The University Courses Division sponsors a number of First-Year Seminars (UC 150, 151, 152, 153) which provide a unique small class educational experience to first-year students. (A complete list of First-Year Seminars offered by the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts can be found in the first section of this Course Guide.) These seminars, open to all first-year students, are small-group classes (approximately 15-25 students) taught by outstanding regular and emeritus faculty from many different departments on a variety of topics. They provide a stimulating introduction to the intellectual life of the University by exposing new students to engaging subject matter and by offering the opportunity for active participation that a small class can afford. It is hoped that students who take a seminar will find in it a sense of intellectual and social community that will make the transition to a large university easier. Some may discover a subject to pursue in further courses.
All First-Year Seminars can be used to complete part of the College's general requirements. UC 153 fulfills the Introductory Composition requirement. Other seminars count toward satisfying the Area Distribution requirement in one of three major divisions: Humanities (UC 150), Social Sciences (UC 151), or Natural Sciences (UC 152).
The University Courses Division also offers Collegiate Seminars, which are open to any student who has completed the Introductory Composition requirement. Intended especially for lower-division students and taught by regular professorial faculty members, Collegiate Seminars provide additional opportunities for first- and second-year students to personalize their education through a small-group course. Interaction between student and teacher, made possible by the small size of the class, facilitates deeper learning and encourages the development of a learning community where dialogue among students as well as between student and teacher takes place.
All Collegiate Seminars count toward satisfaction of the College's distribution requirements in one of the three major divisions: Humanities (UC 250), Social Sciences (UC 251), or Natural Sciences (UC 252). All emphasize critical thinking about important and central topics, and feature further instruction in writing.
111/Soc. 111/AOSS 172/NR&E
111. Introduction to Global Change II. No credit
for seniors. (4). (SS).
Section 001 – Human Impacts. Topics Include: What is global
change?; The forcing functions; biophysical consequences; impact
on humans; national and international initiatives. Global Change
encompasses any of the processes of the biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, oceans, and human societies which affect, and are affected
by, the global environment. The term "global change"
includes both the causes as well as the impacts of change on human
populations and the environment. Such impacts may directly alter
global processes, as with climate change, or they may accumulate
indirectly at discrete and local levels, as with the growth of
deserts. The human systems and the non-human environmental systems
meet both where humans directly alter the environment and where
environmental change directly affects and alters activities and values. There are no prerequisites for this course and no science
background is assumed. Three hours lecture and one two-hour lab
section each week. Tim Killeen (AOSS), David Allan (SNRE), Vincent
Abreu (AOSS)
150. First-Year Humanities Seminar. First-year
students. (3). (HU). May be repeated for credit with permission
of department.
Section 001 – Understanding and Appreciating Poetry. The
aim of the course will be to explore, by reading and discussing
a variety of individual poems from both past and present, the
ways in which poems work to produce the specific kinds of satisfaction they can offer us, and to help the individual reader develop a
sense for the unique value of poetry, for one of the major arts.
Reading assignments: close, analytic reading of a few poems for
each class discussion. Short papers on single poems throughout the term, and a more extensive paper, towards the end, on the
work of a particular poet chosen by each student individually.
Text: The Norton Anthology of Poetry, Third Edition.
(Barrows)
Section 002 – The Arts Alive: An Introduction to the Arts in Ann Arbor. "The Arts Alive" is an introduction to the performing and visual arts, taught from the perspective of a working arts critic. Pre-performance class discussions prepare students for attendance at dance and classical-music concerts, theater presentations, and museum tours. (There will be a fee of approximately $75 for purchase of event tickets.) Visits with artists and critics, post-performance debriefings, and writing assignments further students' understanding of the arts and allow them to sharpen their eyes, ears, and critical acumen. Essays allow students to put these critical principles to work as they ponder the issues – aesthetic, ethical, economic – affecting artist and audience. (Nisbett)
Section 004 – The Archaeologist's Impossible Dream: Temples, Towns, and Tombs in Ancient Egypt. How do we do archaeology in Egypt today? Students will explore the broad range of material and textual data available to archaeologists through extensive use of the collections of the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, and examine the interpretive process in archaeology. Specific sites will illustrate different puzzles in archaeology: the important cult and cemetery site of Abydos; the royal "ghost city" of Amarna; the Michigan-excavated town of Karanis, an "archaeologist's impossible dream," with a vast array of all kinds of data; and the immense Karnak Temple. Woven throughout will be readings on the theoretical underpinnings of archaeology and its role in the reconstruction of Egyptian culture and society. Required reading: J. Baines and J. Malek, Atlas of Ancient Egypt; C. Renfrew and P. Bahn, Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice; B. Kemp, Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization, plus readings on reserve in the Undergraduate Library. Requirements: two essay exams, one research project. (Richards)
Section 005 – Search of Self-Identity in Medieval Literature. The main topic of this course is youth's uncertainty about one's life and destiny. This issue is raised in a considerable number of literary works of the Middle Ages. The protagonists struggle with doubt, face conflict, make decisions, and find happiness, misfortune or tragedy. In tracing the theme of search for self-identity the class will study works from the 10th to the 13th century. The main body of investigation consists of romances in which the important constituent motifs of the search are namelessness, growing up without parents, feelings of guilt and shame, efforts to redeem oneself, risk of one's life for people in need and for justice, generation-gap, rebellion against and search for one's god. Texts: Course pack and Wolfram van Eschenbach's Parzival (Vintage, V-188). Besides reading the texts each student will write several short papers, give an oral presentation, and write a midterm and a final exam. There are no prerequisites. (Scholler)
151. First-Year Social Science Seminar. First-year
students. (3). (SS). May be repeated for credit with permission
of department.
Section 001 – Why Grandpa Went to War: The Psychology of Obedience
and Drives Toward World War. What were the social, economic, geopolitical, and personal psychological conditions in 1942 that
would result in an 18-year old freshman leaving college and going
off to spend the next three years fighting with the U.S. Army
in Europe and liberating Dachau? What led up to 1942 and how did these series of historical events become a part of the life of
American youth and continue to affect that generation's (your
grandparents) behavior after World War II and through today? What
do we know from 30 years of research on the nature of obedience that resulted in both self-sacrifice and the Holocaust? These
questions will be explored using the resources of historical works, novels, films, and personal documents. Each student will interview
a member of that generation, preferably a grandparent or surrogate, with armed services experience during the war and write a psycho-history
of their subject's experiences and its consequences for their
lives and times. (Brown)
Section 002 – Public Education for Blacks and Other Minorities. The purpose of the seminar will be to trace the development of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education of Blacks and other minorities in the South from the Emancipation Proclamation to May 17, 1954. Particular emphasis will be focused on watershed judicial litigations, from the Supreme Court decision of Plessy vs. Ferguson, from which the doctrine of "separate but equal" evolved, to the historic Brown vs. Topeka, Kansas Board of Education 1954. Of special importance will be seminar discussions revealing how Blacks and other minorities were successful in achieving an education in spite of the barriers confronting them. Students will be expected to read a number of the classic writings by authors such as W.E.B. DuBois, E. Franklin Frazier, Booker T. Washington, and John Hope Franklin. The writings of contemporary Blacks and minorities will be explored as well as books such as Gunnar Myrdal's An American Dilemma. Students will be expected to prepare readings, participate in seminar discussions, and develop a research topic preferably centered around one of the southern states under investigation in the seminar. (Palmer)
Section 003 – Critics of Contemporary American Political Culture. In this course we will explore theoretical and historical writings that highlight key political tensions and problems in the American cultural experience. Focusing on the power relations that determine and maintain the boundaries of acceptable political discourse, we will examine emerging and alternative voices in American political culture – especially those concerned with issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality – that seek to broaden the political spectrum, enrich public life, and achieve social justice. We will investigate a variety of critical approaches, including those of Marxist and post-structuralist thinkers (Noam Chomsky and Judith Butler), political activists (The Students for Democratic Society), alternative filmmakers (Jennie Livingston, who directed Paris is Burning ). Students are expected to write three papers throughout the course of the term. (Weinberg)
Section 004 – Psychology of Religious Groups. This seminar will examine the individual and group dynamics of contemporary spiritual groupings. We will explore why individuals stay, and why some eventually leave. Particular attention will be paid to the creation of a coherent, self-reinforcing structure of beliefs and behaviors and to the process of the group as it separates itself from the consensus of the larger society. We will read fictional accounts, historical studies (Kanter, Festinger), observational studies of cults in action (Deikman, Hassan), and interview individuals living in Washtenaw County about their group experience. (Mann)
Section 005 – War, Nationalism, and Development in 20th-Century Asia. This course opens in the late stages of imperialism as Western powers closed in on China and the U.S. took over the Philippines, soon thereafter issuing the "Open Door" notes designed to prevent the breakup of China. But imperialism prompted the rise of Asian nationalism, as well as providing a model for the beginnings of "modernization." In India the nationalist drive for independence gained new strength from the leadership of Gandhi and Nehru. World War II began for China with the Japanese grab of Manchuria, and ended in the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Cold War had begun and led to war in Korea from 1950 to 1953. The course ends with an examination of the American misadventure in Vietnam, and the rise of Vietnamese nationalism. This course is a convenient introduction to the evolution of modern Asia. Readings are contained in a course pack; there will be four short papers, but no final exam. (Murphey)
152. First-Year Natural Science Seminar. First-year
students. (3). (NS). (BS). May be repeated for credit with permission
of department.
Section 001 – Puzzles, Beliefs, and the Limitations of Logic.
Writers and thinkers as diverse as Aristotle, Lewis Carroll, and Raymond Smullyan have delighted in devising and solving logic
puzzles. Indeed, well-posed puzzles can be both challenging and entertaining ­p; and this course will use them to explore
some of the most important developments in logic this century.
Appreciating the interesting mathematical issues encountered along the way won't require any special preparation (like calculus or
physics), only an interest in logical reasoning. We will start
by developing systematic methods for solving many familiar types
of puzzles, and then move into new problems involving your (and other rational individuals') beliefs. Adding this element of belief
makes the puzzles even more intriguing. You will have opportunities
to sharpen your ability to think carefully and express your reasoning
in a written argument. Grades will be based on short, frequent, written solutions to puzzles, participation in our class efforts
to solve problems, and one larger written project. (Whitney)
153. First-Year Composition Seminar. First-year
students. (4). (Introductory Composition). May be repeated for
credit with permission of department.
Section 001 – Democracies in Crisis. We owe two of the fundamental
terms connected with our political system to the ancient Athenians
and Romans: "democracy" and "republic." The
Athenian democratic and Roman republican systems of government
allowed for quite significant degrees of popular sovereignty, achieved great artistic and political successes, and suffered
notable failures. The purpose of this course is to examine the
Athenian Democracy and the Roman Republic at times of crisis, examining both the theories and practices of their governments.
Readings will include selections from Thucydides' The Peloponnesian
War, Plato's Apology Politics; select orations and philosophic works of Cicero, and the historical work of Sallust.
Course requirements will include four short papers (3-5 pages), an oral presentation, and a variety of in-class writing exercises
designed to enhance expository writing facility. No prior knowledge
of Greek or Roman history is assumed. (Potter)
175/Slavic Surveys 221. Armenia: Culture and Ethnicity. (3). (HU).
See Slavic Surveys 221. (Bardakjian)
176/Russian 222. Russia Today. (4). (HU).
See Russian 222. (M. Makin)
177/Slavic Surveys 240. Introduction to Slavic Folklore. (3). (HU).
See Slavic Surveys 240. (Stolz)
210. Perspectives on Careers in Medicine and Health Care. (4). (Excl).
This course is for students considering a career in the health professions. It is designed to help them acquire perspectives to facilitate their decision-making process. Health care professionals visit the class and share their educational and professional experiences. Students become acquainted with the prerequisites for professional and graduate schools and spend time with dental, medical, osteopathic, nursing, and public health students. We consider problems facing the health professions in the 90s: problems of health care delivery, the high cost of medicine and its effect on the uninsured and underinsured. We discuss issues relating to malpractice and death and dying. Students are expected to respond in writing and in class to the visitors, to the reading materials, and to films. Two course packs serve as the required texts. All students are responsible for taking definite steps toward the development of their own goals through a self-inventory of their values, skills, and interests and through a term paper exploring a possible career direction. Evaluation is based on class attendance and participation in and completion of all assignments. The class meets Mon. 3-5, 432 West Hall; Thurs. 7-9:30 p.m. at 2130 Dorset Rd., Ann Arbor. A map showing the location of 2130 Dorset Rd. will be available at G155 Angell Hall. Cost:2 WL:5 Enrollment by override only: contact Fran Zorn at G155 Angell Hall (764-6410) or call 662-0683 and leave a message. (Zorn)
250. Collegiate Seminars. Open to any
student who has completed the introductory composition requirement.
(3). (HU). May be repeated for credit.
Section 001 – German-Jewish Relations from Roman Times to the
Present. Since the German-speaking part was the only area
in Europe that could record an unbroken presence of Jews in its
territory from Roman times to the recent past, the topic of German-Jewish
relations offers a unique perspective from which to examine the
development of European thought and society. The manifest interactions
between these two groups often served as an index to the state
of society in central Europe. The relationship ranged from intellectual
and linguistic stimulation to repressive laws, expulsion, and elimination at various times and localities. The dramatic changes
in European thought initiated with the Enlightenment will be seen through events such as the literary salons of Rachel Varnhagen, the ideas of Richard Wagner, and the impact of "scientific"
race theories. Special attention will be given to the success
and failure of German-Jewish assimilation in modern times and the events of the 1933-1945 period through the works of such writers
and scholars as Klemperer, Goldhagen, Young-Bruehl, Ettinger, and others. (Fabian)
251. Collegiate Seminars. Open to any
student who has completed the introductory composition requirement.
(3). (SS). May be repeated for credit.
Section 001 – Alternative Realities: Science and the Study of
Human Perception. This course will investigate a number of
broad, highly subjective, inherently interesting questions about the nature of perception. The broadest of these will be the question
of cultural relativism: Do people from widely different cultures
experience immediate reality in fundamentally different ways?
The alternative realities to be explored will be those attributable
to cultures, subcultures, cults, historical eras, substances (i.e., drugs), and mental illness. Most importantly, the scientific enterprise
itself, as one mode among others, of establishing an order of
reality will also be presented in this context. Grades will be
determined entirely by writing papers, which will be individually
developed and evaluated through individual tutorial meetings held
every three or four weeks at the instructor's office. (Pachella)
280. Undergraduate Research-A (Grade). First or second year standing, and permission of instructor. (1-4). (Excl). (EXPERIENTIAL). A maximum of 8 credits of 280 and 281 may be counted toward graduation.
This course provides academic credit for students engaged in
research through the Undergraduate
Research Opportunity Program (UROP). To receive credit, the
student must be working on a research project under the supervision
of a University of Michigan faculty member. Students may elect the course for 1-4 hours of credit. For each hour of credit, it
is expected that the student will work three hours per week. The
grade for the course will be based on a final project report evaluated
by the faculty sponsor and on participation in other required
UROP sponsored activities, including bi-monthly research group
meetings, and submission of a journal chronicling the research
experience. Students will receive a letter grade for this course. This course is open only to students enrolled in the
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.
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