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Honors Courses

A student may repeat a course number for up to 6 credits if the course name, course syllabus, and faculty/instructor teaching the course is different.

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If you have any questions or concerns about registration or the course, please contact Mar Muster at marmuster@weber.edu

Fall 2022

The Happiness Project: Conceptions of Happiness Old and New

   English 1010 H 
   CRN 22964

In this ENGL 1010 course, we will study what writers, ancient and modern, have said about happiness. Our Big Question will be "How have others defined and experienced happiness, and how will I define and experience happiness?" You will create your own multimedia Happiness Project for your Signature Assignment.                                                                                                                                                       

Face-to-Face
Library (LI) 325
1:30-2:45pm T, Th
Sylvia Newman (English)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   HNRS + ENG            

Construction of Knowledge

   HNRS 1110 HU Introduction to Honors: The Construction of Knowledge
   CRN 20382

This course examines how knowledge is produced, what it is used for, and what it means. We look at knowledge in the general sense but also in the specific way it is advanced by literature and science. Traditionally these areas are kept separate on campus, but this class brings them together. This alignment opens possibilities for better understanding our lives in the contemporary moment, a time which is filled with tensions about information and truth, interpretation and meaning.                                                                                                                                                         

Face-to-Face
Library (LI) 325
9:00-10:15am T, Th
Dan Bedford (Geography)
Christy Call (English)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    HNRS + HU  

Omnivore's Dilemma

   HNRS 1510 LS Perspectives in the Life Sciences
   CRN 20354

This course examines how knowledge is produced, what it is used for, and what it means. We look at knowledge in the general sense but also in the specific way it is advanced by literature and science. Traditionally these areas are kept separate on campus, but this class brings them together. This alignment opens possibilities for better understanding our lives in the contemporary moment, a time which is filled with tensions about information and truth, interpretation and meaning.                                                                                                                                                     

Face-to-Face
Tracy Hall 459
12:30-3:10pm W
Michele Skopec (Zoology)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             HNRS + LS + SUS

Prescriptions for Empathy

HNRS 1540: Perspectives in Humanities  
CRN 23458


The course uses literature about healthcare and medicine to talk about the importance of and definition for empathy in culture and personal relationships.                                                                                                                                                     

Face-to-Face
Library 325
12:00-1:15pm
Sally Shigley (English)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   HNRS + HU

Pandemic Ethics

   HNRS 2010 HU Exploring Key Concepts: Humanities
   CRN 20356

The Covid-19 pandemic has had severe impacts on our current way of life and how healthcare is provided. This course examines individual and organizational responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the long-term effects of ethical and unethical decision-making on healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic. We will explore how information and disinformation have shaped people’s understanding of the pandemic, whether individuals have a moral duty to get, and organizations have a moral duty to mandate, vaccination. This course will examine how the pandemic has impacted healthcare workers, how triage decisions in times of high rates of hospitalization ought to be made, and how this impacts patient care for everyone. We will consider how racism and the social determinants of health have affected Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, the effects of lockdown on mental health and domestic violence, and examine hospital and nursing home policies on family visits.                                                                                                                                                    

Face-to-Face
Library (LI) 325
12:30-3:10pm M
Paul Neiman (Political Science and Philosophy)
Tiffany Hood (Nursing)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    HNRS + HU 

Mountaineering Literature

   HNRS 2010 HU Exploring Key Concepts: Humanities
   CRN 23454

According the great American psychologist, William James, humans are born with an innate desire to seek adventure. For much of human history this desire has been satiated by war and if not by war, by exploration with the express purpose of increasing national boundaries and land holdings, not to mention national treasuries. It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that humans came to exploration for aesthetic reasons. Modern mountaineering is a clear cut example of exploration for its own sake--its own reward. We will read and discuss a number of essays that deal with exploration as an aesthetic activity, yet we will also look at many adventures that were wholly nationalistic in nature and yet out of these, comes some of the most touching and well-written accounts of human endurance, sacrifice, and survival. It is the purpose of literature to stir the soul.                                                                                                                                                   

Face-to-Face
Elizabeth Hall (EH) 206
3:00-4:15pm T TH
Mike Vause (English)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  HNRS + HU

Words and Wares: Crafting the Personal Essay through Pottery and Prose

   HNRS 2020 CA Exploring Key Concepts: Creative Arts
   CRN 20386

What is your story? How might you express your story? Writing employs symbols on a page to invoke thoughts and feelings--imparting meaning to the reader. Art can function as text as well, imparting meaning to the viewer. Explore the ways in which writing and art both work to tell your story. Discover how sharing your story through art and writing can move others to action.                                                                                                                                                    

Face-to-Face
Kimball Arts 307
5:30-8:10pm W
Monica Linford (College of Science)                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       HNRS + CA + CEL Credit 

Crime or Crisis? The Intersection of the Public Health and Criminal Justice Systems

   HNRS 2050 SS Exploring Key Concepts: Social Sciences
   CRN 21068

Is crime a criminal justice problem or a public health crisis? Learn about the link between trauma and criminalized coping strategies such as addiction, homelessness, and abuse. Explore the problems with criminal justice responses to crime and examine the promises of a public health approach.                                                                                                                                                

Hybrid
Library 325

4:30-5:45pm T, Th
Monica Williams (Criminal Justice)
Kathleen Cadman (Nursing)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             HNRS + SS Credit

Repair as a Radical Act

   HNRS 2050 SS Exploring Key Concepts: Social Sciences
   CRN 20358

What can I do in my life to help the environment? Environmental issues can seem overwhelming, but there are things we can do everyday to improve the environment. Learn how to repair and maintain items in your everyday life with skills like welding, using a multi-meter, changing outlets, and vehicle maintenance. Analyze the economic and environmental impacts of reuse and repair.                                                                                                                                                      

Face-to-Face
HB 101
12:30pm- 3:10pm M
Matt Gnagey (Economics)
Taylor Foss (College of Engineering)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        HNRS + SS + SUS Credit  

Media TV History

   HNRS 2050 SS Exploring Key Concepts: Social Sciences
  CRN 20355

TV-Media History will look at the development of television as a factor in reinforcing and influencing social trends. The business side of the broadcast industry will be discussed, but the programming angle will be more heavily studied. Issues will include minorities, gender issues, and politics as they influenced social transition.                                                                                                                                                      

Face-to-Face
Library (LI) 246
9:30-10:20am M,W,F
Tracey Smith (Testing Services)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   HNRS + SS  

Great Ideas of the East: The Meaning of Life

   HNRS 2130(A) HU/DV Great Ideas of the East
  CRN 20353

What's the answer to life, the universe and everything? Where did we come from and where are we going? What should I do with my life? Join us as we explore Indian, Chinese and other Far Eastern answers to these tantalizing questions that have influenced the lives of billions. We'll dive into famous Eastern texts and do hands-on workshops. Field trips will show us how these ancient ideas thrive in our community today.                                                                                                                                                     

Hybrid
LH 114

10:30-11:45am T, Th (T in-person, Th on Zoom)
Marc Nelson (Philosophy)
Katie Nelson (History)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              HNRS + HU + DV  

Book Discussion Class: V for Vendetta

   HNRS 2830 Book/Media Discussion Class
   CRN 20801

Come with us as we carefully read and analyze Alan Moore's graphic novel masterpiece, V for Vendetta, as we explore the ways that the themes in the novel still resonate today.                                                                                                                                                     

Face-to-Face
Library (LI) 325
10:30-11:20am W
Scott Rogers (English)

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               1 Credit HNRS

Book Discussion Class: The Ministry for the Future

   HNRS 2830 Book/Media Discussion Class
   CRN 21545

How do we think about climate change? This book constructs a fictional near-future timeline of plausible events, grounded in physical and social science, that helps make an otherwise abstract, albeit alarming, phenomenon feel truly real. In weekly, 50 minute class meetings, we will read and discuss what has been described as the best science fiction non fiction book out there. If you watched Don't Look Up and felt only despair, this book may be a welcome antidote.                                                                                                                                                     

Face-to-Face
Lindquist Hall (LH) 107
1:30-2:20pm M
Dan Bedford (Geography)
Mark Stevenson (Anthropology)

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 1 Credit HNRS 

Worth 1,000 Words - The Impact of Photography and Digital Media on Communication, Science and Technology

   HNRS 3900 Honors Colloquium
   CRN 20381

The invention of the camera and the subsequent rapid proliferation of visual media have transformed modern society. From Muybridge’s Horse in Motion to James Balog’s opinion-altering photos of shrinking glaciers, the camera is central to global culture, communication, and scientific research and exploration. Synthesizing viewpoints from the humanities and the sciences, our course will explore the history of captured motion, the development of photographic technology-including photo and video processing software-and the impact of photography on culture, communication, and science. Along with lectures and discussions, students will learn basic photographic theory and technique. By the end of the course, students will be able to operate a camera, use software to edit and process photos and videos, and capture visually striking and data-rich images. We hope that dynamic course design, coupled with the broad appeal of the subject matter, will draw students from all corners of campus and foster valuable inter-disciplinary connections.                                                                                                                                                      

Face-to-Face
Library (LI) 76
1:30-2:45pm T, Th
Aaron Atkins (Digital Media)
Randy Hurd (Mechanical Engineering)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              3 Credits HNRS

Global History of Food: Tasting the Past, Food History 1700-2000

   HNRS 4900 Honors Colloquium
  CRN 20759

Today, “The Family Recipe” is both a very personal thing and a marketing device. It demonstrates how strongly cooking and eating are connected to constructions of identity and memory. But, this connection between food and identity goes well beyond individuals and single families: specific dishes and eating habits feature prominently in national and ethnic stereotypes. What is true for today, of course also applies to the past. Food History, therefore, offers insights into broader social, economic and cultural transformations over past centuries.
We will study the interrelation of food and historical transformations using two distinct sources:
1. Cookbooks/recipe collections 
2. Oral history interviews 
These are a fascinating source to gain insights into the history of food and society over the past 300 years. They frequently reveal such aspects as national trends, stories of gender and migration, the experience of racism, social norms and societal order as well as the interrelation of personal experiences and larger developments. Over the course of the term students are expected to develop their own small research project based on these kinds of sources, resulting in a research paper that shows the engagement with primary sources and the relevant research literature.
                                                                                                                                                      

Face-to-Face
Lindquist Hall (LH) 212
12:00-1:15am T,Th
First 7 weeks in-person, following weeks online
Daniel Menning (Visiting Professor)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              3 Credits HNRS

First World War

   HNRS 4920 Short Courses, Workshops, Institutes and Special Programs
  CRN 20357

A century ago a global cataclysm, the First World War, erupted and permanently transformed the world. Why did it explode? What did its conduct reveal? What are the echoes of this war that resonate today? Honors 4920 endeavors to answer these questions. Join us for an exploration of one of the most pivotal events in the history of the world.                                                                                                                                                      

Face-to-Face
Library (LI) 325
10:30-11:45am T,Th
Branden Little (History)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                3 Credits HNRS

R.E.A.L Projects

   HNRS 4920: Short Courses, Workshops, Institutes, and Special Program
   CRN 20147
   CRN 21662

Employers are looking more at experiential learning to determine the best candidates for today's jobs. "R.E.A.L. Projects" gives students real world experience, working as part of a team on a real project for an employer. This course will teach project management, communication, and leadership skills, helping to set you apart from other potential candidates in the job market.                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               3 Credits HNRS