First-Year Seminars
First-year Seminars are specially designed courses enrolling only new first-year students in a discussion-based seminar setting. The topics are unique and interdisciplinary in approach, and the seminars each fulfill a part of the Liberal Education Program curriculum.
Each of our seminars has a dedicated peer mentor who is a sophomore or junior student who has been trained to support new students both in the classroom and outside of it. You won’t ever have the chance to take these courses again, so have a look and find the one that’s right for you!
COLL 196-01: Cultural Intelligence: How we come together
Professor: Shawn Williams
Cultural Intelligence Theory focuses on social institutions and the role they play in people’s lives. This course invites students to focus on contemporary issues, identify barriers and begin to develop and explore solutions to hurdles to connecting with others from different areas of life, both face-to-face and virtually. Students will gain a deeper understanding of self and society and acquire tools to enhance their interactions among their peers.
This course satisfies 3 credits in the Liberal Education Goal Area 5: History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
COLL 197-01: The Art of War, The Craft of Peace
Professor: Geoffrey Tabakin
Despite a common desire for peace, our world is filled with war and violent conflict. From the glorification of war and the heroic to the art of peace movements, we will focus on examples of how aspects of social justice and human rights have been portrayed in literature, dance, music, performance and visual arts. Our adventure will be to explore the ways in which the arts address social justice and human rights and provide a space of resistance, reconciliation, and restoration.
This course satisfies 3 credits in the Liberal Education Goal Area 6: The Humanities and Fine Arts.
COLL 197, 04: Hate Hurts: Understanding Racism and Sexism
Professor: Christine Metzo
In a world where many become marginalized by virtue of some aspect of their identities, this course invites you to reflect on belief structures and everyday practices, which both contribute to and challenge that marginalization. Through both critical and creative projects, students will explore the moral, political, and existential implications for their own lives and how they navigate their own paths through the challenges of our contemporary world.
This course satisfies 3 credits in the Liberal Education Goal Area 6: The Humanities and Fine Arts.