AREA 1: COMMUNICATIONS:
HONORS 265G (CRN 33440)
PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN COMMUNICATION
G. Armfield
TR ● 3:00-4:15 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, 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 clear advocacy.
Professor Hartley is an adjunct professor.
AREA2: MATHEMATICS/ALGEBRA:
None this semester.
AREA 3: LABORATORY SCIENCE:
None this semester.
AREA 4: SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE:
HONORS 237G (CRN 36575)
ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE SEARCH FOR THE PAST
A. Scotten
TR • 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Archaeologists endeavor to explain past cultural change by studying the materials people leave behind. This course will introduce you to the study of human cultural change over the last 500 thousand years. You will learn how archaeologists study human society and culture, and how they develop explanations and theories that account for changes in past lifeways. Key topics include 1. Our earliest ancestors, their biological and cultural changes, and how they interacted with and adapted to their environment; 2. The beginnings of settled life and food production based on agriculture and animal husbandry; 3. Old World and New World civilizations, the origins of urban societies and complex social systems.
Ali Scotten is an adjunct professor. He holds an MA in anthropology from the University of Chicago and an MS in international relations from Georgetown University. He has participated in archaeological excavations in Israel, Jordan, Iran, Arizona, and here in New Mexico.
HONORS 248G (CRN 36576)
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.
HONORS 232G (CRN 24321)
THE HUMAN MIND
M. Guynn
TR ● 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
The primary course objective is to develop an appreciation for the variety and complexity of problems that are solved by the human mind and to understand how these problems (feats) can be explained by a combined computational and evolutionary perspective. The mind is what the brain does (i.e., information processing), and the computational device that is the brain is the product of evolution by natural selection. Topics covered within this perspective include vision, thinking, emotion, social relations, and higher callings such as art, music, and literature.
Dr. Guynn is a cognitive psychologist with a primary interest in understanding the processes of human memory. Her current research focuses on how people are able to remember to perform intended actions in the absence of a direct prompt to remember.
AREA 5: HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS:
HONORS 216G (CRN 33436)
ENCOUNTERS WITH ART
J. Fitzsimmons
T ● 5:00 -7:30 p.m.
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 222G (CRN 36567)
FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CULTURE
A.Orzoff
TR ● 9:00 – 10:15 AM
Honors 222G aims to broaden students’ knowledge of the evolution and values that have shaped western culture, to engage them critically with works of cultural importance, and to enhance their understandings of self and society through a more profound awareness of the origins and development of the West. This course will achieve these broad goals by reading and discussing some of the great works of modern European thought, ranging from literature and poetry to philosophy to social and political theory. We will discuss authors as varied as Johann Goethe, Mary Wollstonecraft, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Friedrich Nietzsche, T.S. Eliot, and Jose Ortega y Gasset.
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 during the twentieth century.
HONORS 227G (CRN 33439)
PLATO AND THE DISCOVERY OF PHILOSOPHY
J. Vessel
TR ● 9:00 – 10:15 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 230G (CRN 38363)
BAMBOO & SILK: THE FABRIC OF CHINESE LITERATURE
E. Masson
W ● 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
This is a course covering 3,000 years of Chinese poetry, songs, novels, religious writings, letters, drama, histories, political essays, and even oracle bones, exploring a broad range of themes. Students will hone their interpretive and expressive skills while examining translation theory and Chinese and western literary criticism. We will use classroom discussion, readers’ journals, student presentations and art, video, and music to fully explore this vast corpus of work.
Ms. Masson is a college associate professor in the Department of History and Director of the Confucius Institute at NMSU. She has an M.A. in Chinese Language and Literature from Stanford University is fluent in Chinese and has traveled widely in China.
HONORS 234G (CRN 38362)
THE WORLDS OF ARTHUR
G. Lavender
ONLINE WEB
“The Worlds of Arthur” will investigate the various renditions of the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. As we witness the evolution of this great story through time, we see not only a historical evolution, but a psychological, social, cultural, religious, and mythic progression as well. We will also consider Arthur in film, visual art, and popular culture. We will read and discuss the pertinent works of Geoffrey of Monmouth, Thomas Malory, Chrétien de Troyes, Robert de Boron, Alfred Lord Tennyson, T. H. White, John Steinbeck, and others.
Professor Lavender’s research and teaching interests are in the areas of mythology, Arthurian literature, and creative non-fiction.
VIEWING THE WIDER WORLD:
HONORS 304V (CRN 38364)
DILEMMAS OF WAR AND PEACE (A&S)
N. Rosendorf
M • 4:30 – 7:00 PM
War-making and peacemaking confront us with difficult moral dilemmas involving life and death. In this course, we seek to identify the core issues associated with the ethics of war and peace in an era of dramatic global transitions. The course covers a wide range of topics such as suicide bombing, the use of torture and/or drones in counterterrorism, humanitarian intervention, nonviolence resistance and more. Environmental, economic, religious, and gender-related concerns will be covered in exploring personal and political means of coping with difficult dilemmas of war and peace.
Dr. Rosendorf is an associate professor in the Government Department.
HONORS 341V (CRN 36577)
THE OLD TESTAMENT AS LITERATURE (A&S)
G. Rochelle
MW ● 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
The Old Testament forms the foundation for the contemporary world religions that share the Abrahamic tradition (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), and thus will be examined as for its influence on history, contemporary societies, and ethics. Particular attention will be paid to the different genres and forms of literature that occur across the historical swath of the Old Testament, which covers a millennium.
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 Ph.D. 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.
HONORS 347V (CRN 35077)
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.
Professor 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 freelance 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 a 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 353V (CRN 38365)
JUSTICE WITHOUT PREJUDICE (ED)
J. Flores-Carmona
W ● 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 on 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 378V (CRN 38366)
TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY (ENG)
M. Mitchell
TR ● 1:30 – 2:45 pm
Technology is a powerful means for solving many human problems. In modern times, the pace of technological innovation is very rapid. The resulting products and processes from innovations in technology may both enrich society and cause serious, often unintended, problems.
Society sets goals for technology through government spending and tax incentives for research and development. In addition, governments enact laws and policies to establish the safe use of new technologies, including their impact on human health and the environment. These laws and policies can impede the adoption of new technologies. In many cases, policies are enacted when unintended consequences of technologies are discovered.
In this course we will begin by looking at major technological innovations that are being currently implemented, and how national and international policies are impacting the implementation of these technologies. We will examine national and international policies for moving technological innovation forward through governmental funding, such as the America COMPETES Act. We will also analyze the history of the consequences of major technological innovations on society.
Students will choose a technology related to each student’s own interests, either currently established or newly emerging, and develop a case study for that technology. The case study will include an analysis of the technology, the problem it is intended to solve, and the national and international policies governing its use. The case studies will be presented orally to the class.
Dr. Mitchell is a Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering in the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University. She served as the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering at NMSU from 2012 to 2016 and was a member of the Engineering Research Council Board of Directors for the American Society of Engineering Education. Her research interests are in computer modeling and simulation of adsorption and transport in nanoporous materials. She has collaborated with researchers from NMSU, Arizona State University, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and NASA-White Sands Test Facility.
HONORS 387V (CRN 36578)
COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE ON WOMEN (A&S)
K.Jenks
TR ● 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
The history, antecedents, and consequences of sex and gender systems around the world from the comparative perspective of anthropology, including a consideration of human biology, prehistory, language, and culture.
Dr. Kelly Jenks is an assistant professor in the Anthropology department. She specializes in the historical archaeology of the U.S. Southwest.
HONORS 388V (CRN 28364) [Mini semester: Jan. 16—Mar. 11]
LEADERSHIP AND SOCIETY (ED)
C. Townley
MW/Hybrid ● 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Leadership is a critical component in the character and direction of society. As societies develop, the role of leaders is constantly changing and expanding. Honors 388GV examines the multifaceted nature of leadership in modern society through readings, exercises, and online seminar discussions. Each student will participate in a learning community using individual research and reflection, team learning activities, and seminar presentations. The course is an eight week, minimester course. The course is a “blended” course using both classroom and online learning.
Dr. Townley is a Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership and Administration in the College of Education. His research interests are leadership learning, international education, and knowledge management. Dr. Townley came to New Mexico State University in 1990 as Dean of the University Library, a leadership position he held for 10 years. From 2000 to 2013, he advised 14 doctoral graduates to completion of their dissertations. He has led national and international professional organizations. Dr. Townley recently completed a Fulbright Lectureship at Beijing Normal University where he also teaches as a Visiting Professor.
HONORS 411V (CRN 29531)
GREAT THEOREMS: THE ART OF MATHEMATICS (A&S)
T. Stanford
MW ● 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Arithmetic and Geometry were two of the Seven Liberal Arts in ancient Greece. Taking the view of mathematics as an art, we will explore some of the great historical discoveries in mathematics. Part of our exploration will be based on original historical sources. Specific topics will be chosen according to student interest. Here are some examples of the kinds of questions we will address:
- How was mathematics used to help solve the ancient and difficult problems of mapmaking and navigation across oceans?
- Who first thought of taking an “infinite sum”, and why did they want to do that?
- Why are prime numbers so interesting and important? Why are there still so many unanswered questions about prime numbers?
Prerequisites: grades of B or better in MATH 192 and any upper-division MATH/STAT course, with an overall 3.2 GPA, or consent of instructor. NOTE: This course may be counted towards either a major or a minor in mathematics, and is also a Viewing a Wider World course. CROSSLISTED: MATH 411V crn 22437.
Dr. Ted Stanford bio: I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. I received my Ph.D. in Mathematics from Columbia University in 1993 and joined the NMSU faculty in 2000. My research interests include Geometry, Topology, and Mathematics Education. My two favorite things about mathematics are 1) the fascinating relationships between the nature of space itself, and the mathematical formalism we used to describe space; and 2) that Mathematics is a human endeavor – people approach Mathematics in different ways, and yet we achieve a common understanding.
FREE ELECTIVES:
HONORS 214/314 (CRN 27207)
SUCCESSFUL SCHOLARSHIP WRITING
T. Ketelaar
Thursday ● 2:35 – 4:00 PM
Honors 214/314 develop skills vital for successful scholarship and graduate school applications. Through hands-on workshops, students will identify, learn about and apply for major awards including the Rhodes, Fulbright, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Boren scholarships. In addition, students will explore opportunities that help build strong backgrounds for careers and advanced study. Underclassmen are especially encouraged to enroll.
Dr. Ketelaar is the Office of National Scholarships Director and Associate Dean of the Honors College.
HONORS 218 M70 (CRN 33437)
WOMEN ACROSS CULTURES
M. Hamzeh
ONLINE-WEB COURSE
This is an introductory women’s studies course in which learners will have the opportunity to:
- Cultivate their knowledge about a broad range of women’s experiences within the hierarchies of gender, class, race, national origin, language, (dis)ability, age, sexuality, body shape etc.
- Practice the use of critical feminist theoretical tenets, language, and research tools aiming to:
- Unpack the complexities of women’s lived experiences at the intersections of constructed categories of difference, and
- Explore systems of oppression that contribute to the exclusion and exploitation of women around the globe. Foster the understanding of local, national, and global activism committed to creative ways of resistance to inequities and collective approaches to shaping a more just and sustainable world for all.
- Cross-listed with: WS 202G.
Manal Hamzeh is an associate professor in the Gender & Sexuality Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies Department at New Mexico State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Critical Pedagogy & Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State University.
Dr. Manal’s research draws on anti-racist/decolonizing educational theories and currently focuses on the politics of gender and sexuality in the January 25th Egyptian Revolution. She holds the NMSU’s university-wide Christmore Teaching Award (2012) and the Roush Teaching Award (2015).
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.M02 SPECIAL TOPICS (CRN 38369)
SPECIAL TOPICS: Feminist Research Methodologies
Manal Hamzeh
W ● 4:30-7pm (DOM 223) Cross-listed with: WS 455/WS555
This feminist methodology course is designed to provide participants with an opportunity to,
● Become effective readers of scholarly research as they uncover the ways in which structural powers and researcher’s positionalities inform, shape, and drive the research process.
● Explore the relationship between lived experience and research.
● Evaluate the relevance of an individual research study’s purpose to social justice and marginalized perspectives.
● Design a study proposal by practicing the skills necessary for the:
● Accumulation and review of relevant literature,
● Theoretical framing and methodology selection,
● Construction of explorable research questions,
● Crafting and justification of the purpose,
● Selection and use of critically reflexive and participatory methods of data collection.
● Drafting of an IRB (Internal Review Board) application.
This course draws on the latest decolonial feminist and critical race scholarship. It focuses on a variety of anti-oppressive and decolonizing methodologies such as testimonios and pláticas, storytelling and research-based art such as graphic novels, animation films and performed ethnographies.
This is a valuable course for undergraduate, graduate, doctoral students in Women’s Studies, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Curriculum & Instruction, Counseling, and Educational Psychology, Anthropology, Nursing, and other disciplines.
The final project in this course may be the start for an Honors Thesis or a draft proposal for a master’s thesis or a doctoral dissertation.
Manal Hamzeh is an associate professor in the Gender & Sexuality Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies Department at New Mexico State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Critical Pedagogy & Curriculum and Instruction from New Mexico State University. Dr. Manal’s research draws on anti-racist/decolonizing educational theories and currently focuses on the politics of gender and sexuality in the January 25th Egyptian Revolution. She holds the NMSU’s university-wide Christmore Teaching Award (2012) and the Roush Teaching Award (2015).
HONORS 421 M03 (CRN 38369)
MCAT PREP
M. Chaiken
TBA ● 1-3 credits
This course will prepare pre-med students to have their optimal performance on the MCAT examination. Students should have completed their basic science core classes and be planning to take the MCAT exam within the next 6 months. Enrollment is limited and by permission of instructor.
Dr. Miriam Chaiken is the Dean of the Honors College.
HONORS 421 M70 (CRN 36368)
MEDICAL SHADOWING
M. Chaiken
On-line Web • 1-3 credits
This course will provide academic credit for students who are preparing for careers in medical fields and are shadowing medical professionals in their workplace. Students must find their own placement and enrollment is by instructor permission only.
Dr. Miriam Chakien is the Dean of the Honors College.
HONORS 422 M01 (CRN 30200)
DIRECTED RESEARCH
M. Chaiken
TBA • 3 credits
Individual research projects supervised by faculty advisors. Consent of instructor required.