Honors Spring 2024 Courses
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Honors 398 Topics Courses
Writing off the Page
CRN 43816 | Monday | Hybrid-synchronous | 3:00 p.m. - 5:40 p.m. | Professor Mary Boyes
In this course, you will be exposed to transformational communication via a series of examples of creative works, including installations, guerilla art, performances, digital works, and community design. You will be able to use your own interests, regardless of whether these interests are academic, artistic, or informational, to create a proposal for your own transformational project. (Note: The actual project/fieldwork is not required. In this class you need only formalize your idea and the verbal communication you wish to transform.)
The Anthropology of Colonialism
CRN 46553 | Tuesday | Face-to-Face | 4 p.m.-6:40 p.m. | Professor Christopher Brooks
The genesis of this course began with a single question - Why should colonialism be the focus of an anthropology course? Answering this question became all the more urgent in the aftermath of British Queen Elizabeth II’s (1926-2022) death when the impact of colonialism was brought into the spotlight at an exponential rate. The number of cultural traditions around the world that invading powers imposed on (or dramatically altered) their colonized territories, because such practices did not conform to their Western or Eastern worldviews (e.g. demonizing transgendered persons in India; ousting female rulers in Africa, and Asia, and imposing religious beliefs on vast populations) continues to manifest in many societies. This course will also make a distinction between Imperialism and colonialism and how, in all instances, each took much more than it gave. We will consider how cultural experiences worldwide were forever altered in the face of this phenomenon, and how, in its aftermath, continues to impact many of the practices, policies, activities, and politics of those very countries in the postcolonial era.
Survey of World Pandemics
CRN 43230 | Monday | Face-to-Face | 4 p.m.-6:40 p.m. | Professor Christopher Brooks
From early documented history, viruses have been a part of the human experience. Celebrated examples include the Justinian Plague (541 CE) throughout the Mediterranean, Leprosy in 11th-century Europe; The Black Death Bubonic Plague) 14th century Europe; the Columbian Exchange in 1492 (Western Hemisphere); The Great Plague of London (1665); First Cholera Pandemic (1817); Fiji Measles Pandemic (1875); Russian Flu (1889); Spanish Flu (1918); Asian Flu (1957); HIV/AIDS (1981); SARS (2003); H1N1 (2009); Ebola (1976); Zika (2015); and most recently COVID-19 (2019). In these outbreaks, populations have been forced to respond to these deadly health emergencies. In this course, we will survey outbreaks throughout history and then focus on three zoonotic viruses (i.e., pathogens that jumped from a non-human). We will also consider how social sciences, like anthropology, have played a role in how people process, understand and respond to such health emergencies.
Diving into Qualitative Research
CRN 38209 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Professor Christy Tyndall
This course provides an introduction to qualitative research methods. Qualitative (non-statistical) social science research can form the basis of surprising and profound discoveries about individuals and societies. Ethnographies, surveys, interviews, and focus groups contribute insight and depth to our understanding of the human condition and shed light on processes that may not be identifiable using big data sets. The course is designed to prepare students to engage in critically reflective practice related to the design, implementation, and analysis of qualitative research studies.
Social Justice & the Arts
CRN 38662 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Professor Ann Marie Gardinier Halstead
Fulfills the CHS fine arts requirement
In Social Justice and the Arts, students will investigate the relationship between social justice and the arts (theatre, visual arts, and music), with a particular focus on contemporary dramatic literature, i.e. plays that contribute to social and political change, such as The Exonerated, Notes From the Field, and The Laramie Project. As a classroom community we will critically analyze and discuss other relevant texts, including films, static images, and three-dimensional art, and will engage with leaders and organizations from the VCU and Richmond arts communities. Students will research social (justice) issues of particular interest to them and will look at the ways in which various art forms expose and help to resolve issues of social justice, inspiring us to act and effect positive change. Assignments will include oral presentations, multi-media projects, creative writing, reflection papers, peer review, and traditional research.
Social Justice & the Arts
CRN 41232 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. | Professor Ann Marie Gardinier Halstead
Fulfills the CHS fine arts requirement
In Social Justice and the Arts, students will investigate the relationship between social justice and the arts (theatre, visual arts, and music), with a particular focus on contemporary dramatic literature, i.e. plays that contribute to social and political change, such as The Exonerated, Notes From the Field, and The Laramie Project. As a classroom community we will critically analyze and discuss other relevant texts, including films, static images, and three-dimensional art, and will engage with leaders and organizations from the VCU and Richmond arts communities. Students will research social (justice) issues of particular interest to them and will look at the ways in which various art forms expose and help to resolve issues of social justice, inspiring us to act and effect positive change. Assignments will include oral presentations, multi-media projects, creative writing, reflection papers, peer review, and traditional research.
International Health
CRN 46559 | Online Asynchronous | Professor Stephen Sowulewski
This course will examine health indices as they relate to populations around the world including life expectancy, mortality, morbidity incidence and prevalence, quality of life and well-being. Health systems will be compared as well as global health priorities and socioeconomic determinants of health. Chronic disease (cardiac disease, diabetes and cancer) will be highlighted in addition to infectious disease (HIV/AIDS and TB). Lifespan will be discussed in the framework of health promoting behaviors from early adulthood into old age.
Understanding Human Disease with Model Organisms
CRN 46560 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 2 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. | Professor Keith Baker
This class will focus on the distinct advantages and opportunities that model organisms provide in understanding our own biology. We will discuss how these specific strategies have unlocked new experimental platforms that are capable of interrogating fundamental developmental and cellular processes and how the novel findings from such approaches have revolutionized biomedical research. A combination of student-led presentations and projects will be coupled with regular lectures on subject areas. Additionally, we will read and discuss the results of seminal papers and contextualize the findings and their impact. Collectively, we will try to gain a new appreciation for how model organisms have shaped our current understanding of rare and common conditions that affect humanity.
World Events and Broadway Musicals
CRN 43667 | Monday | Face-to-Face | 1 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. | Professors Patrick Smith, and Sonia Vlahcevic
Fulfills the CHS fine arts requirement
A diverse and inclusive survey of historical world events as portrayed through American Broadway Musicals. Students will gain knowledge of major, life-impacting events through the present day, witness the ways in which these events inspired some musical creations of the Broadway musical stage, and recognize the similarities and differences between historical fact and theatrical representation. Through the duration of the semester, class meeting topics will alternate weekly between viewing selected musicals (in class) and lecture/discussions.
Survey of Contemporary Romance
CRN 46992 | Tuesday, Thursday | Online Synchronous | 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Professor Neta Harris
High Performance Leadership
CRN 46989 | Tuesday | Face-to-Face | 5 p.m. - 7:40 p.m. | Professor Tom Connolly
This course focuses on building and developing high performing leaders. Students will learn and review modern leadership theory and practical application. The course will walk students through common pitfalls of leading teams, how to overcome these obstacles, and how to work efficiently as a team. The course will also require students to reflect upon themselves as leaders in a diverse community
Honors 399 Modules (1.5 credit hours)
Reacting English Civil War
CRN 43655 | Wednesday, Friday | Face-to-Face | 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | Professor Scott Breuninger
February 7-March 15
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.
Women in Science
CRN 42333 | Wednesday | Online Synchronous | 4 p.m. - 6:40 p.m. | Professor Joseph Porter
January 24-February 21
Historically, women have been underrepresented in science and faced discrimination in academia and industry. This course will examine the slow, but steady increase in the number of women in different areas of science and the obstacles they faced and overcame. This course also will provide an overview of the scientific contributions of women (both historical and contemporary) in different areas of scientific research. Finally, we will examine the current status of women in science and examine what biases and difficulties may still remain in their career paths. This is a student-oriented course in that you will be presenting most of the class presentations and your discussions during class are an important aspect of the class and its success.
Nationally Competitive Awards & Beyond
CRN 42241 | Tuesday | Face-to-Face | 10 a.m.- 11:15 a.m. | Professor Meredith Sisson
February 14-Apri 24
Wouldn’t it be great to get someone else to pay for you to do something cool? This honors module will teach you how to apply for nationally competitive awards, which can support research, study abroad, postgraduate study, and other enrichment activities. You will learn about some of the many opportunities that exist, as well as what it takes to put together a competitive application. Throughout the course, you will hone your writing skills and learn to craft compelling Personal and Research Statements. You will learn interview techniques and participate in a mock-interview. By the end of the course, you will have completed a draft of a scholarship application (which you can then choose to submit!) The skills and knowledge gained in this course can be directly applied to other applications, such as for graduate school, jobs, and grants.
Reuse, Recycle, Recreate
CRN 43656 | Online Asynchronous | Professor Chelsea Lee
January 16- February 13
Fulfills the CHS fine arts requirement
This course exposes students to a range of making practices and concepts in creativity in a short period of time. Designed for students with little or no prior experience in making artwork, this course will provide hands-on learning opportunities through demonstrations, lectures and assignments. Topics will include various methods of creating artwork using recycled and reused materials. Building, constructing, fastening and shaping are the tangible means used to realize these ideas.
Honors Research Ready
CRN 47643 | Online - Asynchronous | Prof. Pamela Dillon
March 18 - April 19, 2024
*Last day to drop is March 19
This 1.5-credit course introduces foundational knowledge on the main principles of scientific research and prepares students to participate in an undergraduate research experience. In this class, students will explore the process and products of research. Topics will include ethical conduct in human and animal research, literature review searches, outcome measures, study design, presentation skills, and dissemination of results strategies.
Honors Sections
- BIOL 300 - Cell & Molecular Biology 38171
- BIOL 310 - Genetics 16781
- PSYC 497, 498, 499 (Restricted to students pursuing honors in psychology. To learn more about honors in psychology, visit https://bulletin.vcu.edu/undergraduate/college-humanities-sciences/psychology/
- GSWS 201 - Introduction to Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies 201
Honors Variants
PHIL 331: Philosophy of Science
CRN 46249 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 2 p.m.-3: 15 p.m. | Professor Frank Faries
An examination of the bases of scientific inquiry in both the natural and social sciences; including a study of such topics as hypothesis formation and testing, and the nature of scientific laws, theories and explanations.
ECON 211 : Principles of Macroeconomics
CRN 45548 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 2 p.m.-3: 15 p.m. | Professor Evelyn Nunes
A course designed to acquaint the student with a theoretical and practical understanding of the economic institutions and problems of the American economy with a focus on macroeconomics.
HST 202 History Without Borders: Race & Slavery
CRN 43771 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m. | Professor Bernard Moitt
HIST 321: The Holocaust
CRN 47290 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | Professor Joseph Bendersky
A multidisciplinary examination of the events leading to and culminating in the Nazi extermination of six million Jews; the historical settings of European Jewry and of German fascism; the role of traditional anti-Semitism; the psychology of aggressor and victim; the Holocaust in art and literature and the moral implications for today.
APPM 355: Honors Orchestra
CRN 43978 | Monday, Wednesday, Friday | Face-to-Face | 1:30 p.m.-2:50 p.m. | Professor Daniel Myssyk
"Honors students are required to fulfill all the obligations of the course as outlined below. In addition to weekly rehearsals, students in the Honors College will have reading/listening assignments related to the music performed during the semester. To receive honors credit for APPM 355, students must work on a guided research project. Examples of projects designed to accommodate the honors component for this course may include but are not limited to:
- Comparative study of between three to five different recordings of the same piece. The student writes a research paper of no more than 7 pages to discuss interpretative options between selected versions of the chosen work.
- Research on the composer’s life contemporary to the time when the work was created. The student writes a research paper of no more than 7 pages to discuss their historical findings.
- Video presentation on the composers the orchestra is performing. The student shares their video with the class.
- Writing program notes. The student has their notes published in the concert program.
- Research orchestra etiquette. The student presents their research’s outcomes in front of the orchestra.
- Help with the planning and the organizing of an orchestra tour.
- Help with all things related to marketing of major events, such as concerts, etc."
ENGL 361: The Bible as Literature
CRN 46900 | Monday, Wednesday, Friday | Face-to-Face | 1 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. | Professor Joshua Eckhardt
Literary aspects of the Bible will be considered. Also, attention will be given to the history of the English Bible. Four seats are available for honors students.
ENGL 365: Caribbean Literature
CRN 46901 | Tuesday, Thursday | Face-to-Face | 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. | Professor Mary Lingold
A survey of West Indian writings. Attention will be given to African, European and Amerindian influences, as well as to the emergence of a West Indian literary tradition. Four seats are available for honors students.
CSIJ 200: Critical Social Inquiry and Justice
CRN 45847, 45848, 45849 | Note: Check course schedule for modality and other details | Professor Lisa Winn Bryan
Interrogates four key areas of inquiry: origins, ideology, maintenance and resistance to race and racism in the U.S., and applies an intersectional lens to examine how race interlocks with other systems of power. Reflecting the diverse faculty and students who co-created it, this course will draw from a variety of scholarly disciplines spanning the humanities and the social, natural and applied sciences to explore these issues and to help students understand how racism operates in the U.S. Lecture will be delivered asynchronously online and students will attend two weekly 50-minute recitation sections. Graded as pass/fail.
GSWS 371: Women in Islam
CRN 45728 | Tuesday | Online Synchronous | 4 p.m. - 6:40 p.m | Professor Samaneh Oladi Ghadikolaei
Critical study of the roles and rights of women in Islam.
Study Abroad
HONR 398: Humans of RVA & London
CRN 46562 | Monday, Wednesday | Face-to-Face | 9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m. | Three credits | Professor Ann Marie Halstead
Humans of RVA and VCU: London is a three credit, city-as-text, experiential learning course that will be structured similarly to Humans of RVA, though instead of learning about the history, communities, urban environment, and sensory elements of Richmond, students will learn about London. In lieu of learning about current social issues that impact Richmond residents, they'll learn about those that impact Londoners. Students will also investigate community engagement in London, learn about the relationship between linguistics and social class, discuss George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, and more. In addition, students will travel with the course instructor to London, where they will learn more about the cosmopolitan city "on the ground;" they’ll tour London neighborhoods, visit well-known historic sights as well as some “hidden gems,” attend performances, and view both street art and curated modern art. In the style of Humans of RVA, students will interview London residents and post their stories and photos to social media, with an eye toward better understanding the art of storytelling, the “danger of the single story,” and more.