Drs. Henrietta Rix Wood and Stephen Christ, TR 4:00-5:15pm

Students will explore the role of socially responsible citizens and leaders in a democratic society and contribute towards the betterment of the community. More specifically, this course will introduce students to concepts and strategies that will enable them to collaborate with classmates to analyze a social problem, develop a solution to that problem, and implement the solution.

This course is not an honors seminar. Students enrolled in Anch H399 will do a group project in consultation with the instructors.

Dr. Jess Magaña, Online Asynchronous

Reading and analysis of scientific literature, including original papers, on a topic of broad biological interest. Critical discussion of experimental methods and results. Writing of scientific reviews and a term paper. Taking the MFAT test is a requirement of this course, and the course satisfies the general education synthesis requirement. Prerequisites: RooWriter. Co-requisites: Biology 441.

Honors component for BIO H498WI: This is not an honors-only seminar. In order to earn honors credit, students need to complete additional work for the course at the honors level. Students who wish to earn honors credit for this class will write a research proposal addressing a need for specific knowledge related to behavior.

Dr. Henrietta Rix Wood, MW 4:00-5:15pm

Students will put the knowledge and skills learned in Discourse I and II into practical use by engaging in a service-learning project that is interdisciplinary and intercultural. Students will use strategies of critical discourse analysis and critical language awareness to target the appropriate audience/recipients for their service project, to develop innovative and rhetorically effective texts, and to reflect on their project’s purpose, methods, and consequences.

Dr. Henrietta Rix Wood, TR 1-2:15pm

This course extends the work of ENGLISH 110 with an additional emphasis on research. This honors section of ENGLISH 225 uses a combination of book-length and shorter texts on focus on specific historical and/or cultural issues. As they learn to participate in scholarly conversations, students will find and evaluate library and internet sources. As with ENGLISH 110, this course emphasizes revision, editing, and proper academic documentation.

Drs. Gayle Levy and Drew Bergerson (History), Tuesday 10:00-11:15am, Online Synchronous

In this three-credit, general education course, students will study the arts and humanities: the processes and resulting cultural-historical artifacts, drawn from the past and/or present (artistic, cinematographic, literary, architectural, philosophical, musical, kinetic, theatrical, historical texts) that help us make sense of our pasts, our lives, our world and show us what it means to be human. Course Topic: The Holocaust.

This course is not an honors seminar. Students enrolled in GECRT-AH101 will do a group project in consultation with the instructors.

Dr. Stephen Christ, TR 10:00-11:15am

What is human behavior? How do humans influence and are influenced by the world around them? How can we study behavior in a meaningful way given just how complex humans and societies are? In this three-credit, general education course, students use perspectives and frameworks from the social sciences to identify and explore relevant questions. In particular, students will collect and evaluate evidence from which conclusions about the human experience or behavior can be drawn. In this honors section of the course, we will focus on how social scientists study social justice. We will primarily focus on how researchers in the field of sociology approach this study. However, assignments and course activities will also introduce how researchers in other fields (such as political science, geography, women’s and gender studies, etc.) approach this same phenomenon.

Dr. Debra Leiter, Hybrid:  Monday or Wednesday 11-11:50am and Friday 11-11:50am online synchronous

In this course we will examine the structure and operation of American government, issues in American politics, and scholarly explanations for the patterns that we observe. We will discuss characteristics of the American Constitution, federal and state institutions, and the challenges of maintaining an effective democratic government. In addition to political institutions, we will also consider citizen participation, the role of the media, the emergence of the perpetual campaign, and the prospects for effective policy solutions to problems in modern America. Students will have opportunities to hone their analytical and communication skills, and to develop their own views about American politics.

Dean McKusick, section 0001, and Jessica Elam, section 0002

This course is an academic internship that requires written assignments in addition to the work performed in a professional workplace. Internships are individually arranged with the sponsoring organization, which may be a business, school, nonprofit agency or government office. Academic credit may range from 1 to 6 credit hours (0 credit hours for Honors 496A). There will be a Learning Agreement established in the first week of the semester that states the contractual responsibilities of the student, the workplace supervisor, and the internship coordinator. This Learning Agreement will outline the job responsibilities, workload expectations, assignments and anticipated learning outcomes of the internship experience.

Dr. Stephen Christ, TR 2:30-3:45pm

An introduction to the study of society and the basic concepts of sociology.

This course is not an honors seminar. Students who wish to earn honors credit for it will do an honors contract or project in consultation with the instructor.

Dr. Stephen Christ, Tu/Thu 2:30-3:45pm

This class will introduce students to the interdisciplinary study of culture. We will begin by examining the theoretical debates on what culture is, where it comes from, and how it works. We will then move on to examine empirical sites of cultural transmission – schools, immigrant communities, and religious institutions. We will end by examining the production of culture perspective and considering how mass media is produced and connected to social change.

Drs. Henrietta Rix Wood and Stephen Christ, W 4:30-7:15pm

Students will explore the role of socially responsible citizens and leaders in a democratic society and contribute towards the betterment of the community. More specifically, this course will introduce students to concepts and strategies that will enable them to collaborate with classmates to analyze a social problem, develop a solution to that problem, and implement the solution.

Dr. Stephen Christ, Tu/Thu 4:00-5:15pm

Social and Environmental Justice will introduce students to the foundations of the environmental justice movement, current and emerging issues, and the application of environmental justice analysis to government policy.

Drs. Saul Honigberg and Scott Hawley, MWF 8:00-8:50am

A modern approach integrating molecular and organismal studies of the general genetics of lower and higher organisms. Chromosomal structure and function, gene transmission, heredity, plasticity, and population genetics will be discussed. Prerequisites: BIOLOGY 108, BIOLOGY 109, CHEM 212R. The course offers in-class discussion to dig deeper into topics like the societal issues of genetics. This course offers a limited number of seats, taught by active geneticists, including Dr. Hawley, an investigator at Stowers Institute, and is considered an important class for students interested in research.

Dr. Jess Magaña, Tu/Th 1-2:15pm

Invasive species are of concern to the public, scientists, and governments as invasive species can negatively impact native ecosystems, economies, and human health. Students in this 3-credit-hour, online course will study the biological traits that contribute to successful invasions, the ecological and economic impacts of invasive species, and the legal and cultural responses to invasions. Students will develop critical analysis and communication skills by analyzing scientific literature, discussing implications, and presenting arguments in written and oral platforms.

Honors component for Bio 385: This is not an honors-only seminar. Students who wish to earn honors credit for this class will give a 10-minute presentation from the point of view of a shareholder dealing with an invasive species. After presentations we will have an in-class debate about potential solutions in which presenters will answer questions “in-character.” All students will write a brief summary and evaluation as a Policy Advice Paper.

Dr. Jess Magaña, Tu/Th 10-11:15am, Class Number: 14891

Why do animals do what they do, and how do we know? This three-credit-hour course explores evolutionary influences on animal behavior and the challenges associated with developing and testing hypotheses. Students will develop critical analysis skills and effective written and oral communication skills by analyzing scientific articles, discussing methodology and implications, writing analytical papers, and communicating through oral presentations.

Honors component for BIO H498WI: This is not an honors-only seminar. In order to earn honors credit, students need to complete additional work for the course at the honors level. Students who wish to earn honors credit for this class will write a research proposal addressing a need for specific knowledge related to behavior.

Dr. Henrierra Rix Wood, Tu/Th 1-2:15pm

What do the UMKC campus, the 18th and Vine Historic District, and the Country Club Plaza tell us about the culture and diversity of Kansas City? To begin to answer this question, we will use the “City as Text” approach to learning, which asks students to investigate important issues by going to places to map, observe, listen, and reflect. Drawing upon your impressions, you will then conduct further research on specific topics of your choice that are relevant to the culture and diversity of Kansas City in order to produce informative and persuasive speeches and essays.

Dr. Thomas R. Ferrel, Tu/Thu 2:30-3:45pm

Dr. Stephen Christ, day and time TBD

Dean McKusick, section 0001, and Jessica Elam, section 0002

Honors Internship:

This course is an academic internship that requires written assignments in addition to the work performed in a professional workplace. Internships are individually arranged with the sponsoring organization, which may be a business, school, nonprofit agency or government office. Academic credit may range from 1 to 6 credit hours (0 credit hours for Honors 496A). There will be a Learning Agreement established in the first week of the semester that states the contractual responsibilities of the student, the workplace supervisor, and the internship coordinator. This Learning Agreement will outline the job responsibilities, workload expectations, assignments and anticipated learning outcomes of the internship experience.

Dr. Henrierra Rix Wood, day and time TBD

This one-hour credit, graded course is open to honors students and high-achieving students who are working on senior theses, projects, or capstone papers. The group meets twice a month to offer peer response to the work of members who set goals and deadlines for producing their theses or projects.