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Course Catalog - CISS

Regular CISS course offerings include:

CISS 191 — Vienna Around 1900
Every third year
The course focuses on the final glory days of Austria. After dominating Europe as imperial city and court of the Holy Roman Empire for centuries until 1806, Austria steadily diminished in geographical size and as a political powerhouse. However, at the turn-of-the-century, intellectual and aesthetic achievements secure Vienna’s fame apart form the house of Habsburg. The course strives to convey the awe-inspiring diversity of innovations in art, architecture, design, music, journalism, criticism, literature, philosophy, and science through texts, slides and recordings. At the same time, the course addresses the cultural phenomena in the historical, political, and social context of events leading up to and following WWI. One unit.

CISS 194 — Introduction to Community Organizing
Alternate years
Students study the nature and origins of the Community-Building Movement, receive an overview of Community-Building Approaches, and learn neighborhood observation and assessment. Students also assist the South Worcester Neighborhood Association in planning for the rebuilding of its neighborhoods. One unit.

CISS 200 — Worcester and Its People
Annually
Through its engagement with the specific environment of Worcester, addresses the role of the past and present to the future of the city. Considers Ethnicity and Race, Religion, Culture, Work, Technology, the Built Environment, the Natural Environment, and Politics, all in association with the varied racial and ethnic neighborhoods of the city. One unit.

CISS 201 — Legal Reasoning and Rhetoric
Fall
A course in reading, writing, and presentation of case law material. Students apply American Trial Association rules of argument and evidence in preparing for mock trial competitions. Working in small groups and working alone on detailed arguments are both required. One unit.

CISS 271 — The Arabic Novel
Every third year
Provides a survey of the modern and contemporary Arabic novel as literature but also as a reflector of the cultural, religious, and political issues deeply affecting present-day Arab society in its confrontation with and adaptation to modernity. One unit.

CISS 400 — Tutorial
Fall, spring
For students who may not be associated with CISS programs, but who choose to do independent interdisciplinary study that might not be permitted under their major department’s tutorial option. One unit.

CISS 490 — American Studies
Annually
Selected students take a seminar at the world-renowned American Antiquarian Society taught by visiting scholars. Seminar topics vary with the fields of the scholars. One unit.

CISS 496 — Special Project
Fall, spring
For third and fourth year students who wish to do independent work that falls outside of disciplinary offerings. One unit.

CISS 497 — Interdisciplinary Research
Fall, spring
For students in a CISS program who wish or are required to do an independent interdisciplinary project for their curriculum. One unit.

Africana Studies

For details on the above courses, please see the respective departmental listings.

Asian Studies

For details on the above courses, please see the respective departmental listings.

Environmental Studies

For details on the above courses, please see the respective departmental listings.

Latin American and Latino Studies

For details on the above courses, please see the respective departmental listings.

Peace and Conflict Studies

For details on the above courses, please see the respective departmental listings.

Women's and Gender Studies

For details on the above courses, please see the respective departmental listings.

Linking Learning and Living

Washington Semester Program

DCSP 381 — Washington Seminar
Fall, spring
Gives students an opportunity to examine the policy process in the United States. Explores the grounds on which specific policies are advocated and discusses the aims of public policy. Students read and discuss a number of appropriate texts. Includes discussion of current events and may incorporate perspectives on the students’ internships and their research projects. One unit.

DCSP 382 — Washington Internship
Fall, spring
An internship (four days per week) with a Government office, news organization, public interest group, museum, federal agency, or other Washington-based organizations offering a well-supervised position requiring initiative and responsibility. One-and-a-half units.

DCSP 383 — Washington Research
Fall, spring
A research project culminating in a substantial research paper. Each intern, in consultation with an on-campus faculty sponsor, chooses a research topic early in the term. The research paper will be both closely related to the student’s internship responsibilities and useful to the Washington agency which serves as the site for the internship. The intern is expected to make good use of the resources of his/her agency and of Washington contacts to produce a paper which reflects the Washington experience. One-and-a-half units.

Academic Internship Program

Academic Internships are comprised of two components: fieldwork at an internship site in Worcester or the greater Boston area and academic work in an internship seminar, such as Ethical Issues in Professional Life, Healthcare Policy, Legal Issues, or Business/Management. If a seminar topic is not appropriate to the internship, tutorial work with an individual faculty sponsor may be arranged. Each student is expected to spend eight hours per week on the job and another three or four hours on the academic component. One unit of academic credit is granted for the Academic Internship. Admission is open to third- and fourth-year students by application.

ACIP 379-01 — Academic Internship
Fall, spring
An independent internship arranged by the student with a faculty sponsor. Th e internship commitment is 8 hours per week. The student meets with the faculty sponsor in a weekly tutorial as well. One unit.

ACIP 379-02 — Management/Leadership Seminar
Fall, spring
Focuses on the characteristics of effective leaders and effective organizations of all kinds—business, government, education, and not-for-profit. Each student uses the organization at which he or she is an intern as the model for analysis of each of the topics discussed. Topics include the components of typical organization, creating shared aims and values, defi ning the expected results, achieving customer satisfaction, focusing on people and encouraging innovation. Classes involve lectures, discussion of assigned reading, and discussion of situations drawn from the internship experiences of the class members and the professional experiences of the instructor, a senior executive. One unit.

ACIP 379-03 — Legal Issues Seminar
Fall, spring
Is law a profession or a business? Provides a unique opportunity for students contemplating a career in the law to examine this question. Explores the ethical underpinnings of the legal profession by examining codes of conduct governing both lawyers and judges. The art of negotiation is an essential study for anyone interested in law, public policy or international relations. This course examines the current trends in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration. One unit.

ACIP 379-04 — Health Care Management Seminar
Fall, spring
The health care industry, a big and pervasive business in the United States, has changed the way we live. It has prompted debate on our fundamental definitions of life and death, aroused concern about cost, equitable access and the quality of care giving, and it has triggered unpopular social policies. But who are the principles and practitioners involved in both the medical marketplace and the delivery of health care? The answers are, in part, found by carefully examining the range of issues; e.g. economic, medical, political, social, and moral.
This seminar provides a forum for critical analysis of health care in the U.S. Th e seminar component, with relevant readings and discussion, provides additional depth to the student’s internship experience by providing a more coherent and thorough examination of our health care delivery system—its strengths, problems, and weaknesses. One unit.

ACIP 379-05 — Professional Ethics Seminar
Fall, spring
Designed for students participating in professional internships of 8 hours per week in a variety of fields. Using both historical and contemporary texts, this seminar examines the meaning of professionalism and professional ethics. By analyzing cases from medicine, law, education, journalism, politics, corporate business and engineering, this course helps students to formulate their own professional identity. Students not enrolled in an academic internship through CISS may participate in “P4C”, a project in teaching philosophy to elementary school pupils in grades 4-8. These students visit an elementary school one day per week to conduct philosophical dialogues, and conduct research into philosophy with children. One unit.

The College Honors Program

HNRS 299 — On Human Nature
Spring
Required seminar for sophomore honors students. Three faculty members representing the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities together engage the newly-selected honors students from majors across the curriculum in a multidisciplinary approach to the metaphysical, cultural, spiritual, and material questions that make difficult a position of certainty about human nature. More generally, this course hopes to model integrative thinking and study. In spring 2007, the course focused on Human Nature and Perception and was co-taught by faculty from Chemistry, English, and the Visual Arts. One unit.

HNRS 295, 296 — Third and Fourth Year Honors Colloquium
Fall, spring
Informal evening gatherings on select topics. Pass/Fail

HNRS 395 — Honors Seminars (topics change annually)

HNRS 494, 495 — Honors Thesis
Fall, spring
Honors seniors take one unit’s worth of thesis credit each semester, which is graded at the end of the second semester by the student’s advisor, with input from readers. The thesis is a substantial independent project either in or out of a student’s major, which means that it may count for major credit or not. Two units.

American Sign Language and Deaf Studies

Deaf Studies 109 — Introduction to Deaf Studies
Fall
American Sign Language is the second most widely used language in the U.S. It is similar to other spoken languages in many ways (has its own structure, grammar, etc.) but is a visual language. Another distinguishing difference is the perception that many individuals have of the use of this language and of the people who communicate with sign. The issues relating to deafness, deaf people and deaf community are addressed from a cultural, linguistic, and minority perspective rather than a medical view. Readings, discussions and personal accounts shared by members from the community address the opposing views—the medical perception and the cultural/linguistic view. Is deafness something to be “fixed” or is it something to be celebrated? This course takes advantage of alternative ways at looking at members in our society who might be “different.” Attention is given to understanding various methods that are appropriate for studying the cultural differences between the Deaf world and the Hearing world and how this parallels with other ethnic and cultural groups. The students are challenged to learn and think about how this majority view (of hearing people) influences opinions, decisions, and policies for deaf people. This type of learning raises the students’ awareness to significant issues involving other minority groups of cross-cultural analysis and hopefully provides a motivation for them not only to understand their own cultural identity and beliefs, but also to want to influence the future in a more positive and just way. Introduction to Deaf Studies is open to all students with priority given to those students enrolled in the Deaf Studies certificate program. Students enrolled in the Deaf Studies Certificate program can take this course prior to taking an ASL class or concurrently with any of the first four semesters of ASL. One unit.

Deaf Studies 101 — Elementary American Sign Language 1
Fall
Introduces students to the basic expressive and receptive skills in ASL, including conversation strategies, spatial referencing and facial expressions. Questions, commands, and simple sentences will be covered, leading to basic conversational skills in ASL. Awareness of Deaf culture is included. Attendance in ASL lab practicum is required in addition to the class time. One and one-quarter units.

Deaf Studies 102 — Elementary American Sign Language 2
Spring
Continues to develop the basics of the ASL language and the building of both expressive and receptive vocabulary. Further develops the communicative competencies in the language focusing on skills including use of classifiers, temporal sequencing, spatial agreement and object identification through description. Study of Deaf culture is continued. Attendance in ASL lab practicum is required in addition to the class time. One and one-quarter units.

Deaf Studies 201 — Intermediate American Sign Language 1
Fall
A continuation of the Elementary ASL level. Focus is on increasing the students’ vocabulary in ASL and use of the correct grammatical structure of the language. Further exposure to more sophisticated dialogue is presented. Improving competency in both visual and receptive ASL skills in social situations and increased understanding of Deaf culture is better understood through increased interaction with members of the Deaf community. In addition to the class time, students are required to participate in a Community Based Learning partnership program where ASL is used. CBL sites include options such as tutoring Deaf adults in computers, teaching Deaf children and adults to swim, teaching deaf children to play hockey, working with deaf senior citizens, visiting with deaf-blind individuals and ASL story telling in the community. For
most assignments, students are evaluated using the target language, either in videotape format or in-class presentations using ASL. One unit.

Deaf Studies 202 — Intermediate American Sign Language 2
Spring
A continuation of Intermediate ASL 1, but with more depth in the discussion of the principles of ASL. Emphasizes receptive and expressive skills in the areas of grammatical structure, vocabulary, finger spelling, numbers, and non-manual markers. In addition to the class time, students are required to continue their participation in a Community Based Learning partnership program where ASL is used. The CBL sites are continued from the DFST 201 fall section. For most assignments, students are evaluated using the target language, either in videotape format or in-class presentations using ASL. One unit.

Deaf Studies 203 — Deaf Literature
Alternate years
Examines how culture and language intersect in 20th-century ASL literature. Explores the origins of deaf literature, its relationship with written literature, especially its effect on the development of aesthetic expression for ASL literature. Considers works about deafness and works written by deaf authors and the various attitudes toward deafness revealed in these works. Emphasis will be placed on historical background, meaning of the content, discussion of grammatical features and styles revealed in the study of selected videotapes. This course is taught primarily in ASL. One unit.

Deaf Studies 299 — Special Topics
Annually
A special topics course is offered on alternate semesters and includes related areas in literature, linguistics, culture or visual communication. Topics vary with each offering and can be used for completion of the Deaf Studies Certificate. Examples of Special Topics include courses such as “Visual Gestural Communication,” “Bi-Lingual and Bi-Cultural Education for Deaf Children” and “Special Education and Deaf Children.” One unit.

Deaf Studies 300 — The Deaf Community: Language & Culture
Alternate years
Provides students with a positive perspective on Deaf people who use American Sign Language and their cultural identity. Based on a cultural perspective as an alternative to the pathological model and explores the historical evolution of the Deaf Community in terms of language, self-image, culture and arts. This course is taught in ASL. One unit.

Deaf Studies 301 —American Sign Language: Comp and Con
Fall
With the goal of increased fluency and comfort, topics revolve around sharing information about our environment and us. Students continue to learn conversational strategies. All lab work, social events, videotapes, learning stimulating activities (in and outside of class) and assignments are intended to develop advanced competency in receptive and expressive use of ASL. In addition to the class time, students are required to
participate in a Community-Based Learning partnership program where ASL is used. Students will be involved with a unique “signed history” project that is done in collaboration with the Worcester Women‘s History Project: Oral History Project. Using ASL as a means of communication, students will conduct a series of interviews with deaf individuals in the community. Students are evaluated using the target language in videotape format, in-class presentations and at public forum presentations using ASL. One unit.

Deaf Studies 350 — Experience in the Deaf Community: Internship
Seminar Spring
Offers a unique learning experience, a concurrent full immersion internship opportunity for the semester with a weekly seminar. Students integrate the hands-on experience of their internship sites with related readings, classroom discussions, student presentations of specific topics and personal interviews with deaf individuals from the specific internship sites. Students sign a formal presentation about their reflections
of internship experience at an open forum to the Holy Cross and Worcester community. Internship sites include working with Deaf and Hard of hearing people at independent livings centers, religious settings, school settings, agencies serving deaf-blind individuals, elder deaf adults, and medical settings. One unit.

Gerontology Studies

GERO 299 — Special Topics
Fall
Topics and format vary with each offering. One unit.

GERO 390 — Aging and Social Policy
Every third year
Analyzes federal, state, and local aging policies, and reviews economics of aging on a macro level. Topics include the Older Americans Act, the relationship between aging policy and service provision, policy analysis (including the concepts of entitlements and intergenerational issues), lobbying, advocacy, allocation, health care financing (e.g. Medicare, Medicaid, insurance, HMOs/managed care), financial support (e.g. Social Security and private pensions), and costs of long-term care versus community based care. Also, implications for caregivers, both formal and informal, are discussed. One unit.

GERO 391 — Women, Aging, & Spirituality
Spring
This seminar provides an opportunity for student interns in elder care to reflect on and discuss their internship experience. Explores family and community concerns in elder care including autonomy, informed consent, care for elders with dementia, legal issues and options, and society’s responses. Classes involve didactic presentation, discussion of assigned readings, and discussions of situations drawn from the internship
experiences of each class member and the professional experiences of the instructor, who is a social worker and certified care manager. One unit.

* Departmental courses include Aging and Society (SOCL 257), Medical Sociology (SOCL 263), Sociology of Mental Health (SOCL 262), Aging & Health Care (SOCL 390), Psychology of Aging (PSYC 239), Psychopathology and Aging (PSYC 360). Courses offered at Consortium schools include: Death, Dying and Society (Assumption College), Families in Later Life & Sociology of Medicine (Clark University), and Policy Planning for an Aging Society (Worcester State).

* The courses and descriptions listed above are taken directly from the official College Catalog.