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ADVISING HANDBOOK FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
Psychology
PSY 105 Introduction to Psychology [3]
This course discusses what factors have shaped who you are today.
How does the brain work? What is the nature of prejudice? We
will discuss these and other core questions related to the concepts,
theories, and methods of psychology. Topics include history;
methodology; biological basis of behavior; development; sensation
and perception; consciousness; cognition, social and personality
psychology. and psychological disorders. (Please note PSY 105
requires that students participate as a subject in at least one
experiment in the department subject pool during the semester or
discuss with the course instructor an appropriate alternative.)
Rhetoric and Professional Writing
WRT 110 is required of all baccalaureate students, and WRT 111
is required of all baccalaureate students except for those in A&S and
CETA. A&S students must take RPW 210.
You are exempt from WRT 110 and eligible to enroll in
WRT 111 or WRT 210 if you meet one of the following
requirements: (1) you have a verbal SAT score of 650 or above, or
you earned at least a 4 on the AP English Language exam; or (2) you
have been given credit for an equivalent to 110 at another college
or university. You are exempt from both WRT 110 and WRT 111
or WRT 210 if (1) you have a verbal SAT score of 700 or above,
(2) you have a score of 5 on the AP English Language exam, or (3)
you have been granted credit for both an WRT 110, WRT 111, or
WRT 210 equivalent taken at another college or university.
WRT 110 Academic Writing I [3]
Introduces students to the complex practices of writing, reading,
and thinking required in many university courses. Students learn
to approach writing as a process of invention, crafting, revising, and
editing. The course also emphasizes the rhetorical aspects of writing,
such as audience, arrangement, and academic conventions. Students
learn to read diverse texts critically by practicing close-reading
strategies, such as highlighting, annotating, and double-entry note
taking. Students should become more confident and competent at
understanding the positions of others as well as asserting their own
informed perspectives. Designated sections of the course require
additional work on basic skills. This course may not be elected on a
Pass/No Pass basis. (Formerly RPW 110) Laboratory fee.
WRT 111 Academic Writing II [3]
Emphasizes close reading, analytical writing, and critical thinking
that are fundamental for many upper-level courses. Building upon
the abilities introduced in WRT 110, critical thinking is taught
as students learn to examine multiple perspectives, to analyze
an argument, to find and evaluate sources (print and digital),
and to present a persuasive viewpoint. As students assert their
informed perspectives, they learn to engage with the words and ideas
of others without compromising their academic integrity. A primary
goal of the course is for students to learn to participate fully in
scholarly discourses and debates. Designated sections of this course
require additional work in basic skills. This course may not be
elected on a Pass/No Pass basis. (Formerly RPW 111) Prequisite:
WRT 110. Laboratory fee.
WRT 210 Foundations of Argument [3]
This foundation course in critical thinking allows students to
sharpen their abilities to form and present clear, reasoned opinions.
Students analyze discourse, texts, and images to comprehend the
arguments they are making; identify and evaluate the assumptions,
evidence, and rhetorical strategies on which arguments are based;
understand the major components of inductive and deductive
reasoning; evaluate the relationships between premises and
conclusions while recognizing major fallacies; and make reasoned
judgments about an argument’s validity and potential consequences.
No credit for WRT 210 will be given to students who have credit
for WRT 111. (Formerly RPW 111) Prerequisite: WRT 110.
Laboratory fee.
Sociology
SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology [3]
Surveys main theoretical approaches and problems in the study
of social life. Topics include social origins of the self, the basic
processes of social interaction, class and stratification, political
power, education, organization, and family. Emphasizes continuing
interaction between theory and methods in sociology. Required for
sociology majors and most advanced sociology courses. (Open to
juniors and seniors only by permission of instructor.)
SOC 113 Contemporary Social Issues [3]
Sociological perspective on the tensions, conflicts, and issues that
come to be defined as contemporary social problems; presents
an analysis of historical, cultural, political background of social
conflicts. Several specific issues are discussed in detail along with a
critical evaluation of the social policy formulated to solve our most
significant social problems.
SOC 115 Introduction to Social Welfare [3]
This course provides a sociological analysis of the current trends in
social welfare. The implementation of health, housing, poverty, and
aging policies by federal, state, and local agencies is analyzed. Careers
in social work and applied sociology are explored.
SOC 130 Cultural Anthropology [3]
Introduction to culture and social institutions through comparative
study of nonliterate peoples, early civilizations, and modern societies,
with illustrations of the applications of the tools of anthropological
analysis to various social structures.
SOC 170 Introduction to Criminal Justice [3]
A survey of the social responses to crime and the major social
institutions created to control crime. The course introduces the
ideologies of crime and crime control; the determination of rates
of crime; the structure, operation, and effectiveness of the major
criminal justice agencies; and contemporary issues in crime control.
The focus of the course is on the United States, but students are
exposed to issues of crime and crime control in other societies.
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