The First-Year Course, Fall 2013

Faculty Profile

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A Seminar for First-Year Students

During their first semester all first-year students take one course designated as a first-year course. The course is limited to 16 incoming students and is taught in seminar style by a faculty member who becomes the advisor for each of the students. This means that new students have immediate access to their advisor for academic and other questions and that their advisor will know them.

All first-year courses pay particular attention to writing and library research to ensure that all students are introduced to Macalester’s high academic expectations for these skills. Many of these courses are regular department offerings that have been tailored to the needs of incoming students. Those courses meet requirements for a major in that department and serve as pre-requisites to more advanced courses.

Some first-year courses are designated as residential courses. Students who enroll in one of these courses live near one another in the same residence hall, usually on the same floor. This facilitates discussion and group work outside of the classroom. Many courses also utilize student writing preceptors to provide additional writing support and peer mentoring.

Please note that this list is not final and is subject to change.

DEPARTMENT

PROFESSOR

COURSE TITLE

American Studies

Jane Rhodes

Race in the United States: Media and Culture in 20th and 21st Centuries

Anthropology

Scott Legge

Evolutionary Anthropology: Facts, Fantasies, and Frauds

Art & Art History

Stan Sears

3-D Design

Art & Art History

Joanna Inglot

Gender, Sexualities, and Feminist Visual Culture

Biology

Lin Aanonsen

The Heart and Soul of Biology

Biology

Kristi Curry Rogers

Biodiversity and Evolution

Chemistry

Paul Fischer

Environmental Chemistry

Computer Science

Shilad Sen

Exploring the Political and Social Structure of the Web

Economics

Pete Ferderer

World Economic History

English

Marlon James

Creative Writing: Narrative Mechanics

English

James Dawes

Human Rights and the Humanities

Environmental Studies

Christie Manning

Psychology in the Material World: An Examination of Consumer Culture and Its Personal and Environmental Impact

French

Joelle Vitiello

Culture and Identity Through French and Francophone Film

Geography

Eric Carter

Medical Geography: The Human Ecology of Vector-Borne Diseases

Geography

David Lanegran

Human Geography

Geology

Kelly MacGregor

Dynamic Earth and Global Change

German and Russian Studies

Britt Abel

Vampires: From Monsters to Superheroes

German and Russian Studies

Linda Schulte-Sasse

The Nazi in Cinema

Hispanic Studies

Cynthia Kauffeld

Spanish in the United States

Hispanic Studies

Galo Gonzalez

Viewing Through a New Looking Glass: A Journey into Latina/o Literature

History

Lynn Hudson

History of U.S. Feminisms

International Studies

Igor Tchoukarine

Mediterranean, Baltic, Black: Seas, Identities, and History

Math

David Bressoud

Discrete Mathematics: The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Discrete Mathematics

Music

Randy Bauer

History of Jazz

Philosophy

Geoffrey Gorham

Philosophy and Film

Philosophy

Janet Folina

Introduction to Symbolic Logic

Physics

James Heyman

Nanoscience

Political Science

David Blaney

Foundations of International Politics

Political Science

Paul Dosh

Latin America through Women's Eyes

Psychology

Joan Ostrove/Anastasia Kayiatos

Minding the Body

Religious Studies

Susanna Drake

Virginity from Mary to Miley

Religious Studies

Brett Wilson

Introduction to Islam

Russian Studies

Julia Chadaga

Things Don't Like Me: The Material World and Why It Matters

Sociology

Terry Boychuk

The Medical Industry

Theater & Dance

Beth Cleary

Theatre and Performance in the Twin Cities