Fall 2022 First-Year Interest Groups

In the main FIG seminar, English 174: “Black Life Narratives,” we will study the of novels, memoirs, and essays of African Americans abroad to document Black Americans’ search for freedom—from the 1960s to today’s Black Lives Matter era—in Paris, Accra, and other locations away from the United States. The course will address famous authors such as James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and Saidiya Hartman, as well as less well-known writers and artists. The other courses in this FIG will deepen our analysis by providing valuable historical and sociological insights about race, mobility, and the African American experience over the last four hundred years.

Afro-American Studies 231: “Introduction to Afro-American History” — Why does race matter? Why is there such tension, division and disparities among racial groups in the United States of America? How and why did blackness and slavery become synonymous in the Americas? How and why did a nation founded upon liberty and freedom perpetuate human bondage? What are the legacies of race-based slavery and discrimination in America? We will explore these questions throughout the semester. This course is a social history of West Africans and African Americans from the trans-Atlantic slave trade through the modern civil rights movement. The following topics will receive special attention: the institution of slavery (1619–1865), emancipation and reconstruction (1861–1877), and the long civil rights movement (1877–1968). This course has three major themes. First, the varied experiences of slavery and the roles Black people played in maintaining and sustaining the North American mainland colonies while resisting their bondage. Second, how African Americans helped to create the new nation, became free people and fought for liberty. Third, the challenges, successes and shortcomings of emancipation, reconstruction, and the long civil rights movement.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — This course explores the nature of intergroup relations with an emphasis on various forms of racism, discrimination, and white privilege; historical background and characteristics of American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; a consideration of economic, housing, political, legal, educational, familial, and health challenges faced by minority groups in U.S. society.

This FIG offers the beginning art student three of the six foundation classes which are required for the Bachelor of Science in Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science in Art Education degree programs. (Note: The other three classes will be offered in a Spring FIG.)

The Art Department has been offering this FIG for the many years. Art majors are very enthusiastic about this program. They enjoy the sense of community and have reaped the benefits of beginning their undergraduate careers as a team, helping each other develop their technical drawing and design skills, while simultaneously being introduced to contemporary and historical practices in art.

Art 108: “Foundations of Contemporary Art” provides the historical context for the richly diverse state of contemporary art practice, and is the springboard for new art students to launch their own unique, artistic visions.

In Art 102: “Two-Dimensional Design” and Art 212: “Drawing Methods and Concepts,” you will be led through a series of projects that develop and hone their visual vocabulary through exercises in composition, line, value, texture, and color manipulations. They will be asked to challenge themselves to consistently build upon existing skills and ideas, and to strive for excellence in the successful combination of idea and form in all their work.

Two other versions of this FIG, Option 2 and Option 3, include the same classes on different days and times.

You are strongly encouraged to sign up for Art 508: “Colloquium in Art.” This one-credit class will introduce you to nationally and internationally recognized art professionals.

Students enrolling in an Art FIG will be asked to provide their own laptops outfitted with Adobe Creative Cloud. Recommended systems are:

• MacBook Pro 13-inch Retina Display
• 2.7 Ghz Dual-Core i5
• 8 GB RAM
• 128 GB Flash HD

or

• MacBook Pro 15-inch Retina Display
• 2.2 GHz Quad-Core i7
• 16 GB RAM
• 256 GB Flash HD

Memory upgrades and a three-year Apple Computer warranty strongly suggested.

This FIG offers the beginning art student three of the six foundation classes which are required for the Bachelor of Science in Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science in Art Education degree programs. (Note: The other three classes will be offered in a Spring FIG.)

The Art Department has been offering this FIG for the many years. Art majors are very enthusiastic about this program. They enjoy the sense of community and have reaped the benefits of beginning their undergraduate careers as a team, helping each other develop their technical drawing and design skills, while simultaneously being introduced to contemporary and historical practices in art.

Art 108: “Foundations of Contemporary Art” provides the historical context for the richly diverse state of contemporary art practice, and is the springboard for new art students to launch their own unique, artistic visions.

In Art 102: “Two-Dimensional Design” and Art 212: “Drawing Methods and Concepts,” you will be led through a series of projects that develop and hone their visual vocabulary through exercises in composition, line, value, texture, and color manipulations. They will be asked to challenge themselves to consistently build upon existing skills and ideas, and to strive for excellence in the successful combination of idea and form in all their work.

Two other versions of this FIG, Option 1 and Option 3, include the same classes on different days and times.

You are strongly encouraged to sign up for Art 508: “Colloquium in Art.” This one-credit class will introduce you to nationally and internationally recognized art professionals.

Students enrolling in an Art FIG will be asked to provide their own laptops outfitted with Adobe Creative Cloud. Recommended systems are:

• MacBook Pro 13-inch Retina Display
• 2.7 Ghz Dual-Core i5
• 8 GB RAM
• 128 GB Flash HD

or

• MacBook Pro 15-inch Retina Display
• 2.2 GHz Quad-Core i7
• 16 GB RAM
• 256 GB Flash HD

Memory upgrades and a three-year Apple Computer warranty strongly suggested.

This FIG offers the beginning art student three of the six foundation classes which are required for the Bachelor of Science in Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science in Art Education degree programs. (Note: The other three classes will be offered in a Spring FIG.)

The Art Department has been offering this FIG for the many years. Art majors are very enthusiastic about this program. They enjoy the sense of community and have reaped the benefits of beginning their undergraduate careers as a team, helping each other develop their technical drawing and design skills, while simultaneously being introduced to contemporary and historical practices in art.

Art 108: “Foundations of Contemporary Art” provides the historical context for the richly diverse state of contemporary art practice, and is the springboard for new art students to launch their own unique, artistic visions.

In Art 102: “Two-Dimensional Design” and Art 212: “Drawing Methods and Concepts,” you will be led through a series of projects that develop and hone their visual vocabulary through exercises in composition, line, value, texture, and color manipulations. They will be asked to challenge themselves to consistently build upon existing skills and ideas, and to strive for excellence in the successful combination of idea and form in all their work.

Two other versions of this FIG, Option 1 and Option 2, include the same classes on different days and times.

You are strongly encouraged to sign up for Art 508: “Colloquium in Art.” This one-credit class will introduce you to nationally and internationally recognized art professionals.

Students enrolling in an Art FIG will be asked to provide their own laptops outfitted with Adobe Creative Cloud. Recommended systems are:

• MacBook Pro 13-inch Retina Display
• 2.7 Ghz Dual-Core i5
• 8 GB RAM
• 128 GB Flash HD

or

• MacBook Pro 15-inch Retina Display
• 2.2 GHz Quad-Core i7
• 16 GB RAM
• 256 GB Flash HD

Memory upgrades and a three-year Apple Computer warranty strongly suggested.

This FIG introduces you to one of our most-used sensory systems by examining both how the human eye is put together and how it works. The main class of this FIG, Interdisciplinary Courses (L&S) 101: “Biology of Vision,” will make use of the vision science laboratory. In this class, you will see how multi-disciplinary the study of vision is as they explore how psychology, physics, biology, and clinical practice are brought together:

• How do we perceive visual information (psychology)?
• How is light energy converted to chemical and electrical energy (physics)?
• What are the similarities and differences between a camera and the eye (physics)?
• How does the nervous system work to transmit visual messages and coordinated responses (biology)?
• How do photoreceptors transduce visual information and retina processes before it is analyzed by brain (biology)?
• What are the molecular biology of rhodopsin, G-protein coupled receptors, signal transduction, synapses to visual perception (biology)?
• What physiological or neurological factors cause a lack of visual perception (clinical practice)?

Psychology 202: “Introduction to Psychology” — Visual sensitivity like scene perception, human color vision, complex visual information of object recognition, contrast, depth, motion are all aspects of psychophysics. Blindness is an important aspect of neuropsychology. This class will help demonstrate how physiological events of visual perception are an important aspect of the psychological bases of human behavior.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

The main course of this FIG, Philosophy 104: “Children, Marriage, and the Family,” is a class in moral philosophy that examines the ethical questions surrounding family life. But it is different from most philosophy classes in two ways. First, we shall be looking at a series of issues concerning a very specific area of morality: the issues concerning children, parents, and family life. What moral norms or values ought to guide both public policy and personal behavior? How should those norms guide us? So, it is very tightly focused on issues that you ought, already, to have thought about. The second way it differs from most philosophy classes is that we will be reading a good deal of non-philosophical literature. In order to reflect critically on the norms and values relevant to the family, we have to know something about the family: what families have actually been like and what they actually are like, as well as about their effects on the social environment. Here are just three of the topics we’ll discuss:

• Should parents be licensed?
• Should the government promote marriage?
• How much should parents control their children’s values?

The class involves reading, a little lecturing, and a lot of discussion. The new ideas you encounter will stretch your imaginations, will also help you to think better about some of the central decisions in your life, like whether to have children, how to raise them, whether to marry (and if so, who you should choose!). We’ll form a community of learners: you will get to know your classmates. You will discover that, even within a small class, students have had very different experiences of family life, and you will get to understand and reflect on their perspectives. No prior exposure to Philosophy is needed; and most students find, to their surprise, that they want to take at least another course on the same kinds of issues.

Sociology 120: “Marriage and Family” — Learn about how our society structures family life, what the effects are of different forms of family on children, and how families affect other people.

Educational Psychology 320: “Human Development in Infancy and Childhood” —  Normative processes and individual differences in physical, mental, social and emotional development and behavior from infancy through late childhood.

At its core, history is a collection of ancient stories with themes that often appear over and over again. It’s no wonder, then, that ancient myths find their way into modern lives every day. So, a central question explored by this FIG is: How do myths find their ways into our lives—into our poetry, our literature, our popular culture? To answer this question, we will dive into studies of classical literature as well as contemporary artistic and literary adaptations to examine the continuing presence of myth in society today.

We will investigate puzzles: How do the lost fragments of an ancient Greek poem travel from archeologists, to translators, to us, speaking across time of love and desire? And these questions lead to other explorations:

• What do our campus tall-tales tell us about UW–Madison’s history and values?
• When we enter into these stories through creative retelling, how do we become a more integral part of our campus?
• What do the stories of diverse American traditions—the Gullah people of South Carolina, whose language resonates with African rhythms—tell us about how African storytelling traditions connect to the Br’er Rabbit stories of the American South?
• And what is the Mississippi Blues music tradition doing in an American Indian novel from the Pacific Northwest?

The main seminar in this FIG, English 155: “Classical Myth and Modern Literature,” explores ways that modern American culture interprets, adopts, and adapts classical myth in order to address contemporary social, aesthetic, and political concerns. Each class in the FIG deals primarily with the classical worlds of Greece and Rome, but by tracing these adaptations and the transmission of stories from one culture, time, and place to another, you will also study other ancient civilizations from the Middle East, Africa, and Native America. The historical, archaeological, and literary approaches to the legacy of the classical world will take you out of the classroom, to the museum, the library, the laboratory, and the green spaces across campus—each with its own story to tell.

Integrated Liberal Studies 203: “Western Culture: Literature and the Arts I” — This class examines Western art and literature from the earliest human civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt to the late medieval period, with substantial emphasis on classical antiquity and a view toward revealing how art and literature of western culture shape today’s modern culture. You will gain foundational knowledge of the Western intellectual tradition, and this includes acquiring critical skills for viewing art and reading literature. Emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking and discussion skills.

Latin 103: “Elementary Latin” — The “dead” language, Latin, will never become more alive as it will when you are able to see all of its influence in the texts we study and also in other classes you pursue throughout your college career. Learning Latin is an opportunity and skill of a lifetime. This may be the only time you will be able to learn mythology while studying the language. Carpe diem! Travel through time and discover why our world is shaped the way it is today as you listen to what stories from other times and places have to tell us about who we are today—and do some storytelling of your own!

This FIG incorporates different academic disciplines to explore an array of ideas, perspectives, and approaches to the crisis of climate change. Our plan is to work together in ways that reflect the goals that writers, artists, scientists, and activists encourage—by building community, providing language around important issues, and inviting creativity.

The core class in this FIG, English 153: “Climate Crisis Literature,” will do more than focus on the existential dread found in post-apocalyptic fiction but will consider work that embraces the complexity of relationships impacted by the climate crisis: relationships to nature, to each other, and with ourselves. Our syllabus will include poetry, fiction (aka Cli-Fi!), nonfiction, podcasts, and music, largely from historically marginalized voices and those most impacted by changes in the world’s climate. Assignments will include a semester-long Analysis Notebook, presentations of interdisciplinary creators, unique writing assignments, and a final creative project of your own design. Attendance will be required in this discussion-based seminar where we also will seek to incorporate insights from the other courses in the FIG.

Environmental Studies 112: “Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives”—Explores different social science approaches to interpreting the relationship between environment and society at various scales, from the local to the global. It traces the social origins of environmental concerns, their social impacts, and the different responses they engender.

Geography 139: “Global Environmental Issues” — This course explores the global and local nature of environmental problems, including issues of climate change, food, energy, globalization, deforestation, biodiversity loss, resource access, environmental justice, and population. It considers how we should analyze and act on environmental problems as we confront the apparently daunting scale of such issues. What appear to be single global environmental issues are actually composed of many smaller, context-specific, and place-dependent problems or conflicts. Through an interdisciplinary and geographic perspective, these issues can be understood and addressed at the scale of our lived lives.

This focus of the main seminar in this FIG, Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education 210: “The Disability Experience,” is the modern disability experience, with an emphasis on disability justice and advocacy. In this course, we will analyze the concept of “disability” in multiple ways and in multiple contexts—looking at both medical and social models of disability, with the goal of understanding how these models affect the lives of individuals with disabilities. We will examine the foundational implications of the disability rights movement and how it relates to current disability justice and advocacy actions. Throughout, our goal will be to understand how societal attitudes affect the lives of people with disabilities and develop strategies to modify them by considering the role of power and the impact of bias, stigma, stereotypes, and prejudice in the lives of individuals with disabilities. We will take an intersectional approach to understanding the experience of disability, including the implications of living with multiple minoritized statuses (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, etc.). As a result, you will become more confident and effective advocates for the full participation and inclusion of individuals with disabilities in everyday society. The other courses in this FIG will add to our understanding of these issues.

Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education 300: “Individuals with Disabilities” — This class is designed to introduce you to the history, etiology, and characteristics of different types of disability. It incorporates hands-on learning as you participate in a community-based project to learn about services and supports available to adults and youth with disabilities in the local community.

Counseling Psychology 237: “Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities” — This course is designed to increase knowledge, awareness, and skills of students interested in working on mental health matters within diverse identity groups and communities. Conceptualize mental health and well-being across communities in terms of (a) intersectional identities (individual and groups), (b) mental health and access and utilization of services, and (c) social determinants of health in different contexts and settings. Engage in reflective exercises to understand how their social identities influence their work in different types of communities.

The main seminar in this FIG, Gender and Women’s Studies 374: “Disability, Gender, and Sexuality,” will explore the intersections of disability, gender, and sexuality from a humanities perspective. We will use a variety of humanistic approaches to discuss and analyze films, memoirs, and poetry by people with disabilities. In the process, we will learn about concepts like ableism and intersectionality, and how these help us understand the lived experiences of the writers and artists we center in the course. The other courses in the FIG will deepen our understanding of these issues and help us explore ways to become effective agents for positive change.

Gender and Women’s Studies 200: “Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies” — A multidisciplinary introduction to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ (LGBTQ+) studies, including theories of identity formation, different societal interaction with LGBTQ+ communities, LGBTQ+ cultures in history, and contemporary legal and political issues. Course materials explore the intersections between LGBTQ+ identities and other socially marginalized identities, including (but not limited to) those based on race, ethnicity, religion and disability.

Civil Society and Community Studies 125: “Community and Social Change” — This course examines contemporary issues with an emphasis on the role that individuals and communities play in achieving positive social change. Through active learning, you will develop the mindsets and communication skills necessary to work in diverse community contexts. Specific themes may shift based on current events, but often include education reform, racial justice, health equity, alternative economies, food systems, and sustainability.

This FIG will provide experiences, knowledge, and skills to be an advocate for educational equity and excellence in the field of special education. This FIG will examine the connections between disability, race/ethnicity, and culture, in education and society in the United States, and supports and services that promote meaningful inclusion in community and educational settings.

The main seminar in this FIG, Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education 200: “Issues in Special Education,” will examine the educational experiences of students with disabilities through an intersectional lens. We will cover services, models, and outcomes of special education instruction that promote inclusive education. Learning opportunities and activities will include exploration of campus resources and community-based experiences to enhance and expand on the ideas presented in the course. Our discussions and learning experiences in this course will be informed by and complement the content covered in the two linked classes in this FIG.

Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education 300: “Individuals with Disabilities” — This class is designed to introduce you to the history, etiology, and characteristics of different types of disability. It incorporates hands-on learning as you participate in a community-based project to learn about services and supports available to adults and youth with disabilities in the local community.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — This class examines social structures that shape and are shaped by race, ethnicity, racism, and racial/ethnic inequalities. You will learn to understand race and ethnicity as social constructs, and learn how race and ethnicity exist within social structures and institutions.

In this main FIG seminar, Interdisciplinary Courses (L&S) 106: “Indigenous Arts & Sciences,” we will explore the intersection of indigenous knowledge and Western science as we experience the culture and ecology of place. We will seek to foster an appreciation for the fundamental importance of diverse cultural perspectives and knowledge systems, as we examine our relationship with the environment. Throughout this experiential course, we will incorporate respect and reciprocity for the land and our community through the process of ecological restoration and stewardship. The other courses in this FIG will deepen our understanding of these issues.

Environmental Studies 112: “Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives” — This course explores different social-science approaches to interpreting the relationship between environment and society at various scales, from the local to the global. It traces the social origins of environmental concerns, their social impacts, and the different responses they engender.

American Indian Studies 100: “Introduction to American Indian Studies” — This course focuses on the history, social organization, political experience, and artistic expression of North American Indians, using methods and materials from a number of disciplines as an introduction to the interdisciplinary field. We acknowledge the Ho-Chunk Nation on whose lands the UW campus resides. We deeply respect the knowledge embedded in the Ho-Chunk’s custodianship of Teejop (DeJope) and recognize their continuing connection to land, water, and community here at UW–Madison.

Thinking about majoring in a bioscience field? Explore exciting bioscience topics and opportunities at UW–Madison in this FIG. In Integrated Science 100: “Exploring Biology” you will:

• learn skills and ways of thinking that will prepare you for success in future biology courses;
• gain new perspectives on broad topics and current research in biology;
• explore opportunities and careers that can come with a bioscience degree;
• pick up great tips and advice on how to get the most out of being a bioscience major from upper-level students; and
• meet new friends and mentors who share your interest in biology.

The course is organized around four topics that relate to biology in Wisconsin, with each topic led by a different instructor. We will explore science affecting residents in Wisconsin, look at Wisconsin biological systems as examples of concepts, and learn about how research being done at UW–Madison is contributing to discoveries in biology.

Note: “Exploring Biology” is not an introductory biology course. It is a first-year seminar—intended to be taken before the introduction biology series—that helps students to explore a variety of bioscience topics, careers, and campus opportunities.

Four Exploring Biology FIGs are brought together into one combined course: you will be grouped with other students in your FIG and work closely with an instructor and peer leader throughout the semester as you engage in interactive and collaborative activities. This class will be taught in a blended format, with students engaging in-person during class and completing activities online. This format will give you the opportunity to form meaningful connections with classmates, to learn at their own pace and time, to engage in a variety of types of activities, and to develop skills to be successful in online and in-person courses.

Quotes from past FIG students:

• “I learned about different aspects of biology, but also things about my campus and the resources that are available.”
• “This class allows you to explore major biological themes and the different paths you could take if you continue to study biology or any other science.”
• “The relationships that I built in the class are ones that I expect to keep in the future.”
• “I learned skills which will be useful in other college classes.”
• “I learned of the countless activities on campus and how to get involved. I met some very kind and interesting people.”

English 100: “Introduction to College Composition” — This class focuses on the development of rhetorical reading, listening, research, and writing abilities that will be crucial to success in this FIG. The class will also provide practice in written and spoken communication and information literacy that will be a foundation for university course work and post-college careers.

Mathematics 112: “Algebra” — Polynomial equations, remainder and factor theorems, functions, graphs of functions, simultaneous linear equations, logarithm and exponential functions, sequences and series, mathematical induction, binomial theorem.

Thinking about majoring in a bioscience field? Explore exciting bioscience topics and opportunities at UW–Madison in this FIG. In Integrated Science 100: “Exploring Biology” you will:

• learn skills and ways of thinking that will prepare you for success in future biology courses;
• gain new perspectives on broad topics and current research in biology;
• explore opportunities and careers that can come with a bioscience degree;
• pick up great tips and advice on how to get the most out of being a bioscience major from upper-level students; and
• meet new friends and mentors who share your interest in biology.

The course is organized around four topics that relate to biology in Wisconsin, with each topic led by a different instructor. We will explore science affecting residents in Wisconsin, look at Wisconsin biological systems as examples of concepts, and learn about how research being done at UW–Madison is contributing to discoveries in biology.

Note: “Exploring Biology” is not an introductory biology course. It is a first-year seminar—intended to be taken before the introductory biology series—that helps students to explore a variety of bioscience topics, careers, and campus opportunities.

Four Exploring Biology FIGs are brought together into one combined course: you will be grouped with other students in your FIG and work closely with an instructor and peer leader throughout the semester as you engage in interactive and collaborative activities. This class will be taught in a blended format, with students engaging in-person during class and completing activities online. This format will give you the opportunity to form meaningful connections with classmates, to learn at their own pace and time, to engage in a variety of types of activities, and to develop skills to be successful in online and in-person courses.

Quotes from past FIG students:

• “I learned about different aspects of biology, but also things about my campus and the resources that are available.”
• “This class allows you to explore major biological themes and the different paths you could take if you continue to study biology or any other science.”
• “The relationships that I built in the class are ones that I expect to keep in the future.”
• “I learned skills which will be useful in other college classes.”
• “I learned of the countless activities on campus and how to get involved. I met some very kind and interesting people.”

Anthropology 105: “Principles of Biological Anthropology” — Genetic basis of morphological, physiological and behavioral variations within and between human populations, and their origins and evolution.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Stoichiometry and the mole concept, the behavior of gases, liquids and solids, thermochemistry, electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding, descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds, intermolecular forces.

Thinking about majoring in a bioscience field? Explore exciting bioscience topics and opportunities at UW–Madison in this FIG. In Integrated Science 100: “Exploring Biology” you will:

• learn skills and ways of thinking that will prepare you for success in future biology courses;
• gain new perspectives on broad topics and current research in biology;
• explore opportunities and careers that can come with a bioscience degree;
• pick up great tips and advice on how to get the most out of being a bioscience major from upper-level students; and
• meet new friends and mentors who share your interest in biology.

The course is organized around four topics that relate to biology in Wisconsin, with each topic led by a different instructor. We will explore science affecting residents in Wisconsin, look at Wisconsin biological systems as examples of concepts, and learn about how research being done at UW–Madison is contributing to discoveries in biology.

Note: “Exploring Biology” is not an introductory biology course. It is a first-year seminar—intended to be taken before the introductory biology series—that helps students to explore a variety of bioscience topics, careers, and campus opportunities.

Four Exploring Biology FIGs are brought together into one combined course: you will be grouped with other students in your FIG and work closely with an instructor and peer leader throughout the semester as you engage in interactive and collaborative activities. This class will be taught in a blended format, with students engaging in-person during class and completing activities online. This format will give you the opportunity to form meaningful connections with classmates, to learn at their own pace and time, to engage in a variety of types of activities, and to develop skills to be successful in online and in-person courses.

Quotes from past FIG students:

• “I learned about different aspects of biology, but also things about my campus and the resources that are available.”
• “This class allows you to explore major biological themes and the different paths you could take if you continue to study biology or any other science.”
• “The relationships that I built in the class are ones that I expect to keep in the future.”
• “I learned skills which will be useful in other college classes.”
• “I learned of the countless activities on campus and how to get involved. I met some very kind and interesting people.”

Interdisciplinary Courses (SoHE) 201: “Belonging, Purpose, and the Ecology of Human Happiness: EcoYou” — This class explores the art and science of purposeful living by integrating academic knowledge with issues real and relevant to students’ lives including: identity and belonging; happiness, purpose and meaning; self-awareness and self-presentation; romantic, peer and family relationships; material culture, consumer behavior and financial well-being; and connections to community, culture, and society. From the microbes that inhabit our guts to political revolutions sparked by a tweet, human lives are embedded in an ecology of complex, interdependent systems. Using the lens of human ecology, you will address “big questions” like: How am I connected to others and to larger systems? What brings happiness and works for the “greater good” in human lives? An overarching goal of the class is to help you understand yourself as embedded in the web of ever-evolving interconnected networks, an “EcoYou.” Human ecology is a systems approach to studying and understanding relationships between humans and their everyday environments; it is a civic and socially conscious orientation that is committed to understanding and improving the quality of human lives. Human ecology is inherently interdisciplinary drawing on research, theories and methods from diverse fields such as sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, public health, biology, and art and design.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Stoichiometry and the mole concept, the behavior of gases, liquids and solids, thermochemistry, electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding, descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds, intermolecular forces.

Thinking about majoring in a bioscience field? Explore exciting bioscience topics and opportunities at UW–Madison in this FIG. In Integrated Science 100: “Exploring Biology” you will:

• learn skills and ways of thinking that will prepare you for success in future biology courses;
• gain new perspectives on broad topics and current research in biology;
• explore opportunities and careers that can come with a bioscience degree;
• pick up great tips and advice on how to get the most out of being a bioscience major from upper-level students; and
• meet new friends and mentors who share your interest in biology.

The course is organized around four topics that relate to biology in Wisconsin, with each topic led by a different instructor. We will explore science affecting residents in Wisconsin, look at Wisconsin biological systems as examples of concepts, and learn about how research being done at UW–Madison is contributing to discoveries in biology.

Note: “Exploring Biology” is not an introductory biology course. It is a first-year seminar—intended to be taken before the introductory biology series—that helps students to explore a variety of bioscience topics, careers, and campus opportunities.

Four Exploring Biology FIGs are brought together into one combined course: you will be grouped with other students in your FIG and work closely with an instructor and peer leader throughout the semester as you engage in interactive and collaborative activities. This class will be taught in a blended format, with students engaging in-person during class and completing activities online. This format will give you the opportunity to form meaningful connections with classmates, to learn at their own pace and time, to engage in a variety of types of activities, and to develop skills to be successful in online and in-person courses.

Quotes from past FIG students:

• “I learned about different aspects of biology, but also things about my campus and the resources that are available.”
• “This class allows you to explore major biological themes and the different paths you could take if you continue to study biology or any other science.”
• “The relationships that I built in the class are ones that I expect to keep in the future.”
• “I learned skills which will be useful in other college classes.”
• “I learned of the countless activities on campus and how to get involved. I met some very kind and interesting people.”

Gender and Women’s Studies 103: “Women and Their Bodies in Health and Disease” — Information on physiological processes and phenomena relating to health (for example, menstruation, pregnancy) and ill health (for example, cancer, maternal mortality, depression). Attention to how bodies are located in social contexts that influence health and illness. Explorations of how multiple kinds of social inequalities shape health and health disparities. Information on roles that female-assigned and women-identified people play as health-care consumers, activists, and practitioners.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Stoichiometry and the mole concept, the behavior of gases, liquids and solids, thermochemistry, electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding, descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds, intermolecular forces.

In the main seminar in this FIG, Religious Studies 200, we will explore how people understand and express what matters to them through cooking, eating, and other foodways. We will employ tools from religious studies and other disciplines to understand and investigate the significance of food in both a variety of faith communities and outside of religious spaces as well. Our primary focus will be on conceptions of religion, race, gender, ethnicity, and health as conveyed through food and the ways we prepare and eat it. In short, this FIG examines how people make meaning while making dinner. The other courses in the FIG will deepen our understanding of these issues and we will incorporate insights from these classes in our activities and discussions.

Horticulture 120: “Survey of Horticulture” — This course is designed for the beginning student. We will explore the scientific basis for horticultural practices, the broad field of horticulture, and learn about the propagation, culture, management, improvement, storage, and marketing of flowers, fruits, ornamentals and vegetables.

Anthropology 104: “Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity” — Introduction to cultural anthropology for non-majors; comparative cross-cultural consideration of social organization, economics, politics, language, religion, ecology, gender, and cultural change.

In this main FIG seminar, Curriculum and Instruction 357: “Game Design I,” you will develop fundamental skills in designing interactive systems through the design, construction, and analysis of playable game prototypes. Collaboratively and individually, you will create a variety of projects including: board games, card games, social and performative games, and interactive fiction/nonfiction. This class is aimed at students who are interested in games as an art form and does not require any prior coding or game design experience. The other classes in this FIG will inform our understanding of design, communication, and representation.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — The nature of intergroup relations; emphasis on various forms of racism, discrimination, and white privilege; historical background and characteristics of American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; a consideration of economic, housing, political, legal, educational, familial, and health challenges faced by minority groups in U.S. society.

Communication Arts 200: “Introduction to Digital Communication” — An introduction to digital communication and how it shapes our everyday lives. You will develop digital communication skills, explore digital media tools and trends, and examine expressions of power online.

The main seminar in this FIG will provide a historical introduction to the idea and practice of nonviolence as a viable method of political resistance and protest. We will study the evolution of the politics of nonviolence in the twentieth century globally. Our global focus will allow us to consider the evolution of different strategies of nonviolent political protests as they emerged to confront regimes in the regions of South Asia, South Africa, and the United States. We will study the inspired political leadership of transformative figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela. Our aim will be to recognize key features of nonviolent action or civil resistance and to then meditate on whether nonviolence is still a viable mode of public protest in the twenty-first century. A central question we will ask is whether this approach is simply a weapon of the weak or if it still holds within itself the transformative power of morally destabilizing authoritarian current or future regimes. The other courses in the FIG will add to our understanding of these issues.

Political Science 140: “Introduction to International Relations” — Covers the major issues in international relations since the end of World War II including the causes of war; civil wars and ethnic conflict; economic development; international trade; exchange rates and international monetary relations; international capital flows and financial crises; foreign direct investment; globalization and the environment; the UN, the IMF, World Bank, WTO, and other international organizations; and international law and human rights. The focus is on states’ relations with each other and the factors determining the nature and outcomes of these international interactions. The course seeks to develop analytical tools for thinking about important questions in world politics regardless of the countries or issues involved, to examine international affairs in a systematic way.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — The nature of inter-group relations; emphasis on various forms of racism, discrimination, and white privilege; historical background and characteristics of American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; a consideration of economic, housing, political, legal, educational, familial, and health challenges faced by minority groups in U.S. society.

You will first explore global biodiversity: what it is and why it is both important and in peril. We will then focus on the role of taxonomy in biodiversity. Finally, we will turn our attention to insects—by far the most diverse group of multi-cellular organisms on Earth, accounting for more than 58% of all known global biological diversity and some 70% of all animal diversity. Yet most insects go unnoticed by the average human and the few that receive our attention usually do so by negative attributes of their biology or association with us. This is a shame, since many fundamental advances in medical and biological sciences from molecular biology to genetics, from biodiversity to behavior, and from phylogenetic systematics to global climate change have been based on entomological research. Insects are central to agricultural production both as competitors and essential pollinators, and they play a significant role in human health as well as insights into forensic sciences

With background information developed in the linked classes, the main seminar in this FIG, Entomology 375: “Biodiversity and the Sixth Extinction,” will begin to frame a more realistic picture of insect diversity. You will explore what the immense richness of species means not only to the human species but to the very health of the planet. We hope to offer one weekend and one Sunday field trip, a “virtual museum” experience, and other hands-on and experiential learning opportunities to bring the FIG concepts and your class together for an eye-opening journey.

Entomology 201: “Insects and Human Culture” — Importance of insects in the human environment, emphasizing beneficial insects, disease carriers, and agricultural pests that interfere with our food supply. Environmental problems due to insect control agents will also be discussed.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

In this biological science FIG, you will explore the intersection of domestic public policy, global public health, socioeconomics, national security, and a sustainable environment.

The main course of this FIG, Plant Pathology 375, will allow us to gather weekly for a deep dive into issues raised in Plant Pathology 311: “Global Food Security.” In the two courses, we will utilize problem-based learning to examine the delicate balance that maintains global food security. We will examine the interactions between domestic public policy and global food production. We will discover that food availability depends on sustainable agricultural production with a minimization of losses from disease, contamination, and storage, but also the availability of markets. Thus, the focus of the FIG will be on complicated interactions between seemingly independent issues or concerns. As we explore these issues, you will develop some of the problem-solving and critical thinking skills required for finding answers to biology-related questions:

• What are the drivers of food “insecurity”?
• What is the role of human population growth?
• What are science-based solutions to food security issues?
• How can domestic policies influence international outcomes?

Instead of a passive lecture course, “Global Food Security” is taught with integrated alternative approaches, such as situated learning activities, case studies, student-led group discussion and debate, and embedded writing assignments.  In PP 375, we also will integrate content from the courses linked to this FIG.

Plant Pathology 123: “Plants, Parasites, and People” — An exploration of molecular, organismal, and environmental biology using examples related to plants and plant-associated microbes. Topics may include food production, evolution, biotechnology, climate change, plant disease control and other subjects, with attention to the science and to impacts on human health, prosperity, and the environment. Course is highly interactive with a fun weekly lab.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

In the main seminar in this FIG, Interdisciplinary L&S 106: “Global Poverty: Cross-Cultural Perspectives,” we will explore the international dimensions of poverty and social vulnerability: key underlying factors affecting human health, environmental management and social conflict. You will develop an understanding of poverty and food insecurity, their underlying causes, and how they relate to human health and the environment. More specifically, we will learn about:

• how different cultures define poverty and see society’s obligation to support the poor;
• the international institutions focused on poverty alleviation and food security and how they measure poverty and food availability;
• the ethical issues surrounding income redistribution and international migration;
• the relationships of different types of poverty with nutrition and health, social vulnerability, and human happiness;
• the relationship between poverty and environmental (mis)management; and
• the political, economic, and biophysical (including climate change) factors that contribute to global poverty with a particular focus on those leading to chronic food insecurity and episodic famines.

Multiple perspectives on these issues will be presented in readings and discussed in class. While you will seek to understand global processes and international differences, case material will come primarily from developing countries of the Global South. Within the Global South, one the poorest and most food insecure regions of the world—the Sahelian Region of West Africa (including the countries of Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad)—will be a particular focus. The struggles of this region’s people have strongly influenced international understandings of the relationships among food insecurity, the environment, and human health. Despite this regional emphasis, you will have opportunity to study in more detail the relationships of poverty, nutrition, and environment in geographical areas of most interest to them, including the United States, in group and individual work. We also will use content from the other courses in this FIG to inform our analysis of these issues.

Anthropology 104: “Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity” — A comparative cross-cultural consideration of social organization, economics, politics, language, religion, ecology, gender, and cultural change.

Nutritional Sciences 203: “Introduction to Global Health” — This course is a broad survey of contemporary issues and controversies in global health. It examines both the factors responsible for causing global health problems and the steps needed to move toward possible solutions. The course also includes presentations by a series of speakers from highly varied professions, each of whom discusses how their work contributes to reducing the global burden of disease. A substantial portion of the course focuses on agriculture and nutrition, two disciplines with critical roles in global health that are often omitted from more traditional public and global health courses.

What is reproductive politics? Why is “reproduction” political to begin with? What is the difference between reproductive rights and reproductive justice, and why is this distinction important? How do reproductive technologies, like IUDs and birth control pills, become tools of personal freedom in some contexts and tools of coercion in other contexts? In this FIG, we will explore reproductive politics from a global perspective. Drawing on case studies from around the world, we will explore how fertility, reproduction, and child-bearing have held different and changing meanings across cultures and times, and the various contexts in which reproduction has been subject to political struggle. We will explore how the history of reproductive technologies—from birth control pills to breast pumps to midwifery to IVF and egg-freezing technologies—has been shaped by global historical processes, including the dynamics of gender, class, race, and geopolitics. While cultivating a truly global understanding of the history of reproduction, this FIG will also give students a chance to place their own lives, and our own society, within this global history, developing both “empathy” and “cultural competency,” in line with the core objectives of the Wisconsin Experience. The other two classes in this FIG will bring a public health perspective to our exploration while also helping you understand reproductive politics within a global frame that includes consideration of demographic trends, global inequality,and environmental change.

Gender and Women’s Studies 103: “Gender, Women, Bodies, and Health” — Examines both physiological and social processes relating to gender and health across the lifespan among cisgender, transgender, and nonbinary individuals. Examples of topics include hormonal processes, reproductive anatomy and physiology, sexuality, sexual pleasure, chronic illness, depression, and sexual violence. A primary objective is for you to connect information about your bodies and personal health to larger social and political contexts. In particular, the course considers how health and health disparities are shaped by multiple kind of social inequalities, particularly inequalities based on gender.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — The nature of inter-group relations; emphasis on various forms of racism, discrimination, and white privilege; historical background and characteristics of American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; a consideration of economic, housing, political, legal, educational, familial, and health challenges faced by minority groups in U.S. society.

This FIG is about globalization, world regions, and education. You will study globalization from educational, international studies, and anthropological perspectives. The primary goal is to connect international studies (with a focus on global economic, political, cultural, and social patterns); anthropological understandings of mobility, cultures, and communities; and an understanding of the role of education in society. You will develop:

• understandings of people, communities, and societies from social, cultural, political, economic and global perspectives;
• the ability to understand and locate the role of schooling within local and global economic, political, social, and cultural patterns; and
• knowledge about how schools and classrooms can and do reflect and represent global knowledge, perspectives, and issues.

In the main FIG seminar, Curriculum and Instruction 292: “Globalizing Education,” you will consider the impact of globalization on schooling; the relationship of schooling to increasingly global societies; and how policy, curriculum, and instruction can be responsive to globalization.

International Studies 101: “Introduction to International Studies” — This course familiarizes you with the field of international studies, and provides an interdisciplinary examination of the cultural, political, economic, and social patterns that have defined the modern world.

Anthropology 104: “Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity” — This introduction to cultural anthropology for non-majors looks at societies around the world and within the United States to understand how societies are organized, including economics, politics, language, religion, ecology, gender, and kinship.

Humanity is facing urgent challenges right now. We need to come up with sustainable ways to provide sufficient food, energy, building materials, medicine, and so forth, while mitigating the problem of accelerating global warming. Numerous chemicals produced by plants—likely more than one million different chemicals!—provide the promise of workable and sustainable solutions to meet our long-term resource needs. This FIG will bring together students who are interested in addressing these global challenges through modern science. We will explore how various plant chemicals have been helping us meet our needs, and we will identify areas where new ideas and understandings can help us harness plant chemistry even more effectively to achieve sustainable solutions in our society. The other courses in this FIG will deepen our understanding of chemistry and the connections between social and environmental systems.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Stoichiometry and the mole concept, the behavior of gases, liquids and solids, thermochemistry, electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding, descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds, intermolecular forces.

Community and Environmental Sociology/Sociology 140: “Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology” — Sociological examination of the linkages between the social and biophysical dimensions of the environment. Key topics include community organizing, local food systems, energy transitions, environmental justice, resource dependence, and sustainable development.

This FIG is for first-year students in the College of Engineering. The main class in the FIG, Interdisciplinary Courses (Engineering) 170: “Design Practicum,” will introduce you to design via the invention, fabrication and testing of a device that solves a problem proposed by a real-world client. Lectures will address information retrieval techniques, specification writing, methods for enhancing creativity, analysis techniques, scheduling, selection methodologies, cost estimating, sustainability in design, shop safety, engineering ethics, opportunities for engineering students (i.e., study abroad, internships, co-ops), major exploration, fabrication equipment and techniques, and oral and written communication. In this FIG section, we will apply engineering and design toward solving healthcare-related problems while also incorporating insights from the linked Religious Studies class.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

Religious Studies 102: “Exploring Religion in Sickness and Health” — An introduction to the study of religion through the lens of health and health through the lens of religion employing approaches from the humanities and social sciences in conversation with health-related disciplines. It asks questions such as: How do religious peoples understand and live in sickness and health? How do people connect physical well-being to spiritual well-being? Medicine to meaning-making? How does looking at religion in sickness and health provide insight into its roles in a variety of cultures and contexts, globally and locally? How do health and religion connect particularly in situations of social marginalization and immigration? How does religion impact understandings of health and sickness beyond the borders of specific religious communities?

The main class in this FIG, Spanish 224: “Introduction to Hispanic Literatures,” will focus on the treatment and representation of gender in Hispanic literary texts. While speaking Spanish, we will examine the way that male and female roles, as well as machismo and marianismo, have been portrayed in a variety of literary genres, such as poetry (from epic to modern feminist poems), short stories, novels, plays, and in cinema.

Iconic figures such as the seducer Don Juan, an imaginary Don Quijote’s ideal female Dulcinea, as well as sexually provocative and ambiguous characters from Pedro Almodovar’s films will be discussed. We will study, compare, and contrast both Spanish and Latin American literary traditions populated by mermaids, amazons, and other “magical” females such as One Hundred Years of Solitude’s Remedios, the beauty who ascended heavenward clutching two bed sheets.

Gender and Women’s Studies 102: “Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective” — You will have the opportunity to think critically about the power relations that affect the lives of diverse women in the United States — diverse in race, class, ability, sexuality, and other markers of power — and will be asked to contemplate the positions of diverse women from around the world. The class focuses on gender and race as key social attributes which shape people’s lives around the world.

Based on your language placement score, you will also enroll in Spanish 226: “Intermediate Language Practice with Emphasis on Writing and Grammar” or Spanish 311: “Advanced Language Practice.”

The word yoga is now commonly associated with postures and physical exercise. Originally it referred to diverse ascetic and meditative practices aiming at release from the cycle of rebirth.

The main course in this FIG, Asian Languages and Cultures: “Yoga: Ancient Philosophy and Modern Practice,” traces the history and development of yoga practices in the Hindu traditions of India from early to modern times. We also will examine the adaptation of these practices in modern contexts and survey styles of practice from Hot Yoga to Aerial Yoga. The other courses in this FIG will add to our understanding of these topics.

Anthropology 104: “Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity” — A comparative cross-cultural consideration of social organization, economics, politics, language, religion, ecology, gender, and cultural change.

Philosophy 101: “Introduction to Philosophy” — An introduction to some of the major problems and methods of philosophy. We will consider topics from ethics/moral philosophy, political philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of religion. Among the questions we will discuss are: What is good and bad? What makes an action right or wrong? What is happiness? Must you be a morally good person in order to be happy? Are we obliged to obey the state and its laws? What is the nature of reality—what kinds of things are really real? What is knowledge and how do we acquire it? Are human beings free? Is the belief in God a matter of knowledge or only a matter of faith? Would immortality be desirable? And, of course, the best question of all: What is the meaning of life?

The main course in this FIG, Afro-American Studies 222: “Introduction to Black Women Writers,” will provide you with an introduction to Black women’s writing in the United States. We will study the cultural and literary history of African-American women from the period of enslavement to the present. You will engage with Black women writers, artists, scholars, and activists to explore how they address and represent interlocking constructions of race, gender, sexuality, and citizenship. We will read slave narratives, novels, poems, plays, manifestos, essays, and engage with a wide variety of cultural materials including film, visual art, and music videos. Our main goals will be to identify major literary forms and their functions, to identify the contextual frameworks that shape representations of race and gender across a broad range of texts, to apply textual analysis to our primary readings, and to develop persuasive written arguments about the aesthetic construction of Black women’s texts and cultural objects.

The FIG’s title, “But Some of Us Are Brave,” is an homage to a landmark Black feminist anthology, All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave. The anthology developed scholarly frameworks to study the distinct experiences of Black women in the United States, and this course will also emphasize the history of Black women’s scholarship within the U.S. academy. This course will appeal to students interested in literature, cultural history, and in university studies. You will participate in full-class discussion, various writing activities, and short creative assignments.

The other courses in this FIG will add to our engagement with literary cultures by deepening our understanding of the shifting sociological and historical contexts that anchor Black social life at any given moment and will offer strategies for thinking about how to practically apply and engage with our community to further antiracism.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — The nature of intergroup relations; emphasis on various forms of racism, discrimination, and white privilege; historical background and characteristics of American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and other racial and ethnic minorities; a consideration of economic, housing, political, legal, educational, familial, and health challenges faced by minority groups in U.S. society.

Gender and Women’s Studies 102: “Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective” — You will have the opportunity to think critically about the power relations that affect the lives of diverse women in the United States — diverse in race, class, ability, sexuality, and other markers of power — and will be asked to contemplate the positions of diverse women from around the world. The class focuses on gender and race as key social attributes which shape people’s lives around the world.

“Human Memory, Big Data, and The Digital Age” is a FIG about memory. We will consider the relative frailty of human memory in comparison to the unforgetting nature of digital storage. Humans forget; computers do not.

The main seminar in this FIG will begin by considering the relationship between memory and human identity. In many ways, we are who we are because we remember who we are day to day. However, human memory is fragile. We forget things; we misremember events.

By contrast, any and all online activity leaves a trace that can be collected to form a version of the user. This version is not identical to the human user and yet is often a frighteningly accurate image of the user whose behaviors may be tracked and predicted.

Importantly, this digital version of the user is produced by a form of memory (or more precisely a storage of information) that does not forget. You may not remember “liking” that photo on Facebook at 3 am, but Facebook does.

The course will draw its reading and viewing list from a variety of literary and non-literary sources. Our central text will be Frankenstein (1818) and current debates around NSA surveillance, social media literacy, online persona, and online privacy.

Our primary project will be to develop a digital portfolio of work in collaboration with DesignLab. The other two courses in this FIG will help develop a greater understanding of the place of memory in human experience and a critical perspective on our place in 21st-century digital culture.

This FIG is well suited for students interested in a certificate in Digital Studies and majors in English, Computer Sciences, Communication Arts, Journalism, Legal Studies, and Philosophy.

Philosophy 101: “Introduction to Philosophy” — The purpose of this class is to give you a better sense of what philosophy is, how it relates to other disciplines, and what it is good for. We will proceed by considering possible answers to a number of key philosophical questions such as: Do we have free will? What is knowledge and what sorts of things can we know? What is the fundamental nature of reality? Does God exist? Is truth relative or objective? Is life absurd and meaningless? What, if anything, determines that an action (for instance, intentionally killing an innocent person) is morally wrong? As will soon become clear, much of philosophy consists in formulating and evaluating arguments.

Computer Sciences 200: “Programming I” — This class will provide you with an introduction to programming from a data-science perspective. No previous programming experience is required.

Crimes are on TV and in the paper every day. There are shows and reports on big and small crimes, and big and small criminals. Crimes and the justice system fascinate us on many, sometimes contradictory levels. We watch Dexter or Breaking Bad with enthusiasm while at the same time we—and the criminal justice system—condemn and convict serial killers and drugs lords. This is the same justice system that incarcerates thousands (!) of people that are (later) proven innocent. We also often wonder how well the justice system “understands” the individual because law has its own complex way of seeing the world and us and defining our responsibilities.

In this FIG we will explore law, crime and justice in a multi-dimensional way. We will study the criminal justice system as a legal system, look at how it functions, and what particular roles its actors have.

The FIG seminar, English 174: “Law and Literature,” will not only complement what we study in “Criminal Justice in America,” the course offers a unique perspective on law and how it is represented in literature or fiction in general. It might sound counterintuitive, but literature can describe and make understandable certain issues in the legal system much more clearly than a law journal article or the legal discourse in general. Literature provides the other perspective, considers the human condition, and reflects how it feels to be subjected to the law. At the same time, literature as a discipline provides tools that help us understand the workings of the law better. How does storytelling in court work, what makes for a convincing story, and why do lawyers often use everyday words in such a peculiar way? The goal of this FIG is to help you understand that legal and literary studies are connected, and that ideas of law and justice have a foundation in the humanities.

This course emphasizes the importance of close reading and precise writing. Our texts (ranging from Shakespeare to contemporary fiction that addresses issues of race, transitional justice, and the Holocaust) are challenging and require intellectual commitment, but they provide an excellent basis for growth so you can improve their textual-analytical skills. You learn to “think” (a little bit) like a lawyer, but we will also explore law’s limitations and the benefits of a broader approach to both law and literature. Given the sensitive nature of our topics, we strive for an open and inclusive class environment in which every voice is heard and appreciated.

Legal Studies 131: “Criminal Justice in America” — We will study the criminal justice system as a legal system, look at its elements, how it functions, and what particular roles its actors have. The class follows how a typical case moves through the system, beginning at the stage where police want to make an arrest or search a residence to the moment when an individual reenters society after a prison sentence. Along the way we will look at common myths (people are deterred by harsh sentences, the death penalty saves lives, innocent people don’t confess, etc.) and debunk them.

Sociology 134: “The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity” — This course introduces you to a sociological approach to race and ethnicity (with an emphasis on the United States). Taking a sociological approach requires (in part) that we understand race and ethnicity as socially constructed processes of categorization, meaning, and behavior that shift over time and operate at 1) the structural/institutional level; 2) the cultural level; and 3) the interpersonal level. We will explore the ways in which race and ethnicity permeate social life, in particular how race and ethnic hierarchies emerged historically and persist in the present. We will also tackle the difficult—and often controversial—task of defining and deconstructing the concepts of racism, prejudice, discrimination, ideology, privilege, etc. In doing all of the above, we will also consider the consequences of race and ethnic hierarchy on the lives of real people, both those who are disadvantaged by and those who benefit from such a social system. Finally, we will consider alternative visions of race and ethnic justice, and the ways we might achieve them.

The main seminar in this FIG, Library and Information Studies 301: “Information Literacies in Online Spaces,” explores the information and digital literacies needed by today’s online consumers and producers. This class engages you in key debates and research related to digital literacies, connects with concepts covered in the other FIG courses, and develops information literacies. The three classes that comprise this FIG will prepare you with reading, writing, and analytical skills that will be useful across the humanities and social sciences. Many students from past “Internet and Society” FIGs have chosen majors in journalism, communication arts, economics, and computer sciences.

All three courses on this FIG count toward the UW’s Digital Studies Certificate. For this achievement, students complete 16 credits that include one core course, four topical courses, and a one-credit capstone experience. The courses in this FIG will satisfy three of the topical course requirements.

Communication Arts 346: “Critical Internet Studies” — Traces the Internet’s history, reception, audience, industries, rhetorics, fictional and filmic narratives, and its potential as a purveyor and transmitter of culture and values.

Library and Information Studies 202: “Information Divides and Differences in a Multicultural Society” — Explores the impact of and barriers to access to information on the lives of low-income ethnic/racial minority communities in the United States. Provides introduction to contemporary information society from a sociological perspective.

English 175: “Literature and the Other Disciplines” — The nineteenth-century German philosopher Karl Marx is among the most referenced yet least understood thinkers. This FIG introduces you to Marx and his writings by reading selections of his most important works, by situating those works in their historical context, and by tracing the legacy of those works in the revolutions of the twentieth century. The main seminar will be organized around the key ideas Marx developed across his life: alienation, historical materialism, and capitalist production. We will read and discuss Marx with the goal of developing a nuanced understanding of his philosophy. To aid in our study, we will also incorporate works of literature and film, putting into practice Marx’s method of critique, in order to elucidate the difficulties of his thought. Throughout, we will consider the relevance of Marx to our present moment.

History 120: “Europe and the Modern World: 1815 to the Present” — This course surveys a vast subject: the transformation of Europe, from the aftermaths of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars to today’s European Union. Major themes include the expansion of capitalism; centralization of nation-states; rise of mass politics; recasting of gender and the family; proliferation of industrial warfare; and emergence of ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, socialism, communism, and fascism. Throughout, we will also explore how Europe was intertwined with the wider world through colonialism and decolonization.

Philosophy 101: “Introduction to Philosophy” — An introduction to some of the major problems and methods of philosophy. We will consider topics from ethics/moral philosophy, political philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of religion. Among the questions we will discuss are: What is good and bad? What makes an action right or wrong? What is happiness? Must you be a morally good person in order to be happy? Are we obliged to obey the state and its laws? What is the nature of reality—what kinds of things are really real? What is knowledge and how do we acquire it? Are human beings free? Is the belief in God a matter of knowledge or only a matter of faith? Would immortality be desirable? And, of course, the best question of all: What is the meaning of life? The readings include Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, Epicurus, Descartes, John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, Jean-Paul Sartre, and a number of contemporary philosophers.

Russia is often labeled as lawless. Is it? This is a question that has captivated the world since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is the central question for this course. Russia has undergone multiple transitions since the mid-nineteenth century, swerving back and forth from authoritarian rule to democracy many times. It is often assumed that law is unimportant under authoritarianism: that the will of dictators is all that matters. We will learn that law continued to matter under all of Russia’s authoritarian leaders, including Tsar Nicholas, Stalin, and Putin, but that the ability of citizens to use law to protect themselves varied. We will also explore the shifting willingness of Russia to live up to its obligations under international law, a central issue in the recent invasion of Ukraine.

The main seminar will begin with a discussion of basic concepts, such as law, justice, rule of law, and judicial independence. Our understanding will come through a lively mix of short stories, novellas, and films that illuminate various aspects of law in Russia as well as more scholarly articles. Armed with these conceptual tools, we will study a series of themes that persist in the legal systems of the region from the mid-nineteenth century through the present day. Among the topics we will explore:

• the possibility of justice for Russia’s citizens through its courts;
• alternatives to the formal legal system;
• the realities of the criminal justice systems;
• the changing but persistent nature of politicized justice;
• the potential for development toward the rule of law in Russia; and
• the capacity of international law to constrain Russia.

The question of how law fits into the larger political landscape also will be explored in the first linked class, Political Science 120: “Introduction to Comparative Politics.” The second linked class (OPTIONAL) will be Slavic 101: “First-Semester Russian,” which will provide you with an introduction to speaking, listening, reading, and writing Russian. Both linked classes will enhance our analysis of the main FIG topic while also preparing you more broadly for further studies in languages, area studies, political science and/or other law-related coursework.

Political Science 120: “Introduction to Comparative Politics” — Offers a comparison of politics and government in selected countries from around the world.

Optional language class:

Slavic 101: “First-Semester Russian” — Focuses on speaking, listening, reading and writing Russian, with an introduction to Russian culture. No previous knowledge of Russian expected.

What if our best teacher is all around us, even under our feet? For Indigenous peoples, whose worldviews, languages, and lifeways emerge from, and sustain, reciprocal relations to place, land is always teaching.

In the main FIG seminar, Educational Policy Studies 150: “Listening to the Land,” we will reflect on “land as first teacher” by considering Indigenous approaches to learning, Indigenous languages in relation to land, and the current environmental health of land. We will seek to live the principles of Indigenous learning through Indigenous foodways and experiential, place-based learning activities, including:

• harvest activities with traditional corn, wild rice, and other Indigenous foods;
• cooking workshops demonstrating traditional methods;
• UW–Madison First Nations cultural landscape tour;
• field trips and other opportunities to engage with Native community members.

Together, as we develop our personal relationship to Teejop (Four Lakes, or the Madison region), we will explore our generational responsibilities to the place we call home. What is land teaching us? And how do we learn to listen? The other courses in the FIG will add to our exploration of these topics.

Environmental Studies 126: “Principles of Environmental Science” — This class relates principles of environmental science to our daily activities, with an eye to sustainability, conservation, and systems thinking. It introduces science as a process of inquiry and discovery rather than just a pre-established set of facts. For example, in this course, we position ourselves with our feet on the UW–Madison campus and ask questions about the energy we use to heat and cool our buildings, the food we eat, the air we breathe, the electricity we use to power lights and appliances, the goods we purchase, and the waste we create. The class will give you the tools to see the world around you in new ways, to notice things you may have missed, and to encourage you to seek paths that both care for yourself and for all with whom you share this planet. Through lab investigations and field trips we’ll make the invisible visible. Using the campus as a microcosm, you will encounter global environmental problems and solutions at the scale of our campus, which can then translate to the wider world.

American Indian Studies 301: “First Semester Ojibwe” — This class is an introduction to the Ojibwe language, spoken and written, with an emphasis on oral tradition and the study of grammar.

Are you interested in kinesiology? The central theme of this FIG is the definition and measurement of physical activity behavior. This is an important issue in the field of kinesiology because of the challenges involved with exercise prescription. Additionally, accurate and consistent measurements of physical activity behavior are needed to examine potential dose-response relationships between physical activity and health outcomes. The main FIG seminar, Kinesiology 112: “Make It Count: Measuring Physical Activity Behavior”, will provide an opportunity for you to use numbers, equations, and kinesiology-related definitions to address the exercise measurement challenge. Throughout the semester, we will examine the definition of and recommendations for physical activity provided by the American College of Sports Medicine to various populations. As a result of this FIG, you will be able to:

• apply your knowledge of science to address global health concerns related to physical activity and sedentary time;
• quantify a behavior and examine relationships of that quantification with different types of behavioral measurements;
• use your knowledge of kinesiology to construct a flexible definition of physical activity to include a variety of behaviors;
• responsibly interact with persons with disabilities in a physical activity setting;
• demonstrate an understanding of the importance of physical activity behaviors across gender, ethnicity, and illness;
• create an assessment plan to quantify a variety of physical activity behaviors; and
• identify challenges to exercise prescription in the field of kinesiology.

Math 112: “Algebra” — This class introduces polynomial equations, remainder and factor theorems, functions, graphs of functions, simultaneous linear equations, logarithm and exponential functions, sequences and series, mathematical induction, binomial theorem.

English 100: “Introduction to College Composition” — Focuses on development of rhetorical reading, listening, and writing abilities; provides practice in written and spoken communication (emphasis on writing); develops information literacy; provides a foundation for a variety of college course work and post-college careers.

Kinesiology 300: “Practicum in Kinesiology” — Supervised experience in a specialized area of physical education.

What is a national identity in the context of the fluid globalized world in which we live? How are identities affected by big migratory waves within the same country and, more importantly, from one country or continent to another? The Italian case is one of the many in the so-called Western world that can help us to monitor the possible answers to these questions. Through readings and discussions, we will follow the history of Italy from the Risorgimento (the revolutionary upheaval that led to the unification of the country in 1860) through the two World Wars, and Fascism up to the present time.

One of the aims of the main FIG seminar is to analyze the rhetoric used in different periods to understand issues of national identity according to the following historical phases: struggle for the unification of Italy; colonial campaigns; Fascism; and migration from and to Italy in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Through this study of the Italian case, you will become more knowledgeable and aware of the historical development of a European country that was central in the nineteenth century for its struggle to unify, and crucial to the history of the Western countries for the infamous Fascist regime. By studying the Italian case especially through the concerns raised by colonialist politics and migration issues, you will be able to relate not only to what happened and is happening in one major country in Europe, with possible references to the situations in France and Germany, but also to similar issues in the United States (the Italian migration to the United States is a good example). The goal is to help you develop and strengthen their knowledge of a different culture and history as it intersects with your own.

History 120: “Europe and the Modern World: 1815 to the Present” — This course introduces you to key themes in the history of Europe from the fall of Napoleon to the crisis of the European Union in the early decades of the twenty first century. We will ask how and why Europe came to dominate the world in the nineteenth century and why it lost that dominance in the twentieth. Why did Europe give birth both to models of democracy and social equality but also to dictatorship and terror? Why has Europe been such a laboratory for nationalism and does the emergence of the European Union signal the end of this epoch? These questions will be at the heart of our inquiry this semester.

Political Science 140: “Introduction to International Relations” — This class covers the major issues in international relations since the end of World War II including: the causes of war; civil wars and ethnic conflict; economic development; international trade; exchange rates and international monetary relations; international capital flows and financial crises; foreign direct investment; globalization and the environment; international organizations like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization; and international law and human rights. The focus is on states’ relations with each other and the factors determining the nature and outcomes of these international interactions. The course seeks to develop analytical tools for thinking about important questions in world politics regardless of the countries or issues involved, to examine international affairs in a systematic way.

This FIG will take an interdisciplinary approach to examining current issues in health care and the delivery of care in various settings to diverse populations. Nursing 105: “Health Care Systems: An Interdisciplinary Approach” will focus on factors affecting health and the value placed on health, the delivery of health care in different settings, and the roles of various professionals in the healthcare system.

Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education 300: “Individuals with Disabilities” — This class is designed to introduce you to the history, etiology, and characteristics of specific categories of disability. It incorporates hands-on learning as you develop your own service-learning projects directly related to working with persons with disabilities.

Educational Psychology 320: “Human Development in Infancy and Childhood” — Normative processes and individual differences in physical, mental, social and emotional development and behavior from infancy through late childhood.

This FIG is designed for students considering an application to the Nursing Program in the School of Nursing; courses in this FIG have been carefully selected to fulfill requirements for the Nursing Program. Acceptance into the School of Nursing is dependent on a number of factors including completion of specific courses and meeting minimum grade-point average requirements. If you are interested in this academic path, please meet with an advisor from the School of Nursing to get full information.

This FIG will take an interdisciplinary approach to examining current issues in health care and the delivery of care in various settings to diverse populations. Nursing 105: “Health Care Systems: An Interdisciplinary Approach” will focus on factors affecting health and the value placed on health, the delivery of health care in different settings, and the roles of various professionals in the healthcare system.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — This class examines social structures that shape and are shaped by race, ethnicity, racism, and racial/ethnic inequalities. You will learn to understand race and ethnicity as social constructs, and learn how race and ethnicity exist within social structures and institutions.

Gender and Women’s Studies 103: “Gender, Women, Bodies, and Health” — Information on physiological processes and phenomena relating to health (for example, menstruation, pregnancy) and ill health (for example, cancer, maternal mortality, depression). Attention to how bodies are located in social contexts that influence health and illness. Explorations of how multiple kinds of social inequalities shape health and health disparities. Information on roles that female-assigned and women-identified people play as health-care consumers, activists, and practitioners.

This FIG is designed for students considering an application to the Nursing Program in the School of Nursing; courses in this FIG have been carefully selected to fulfill requirements for the Nursing Program. Acceptance into the School of Nursing is dependent on a number of factors including completion of specific courses and meeting minimum grade-point average requirements. If you are interested in this academic path, please meet with an advisor from the School of Nursing to get full information.

This FIG will take an interdisciplinary approach to examining current issues in health care and the delivery of care in various settings to diverse populations. Nursing 105: “Health Care Systems: An Interdisciplinary Approach” will focus on factors affecting health and the value placed on health, the delivery of health care in different settings, and the roles of various professionals in the healthcare system.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — This class examines social structures that shape and are shaped by race, ethnicity, racism, and racial/ethnic inequalities. You will learn to understand race and ethnicity as social constructs, and learn how race and ethnicity exist within social structures and institutions.

Religious Studies 102: “Exploring Religion in Sickness and Health” — This is an excellent companion course for students interested in the health sciences. Questions covered in this course include: What is religion? Sickness? Health? How can we understand their relationships? How do religious peoples understand and live in sickness and health? How does physical well-being connect to spiritual well-being? How does medicine connect to meaning-making? How does looking at religion in sickness and health provide insight into its roles in different cultures and contexts? From Southeast Asia to the Caribbean, Africa, and the Mediterranean, we’ll approach these questions using perspectives from anthropology, history, sociology, legal studies, and the medical sciences, among others. And we’ll come home to Wisconsin and the United States to examine these questions as well.

This FIG is designed for students considering an application to the Nursing Program in the School of Nursing; courses in this FIG have been carefully selected to fulfill requirements for the Nursing Program. Acceptance into the School of Nursing is dependent on a number of factors including completion of specific courses and meeting minimum grade-point average requirements. If you are interested in this academic path, please meet with an advisor from the School of Nursing to get full information.

This FIG will take an interdisciplinary approach to examining current issues in health care and the delivery of care in various settings to diverse populations. Nursing 105: “Health Care Systems: An Interdisciplinary Approach” will focus on factors affecting health and the value placed on health, the delivery of health care in different settings, and the roles of various professionals in the healthcare system.

Nutritional Sciences 203: “Introduction to Global Health” — Introduces you to global health concepts through multidisciplinary speakers dedicated to improving health through their unique training. It targets students with an interest in public health and those who wish to learn how their field impacts their global issues.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — The nature of inter-group relations; emphasis on various forms of racism, discrimination, and white privilege; historical background and characteristics of American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; a consideration of economic, housing, political, legal, educational, familial, and health challenges faced by minority groups in U.S. society.

This FIG is designed for students considering an application to the Nursing Program in the School of Nursing; courses in this FIG have been carefully selected to fulfill requirements for the Nursing Program. Acceptance into the School of Nursing is dependent on a number of factors including completion of specific courses and meeting minimum grade-point average requirements. If you are interested in this academic path, please meet with an advisor from the School of Nursing to get full information.

This FIG will take an interdisciplinary approach to examining current issues in health care and the delivery of care in various settings to diverse populations. Nursing 105: “Health Care Systems: An Interdisciplinary Approach” will focus on factors affecting health and the value placed on health, the delivery of health care in different settings, and the roles of various professionals in the healthcare system.

English 100: “Introduction to College Composition” — This class treats writing as both an act of inquiry and communication, and it offers opportunities to identify, develop, and express concepts; engage in conversations with the ideas of others; and critique and construct arguments through original research.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — The nature of inter-group relations; emphasis on various forms of racism, discrimination, and white privilege; historical background and characteristics of American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; a consideration of economic, housing, political, legal, educational, familial, and health challenges faced by minority groups in U.S. society.

This FIG is designed for students considering an application to the Nursing Program in the School of Nursing; courses in this FIG have been carefully selected to fulfill requirements for the Nursing Program. Acceptance into the School of Nursing is dependent on a number of factors including completion of specific courses and meeting minimum grade-point average requirements. If you are interested in this academic path, please meet with an advisor from the School of Nursing to get full information.

This FIG connects the science of modern astronomy with the history of scientific thought. We will use practical, interactive, astronomical experiences to explore how and why our modern understanding of the universe as a whole, and our place within it—our “worldview”—takes its modern form. Where will you find the moon tomorrow? How do you measure the size of the Earth with a cell phone? What does a stellar spectrum really look like in the telescope? The skies of both night and day will be important parts of our classroom, and you will emerge from the experience with an enhanced awareness and feel for the celestial world. The planetarium and observatories on campus will be parts of our FIG. In addition to the regular class time, you will be required to participate in some out-of-class activities, both day and night, scheduled as weather permits.

You will achieve a deep understanding and appreciation of the modern science that shapes our world today by exploring the evolution of historical worldviews, and the experiences, observations, and theories on which they are founded. In the main FIG seminar, Interdisciplinary Courses (L&S) 107: “How Astronomy Shapes our Worldview,” you will also use hands-on, interactive astronomical observations, laboratory demonstrations, and guided activities to complement and contextualize what you are learning in the two linked classes. Together, these classes will help us understand the role observation and scientific discovery play in shaping the way we see ourselves and our place in the cosmos.

Astronomy 103: “The Evolving Universe: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology” — This class is designed to open a window for you to the cosmos, provoke your imagination, and address some fundamental and tantalizing questions: When did the Universe begin? Do black holes really exist? What makes stars shine? Do stars ever die? What is at the edge of the universe? Is there an edge? Why are the most distant objects in the universe so different from objects nearby? How do we know they are different? How do we know they are far away? An important fact is that astronomers have definitive answers to only some of these questions. However, the observable universe is a time machine—our only one—and in this class we will travel from the solar system to the event horizon, which is the edge of the observable universe. In so doing, we will venture back to the beginning of time. We will also try to understand our place in the universe, and how it is that we came to be made of star-matter, and why our galactic home is called the Milky Way.

History of Science 201: “The Origins of Scientific Thought” — Emergence of scientific method and scientific modes of thought out of ancient philosophical and religious traditions; the impact of ancient science on medieval Christendom; the origins and development of the Copernican-Newtonian worldview.

This FIG focuses on the elements that make up the periodic table. We will learn how the elements are formed in evolving stars, how biologists, chemists, and astronomers search for evidence of the origins of life, the roles of different elements in living organisms, how elements are critical in industry and the economy, where they are found and mined, and how they can be put to use in treating disease. One of the main goals is to assist you in your transition to college, while exploring the relationship of chemistry to the world around you.

The main seminar, Chemistry 175, will support your learning in the associated chemistry class and the history of science course. This FIG is aimed at students with interests in astronomy, geology, chemistry, and biology—or, more broadly, anyone interested in learning more about the elements out of which all matter in the universe is composed, their organization into the periodic table, and the diverse roles these elements play in all living organisms.

History of Science 201: “The Origins of Scientific Thought” — The emergence of the scientific method and scientific modes of thought out of ancient philosophical and religious traditions; the impact of ancient science on medieval Christendom; the origins and development of the Copernican-Newtonian world view.

Choose one of the following:

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

OR

Chemistry 109: “Advanced General Chemistry” — A modern introduction to chemical principles that draws on current research themes. For students with good chemistry and mathematics background preparation who desire a one-semester coverage of general chemistry. Recommended for students intending majors in chemistry or allied fields.

Are you considering a possible career in pharmacy? Would you like to learn more about the wide variety of pharmacy career paths? Are you curious about how medications prevent and treat diseases and improve human health? In Pharmacy 125: “Exploring Pharmacy I” we will consider:

• contemporary pharmacy practice, career pathways, and postgraduate opportunities;
• roles, responsibilities, and training of pharmacists to provide care for patients and populations in a variety of practice settings;
• pharmacy education process from admission to advanced training;
• medical terminology, common drug names, and disease states;
• public health, health literacy, and health disparities;
• interprofessional healthcare teams, practice, and education; and
• pharmacy curriculum, pharmacy student co-curricular, and professional development experiences.

Class time will include regular discussion and integration of the linked classes’ content as well as use of case studies, guest instructors, readings, videos, and reflective assignments. First-year pharmacy students will serve as FIG mentors in the class. The class will be reflective and interactive in nature to develop communication, critical/analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills. You will work on assignments and projects both individually and in small groups and will present information to the larger class to enhance teamwork and communication skills.

Counseling Psychology 237: “Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities” — This course is designed to increase knowledge, awareness, and skills of students interested in working on mental health matters within diverse identity groups and communities. Conceptualize mental health and well-being across communities in terms of (a) intersectional identities (individual and groups), (b) mental health and access and utilization of services, and (c) social determinants of health in different contexts and settings. Engage in reflective exercises to understand how their social identities influence their work in different types of communities.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

Are you considering a possible career in pharmacy? Would you like to learn more about the wide variety of pharmacy career paths? Are you curious about how medications prevent and treat diseases and improve human health? In Pharmacy 125: “Exploring Pharmacy I” we will consider:

• contemporary pharmacy practice, career pathways, and postgraduate opportunities;
• roles, responsibilities, and training of pharmacists to provide care for patients and populations in a variety of practice settings;
• pharmacy education process from admission to advanced training;
• medical terminology, common drug names, and disease states;
• public health, health literacy, and health disparities;
• interprofessional healthcare teams, practice, and education; and
• pharmacy curriculum, pharmacy student co-curricular, and professional development experiences.

Class time will include regular discussion and integration of the linked classes’ content as well as use of case studies, guest instructors, readings, videos, and reflective assignments. First-year pharmacy students will serve as FIG mentors in the class. The class will be reflective and interactive in nature to develop communication, critical/analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills. You will work on assignments and projects both individually and in small groups and will present information to the larger class to enhance teamwork and communication skills.

Counseling Psychology 237: “Mental Health, Self-Awareness, and Social Justice: Working in Diverse Communities” — This course is designed to increase knowledge, awareness, and skills of students interested in working on mental health matters within diverse identity groups and communities. Conceptualize mental health and well-being across communities in terms of (a) intersectional identities (individual and groups), (b) mental health and access and utilization of services, and (c) social determinants of health in different contexts and settings. Engage in reflective exercises to understand how their social identities influence their work in different types of communities.

And take one Chemistry class:

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

OR

Chemistry 109: “Advanced General Chemistry” — A modern introduction to chemical principles that draws on current research themes. For students with good chemistry and mathematics background preparation who desire a one-semester coverage of general chemistry. Recommended for students intending majors in chemistry or allied fields. Lecture, lab, and discussion. Enroll Info: At least 1 year HS chemistry; placement into MATH 221 or higher or equivalent math proficiency.

For many centuries, philosophers have asked questions like these: What kind of things exists? Is the mind only a material thing? Is there a moral right or wrong? Do we have free will? What is the meaning of life? Today, many of us think that scientific methods are the best tools for finding answers to important questions. Does this mean that for scientists, there are specific answers to these kinds of philosophical questions? Many scientists and scientifically minded philosophers assume that the answer is yes. For example, they presume that scientific thinking demands that we should believe that only material things exist, that we do not have free will, or that there are no moral values independent of our conventions. The goal of the main seminar in this FIG, Philosophy 104: “Philosophy and Natural Science,” is to examine this assumption. We will choose some of these philosophical questions, survey some of the answers that philosophers have given to them, and discuss which answers, if any, fit our “scientific worldview” best. The other courses in the FIG will provide some interesting context and perspectives on these issues.

Science and Technology Studies 201: “Where Science Meets Society” — An overview of science and technology studies. Explores science and technology as central institutions in modern societies. Teaches approaches to analyzing social dimensions of recent advances in areas such as genetics, environment, Internet, surveillance, and nanotechnology.

Choose one of the following:

Computer Sciences 200: “Programming I” — Learn the process of incrementally developing small (200 to 500 lines) programs along with the fundamental computer-science topics. These topics include problem abstraction and decomposition, the edit-compile-run cycle, using variables of primitive and more complex data types, conditional and loop-based flow control, basic testing and debugging techniques, how to define and call functions (methods), and IO processing techniques. Also teaches and reinforces good programming practices including the use of a consistent style, and meaningful documentation. Intended for students who have no prior programming experience.

OR

Computer Sciences 300: “Programming II” — Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming using classes and objects to solve more complex problems. Introduces array-based and linked data structures: including lists, stacks, and queues. Programming assignments require writing and developing multi-class (file) programs using interfaces, generics, and exception handling to solve challenging real world problems. Topics reviewed include reading/writing data and objects from/to files and exception handling, and command line arguments. Topics introduced: object-oriented design; class vs. object; create and define interfaces and iterators; searching and sorting; abstract data types (List, Stack, Queue, Priority Queue (Heap), Binary Search Tree); generic interfaces (parametric polymorphism); how to design and write test methods and classes; array based vs. linked node implementations; introduction to complexity analysis; recursion.

For many years, physiologists have used exercise as a way of studying the limits of human performance. An athlete running as fast as a human is capable of running, or lifting as heavy a weight as she can lift is an excellent way of observing the limits of performance. By studying physiological processes when they are being pushed to their limits, we can learn a lot about these processes—the regulation of the processes, the constraints that they operate under, and how processes may adapt to improve performance.

In Kinesiology 115: “The Physiology of Human Performance,” we will be exploring the factors that influence human performance in the context of exercise or performing other physical work. We will examine a number of case studies where the goal will be to determine what the physiological factors are that are limiting performance. We will consider cases of athletic performance, other work conditions, age and developmental issues, as well as injury or other pathological conditions, among many other cases. We will also spend some class time in an Exercise Physiology laboratory where we will collect some data on subjects while they are exercising. We will then use these data to determine some of the underlying physiological processes that are at work during different types of exercise. The other two class in this FIG are well matched with this small seminar class and provide many opportunities to integrate material across different subject areas.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Provides an understanding the basic chemical reactions that underlie many physiological processes and allows us to connect these two areas. How are our muscles’ ability to perform work ultimately limited by the underlying chemical reactions in the muscle?

Kinesiology 119: “Introduction to Kinesiology” — Allows us to place the physiology that we are exploring into the larger context of the field of kinesiology. How do people use the physiological responses to exercise to help understand the role of exercise and movement in health and disease? Given the course subject matter that we will explore, as well as the paired courses, this FIG is an excellent learning opportunity for students who:

• may want to explore a major in kinesiology;
• may be interested in medical school;
• have plans to study athletic training, physical/occupational therapy, or other allied health professions;
• are interested in biology; or
• have a general interest in learning more about exercise and/or physiology.

The main seminar in this FIG, Horticulture 350: “Plants and Human Well-being” (and its discussion section Horticulture 351), focuses on various aspects of well-being associated with plants, plant materials, landscapes, and plant products, including aesthetics, food, medicine, fiber, art, psychoactive substances, and stimulants. This class includes lectures, discussions, hands-on demonstrations, and short field trips and will allow students to build a sense of community while also helping integrate content from the other classes in the FIG. This topic will likely appeal to students interested in horticulture, biology and food systems, medicine and public health, human cultural diversity, and geography.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” —  Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

Anthropology 104: “Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity” — A comparative cross-cultural consideration of social organization, economics, politics, language, religion, ecology, gender, and cultural change.

Tropical rainforests and coral reefs inspire awe in all of us, with their serene beauty and astounding biodiversity. They also happen to be two of the most important ecosystems on Earth, housing most of the world’s species and providing valuable ecosystem services for humanity.

In Botany 265: “Rainforests and Coral Reefs,” you’ll explore these incredible natural communities and learn why they are important to human welfare. This course takes a “deep dive” into the foundations of both marine biology and terrestrial ecology and will answer questions like:

• What makes rainforests and coral reefs the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth?
• Why are coral reefs called the “rainforests of the sea”?
• How is human life dependent on these ecosystems?
• How are climate change and other human impacts affecting these ecosystems?
• What can we do to conserve rainforests and coral reefs into the future?

One of the most exciting parts of this course is that you will develop your own research project and have a chance to carry it out during an optional summer-break field expedition to Belize in Central America! There, we will hike in lush rainforests and snorkel on the second-largest coral reef in the world, putting to direct use everything you learned during the fall semester.

This class is taught in a blended format, and will give you resumé-building experience with instructional technology and multimedia, as well as real scientific research. The linked chemistry class in this FIG will help you understand the physical, chemical, and biological processes that make rainforests and coral reefs function. Spanish language will help you during our trip to Central America.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

Choose one Spanish class:

Spanish 203: “Third Semester Spanish” (14440) — Intermediate level language review, Hispanic readings, culture, and patterns of conversation.

Spanish 204: “Fourth Semester Spanish” (16094) — Second-semester intermediate level language review, extensive readings in literature, intensive written and oral activities.

Spanish 226: “Intermediate Language Practice with Emphasis on Writing and Grammar” (14635) — Intensive practice in reading, writing, and grammar. May be taken concurrently with Spanish 223 or 224.

Spanish 311: “Advanced Language Practice” (20778) — Advanced language practice, including intensive writing and work in pertinent areas of grammar and stylistics, and Honors Optional.

The main course in this FIG, Interdisciplinary Courses (L&S) 106: “Refugee Rights in a Bordered World,” will examine the clash between the human right to seek asylum and the sovereign rights of nation-states to regulate who enters their territory. We will examine the causes of migration, and the political and humanitarian responses to human displacement, along with movements to support the rights of refugees and migrant people. Throughout the course, we will deepen our understanding of current migration politics by situating these debates with both a global and historical context. The other courses in the FIG will add valuable perspectives to our exploration of these topics.

International Studies 101: “Introduction to International Studies” — Familiarizes students with the field of international studies, and performs an interdisciplinary examination of the cultural, political, economic, and social patterns that have defined the modern world.

Gender and Women’s Studies 102: “Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective” — Global, interdisciplinary, social science-oriented analysis of gender, race, class and sexuality in relationship to social institutions and movements for social change. Focus on gender and women in institutions such as education, the economy, the family, law, media, medicine, and politics.

How are poverty and inequality produced and maintained? What role do social and economic systems play in these processes? And, importantly, how do representations of people living in circumstances related to poverty and inequality not only help us think about those circumstances, but the roles that representations play in the production, reproduction, or potential amelioration of poverty and inequality?

You will study both the systems that produce poverty and inequality and how poverty and inequality are represented. You will leave with a better sense of how your own media consumption shapes your understanding of poverty, inequality, and perhaps a wide range of other issues as well. This FIG will appeal to students with interests in social justice, media studies, and literature. The other courses in the FIG will deepen our understanding of poverty and inequality and help us explore ways to become effective agents for positive change.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — This class examines social structures that shape and are shaped by race, ethnicity, racism, and racial/ethnic inequalities. You will learn to understand race and ethnicity as social constructs, and learn how race and ethnicity exist within social structures and institutions.

Civil Society and Community Studies 125: “Community and Social Change” — This course examines contemporary issues with an emphasis on the role that individuals and communities play in achieving positive social change. Through active learning, you will develop the mindsets and communication skills necessary to work in diverse community contexts. Specific themes may shift based on current events, but often include education reform, racial justice, health equity, alternative economies, food systems, and sustainability.

In this main FIG seminar, Integrated Liberal Studies 371: “Sex, Drugs, and Literature in Latin America,” we will consider contemporary social problems in Latin America through the perspective of literature and cinema. In the first part of the course, we will explore the problem of gendered violence and human trafficking. In the second, we will study issues related to drug trafficking in Latin America and ponder on the so-called "narco-culture" of this region. Throughout the course, we will see emerging and vibrant cultural movements--some building on ethnic identity—that are reflected in a range of media and featuring new narrators who are providing a sense of hope in the region. The course begins with classic Latin American authors such as Gabriel García Márquez and ends with contemporary women writers. Our overall goal is to gain an appreciation of the cultural context necessary for us to understand a range of important contemporary social issues in the region.

Sociology 134: “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity in the United States” — This course explores thenature of inter-group relationswith an emphasis on various forms of racism, discrimination, and white privilege; historical background and characteristics of American Indians, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities; a consideration of economic, housing, political, legal, educational, familial, and health challenges faced by minority groups in US society.

Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies 201: “Introduction to Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies” — Introduction to the interdisciplinary study of Chicanas/os in the United States. You will become acquainted with recent scholarly literature, paradigms, theories, and debates within Chicana/o studies pertaining to the historical, economic, cultural, and sociopolitical dimensions of the Chicana/o experience in the United States.

This FIG focuses on how soccer is represented and understood in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond the continent, in a transnational, cultural dialogue with South America and with the Global North. It is meant to make us think about African soccer as cultural and political practice, while keeping in mind that this is a sport, or a game. What does this sport—“the beautiful game”—the most widely followed and adored game, mean to Africans (and others)? What is the role of fans and spectators, alongside readers of literature and viewers of film? How does soccer link Africa to the rest of the world, both materially and philosophically? We will briefly cover the history of the game, in the world and in Africa, and its social impact. We will learn about both magic and racism in African soccer; we will read a novel, discuss paintings, photographs, soccer kits, museum exhibits, and we will watch films that represent soccer in meaningful ways, and connect it to important issues of the postcolonial world, as it extends out of Africa and as it reverberates across the globe. This FIG will appeal to students interested in soccer of course, but also students interested in learning more about Africa, the Global South, and international affairs through the lens of sports. The other courses in this FIG will add important perspectives and context to our analysis.

International Studies 101: “Introduction to International Studies” — Familiarizes you with the field of international studies, and performs an interdisciplinary examination of the cultural, political, economic, and social patterns that have defined the modern world.

History 105: “Introduction to the History of Africa” — This course surveys the history of sub-Saharan Africa from the 1940s through the present day. You will examine how various African communities have defined well-being, pursued prosperity, and imagined collective futures in the years since World War II, during a time-period that historians have described as the era of development. Over the course of the semester, we will examine how African communities and individuals have grappled with matters of faith, power, identity, morality and survival in light of major historical processes, including colonialism and decolonization, the articulation of African nationalisms, labor movements, urbanization, global health crises and economic change. We will shift our lens frequently, at times engaging with the big picture narratives of African and global histories, and at other times, focusing in on stories of individual lives and locations. Course materials combine academic texts with memoirs, political and philosophical writings, films, photographs, fiction and works of art.

Engineers are in a unique position to make a difference in combating some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues. You will delve into the opportunities and complexities in sustainability and engineering through the design of a team product. The main seminar in this FIG, Interdisciplinary Courses (Engineering) 170: “Design Practicum,” will provide an introduction to design via the invention, fabrication, and testing of a device that solves a problem proposed by a real-world client. Lectures address information retrieval techniques, specification writing, methods for enhancing creativity, analysis techniques, scheduling, selection methodologies, cost estimating, sustainability in design, shop safety, fabrication equipment and techniques, and oral and written communication. The other courses in the FIG will deepen our understanding of these issues.

Math 171: “Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry I” — Topics in algebra, trigonometry and pre-calculus are integrated with elementary differential calculus. Part of a two-semester sequence with MATH 217; these two courses together are equivalent to MATH 114 and 221.

Environmental Studies 112: “Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives” — Emphasizes the importance of social factors in the generation and resolution of complex environmental problems with an interdisciplinary perspective. It includes a comparison of specific communities in the more and less developed areas of the world.

The FIG will focus on the history of LGBTQ+ movements in the United States through analysis of film produced by LGBTQ+ people across the twentieth century to the present. As a history course, we will seek to understand and appreciate the contexts and perspectives of people in the past, paying special attention to how people built LGBTQ+ movements and represented those movements in film. Assignments and discussions will help you:

• understand the history of queer film and documentary, and its relationship to LGBTQ+ movements for social justice;
• develop confidence in your own interests, your ability to frame historical questions, and your ability to pursue them; and
• gain greater awareness of historical contexts, social institutions, and social movements.

This FIG will appeal to students who are interested in LGBTQ+ history; students interested in issues of representation and self-representation and how that has changed across time; students interested in learning film analysis; students seeking an intellectual landing place that affirms marginalized identities. The other courses in this FIG will provide valuable perspectives and context for understanding these topics.

Gender and Women’s Studies: “Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ Studies” — A multidisciplinary introduction to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ (LGBTQ+) studies, including theories of identity formation, different societal interaction with LGBTQ+ communities, LGBTQ+ cultures in history, and contemporary legal and political issues. Course materials explore the intersections between LGBTQ+ identities and other socially marginalized identities, including (but not limited to) those based on race, ethnicity, religion and disability.

Communications Arts 250: “Survey of Contemporary Media” — Key concepts for the critical analysis of television, film, radio, and digital media. Focusing primarily on meanings, aesthetics, technology, media industries, representations, and audiences.

Virtue has a history. While some ideas of what is right and wrong are quite common across different cultures and eras, differences abound. For many of us, recognizing that the ethical system we learned in childhood is not universally shared by all humanity is one of the most destabilizing, challenging, and potentially liberating experiences we can have—and that is what we will find in this FIG.

In the main seminar, History 200, we will addresses the issue of variation in moral systems by looking at continuities and changes in conceptions of virtue in ancient Greece, the classical Roman empire, and the medieval Eastern Roman Empire. We will begin by reading texts such as Homer, Plato, and Thucydides that have enjoyed high prestige in Western culture for millennia because of the perceived value in their ethical teachings. Ideas of virtue in these ancient Greek texts, however, are both familiar and radically foreign to contemporary ethical sensibilities. The ethical systems of Romans such as Virgil, Cicero, and Julius Caesar were significantly different from those of the ancient Greeks, and yet we will see how they responded to and deployed the ancient Greek material in shaping their own morality. Looking at the medieval Eastern Romans will allow us to see a Christian society using both the ancient Greek and the classical Roman texts to inform their sense of virtue.

In our highly polarized contemporary political culture, it can be difficult to find any moral or political topics about which we do not already have fixed ideas; however, this FIG will allow us to develop fresh perspectives on our own ethical thinking, by exploring debates from the ancient world. We will learn that the ancient and medieval Greco-Roman world is foreign, surprising, and thus a good place to think through and independently develop our own ethical ideals. Students interested in law, government, politics, leadership, gender, and, of course, ancient and medieval studies, will relish this opportunity to explore virtue in the Greco-Roman world. The other courses in this FIG will bring a modern perspective to these issues.

Legal Studies 131: “Criminal Justice in America” — We will study the criminal justice system as a legal system, look at its elements, how it functions, and what particular roles its actors have. The class follows how a typical case moves through the system, beginning at the stage where police want to make an arrest or search a residence to the moment when an individual reenters society after a prison sentence. Along the way, we will look at common myths (people are deterred by harsh sentences, the death penalty saves lives, innocent people don’t confess, etc.) and debunk them.

Political Science 160: “Introduction to Political Theory” — Exploration of core problems of political life, such as the nature and limits of obligation, the concept of justice and its political implications, and the relationship between equality and liberty, through a selection of ancient and modern sources.

This FIG examines how war displaces people. While popular understanding usually emphasizes the desire for “better jobs” as the main cause of immigration, we will focus on the significant role that war plays in causing human displacement. We will examine four historical events in particular:

• World War II and the Holocaust;
• Southeast Asian War (or, the Vietnam War);
• U.S. military intervention in the affairs of Central America; and
• wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

In addition to exploring how these conflicts influenced the movement of people, we also will examine how U.S. diplomatic and military objectives structure the legal designation of the displaced from refugees to asylum seekers to undocumented immigrants. Thus, we will examine forced displacement and resettlement in the United States as interrelated processes. Throughout our consideration of these issues, we will center the lived experiences of the displaced through memoirs, oral histories, graphic novels, and film. The other courses in this FIG will add valuable perspectives and context for our analysis of these issues.

Political Science 140: “Introduction to International Relations” — Covers the major issues in international relations since the end of World War II including: the causes of war; civil wars and ethnic conflict; economic development; international trade; exchange rates and international monetary relations; international capital flows and financial crises; foreign direct investment; globalization and the environment; the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization, and other international organizations; and international law and human rights. The focus is on states’ relations with each other and the factors determining the nature and outcomes of these international interactions. The course seeks to develop analytical tools for thinking about important questions in world politics regardless of the countries or issues involved, to examine international affairs in a systematic way.

Nutritional Science 377: “ Cultural Aspects of Food and Nutrition” — The purpose of the FIG is to gain awareness, knowledge, and sensitivity to the strong connection between nutrition, food, and identity, in order to effectively deliver culturally responsive food and nutrition care both within communities and within the health care delivery system more broadly. We will learn how the shift toward cultural humility can create a foundation for respectful and inclusive patient and community encounters. We will critically examine nutrition and its relationship to humans and their biological, social, and physical environment. We will identify and evaluate our own worldviews and personal biases with the goal of understanding how these can perpetuate stereotypes within nutrition and health care delivery. Finally, we will examine current events, food programs, and policies contributing to nutrition-related chronic disease, and community-led programs and initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes. The other courses in this FIG will contribute to our understanding of these issues and will lay a strong foundation for people interested in further studies in health, food, nutrition, and/or agriculture.

Nutritional Sciences 132: “Nutrition Today” —  Nutrition and its relationship to humans and their biological, social, and physical environment; current issues and concerns that affect the nutritional status of various population groups.

Chemistry 103: “General Chemistry I” — Introduction to stoichiometry and the mole concept; the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids; thermochemistry; electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds; and intermolecular forces.

In the main seminar in this FIG, Literature in Translation 235: “The World of Sagas,” we will learn about the Norse people as they expanded through Europe and beyond. We will study their science and technology, environment, mythology, gender, economics, politics, and more. This class approaches the Vikings along historical lines and uses both texts from medieval sources and archeological materials. We will explore:

• images of Vikings in modern pop culture, gaming, movies, and TV shows;
• the Norse technological advances in ship building and sword making;
• the environmental impact they made on their surroundings;
• the pre-Christian religion of early medieval Scandinavia and their conversion to Christianity;
• what it meant to be a man and a woman in this society, which may surprise you;
• the consolidation of the Scandinavian kingdoms;
• Viking art, warfare, and more.

The starting point for this course is the images we already know of the Vikings, as seen in games like Assassins Creed: Valhalla, TV shows like The Vikings, or even movies like Marvel’s Thor. Where do these images come from and how are they formed in modern consciousness? Then we will look at the medieval Scandinavians themselves to learn what is known and what is not known about these people and their age. This FIG will appeal to students who are interested in learning about the present through the past and those with a specific interest in the Nordic countries. The other classes in this FIG will enhance our examination of these topics. Enrollment in an optional first-semester Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish class will enhance your understanding of the cultures of the region and is highly recommended.

Folklore 100: “Introduction to Folklore” — Surveys folklore in the United States and around the world, with a comparative emphasis on ways in which individuals and groups use beliefs, songs, stories, sayings, dances, festivals, and artifacts to address issues of identity, authenticity, and authority, in complex societies

Optional language class:

Scandinavian Studies 101: “First Semester Norwegian” (35024)

Scandinavian Studies 111: “First Semester Swedish” (36113)

Scandinavian Studies 121: “First Semester Danish” (14688)

In Comparative Literature 203, “Yoga in Poetry and Pose,” we will study yoga as it is taught and represented in the classic literary texts of several South Asian Cultures. In discussing poems and songs from traditions as diverse as Tibetan Buddhism, Kashmiri Shaivism, and Hindu Epic, we will examine how these expressions of yoga have impacted the lives of practitioners in different cultures and how they relate to yoga as it continues to be practiced in various forms today. Our readings will also look into connections between yoga and spiritual practices such as Sufi mysticism and Zen meditation. You will apply what we are learning in our readings and discussions as we practice the physical postures and breathing techniques of yoga each Friday. No prior yoga experience is expected. The other courses in this FIG will enhance our exploration of these topics.

Religious Studies 102: “Religion in Sickness and Health” — This is an excellent companion course for students interested in the health sciences. Questions covered in this course include: What is religion? Sickness? Health? How can we understand their relationships? How do religious peoples understand and live in sickness and health? How does physical well-being connect to spiritual well-being? How does medicine connect to meaning-making? How does looking at religion in sickness and health provide insight into its roles in different cultures and contexts? From Southeast Asia to the Caribbean, Africa, and the Mediterranean, we’ll approach these questions using perspectives from anthropology, history, sociology, legal studies, and the medical sciences, among others. And we’ll come home to Wisconsin and the United States to examine these questions as well.

Nutritional Sciences 203: “Introduction to Global Health” — This course introduces you to global health concepts through multidisciplinary speakers dedicated to improving health through their unique training. It targets students with an interest in public health from a broad global perspective.