Intellectual Inquiry Courses for Fall 2014

INQ 110 Intellectual Inquiry

INQ 110-A Gender & Leadership
Dr. Lyon
Blk 2
Do men and women lead differently? Do people have different
reactions to male and female leaders? Which company policies and
organizational cultures help or hinder men and women leaders? Why
do family responsibilities to children and elders hold both men and
women back from upper management? In this course, we will study
gender issues in leadership using an interdisciplinary approach, by
integrating research from psychology, sociology, economics,
management, and related fields.
INQ 110-AAContemporary Womens Voices
Dr. Turpin
Blk 9
Memoir writing engages the author in issues of culture and identity as
the writer both records and interprets personal experiences for the
reader. This course is a study of the memoir as form. We will explore
the memoir as genre by reading and analyzing the memoirs of
contemporary American women writers, and we will practice the art of
writing memoir.
INQ 110-B Forensic Science
Dr. Brenzovich
Blk 1
How is science applied to the investigation of crime? Modern forensic
science uses the latest technologies combined with tried-and-true
procedures to gather, preserve, and evaluate evidence of criminal
activities. These investigative procedures and the science behind these
technologies will serve as the central content for our course.
INQ 110-BB Scientific Pursuit of Happiness
Dr. Whitson
Blk 5
From the perspective of psychological science this course examines the
nature of happiness and explores strategies that have been proposed
for the pursuit of happiness. Critical inquiry will be made into several
questions, including the following: What is happiness? How happy are
people in general? Who is happy, and why? Is it possible to become
happier? What happiness strategies or skills are supported by scientific
research and which are not? Students will examine and evaluate the
contemporary scientific research on happiness and its correlates, and
will evaluate strategies purported to increase happiness. Students will
also be asked to apply their knowledge of skills derived from happiness
research in some dimensions of their everyday lives, and to appraise
the outcomes of applying these specific happiness strategies.
INQ 110-C Restorative Justice

Prof. Brogan

Blk 1

This course examines restorative justice, in theory and in practice, and

contrasts its basic principles with the concepts and application of
retribution and punishment. From a global perspective, students will
examine the historical and cultural contexts in which restoration,
reintegration and peacemaking criminology are utilized. Practices such
as victim/offender conferencing, family group conferencing and
sentencing circles will be researched and critically evaluated. Course
material will provide students with the tools to debate the following
critical questions: What does justice mean? What is societys role in
responding to wrongdoing? Are restorative justice and retribution
mutually exclusive? How can the harm from wrongdoing most
effectively be resolved? Can restorative justice be effectively applied
in large, more complex and individualistic societies? We critically
evaluate literature regarding efforts to utilize compensatory sanctions,
collaborative processes and consensual outcomes to repair the harm to
victims, communities and offenders in the course of offending
behavior.
INQ 110-CC Psychology and Belief
Dr. Early
Blk 10
How does our experience shape our beliefs? How do we know if our
beliefs are valid? While much of the information we are exposed to is
valid and useful, it also includes a wide range of extraordinary or
manipulative claims that are not supported by evidence or critical
assessment. Pseudoscience is one term used to describe claims that
may appear to be scientific, but fail to meet the rigorous standards
science demands. It includes topics related to so-called paranormal
phenomena such as ESP, astrology, and the supernatural. In this
course we will critically examine pseudoscientific assertions and also
look at how humans develop more general belief systems ranging from
creating a philosophy of life to a political ideologyall from the
perspective of scientific psychology. Using this perspective, our inquiry
will look at how the processes of perception, memory, and thinking
contribute to our beliefs about reality.
INQ 110-D Marriage & Family
Dr. Kr.Hoffman
Blk 9
An examination of some of the challenges facing individuals and
American society as we seek to maintain and support marriages and
families in the 21st century. Course topics covered help students
answer the following questions: How will marriages and families be
structured in the future? What will it be like to have a marriage,
children, and a career? What are the benefits of being married, having
a family, or remaining single? What social policies and laws are needed
to support individuals and families as they face the challenges of the
future? To address these questions, we review social trends associated
with cohabitation, inter-racial marriage, gay and lesbian partnerships,
blended and single parent families, and parenting practices.

INQ 110-DD
My New Identity
Dr. Tenbrunsel
Blk
10
I contain multitudes: thus proclaimed Walt Whitman, American poet
of identity and possibilities. As a beginning college student, sibling,
daughter or son, friend, teammate, sometime employee, do you feel
at least sometimesas if you also contain multitudes? In this course,
we will study the ways human identity has been depicted in a selection
of fiction and films. How flexible is identity in fiction? How dependent is
the range of possibilities for identity on the society in which one lives?
What strains on human psychology and human morality are evinced
when one tries to contain multitudes? What needs do these new
identities fulfill? What advantages do they permit? What costs do they
entail? Students will reflect on, and write about, issues of identity in
their own lives as these connect to fiction and films studied in the
course.
INQ 110-F Strange Tales from the Bible
Dr. Hinlicky
Blk 10
After an introduction to a scholarly understanding of the origin and
interpretation of the Bible, we will address the questions, Why have
some tales from the Bible been deemed strange, sparking the interest
and imagination of believers and non-believers of various time
periods? How have these readers responded to these stories? What
significance have they attached to them? This course will investigate a
variety of storiessome well-known and others more obscurefrom
both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament writings.
INQ 110-FF Life and Death in the Streets of Paris
Dr. Han
Blk 5
The streets of Paris, whether as sites of (re)construction or
deconstruction, playground or battleground, play a critical role in the
history of 19th-century Paris, a role reflected in the numerous works by
major 19th-century writers that foreground the citys streets. What can
we learn about history, society, and culture by examining how, when,
and by whom streets are used? We will read excerpts from Hugo,
Balzac, and Zola that depict street activity during three major historical
periods: the Bourbon Restoration, the July Monarchy, and the Second
Empire. We will consider these literary texts in counterpoint to other
representations, both written (memoirs, newspaper articles, objective
histories) and visual (lithographs, caricatures, photographs), of street
activity over the same historical periods. Using the contrasts we
establish, we will discuss the nature of historical documents and their
reliability. What, if anything, can literature communicate that other
sources of information cannot?
INQ 110-I

First Contact

Dr. M.Larson-Harris

Blk 2

For millennia before Europeans arrived, a variety of Native American

cultures flourished in North America. This course examines how these
cultures changed under the impact of European civilization, a process
that lasted for several centuries. Every aspect of the lives of natives
was disruptedtheir subsistence livelihood, their political
organizations, their religious practices, and their connections to
specific placesand the impact of these changes is still visible today.
To fully appreciate this complex dynamic, it is necessary to explore the
rich diversity of traditions that existed before first contact. We will
seek to understand how native societies adapted economically,
politically, and religiously through assimilation, accommodation, and
resistance. We will then go on to focus this inquiry around specific
religious movements that arose in response. Our course will answer
three related questions: who were Native Americans before Europeans
arrived, how were they affected by this momentous meeting, and what
is the legacy of this impact today?
INQ 110-J1 Who or What is God?
Dr. McDermott
Blk 9
INQ 110-J2 Who or What is God?
Staff
Blk 3
INQ 110-J2 Who or What is God?
Staff
Blk 5
This course asks the question, Who or What is God? We will use
foundational texts from four of the largest religious communities of the
world (Confucius Analects; the Buddhas Dhammapada; portions of the
Quran; and the gospel of Luke), to compare and contrast how these
four texts answer this and related questions. Our principal methods will
be discussion and writing. In the process, students will join a millennialong conversation, learn to think critically, and improve their writing
skills.
INQ 110-K Mind and Body
Dr. Zorn
Blk 2
This course deals with the perennial question of who we are and how
we relate to the rest of the world: are we highly sophisticated bodies,
immaterial minds, or something else? Dealing with the relation
between mind and body prompts us to consider other topics at the
core of our sense of what it means to be a human being: the nature of
consciousness, the possibility of freedom, death, human destiny, and
the existence of God.
INQ 110-L

Biology in Music
Dr. Poli
Blk 2
Using Victorian literature to set the stage, this course will explore how
taboos are discussed in American culture. In popular culture, American
music lyrics have shed light (and even misunderstandings) about sex
and drug use to the common person. Introducing students to the

science behind music, the brain, and drug production will help the
student appreciate how popular culture can affect scientific literacy
and acceptance.
INQ 110-M1
Finding Ourselves in Folktales
Dr. Stoneman
Blk 12
INQ 110-M2
Finding Ourselves in Folktales
Dr. Stoneman
Blk 11
Who are the folk in folktales? How are these folk constructed by
their cultures? Can we, as modern people, relate to any of the issues
facing these folks from long ago? How has culture constructed us?
How has it impacted the decisions we make in our daily lives? As we
read folktales from a variety of cultures and critical materials that help
students engage the primary texts, we will use class discussion, writing
assignments, and research projects to meet our course goals: 1) to use
the knowledge of cultural perspective gained through analysis of select
folktales to evaluate how our own lives are impacted by culture; 2) to
assess how our cultural perspectives may impact our daily decisionmaking.
INQ 110-N Science, Myths, Magic and Chaos Dr. Minton
Blk 6
How do we know what we know? Humans convey information through
stories, which can oversimplify and distort the information. The
resulting myths may be misinterpreted and modified by those hearing
the story. Even our senses are subject to story-telling, as our brains do
impressive amounts of computation before sending a story to our
conscious mind. Magic tricks and illusions help illuminate some of the
details of the brains inner workings. Physical processes play tricks on
us as well. The mathematical field of chaos explores situations in which
seemingly random phenomena are produced by simple mathematical
rules. This course explores the boundary between fact and myth and
the boundary between the knowable and the unknowable.
INQ 110-O Life in the Ancient City
Dr. Warden
Blk 5
The history of city life is of particular interest because of the
importance of the cities in our own lives as centers of politics, culture
and commerce. Scholars agree that the emergence of cities was an
integral moment in human history. The urbanized civilizations of the
ancient world represent some of the earliest flourishing of the urban
form. By engaging with case studies from the ancient world, we will
ask: How did city living impact and shape ancient societies? How were
cities sustained and constituted socially, economically, and politically?
From the start, we will work with the archaeological evidence and the

ancient textual sources and learn methods for their analysis. Writing
and research assignments will aid us in formulating our own questions
and interpretations as we unpack the multi-layered features of the
ancient city.
INQ 110-P Myths of Artist Genius
Dr. Hardwig
Blk 3
What do we mean when we say an artist is a genius? How can we say
single works are masterpieces of artistic genius when they arise from
shared and widely held beliefs and ideas? What about truly
collaborative ventures (such as ballet) that combine the efforts of
artists, dancers, musicians, and the theater crafts? This course covers
four myths of geniusfour case studies about originality in art---from
Europe and the United States, from 1787 to the present day. For each
of these stories well consider how other artists and collaborators and
the artistic milieu of each artists epoch actually shaped the genius
attributed to them and their work. And finally well explore the
meanings of the words genius, originality, novelty, and
transgression as they pertain to the particular artists and works
above, and what constructs offer the most satisfying explanation for
each.
INQ 110-Q How Did Women Get the Vote?
Dr. Henold
Blk 6
In this course we will answer the question, How did women get the
vote? Specifically, we will learn the basic skills of college level
thinking, analysis, and writing through a focused exploration of the
American woman suffrage movement. More generally, this course will
teach students how to think and write by looking in depth at how
historians work. The course starts with the origins of ideas about
woman suffrage in the eighteenth century, and ends with the passage
of the 19th amendment in 1920. We will mostly read documents that
were written at the time by suffragists and anti-suffragists,
supplemented by readings from historians. As we work through the
movements history we will build skills necessary for reading and
analyzing documents, constructing and defending arguments, and
communicating ideas effectively in writing.

INQ 110-R Atlantic Slave Trade

Dr. Bucher
Blk 11
How was the Atlantic Slave Trade formed? What were the social and
cultural effects of its formation and subsequent decline? This course
traces the ways in which the Atlantic Slave Trade brought people and
ideas from Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas together through the
largest system of forced migration in human history. Students will
analyze and discuss the major themes in the history of the Atlantic
Slave Trade including: the economic history of the trade, the forms that
slavery took within African societies, the demographic changes brought

on by the trade, the forms of cultural and intellectual exchange that

took place in the Atlantic World, and the emergence of the global
abolitionist movement. Finally, all students will both learn and utilize
the essential skills of the academic historian.
INQ 110-S1 Stories from the World
Dr. Mallavarapu Blk 7A
INQ 110-S2 Stories from the World
Dr. Mallavarapu Blk 10
In this course we will study variations on classic stories from around
the world in multiple genres: oral traditions, fiction, film, poetry and
art. We will analyze the structure of individual narratives and, using
collaborative research and presentation, we will ask how each of these
retellings manifests historical and cultural contexts. How do these
stories shift form and logic as they move across the world and across
genres? Finally, we will construct our own variation of one of the great
stories, being able to articulate how our embodiment of the story
engages the history and cultural context of the narrative.
INQ 110-T

Ghosts & Human Perception

Dr. Carter
Blk 4
What do our beliefs about ghosts tell us about our perceptions of truth?
What are the distinctions between beliefs and knowledge? This
interdisciplinary examination of ghost lore and research into haunting
experiences will range from religious notions of the afterlife to
psychological studies of such phenomena as schizotypal hallucinations
to scientific knowledge of how environmental factors such as
infrasound and electromagnetism affect our perceptions of the world
around us. The class even gives a brief nod to quantum physics. The
students will not be sitting around scaring themselves silly with
campfire ghost stories but examining how their beliefs about ghosts
provide clues to their most basic assumptions about what it means to
be human.

INQ 110-U Other Places

Dr. Hanstedt
Blk 9
Why do we leave home? What drives us to leave behind the familiar
(and often comfortable) for other places that are new to us,
challenging to us, sometimes dangerous to us? What images/fantasies
rise to the surface when we contemplate the possibility of visiting
Egypt or Rome or Bangkok or Istanbul? And what happens when we get
there? Can the reality rise to our expectations? Are we changed? Is the
place were visiting changed? Students in this class will read widely
and discuss actively literary works relating to this topic, seeking,
finally, to answer these questions for themselves in a manner that
reflects an intellectual engagement with the questions at hand.
INQ 110-W1
Blk 4

From Fantomina to Fight Club

Dr. McGraw

INQ 110-W2
From Fantomina to Fight Club
Dr. McGraw
Blk 6
This course aims to trace representations of masculinity in literatures
from the eighteenth century to the present. Current conceptions of
masculinity evidenced through texts and images such as Fight Club,
John Wayne and Sylvester Stallone have a historical and literary
precedent in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Using modern
theories of masculinity to guide us through the literature, we will
analyze men and masculinity from the perspective of gender instead of
a cultural stand-in for humanity. Numerous questions will guide our
inquiries such as: How have men and masculinities been defined? How
do representations of masculinities in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries resonate with current conceptions of masculinities? What
characteristics make up modern conceptions of masculinity? We will
look at issues that have defined men and masculinities since the
eighteenth century. Issues such as labor, reproduction, sexuality,
remote fathers, and deviant behavior will remind us that we analyze
masculinity as a social construction with a diverse and complicated
literary and historical resonance.
INQ 110-X Race and Media
Dr. Melican
Blk 4
Through our readings, discussion, and written assignments we will
consider how television, film, and newspapers represent different racial
and ethnic groups. Looking specifically at representations of African
Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, and Native
Americans, we will ask: What images are being presented? How do
they compare to reality? Does it matter what we see? Readings will
include cultural studies and social science analyses as well as
consideration of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
INQ 110-Y2 Sinking & Swimming in Education Prof. Rosti
Blk 3
For many students college represents the best four years of their lives.
For others the story is rather different. On a national level, in 2005 only
54% of the students who had entered college in 1999 earned a
bachelors degree. What difficulties must students overcome on their
way to graduation? What factors can help determine the difference
between sinking and swimming in the higher learning setting? Through
reading and discussing scholarly and popular literatureboth nonfiction and a work of fiction--viewing a set of documentaries, exploring
through writing the academic and social issues, and putting into
practice through a service project some of the strategies that have
been linked to student success, we will investigate the college
experience. By semesters end we should have developed a broader

view about what the higher learning experience entails and a clearer
definition of how students can succeed in this setting.
INQ 110-Z tba

Dr. Stewart

Blk 11

INQ 120 Living an Examined Life

INQ 120-A Business Ethics in Absentia
Prof. Baker
Blk 9
This course examines business ethics from a historical and prospective
basis. Students will be challenged to evaluate their own view of
business ethics and reflect on how that preconception has changed by
the end of the course. We will establish what is meant by ethics in the
business community, review some examples of ethics violations and
what the business world is doing to address the concerns that those
ethics breaches have uncovered. Throughout the course we will also
look at examples of companies that are doing things the ethical way,
and how they should be emulated. We will analyze case studies, topical
readings, films and video clips to formulate our base of understanding,
and reflect on that knowledge in written papers and in oral debate.
INQ 120-B In Socrates Footsteps
Dr. Vilhauer
T/Th
4:30-6:00
How should I live? What is the good life? How can I gain my highest
potential? These questions were for Socrates the most important and
pressing questions human beings can ask -- and must ask as he
believed the unexamined life is not worth living. By following in
Socrates footsteps, we will embark on the philosophical quest to grasp
the truth about right and wrong. This means that we will strive to move
beyond popular opinions about the good life, which we too commonly
accept without much thought, and toward knowledge grounded in
reasons and evidence.
INQ 120-C Choosing the Good Life
Dr. Partin
M/W 4:005:30
The premise of this course is that life, like art, is about making choices,
good and bad. Focusing on several dramas and supplemental, relevant
readings, students in this course will examine choices made by
playwrights and by the characters in their dramas and will then reflect
on those choices and their consequences and the relevance of both to
their own lives. Students will consider the choices made by playwrights
from Sophocles to Ionesco and from non-dramatic writers from Plato to
Sartre and will be then asked to reflect not only on their own reactions
to those writers but also on the reactions of their peers. The
overarching ethical questions that will form the thematic core of the

course will include: What is the good life? How is the good life
achieved? How do we connect our choices to our personal search for
the good life?
INQ 240 Statistical Reasoning
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240-A1 Heres to Your Health

240-A2 Heres to Your Health

Prof. Staniunas
Prof. Staniunas

Blk 9
Blk

240-A3 Heres
240-A4 Heres
240-A5 Heres
240-A6 Heres
240-A7 Heres
240-A8 Heres

Prof. Bauman
Prof. Bauman
Prof. Minton
Prof. Minton
Dr. Robbins
Staff

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Blk 4

Newspapers, magazines, television, and websites frequently announce

the latest health findings regarding nutrition, lifestyle, diseases,
disorders, syndromes, treatments, medications, exercise, weight
control the list goes on and on. We do not lack for health information,
but is the information presented to us good information? When reports
are contradictory, what can we reasonably believe? We will learn the
methodologies of modern statistics to address these questions. In the
face of uncertainty, we must recognize the importance of basing
decisions on evidence (data) rather than anecdote. Care must be
taken to construct studies that produce enough meaningful data from
which results can be trusted.
INQ 240-B Does Gun Control Save Lives
Dr. Lee
Blk 3
Does gun control save lives? Such a politically charged question can be
approached from many directions. In this course students will learn the
methodologies of modern statistics and use them to address the issue
of measuring the effectiveness of gun control. Special attention will be
given to the importance of being able to set aside politics, emotions,
and pre-conceived notions in order to analyze a difficult question from
a statistical point of view.
INQ 240-G1 Social Justice-GLOBAL
Dr. Spielman
Blk 5
INQ 240-G2 Social Justice-GLOBAL
Dr. Spielman
Blk 4
What is racism? What is ethnic diversity? Can these concepts, and
others like them, be measured quantitatively? If so, how do we
determine if there is a significant difference between the behavior of
one group when compared to another? What does it mean for a
difference to be significant? We will learn the methodologies of
modern statistics and use them to address these questions. Each

student will have the opportunity to select and analyze a potential

social justice issue from on campus or in the surrounding community.
INQ 241 Mathematical Reasoning
INQ 241-A Mobile Apps
Dr. Bouchard
Blk
11
At the core of every smart phone is a computer that functions by
manipulating bits, 0s and 1s. So, how can these diminutive computers
allow users to play music, share photos, and play games by
manipulating bits? In this course students will learn how data is
represented with bits and how to manipulate the bits to create mobile
apps for smart phones. Students will also examine the social and
ethical consequences of a society where individuals carry a device that
can collect, manipulate, and transmit personal information in the form
of bits.
Prerequisite: INQ 240 or a Mathematics or Statistics course
INQ 241-B Running the World Efficiently
Dr. Saoub
Blk 3
What is the best way to deliver the mail? Deliver packages? Assign jobs
to employees? Predict stable marriages? A variety of real world
optimization problems will be analyzed using the methodology of graph
theory and mathematics, especially in terms of how well the solution
algorithms perform. We will discuss techniques for framing these and
other questions in terms of graph structures and the algorithms used to
find solutions. Special attention will be paid to efficient routes for goods
and people, assigning tasks based on qualifications, and networks
designed to reduce cost. Prerequisite: INQ 240 or a Mathematics or
Statistics course.

INQ 250 Scientific Reasoning I

INQ 250AS-A and 250ASL-1
Astronomical Controversies & Lab Dr. Fleenor Blk 11 & W 7:3010:30 pm
What creates and propagates controversy within the Sciences? How do
the scientific processes of observation, measurement, and theorizing
help to create and resolve controversy? Is it healthy to maintain
controversy regarding theories and models in the Sciences; i.e., do the
Sciences thrive on controversy? How is controversy received and
interpreted by the larger society and culture? By examining four wellknown controversies within the astronomical sciences, students will
explore both the quantitative arguments and the historical contexts in
answering the above questions. Since physics is the proper background

for astronomical studies, the course will also focus on the physical
concepts and processes associated with astronomical objects. Students
will also take measurements, observe astronomical objects with
telescopes, and interpret graphically-presented data through a
required weekly night lab.
INQ 250BI-A1 and 250BIL-1
How Organisms Evolve & Lab
Prof. Bosch Blk 3 & Tu
1:10-4:10
INQ 250BI-A2 and 250BIL-2
How Organisms Evolve & Lab
Dr. Powers Blk 5 & Tu
8:30-11:30
A focus on the central question How do living organisms evolve? and
how science works to answer this question. Components of
evolutionary theory from the molecular to the ecosystem level will be
examined by comparing predictions of evolutionary theory to empirical
findings and the implication on our understanding of life. The lab
component of this course will focus on the role of water in life and the
interaction of water and humans.

INQ 250CH-A1 and 250CHL-1

Chemistry & Crime
4:10

Dr. Livingston

Blk 9 & Th 1:10-

INQ 250CH-E and 250CHL-2

Chemistry & Crime
Harris/Livingston
T/Th 6:00-7:30
pm & Tu 1:10-4:10
How can chemistry contribute to the investigation of crime? The
evening news, the primetime TV lineup, and the local bookstore are all
filled with examples of the work of forensic scientists. This course will
emphasize fundamental chemical principles that allow us to
understand the techniques used to analyze evidence from a crime
scene. From bloodstains to drug identification to DNA fingerprinting,
commonly employed techniques of the forensic scientist will be
studied. In the laboratory, students will perform some of these same
analyses used by professional criminologists to solve simulated crimes.
Students will also use general chemistry principles to design their own
analysis methods.
INQ 250PH-A
The Way Things Work
Dr. Balasubramanian
MWF 12:00-2:10
The focus of this scientific reasoning course is to understand the way
things work in our natural world. To that effect, fundamental questions
that will be addressed are why study motion, what factors contribute
to the motion of an object and how do these contributing factors
produce the observed motion of a sky diver and a deep sea diver. The
basics laws of physics applicable to sky diving and deep sea diving will
be understood through a suite of laboratory experiments that are
exploratory in nature. In this course, the focus will be on the process of
science as it is motivated through measurements and inquiry.
Cooperative learning groups, computer-assisted activities, and
exploratory worksheets will facilitate the conceptual understanding
process. Two group projects will provide opportunities for further
scientific investigations into each of these topics.

INQ 251 Scientific Reasoning II

INQ 251-A Science, Pseudo-Science, and Non-Science
Dr. Grant Blk
10
In modern society we are inundated with all kinds of information: the
Internet, TV, the radio, the newspaper, magazines and books, and in
our daily contact with others. Unfortunately, much of this information is
incomplete, biased or just outright false, and since we base many of

our actions on what we learn from these sources, it is important to

have skills to critically evaluate this information. We will discuss and
apply the main kinds of deductive and inductive arguments, and be
able to recognize them as they are used to influence all of us every
day. Students will also understand the role of evidence in rational
inquiry and be knowledgeable of the many pitfalls of human common
sense intuition, as well as the proper interpretations of probabilities,
in the evaluation of such evidence. We will utilize and explore many
popular mysteries, such as ESP, Astrology, the Bermuda Triangle,
visitation by extraterrestrial beings (UFOs), etc. in our discussions.
INQ 251-B Energy at the Crossroads
Dr. Cawley
Blk 11
This specific course is an exploration of how we as a culture both use
and manage Energy flows. We will inquire specifically into the concept
of energy crisis and what that may mean or imply. The course is
designed to address technical language (i.e. watts, joules, kilowatthours, and the like) and policy topics. The first portion of the course
addresses past and present technologies, particularly in transportation
and electrical generation. The second portion of the class will
specifically delve into present and future initiatives and technologies,
applying current approached of guided active student learning and
presentation, using technical thesis and support strategies
INQ 260 Social Scientific Reasoning
INQ 260AN-G1
Things in Contact: From New France to Old HawaiiGLOBAL
Dr. Leeson Blk 12
Cultures are the product of a particular historical trajectory and their
achievements cannot be ascribed to racial differences; cultures must
be studied holistically and no one belief or behavior can be studied out
of context; and cultures produce in their members a tendency to see
the world from a naively self-centered viewpoint that proclaims what
they do to be natural and right. Only by a systematic and evenhanded study of cross-cultural data (ethnology), is it possible for
individuals to derive any generalizations about the tremendous range
in human variation globally. If ethnographic fieldwork taught early
anthropologists just one thing, it was that to know yourselfknow the
other. By living with others for extended periods of time,
anthropologists learn to take other peoples cultural patterns seriously
whether it be cockfighting in Bali, wearing lip discs in Brazil, or eating
dog for dinner in India. The eye-opening diversity we encounter in the
field, in turn, prompts us to reexamine the assumptions we, all too
often, take for granted.
INQ 260CO-A
Media Effects
Dr. Khoo
Blk 10
Does media affect people? Aside from working and sleeping,
individuals in the US spend more time consuming media than any

other single activity. By the time the average person reaches 65, he or
she will have spent over six full years of life watching televisionnot to
mention the additional time spent using the Internet, mobile
communication devices, and playing videogames. The importance of
media in peoples lives makes it crucial for us to comprehend and
critically examine our perception of media messages and their
influences. This course will introduce students to the study of the
effects of media on individuals and society. By introducing media effect
theories through several key research areas, e.g., the effects of media
violence, this course will explore media as a social force, as factors
that affect media use and perception of media messages, and a shaper
of individuals attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

INQ 260PS-A1
Public Opinion in Virginia
Dr. Wilson
Blk
10
INQ 260PS-A2
Public Opinion in Virginia
Dr. Wilson
Blk
11
How do we know what percentage of the people approve of the job
being done by the Governor? What are the important issues in Virginia
today? What positions are held by citizens in these debates? This
course examines contemporary political, social, and economic issues in
Virginia. Students will explore these important topics by conducting a
statewide public opinion survey.
INQ 260PS-B
The Moral Problem of Politics
Dr. Garrison
Blk 10
Does morality have a place in politics? Can good people thrive in
government and society, or can only people of questionable character
dominate? This course is organized around a semester-long inquiry into
theoretical and literary sources addressing different aspects of the
moral problem of politics. In the course, students will encounter a
normative social science framework for addressing the moral problem
of politics and for analyzing both politics and literature. Students will
complete rigorous writing assignments. Oral presentations on course
readings will also be required.
INQ 260PY-A
Social Judgment, Attitudes, and Behavior
Dr. Camac
Blk 7A
Humans are primarily social animals and the human brain evolved in
the context of a social environment. Social cognition is an area of
psychology that focuses on how our thoughts, attitudes, and emotions
are affected by an individuals social context. In this course, students
will read original works of scientific research in order to better
understand social cognition and, in turn, to learn how to think like a
social cognitive researcher. In addition to reading research reports,
students will complete several lab exercises that will help teach
research skills and scientific writing in the form of lab reports and
several short papers. Also, students will complete an oral presentation
and participate in a week-long simulated society game.
INQ 260PY-B1
Psychology in the Media
Staff
Blk 4
INQ 260PY-B2
Psychology in the Media
Staff
Blk 6
How accurately do popular media portray current psychological
knowledge? Movies, sitcoms, newspapers, magazines, and blogs often
report findings from psychological science. How often do they get it
right, and how often do they get it wrong? Do they manipulate findings
in order to make their points? This course explores the core
methodologies of psychological science by comparing and contrasting
popular vs. scientific treatments of current and perennial topics within
various subfields of psychology. Topics will vary, but may include

amnesia, school shootings, effects of Facebook use, antidepressant

effectiveness, Dissociative Identity Disorder, ADHD prevalence, and
self-esteem.
INQ 260PY-C
How Does Technology Impact Us? Dr. Galluch
Blk 3
This course will use multiple methods to examine how modern
technology impacts human cognition and behavior. Students will
engage in a critical examination of current empirical research and will
work together to investigate new questions using various research
techniques. Students will be required to engage in critical thinking,
scientific writing, quantitative reasoning, and oral presentation
assignments.
INQ 260PY-G1
Love, Lust & Limerence-GLOBAL
Dr. Pranzarone
Blk 9
INQ 260PY-G2
Love, Lust & Limerence-GLOBAL
Dr. Pranzarone
Blk 11
Love makes the world go round as lyricists proclaim. With the
development of fMRI brain scans cognitive neuroscientists now have a
window into minds as persons enter an altered state of consciousness
called limerence or being-in-love. Love is now a scientifically
describable phenomenon. Cross-culturally, romantic love is questioned
as a valid basis for socially sanctioned marriage. Examined will be the
biological and psychosocial variables of proceptivity that determine the
definition of beauty, flirtation, attraction, falling-in-love and pair-bond
establishment. Are these factors universally human or culturally and
socially specific? Examined will be at least six species of love and
various psychological theories on love. How can pair-bonds and
marriages endure? Need marriage always be monogamous or can it be
successful in alternate forms as is seen in other cultures? What is
jealousy and is it helpful or destructive to relationships?
INQ 260SO-A
Culture and Society
Dr. Berntson
Blk 5
This course explores the concepts of culture and society from a
sociological perspective and teaches students how sociologists conduct
their research. Through various aspects of social life, we will ask: What
are the features of culture and society? What is the individuals
relationship to culture and society? How do we acquire our values,
norms, laws, and ways of living? How do we form our individual and
cultural identities? How do our interactions with others affect our own
sense of self? What effects do social groups, networks, organizations,
and institutions have on us, and what impact do we have on them?

INQ 260SO-G1
Traveling Without Leaving-GLOBAL
Dr. Mehrotra
Blk 1
Why do people take their shoes off when they enter a home in Japan?
Why do some Egyptian women choose to wear the veil? Why are many
marriages around the world still arranged by parents? These questions
focus on practices that most Americans would find unusual. Yet,
studying these practices in a meaningful way will help students
question their assumptions about others. Students will take a
comparative global approach to study topics such as culture, gender
relations, and family. This approach will facilitate a critical reflection on
the central question this course focuses on: how do social forces
shape the lives of individuals? Cross-cultural examinations of
similarities and differences will help students investigate the ways in
which social practices and institutions influence the trajectory of
individual lives. Students will do a service-learning project that
requires them to volunteer with an agency in the Roanoke Valley, and
reflect on their experiences in course assignments. Service: 15
hrs/sem.

INQ 270 Human Heritage I

INQ 270-A Whats True about the Bible?
Dr. Wisnefske
Blk 3
No book has had greater impact on Western civilization than the Bible,
and no book has been more intensively analyzed. This course poses
the question, "What's true about the Bible?" and helps students answer
it by teaching them critical tools scholars have employed: historical
and archaeological; literary--text, source, form, and redaction criticism;
and theological. Students will learn to read biblical texts knowing their
historical and literary background, and understanding their religious
insights. They will then be able to enter into critical conversations
concerning what biblical texts mean for us today.
INQ 270-B Does Art Imitate Life?
Dr. Long
Blk 11
There is a popular tendency in the twenty-first century to see works of
art as self-expression: the representation of an artists personal
interests, experiences and mind-set at a particular moment in time.
But is this the best approach for understanding works of art produced
before our era? In this class we will study the lives and works of
painters and sculptors from early Renaissance Italy (14th and 15th
centuries) to explore whether artists lives can explain what is
represented in their art.
INQ 270-C Men, Women, and Monsters
Dr. Whiteside
Blk
7A
In this course we will examine the formation of gender identity and
anxiety through a variety of works representing pre-modern cultures.
Fields of study represented include literature, music, religion,
philosophy, art, and history, and the cultures we will encounter include
ancient Sumeria, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, as well as medieval
Europe, Japan, and India. Our studies will focus on how the works we
examine use gender to create and express categories of social and
sexual identity yet at the same time both emphasize and distort those
categories with the addition of the monstrous. Students will be asked
to confront and evaluate the questions and conundrums raised by
these works, consider ways the artists tried to answer these questions,
and determine why these questions are relevant to their lives today.
INQ 270-D Classical Heroes and Heroines
Prof. Rosti Blk 2
Achilles heel, Trojan horse, Oedipal complex, Lysistrata Projectfigures
from ancient and classical literature continue to play an important role
in our lives. Through reading original tales of Mesopotamian, Greek,
and Roman heroes and heroines together with considering more
modern treatments in film and literature, we will explore types of
heroism, the relationship of heroes and heroines to their societies, the
personal costs of heroism, and the reasons women so rarely were
portrayed heroically. Who were these heroes? What did they

represent? Why were they admired by their producing cultures? How

do they compare to our modern ideas about heroes and heroines?
How and why do they constitute such a significant role in human
culturesincluding our own? And why do their stories continue to
engage, entertain, and even shock us?

INQ 270-F Myth, Philosophy, and Nature

Prof. Gnatt Blk 4
This course will look at different ways in which people have
approached the natural world, ranging from mythological accounts of
the world and its origins to rationalistic attempts to understand natural
processes in early Greek philosophy and in the tradition of thought it
inspired. We will consider what mythological approaches to the world
have in common with more rationalistic approaches developed in the
western world, and how they differ, as well as ways in which
contemporary understandings of the world differ from views articulated
in earlier modes of thought.
INQ 270-G1 India, Tibet & EnlightenmentGLOBAL
Dr. Kelly
Blk 3
INQ 270-G2 India, Tibet & EnlightenmentGLOBAL
Dr. Kelly
Blk 4
When did the quest for enlightenment and the alleviation of human
suffering begin in India? What was Buddhas response to human
suffering? How did Buddhism begin? What is Tibetan Buddhism? Why
are so many Westerners drawn to the practice of Tibetan Buddhism? A
fundamental orientation of ancient Indian culture and its transmission,
in Buddhist form, to Tibet as early as the 7th century C.E., was the
alleviation of human suffering. Beginning with Vedic culture and
manifesting in the concerns of Buddhist, Jain, Upanishadic, and Tantric
culture and literature, a preoccupation with the enlightened life is
evident. This course will examine the origins and development of this
quest in India and its migration to Tibet where the quest will manifest
in unique forms of Buddhist traditions. We will also examine the
contemporary interest on the parts of many western practitioners and
academics through literary and other forms of expression Tibetan
Buddhism is taking in the West.
INQ 270-G3 The Silk RoadGLOBAL
Staff
Blk
11
Did globalization exist in the pre-modern period? How did people
travel, exchange ideas, and manage business two thousand years ago?
Can contemporary globalization be traced back to the ancient and
medieval period? We will approach these questions through the
examination of the Silk Road across Eurasia. The Silk Road was the first
transcontinental trading route between East and West, connecting the
eastern end of the Asian continent (China, Japan, and Korea) to the
Roman Empire as it passed through Mongolia, Central Asia, Middle
East, India, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean area. Through this
long-lasting transportation channel, people not only traded luxury
goods and commodities, but also exchanged ideas, religious beliefs,
artifacts, various foodstuffs, and forms of entertainment.

INQ 271 Human Heritage II

INQ 271-A Science vs. Religion?
Dr. Wisnefske
Blk
10
Does science make religion obsolete? This course examines the clash
between modern science and religion in the Western world. It will focus
on the debates between the natural sciences and Christian thought
over questions such as evolution, the nature and destiny of the
physical universe, and the status of our knowledge of nature. The rise
of modern science set off a revolution in thinking which religion and
philosophy are still adjusting to, and it has largely been responsible for
setting Western life and thought on its distinctive course. We will
examine in particular how contemporary physicists, biologists, and
theologians understand the controversies that arose during this time,
and what room for compatibility they see between science and religion
today.
INQ 271-C Images of Power
Dr. Hargrove
Blk 12
This course explores the subject of power political and social as it
is visually manifested in a variety of western cultures at various points
in the modern period. Specifically, we will be looking at works of art
(including painting, sculpture, photography, and mass media imagery,
along with architecture) to uncover ways in which power is
constructed, reflected, imposed, and reified within the objects and
products of western societies. The broader aim of this course is to alert
students to the way in which the material products of human
civilization do not simply passively reflect who we think we are, but
actively and sometimes manipulatively, instill and reinforce a broad
spectrum of ideas that serve the agendas of individuals and or
societies.
INQ 271-D Playwright as Truthseeker

Dr. Partin

Blk 11

Drama serves as a mirror ofand sometimes a lens onthe

societies that create it. From the Greeks to the modern era, good
plays reflect the values and the truths of the times and places in
which theyre written. In this course students will examine the
issues raised by playwrights ranging from Dion Boucicault to
Tony Kushner, and they will reflect on how those issues are also
the issues of their own time and place. A key topic for the course
will be the one raised by Edward Albee in Whos Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?: Martha: Truth or illusion, George; you don't know the
difference. George: No, but we must carry on as though we
did. What role do playwrights have in shedding light on the
truth in their time and ours? Nondramatic readings will also be
used to provide social and ethical context for the dramas under
consideration. Truth, in this case, is defined as the truth as the

playwright presents in his script, and the questions at hand are:

1. What is that truth? 2. Does that truth continue to be
pertinent to the nature of the human condition as experienced by
members of society in the United States in the early 21st
century? and 3. How does a playwright use his/her art to reveal
truth to his/her audience (written or performed)?

INQ 271-F Henry VIII

Dr. Gibbs
Blk 3
This course is about Henry VIII, his wives, ministers, and the rest of the
people in his kingdom(s). The course is about us too. It is also about
some Victorian authors; and about some twentieth-century authors;
and even some twenty-first-century authors. We will examine how
texts have represented different events from Henrys reign. Historians
writing in the late Victorian period, the modern era, and the
postmodern era have presented the period and the main historical
figures in strikingly different fashions. In order to comment upon how
contemporary concerns have influenced the image or construction
of Henry VIII, his wives, and ministers, we will compare and contrast
these representations in our search for a wiser understanding of
historical methodology.
INQ 271-G World Pop: Musical Authenticity in the Age of Globalization
Staff Blk 2
The globalization of the music industry and the emergence of English
as the dominant world language might make us think that our planet
has become a stage for American culture. But has it really? Does
multinational success undermine musical truth, or can it foster a new
global truth? How have commercial technologies affected musiccultures? Some taste-cultures preserve music traditions, while others
innovate new sounds, new styles, and new genres. Are different social
and political values stressed in these different cultures? This inquiry
into the problem of authenticity in popular music explores how
communities and nations find reflection in their music-cultures. The
histories, aesthetics, and ideologies of a given world music provide
insight into world pop. This course focuses on how people use popular
song to develop a sense of shared meaning, especially when
promoting social change, and how dance music can bring people
together in mutual enjoyment and shared purpose.
INQ 271-I

Dear Old Roanoke College

Dr. Miller
Blk 11
What gives a college its identity? Is it the colleges history and
traditions? A colleges curriculum and planning? The success of its
members and alumni in academics, sports, business, service, and
professions? Or is it a mixture of these elements, in a special and
distinctive manner? This course will explore answers to each of these
questions in a historical and contemporary study of Roanoke College as
a national liberal arts institution of higher learning. The course will
focus on this history of the college in particular and the history of
higher education in general in the past 170 years. Students will form
into groups to analyze issues confronting the college.

INQ 271-J

Chicano Novel in Action

Dr. Flores-Silva
Blk 5
This course examines the relevance of historical events in the fusion of
Mexican and American culture and how this amalgamation created an
entirely new cultural identity: the Chicano. Using literary texts and
historical documents, the course points out the significance of Chicano
culture in the United States and how it evolved to find its own voice
and place within the larger American society.

INQ 300 Contemporary Issues

INQ 300-A Food and Philosophy: What Should We Eat?
Dr. Adkins Blk 2
What should we eat? The question is unavoidable. It must be
answered, yet a little reflection shows that answering the question
involves us in a whole host of economic, moral, ethical, political,
nutritional, cultural, religious, aesthetic, and environmental concerns.
Furthermore, these concerns are often in tension with one another. The
fact of the matter is, though, that we rarely engage in such reflection.
Our food choices are the result of habit and inertia. Using the work of
Aristotle and Spinoza we will analyze the role of habit in human
experience. Then we will turn to recent work by Michael Pollan to see
how wide-ranging factors limit our food choices and thus the type of
habits we can develop.
INQ 300-B Powerful Medicine
Dr. Hollis
Blk 2
How do drugs affect our life? The pharmaceutical industry projects that
worldwide drug sales will exceed $1 trillion within the next few years.
One touchstone of the 20th century was the explosion of the
pharmaceutical industry, and the effects of this rapid growth on human
health. This course will explore the pharmaceutical industry and its
impact on individuals and on society. From drug discovery to clinical
trials to marketing and economic implications, we will learn about this
industry. Once we have covered the basics in the first half of the
course, groups will choose a contemporary problem related to the
pharmaceutical industry, carry out research on the problem, analyze
possible approaches to the problem, and propose a solution in a final
paper and oral defense.
INQ 300-C Global Health Disparities
Dr. Destro
Blk 7A
Why are children in places such as Sub-Saharan African more likely to
die in infancy than are children living in western, Democratic nations
like the U.S.? Why do some countries have higher rates of obesity than
others? This course will ask students to determine how ones country
of residence affects ones likelihood of ill or good health. Throughout

this course, students will consider the country-level social, economic

and political factors associated with major global health problems,
including the rise of chronic disease (obesity, Type II diabetes) and
prevalence of childhood illnesses and other conditions (measles,
diarrhea, low birth weight). Students will also consider how these
health conditions disproportionately affect groups within countries
across race, gender, class and other important categories. For their
final projects, students will propose and defend an intervention
strategy aimed at the reduction of a selected adult disease or child
health issue. Students proposals should target a particular county and
risk-group.
INQ 300-D Historical Preservation
Dr. Deetz
M 2:205:20
Who decides if something is historically significant, and how do we
as a community help choose? Students in this course will examine the
ways in which historical sites (graveyards, buildings, neighborhoods,
and parks) have been either preserved or demolished in the Roanoke
Valley. While President John F. Kennedy passed the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, there are still loopholes in which certain
historically significant sites go unnoticed, fall into decay, or are actively
demolished n place of new construction. With help from the instructor,
students will choose an endangered local site, explore the criteria for
designating its significance, conduct historical research, and write and
submit a proposal for local and state recognition, with hopes of saving
it. For their final projects, students will propose and defend an
intervention strategy aimed at saving the said place. Occasionally, if
the site prohibits, students will also implement some level of effort into
cleaning up, documenting, and preserving a site.
INQ 300-F Contemporary Science Problems Dr. Crozier
Blk 5
You are about to complete your college education and enter the
workforce, create your own business, run for political office, develop
the next invention, or enter a graduate-level program. You have been
exposed to facts and theories, but you will soon be engaged in life as
an actively participating person in the human community. How did you
learn college-level material best? What do you really remember from
your classes? Can you act upon or really make critical decisions about
what you have learned? How did you learn information in the
sciences? Could you explain solutions to scientific problems to
someone else? How will you become informed about difficult or
controversial topics outside the classroom and help others learn about
that topic? In this course you will learn about learning and use those
skills to help solve a contemporary problem in the sciences.

INQ 300-I
INQ 300-J
11

Issues in Education
Issues in Education

Dr. Earp
Dr. Reynolds

Blk 10
Blk

What is the role of formal education in preparing students for life in the
21st century? What knowledge and skills must be a part of the
educational canon? What challenges does the U.S. face as it tries to
meet the changing needs of a global society? Student will research the
latest trends in and historical foundations of education policy. Through
an inquiry process they will engage with cross-disciplinary texts that
offer a variety of views of what life in the 21st century requires of U.S.
citizens. Assignments will require students to read and reflect on a
wide range of perspectives as well as engage in both individual and
collaborative research, writing, and presentation.
INQ 300-K Winning, Money & the NCAA
Dr. Creasy
Blk 11
Ethics in Sport, do they exist? Is there a win-at-all-costs mentality in
college sports? This course will analyze these questions through a
review of major NCAA violations and current ethical issues in sport.
Students will evaluate literature regarding ethics in sports and
interpret current NCAA compliance standards. Students will also be
required to formulate solutions to the most prominent issues through
group based research and a final project. The final project will consist
of several parts, including a proposal, progress report, final paper and
final presentation.
INQ 300-L
11

The End of the World as We Know it

Dr. Grant

Blk

Across this country a growing number of Americans are preparing

themselves for a catastrophic apocalypse. For reasons ranging from
terrorist attacks to natural disasters or an economic meltdown, these
individuals have been taking survival courses, constructing safe rooms
and shelters, and stockpiling canned goods in preparation for the end
of the world as we know it. Are their fears founded in fact or fantasy?
Does the scientific data support the likelihood of an event occurring?
Are there preparations we can take to ensure our survival if it does
occur? In this course you will investigate a potential catastrophic event
and the underlying science and technology, assess the level of threat
based on all available evidence, and develop an action plan with
persuasive arguments to advise others of the apparent danger and
how to prepare and respond to the event.
INQ 300-O Advocating for the Arts
Dr. Blaha
Blk
12
If an artistic heritage is important to a well-lived life, should
government promote and support that heritage, or should its
practitioners and institutions be expected to compete in the free
market, where the culture industry of entertainment and media

dominates? What role do arts programs in the schools (governmentsupported or not) play in promoting culture? These questions underlie
an important analysis of the world around us, where the very survival
of what societies have traditionally called arts and letters is
increasingly threatened. This course asks students from all disciplines
to address this pressing issue by gathering compelling evidence for
why art matters. Students must also decide how to propose ways of
promoting policies that advocate for the arts and letters in the United
States, if that is indeed the recommended solution; if not, they must
provide a convincing defense for leaving the survival of culture to a
free market.