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APPROVED THEMES FOR FALL 2015

Intersections: Race, Class, and GenderTheme Coordinator: Cameron D. Lippard ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

ANT 2420: Gender, Race, and ClassENG 2130: Ethnic American LiteratureMUS 2023: Music and GenderPHL 3050: Philosophy of RacePS 3410: MarxismSOC 2XXX: Social InequalitiesSW 2615: Culture Competence in the Helping ProfessionsWS 2421: Sex, Gender, Power

Theme Description: Intersections provides a multi-disciplinary examination of the nuances and complexities of social identities across varying social contexts. Particularly, courses will focus on the unique social intersections of race, class, and gender to explore their constructions and variations across local and global cultures. Courses will also question and analyze the multiple systems of privilege, oppression, and discrimination that accompany these various social identities and how they impact human behavior and life chances for individuals.

Theme Shared Learning Outcome(s):

1. Think Critically and Creatively:a. Students will develop essential knowledge to define and discern various

social identities across social contexts;b. Students will distinguish the ways in which the intersections of race, class,

and gender shape individual and groups;c. Students will cultivate an awareness of pre-existing biases and consider

other perspectives concerning social identities;d. Students will be able to synthesize various perspectives and data to

evaluate effectively the disparities groups face due to their social identities.

2. Making Local to Global Connections:a. Students will develop knowledge of human diversity across social

contexts;b. Students will develop knowledge about contemporary local and global

issues as they relate to various social identities;c. Students will be able to identify the ways in which various social identities

operate within local and global systems.

mailto:[email protected]

Form(s) of Integration for Theme:

1. The courses in this theme will use a conceptual toolbox. As faculty and disciplines may approach these concepts through different questions and points of view, students will be encourage to think critically and come to a complex understanding of issues involved in understanding and using these concepts. The concepts, and some sample topics and perspectives through which we might approach these questions are as follows:

a. Culture—history of term, uses of the term in various fields.b. Categories of Identity and Difference—race, ethnicity, gender, caste,

class religion; how these categories are used and constructed and how they vary historically and conceptually.

c. Ethics and Politics of Diversity—ethnocentrism, relativism, diversity, multiculturalism; prejudice, discrimination, ethnic cleansing, heteronormativity, racism, sexism, and all the other “isms.”

d. Power—privilege, oppression, resistance, hegemony, social movements, forms of social and political organization, culture as hegemony, discourses of equality and hierarchy.

e. Social Context—the immediate physical and social setting in which people live or in which something happens or develops. It includes the culture that the individual was socialized or lives in, and the people and institutions with whom they interact.

2. Instructors will also require students to attend at one on- or off-campus event sponsored by the Multicultural Student Development, Women’s Studies, The Women’s Center, Global Studies, the LGBT Center, the Queer Film Series, Humanities Council, the International Film Series, or others as identified by the individual instructors. The selected event will highlight topics discussed in each of the courses and focus on how they inform the disciplinary explanations of race, class, and gender.

Revolutions: Social and PoliticalTheme Coordinator: Ed Behrend-Martinez ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

MUS 2015: History of Rock MusicART 2019: Art for Social ChangeTHR 2017: Theater for Social ChangeHIS 1501: Revolution and Social Change in World HistoryPHL 3030: Feminist PhilosophyHIS 2340: Modern East AsiaSOC 1100: Social Problems in American SocietyIDS 3650: Marx’s Capital

Theme Description: This theme examines the critical role of political, social, and cultural revolutions in bringing change to human society. Emphasis is on the origins and effects of revolution through time to the modern day.


Think Critically and Creatively:a. Students will be able to question our world using evidence, knowledge,

and interdisciplinary perspectives;b. Students will be able to analyze materials creatively and with an open

mind.

Form(s) of Integration for Theme:

Instructors will address the following concepts in their courses:

1. Revolution. For example, possible questions might include: What is social, artistic, intellectual, or technological “revolution”? What causes revolution and how does “revolution” change our world? How do different activities and disciplines cause and/or reflect revolutions, and interpret revolution?

2. Social Change. For example, possible questions might include: How do societies change? How do art, music, and culture interpret and/or cause change in society?


Sustainability and Global ResourcesTheme Coordinator: Jim Houser ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

TEC 2029: Society and TechnologySD 2400: Principles of Sustainable DevelopmentFCS 2110: Global Awareness: Examining the Global ConditionPHL 2015: Environmental EthicsGHY 1010: Introduction to Physical GeographyIDS 3010: H2O We Are WaterFER 1000: Principles of Fermentation SciencesPHY 1830: Physical Principles of Energy and Sustainability

Theme Description: Sustainability is the goal of meeting current and future human needs without undermining human communities, cultures, or natural environments. Addressing this goal requires recognition of the complex interrelationships among environmental, economic, and social forces and re-examination of our relationships to technology, natural resources, natural science, human development, and/or local to global politics. Courses within this multidisciplinary theme address topics such as climate change, environmental pollution, economic globalization, resource inequality, agriculture and sustainable food production, environmental ethics and history, and social justice.


The courses within this integrative theme to some extent share a focus on all four of the General Education Program themes, with particular emphasis placed on “Making Local to Global Connections” and “Understanding the Responsibilities of Community Membership.” Although each course in the theme will approach the concept of sustainability from a different perspective, all share the goal of helping students develop the intellectual habits of mind of seeking out diverse perspectives on societal issues or problems and of integrating a variety of forms of information into their decision-making processes.

Evidence of how these broader program goals are being met will be examined in each class through assignments designed to assess student attainment of the following explicit learning outcomes:

1. Students will describe, through specific examples drawn from class discussions, issues of sustainability in relation to community development, interactions between humans and the rest of the natural world, or/or global change.

2. Students will apply ethical concepts or perspectives to examination of ethical questions related to sustainability, using supporting evidence.


Form(s) of Integration for Theme:A variety of suggested integration strategies have been planned from which instructors can choose the strategy of strategies that best fit their class, including meetings and consultations among participating theme faculty and instructors throughout the semester; 1-2 common activities (e.g., field trips, external assignments, guest lectures, discussion forums, film/viewings, and so on) per semester from which students in each theme course can select to attend as a course requirement (not all students in every course in the theme have to attend the same films, events, etc.; rather faculty can choose from among a list of relevant events each semester); student/faculty gatherings; addressing a common concept from each course’s own perspective; and/or a common writing assignment. More specifically, participating theme faculty and instructors will meet in person and/or communicate via email regarding integration of content/concepts as well as about shared activities outside of class. An important component of the ongoing conversation via email will be about the many activities taking place on campus that focus on sustainability, and that student participants in theme courses can take part in. These include service/volunteer projects such as Recycle at the Rock, community meetings, and on-campus speakers and other events.

Common Content/Concepts: Faculty proposing courses for this theme were drawn by some shared concepts that will be addressed in various ways in our respective courses. These include:

a. Sustainability involves meeting basic human needs without undermining human communities, culture, or natural environments;

b. Achieving sustainability requires a recognition and understanding of the complex interrelationships among environmental, economic, technological, and social forces;

c. Efforts to achieve sustainability require both individual and collective commitment; this commitment is influenced by knowledge, communication, and decision-making strategies that take into account broader societal needs.

Although inclusion will be at the discretion of each participating faculty member (very large classes may find this difficult), a common writing assignment is suggested as a culminating session of each class within the theme. This writing assignment will be initiated with an open-ended prompt such as: “Sustainability is a broad and complex concept involving environmental, social, technological, and economic issues. Address, in 1-2 pages, how this course has helped you better understand some of the issues surrounding sustainability and global resources.” Although broad, this assignment will get to the heart of each student’s growing understanding of both the concept of sustainability, as well as about their understanding of more specific issues that underlie this complex goal. The assignment can be included in the student’s e-portfolio.

Appalachian Mountains: Community, Culture, and LandTheme Coordinator: Katherine Ledford ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

AS 2200: Appalachian StoriesAS/GLY 2301: The History of Coal from the Pennsylvanian to the PresentSOC 3710: Sociology of Appalachian CommunitiesHIS 3726: History of the Appalachian RegionAS/MUS 2016: Appalachian Music

Theme Description: This theme examines the social structures, community life, cultural productions, and natural environment of the Appalachian Mountain region. Students investigate the boundaries of the region, including political, economic, cultural, linguistic, geographic, and geological ones through courses that position the region historically and contemporarily in national and international contexts. A central concern among the courses is Appalachian energy resources, especially coal, its history, global significance, current position in national energy debates, and extraction methods including mountaintop removal coal mining.


Students who select this theme will make local to global connections through an understanding of issues in the communities of Boone, Watauga County, and surrounding mountain counties; Western North Carolina’s position within a larger southern mountain region; and the Appalachian region’s place within the United States and the world. All courses in the theme will consider the region’s relationship to and production of energy resources, particularly coal, for an understanding of the ways local issues connect with global processes, trends, and systems.

Form(s) of Theme Integration:

This theme will use common attendance at co-curricular events as the primary form of integration. Artists, activists, scholars and community leaders from the Appalachian region will visit campus, supported by the Center for Appalachian Studies and the departments teaching theme courses, and students will be required to attend at least two events each semester. Regularly scheduled options include at least two Appalachian writers who visit campus each year as part of the university’s visiting writers series. The Appalachian Heritage Council student group organizes an Appalachian fiddlers’ convention each spring semester, offering students a chance to engage with Appalachian musical artists.


Las AméricasTheme Coordinator: Timothy J. Smith ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

ANT 2300: Mesoamerican CulturesGHY 3014: Geography of Latin AmericaREL 2XXX: Liberation Theologies: Church and State in Latin AmericaHIS 2301: History of Colonial Latin AmericaHIS 2302: History of Modern Latin AmericaLLC 2040: Border Crossings: U.S. Hispanic LiteratureWRC 2300: Masterpieces of Latin AmericaIDS 3020: Cuba Libre

Theme Description:

This theme explores the diverse people, cultural legacies, and evolving realities in Latin America. Coursework explores the dynamic relationships, structures, values, and cultural manifestations through multiple disciplines.

Theme Share Learning Outcome(s):

Students in this theme will:

Analyze or evaluate examples of various relationships between local regions and people and larger global issues, processes, trends, and/or systems. --Students synthesize a sophisticated understanding of influences upon and the influences of Latin America through coursework and theme participation.--Assessed by: Discussion, performance during written exams, research projects, in-class presentations, or written papers.

Analyze or evaluate other cultures, their worldviews, and their frames of reference.--Students foster the ability to adopt and consider multiple perspectives pertaining to Latin America.--Assessed by: Attendance of at least one co-curricular or extra-curricular event; performance during written exams, research projects, or written response papers.

Generate questions based on previous information; allow for alternate and/or multiple possibilities.--Explore the question, “What united Latin America?” and the complexities of defining Las Américas (The Americas). This builds upon the prior learning outcome of considering multiple perspectives.--Assessed by: Attendance of at least one co-curricular or extra-curricular event; performance during questions posted to AsULearn forums, written exams, research


projects, in-class presentations, and/or written papers; submitting discussion or research questions for at least one assignment.


Common Questions: “What united Latin America?” and “What makes defining Latin America so difficult?” These questions will be explored in Las Américas ILE coursework. As opposed to identifying differences, attaching labels, or compartmentalizing, student immerse themselves in topics and concepts while probing for relationships and local to global connections.

Shared Co-Curricular Events—Guest Lectures, Visiting Artists, Panel Discussions, and other academic opportunities sponsored by individual instructors will be advertised to all faculty and students participating in the Las Américas ILE. An example includes the annual spring Hispanic/Latino Symposium. Professors may utilize attendance sign-ins, AsULearn forum posts, and/or response papers for in-class reflection and intellectual synthesis.

Extra-Curricular Events—All faculty and students participating in the Las Américas ILE are encouraged to participate in pertinent extra-curricular events including, but not limited to: visual art exhibitions, performing arts series, the Hispanic Student Association (HAS), the Hispanic Heritage Festival (coinciding with National Hispanic Heritage Month—Sept. 15-Oct. 15), the Diversity Celebration, etc. Professors may utilize attendance sign-ins, AsULearn forum posts, and/or response papers for in-class reflection and intellectual synthesis.

Critical Consciousness: Learning for Equity and JusticeTheme Coordinators: Brandy Wilson ([email protected]) and Greg McClure ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

FDN XXXX: Unlearning Racism: Racial Literacy for Responsible CitizenshipFDN XXXX: Discourses in Democracy: The Effects of Policy on Lived ExperienceFDN XXXX: Why Read: The Literature of Love, Learning, and EmancipationCI XXXX: Education as the Practice of FreedomCI XXXX: YouthSmarts: Pop Culture, Media, and Civic Action

Theme Description:

Critical consciousness involves understanding social, political, cultural and economic injustice in the world and becoming active in challenging those injustices. The broad goal of this theme is for students from any major to appreciate a wide range of intellectual, political, moral, and cultural diversity issues and to become better equipped to offer just and sustainable solutions to inequities. We believe that ASU students want to be challenged to think critically about their world and to make a positive difference in their local and global communities. Though this theme is housed in the Reich College of Education, this theme is not designed for education majors and is not part of a teacher preparation program. Rather, it is designed to critically examine how learning and socialization are major drivers in both the reproduction of inequality, as well as in the empowerment of marginalized groups. Since schools are one of society’s most pervasive and influential social and cultural institutions, some of the courses in the theme will use the institution of schooling and education in general as a lens through which to examine larger socio cultural, historical and philosophical questions about social justice. Schooling and other forms of education will provide the occasions for critical analysis; the focus will have nothing to do with the preparation of the technical skills to become an educator. Education faculty have much to offer to the dialogue surrounding economic, political, and social questions of equity and participation in democratic communities. The faculty collaborating on and teaching within this theme do highly interdisciplinary and critical work beyond the scope of teacher practice. As such, this theme examines the sociopolitical nature of learning; that is, how the building and understanding of new knowledge is influenced by power and privilege and cultural contexts based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and ability. By discussing topics such as diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice, students will examine how these issues intersect with our individual lives as well as in social systems at local, state, national, and global levels. Faculty will encourage students to critically analyze theoretical frameworks, philosophical ideas, and quantitative and qualitative data that highlight how inequality is experienced in the



daily lives of ordinary people. Further, through attendance at co-curricular events, the theme will engage students in developing thoughtful questions and creative solutions to local and/or regional problems. Theme Shared Learning Outcome(s):

This theme emphasizes the General Education Program Goal I- Thinking Critically and Creatively. Particularly related to the theme’s goal of understanding and addressing issues of power and injustice through an interdisciplinary approach, courses in this theme encourage learners to become and remain critically “conscious of how their own positions as well as the history of ideas influence their thought” and to “adjust their thinking as they interpret, evaluate, and reflect based on increasingly sophisticated intellectual values.” Simultaneously, this theme stresses the importance of Goal IV- Understanding Responsibilities of Community Membership, particularly as this goal focuses on preparing students to develop as “academically skilled and engaged citizens capable of contributing to the betterment of society and taking responsibility for the common good” by enabling “students to reflect critically on ethical issues and to make reasoned, intelligent judgments about complex moral problems.” We see these two goals as intimately connected to this theme, where praxis, or reflective action, is just as important as critical analysis and understanding.

Theme and General Education Program Goal-Related Learning OutcomesStudents will:A. Recognize, differentiate, and effectively employ appropriate and increasingly sophisticated strategies to collect and interpret information;B. Successfully integrate disparate and transdisciplinary concepts and information when interpreting, solving problems, evaluating, creating, and making decisions;C. Examine and evaluate how their own personal, historical, and cultural perspectives affect the discovery and generation of knowledge and identify potential consequences that personal choices as well as political, economic, and other social forces may have on individual, societal, and institutional levels;D. Collaborate effectively with others in shared processes of inquiry and problem-solving and apply principles of responsible community membership.


This general education theme will integrate topics via common concepts, common attendance at co-curricular events, and broadly conceived common questions for inquiry.

Common Concepts: Courses in this theme will encourage thoughtful discussion and analysis of dynamic concepts such as diversity and difference, multiculturalism, power and privilege, lived experience, inclusion, social justice, and ideological and epistemological considerations.

Common Attendance at Co-curricular Events: Students will be required to attend 2 co-curricular events during the semester. Faculty will purposefully select events that are both informational (diversity lecture series), as well as action oriented (community service and/or service learning focused) events. To facilitate discussion and draw connections to courses within and among the theme, faculty will sponsor post-event coffee meetings where students and faculty can engage in dialogue on the topic and develop strategies for moving forward. Faculty are already engaged in these post-event activities with campus clubs, University Housing, and the Multicultural Student Development Center.

Common Question: One guiding question that all courses will investigate asks “How do we know what we know and how can we strive to consider and understand multiple perspectives?”

Imagination, Innovation, and MeaningTheme Coordinator: John Marty ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

DAN 2010: Style and Form: DanceHIS 1110: Culture and HistoryMUS 2018: Introduction to World MusicPHL 2013: Philosophy of ArtTHR 2010: Style and Form: Theatre

Theme Description:

In this theme, students will explore the concepts of imagination, innovation, meaning, interpretation, and aesthetics. Through the collective courses, students will explore these within historical, cultural, theoretical and/or practical frameworks.


Gen Ed Goal: Thinking Critically and CreativelyLearning Outcome: Students will integrate disparate concepts and information when interpreting and evaluating aesthetic artifacts and processes.


Students in each course will explore the concepts of Imagination, Innovation, Meaning, Interpretation, and Aesthetics through the lenses of their specific disciplines via a common assignment.

Common Assignment: How Does [name discipline] Analyze Cultural Artifacts or Processes?Human beings give meaning to their lives by creating cultural artifacts (literature, music, dance, theatre, film, painting, sculpture, architecture, religious and philosophical texts, and so on). Different disciplines analyze these cultural artifacts and processes in different ways.

Write a 3-page essay (or an equivalent oral presentation or creative project) on the following:

Analyze the specific ways in which [the discipline and approaches studied in this class—instructor may specify] help us to understand [a specific culturalartifact or process, to be determined by the instructor]? Consider the following questions: (instructors may fine-tune these questions as appropriate):


--What is a specific concept or question unique to this discipline? Howwould you apply it to analyzing or interpreting this particular artifact/process? OR: What are specific criteria unique to this discipline that couldbe used to analyze the artifact? How would you apply these criteria ininterpreting or evaluating this particular artifact/process?--How might these concepts or questions compare with those of other disciplines in this theme?--What, in your view, are the pros and cons of understanding culturalartifacts from this discipline’s perspective? Could this discipline’sperspective be merged with that of other disciplines?

War and PeaceTheme Coordinator: Aleksander Lust ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

ANT 2222: The Living PrimatesGLS 2350: Introduction to Peace StudiesHIS 3158: Ethnic Conflict: East v. WestHIS 3823: American Military HistoryPS 4225: International SecurityREL 3170: Religion and ViolenceSOC 3800: The Sociology of War

Theme Description:

“War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it,” wrote General William Tecumseh Sherman. Unfortunately, most societies throughout history have engaged in warfare. This theme explores the causes, consequences, and morality of war and looks for ways of making the world more peaceful.


This theme is helpful in Making Local to Global Connections. The United States was born of a War of Independence against Great Britain—and almost broke up during the Civil War. In the 20th century, it fought “hot” wars against Germany and Japan and a Cold War against the Soviet Union. Today, it is fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as part the global “war on terror” and strengthening its forces in the Pacific to contain the rising power of China, while its relations with Russia have reached a crisis over the annexation of Crimea and the civil war in Ukraine. All of this is particularly relevant for North Carolina, which is home to many veterans, andAppalachian State University, which has both a popular ROTC program and a large green and libertarian community.

By completing this theme, students will learn to link their personal experiences, such as serving in the military or participating in an anti-war demonstration, to global developments, such as the rise of new regional and global conflicts since the end of the Cold War. They will also learn to analyze global issues from a variety of theoretical perspectives. For example, they will understand how human biology, social and cultural norms, historical rivalries, and the structure of the international system contribute to the outbreak of war. Finally, they will learn to think strategically, communicate effectively, and behave ethically in order to resolve conflicts in their own lives and the wider world.



From the complementary disciplinary perspectives of Anthropology, Global Studies, History, Political Science, Religious Studies, and Sociology, the courses in this theme will address the following questions:

Are human beings aggressive by nature or are some societies and cultures more violent than others? What causes war? How have military strategy and technology evolved over time? What are the similarities and differences between interstate and civil wars? Can war be morally justified? What can be done to make the world more peaceful?

Experiencing Inquiry: How to Ask QuestionTheme Coordinator: Clark Maddux ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

WRC 2201: Hearing Voices: Inquiry in LiteratureWRC 2202: What If? Asking Historical QuestionsWRC 2204: What is a Healthy Individual: Investigating Personal DevelopmentWRC 3201: Why Do They Do That? Experience Social and Cultural Inquiry

Theme Description:

A core value, and central teaching method, of Watauga Residential College has always been the nurturing and development of a restless curiosity in students. The courses in this theme will explore how questions are asked across and between disciplines. While each course will examine research methodologies in a given discipline, more important will be the ways in which students individually and collaboratively cultivate an attitude of critical inquiry. Courses blend an atmosphere of sensory discovery, performance, analysis, and creativity. All courses feature inquiry-based learning, experiential and interdisciplinary methods, cultural immersion, and collaboration.


Thinking Critically and Creatively: (a) Students will present approaches to problems utilizing novel ideas, processes, or types of evaluation; (b) Students will relate multiple ideas, observations, or phenomena and develop hypotheses using empirically derived evidence to address a problem or issue.

Understanding Responsibilities of Community Membership: (a) Students will connect knowledge of civic contexts, structures, and systems to their own academic study/discipline.


Common Question:1. How is inquiry conducted in selected disciplines and fields of study?

Common Course Component:1. Each course will contain a module examining research methods (the conduct of inquiry) in that particular field of study.


Common Co-Curricular Activities:1. All students will participate in an engaged learning project, either through community-based research, service learning, or applied experiential learning. The project will employ appropriate methods of inquiry for the discipline being studied.

2. Students in all ILE classes will gather twice a semester to participate in a Watauga College Conference. During the first conference, students will present their preliminary research to their peers in other sections. During the second meeting, they will present their findings or final projects.

How We Tell StoriesTheme Coordinator: Paulette Marty ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

ENG 2170: Introduction to FilmIDS 3210: Exploring the Documentary FormITC/CI 2010: Narrative, New Media, and GamingLLC 2025: Literature in TransitionPHL 1502: Everyday Philosophy: AestheticsREL 2020: New TestamentTHR 2005: Page and StageTHR 3640: Solo and Group Performances

Theme Description:

What does it mean to tell stories? This theme explores why stories are important to us, how different media present stories, and what happens when artists, writers, filmmakers, and other media producers shift away from narrative and try to do something other than tell a story.


Thinking Critically and Creatively:

Explain and analyze the key elements of a narrative and compare and contrast them to those of other narratives in the same medium or different media.


All courses in the theme will address the following questions:1. How do various media and their particular characteristics affect

perception and understanding of narratives?2. How does culture influence interpretation and understanding of human

narratives?3. What are the roles and uses of metaphor in the stories discussed by this

course?4. How does the interplay between fiction and non-fiction affect perception

of narrative?


Cultivating Creative ExpressionTheme Coordinator: IlaSahai Prouty ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

THR 2022: Cultivating Creative Expression Through TheatreMUS 2022: Cultivating Creative Expression Through MusicART 2022: Cultivating Creative Expression Through ArtENG 2360: American Literature and the Arts

Theme Description:

In this theme, students explore the creative process and the connection it has with cognitive, psychological, emotional, bodily/kinesthetic, aesthetic, and social development of the individual. This theme emphasizes the point of view of the creative individual in relationship to society and culture through the lens of each discipline.

Theme Shared Learning Outcome(s): Thinking Critically and Creatively:

Goal Specific Learning Outcomes: Students will make connections by relating multiple ideas, observations or phenomena. Students will analyze information by identifying, gathering, sifting, and organizing information.

Theme Specific Learning Outcome: Students will define, deconstruct, analyze, and/or demonstrate the creative practice of making art/music/theater/writing.


All courses will share a common goal, three common learning outcome, three common questions and a common assignment.

Additionally, ART 2022, MUS 2022, and THR 2022 will be further linked by two outcomes and an assignment.

The common goal linking all courses under the theme “Cultivating Creative Expression” is goal 1: Thinking Creatively and Creatively.


Common questions:

1. Define creativity and explain how it impacts us individually, historically and as a society? 2. What is the creative process in music, art, theater, or literature? 3. What are the connections between the processes of creativity in each discipline?

Common Assignments:

Students will write out-of-class essays, at least one of which will be graded according to a rubric which, among other things, will assess how students analyze creative expression and the creative process. Learning outcomes will be:

1. Students will make connections by relating multiple ideas, observations or phenomena.2. Students will analyze information by identifying, gathering, sifting, and organization information.3. Students will define, deconstruct, analyze, and/or demonstrate creative practice.

Additionally, ART 2022, MUS 2022, and THR 2022 will be FURTHER linked by the following outcomes and assignments:

Students will actively engage in a personal creative process and make art/music/theatre. Learning outcome will be:

1. Students will be appropriately innovative by using novel ideas, processes, or types of evaluation.

Students will be inquisitive and open-minded by allowing for alternate and/or multiple possibilities. Learning outcome will be:

1. Students will share the results of their creative process and will actively discuss the results with a goal of understanding multiple possibilities.

American Culture: Past and PresentTheme Coordinator: Michael Wade ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

HIS 2525: The Americans: A Cultural HistoryENG 2120: African American LiteratureCOM 3130: Minorities in MediaIDS 2000: Introduction to American StudiesREL 3110: Religion in AmericaSW 2020: The American Social Welfare System

Theme Description:

American Life: Past and Present is a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural approach to investigating and understanding the culture and society of United States. It analyzes changes and continuity in American culture over time. It focuses on American identities, both individual and collective; the changing roles and contributions of women and minorities in American life; and trends in religious and social thought.


Learning Goal: Thinking Critically and Creatively.

Shared Learning Outcome: In all of the American Life theme courses students will demonstrate that they can read for argument based on evidence.


Common Attendance at Co-curricular Events

Each professor teaching in the theme will require a minimum of one approved co-curricular on-campus event on the University Calendar relating to the larger topic of American Life as reflected in courses which comprise the theme. The designated event(s) will concern specific issues discussed in the course(s) and focus on how the event enhances understanding of American society and culture.


How We Know What We Know About the Past: Method, Evidence, KnowledgeTheme Coordinator: Craig Caldwell ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

ANT 1420: Archeology and the Human PastGLY 1842: Dinosaurs: Past and PresentHIS 2312: Introduction to the Ancient Mediterranean WorldHIS 2320: East Asian History to 1600LLC 2045: The Spanish-Speaking World

Theme Description:

The humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—and their varying disciplines—all at times study events, processes, and facts that took place in the past. But each field and discipline, in pursuing knowledge about their past objects of inquiry, employ different methods and search out different kinds of evidence. In addition, each field operates in different time scales, depending on their subject of study. These time scales have an impact on the development of research questions, on the kind of evidence that is available for collection, on the way we develop and advance our methods for studying the past, and on the knowledge we produce. This theme invites students to consider the relations among evidence, method, time-scale, and disciplinary knowledge, and by so doing aims to cultivate in them a sharper understanding of the way in which scholars define and gather evidence, make arguments about their subjects using evidence, and develop new methods for collecting evidence. Students will also learn about the limits of disciplinary knowledge that result from the availability of evidence and the techniques we have to gather that evidence. This theme will prepare students for higher level thinking about methods, evidence, and knowledge in their majors.


Goal: Thinking Critically and Creatively

Outcomes:1. Students will compare and contrast how different disciplines deploy methodologies for gathering evidence.2. Students will appraise the limits of disciplinary knowledge that follows from limits in available methodologies for collecting evidence.3. Students will understand that research across the liberal arts requires method and evidence in the production of knowledge.



Common Assignment:Each course in the theme will, each semester, use a common assignment. The assignment will be called “How do __ ___ know what they know?” with the blank being filled by discipline in question (historians, archaeologists, paleontologists, musicologists, literary scholars, etc.). Students will be able to use these assignments, which they will complete in each course in the theme, to compare and contrast the relations among disciplinary knowledge, evidence, methodology, and time scale. Individual instructors will provide resources needed for answering these questions in lectures and/or readings.The assignment will include these questions (this is a draft and could be altered before implementation):1. What counts as evidence in this field of inquiry or discipline?2. What time-scale is relevant to this discipline (how far back do they go), and how does temporal scaling affect what kind of evidence is available to this discipline?3. What methods of inquiry have X’s (historians, paleontologists, etc., as relevant) employed to collect evidence in their quest for knowledge about X (early European civ, medieval Chinese civ, dinosaurs, human prehistory…)?4. How have these methods changed over time in this discipline? Have there been any significant shifts?5. How have changes in methods altered the kinds of questions this discipline asks about its subject of inquiry?6. What are some specific limitations of these methods (i.e., what evidence is out of reach for these disciplines and how does that limit our knowledge)?7. Thinking freely and creatively, how could these limitations be overcome? [This question asks students to think of some creative solutions to limits in methodology.] Can you think of new methods that might expand the kind of evidence available?

From Empire to GlobalizationTheme Coordinator: Ed Behrend Martinez ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

ANT 1415: Understanding CultureHIS 1400: World EmpiresPS 2120: International Politics and Foreign PolicyGLS 2000: Contemporary Global IssuesENG 2040: World Literature IIWS 3200: Global Women’s Issues

Theme Description:

The formation, growth and power of empires, their colonial regimes (driven to the far reaches of their worlds by appetites for wealth, resources, and human labor), and globalization are intimately linked. Courses in this theme explore prehistoric, ancient and/or modern empires, illuminate the cultural lives impacted by colonialism, analyze the hegemony exercised through far reaching colonial practices, and consider post-colonial consequences of globalization.


Learning Goal: Local to Global

1. Students will develop knowledge of human diversity as they survey many different cultural and social contexts across multiple geographical areas spanning the globe.2. Students will develop knowledge about the impact of global processes (via imperialism, colonization, or economic globalization) on local social, economic, political, and cultural systems and identities.3. Students will be able to identify the ways in which social identities are in part produced or changed in relation to globalizing processes.


This theme will integrate its courses through a shared block of films related to Empire, Colonialism, and Globalization. These films will be available through the ASU library, online, and streaming via AsULearn. A block of three to six films will be selected, and periodically updated, using a survey and discussion of courses instructors. Instructors - teaching via their particular disciplinary lens - will then incorporate some or all of these films into their instruction, as part of either their lectures, assignments, or discussion. The process for choosing a list of films, we anticipate, will be democratic and make sure to integrate movies that actually speak to the theme, and are not simply


the pet films that certain instructors are already using in their courses. The list will change over time, and that this will require discussion among the instructors involved.

Expressions of CultureTheme Coordinator: Rebecca Keeter ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

COM 2124: Intercultural CommunicationDAN 2020: World DanceDAN 2030: Dance, Media and CultureLLC 2050: Language in Mind and SocietyTHR 2020: World Culture and Performance Studies

Theme Description:

This theme explores the expression of culture through diverse perspectives—language, performance and forms of communication. Culture and its expression are learned and reflexive, shaping and shaped by each other. Rituals, both public and private, enact culture and may take the form of performance. Language, spoken and written, expresses and helps define cultural practices. Public, written and communicative performances enact and reflect culture in myriad ways, serving as cultural markers.


Learning Goal: Thinking Critically and Creatively

Each course in the theme is committed to examining facets of expression of culture, from the everyday to the ritual and the artistic. Although the lens from each course will offer a different perspective, each course in the theme will address the following outcomes:

1. Students will evaluate how cultural perspectives affect the way individuals (and groups) express themselves.

2. Students will critique effective cultural communication with collaborators by identifying verbal and/or non-verbal communication tools.

Common Questions That We Might Explore:

What are the structural forms of expression that are unique to this course and what are the discipline-specific ways that these elements are best analyzed?

How do cultural norms shape forms of expression, and vice versa?


How do our values reflect in our expressions of culture, and how does this differ and/or relate to other multinational ideas of culture?

How are expressions of culture interpreted—and misinterpreted—by those not familiar with the culture in which they arise?


In this theme, the student will complete an assignment in which they reflect on the connection between their own experience and the cultural issues being explored in the course. The common assignment would include individual and group projects that reflect novel applications and creativity in the field.

Social Relations Across ContextsTheme Coordinators: Doris Bazzini ([email protected])

Courses in Theme:

COM 2121: Interpersonal CommunicationHIS 1120: History and SocietyPSY 1100: Psychology of ParentingPSY 2213: Survey of Social PsychologySOC 1110: Sociology of Intimate Relationships

Theme Description:

Our first social relations occur within the family and these relationships remain among the most influential throughout out lives. Our relationships are influenced by both the society and the time in which we live. Finally, our ability to communicate effectively with the people in our lives is key to our success. Students in this theme will improve their critical thinking skills, become effective communicators within the family, and develop a better understanding of our society as a whole through a close examination of the responsibilities of community membership.


Learning Goal: Thinking Critically and Creatively

1. Students will develop an understanding of how individuals are impacted by the roles and expectations established by social environments that include family, social networks, organizations, and societies.

Learning Goal: Understanding Responsibilities of Community Membership

1. Students will consider the ethical implications of role-fulfillment and social expectancies for individuals across contexts.


For students to gain a deeper understanding of the theme across multiple courses, instructors will require students to take part in at least one experiential learning activity inside and outside of the classroom. While the type of activity will vary by course and instructor (i.e., departmental research opportunities, workshops, campus lectures, guest speakers, in-class application activities and debates, service-learning), students will be asked to reflect upon the experience and integrate it with course content in some form of assignment.


Instructors will create a common website (linked from all course AsULearn sites in the theme) that will house literature resources, links to media sources, etc., showing conceptual intersections of the theme.

generaleducation.appstate.edugeneraleducation.appstate.edu/sites/generaleducation... · web viewas...

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