Fall 2017 Offerings
Courses numbered in the 190’s and 290’s focus on a particular topic and are offered only once or twice. These courses are taught at an introductory or intermediate level; specific prerequisites (if any) are noted in the course descriptions.
Please consult WebAdvisor for the days, times, and locations of these sections.
CLC 190 Culture 2 Culture
Professors McCandless and Franz
A study of cultural expectations and their particular relevance in an academic setting for participants in the Culture 2 Culture peer-mentoring program. Course emphasizes readings that explore elements for successful cross-cultural communication and examine strategies for academic success in an international comparative framework. Students apply the knowledge from their readings to their community and peer-to-peer engagement opportunities to articulate their understanding of cultural competency as central to academic success in an international context and as well as at Allegheny College. Credit: one semester hour. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
COMJ 290 Social Justice and the Pope
Professor Roncolato
An investigation of Pope Francis’ social ethic. Since his election as the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, Pope Francis has drawn upon the tradition of Catholic social thought in his writings and symbolic actions concerning poverty and marginalized populations. Documents on contemporary social issues published under his pontificate form the foundation of the course and provide the basis for exploring the historical and theological roots of these teachings. The semester concludes with an exploration of responses from within and outside the church to the Pope’s positions on social issues.
ENGL 290 Professional Communication
Professor Hart
A study of practical communication in professional settings. Prior to producing individual and collaborative texts, students analyze the conventions of several genres of professional communication, consider the principles of document design, and reflect upon the ethical implications of a text’s content, design, and mode of delivery. All assignments include discussion and application of the rhetorical concepts of audience, occasion, and purpose along with the composing concepts of writing and researching in stages. Prerequisites: FS 101 and FS 102.
ENVSC 290 Small-scale Production Agriculture
Professor K. Martin
An experiential study of managing local food production gardens using the Carr Hall Garden (the “Carrden”). Students evaluate various growing practices and philosophies to develop and implement the season’s growing plan for the Carrden. Also examined are current issues in sustainable agriculture such as land acquisition, regulations and certifications, and markets. Prerequisites: ES 110 recommended.
FS 290 Tutoring Across the Disciplines
Professor Hart and Staff
This course will provide tutors and consultants the skills they need to fulfill the goals of the tutoring program. The course combines practical and theoretical work. Students have both extensive readings and reflective writing assignments throughout the term. Credit: two semester hours. Credit/No Credit basis only. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
GEO 190 Introduction to Energy and Society
Professor Carter
An interdisciplinary examination of energy in modern society. Cheap fossil fuels drove the industrial revolution and modernized the lifestyles of billions; yet, their usage has high social, environmental, and economic costs. Students examine the history of energy use, calculations and units of energy, personal and global energy consumption, energy sources (non-renewable and renewable), consequences of burning fossil fuels, economics of energy, energy policy, and the geopolitics of energy. Projects and discussions focus on utilizing fossil fuels as society transitions toward sustainable energy sources to counteract the effects of climate change and to address society’s ever-increasing energy demand.
HIST 191 Public History and Heritage
Professor Carr
An introduction to the theory and practice of public history, a collaborative approach to history that emphasizes inter-disciplinary methodology, oral history and a variety of presentation formats to present historical projects that interact with audiences in the public sector. Through readings, discussions, viewing of films and documentaries, and field trips to museums and historic sites, students examine issues that confront historians working in public settings. Students work with the Allegheny College Merrick Archives and local heritage groups to create and publish digital story-telling projects intended to connect individual experience and community needs to larger movements and ideologies.
INTDS 290 Literature, Culture, & the Brain
Professor David Miller
An examination of the relevance of neuroscience and cognitive science to questions of language, literature and culture. Topics to be considered include the nature of the brain, the origin of consciousness, and the role that poetic language plays in the development of awareness. The course uses a broad range of sources to address these issues, from science fiction novels to the experience of people with special talents, trauma histories, and losses of function.
PHIL 290 Environmental Philosophy
Professor Steen
An introduction to philosophical ethics through an engagement with environmental issues of population growth and resource use, sustainability, non-human animal welfare, biodiversity loss, environmental justice, and global climate change. The two main goals of the course are to provide students with a more sophisticated conceptual vocabulary to make and evaluate ethical arguments across domains and to engage students’ ethical reasoning and reflection on environmental issues in particular.