New honors seminars introduce students to 'questions worth asking'
Given the opportunity to teach the courses they have always wanted to, faculty from 21 departments are engaging students in discussions about dozens of topics, including the cost of food, privacy in a digital world, “quiet classics,” renewable energy and the hidden powers of poetry.
Designed to prepare Commonwealth College students for their independent research and capstone projects, the Advanced Honors Seminars provide an intellectually stimulating experience for both the faculty and students involved.
“In the ‘Cost of Food’ I chose a topic that I was interested in and that I hoped would interest students,” said Steve Goodwin, dean of the College of Natural Sciences. “The discussions that have resulted have far exceeded my expectations. The students are self-motivated and eager to participate.”
Describing her course, “The 2008 Federal Physical Activity Guidelines: How Much Exercise is Enough?,” Patty Freedson, who chairs the Kinesiology Department, said, “I love my honors class. Because students come from a wide range of majors, they enrich class discussion by bringing different perspectives to the class.” English professor Dara Wier said that her students in “The Hidden Powers of Poetry” are “alert to what is going on around them, in the school and in the world, and they know how to talk about it.”
Commonwealth College students are all expected to complete a six-credit capstone experience and archivable thesis. “We expect our students to take charge of their intellectual development, and our curriculum is designed to give them the tools to do so,” said Priscilla Clarkson, dean of the college. “The new Advanced Honors Seminars give students a chance to see how faculty identify and pursue questions worth asking.”
The Advanced Honors Seminars cap the innovative Honors Seminar Series. In the first part, the Commonwealth Honors Seminar, students use a common text to develop honors-level research, information literacy, and communication skills. Together with the Advanced Honors Seminar, the series hones students’ critical interpretation skills and encourages them to consider carefully how data is presented. The courses introduce them to the value of interdisciplinary study and the expectations of being an honors student.
Faculty leading this fall’s Advanced Honors Seminars are Scott Auerbach, Chemistry; Allen Barker, Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences; Annaliese Bischoff, Landscape Architecture; Madeleine Blais, Journalism; Stephanie Chapko, Admissions; John Clayton, English; Rob Cox, Library; Judith Davidov, English; Catherine Dimmit, Education; Sharon Domier, Library; Jean Forward, Anthropology; Patty Freedson, Kinesiology; Steve Goodwin, Natural Sciences; Priscilla Hunt, Russian Literature and Culture; Cynthia Jacelon, Nursing; James Kelly, Library; Nick McBride, Journalism; George Milne, Marketing; Yeonhwa Park, Food Science; Steven Petsch, Geosciences; Charles Schewe, Marketing; John Staudenmayer, Mathematics and Statistics; Peter Stern, History; Jennifer Taub, Management, and Dara Wier, English.
By Shonda Pettiford
More Information
Commonwealth College Honors Seminar Series
October 28, 2009.
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