This course examines the intellectual history of western civilization as it is portrayed in literature and philosophy within the context of the four big questions: What is truth? What is justice? What does it mean to be human? What is the good life? History, literature, and philosophy seek to help humans as a species explain the world, the world around them as well as the world within. And they all do so through narratives, stories that help us try to understand and explain our purpose in our very mortal existence. In this course and in this anthology, we examine texts within the western literary tradition in conversation. First and foremost, these stories act in dialogue with one another in meaningful ways. Secondly, they are texts that still speak to us in the modern age. While societies have changed over time, due to internal as well as external influences, we owe it to ourselves to understand where we’ve come from, how far we’ve come (if and how we have progressed at all), and how to make sense of the past and present in relation to the future.

This course explores social responsibility and civic engagement and some of the most dynamic and formidable subjects facing our contemporary world. We largely accomplish this by examining the behavioral, economic, political, and societal contexts in which social issues and civic engagement and social responsibility manifest. We will grapple with grand questions like: What does it mean to be human?; What does it mean to be an individual living in society?; and How do we work towards better possibilities for all? To promote personal and social responsibility and a deeper understanding of the topics under scrutiny in this course, we will explore issues contextually, using quantitative and qualitative case studies. Because social responsibility and civic engagement is really the capacity to organize with others, we will work together to develop ideas in action prescriptions that address issues and aim to benefit the whole society. The interdisciplinary, inquiry-based, and collaborative approach that constitutes the foundation of the Social & Behavioral Science ALAS course will challenge you to think imaginatively about complex problems, relate better to your peers by appreciating diverse points of view, and teach you how to be better engaged citizens.

• Fall courses emphasize History, Political Science and Sociology disciplines.
• Spring and Summer courses focus on Behavioral Sciences disciplines.

The course combines Financial Literacy with Entrepreneurship to offer career exploration and financial knowledge to students from all disciplines. The course is designed with two areas in mind, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship as a way of making a living. Financial literacy allows the student to be financially well-informed when choosing careers, jobs, loans, housing, etc. In the modern world, Entrepreneurship offers an avenue to progress as far as entrepreneurial skills and creativity can take them. Students in this class will gain basic hands-on, real-time experience on how to evaluate financial scenarios (personal and professional), and also will be faced with the challenge of evaluating if they want to start their own business. Many young professionals can benefit from exploring career options, including the idea of owning and operating their own business. Innovative individuals naturally see opportunities. Entrepreneurs have been creating new generations of profitable businesses, while also providing solutions to some of the most difficult societal challenges. These social experiments (later businesses) help in understanding alternative solutions creating sustainable global-scale industries and pave the way to the next generation of human living standards (i.e. the world wide web). The course will be interactive, using team exercises and real-life examples. Emphasis will be given to collaborating and organizing creative ways to maximize innovation, self- achievement, and financially sound decisions.

This course provides the knowledge and framework that will allow students to develop the quantitative skills necessary to be an active participant in shaping the future of our community and world. It contains an exploration from the perspectives of STEM disciplines to the questions: What is it to be human? What is a good life? What is truth? What is justice? Topics include surveys of biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science and ecology, and mathematics to equip students with the knowledge to grasp today’s important problems of pollution, population growth, conservation, climate change, impacts of artificial intelligence, global health and sustainability from the viewpoint of STEM disciplines.

Creativity is an essential skill for success in the 21st Century. This course will tap into and nurture the creativity that is innate in all of us. Students will explore the creative thinking process and idea generation methods that can be applied to any career path; or for personal life enrichment.

This course explores the diversity of experiences and relations among racial and ethnic groups. The course engages with some of the most pressing and challenging racial and ethnic issues facing the United States and the globe. The content includes critical assessment of the economic, political, societal, and historical contexts in which race and ethnicity have been constituted and reproduced. Because race and ethnicity do not exist in isolation, the course materials raise questions and discussions about how intersections with class, gender, and sexuality have produced enduring-but continually evolving-patterns of privilege and inequality, marginalization and dominance, and oppression and empowerment. You will grapple with questions explored in all ALAS coursework, including: What does it mean to be human? What is the “good life”? What is truth? What is justice? You will also grapple with questions such as: What is the racial social hierarchy? How did/does it come to be? Who benefits from status quo power relations? How can human relations be more equitable and just? What does freedom for everyone look like? How is it achieved? The course embraces an interdisciplinary, inquiry-based approach. By developing and leveraging information literacy and social responsibility, it compels students to think imaginatively about complex problems, to appreciate diverse viewpoints, and to consider active engagement toward a freer, more just, and more equitable world.