FYE 101: First-Year Seminar (2 credits)
The First-Year Seminars are designed to help students engage and succeed both academically and socially in Virginia Wesleyan’s liberal arts learning community. In the process of investigating an essential problem or question, students will develop foundational inquiry skills that emphasize critical thinking and independent learning. Through diverse co-curricular workshops, events, and activities, students will gain additional academic as well as personal resourcefulness.
Topics vary, and section enrollment is limited to fifteen students.
FYE 101-01 It's Not Easy Being Green
We will examine the major environmental concerns facing Americans today, from climate warming and the excess use of fossil fuels to environmental chemicals found in our air and food. Moreover, we will discuss the processes by which we, as citizens, can work towards innovative solutions.
101-02 Climate Change – What Can We Do?
David W. Orr, author of The Last Refuge, examines the human influence on the Earth’s environment and paints a fairly bleak picture of the future. However, juxtaposed to this analysis, Orr also offers some possible solutions as to how we might sustain the life systems of Earth. Students will examine what their roles might be as we look to the future and what the consequences might be if we do nothing. (Enrollment by placement only.)
101-03 Senseless Violence
We will examine explanations for horrific events such as the Virginia Tech massacre, suicide bombings, and serial killing, to get insight into what is often called “senseless violence.” Is it senseless, or can we make sense of it?
101-04 American Lifestyle
A constant barrage of information about the many issues that face America can often confuse rather than enlighten those trying to be informed democratic citizens. In this seminar we will explore opposing viewpoints on several controversial issues facing America in the 21st century and investigate the sustainability of the American lifestyle within the context of current U.S. domestic and foreign policy. (Enrollment by placement only.)
101-05 College: Tradition & Transition (Transfer Section)
What is college for? How does a college work? How do colleges differ? How have colleges changed? How will college change you? What does “going to college” mean? This transfer section of First-Year Seminar will examine the various aspects of the American college’s transition and transcendence as an institution as well as an individual, transformative experience. (Enrollment by placement only.)
101-06 Borrowing for College
People borrow money to buy houses and cars. Does it make sense to borrow for college? Students will investigate the costs and benefits of debt in general and student loans in particular and, in the process, answer that question for their own circumstances.
101-07 Mutual Understanding
Is mutual understanding possible? Can we even understand ourselves? What are the barriers to such understanding? Can they be surmounted? Reading: Three Novels: Hordubal, Meteor, An Ordinary Life by Karel Capek.
101-08 Unraveling the Global Climate Change Debate
Is global warming a crisis, a hoax or something in between? In this course we will examine evidence that sparks the current debate and analyze the claims made by people on all sides of the argument.
101-09 Art and Identity
Does who you are or what your background is influence your actions and your creative expression? This course will look at the visual arts in terms of the question, do background and biology determine artistic expression?
101-10 Odysseys
Odyssey, noun: 1. epic poem attributed to Homer recounting the long wanderings of Odysseus. 2. an adventurous intellectual or spiritual voyage or quest usually marked by many changes. As you begin your odyssey at VWC, is the goal (achieving your destination) more important than the journey? (Enrollment by placement only.)
101-11 Modern Racism
The African-American civil rights movement in the United States took place over four decades ago. Is racism in American culture a thing of the past? We will explore the psychological and cultural roots of racism by searching for connections between past and present local, national, and international events. We will also question the role college plays in shaping views about group memberships.
101-12 Immigration
Are we asking the right questions? Are the answers so simple? This course will offer an examination of political, social and economic dimensions of the immigration issue (past and present), with particular attention to the US-Mexico border.
101-13 Critical Thinking about Laughter
A descent into the history, literature, physiology, philosophy, science, art, therapy, theology, and recreational aspects of the phenomenon of laughter.
101-14 American Poverty
S. Minnis
In this course, we will examine the moral, social, and practical
consequences of poverty in the United States. What obligation, if any, does
society as a whole owe persons living in poverty? Does the individual have
any obligation or incentive in this regard?
101-15 Work in Today's Society
As a freshman in college, do you know what you want to do for the rest of your life? How are people defined by their work, in their own eyes and within society's values systems? This course will engage students through activities that will lay the foundation for deciding a career path. (Enrollment by placement only.)
101-16 Responding to Violence
Justice? Accountability? Retribution? How does education prepare us to develop reasonable responses to humans' violence toward one another and to abuse of the planet's resources?
101-17 Take a Chance
How does careful thinking about chance shape actual judgments about concrete situations? We'll consider situations from gambling, insurance, warfare, business, medicine, and law, but we'll end up learning about our own thinking.
101-18 Understanding Globalization
From a variety of perspectives we will explore the roots of globalization, its pros and cons, and the different ways the indigenous cultures of the world, particularly of the Americas, have impacted the Western world’s prosperity.
101-19 Cool School
In flagrant violation of standards of "coolness," we will investigate the very concept of cool. Our sources will range from John Leland's book "Hip: The History" to the PBS Frontline series "Merchants of Cool."
101-20: Conservation Biology
We will examine means of conserving various plant and animal species and the ways in which our society is engaged with this topic. Students will also develop a plan to conserve selected species and will implement this plan on campus and/or in the surrounding area.
101-21 Rwandan Genocide
In spring 1994, 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda in only 90 days. The majority population (the Hutus) massacred the minority population (the Tutsis) even though the Tutsis were their friends, classmates, neighbors, in-laws, and even spouses. This course investigates the Rwandan genocide, questioning the motives of the perpetrators, the actions of government and religious officials, and the responses of the international community.
101-22 Branded
How is the American adolescent branded? What types of influence do the advertisers and various forms of mass media (radio, movies, TV) have on the average adolescent? What self-image do you have now and how was that image developed during your high school experiences? We will examine the questions surrounding branding in our society, including the history, aesthetics, and cultural impacts of branding. (Enrollment by Placement Only.)
101-23 Carbon Footprints
An exploration of the social, scientific, and cultural impact of individuals' daily choices on the complex and worldwide problem of global warming.
101-24 How Pictures and Images Deceive: Interrogating Our Own Vision
In our daily life, maps, art, comics, ads, graphs, photoshopped pictures, and other images not only evoke feelings but create arguments. What sorts of questions help us to recognize how images function and how to "read" them in a socially responsible manner? (Enrollment by placement only.)
101-25 Happiness
Does Money really buy happiness? Are extroverts happier than introverts? What does happiness really mean? In this course we will examine the concept of happiness, the science behind it, and the relation of the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of college success. (Enrollment by placement only.)
101-26 Do You Know the Secret ?
There are few secrets that are hidden once you learn to break the code. We will explore and interpret historical, social, and cultural secrets based on the book The Secret by Rhonda Byne.
101-27 Slow Death of a Once Great Estuary
We will examine the decline of major fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay and the actions taken by government to "save the bay." Students will evaluate the effectiveness of current practices with regards to the management of populations of blue crab and oyster.
101-28 Time Off or Time On?
This course will investigate the use of time among college students with particular attention paid to historical, cultural, and societal impacts. Special attention will be paid to leisure time opportunities in the Hampton Roads area.