AREA 1: COMMUNICATIONS:
HONORS 265G (CRN: 52149)
PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION
A.Hubbell
TR ● 12:00-1:15 PM
The fabric of everyday life is woven together by interaction through speaking and listening. Since oral communication is our primary means of communication, this course will explore how oral communication functions, how it may be managed, and how you can improve your skills. Specifically, we will cover such topics as verbal communication, intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, listening and public speaking. Since this is a general education course, you will be developing your critical thinking skills through a number of oral assignments emphasizing clear organization and advocacy.
Dr. Hubbell is a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies. She teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in the areas of organizational and health communication and publishes studies examining organizational trust and health disparities among minority populations.
AREA2: MATHEMATICS/ALGEBRA:
None this semester.
AREA 3: LABORATORY SCIENCE:
HONORS 219G (CRN: 55116)
EARTH, TIME, AND LIFE
R. Burgette
TR • 1:30-2:45 Laboratory T • 3:00-5:30 pm
The primary objective of this course is to gain a general understanding of geology and the geological processes that have been occurring throughout Earth’s history. The course will begin with a basic introduction to Earth and plate tectonic processes. As part of this course, we will also learn about some of the common minerals and rocks that are the building blocks to geology and the rock cycle. We will investigate the processes associated with each rock type (e.g., volcanoes, faults, depositional processes, etc.) and as well as potential geologic hazards (e.g., volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, flooding, etc.). Upon completion of this course, you will be able to recognize and identify common minerals and rocks and understand the basic processes and conditions responsible for their formation and occurrence. At the largest scale, this course will provide you with a basic but comprehensive understanding on how the internal and external parts of the Earth have functioned throughout geologic time.
Dr. Burgette is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences. He studies how the Earth deforms on geodetic (years to decades) and geologic (thousands to hundreds of thousands of years) timescales. His research interests center around understanding how deformation is distributed in space and time at plate boundary zones, and better characterizing earthquake hazards.
AREA 4: SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE:
HONORS 235G (CRN: 54692)
WINDOW ON HUMANITY
TBA
MW • 9:30 – 10:20 AM
A physical and cultural exploration of humankind as seen through human paleontology, archaeology, and cultural anthropology. Requires excellence in reading, report writing and active class discussion.
HONORS 242G (CRN: 57319)
CLAIMING AN AMERICAN PAST: A Multiracial History of the US since 1848
J. Silver
R ● 5:00 – 7:30 PM
At the moment of the founding of the American nation, the Declaration of Independence stated that all men were created equal. Yet the ideal of equality and justice has remained an unfulfilled promise for many Americans. This class seeks to explore the historical narratives of various groups of Americans – across time and demographic. Through discussion, art, and group Socratic seminar, we will explore these American ideas and challenge ourselves to redefine our definition of American History.
Professor Silver is an adjunct professor for the Honors College. He is a 2003, 2007 and 2018 graduate of NMSU and currently works with LCPS. Teaching in the Honors College is his opportunity to serve future Aggies and contribute to the supportive and proud NMSU community.
HONORS 248G (CRN: 54701)
THE CITIZEN AND THE STATE: GREAT POLITICAL ISSUES
C. Slaton
TR · 1:30 – 2:45 PM
Wars, elections, marches, lawmaking, terrorism and genocide — why do they happen and why does it matter to our lives? As global politics have shifted in recent years, we need to return to the fundamental questions of politics: Why and how are societies organized for political action? What values do they express, and how do they attempt to achieve their goals? This seminar will seek to clarify the meaning of such terms as freedom, justice, democracy, terrorism, fascism, liberalism, conservatism, anarchy and civil disobedience.
Dr. Christa Slaton is a professor in the Department of Government.
AREA 5: HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS:
HONORS 208G (CRN: 57854)
MUSIC IN TIME AND SPACE
J. E. Shearer
TR ● 12:00 – 1:15 PM
Honors 208G is an introduction to a wide variety of musical formats. Through our auditory senses and intellectual faculties, music offers an ideal means for intelligent and humanistic examination of peoples and cultures, and for the understanding and enhancement of life. Types of music covered include classical, jazz, rock and roll, and world music. Diverse topics such as artists’ constitutional rights, how to explore legal music access in all its forms and formats and systematic instruction in the active listening process will be considered. Music videos and live, in-class performances, special evening concerts and lectures will be used as a basis for discussions and research writings related to students’ major fields of interest.
Dr. Shearer teaches both jazz and classical music history and oversees the graduate program for the NMSU Music Department. He has recorded with the El Paso Brass, Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Creole Jazz Band, and The Great American Tuba Show. He has written two textbooks, Jazz Basics and Music 101, for Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. His latest recording, Haunted America Suite, appears on the Summit Records label and is available on iTunes, emusic, and amazon, among other outlets, along with his previous Summit jazz release, The Memphis Hang. Dr. Shearer is the 2011 Papen Family Arts Award winner from the Dona Aña Arts Council, and he holds the duel titles of Regents Professor and Distinguished Achievement Professor at NMSU.
HONORS 216G (CRN: 48050)
ENCOUNTERS WITH ART
J. Fitzsimmons ● WEB
Art often reflects the society that produced it. Traditionally, art has fulfilled a variety of purposes, addressing such themes as religion (spirituality), politics (propaganda), race and gender, patronage and censorship. Through slide lectures, videos, field trips, project assignments and a research paper, students will explore the different roles art has played, past and present, to come to an understanding of modern life and aesthetics.
Professor Fitzsimmons teaches art history in the Department of Art. Her interests are the art of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the major cultural and social changes reflected in the art of these periods.
HONORS 227G (CRN: 53835)
PLATO AND THE DISCOVERY OF PHILOSOPHY
J. Vessel
TR ● 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
This course introduces students to Plato. No philosopher (with the possible exception of Aristotle) has had a greater influence on philosophy or on Western civilization. We will study a number of Plato’s dialogues in efforts to investigate his conception of philosophy and several of his influential philosophical arguments and doctrines. Here are some questions we will investigate: Who was the historical Socrates? How does Plato’s philosophical methodology evolve (if at all) in early, middle, and late dialogues? What is virtue? What is the fundamental nature of reality? What are the Forms? What is Plato’s conception of knowledge? Is philosophical knowledge different from other species of knowledge? If so, in what respects? Requirements: quizzes, in-class exams, a term paper, and a short presentation.
An alumnus of New Mexico State University (BA-Philosophy, 1993), Jean-Paul Vessel returned to the NMSU Philosophy Department after securing a Ph.D. in Philosophy, and then serving as a faculty member, at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
HONORS 229G (CRN: 57113)
THE NEW TESTAMENT AS LITERATURE
G. Rochelle
MW 1:30-2:45 PM
Honors 229G surveys the twenty-seven books of the New Testament from a literary and historical approach, centered on the so-called “Third Quest” for the historical Jesus. Higher criticism of the texts, their sources, authorship, dating, and interdependency has led to conflicts over the roots of Christianity. In addition, we will examine several non-canonical gospels and letters that have roles in the modern controversies regarding interpretation of the New Testament. We will read the New Testament along with an introductory volume and some supplementary materials.
Gabriel Jay Rochelle is a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. He holds master’s degrees in theology and biblical studies and a PhD in theology and literature. He has taught as a tenured professor at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and now at St. Sophia Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Bound Brook NJ. Other past teaching venues include Yale Divinity School and Muhlenberg College. He continues to serve as pastor of St Anthony of the Desert Orthodox Mission, Las Cruces.
VIEWING THE WIDER WORLD:
HONORS 306V (CRN: 56532)
SCIENCE, ETHICS, AND SOCIETY (A&S)
E. Serrano
TR • 3:00 – 4:15 PM
Honors 306V is designed to encourage an understanding of science and scientific inquiry by exploring the ethical and social issues that scientists encounter during the process of scientific investigation. The course encompasses topics from many scientific disciplines, including neuroscience, agriculture, medicine, physics, and nanoscience. Students are exposed to the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary scientific investigation and to the ethical dilemmas that can arise when scientific advances have ambiguous implications for improving the quality of life. Emphasis is placed on critical debate and written assignments. Participation in this course will encourage the student to develop her/his own ethical views regarding science and technology and will foster awareness of multiple perspectives on ethical issues in the sciences and on the role of scientific integrity in research.
Regents Professor Dr. Serrano is a neuroscientist and biophysicist. Her research focuses on neural therapeutics, mechanosensory systems, and bioinformatics. Undergraduate students are key participants in her research.
HONORS 324V (CRN: 57856)
SCIENCE AND THE ARTS: THEATRE AND STORY (A&S)
W. Storm
MW ● 3:00 – 4:15 p.m.
This course examines present-day relations between the sciences and the representation and communication of science, especially in connection with theatre, narrative fiction, and autobiography. It will be conducted as a seminar, with discussion centering on the reading of plays, novels, and works of biography and autobiography with scientific themes. Knowledge of the sciences is not required or necessary, as the focus will be on theatrical and literary representations of science and scientists in the world today.
Dr. Storm is a Professor in Theatre Arts and teaches theatre history, dramatic literature, and theory. Research areas include dramaturgy, theatre aesthetics, art in connection with theatrical representation, and relations among science, narrative, and theatre studies. Before joining the NMSU faculty he taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, and the University of Southern California. He is the author of After Dionysus: A Theory of the Tragic, Irony and the Modern Theatre and Dramaturgy and Dramatic Characteras as well as plays and essays. He worked in the professional theatre for many years and was the literary manager of the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
HONORS 326V (CRN: 57855)
ART AND MYTHOLOGY (A&S)
J. Fitzsimmons
WEB
This course deals with the appearance of mythological figures in the visual arts, past and present, by tracing the development of representational traditions (attributes and symbols) that evolved from the literary sources of classical Mediterranean mythology. An ancient Greek vase, a 16th century painting, and a popular television series share a common theme – Hercules. However, each provides diverse information about the times and culture that produced it.
Professor Fitzsimmons, associated with the Department of Art since 1973, has a broad area of current research interests, including her original specialty of 19th century art, issues pertinent to the 20th century, and classical studies.
HONORS 353V (CRN: 57857)
JUSTICE WITHOUT PREJUDICE (ED)
J. Flores-Carmona
M • 1:30 – 4:00 PM
Society and individuals today constantly face issues of prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination. In this course, we will examine issues of prejudice, bigotry, and discrimination, how and why they are institutionalized in societal systems, and how they lead to inequity. We will also study different views about how to create a system that provides social justice and equity without prejudice. The class will be highly interactive, with spirited and soul-searching discussions.
Dr. Judith Flores Carmona is an Associate Professor in the Honors College and in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at New Mexico State University. Her research
interests include multicultural social justice education and testimonio methodology and pedagogy.
HONORS 347V (CRN: 43774)
WORLD DANCE (ED)
F. Gilpin
W • 4:00-6:30 P.M.
This course introduces participants to a variety of dance forms from a cross-cultural perspective focusing on the role of dance in different societies. The course is taught using a modified lecture format, the class will include directed readings and classroom discussions, student research projects and group presentations. Guest lecturers, videos and an experiential movement component supplement classes. This is not an activity class per se, but there will be a small amount of exploration in dance movement from various dance styles.
Mr. Gilpin also known as Paco Antonio teaches Flamenco, Classical Spanish and world dance.
Paco was dance faculty at UNM from 1986-1998 during which time he was a soloist with Ritmo Flamenco, Dance España, and a frequent performer in Festival Flamenco Internacional.
As a free lance artist Mr. Antonio has lived and studied in Spain on several occasions and has performed, taught and choreographed internationally with well known studios, colleges and opera companies. Paco is currently College Professor of Dance at NMSU and along with his wife and dance partner Lucilene de Geus co-directs Sol y Arena the dance programs performance ensemble specializing in Flamenco and Classical Spanish Dance.
HONORS 374V (CRN: 56533)
THE EUROPEAN CITY (A&S)
A. Orzoff
TR • 3:00 – 4:15 PM
The history of the European metropolis is the history of European politics, society, economy, and especially culture and technology. In this course we will explore the history of modern European urban experience through a rich variety of materials and approaches, from geography to history to literature and journalism. We’ll discuss ancient Rome; industrial Manchester and imperial London; Paris, “the capital of the nineteenth century”; the cabarets and technological innovation of 1920s’ Berlin; the Nazi creation of a ghetto city, Litzmannstadt/Łódż; Soviet Cold War nuclear cities and the ways that contemporary European cities are dealing with North African and Middle Eastern migration.
Dr. Orzoff teaches the intellectual and cultural history of Central and Eastern Europe. She has published books and articles on nationalism, political culture, and the mass media in Europe between the two world wars.
HONORS 390V (CRN: 56530)
WORLDS OF BUDDHISM (A&S)
E. Masson
M • 3:00 – 5:30 PM
This course is an introduction to Buddhism and its contribution to the formation of (East) Asian cultures. It provides students with Buddhist “case studies” – i.e., examples of the ways in which Buddhism has influenced, and has been influenced by, various cultural and social milieus over time. The course is designed to offer opportunities to critically reflect on as a transformative philosophical, cultural, historical, and individual system.
Elvira Masson is a college professor in the Department of History. She is fluent in Chinese, and has traveled widely in Asia.
FREE ELECTIVES:
HONORS 400 M01-M07 HONORS THESIS (CRN MAY VARY)
M. Chaiken
TBA ● 3 credits
The honors thesis allows you to work closely with a faculty member on a 3-credit independent study project, which may involve scholarly or scientific research or completion of a creative project. It enables you to synthesize knowledge you have gained in a particular field and provides you with an impressive resume item that can be presented to prospective employers or graduate school deans. You frequently share with faculty in the publication or presentation of research results. You also can use the research material and the written thesis as a basis for master’s level work. If you wish to complete an honors thesis, you will need to submit a proposal to a faculty member. For more information, contact the Honors College Dean. Juniors and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.5 are eligible. The deadlines for proposals are November 30 for the spring semester and April 30 for the fall semester. The honors thesis is the final stage of the University Honors program. However, qualified students may participate whether or not they are enrolled in the University Honors sequence.
HONORS 410.M01 HONORS INTERNSHIP (CRN 24340)
M. Chaiken
TBA ● 3-6 credits
Honors internships are available in each academic department, in some laboratory settings, and with various off-campus organizations. Internships may be taken during the summer or the academic year. The research conducted during an internship can be seen as preparation for the honors thesis. Honors 410 enables honors students to develop independent research projects with professionals in their specialized field of study. In an internship setting, the student and supervisor determine the extent of the research project and the scope of the student’s involvement. Internships are designed for upper-division students with experience in the research area. Qualified students may participate whether or not they are enrolled in the University Honors sequence. Students who wish to take an internship must submit a proposal to the Honors College Dean during the semester prior to the internship Please contact the Honors office for additional information.
Juniors and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.5 are eligible. The requirements vary with internship. Graded S/U.
NOTE: Honors 410 does not count toward the Honors Certificate or University Honors program unless approved by the Dean of the Honors College.
HONORS 420.M01 INDEPENDENT STUDY (CRN 24342)
M. Chaiken
TBA ● 1-3 credits
Students enrolling in Honors 420 may receive credit for independent research and creative projects. To enroll in Honors 420, students, must meet honors eligibility requirements, have the consent of a faculty member who agrees to oversee the project and must prepare a contract for approval by the Honors College Dean.
HONORS 421. M01 SPECIAL TOPICS (CRN 43767) MARC Seminar
M. Johnson
T ● 4:00 – 5:50
HONORS 422 M01 (CRN 47110)
DIRECTED RESEARCH
M. Chaiken
TBA • 3 credits
Individual research projects supervised by faculty advisors. Consent of instructor required.