While Geneseo’s intersession is considered to have concluded in 2003, the practice of offering an unofficial, if abbreviated, term continued. But as the College looked to explore innovative approaches to teaching, learning and research as laid out in its strategic plan, it became apparent that revisiting a more formal approach to intersession could provide expanded opportunities for students, staff and faculty. After months of collaborative work, Geneseo is proud to announce a selection of quality offerings for Winter Break 2019 that will launch the College’s enhanced intersession.
The process began in Spring 2017 when President Denise A. Battles charged a college-wide intersession working group to analyze the opportunities associated with an enhanced term. A subsequent development — the state’s establishment of the Excelsior Scholarship Program, which requires students to be enrolled in at least 12 credits per term and complete at least 30 credits each year (successively), applicable toward their degree program — augmented the reasons for the expanded term. An enhanced intersession provides students with another opportunity to earn needed credits and maintain their program eligibility.
The enhanced term also allows the College to expand desirable credit-bearing activities such as study abroad in the interval between fall and spring terms. Students can additionally use intersession as a way to accelerate their academic progress. As well, students who might have taken intersession offerings at sister institutions will now have Geneseo options to consider.
After a thorough review, the working group presented their findings to President Battles and the campus community in August 2017. The report revealed support from both teaching faculty and non-teaching faculty and staff, with around 42 percent of those respondents expressing interest in an enhanced intersession. A survey of students similarly identified considerable interest among respondents in taking intersession courses, particularly among online, study abroad and field study options. Nearly 60 percent of student respondents expressed their interest in taking online coursework during the intersession if offered.
College Senate subsequently accepted the President’s request to establish an ad hoc calendar committee to recommend the best calendar alternative in support of a robust and pedagogically sound intersession, culminating in the Senate's May 2018 endorsement of a revised academic calendar for 2018–19 and beyond.
In recent weeks, faculty and staff have developed a selection of high-quality offerings that includes online and study abroad options. Courses are also open to non-SUNY Geneseo students as a way to earn credits through winter intersession. The term will run from Dec. 27, 2018, to Jan. 17, 2019, and includes a range of offerings, such as online courses in art history, chemistry, economics and finance, English, French, philosophy, sociology, and theatre. Also in the lineup is a selection of study abroad opportunities, including a first-ever experience at the Universidad de Holguín in Cuba, where students will explore topics related to race, racism, and the Black Experience in the Americas.
See below for a list of offerings for the 2018-19 intersession. Some online courses and study abroad are still in the final preparation stages. Check KnightWeb after Oct. 10 for a full course schedule.
Questions?
- For information on intersession, including tuition information, visit the intersession website.
- For online courses, visit the registrar’s website for registration information. For important registration dates, visit the website.
- To sign up for the study abroad programs, visit the Geneseo Horizons website.
Intersession 2018-19 Courses
Dec. 27, 2018, to Jan. 17, 2019
Online Courses
Art History
ARTH 172 F/History of Western Art: Renaissance through Rococo
A survey of the history of architecture, painting and sculpture within the Western tradition from the Renaissance through the Rococo Period and an introduction to the process of art historical analysis. Credits: 3. Instructor: Hilary Toothe
ARTH 173 F/History of Western Art: Neoclassicism to Contemporary
A survey of the history of architecture, painting, and sculpture within the Western tradition from the later eighteenth century to the present and an introduction to the process of art historical analysis. Credits: 3. Instructor: Alla Myzelev
ARTH 174: F/Visual Culture Today
Visual Culture studies the construction of the visual in art, media, technology and everyday life. Students learn the tools of visual analysis; investigate how visual depictions such as YouTube and advertising structures convey ideologies; and study the institutional, economic, political and social and market factors in the making of contemporary visual culture. Credits: 3. Instructor: Alla Myzelev
Chemistry
CHEM 104: Chemistry and Society
A terminal one-semester course designed to acquaint non-science students with how chemistry and science affect their lives. Chemical principles are applied to problems of current interest, such as energy and pollution. Methods which chemists and other scientists use in their attempts to solve such problems are illustrated. Not available to science majors. Corequisite: CHEM 105. Credits: 3(3-0). Instructor: Kazushige Yokoyama
CHEM 105: Chemistry and Society Lab
A terminal one-semester laboratory designed to acquaint non-science students with how chemistry and science affect their lives. Experiments are applied to problems of current interest, such as acid rain. Methods which chemists and other scientists use in their attempts to solve such problems are introduced. Not available for credit to science majors. Corequisite: CHEM 104. Credits: 1. Instructor: Kazushige Yokoyama
Communication
COMN 103: S/Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
This course is designed to provide students with basic knowledge about communication theory and practice. It creates an awareness of the role communication plays in our interpersonal relationships. Students will be introduced to basic models, definitions, and approaches to interpersonal communication. Some areas presented include perception, self-concept, self-disclosure, conflict, verbal and nonverbal communication, and ways for improving communication competence. Credits: 3. Instructor: TBD
COMN 317: Intercultural Communication
The purpose of the course is to provide the student with the theoretical and practical tools necessary to understand and attribute meaning to communicative behaviors during the process of intercultural communication. Discussions will focus on how culture influences the communication process and how cultural variations play a role in the process of communication. Prerequisites: COMN 103. Credits: 3. Instructor: TBD
School of Business
ECON 205: Business and Economic Statistics
A survey of the basic statistical tools used in management decision-making and data analysis. Major topics include data organization and presentation, a review of probability concepts, sampling and sampling distributions, statistical estimation and hypothesis testing, and correlation and regression analysis. The course also emphasizes applications of statistical techniques, the use of computerized statistical packages and ethical issues in statistical analysis.
(Students may not receive credit for more than one 200-level statistics course, including credit for more than one of the following courses: ECON 205, GEOG 278, MATH 242, MATH 262, PLSC 251, PSYC 250, and SOCL 211). Credits: 3. Instructor: Farooq Sheikh
FNCE 311: Managerial Finance
A study of basic financial management principles and techniques. Specific topics covered include the national and global financial environments, ethical issues and financial decision-making, valuation and analysis techniques, asset management, and capital budgeting. Restricted to School of Business majors. Others may seek permission from the School of Business. Prerequisites: ACCT 103, ECON 205, and junior or senior status. Credits: 3. Instructor: Robert Boyd
English
ENGL 101: Topics in Literature
A course exploring particular topic involving specific themes, issues, authors, literary Forms OR media types. Subtitles of “Topics in Literature” help students develop fundamental skills for critical reading and effective writing. (May be taken twice for credit under different subtitles.) Credits: 4. Instructor: Adrienne Maher
Languages and Literatures
FREN 201: Intermediate French 1
Reviews the fundamentals of structure and continues to develop the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Oral and written exercises are included. Reading materials emphasize cultural and contemporary topics. Prerequisites: FREN 102 or its equivalent. Credits: 3. Instructor: Liz McManus
Philosophy
PHIL 111 - R/Introduction to Logic
An introduction to deductive logic, including propositional and predicate logic, Aristotelian logic, problems of definition, informal fallacies, and the elements of linguistic analysis. Credits: 3. Instructor: Brian Barnett
PHIL 215: M/Eastern Philosophy
An introduction to some of the central texts and viewpoints of the Eastern philosophical tradition. The views explored will be Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian. The approach will be primarily philosophical, not historical. The goal will be to understand and critically evaluate the main metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical ideas lying at the center of each tradition. The issues explored will include the status and nature of the self, the possibility of some ultimate undefinable immanent reality, the metaphysical status of space-time-matter-causality, the relation between opposites such as good and evil, and the nature of the good life. Credits: 3. Instructor: Brian Barnett
Sociology
SOCL 102: S/Introduction to Social Problems and Public Policy
Contemporary social problems, including macro-problems (e.g., the economy, politics, inequality), micro-problems (e.g., crime, health care), and the relationship between the two are studied. Emphasis is on understanding both the causes and symptoms of contemporary social problems. Credits: 3. Instructor: Kurt Cylke
Theatre and Dance
THEA 140: F/Play Analysis for the Theatre
From pages to possible stages: an analysis of the play to discover production and performance options inherent in the script. The play script will be looked at from the points of view of the various production collaborators: performers, designers, and audience. Credits: 3. Instructor for section 1: Raymond Boucher. Instructor for section 2: Jaime Arena
Study Abroad/Study Away
Argentina
ENVR 250: Urban Environmental Issues in Latin America 718
Application deadline: Program no longer accepting applications.
Program dates: January 5-21, 2019
This course provides an introduction to environmental issues in Latin America by outlining the historical, political and socioeconomic forces that have driven environmental change in the region. Students visit Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the January intersession for a first-hand examination of urban environmental issues in one of Latin America's largest cities. For more information, visit the website. Credits: 3. Instructor: David Aagesen
Cuba
ANTH 216 S/M/ Race, Racism, and the Black Experience in the Americas
Application deadline: Program no longer accepting applications.
Program dates: December 26-31, 2018: Pre-departure online coursework. January 2-3, 2019: Pre-departure retreat in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY. January 4-19: Cuba.
Features guest lectures from Cuban scholars on Cuban history, U.S.-Cuban Relations, the Cuban political and economic system, Cuban culture and identity, health and medicine, gender, tourism, literature, religion, music and dance. Fulfills S/M/ requirements as well as requirements for the anthropology major and minor, Black Studies major and minor, sociomedical sciences minor, and Latin American Studies minor. For more information, visit the website. Credits: 3. Instructor: Melanie A Medeiros.
Peru
Academia Latinoamericana de Español: 3 Week Program 062
Application deadline: Accepting applications until 11:59 pm on Oct. 15.
Program dates: Dec. 29, 2018–Jan. 19, 2019
This program was designed to provide students seeking to fulfill Spanish language requirements at the beginning, intermediate or advanced levels the experience of studying the language, and Hispanic cultures and literatures in one of the most ethnically, historically and naturally rich regions of the world. For more information, visit the website. Credits: 3. Instructor: Partner program. Students will receive instruction from Peruvian faculty members at the Academia Latinoamericana de Español in Cusco, Peru.
ANTH 312: Archaeology, Art, and Architecture of the Cusco Region
Application deadline: Accepting applications until 11:59 pm on Oct. 15.
Program dates: January 3–20, 2019
This course is an overview of the archaeology and colonial history of the Cusco (Peru) Region. The course traces the evolution of cultural complexity in the area culminating in the rise and conquest of the Inca empire. The focus then shifts to the art and architecture of the Spanish colonial era until Peru's independence in 1821. Some reading and research will be required before the trip leaves for Peru. Typical days in Peru will combine reading, lectures, student presentations, and field trips to museums, galleries, archaeological sites, and historical places. The three weekends will include longer field trips, including the Inca site of Machu Picchu and an overnight stay in Lima. Students will research a topic throughout the course and submit a paper on that topic after returning from Peru. For more information, visit the website. Credits: 3. Instructor: James Aimers
ANTH 325: People and Primates of Peru
Application deadline: Accepting applications until 11:59 pm on Oct. 15.
Program dates: January 2–19, 2019
The course is intended for students from a variety of disciplines. It combines a 10-day stay at an Amazonian lodge and research center, time in three cities (Iquitos, Cusco, and Lima), post-Columbian attractions, pre-Columbian museums and ruins, and interaction with multiple rural, urban, and traditional cultures. The course covers all four areas of Anthropology, i.e. cultural, linguistic, archaeology, and biological. Individual students will conduct research projects on any aspect of the monkeys or people, past or present. Prior to onsite work, students will complete a set of readings and conduct their literature review on their proposed research topic. Those human groups and monkey species that are sure to be observed, will guide research projects so that each student will become the resident “expert” on that topic. For more information, visit the website. Credits: 3. Instructor: Barbara Welker
United States of America
GSCI 388: Geology of the Mojave Desert and Death Valley, Southern California
Application deadlines: Program full. No longer accepting applications.
Program dates: January 3–18, 2019
The Mojave Desert and Death Valley in Southern California sit right on the border between the Basin and Range (to the east) and the Pacific-North American plate boundary (to the west). This two-week trip will begin in Las Vegas and head out to the Valley of Fire State Park to see the massive dune deposits formed in Jurassic. From there, participants head down to the Mojave Desert in California where stops will include alluvial vans, volcanoes, evaporite deposits, and learn how to create a geologic map. For the Mojave portion of the course, participants will stay at the Desert Studies Center, a field station run by California State-Fullerton. Moving north out of the Mojave, participants will enter into Death Valley and stay 190 feet below sea level at Furnace Creek. Destinations in and around Death Valley include active fault scarps, volcanoes, metamorphic core complexes, and much more. After Death Valley, the group returns to Las Vegas where the trip will end. For more information, visit the website. Credits: 1. Instructors: Scott Giorgis (lead), Dori Farthing, Jeff Over, Amy Sheldon, Nicholas Warner, Sarah Gaudio, Jacalyn Wittmer Malinowski
ENVR 288/GEOG 288: Mountain Snow and Water in the Colorado River Basin
Program deadline: Accepting applications until 11:59 pm on Oct. 15.
Program dates: Dec. 27, 2018–Jan. 1, 2019, Pre-Departure online coursework: January 2-17, 2019, in Colorado
Mountain snowpack in the West provides a critical water resource to natural ecosystems and human population centers. This hybrid course — 1-week online and 2-weeks intensive field work—takes students on an expedition to examine snowpack in southwest Colorado's San Juan Mountains and its subsequent journey as meltwater into the Colorado River Basin. The winter snowpack that forms in headwaters of the Animas River supplies water to the Colorado River system, a critical water resource for major population centers in Arizona, Nevada, and southern California. In the mountains, students will travel by snowshoe to study the alpine snowpack, gathering data to assess water supply and avalanche risk. At many field sites, environmental issues as acid mine drainage, dam construction, water quality, water supply, sustainability, and climate change in the river basin will be examined. For more information, visit the website. Credits: 3. Instructor: Colleen Garrity.