Experiential Core Curriculum Courses

A survey course in which students view movies in the world of sports that are based on true events. Students will also engage in discussions about the historical context of the selected movies and be able to identify fact and fiction in each movie.

In this course, students will critically analyze healthcare terms using Latin and Greek based roots, prefixes, and suffixes to determine definitions of medical vocabulary. Students will identify the link(s) between their majors and healthcare terminology. Students will develop and share short videos to demonstrate mastery of terminology.

In this course, students will learn about the honey bee colony, their dancing habits, and various roles in the hive. Students will explore factors that are decreasing the numbers of bee colonies and engage in the popular debate about pesticides. They will also learn the best plants for honey bees and their fellow pollinators that can be planted to encourage a pollinator-friendly garden to provide a strong habitat for the beautiful, buzzing bees.

Using writings by Aristotle, Arthur Miller, and various biographers, this course will explore the literary and dramatic concepts of Tragedy as they relate to the psychology of a real life, fallen American hero, Pete Rose.

Students will examine the constructs of psychological well-being from a behavioral and psychological model. Students will assess their overall well-being and explore the philosophical and experiential models to promote optimal health and well-being. Students will identify impairments and explore lifestyle, psychological, and social factors of wellness. Students will explore alternative treatment models. 

This course is designed to introduce students to the importance of shared stories which have their earliest roots in mythology. Beginning with a study of the works of Joseph Campbell, primarily an exploration of Campbell's ideas of the monomyth, students will study shared stories and their importance to humankind throughout history. As a way of sharing stories, students will role play characters in a shared story experience using the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) 5th Edition role playing system. Students will also learn a brief history of role playing with an emphasis on D&D. 

From Casablanca to Jo-Jo Rabbit, movies shape how we imagine the past. This course explores the ways historical narratives are constructed in film and the extent to which authenticity is as valid as historical "accuracy." We will think through what history is (and is not), who gets to narrate it and why, and how film allows us to assign our own meanings to the past. We will interrogate why particular historical moments gain popularity at different times and to what extent critiquing the past through film allows us to comment on the present.

This course is intended to prepare future professionals working in sports and fitness fields with knowledge about how to apply scientifically sound principles to selecting the appropriate music to help the individuals they work with obtain their exercise goals. Applying music in exercise and sport is a topic of selecting, integrating, and researching music and its impact on physical activity.

Being able to think creatively and innovatively is an essential skill in today's world regardless of your career path. This course will equip you with activities and tools that will augment your inherent creativity. We will work both individually and in groups. The practical approach in this course will enable you to acquire essential skills for generating ideas through activities, exercises, assignments, and a final project. We will use techniques on brainstorming, ideation, innovative thought processes, and imagination.

In this course students will experience a variety of classic musicals that were a source of controversy when released, such as South Pacific, West Side Story, Rent, Hair, Cabaret, and Jesus Christ Superstar. For their electronic portfolio, students will create a self-reflection journal in which they discuss each show's controversy and reflect on their opinion of its continued relevance (or lack therof). When possible, students will travel to see a live show.

The engaged, concentrated learning environment in this course is connected with experiencing early cinema and film in ways that help students think critically and analytically through podcasts and narrated, visual presentations.

Students will engage in a concentrated study of the impacts of media and technology on society by studying the ideas of Neil Postman through the lens of present times. Discussions and debates on Postman's ideas will encourage students to critically evaluate the role of media and technology in their own lives and society at large. Students will undertake projects analyzing contemporary media (e.g., news programs, social media platforms, t.v. shows) through Postman's lens, assessing how these platforms shape public discourse and individual thinking.