MET IS 308 Exploring Philosophy through Film: Knowledge, Ethics, & Personal Identity

This introduction to philosophy revolves around selected films and related texts that provoke serious reflection on issues of knowledge, ethics, and personal identity. The main objective of the course is to provide an introduction to the nature of philosophical inquiry and analysis by exposing the student to specific philosophical problems and issues. By focusing on film as the visual and narrative medium in which these problems and issues emerge, the student will also consider the ways in which art (with the focus here being on cinematic art) can represent and embody philosophical questions, ideas, and positions. Related objectives include the development of critical thinking and writing skills as well as the cultivation of the student’s appreciation of film as an art form. (4 credits)

MET IS 312 Food Stuff: A Taste of Biology

This course, we will explore biological principles in the context of food. It will focus on biodiversity, evolution, biochemistry, symbioses, and humans in the biosphere. Students will be encouraged to make their own connections about the world of food by learning about biological interactions and relationships. (4 credits)

MET IS 325 Explorations in the Essay: History, Theory, Practice

The purpose of the course is threefold: first, to introduce students to a wide variety of essay forms, arranged historically and considered in historical context; second, to provide the opportunity to practice these forms and by imitating models to become more adept and polished writers of the essay; and finally, to explore the theory of the essay by examining discussions among literary critics concerning the defining characteristics of the genre. (4 credits)

MET IS 327 The Meaning of America: People, Identity, and Conflict that Built a Nation

The course examines the philosophical underpinnings of what it means to be an American and the experiences of ordinary men and women in the making of modern America. It will look closely at the ideas of those who founded the nation and how this affected the idealism which became the American identity. The role of immigration, the change from agrarian to urban industrialized society, the growth and influence of labor unions, the shift of the U.S. from maker to buyer of goods and services, and how the ideological notion of what it means to be American evolved will be examined. How events shaped lives and national identity will be discussed. The course will look at ordinary workers and their communities and how they adjusted to changing events and forces around them. (4 credits)

MET IS 333 Manipulating Life: The Ethics and Science of Biotechnology

This course will explore the science behind new technologies in biology, but it will also address the ethical questions that define and direct the application of these approaches, especially in humans. Students initially will be expected to master the basic biology of DNA, gene expression, and genomics. The course will require students to learn the basic components of ethical theory and apply them to living organisms in general and to human life in particular. (4 credits)

MET IS 419 The Holocaust and Music

Introduction to musical compositions created during and after the Holocaust that commemorate the period's historical moments, social issues, and personal experiences. Listening, analysis, and background reading on music by Schoenberg, Shostakovich, and Reich.(4 credits)

MET IS 345 Rethinking the Classics: Contemporary Takes on the Canon

This interdisciplinary course pairs well-known "classic" texts with more contemporary, perhaps lesser-known works that, in one way or another, respond to the earlier examples. The course focuses on traditions (literary, cinematic, and so forth) to emphasize genre and cultural history, and, as one of its goals, moves toward discussions of aesthetics. The course will examine the timeless quality of any work we consider a "classic" and also challenge the idea of timelessness by thinking about dialogues that exist between centuries and cultures and art. Contemporary examples will allow students to think of how other voices and perspectives (gender, ethnic, racial) may question the stability of what we often deem enduring or artistic. The course pushes beyond a simple comparison/contrast approach and mere discussions of influence. Instead, we will think through the implications (theoretical, political and aesthetic) of revision, adaptation, and the intertextual. Finally, the class asks students to formulate their own aesthetic criteria through a close reading of both primary texts and secondary critical essays which will supplement the readings, film screenings, and artwork. (4 credits)

MET IS 350 Nature and the Divine in Myth, Literature, and Art

Over time and throughout cultures, human understanding of a divine presence, of a god or gods, has been intimately connected to our relationship with nature. In some myths, the divine is thought to be inherent in the forces of nature; in others, God stands outside, controlling nature and passing that control to human beings. Still another world view suggests that humans, nature, and the divine are all one thing, as represented in metaphors such as the circle or web of life. This course introduces students to some of the world's mythic traditions, applying them to the enduring cultural issues surrounding humanity's relationship to nature and our role as stewards of the environment. We will follow a roughly chronological syllabus, with readings from the Bible and classical mythology through the writings of Emerson and modern works such as Ceremony by Pueblo author Leslie Marmon Silko. Students will also be exposed to visual art (including Celtic Christian and Native American design) and some film. (4 credits)

MET IS 360 Literature, Film, and the American Dream

This course will examine the nature of the American Dream as seen through fiction, essays, poetry, autobiography, historical documents, and art. It will follow a chronological pattern with the Dream evolving from the Puritan fathers’ desire for religious freedom to the Revolution's emphasis on political liberty, the 19th century's focus on self reliance, and the quest for the good life characteristic of the 20th century. At the same time, such characteristic thematic elements as the desire for equality, individual expansion and achievement, and the maturation of the soul will be examined in terms of their impact on all the different permutations of the Dream. (4 credits)

MET IS 362 Mathematics that Matter in the 21st Century

In this course students will expand their knowledge of the mathematics of probability, algebraic thinking, geometry, and statistics, with a focus on contemporary developments and applications. The course will examine the applications of mathematics in contemporary contexts via readings and explorations.(4 credits)

MET IS 367 Jobs, Wages, and the Economy

This course introduces fundamental concepts of micro and macro economics within the context of the labor market. In micro economics, we focus on the supply and demand for labor, looking at trends in labor force participation, college attendance, and wage differentials. In macro economics, we focus on the ability of the economy to create enough jobs to maintain full employment. We will also cover current topics related to the functioning of the labor market, including a discussion of income distribution and poverty, and the employment impact of international trade and outsourcing.

MET IS 380 Landscape, Climate, and Humans

This course will provide students with an introduction to environmental science with a dual focus in physical geography and climatology. Students will learn to interpret major themes in Earth History and human affairs through interactive lessons that include online lectures, outside reading, and extensive online maps, diagrams, and animations. We will discuss the interactions of climate, physical geography, and human activities in the formation of a dynamic, living Earth. The action of weather, humans, and non-human organisms on the Earth's surface will tie the course together as we end with biogeochemistry and a look at the origin of life. (4 credits)

MET IS 385 Interior and Exterior Landscapes: Understanding Native American Cultures

The indigenous people of North America have a unique experience of negotiating cultural boundaries, alien ideologies, and inscrutable behaviors that appear in everything from personal interactions to national policy, and their own cultural and religious traditions have survived despite a dominant culture that has sought to both annihilate and romanticize them. This course is about that cultural interaction and offers an opportunity to understand Native American cultures in their own terms through the voices of their people expressing themselves in literature, film, and other cultural productions and to understand America from the perspective of the cultures of its original inhabitants. (4 credits)

MET IS 370 China, the Emerging Superpower: A Model for Development?

The course will assess whether China will likely remain a friend or become a foe for the U.S., argue whether China's road to modernization is an apt model for other developing nations, analyze China's past to discover patterns and traditions that still exist, and study the interaction between China and the world community to determine its future role as a world leader. (4 credits)

MET IS 420 The Moral Self: Psychological, Religious, and Spiritual Perspectives

An exploration of selected topics in psychology and their relation to contemporary societal issues. Topics will be drawn from the major scholarly areas of psychology including: developmental, personality theory, learning theory, and abnormal psychology.

MET IS 421 The Art of Rhetoric in Life and Work

The art of rhetoric is one of the original liberal arts and is a part of the trivium that includes grammar and logic. Rhetoric is as old as human communication and as diverse as the human imagination. In the twenty-first century, rhetoric has new forms and meanings but retains some of the dynamics of the classical age of Greece and Rome. This course is a study of the art of rhetoric in everyday life and work from both theoretical and practical perspectives with an emphasis on writing and interpretation.

MET IS 450 Botany without Borders

This seven-week course will introduce students to practical problems in botany with a dual emphasis on plant evolution and plants in human affairs. The course will cross borders in time and geography as we examine the broad sweep of plants and their role on Earth over the past 300 million years. Plant form and function, evolution of seed plants, plant ecology, ethnobotany (human uses of plants), endangered plant communities, and prospects for conserving plant biodiversity will be highlighted in this interdisciplinary course designed for undergraduates. While its focus is rigorously scientific, the course will incorporate topics in the humanities (for example visual arts), and social sciences (anthropology) to illustrate the close relationship between humans and plants. Humans and plants have evolved together over the past million years, and students who complete this course successfully will gain insights into the central role that the Plant Kingdom continues to plays in the development of our species.

MET IS 470 Biblical Archaeology: Methods, Theories, Contexts

This course is designed to examine important archaeological discoveries relating to the Bible. It will focus on two significant cultural settings: the rise of Judah and Israel 3000 years ago, and questions about the historical Jesus. The course will cover the geography and topography of Palestine and the ancient Near East, and archaeological field methods used in Israel and Palestine. The history of writing and significant manuscript discoveries, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, will also be examined. Throughout the course, students will examine how archaeologists, looters, forgers, journalists, and theologians fight each other for the opportunity to discover, interpret, and sensationalize artifacts for the religious and irreligious alike. As we examine the archaeological artifacts, students will situate them in terms of their interpretation in documentary films, recent book publications, and other modern media.