Course Descriptions for Fall 2018

Course descriptions for Fall 2018 are now available! Here you can read about the courses that ACN will be offering for the upcoming semester. We look forward to welcoming a new group of students to ACN this August!

ENGL 110 College Composition I
Instructor: Robin Smith, University of North Dakota
3 credits
Immersion in college-level critical reading and expository writing, emphasizing revision and careful preparation of manuscripts.

ENGL 226 Introduction to Creative Writing
Instructor: Robin Smith, University of North Dakota
3 credits
An introduction to the types and basic principles of creative writing, taught through a combination of class discussion and practice-writing.

HUM 224 Integrated Social Science Inquiry: Pilgrims and Puritans and the founding of America
Instructor: Dr. Tito Correa, American College of Norway
3 credits
In this course we focus on Pilgrims and Puritans, the principal protagonists of Colonial America. We trace their beginnings in England, follow them as they settle in the Netherlands, and further on to their move to New England and the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. We will examine the ethos of Puritanism and discuss their influence in the creation of the United States of America. An optional complement of this course will be a visit to Amsterdam and Leiden in the Netherlands where world’s most pressing problems will require global reaction and cooperation, and global leadership will be key in confronting these issues and balancing cultural and political differences.

HUM 391: Advanced Humanities Seminar – Global Leadership
Instructor: Becky Norvang, American College of Norway
2 credits
This seminar course will look at the role of leaders in the global community. Future leaders face great challenges as they work to find solutions to complex problems in our increasingly interconnected world. Many of the world’s most pressing problems will require global reaction and cooperation, and global leadership will be key in confronting these issues and balancing cultural and political differences.

IDS 399: Interdisciplinary Topics: The Arctic in Global Perspective
Instructor: Dr. John Ross, American College of Norway
3 credits
This course will offer a wide-ranging yet targeted survey of an emergent geo-political focal point of the 21st century, the Arctic region. While climate change and rising sea-levels have worried many from an environmental perspective, these developments have also opened new and lucrative economic possibilities, especially for the oil-prospecting, shipping and even tourism industries. These various components will be explored in the course: the geographical context; the history of Arctic exploration; the parallels with Antarctic scientific cooperation; the impact of climate change; the importance of oil and gas deposits; the shipping industry; the changing role of Arctic Council; Scandinavian interests in the area; the role of the big powers, even including China; and 21st century scenarios for this vital emergent region.

POLS 225: Comparative Politics
Instructor: Dr. John Ross, American College of Norway
3 credits
An introduction to comparative politics with emphasis on the democratic systems of Europe.

POLS 491: Readings in Political Science: Travel seminar to Spitsbergen – The Arctic
Instructor: Dr. John Ross, American College of Norway
1 credit
This course is built around a five-day, four-night group trip to Norway’s fascinating Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Our primary aim is to stimulate and deepen interest in the Arctic, a region of increasingly vital importance to our world, as well as in the far north of Norway. During our time we will experience firsthand the climate of the High North, sample life in Longyearbyen, one of the world’s most northernmost towns, and expand our understanding of Svalbard’s history and status. Along the way will also learn more about its beautiful but fragile ecosystem and about the interlinking global processes of climate change. This is truly a rare opportunity that will unfold a unique place.

PSY 120: Multicultural Psychology
Instructor: Dr. Lauri Hyers, West Chester University
3 credits

“People who know only their own side of the case, know little of that.”

–John Stuart Mill

Multiculturalism has grown into a major activist and scholarly movement impacting academia broadly, from the social sciences to the humanities, and even to the natural science STEM fields. In this course, we will focus on the contributions that Multicultural Psychology has made to this discourse. We will consider the everyday ways we successfully (and unsuccessfully) negotiate boundaries and intersections of ability, age, ethnicity, gender, health, immigration status, income, nation, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, and size. With a focus on enhancing your multicultural competence, this course includes a special unit on the stress of “culture shock” that can occur in extended intercultural contact situations (e.g. study abroad). Students will learn evidence-based strategies for minimizing negative intergroup experiences and maximizing positive multicultural outcomes for all.

PSY 200: The Science of Psychological Well-Being
Instructor: Dr. Lauri Hyers, West Chester University
3 credits

In this class, we will explore the Psychology of healthy well-being, exploring questions of what it means to live well at the individual and societal level. We will contemplate the nature of happiness, healthy interpersonal relationships, spirituality, creativity, and achievement. We will also consider how well being can be enhanced by positive societal institutions, intentional communities, and utopian ideals. Readings will include both contemporary and historical perspectives as we apply principles from Psychological science-based research to a broad range of perspectives on living well.

WGS 225: Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies
Instructor: Dr. Lauri Hyers, West Chester University
3 credits
Everyone will find personal relevance in this interdisciplinary course, regardless of their gender. We will examine both historical and contemporary issues related to gender and politics. This course is designed to enable students to evaluate the impact of gender, to question the implications of changing cultural patterns, and to sample first-hand efforts for social change. The readings include both classic and recent statements about gender and feminism, race, class, sexuality, and nationality from a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives.