CGS Electives Have Something for Everyone

Baseball. Irish music. Victorian history. Trauma. Art. Religion. What do these subjects have in common? They’re all taught, or will be taught, at CGS—some even in the same class.

Throughout the last year, the College has launched several interdisciplinary electives taught by a team of faculty at CGS and other BU schools and colleges, and open to students throughout the University. Lecturer Andy Andres, senior lecturer Christopher Fahy (GRS’89,’97), and associate professor Thomas Whalen taught The History, Literature, Film, and Science of Baseball in spring 2015, and Whalen and associate professors Megan Sullivan and Meg Tyler (UNI’04) taught The Irish in Boston in summer 2015. CGS plans to offer both courses again in the coming year.

Developing such courses “involves a lot of work and coordination with my colleagues,” says Whalen, “but the interdisciplinary connections we’ve made in class have been eye-opening. The students pick up on the energy when the intellectual cylinders are firing between faculty, and it creates an intoxicating atmosphere of learning.”

This semester, senior lecturers Joellen Masters (GRS’88,’96) and Kathleen Martin are developing a course entitled Death and Remembrance in the Victorian World, which will explore the place of death in Victorian culture, the origins of medical epidemiology, and the rise of spiritualism. Also in the works, Joshua Pederson (GRS’08), an assistant professor of humanities, is collaborating with professors in the School of Social Work and School of Theology to offer Trauma in History, Art, and Religion. The course will explore the psychology, biology, and neuroscience of psychic trauma, its effects on individuals and communities, and how it shapes discussions about war, race, genocide, and sexual assault.

“Faculty are energized by developing robust courses in their areas of expertise, outside of the CGS curriculum, and more students from around the University are entering through our doors,” says Dean Natalie McKnight. “We’re thrilled to be extending the interdisciplinary learning experience in such a creative and exciting way.”