Honors College

Storytelling & the Art of Communication
CRN 49679 | Thursday | Face-to-Face | 1pm-3:40pm | Professor Ann Marie Halstead

In this course, students will study the history, art and science of storytelling to better understand its universality and impact. They will investigate the role of story in the shaping of oneself and one’s community, and will use the results of their critical analysis to hone their own storytelling, presentation and interpersonal communication skills.

Bringing Out the Best in Self
CRN 46281 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 9:30am-10:45am | Professor Christy Tyndall

In this course, we will explore the notion of self and the psychological, cultural, social, and biological foundations of identity with emphasis on the period of emerging adulthood in which identity formation is a key developmental activity. Through the lenses of social and educational psychology, students will also learn about theories of motivation including achievement goal theory, self-determination theory, expectancy value theory, and self-efficacy and how to optimize personal motivational strategies.

Introduction to Futures Studies   
CRN 49580 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 2pm-3:15pm | Professor Charles Conyers 

A seminar course on Futures Studies. Approaching contemporary issues from a perspective of planning for surprises, identifying both plausible and desirable futures, and plotting strategies for moving from plausible to desirable. Topics may include climate change, economic inequality, the future of work with automation, weakening democracy, refugees, terrorism, pandemics, and conspiracy theories.

Techno-Politics  
CRN 49575 | Tuesday | Face-to-Face | 4pm-6:40pm | Professor Deirdre Condit

This course examines the dynamic and evolving relationship between technology and politics from a historical, contemporary, and future-oriented perspective. Students will explore how technological change has shaped, and been shaped by, political structures, policies, and global power dynamics. Students will analyze how technology shapes political power, social dynamics, and ethical considerations, questioning what it means to be human in an era where boundaries between organic and artificial are increasingly blurred. Key areas include the future of AI and “cyborg” life, and the bio-ethical dilemmas that arise in increasingly technologically advanced societies. Through case studies, theoretical frameworks, and multidisciplinary perspectives, students will grapple with the fundamental societal shifts driven by technological advancements.

Nutrition Intel
CRN 44403 | Online Asynchronous | Professor Stephen Sowulewski

In this course, students will examine the latest Intelligence (Intel) as it relates to nutrition as a multidisciplinary field involving biochemistry, mathematics, psychology, sociology, history and anthropology. Students will be able to tailor their learning outcomes to align to their chosen discipline. Topics in this course will touch on the microbiome, nutrigenomics, deconstructing the numbers on a food label, behavioral eating (fat cell theory & set point theory of metabolism), food deserts/food swamps, significant achievements in food science, and diets patterned after our ancestral hunter-gathers. 

High Performance Leadership
CRN 44386 | Monday | Face-to-Face | 5pm-7:40pm | Thomas Connolly

This course focuses on building high performing leaders. Students will learn modern leadership theory and practical applications. This course will walk students through common pitfalls of leadership, overcoming those pitfalls, and how to work efficiently as a team. The course will also require students to reflect on themselves as leaders in a diverse community.

Foundations of Evidence-Based Medicine
CRN 47245 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 11am-12:15pm | Professor Kevin Brosnan
CRN 47246 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 9:30am-10:45am | Professor Kevin Brosnan

The prominence of Evidence-Based Medicine has spawned a proliferation of evidence-based movements in other disciplines, including economics, sociology, psychology, and education. Proponents of these evidence-based X movements are concerned with the replication crises in various sciences, and with the erosion in public trust these crises cause. For each of these evidence-based X movements, there is a view that scientific hypotheses, clinical decisions, and public health policies should be based on the best available evidence. So formulated, this is a boring and uncontroversial view. But there is considerable debate as to what constitutes the best evidence, and about how to handle the ubiquity of discordant evidence. This debate is ultimately a philosophical rather than scientific one, as it concerns the conceptual foundations of statistical and causal inference. By focusing on contemporary debates about these foundations, we will enhance our understanding of what constitutes an adequate evidence base for a hypothesis, a medical intervention, or a public health policy proposal.

Spirituality and Medicine
CRN 49779 | Monday, Wednesday | Hybrid-asynchronous | 10am-10:50am | Instructor TBA

Contemporary medical practice focuses on the physical body as the site of illness and healing. But historically, illness, birth, and death have also been the domain of spirituality and religion. Today, these critical life cycle transitions remain sites of spiritual and religious experience for patients and those who care for them.

Contemporary Issues in Crime & Corrections    
CRN 44341 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 12:30pm-1:45pm | Professor Layton Lester
Miniterm course dates: 9/8-10/10 
*Last day to add/drop September Miniterm is September 9*

Students will explore how childhood trauma and exposure to violence leads to delinquent behavior. Issues presented include human trafficking, substance use and mental health disorders, the influence of gangs, and psychopathy. Students will research challenges incarcerated women face, the role of programs that address criminogenic factors, and parenting skills that promote family reunification.

Men's Health    
CRN 47649 | Online Asynchronous | Professor Stephen Sowulewski 
Miniterm course dates: 9/8-10/10
*Last day to add/drop September Miniterm is September 9*
This course will examine men's health from three domains:  physical, mental and spiritual.  Topics will include andropause (owing to decreasing testosterone levels in the aging process), prostate, testicular, skin, and breast cancer in addition to the swelling of the prostate gland (benign prostate hyperplasia) in the male life cycle.  The prevalence of sleep apnea in men and other sleep disorders will be reviewed.  Depression will be studied as the "under disease" in men (under recognized, under diagnosed, and under treated).  Finally, a look at spirituality in men in the realm of mind-body exercise.

Discovery of Drugs for Treating Schizophrenia    
CRN 47650 | Wednesday | Online Synchronous | 4pm-6:40pm | Professor Joseph Porter    
Miniterm course dates: 9/8-10/10
*Last day to add/drop September Miniterm is September 9*
The discovery and development of antipsychotic drugs begins in the 1800s with the development of chemical dyes in clothing industries. In 1952 the first antipsychotic drug, chlorpromazine, was developed in France. Known as Thorazine in the United States, this was the beginning of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of schizophrenia.  We will explore this history and the role of serendipity in the discovery and development of drugs for treating schizophrenia.

Reacting to the English Civil War    
CRN 48002 | Wednesday, Friday | Face-to-Face | 11am-12:15pm | Dean Scott Breuninger
Miniterm course dates: 9/8-10/10
*Last day to add/drop September Miniterm is September 9*  
This class will play a Reacting to the Past roleplaying game that focuses on the English Civil War.

The game begins in the fall of 1648 and England is in chaos.  Parliament’s New Model Army has routed King Charles I’s forces on the field of battle, but stability has proved to be extremely fragile.  Charles is in custody at Hampton Court, but the growing tension between Parliament and the Army, coupled with an army of Scots to the north, does not bode well for peace.  Students in this Reacting game are thrust into this historical context, assuming roles in the Parliament corresponding to the main factions of the time: Royalist supporters of Charles I defending the traditional notion of the divine right of kings, Puritan Parliamentarians seeking to construct a “godly” state and limit the King’s authority, and members of the Army whose egalitarian experiences and control of military authority provide a stark challenge to English political traditions.  Drawing upon a wide variety of political and religious texts, students will play the roles of historical characters as they attempt to build a stable government upon the rubble of the Civil War.

Nonprofit Organizations    
CRN 49591 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 2pm-3:15pm | Professor Jacqueline Smith-Mason
Miniterm course dates: 9/8-10/10 
*Last day to add/drop September Miniterm is September 9*

There are over one million nonprofit organizations in the United States. Many of these organizations impact public policy to address healthcare, education, food insecurity, affordable housing, and other local, state, and federal social issues. This course will explore the history of nonprofit organizations and their vital role in society.

APPM355: Honors: Orchestra 
CRN 43487 - Professor Myssyk

COAR 352-751 & 752: History of Visual Communications I
CRN: 49891 & 49892 - Professor Weichel

ENGL313: Hon:Pop Cult:Race & Id Am Musi
CRN 49581 - Professor Lingold

ENGL317: Honr:Body & Cultr:Death & Myth
CRN 47764 - Professor Shimomura
*Health Humanities Minor Area 2

ENGL348: Honr: Literature Of Addiction
CRN 49616 - Professor Shiel
*Health Humanities Minor Area 2

ENGL413: Honr:: 19th-C Victorian Environ
CRN 49319 - Professor Frankel

FIRE311: Honr:: Financial Management
CRN 26968 - Professor Straska

GSWS355: Queer Cinema
CRN 49921 - Professor Canfield

GSWS371: Honr: Women In Islam Wi
CRN 48048 - Professor Oladi

HIST 338: Honr: WWI in the Middle East
CRN 49778 - Professor Hafez

MGMT310: Hon: Managing People In Orgs
CRN 41304 - Professor Whelpley

MKTG301: Honr:: Marketing Principles
CRN 34650 - Professor Gilstrap

PHIL331: Honr:: Philosophy Of Science
CRN 47200 - Professor Faries

BIOL300: Hon:Cellular & Molecular Biol 
CRN 34167 - Professor Walsh

BIOL310: Hon: Genetics
CRN 37726  - Professor Tenjo-Fernandez

FRLG575: Intercultural Communication
CRN 47887 - Professor Cummins

SPCH321: Spch For Business & Profession
CRN 49672 - Professor Jackson
*CHS List E

PSYC 497, 498 (Restricted to students pursuing honors in psychology. Please see your Honors Advisor to know how these courses fit into the Honors curriculum.) To learn more about honors in psychology, visit (https://bulletin.vcu.edu/undergraduate/college-humanities-sciences/psychology/)

ANTH200: Hon: Intro To African Societies
CRN 43116 - Professor Brooks

ECON210: Hon: Prin Of Econ - Micro
CRN 36416  - Professor Mitchell

IDDS200: Hon: Disab History And Culture
CRN 44558 - Professor Schall

MASC493: Fieldwork
CRN 47938 - Professor McDearmon

WRLD203: Cultural Texts/Contexts
CRN 49807 - Professor Cummins

HONR 494 Capstone
CRN 42604 | Online Asynchronous | Professor Brandi Daniels

The capstone will examine community engagement, including theories of citizenship, human rights, social movements, civic leadership, social justice, civil discourse, and social capital strategies. Through the use of case studies and field observations gained from neighborhood visits in RVA, students will be able to use an interdisciplinary lens to analyze and apply principles and practices of community engagement. Focus areas include - Education, Job Creation, Workforce Preparation, Social Stability, Healthy Community, Coordinated Transportation, James River, Quality Place and Demographics.