will examine the role of memoir and personal narrative in shaping and defining how we see and experience the world. Through readings and analysis, discussion, and a variety of in-class writing exercises and essay/memoir writing work, we will explore the following questions: As global citizens, how can we represent our own experiences and stories through creative writing in a way that is universally understood and felt? How do we (and the authors we read) define/explore/write about the issues that trouble or fascinate us? What are we (and the authors we read) struggling to make sense of or understand about our own lives and the world around us? Throughout the semester, we will work on developing the basic craft elements of creative nonfiction and each student will have one of their essays “workshopped” with written peer reviews and oral feedback provided. No previous creative writing experience is necessary, although strong general writing abilities are required to do well in this course.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Text:
“Tell it Slant, Second Edition, Brenda Miller & Suzanne Paola, ISBN#: 9780071781770
Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Contemporary Nonfiction, Judith Kitchen, ISBN#: 9780393326000
Now Write! Nonfiction, Sherry Ellis, ISBN #9781585427581″
HONORS 390.1
Case Study: Global Issues in Sciences
Meetings: MWF 11:10am-12:00pm
Instructor: Sergey Lapin
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 290, SCIENCE 299, CHEM 116, MATH 182, PHYSICS 205, or PHYSICS 206.
It is evident that our society is embedded in an international context that has undergone significant changes in recent decades and will undergo even more transformations in the future. Understanding the interdisciplinary nature of modern sciences has become increasingly important. The main goal of this course is to help students see the real-world relevance of the various academic disciplines and their comparative strengths and weaknesses by looking at the history of several scientific inventions. It is well known that many famous scientists of the past were known as homo universalis, being able to work successfully in very diverse fields. We will then turn to modern society and look at several cases where scientists from different disciplines join forces to address complex global issues, such as environmental, ecological, and global health problems. We will also discuss the cultural and social impacts of scientific research and relations between the liberal arts and sciences. This course is designed for both science and non-science majors and will require student collaboration to understand the complex, interdisciplinary nature of global issues.
HONORS 390.2*
Case Study: Global Issues in Sciences
Meetings: W 4:30-7:00pm
Instructor: Lydia Gerber
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 290, SCIENCE 299, CHEM 116, MATH 182, PHYSICS 205, or PHYSICS 206.
The Practice, Science and History of Mindfulness
Mindfulness, defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn as “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” is an inherent human capacity, cultivated throughout history. Mindfulness training enhances one’s ability to cope with anxiety and stress, decreases the likelihood of burnout in challenging professions, and has a beneficial effect on overall health. Among mindfulness training programs Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, stands out as a program that has been rigorously researched for its safety and effectiveness. This class invites students to explore the practice (following the eight-week program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn) and the growing field of published research on MBSR in academic disciplines ranging from Psychology and Education to Neuroscience and Cell Biology.
The instructor has received her training in MBSR through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She has been teaching classes in the Pullman community and at WSU since 2012 and is looking forward to working with you! Please feel free to contact her at lgerber@wsu.edu if you have questions about the class!
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Text:
There is no textbook for this course.
We will rely on journal articles made available without charge through the WSU Library system.
HONORS 390.3
Case Study: Global Issues in Sciences (online course through WSU Global Campus)
Instructor: Joanna Schultz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 290, SCIENCE 299, CHEM 116, MATH 182, PHYSICS 205, or PHYSICS 206.
The Catastrophe of Man
Imagine living in a future dystopian Earth following the consequences of cataclysmic climate change, disease, food shortages, extinction, de-extinction, bioterrorism, GMOs, and class stratification. The world is reliant on genetic/bio-engineered products, including foods, human organs, medicines, genetically engineered plants and animals, and even beauty treatments generated and marketed by large corporations, who employ scientists and all the required personnel necessary to market these products. These employees live well in secure, guarded compounds. The remainder of the human population persist outside these pristine, fenced areas at various income levels in the pleeblands and all live at risk. A bio-engineered worldwide plague breaks down the entire infrastructure, killing most Homo sapiens. One man remains, who believes he is the last human and he becomes guardian to a new, genetically engineered, human species known as the Crakers, engineered to succeed under Earth’s hostile conditions. In this course, we will explore many issues raised by Margaret Atwood in “Oryx and Crake”, with genetics/bio-engineering and climate change at the core of our discussions all at the scientific, economic, social, and ethical levels.
We will be using an approach called shared inquiry/the Socratic Method. Two students will develop a “Basic Question” based on a topic derived from the novel, which you will present to your peers using a Discussion Forum. The two student facilitators can only ask questions to maintain the discussion, as the remainder of the cohort discuss the facilitators’ questions originating from the basic question.
This course requires written discussion as a major portion of your grade, which is derived from your contributions to the discussion board forum. You will be challenged to develop creative and critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication skills in this course. If you are not comfortable in this type of learning environment, you should not enroll in the course.
Black Box Warning: The novel contains language that might be offensive to some students (R-rated).
Required Course Material:
“Oryx and Crake” by Margaret Atwood. 2004.
Publisher: Anchor, Reprint Edition
ISBN-10: 0385721676
ISBN-13: 978-0385721677
HONORS 390.4
Case Study: Global Issues in Sciences
Meetings: TU,TH 1:30-2:45pm
Instructor: M. Grant Norton
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 290, SCIENCE 299, CHEM 116, MATH 182, PHYSICS 205, or PHYSICS 206.
What A Load of Rubbish
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris that extends for more than 1.6 million square kilometers. The majority of the debris is plastic waste that finds its way from land-based activities into the ocean. In this course, we will look at the following questions:
- What is plastic?
- Why does so much of it end up in the ocean or in land fills?
- Why doesn’t plastic biodegrade?
- How can we reduce our consumption and disposal of plastic?
By completing a “plastics inventory” at the beginning and at the end of the course students will identify how much plastic they use and what might be some possible alternatives. A group project performed throughout the semester will examine how cities in the United States and around the world deal with waste.
The course will also look at issues related to the extraction of critical minerals such as Coltan (a source of tantalum), which is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo and fueled a vicious armed conflict and nickel, which is mined in Guatemala creating an environmental nightmare in the surrounding Mayan villages. These metals, and many others, are essential components of our modern technology. We will look at why we need these materials, are there more sustainable alternatives, and what role, if any, is recycling playing.
Required Course Text:
None
HONORS 398.1
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar (online course through WSU Global Campus)
Instructor: Annie Lampman
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
This is a seminar-style course with the purpose of assisting and supporting each participant in completing his/her Honors thesis proposal. In the course, you will generate an Honors thesis topic, formulate your thesis question, identify a thesis advisor, and prepare you thesis proposal. We will discuss ways to structure your thesis, perform research, and evaluate the information you obtain in relation to your chosen topic. During the course, we will discuss and constructively support and critique projects as they develop in the proposals. Each student will present their proposal to the class, and submit a complete proposal—including title, introduction, research question, methodology, and annotated bibliography—as a final product. S/F grading.
HONORS 398.2
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
Meetings: W 10:10-11:00am
Instructor: Joanna Schultz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
This seminar-style course is designed to assist and support you in the development and completion of your Honors College thesis proposal. The course prepares you to successfully complete your final thesis research and presentation requirements of the Honors College. We will perform a step-wise process in the completion of your proposal, from generating preliminary ideas, finding suitable thesis advisors, submitting a thesis draft, which I thoroughly edit from Introduction through Conclusions to assist in your successful completion and submission of a quality proposal. During the course, each thesis proposal will be constructively criticized during collaborative peer review sessions. You will give a 10-minute formal presentation on your proposal in class. Your peers will provide feedback on your proposed research following the presentation. At the end of class, your final thesis proposal will include a Title, Introduction, Research Question/Hypothesis (or Creative Project), Materials and Methods (Methodology), Expected Results derived from your preliminary literature review, Conclusions, and Bibliography/References. You are graded as S/F in this course.
HONORS 398.4
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
Meetings: TH 1:30-2:20pm
Instructor: Kim Andersen
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
This is a seminar with the purpose of assisting and supporting each participant in completing his/her Honors thesis proposal. By the end of the course you will be ready to submit your Honors thesis proposal for approval and to initiate your thesis research. In the course, you will learn how to generate an Honors thesis topic, how to formulate a thesis question, how to identify a thesis advisor, and how to prepare the thesis proposal. In addition, we will discuss ways to structure your thesis, how to perform a literature search, and how to evaluate the information you obtain in relation to your chosen topic. During the course we will discuss and constructively support and critique projects as they develop in the proposals. Each student will submit a complete proposal including title, introduction, research question, methodology, preliminary annotated bibliography, as a final product. S/F grading.
Required Course Text:
Required text: Writing A Successful Research Paper: A Simple Approach by Stanley Chodorow. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Co., ISBN: 978-1-60384-440-6
ECONS 198.1 +
Economics Honors
Meetings: M,W,F 12:10-1:00pm
Instructor: Pat Kuzyk
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Enrollment in ECONS 198 is not allowed if credit has already been earned for ECONS 101 and 102.
Principles of Economics
This is an introductory course that covers principles of both micro and macroeconomics. My goal is for the student to learn, rigorously, the concepts that are crucial for her to understand how our political-economic system works. An organizing theme of the course is the question ‘under what circumstances are individual self-interest and the public good aligned, and when are they in conflict?’ Economic theory offers numerous insights into these important questions.
Students will be introduced to the methodology of economic research, and they will learn to apply economic principles to real-world examples.
+ Please complete our online form to request enrollment into restricted courses, H_D 205, HONORS 300-level courses for which you have exception credit for the prerequisite course.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 205.7* +
Meetings: T, TH, 1:30-2:45pm
Instructor: Mary Kay Patton
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Life Skills and Communication: Creating a rich, full and meaningful life
Why study communication and life skills? We all have hopes and dreams, goals and aspirations, values and visions. HD205 is designed to support you in moving in your desired direction and creating a life that is rich, full and meaningful. When employers are asked what they are looking for in new university graduates, an overwhelming majority vocalize the importance of skills that cut across disciplines, such as flexibility in response to change, conflict management, self-awareness, self-management, and effective communication. In this course, we will work together to gain the skills necessary to successfully navigate a college career, build long lasting relationships, and create clarity about what is important for you.
Course Overview: HD205 is an interpersonal communication course that uses engagement and reflection to enhance your ability to communicate effectively with others. Through activities designed to enhance self-awareness and self-management, we will explore who you are and how you want to be both personally and professionally. This highly interactive course utilizes a workshop format where students practice communication in an active learning model. We’ll meet twice a week with the collective group in an interactive synchronous Zoom setting. You will also be meeting with a smaller cohort of your peers in a weekly lab session. The labs will be offered at a time that works with your schedule and will be set up during the first week of class.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
+ Please complete our online form to request enrollment into restricted courses, H_D 201, HONORS 300-level courses for which you have exception credit for the prerequisite course.
ENGL 298
Writing and Research Honors
Multiple Sections, see courses at schedules.wsu.edu