Spring 2025 Courses

spring 25

 Spring 2025 course themes are:

  • Race, Equity, & Inclusion
  • STEM Focus
  • Business, Management, & Entrepeneurship
  • Engaging Our World Through the Arts & Literature 
  • Understanding the World & Exploring Human Experience
  • Human Conflict, Discrimination, & Social Justice
  • Education & Exploration

Race, Equity, & Inclusion

These courses were specifically proposed as part of the REI initiative and have a historical, narrative, applied, analytical, and/or geographic focus in either the US or global context and are denoted as (REI Course)
  • LC 2: Social Justice with a Heart

    LC 2: Social Justice with a Heart: Creating an Inclusive Community for Adults with Disabilities
    ENGL 111: Introduction to Academic Writing - Race, Equity, and Inclusion REI - US
    Valerie Frazier, TBD, CRN:
    FYSE 138: Hearts: I Live a Life Like Yours
    Heather Hall, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    REI - US
    Robert M. Hensel once said, “I choose not to place “DIS,” in my ability,” a statement that may resonate with many of us, as we navigate our daily lives with a range of divergent abilities, whether that be intellectual, mental, or physical. In ENGL 110, students will write personal narratives and photograph experiences or encounters with [dis]ability and social justice, across intersections of race, gender, class, and ethnicity.   In the paired education course, students will explore ways to foster an art centered classroom that is inclusive of those with neurodivergent abilities. Students in both courses will help design and promote a collaborative performance with HEART, an artistic community that celebrates, uplifts, and advocates for adults with special needs.

  • ENGL 111: The Rhetoric of Social Justice

    The Rhetoric of Social Justice REI - US
    ENGL 111: Intro to Academic Writing
    Emily Lee, TBD, CRN: 
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    English
    Rhetoric of Social Justice introduces students to rhetoric – language used to bring about change – by exploring how activists, organizations, and social media users expose inequities entrenched in American society via social (and other forms of) media. Students study academic writing and the writing process through a social justice perspective by reading, composing, and analyzing a variety of genres, including blog posts, formal reports, and college- level texts. Students will move from analyzing how others use rhetoric to engender change to creating their own rhetoric that does such. Students who take this class will analyze texts and topics related to race, equity, and inclusion in the US context. Taken during student’s first year.

  • FYSG 138: Child Development in International Contexts

    FYSG 138: Child Development in International Contexts REI - Global
    Laura Brock, TBD, CRN: 
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN: 
    --
    Teacher Education
    What impact do violence, hunger, and neglect have on children’s development, and how much can we change that? We now know that our brains dynamically adapt and develop in response to our environments. What happens when a society invests in the wellbeing of children? Can we foster creativity, connection, critical thinking with the right inputs? We will examine home, school, and community environments as contexts for child development. Following, we will apply our knowledge of human development to understand the impacts of war, migration, climate change, incarceration, and institutionalization on children. With recommendations embedded within UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and Global Happiness Index, we will brainstorm a sustainable and equitable future.

  • FYSG 143: Beyond the Screen: Exploring the Impacts of Algorithmic Bias

    FYSG 143: Beyond the Screen: Exploring the Impacts of Algorithmic Bias REI - Global
    Amanda Kraft, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    College of Charleston Libraries
    Is your phone listening to your conversations? Maybe, but it probably already has all the information it needs. We routinely engage with and rely on systems that predict, recommend, and speculate based on our clicks, likes, searches, and even socially constructed personal data, but we rarely stop to think about how these systems work—or don’t. With a focus on algorithmic awareness as resistance, this seminar will address the increasing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and social hierarchies replicated and reinforced by algorithmic bias. Students will work to recognize race, gender, and ability bias in technology and acquire the skills and strategies necessary to research AI-powered, intersectional oppression happening across the globe and, of course, on their phones and other devices.

  • FYSG 143: What is the Metaverse?

    FYSG 143: What is the Metaverse? REI - Global
    Jolanda-Pieta van Arnhem, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN: 
    --
    College of Charleston Libraries
    Is science fiction our new reality? Will the Metaverse disrupt our expectations or influence our future in a world shaped by technology? The blurring lines between daily life, fiction, non-fiction, science, and technology requires a high level of literacy to decode and consider all the implications, challenges, and opportunities. We will explore the Metaverse and related technologies thru history, considering art, literature, media, culture, politics, technology, finances, social and economic implications, and inclusivity. The goal is to develop skills for analysis and critical thinking when approaching contemporary texts and artifacts of culture (books, articles, popular/social media, web, apps, images, films, television, video, advertisements, games, augmented reality, virtual reality, digital currency, artificial intelligence) that can be applied to questioning, participating, creating, and inclusivity in everyday life rather than passively consuming the ever-expanding metaverse.

  • FYSU 111: Changing the World through Civil Conversation

    FYSU 111: Changing the World through Civil Conversation: An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication for a Diverse Community 
    Deborah McGee, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    REI - US
    Communications
    In order to be a competent communicator, we must act in ways that are effective at achieving our goals AND appropriate for the situation. In order to be appropriate, we follow norms for behavior that often go unspoken, but they have a huge impact on our sense of self and how we interact with others. Unfortunately, many of those norms privilege persons in powerful positions and marginalize people of color, along with other groups. This course will teach you to be a more competent and empathic communicator in the areas of listening, language and nonverbal usage, and conflict management, while giving you the tools to challenge norms that limit the voice of marginalized others.

STEM Focus

Below are courses that are centered around the themes of STEM focus. Please click to read more about each courses information and description.
  • FYSE 143: Visualizing your World: Data and Storytelling

    FYSE 143: Visualizing your World: Data and Storytelling
    Jannette Finch, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    College of Charleston Libraries
    What is fascinating to you? All data tells a story, and as world citizens, you will benefit from using data to tell your own story and to explore the world around you. In this course, students will learn how to verify data sources and to recognize misleading graphics. Students employ effective visualizations to explore trends, develop insight, and illuminate patterns. We will mine a brief history of visualization, appreciate visualization classics, and explore visualization best practices. We will critically evaluate and interpret existing visualizations and produce our own visualizations. Data visualization is an essential literacy for the 21st century student. Learning how to present your insights clearly through data visualization is a skill that you will use throughout your life.

  • GEOL 240: Volcanoes!

    Volcanoes!
    GEOL 240: Special Topics
    John Chadwick & Haley Cabaniss, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN: 
    --
    Geology
    Volcanoes are a blast! Nature’s fireworks can hurl incandescent lava and ash miles into the atmosphere.  There are more than 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth, with several dozen erupting in any given year, many of which threaten human life and property.  Ash in the atmosphere can bring down a jet airliner, volcanic lava flows and glacier-melt mudflows bury cities, and pyroclastic flows incinerate everything in their paths.  This class erupts knowledge about the science and hazards of volcanoes.  How do they work?  Why do some produce a relatively calm river of red hot lava, while others blast a cloud of deadly ash? Case studies of destroyed cities (especially Pompeii in Italy in A.D. 79, the island of Montserrat in 1997, and Hawaii in 2022) will reveal the different ways that volcanoes threaten us and the ways that geologists study the activity.

  • HEAL 230: Health for All? Examining Contemporary Practices in Global Health

    Health for All? Examining Contemporary Practices in Global Health
    HEAL 230: Global Health
    Kathleen Trejo Tello, TBD, CRN: 
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN: 
    --
    The World Health Organization promotes the mission of health for all, but is the field of global health really moving in this direction? This course will introduce students to the field, study and practice of global health. We will center our course discussions around questions of equity and sustainability as we explore global health issues such as the affordability and accessibility of health care around the world, sustainable practices of global health organizations, and the impacts of climate change on human health. Students will develop an understanding of the determinants of the global burden of disease and disability and be able to identify strategies for prevention, intervention, and health promotion in ways that are both sustainable and equitable for all.

Business, Management, & Entrepreneurship

Below are courses that are centered around the themes of business, management and sustainability in our world. Please click to read more about each courses information and description.
  • MGMT 105: Designing Your Life: Finding Your Way in the World of Business
    Designing Your Life: Finding Your Way in the World of Business:
    MGMT 105: Introduction to Business
    Hayden Smith & Kristen McMullen, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    MGMT 105: Introduction to Business
    Hayden Smith & Kristen McMullen, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    MGMT 105: Introduction to Business
    Hayden Smith & Kristen McMullen, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    Management

    Interested in business but not sure which path to take? This interactive and dynamic learning community will prepare you for whatever your future holds, during college and after graduation. You will get an overview of the basic concepts and principles of business and design thinking while incorporating elements of personal development and life design. This Learning Community aims to help you identify your strengths, interests, values and guides you in developing a vision for your future careers both in the School of Business and post-graduation. You will engage with current students, alumni and industry leaders. You are encouraged to think outside the box, explore new ideas and gain personal development strategies for success.

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Engaging Our World Through the Arts & Literature

Below are courses that are centered around the themes of arts and literature in our world. Please click to read more about each courses information and description.
  • FYSE 114: From Sherlock Holmes to Selena Gomez: Detective Fiction & Descendants
    FYSE 114: From Sherlock Holmes to Selena Gomez: Detective Fiction & Its Descendants
    Elizabeth Baker, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    English

    In addition to tracing the history, conventions, and surprising variety of detective fiction, the course will also examine its influence outside of literature. Among the questions we’ll consider: How does detective fiction reflect time and place? How did detective fiction become the antecedent of certain pop culture trends? Why do familiar genres (the private investigator, the police procedural) remain hugely popular in both traditional and reimagined forms? Why do true crime documentaries and podcasts continue to proliferate? How have cultural shifts around race and gender been reflected in crime fiction (as well as film, TV, and other formats)? What might account for the enduring appeal of detective fiction and its offshoots?

  • FYSE 139: Theatres Visual Language

    FYSE 139: Theatres Visual Language
    Janine McCabe, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    Theatre
    Images can communicate ideas as strongly as words. When we watch plays, movies, TV, or even walk down the street; the colors, lines and style of all we see has an impact. Visual communication is a crucial element in the collaborative process of creating theatre. This seminar will explore and analyze the way theatre design teams communicate visually and verbally in the process of developing a production. Students will see plays, meet designers and directors, and collaborate with each other to understand the communicative power of images.

  • ENGL 110: American Narrative, from Bruce Springsteen to Taylor Swift

    Born in the U.S.A.: American Narrative, from Bruce Springsteen to Taylor Swift
    ENGL 110: Intro to Academic Writing
    Pierre Dumont, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    English
    This course will consider academic writing through the lens of Bruce Springsteen and other American artists. Through readings and recordings, students will consider how various artists address American themes and what it means to be an American. For example, we will examine Springsteen's chronicling of American life, within the context of historical events such as the Great Depression, Vietnam, and 9/11. Students will have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of American individuals and events, including current American artists. Students will grow as writers through their work in a variety of genres. They will hone their skills in analysis, synthesis, and genre remediation. They will come to see smaller projects as part of a longer writing process.

  • ENGL 110: Civic Responsibility: Thinking, Speaking, & Writing
    Civic Responsibility: Thinking, Speaking, & Writing
    ENGL 110: Intro to Academic Writing
    Hudson Luthringshausen, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    English

    The Art of Thinking, Speaking & Writing introduces students to the tools that empower them to navigate the art of effective communication confidently. We explore the principles of articulate expression, critical thinking, and moral reflection, and we practice written and spoken acts weekly. Students prepare speeches and written work on a research topic of their choosing. This course centers on themes such as ethics and communication, virtue and authority, and knowledge and social obligation, drawing inspiration from (and challenging) the Jesuit rhetoric notion of Eloquentia Perfecta—the good person speaking well for the common good.

  • ENGL 110: Horror: Lenses & Mirrors

    Horror: Lenses & Mirrors
    ENGL 110: Intro to Academic Writing
    James Austin Floyd, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    English
    Horror: Lenses and Mirrors will help students develop their writing, critical reading and analytical thinking skills through a thematic focus on horror as a genre of literature, film, and even video games. We will explore the relevance of horror as it has evolved from folklore and myths to blockbuster movies and television shows, all while perpetually reflecting, propagating, and at times distorting our fears, values, and beliefs. Students will engage with both scholarly and mainstream sources, and we will practice writing as a recursive process informed by the careful consideration of many factors. Assignments will focus on writing and will span a wide range of genres with unique rhetorical situations, such as critical reviews, analysis essays, and academic research projects.

Understanding the World & Exploring Human Experience

Below are courses that are centered around the themes of understanding and exploring the human experience. Please click to read more about each courses information and description.
  • LC 1: Justice and Civil Discourse
    LC 1: Justice and Civil Discourse
    ENGL 110: Introduction to Academic Writing
    Scott Peeples, TBD, CRN:
    POLI 150: Introduction to Political Thought
    Claire Curtis: TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --

    For many people, “politics” is a bad word, suggesting manipulation and corruption. The  same might be said of “rhetoric,” which often connotes not just saying what you mean.  This learning community combines a course on political thought and a course on writing  and rhetoric that seek to redeem these terms: politics and rhetoric can and should be  used to promote the common good. POLI 150 will focus on how theorists over the last  2500 years have thought about what it means to live together peacefully, and what principles are at stake. ENGL 110 will focus on civil discourse: how to “argue”  constructively, fairly, and respectfully when you write and design documents --- and why  it matters.

  • FYSE 121: The Meaningful Life

    FYSE 121: The Meaningful Life
    Rich Bodek, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    History
    Who am I? Who do I want to be? What are the elements of a meaningful, life? What is a good life? In this class we will read and discuss some great texts from various times and places and think about how to build a life with meaning. Prepare to consider some fascinating works, including novels, a dialogue, and works of theology, philosophy, psychology, and political science. Few if no lectures, no tests, just discussion, writing and thinking. We may all end up with different answers, but that’s fine. Most importantly, we will share our questions and quest.

  • FYSE 132: Psychology of Travel

    FYSE 132: Psychology of Travel
    Chelsea Reid-Short, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    Psychology
    In this course, students will seek to understand how travel impacts individuals, close relationships, broader social groups, and the larger world by reviewing and applying psychological scientific research and theory. This course will examine how travel affects our mental and physical health, relationship quality, and work productivity, and we will discuss challenges that individuals of different demographic groups may face when traveling. Students will also examine how our travel may impact people who live and work at the locations to which we travel, and how our travel can impact our attitudes and behaviors toward other cultures and social groups. Finally, students will examine how travel may impact our natural environment and surrounding world, including a focus on sustainability and eco-tourism.

  • FYSE 135: American Popular Culture
    FYSE 135: American Popular Culture
    Paul Roof, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    FYSE 135: American Popular Culture
    Paul Roof, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    Sociology

    This course is designed to introduce students to critical analysis of contemporary popular culture in the United States.  Students will get an overview of the insights, findings, concepts, and perspectives that are held by a wide variety of interdisciplinary popular culture scholars today.  Several prominent areas of popular culture to be studied include advertising, television, film, music, religion, and cyberculture.

  • FYSE 143: Visualizing your World: Data & Storytelling

    FYSE 143: Visualizing your World: Data & Storytelling
    Jannette Finch, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN: 
    --
    College of Charleston Libraries
    What is fascinating to you? All data tells a story, and as world citizens, you will benefit from using data to tell your own story and to explore the world around you. In this course, students will learn how to verify data sources and to recognize misleading graphics. Students employ effective visualizations to explore trends, develop insight, and illuminate patterns. We will mine a brief history of visualization, appreciate visualization classics, and explore visualization best practices. We will critically evaluate and interpret existing visualizations and produce our own visualizations. Data visualization is an essential literacy for the 21st century student. Learning how to present your insights clearly through data visualization is a skill that you will use throughout your life.

  • PSYC 223: Me and We: Social Relationships and Identity

    Me and We: Social Relationships and Identity
    PSYC 223: Social Psychology
    Lisa Ross, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    Psychology
    Social psychology is the scientific study of social aspects of being human: how we think about one another, influence one another, and relate to one another. Students will reflect on their childhoods as well as their transition to college as they link course material, namely social sources of information (including relationships), with their identity.

Human Conflict, Discrimination, & Social Justice

Below are courses that are centered around the themes of human conflict, discrimination, and social justice. Please click to read more about each courses information and description.
  • FYSE 125: Bad Hombres/Spicy Vixens: Challenging Latino/a Stereotypes in the U.S.

    FYSE 125: Bad Hombres/Spicy Vixens: Challenging Latino/a Stereotypes in the United States
    Nadia Avendaño, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    Latin American and Caribbean Studies
    This seminar introduces students to the field of Latino/a Studies in order to better understand the place of Latinos in U.S. politics, history, and culture. Students will be asked to examine how a heterogeneous and changing Latino/a population both shapes and is shaped by life in the United States. Students will be introduced to Latino/a literary production involving growing up Latino/a. In addition to reading fiction written by Tomás Rivera, Sandra Cisneros, Judith Ortiz Cofer and Junot Díaz among others, students will also study images and representations of Latinos/as in motion picture and independent films in order to understand societal constructions and treatment of Latinos/as with the hope of being able to draw parallels between representations and issues facing Latino/a communities in the United States. The course will look at constructions of “Latinidad” as they relate to questions of identity, class, race, and/or ethnicity, religion, gender and sexuality, (im)migration, language, and popular culture.

  • FYSE 143: Navigating a Post-Truth World

    FYSE 143: Navigating a Post-Truth World
    Jared Seay, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    College of Charleston Libraries
    The profusion of social media has escalated the concept of “fake news” and radically changed the information environment into a “post-truth” world where anyone is a publisher and sources and authorities are decentralized. Identifying what a document is, much less the credibility of the information, is muddled at best. Students will learn how information was historically accessed and used in comparison with the unique characteristics of the “new media” information environment and how one can successfully navigate this new social information sphere. Using visual literacy, media literacy, and game-based learning activities, they will learn how to identify text packaging, think critically about the information they encounter, develop skills as information consumers and employ ethical behavior as creators of information.

Education & Exploration

Below are courses that are centered around the themes of education and exploration. Please click to read more about each courses information and description.
  • FYSE 138: FitCatZ Aquatic & Motor Therapy

    FYSE 138: FitCatZ Aquatic & Motor Therapy
    Susan Flynn, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    Teacher Education
    Special O.P.S. Therapy Tactics course is designed to provide students interested in pursuing a degree in occupational & physical therapy as well as teacher education, with the knowledge and skills to design & implement movement experiences to enhance children’s physical, social and emotional development. Students will participate in an aquatic and motor clinic putting theory to practice and teaching young children in a therapy setting with the FitCatZ program. Transportation and time are required to get to the facility before 3:00 p.m. on Wednesdays.

  • FYSE 138: Got Mindfulness?

    FYSE 138: Got Mindfulness?
    Techa Smalls-Brown, TBD, CRN:
    FYSS 101
    TBD, CRN:
    --
    Teacher Education
    It’s no secret that college can quickly become a major stressor for many students. Balancing multiple classes on top of work, a social life, and many other things is a lot to take on at once. Don’t let yourself become too overwhelmed with everything. Instead, take this FYE!