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Course Descriptions
BIOS | ENGL | GEOG | ILAS | POLS
HUMAN NEUROBIOLOGY
BIOS 359/600A
Human Neurobiology covers a wide range of topics in the realm of neurobiology. Subjects included are: the cellular mechanisms of neural communication; nervous system development; and both sensory and motor components of neural function. This course is taught online with lectures notes and audio visual presentation of lecture information on CD. Quizzes are online. Meeting will review lab material.
359. Biology of the human nervous system, with emphasis on the anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system.
BIOS 600A– Physiology. Lectures, discussions, and reports on topics of special interest in a particular field of biology.
Sonya Conway. BIOS 359/600A (3 credit hours)
Section YE1 (BIOS 359A Ref. #9045; BIOS 600A Ref. #9047) meets online 6/18-8/6 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Waubonsee Community College, Wednesdays 6/18, 7/9, 8/6, 6:30-9:15 p.m.
Section YE2 (BIOS 359A Ref. #9046; BIOS 600A Ref. #9048) meets online 6/19-8/7 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Elgin Community College, Thursdays 6/19, 7/10, 8/7, 6:30 – 9:15 p.m.
LITERARY CLASSICS
ENGL 310
Underpinning our study of selected world classics will be Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Tracing the hero's stages of initiation, departure, and return, we will read The Odyssey, Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, selections from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, selections from 1001 Arabian Nights, Gilgamesh, Candide, the Book of Luke, and Waiting for Godot. A required field trip to the Oriental Institute of Chicago will take place on June 28. Weekly online discussions, 2-page reader response papers, and a final exam.
310. Selected works, from ancient to modern, such as Plato's Symposium, Ovid's Metamorphoses, Montaigne's Essays, Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, and Camus's The Plague, read in translation and with attention to theme, technique, genre, and context.
Kathy Wright. ENGL 310 (3 credit hours)
Section YE1 (Ref. #9067) meets online 6/7-7/19 with 3 face-to-face meetings at Waubonsee Community College, Saturdays 6/7, 6/28, 7/19, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
MAPS AND MAPPING
GEOG 256
Though maps have been used by civilizations for well over 5,000 years, practically all aspects of mapping today involve computers—from the collection of real-world data by GPS or satellites to drafting and printing. Rather than study the history of maps and mapping, we will instead study the concept of maps as tools of modern communication and visualization. This course is also the starting point for NIU's certificate of undergraduate study in GIS (which also may apply toward the B.G.S.) and is required for several further courses in geography. Mandatory introductory face-to-face class meeting.
256. Introduction to maps as models of our earth, tools of visualization, and forms of graphic communication. Use of satellite and aerial imagery, land surveying, and geographic information systems in map production. Thematic maps and how they are used. Map design for informational and persuasive purposes.
Paul Sill. GEOG 256 (3 credit hours)
Section YE1 (Ref. #9089) meets online 6/18-8/6 with a mandatory face-to-face meeting at NIU-Naperville on Wednesday 6/18, 6:30 – 9:15 p.m.
INTRODUCTION TO GIS
GEOG 359
Have you ever asked yourself, "Where in the world am I?" GEOG 359 may help you answer that question with an introductory study into the principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In this online course, we develop skills in GIS, its components, and how it applies to our surrounding environment. This course is a primer for those who are interested in learning more about the dynamic and ever-changing world of GIS and its career applications.
359. Study of the fundamental principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Emphasis on the development of these systems, their components and their integration into mainstream geography.
Phil Young. GEOG 359 (3 credit hours)
Section YE1 (Ref. #9090) meets online 6/17 – 8/5 with a mandatory face-to-face meeting at NIU-Rockford on Tuesday 6/17, 6:30-9:15 p.m.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
GEOG 459
A Geographic Information System (GIS), composed of multiple map layers of a place, can facilitate problem-solving in a variety of social, environmental, and business settings; this course will apply GIS to examples from these different settings. Methods of integrating land, environmental, demographic, and business information will be demonstrated. In addition to applying to the B.G.S., this class also counts toward NIU’s certificate of undergraduate study in GIS.
459. Study of the conceptual framework and development of geographic information systems. Emphasis on the actual application of a GIS to spatial analysis.
Richard Greene. GEOG 459 (3 credit hours)
Section YE1 (Ref. #9091) meets online 6/16-8/4 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Rockford on Mondays, 6/16, 7/7, 8/4, 6:30 – 9:15 pm.
ADVANCED TOPICS: WORLD RELIGIONS
ILAS 490
An on-line summer course that introduces students to the basic teachings of the major World Religions. We will spend approximately one week on each of the following: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, Primitive and New Age Religions. This will be a whirlwind tour, guaranteed to stimulate more questions than answers. The principal focus will be on shared assumptions and family resemblances, as well as the challenges to religion from both secularism and extremism. Textbook reading, weekly on-line writing assignments, short written paper and presentation (group or individual) required. Bring an open mind and leave your preconceptions at the door.
490. Topics from the sciences, social sciences, and/or humanities treated from an interdisciplinary perspective. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester hours when topic varies.
Laura Bird. ILAS 490 (3 credit hours)
Section YE1 (Ref. #9095) meets online 6/7-8/2 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Hoffman Estates on Saturdays 6/7, 7/12, 8/2; 9:00 – noon.
LAW, POLITICS, AND FILM
POLS 414
This course explores whether there is a tension between actual legal practices in the "real world" and their portrayal in popular culture-specifically motion pictures. We will ask whether cinematic practices and imperatives give rise to a "reel-world" view of the law. We will focus on a number of related themes: the concept of justice, the relationship between economic status and the law, official v. unofficial law
enforcement including the quasi-law enforcement of private detectives, the practice of law, legal ethics, civil law including divorce and children, and women in law. Students should expect to develop a more in-depth understanding of the issues covered as well as a better appreciation of the cultural and political significance of the way that law and legal actors are depicted in the movies. As this is an on-line course, students will be responsible for viewing various full-length, feature-films ranging from classics such as The Big Sleep (1946) and Adam's Rib (1949) to more recent pictures like Thelma & Louise (1991) and Intolerable Cruelty (2003). Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to join Netflix or a similar film rental service. After independently viewing the required films, students will then use Blackboard to access lectures, readings, and discussions.
414 Examination and analysis of the enduring questions of importance for the legal system. Problems illustrating the intersection of law, morality, and politics are set in the context of contemporary issues. Specific focus of the course changes each semester. May be repeated once as topic changes.
Art Ward. POLS 414 (3 credit hours)
Section YE1 (Ref. #9138) meets online 6/16-8/4 with 3 face-to-face meetings at NIU-Naperville on Mondays 6/16, 7/7, 8/4; 6:30 – 9:15 pm.