This course introduces students, through a broad overview, to the nature of art, the people who make art, forms of art takes and the cultural significance of art. Students consider the various roles of artists and how those roles evolved historically within a socio-cultural context. Additionally, students will learn how global concerns affecting marginalized populations, politics, economics, technology, and the environment impact the art that is produced. A thorough introduction to the elements and principles of design will lay the foundation for visual literacy on which students will analyze and critique various disciplines including drawing, painting, photography, film, video, sculpture, architecture, crafts, and environmental design. Issues concerning aesthetics, creativity, and perception will also be addressed in this course. NOTE: Alternate pre-requisite - permission of the instructor.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify several themes and purposes of art.
Identify the visual elements and apply them in analysis of various two-and three-dimensional media.
Identify the principles of design in art.
Apply principles of design and personal aesthetics to criticism and analysis of various art media.
Demonstrate an understanding of a comprehensive list of terms common in the art world and apply those terms in written criticism.
Demonstrate a knowledge of a variety of roles artists have assumed in society.
Demonstrate a knowledge of the traits characteristic of these artists and their styles.
Demonstrate a knowledge of tools, methods and materials used in a broad spectrum of two-and three-dimensional media.
Demonstrate a sense of the chronological history of the arts.

Prerequisite: ENG 100.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

This writing-intensive course surveys ancient and modern world myths that still have an impact on our self-concepts and/or inform our ideas of society, power, and social structure. Narrative myths are studied as well as their interpretations in visual art and music. Beginning with a focus on Babylonian and Egyptian mythology, the course uses literature, art, music and film to evaluate mythology's place in helping us to understand the human condition and in understanding how humans perceive and structure society. Readings vary from semester to semester, but will include stories from major world mythologies, various geographic regions, and various historical periods, for example Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, Celtic, Germanic, Asian, North and South American, African, and Australian traditions.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Analyze and interpret myths to gain an understanding of how they function and change within/across historical contexts, societies, groups, and cultures.
Identify and paraphrase mythological themes and motifs that are universal across world cultures.
Identify how mythic stories reveal and support social structures and cultural values.
Compare aspects of myth-based fiction as seen in film, novels, popular culture, and television.
Identify versions of myths in rituals, visual art, and music.
Analyze in writing and discussion the differences between the original myths and their current manifestations.
Demonstrate the concept of “storytelling” rights as these relate to power and prestige.
Discuss in writing how myths/stories can construct ideas about race, socio-economic status, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, and sexual orientation and how stories can be used to institutionalize inequities.
Using elements of the writing process, produce a well-documented, well-researched final paper on an assigned topic in mythology.

College Academic Learning Goal Designation: Diversity and Social Justice (DJ), Global Understanding (GU), Written Communication (WC)

Prerequisite: ENG 100.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

This course is intended to engage students with the study of film as art as a unique technological form. The course includes a brief overview of genres and movements throughout global film history and a survey of various critical approaches to analyzing film. NOTE: 1) Alternate prerequisite - permission of instructor; 2) Students may be required to subscribe to a streaming service chosen by the instructor for the duration of the semester in addition to acquiring a textbook.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Recognize common characteristics of various film genres.
Discuss the evolution of technological advances in the history of film production.
Examine 20th and 21st Century global film movements.
Analyze formal elements of the moving image such as light, shot composition, space/time, editing, sound, narrative and acting.
Distinguish the differences between studying the art of film and conducting cultural critical analyses of cinema and the film industry.

Prerequisite: ENG 100.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

This course is intended to introduce students to the socio-cultural impact of the American Film Industry from the silent era through the present. Students will also become familiar with the study of film as a powerful, cultural artifact and as an artistic medium. NOTES: 1) Alternate prerequisite - permission of instructor; 2) Students may be required to subscribe to a streaming service chosen by the instructor for the duration of the semester in addition to acquiring a textbook; 3) Students taking this course as distance learning should be aware of its independent study aspects.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Explain the changing nature of the American film industry in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
Demonstrate accurate usage of artistic, technological and industrial film vocabulary.
Explain both historical and contemporary aspects of American film production, distribution, exhibition and reception.
Recognize the contributions of marginalized communities in the history of American cinema.
Discuss the socio-cultural impact of film as an artistic medium and commercial product.

Prerequisite: ENG 100.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

This course introduces students to the five major religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. We will read, research and discuss the historical, ethical and spiritual foundation of each religion, its beliefs and practices, in order understand its place in the perennial search for Truth and its relevance in the world today. The goal of this course is to set the stage for authentic inter-religious dialogue to prevent religious conflict and dogmatic discrimination.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Explain the developmental stages of each of the five major religions.
Evaluate the principal tenets of each of these belief systems.
Describe the most important practices of each of these religions.
Analyze the inter-relative or conflicting theological, social and historical tenets of the five religions discussed from a global perspective.
Recognize how the tenets or beliefs of each religion fostered or hindered integration or separation within their cultural background and in comparison to the other religions discussed.

College Academic Learning Goal Designation: Critical Reasoning (CR), Diversity and Social Justice (DJ), Global Understanding (GU)

Prerequisite: Successful Placement Test Scores or (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099* or REA 075 (*may be taken concurrently).

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

This class is an in-depth analysis of the historical, religious, ethical and political foundations of ISLAM, including the life of the prophet Mohommed, the Qur'an and its various branches, especially Sufism.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Improve their reading comprehensive and writing skills.
Improve their research skills (traditional and on-line).
Understand the development and history of Islam.
Understand the relationship between Islam and the other Judeo-Christian traditions.
Recognize the important cultural and spiritual contributions of Islam.
Describe the most important rituals and tenets of Islam.

Prerequisite: Successful Placement Test Scores or (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099* or REA 075 (*may be taken concurrently).

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

This class is an in-depth analysis of the historical, philosophical, religious and ethical foundations of Buddhism, including the life of Gautama Siddhartha, Buddhist philosophy, the three major branches of Buddhism (i.e. Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana) and Buddhism in the West. The class includes in-class meditation/mindfulness practices.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Conduct college-level research on the critical aspects of Buddhism.
Analyze in writing and discussion the relationship between Buddhism and other religious traditions.
Describe the essential aspects of Buddhist philosophy at the college level.
Write or discuss the historical development of Buddhism.
Develop an informed approach to Buddhist culture and religion.

College Academic Learning Goal Designation: Global Understanding (GU)

Prerequisite: ENG 100.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

From the perspectives of Latinx groups in the United States, this course examines the Latinx cultural heritage and their impact on our cultural landscape. It focuses on major Latinx groups, their history, integration struggles, and their contributions to the cultural, political, and socio-economic mainstream U.S. culture.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify major Latinx groups and their importance in mainstream culture.
Identify and apply proper terminology when describing the Latinx cultural experiences.
Recognize the contributions of Latinx groups to the cultural, political, and socio-economic mainstream culture.
Identify literary and artistic contributions of Latinx groups to mainstream culture.
Conduct research on an appropriate Latinx culture topic.
Apply cultural competency in relation to Latinx cultures when discussing topics related to these groups.

Prerequisite: Successful Placement Test Scores or (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099* or REA 075 (*may be taken concurrently).

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

This is an inter-discplinary, co-taught course that offers a systematic approach to stress reduction. It is also designed to help students to learn, study, experience and evaluate the numerous benefits of mindfulness practice, such as enhanced critical thinking, improved academic abilities, conflict resolution, increase in personal effectiveness in dealing with life stressors particular to college students. The course is taught by a team of humanities and nursing faculty and will include mindfulness practices, body work (yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Ghong), scientific/clinical neurobiological data collection and evaluation and research on the connection between body and mind, as well as the historical and philosophical roots of mindulness practice. Particular attention will be paid to teaching to reduce test anxiety, especially for high status testing for professional certification such as PRAXIS and NCLEX. Note: This course is a pilot/special studies course that may or may not transfer. This course cannot be required as a prerequisite course or a progam course. One section of this course will be offered in Fall, 2016, Spring, 2017 and, Fall, 2017

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Explain the nature of mindfulness and describe methods to practice it.
Identify theories of stress reduction.
Research and understand the historical roots and philosophy of mindfulness.
Use bodywork techniques for stress reduction.
Investigate the connections between well-being and mindfulness.

Prerequisite: Successful Placement Test Scores or (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099* or REA 075 (*may be taken concurrently).

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours