Category: Natural Science

The Special Project class is offered on an occasional basis, with course content specific to the area being explored. This course satisfies the General Elective requirement.

FALL 2023

PHOTOGRAPHIC CHEMISTRY
Film photography is a process driven medium. This course will examine the chemical evolution of the black and white photographic print, from its non-silver foundation to its present silver-gelatin base. With each process, from John Herschel’s cyanotype to contemporary silver-gelatin emulsion we will mix chemistry and produce prints in the darkroom. We will learn how compounds such as potassium carbonate and sodium sulfite work in print development. We will learn how to previsualize a desired print outcome, and how to select and mix chemistry to achieve that end. With each step, and every process, we will discuss and practice safety in the lab and in the darkroom.
MATHAMATICAL ART
Students will explore the foundations of trigonometry to experience graphing in the polar coordinate plane. Students will use angles and trig functions to create visual representations of mathematical art while making strong connections to the relationship of visuals and trigonometry. Students will also be exposed to 3D Geometry through graphing on spheres and recognizing how 3 dimensional graphs are used in technology and visuals.
WINTER 2024
INTO THE METAVERSE: EXPLORATIONS IN WEB 3.0
Into the Metaverse: Explorations in Web 3.0 is an interactive course experience where students will be introduced to, experience, and study the various technologies promised through the vision of Web 3.0 and how these technologies impact on our lives. Students will explore extended reality (XR) through the use of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), and learn about its uses and applications. Students will also explore the metaverse through digital asset marketplaces, learn about cryptocurrencies, and discover the ethical challenges concerning artificial intelligence (AI) generators. Students will be required to attend VR classrooms, VR worlds, and 360 degree ”vecotourism” experiences

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

Independent Study is available to students who are at Junior or Senior level standing with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above. The student may receive approval to work in an area or on a project that is not otherwise offered or addressed in the regular curriculum. Students may receive credit toward graduation for no more than 6 credit hours. The student must submit to the chairperson of the department in which they wish to study, an Independent Study Proposal of 150 words (no less) of the student’s plan for study and her/his reason for choosing to study independently. Once the department chairperson provides approval and the instructor for the Independent Study is determined, the faculty member must write an Independent Study Syllabus with education goals, learning outcomes, meeting dates, course expectations, timelines, and due dates.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: DEN 102 OR DEN 108

(This is a faculty led study abroad course * syllabi will differ per destination), On a Global Learning Experience course, students are brought outside the typical classroom, for a 24/7 learning experience in varying locations outside the USA. The course will provide students with tools for analyzing your learning process and identifying cultural patterns, differences, similarities and values encountered during the journey. Students develop a sense of cross-cultural understanding, and navigate towards becoming a global citizen. Students develop a heightened sense of confidence, and leadership as they plan, and execute this excursion. In addition students discover the role of becoming an ambassador for their own culture. Practical issues about studying abroad (safety, money, packing, etc.) are delivered via pre-departure sessions with the International Student Services Office.

SUMMER 2024
COSTA RICA
There’s nothing quite like the rain forests of the ”Rich Coast.” At its heart, the Central American country boasts an epic landscape that is home to nearly 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Discover how fragile these endangered ecosystems are as you travel through different rainforest preserves and unearth dazzling displays of color and sound. Explore also the unique art and culture of some of Costa Rica’s most vibrant cities and towns.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

This course offers art and design students an understanding of algebra (proportions, ratios, equations), calculator use in problem-solving, and fundamentals of trigonometry and statistical analysis. This course of topics are designed to develop students’ mathematical reasoning skills with an emphasis on problem solving. Course content may be applied to analysis of data in the social sciences, business, K-12 education arenas, and throughout the art and design fields. This course satisfies the general education requirement for the BFA as well as the mathematics requirement for Art Education students.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

The Special Project class is offered on an occasional basis, with course content specific to the area being explored.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

In this course, students study topics that include differing memory abilities, the importance placed on dreams by other cultures, and how artists are influenced by sleep and dreams. Memory studies include theories of brain activity and computer simulation, including their application to personal memory habits. This course satisfies the General Elective requirement.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: DEN 102 OR DEN 108

Does it matter how your brain produces the rich sensory array of the world surrounding you? As an artist, what can you control of the visual activities that seem so automatic? This course examines the experimental steps leading up to the most recent model of brain function, including information from MRI imaging, questions about brain plasticity (the ability to reprogram cell functions), and the ways experience changes the brain. This course satisfies the General Elective requirement.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: DEN 102 OR DEN 108

How do we see and what are we seeing? What are the mechanics of the eye, the activities of the brain, the roles of illusion, and the function of images in the mind and in communication? This course uses the neurobiological model of the brain to explore discoveries in perception and to explore the complexities of visual imagery. This course satisfies the General Elective requirement.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: DEN 108 OR DEN 102

In this course, students follow the history of technology as it emerges from scientific discoveries such as quantum and subatomic particle changes and capitalizes on the new means they have made available. These include aleatory and electronic music and the new combination of sounds made possible by sampling. This course satisfies the General Elective requirement.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: DEN 102 OR DEN 108

Earth, though a very small part of a vast universe, provides the resources that support all global societies and the ingredients necessary to maintain life. This course is designed to introduce students to the basic principles and contemporary advances in Earth Science through units that emphasize broad and up-to-date coverage of basic topics and principles in geology, oceanography, meteorology and astronomy, and environmental science. The course will also investigate the role of humans in their environment. Students will explore human dependence on, technological control over, and interactions with the environment in terms of sustaining resources and making informed choices. This course satisfies the General Elective requirement.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: DEN 102 OR DEN 108