FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES: GENERAL COURSES
The following courses are offered through the Office of the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences. The content and focus of the courses listed span several disciplines, rather than being confined to a single area.
01-110. Ways of Knowing
This course investigates a topic through the lens of a variety of perspectives representing the range of learning at the university. Students will see the way specific viewpoints, for example from the arts, sciences, or social sciences, provide very different insights into our world. This course combines classroom instruction with a workshop component in which students will develop the skills of inquiry to explore the world around them. They will have the opportunity to work with senior student mentors and a variety of community and university resources. The topic for each year will be announced in advance and might include: space, time and place; identity and voice; isolation and community; or creativity and invention. (Restricted to students in Semesters 1 and 2 of programs in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.) (Also offered as 02-110.) (3 lecture hours a week.; a 3.0 credit course)
01-120. Understanding the Contemporary World
This course will explore current political, cultural and social contexts. The perceived gulf between the "ivory tower" and the "real world" will be bridged each week as we analyze major current issues with attention to popular culture. (Restricted to undeclared majors and students in the Fresh Start program.) (3 lecture/1 tutorial hours a week.)
01-150. Foundations of Academic Writing I
A basic course designed to develop effective writing skills for communicating ideas in academic and other contexts. Topics will include: grammar; the audience; the writing process; conventions of different paragraph prose forms. This course is structured as an on-line course (Not Distance Education), and is not an ESL course. There will be on-campus mid-term and final exams.
01-151. Foundations of Academic Writing II
A basic writing course designed as a follow up to 01-150. This course aims to develop and refine effective writing skills for communicating ideas in academic and other contexts. Topics will include a cursory review of grammar; writing processes; and conventions of different prose forms in various scholarly disciplines. The main content of the course is paragraph and essay writing, basic research skills, and forms of scholarly citation. This course is structured as an on-line course (Not Distance Education). There will be on-campus midterm and final exams. (Prerequisite:01-150)
01-160. Animals and Humans in Society
This course will explore and consider the different types of relationships between animals and humans in contemporary society from a variety of physical, social, and psychological perspectives. Topics may include companion animals, animal rights and welfare, animals and food and entertainment, human-animal violence, and animal-assisted therapy. (Also offered as 02-160)
01-190. First-Year Seminars
First-Year Seminars delve deeply into particular problems or topics related to the research interests of the instructor. The Seminars are designed to provide closer interaction with an instructor in a challenging intellectual environment in which students are introduced to the issues, literature, and study methods of the topic area. (Restricted to students in Semesters 1 and 2 of programs in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.) (May not be used to satisfy Major requirements for programs in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.) (May not be repeated for credit.) (Also offered as 02-190.) (3 lecture hours a week.)
01-200. Ways of Doing: Practices of Civic Engagement
This course introduces students to a range of practices of civic engagement. Through collaborative project-based learning, students will develop well-researched and critically informed proposals and projects that address real-world issues and concerns in collaboration with community stakeholders. Students will work in small groups to research and present their work in public settings and through various online platforms.
01-204. Health-Care Ethics through the Life-Span
Explores ethical issues of general interest which arise during the life-span, from conception until death, including methods to prevent contraception, methods to aid in reproduction, medical treatment for children, organ transplantation, research on human subjects, foregoing life-sustaining treatment, advance directives, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. This course is not directed specifically to health professionals.
01-209. Ethics in the Professions
Examines what constitutes a profession, its legitimacy, and its authority from society. The responsibilities of professionals to their clients, professions, and society are mapped. Codes of ethics and other statements of ethical standards, conflict of interest, and the roles of regulatory bodies and governments are examined and related to practice through relevant case studies.
01-220: Investigating the Contemporary World
This course will explore the connections among culture, politics and society in historical and contemporary contexts with the use of case studies. (Restricted to students in the Fresh Start program.) (2 lecture/1 tutorial hours a week.) (Antirequisite: 01-120)
01-250. Exploring the Hebrew Scriptures
An introduction to reading Hebrew biblical literature. Develops the basic skills for investigating literary, historical, and religious dimensions of the text and uses these skills to explore passages selected from the Torah, Prophets, and Writings.
01-260. Introduction to a Theology of Christian Ethics
This course will consider the two great sources of wisdom for Christian ethics: Natural Law (i.e., human reason and experience); and The Jewish and Christian Scriptures. The course will address: the possibility and the necessity of ethics in an historical context; as well as, moral judgment in the individual who seeks the good, and considers such areas as freedom, conscience. It will include some distinctive features in the development of ethics within the major Christian denominations as well as the many areas of common ethical perspectives among Christians; between Christianity and other religions; and between Christians and people who have no religious affiliation. Included will be an examination of what role institutions (social, religious, legal) might have in the development of moral decision-making and the formation of conscience. (3 lecture hours a week.)
01-261. Theology and the Arts
This course will examine how music, the graphic arts, and literature among other art forms mediate between a faith and a culture and thus function as theological expressions. A survey of the development of the music for the Mass from the 11th to the 21st century touching on various composers (e.g., Bach, Bernstein among others) will be explored, as well as selected major works from literature (e.g., Blake, Eliot among others) and graphic arts (e.g., Rothko, Chagall among others) will be used for other expressions of theology in art. The course will examine how works of art not only express theological perspectives, but also how they can contribute to the development of theological thinking. Although the focus of this course will be primarily the Jewish and Christian traditions, some examples of how other traditions express theology in art will be used. (3 lecture hours a week.)
01-400. Mentorship and Learning
An intensive exploration of the theory and practice of learning and leadership which includes a practical component where students will mentor first-year students in a first-year course. Mentorship and Learning introduces students to learning theory, learning styles, group facilitation and effective leadership, critical thinking/reading and information literacy. Students will weave theory and practice throughout the semester, leading small group break-outs of first-year students. (Restricted to students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences with at least Semester 5 standing, with consent of the instructor.) (A one-semester, 3-credit course offered in the Fall term.) (Also offered as 02-400.) (Credit can only be obtained for one of 01-400 or 02-400) (3 lecture/4 3 lab hours a week.)
02-100. Introduction to Canadian Studies
This course emphasizes the transition of Canada from a European colonial society to an immigrant, multicultural society. A multidisciplinary approach will be taken in dealing with the specific problems facing Canada today.
02-103. Introduction to North American Studies
This course offers an introduction to contemporary North American society and a broad spectrum of current issues and debates. A multi-disciplinary approach will be employed in the examination of North American institutions, social issues, politics, history, and culture. (This course is required for students in the North American Studies Certificate Program.) (3 lecture hours a week.)
02-110. Ways of Knowing
This course investigates a topic through the lens of a variety of perspectives representing the range of learning at the university. Students will see the way specific viewpoints, for example from the arts, sciences, or social sciences, provide very different insights into our world. This course combines classroom instruction with a workshop component in which students will develop the skills of inquiry to explore the world around them. They will have the opportunity to work with senior student mentors and a variety of community and university resources. The topic for each year will be announced in advance and might include: space, time and place; identity and voice; isolation and community; or creativity and invention. (Restricted to students in Semesters 1 and 2 of programs in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.) (Also offered as 01-110.) (3 lecture hours a week.; a 3.0 credit course)
02-160. Animals and Humans in Society
This course will explore and consider the different types of relationships between animals and humans in contemporary society from a variety of physical, social, and psychological perspectives. Topics may include companion animals, animal rights and welfare, animals and food and entertainment, human-animal violence, and animal-assisted therapy.(Also offered as 01-160)
02-190. First-Year Seminars
First-Year Seminars delve deeply into particular problems or topics related to the research interests of the instructor. The Seminars are designed to provide closer interaction with an instructor in a challenging intellectual environment in which students are introduced to the issues, literature, and study methods of the topic area. (Restricted to students in Semesters 1 and 2 of programs in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.) (May not be used to satisfy Major requirements for programs in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.) (May not be repeated for credit.) (Also offered as 01-190.) (3 lecture hours a week.)
02-200. Ways of Doing: Practices of Civic Engagement
This course introduces students to a range of practices of civic engagement. Through collaborative project-based learning, students will develop well-researched and critically informed proposals and projects that address real-world issues and concerns in collaboration with community stakeholders. Students will work in small groups to research and present their work in public settings and through various online platforms.
02-250. Basic Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences
Introduction to measurement of variables, organization and description of numerical data, testing hypotheses, inference, and interpretation of findings in the Social Sciences. Topics include descriptive statistics, normal distribution, probability, sampling, hypothesis testing, t-tests, correlation, and chi-square tests. (Antirequisite: 65-205, 65-250, 65-251, 73-102, 73-105, 73-205, 85-222, and 95-269.)
02-300. Remembering Canada in the Global Village
An examination of how Canada was constructed as a modern technological society. The course explores how this has been critically analyzed in terms of dependency, both economic and cultural, challenges the analysis, and presents other images and possibilities for being Canadian in the emerging global technological order.
02-350. Practical Strategies for Social Change: Intervening to Prevent Sexual Assault
This course prepares male and female students to lead sexual assault education sessions for first year students using the Bringing in the BystanderTM program. Students learn why and how to intervene to prevent sexual assault, and how to motivate others. The importance of personal and community responsibility for social change is emphasized. Selected students will deliver the BystanderTM (02-450) training the following fall semester. (Prerequisite: Semester 5 standing or above and permission of the instructor)
02-400. Mentorship and Learning
An intensive exploration of the theory and practice of learning and leadership which includes a practical component where students will mentor first-year students in a first-year course. Mentorship and Learning introduces students to learning theory, learning styles, group facilitation and effective leadership, critical thinking/reading and information literacy. Students will weave theory and practice throughout the semester, leading small group break-outs of first-year students. (Restricted to students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences with at least Semester 5 standing, with consent of the instructor.) (A one-semester, 3-credit course offered in the Fall term.) (Also offered as 02-400.) (Credit can only be obtained for one of 01-400 or 02-400) (3 lecture/4 3 lab hours a week.)
02-450. Practicum in Social Change
Supervised practicum in a university setting. Students consolidate and enhance their knowledge of sexual assault and bystander intervention. Students co-facilitate the Bringing in the BystanderTM program for one or more small groups of students on campus. The practicum experience equips students to deliver educational content on sensitive issues. (Prerequisite: 02-350 and permission of the instructor.)