All students who are admitted into the Honors Program as first-year students are expected to take an Honors FSP. The only exception made is for Bonner Scholars. In this case, students should enroll in the designated FSP for the Bonner Scholars.
The Honors FSP includes an additional fourth hour that is scheduled on Wednesday afternoons. Students also participate in an off campus outing, which may be scheduled on a Saturday of the fall semester.
Please choose three of the following Honors FSPs and place them in your First Semester Worksheet. One of these choices will be assigned as your FSP.
Learn more about the Honors Program
| Class | Name/Description | Instructor | Civic Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSP 162-H1 |
An Era of Opportunity and Crisis: The 1960sIn this Honors class for the Freshman Seminar Program (FSP), we will study culture and politics in the 1960s, with particular attention to the music that was part of the charged cultural-political landscape. Following an introductory overview of the ‘60s, we will explore the decade through intersecting, complementary concerns: the rise and evolution of youth culture; of the Civil Rights Movement, including demands for racial, gender, and sexual equality; of global relations between East and West; and of the Vietnam War. Musically, the soundtrack to the ‘60s witnessed great diversity and complexity in terms of genre, style, and performance; in this seminar, we will experience rock, rhythm and blues, soul, folk, pop, avant garde “classical,” acoustic, electronic, and psychedelic musics. Through audio and video recordings of live and studio performances, and supported by primary and secondary source readings, we will consider ways in which music reflected, responded to, challenged, and shaped the 1960s as an era of opportunity and crisis. Course #: FSP 162-H1 |
Heisler, Wayne | Race & Ethnicity |
| FSP 162-H2 |
Baseball in American HistoryScholars and historians often use baseball as a lens for examining American history. And for good reasons, too. Since the mid-1800s, the game has evolved alongside important societal changes in the United States, ranging from urbanization to racial integration. Students in this course will examine different types of sources about baseball to explore how the professional game both reflected and resisted these changes. In the process, they will learn not only about the history of the national pastime, but the history of topics like civil rights, labor relations, and entertainment in the nation itself. Course #: FSP 162-H2 |
Hollander, Craig | Race & Ethnicity |
| FSP 162-H3 |
The Arts as a Force for Social ChangeIn this course we will explore American art activism from the early 19th century to the present to better understand how artists in a variety of genres address socio-political injustice and oppression. Through inquiry, writing, presenting, and artmaking, students will develop better questions with which to interrogate concepts like "socially-engaged art" and "creative resistance." By semester's end, students will be able to propose, research, evaluate, and present their own art activist projects. Our study will include a Community Engaged Learning component. What students have said about this course: "No matter the major, in this course students will discover a capacity for creating art that they likely would not have known about beforehand, and see their work have a direct impact on their community; They will gain new perspectives on art, activism, and the world, and valuable skills like creative thinking, teamwork, leadership, reading comprehension, and writing;The class is a community-enriching environment; We often worked in small groups, encouraging us to share ideas and collaborate---extremely important skills for the future; This class has changed my understanding of the world, as I learned a lot about different political movements and ways to combat issues peacefully through art; Future students in this class will be able to connect the information they learned about art activism to their emotions towards social injustices; you will realize that there are creative and artistic abilities within everyone. Course #: FSP 162-H3 |
Deaver, Karen | Race & Ethnicity |
| FSP 164-H5 |
The Testimonies of GenocideBeginning with the Holocaust, we will examine testimonies of genocide survivors by exploring digital video testimonies and virtual reality testimony, reading memoirs, watching films, and looking at art by and about survivors and genocide. The class will explore controversial issues about testimonies and memory: Are testimonies accurate historical sources? Who is a witness and which witness testimonies are the most authentic? As viewers of testimony, we become secondary witnesses with the authority to pass on the memories of the survivors. Yet by passing on painful experiences, we may just continue grievances and resentment from one generation to the next, making healing difficult. Is it more important to remember or to forget—to keep the wounds open or to close them? Memory is not only individual, but communities, nations, and cultures carry memories from one generation to the next. The class will discuss whether as a society we should do some social forgetting of past bad actions in order to move together towards a more just global future. Course #: FSP 163-H1 |
Friedman, Ellen | Gender |
| FSP 163-H2 |
From Page to Stage: Performing Feminist Science FictionThis course will use a reader's theater approach to analyze classic and contemporary speculative fiction written primarily by women and non-binary people. Students interested in the course do not need any prior acting experience—just a willingness to perform in front of your peers. Participants will adapt excerpts of each text for the stage, perform remixed scenes inspired by the authors' works, and develop an original script. We will engage in close-text analysis of works by Mary Shelly, Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, N. K. Jemison and others. These authors invite us to challenge the normalization of gendered binaries and imagine the possibilities of women's lives by exploring distant futures, alternative pasts, and multiple dimensions. Course #: FSP 163-H2 |
Peel, Anne | Gender |
| FSP 164-H1 |
Know your foodHow well do you know your food? Where does it come from in the historical sense, and where does it come from in the sense of agricultural practices and processing? Food production is central in cultural traditions around the world. Industrialized agriculture and globalization have provided food security and easy access to a variety of foods for many people. Technological advances, particularly in the US, have allowed a few people to produce food for many. That means that most Americans are far removed from the actual plants and animals from which our food is produced. This disconnect makes it difficult to truly know your food. It also makes it difficult to understand the hidden environmental and health costs of food. This course will explore different perspectives on modern food production and what is best for the future of food. We will consider impacts on communities in the US and abroad. We will read books, watch movies, and talk to farmers about many aspects of food. Students will write about, present and discuss their perspectives on food while developing academic skills that will be useful in other courses. Course #: FSP 164-H1 |
Thornton, Leeann | Global |
| FSP 164-H2 |
Self, God, & Free WillThis seminar is about what it means to be human. For over two thousand years, philosophers have sought to understand the human self, humanity's relationship with divinity, and the nature of free will. Our task in this seminar will be to examine and critique some of the most important theories and controversies that have emerged from humanity's quest to understand what it means to be human. To lighten this task and help us appreciate how artistic invention can complement rational inquiry, we will read Hermann Hesse's novella Siddhartha (1922) and watch the film Groundhog Day (1993). The wealth of ideas presented in our readings will provide opportunities for careful analysis and vigorous discussion. Philosophy comes alive through dialogue, and all students will be expected to hone their skills as speakers by actively participating in class discussions. Students will also be expected to develop and defend their own philosophical views in the papers they write. Course #: FSP 164-H2 |
Kamber, Richard | Global |
| FSP 164-H3 |
The History of DiseaseThroughout history, humans have been burdened with countless infectious diseases. Some of these, due to their lethality or their insidious spread, have become legendary. In this course, students examine the societal impact of, and science's response to, history's most significant diseases, including plague, influenza (particular attention to the 1918 Pandemic), tuberculosis, smallpox, polio, cholera, malaria, syphilis, HIV/AIDS and Ebola. 2019 is not without its share of epidemics. We will explore the extent of measles around the world and the second worst epidemic of Ebola that is currently occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through reading, writing, and class discussions, students explore the effects of each disease on two levels: the biological (microbiology, pharmacology, and immunology) and the societal (epidemiology and sociology). How does disease impact other areas including art and music? Students attempt to understand the biology of each disease while also learning its historical framework. The ethics of infectious disease monitoring and control, including quarantines, mandatory health department notification, and the use of experimental drugs, will also be the subject of classroom discussions. Current events relating to disease that crop up during this semester will be brought into the classroom on a weekly basis. The 2020 course will begin with the Epidemic du Jour - yet to be determined. Course #: FSP 164-H3 |
King, Rita | Global |
| FSP 161-H1 |
Star Wars: Films & AdaptationsIn this section of First Seminar, Star Wars: Films & Adaptations, we will examine the original movie trilogy (Episodes IV, V, VI) as well as the prequels (I, II, III), and other Star Wars films released since Disney purchased Lucasfilm. We will also read one Star Wars novel, watch selected episodes of three Star Wars animated TV series (both Clone Wars series and Star Wars Rebels), and read about and discuss other ancillary creations (e.g., collectibles, Jediism) that make up the Star Wars cultural phenomenon. Our approach is interdisciplinary: film studies, literature, myth, philosophy, religious studies, history, sociology, economics/marketing, other. The primary sources analyzed are the fictional works created by George Lucas and others; secondary sources include books and articles in a variety of disciplines. The final project is a research paper on a topic related to Star Wars. If you haven’t already watched all the films, please do so over the summer since we won’t be able to avoid spoilers in our reading and discussion. Consider signing up for Disney+ so that you can re-watch the films as we study them week-by-week throughout the semester. You will need to have watched the films you write essays about recently in order to support your points with specific references to the films (e.g., quoting dialogue, describing shots). Course #: FSP 161-H1 |
Konkle, Lincoln | |
| FSP 161-H2 |
The Simple LifeFor most people, the American Dream involves some degree of material success. However, an alternative to the American Dream exists, centered on the idea of the Simple Life. This interdisciplinary seminar explores the concept of the simple life from the nineteenth century to the present, drawing on history, literature, economics, anthropology, and psychology. The course begins with two award-winning documentary films, one about the largest private house in America, the other about the Tiny House movement. In addition to shelter, we will study food and environmental sustainability, and clothing, focusing on the human and environmental impacts of “fast fashion.” We’ll read Henry David Thoreau’s simple life classic Walden and William Morris’s News from Nowhere, a fantasy about a simple life utopia, as well as articles from multiple fields. “The Simple Life” gives a lot of attention to the skills of speaking, writing, and researching. The course combines high expectations with intensive support, including frequent individual conferences with the professor. Course #: FSP 161-H2 |
Robertson, Michael | |
| FSP 164-H4 |
Self, God, & Free WillThis seminar is about what it means to be human. For over two thousand years, philosophers have sought to understand the human self, humanity's relationship with divinity, and the nature of free will. Our task in this seminar will be to examine and critique some of the most important theories and controversies that have emerged from humanity's quest to understand what it means to be human. To lighten this task and help us appreciate how artistic invention can complement rational inquiry, we will read Hermann Hesse's novella Siddhartha (1922) and watch the film Groundhog Day (1993). The wealth of ideas presented in our readings will provide opportunities for careful analysis and vigorous discussion. Philosophy comes alive through dialogue, and all students will be expected to hone their skills as speakers by actively participating in class discussions. Students will also be expected to develop and defend their own philosophical views in the papers they write. Course #: FSP 164-H4 |
Kamber, Richard | Global |