ACC Honors Program
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Current Course Schedule:
Fall 2008 Honors course list (PDF)
Summer 2008 Honors course list (PDF)
Description of Courses:
| BIOL
1408 |
Introduction
to Biology: "Unity of Life" |
| Description: |
This course examines emerging discoveries in biology and how they
relate to current societal issues. This course is designed for non-science
majors. |
| ECON 2301 | Macro Economics |
Description: |
Principles of Macroeconomics deals with consumers as a whole, producers as a whole, the effects of government spending and taxation policies and the effects of the monetary policy carried out by the Federal Reserve Bank. Macroeconomics is concerned with unemployment, inflation, and the business cycle. In honors we expand as time permits and according to the interests of students or instructor. Among the directions we may go: 1) A more skeptical and critical look at the effectiveness of government in managing the economy. 2) A more rigorous and "in-depth" look at the impact of international trade and relations. 3) A survey of the factors governing international differences in wealth, economic progress and the wealth of nations. 4) Appropriate topics of interest to the students. You will particularly enjoy this course if you are not afraid of simple algebra and have already taken the course in microeconomics, but this is not essential. |
| ECON 2302 | Micro Economics |
Description: |
Principles of Microeconomics deals with the fundamental concepts of scarcity and opportunity cost as expressed in the interactions between individual households and business firms. The concepts of supply and demand will be studied; students will learn what these and related concepts mean, how they operate, and how prices are determined. Market structure, market failure and income distribution will also be considered. The course gives insight into the dynamics of market based economy and how, through its mechanisms, our scarce resources are allocated. |
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I: "Culture & Community" |
| Description: |
Examines culture and community through a simulated township. Papers are generated by real-life situations. |
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I: "Growing Up: A Southern Experience" |
| Description: |
Honors Comp. I in Distance Learning format will combine reading two memoirs, I Know Why Caged Birds Sing(Angelou) and North Toward Home(Morris),and writing papers generated from the readings. Although the course is offered through Distance Learning, students will have phone and e-mail conferences with instructor to discuss their work throughout the semester. |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II: "Gay & Lesbian Literature" |
| Description: |
This course focuses on the fiction of gay and lesbian writers, including biographical background. The course is arranged chronologically to provide an overview of gay and lesbian social history from the 1890s through the 20th century. |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II: "Contemporary Science Fiction " |
|
Description: |
This course focuses on contemporary science fiction, ranging from 1960 to the present. Historically, science fiction has allowed writers to explore imaginative possibilities not possible in more "mainstream" literature, and the genre continues to be a fertile ground for such possibilities. Students will read and analyze a variety of short stories by authors as diverse as Philip K. Dick, Octavia Butler, William Gibson, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Samuel R. Delany. |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II: "Science Fiction " |
|
Description: |
Honors Composition II fulfills the requirements for English 1302 using science fiction and mystery as topics. Students can choose to read stories from either genre or mix the two, while writing fewer but more sophisticated analytical papers than are required in the regular course. Specifics are available at www.austincc.edu/phillips. |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II: "At the Movies" |
| Description: |
Literary interpretive method applied to short fiction and film. |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II: "Nature of Wo/man" |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II: "Texas Writers " |
|
Description: |
Students will read short stories written by Texans and be visited by some of these would-be (or wouldn't be) cowpokes. No need to wear boots, but expect more than a smidgeon of Texas friendliness and fun in class. |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II: "African American Writers " |
| Description: | This course will focus on the African American culture & the seven elements of fiction: central idea, character, conflict, point of view, setting, language, and tone. A rich selection of literature will be discussed, from The Autobiography of Malcolm X to works from contemporary authors, such as Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II: "Ghost Stories" |
| Description: |
Students will read a mix of nineteenth-century and contemporary horror stories from a variety of cultures (Japanese, German, American, Native American, British, Irish and Latin American, for example). Encompassing tales of ghosts, monsters, vampires and other villainous figures, the horror story has offered well known (and some lesser known) authors a powerful way to explore difficult social and psychological issues. Writers as diverse as Edgar Allan Poe, Flannery O'Connor, Octavio Paz, Mary Chomondelay and Franz Kafka have taken advantage of the horror story's force to challenge status-quo thinking. The focus of the course will be to explore how and to what end this special quality of the horror story is achieved. |
| ENGL 2322 | British Literature I: "God Love & War" |
| Description: |
This course examines God, Love, and War (Beowulf through Shakespeare) throughout the medieval and renaissance periods. Emphasizes religions, romance, and conflict. Requirements: project, presentation, and research paper. |
| ENGL 2327 | American Literature I: "Transcendentalism, Art & Science" |
| Description: |
American Literature I will focus primarily on the six American Renaissance authors: Emerson, Hawthorne, Poe, Melville, Thoreau, and Whitman. The class will study selected works by each writer and, discussions will be centered on the authors' views concerning transcendentalism, art, and science. The group will also work together to study all writers' influence on each other. |
| ENGL 2327 | American Literature I: "Women Writers " |
| Description: | Women Writers focuses on literature from oral traditions through the Civil War period. The course covers Native American oral narratives; Hispanic oral narratives and autobiography; Puritan poetry and autobiography; eighteenth-century poetry, fiction, and autobiography; and nineteenth-century poetry, fiction, autobiography, and essays on gender, class and race. |
| ENGL 2328 | American Literature II: "Music & Literature" |
| ENGL 2328 | American Literature II: "The Dirty 30's " |
| Description: |
Emphasis on depression era writers and agrarian themes with a walking tour of 1930's architecture. |
| ENGL 2328 | American Literature II: "Journeys into America" |
| Description: |
One way we might characterize 'travel literature' would be to say that it comprises polite letters the wealthy and leisured classes write to their friends or to the public about their exotic 'adventures' abroad. Well, that's not what this class is about. Rather, in this course we will examine writings, films, and songs about real and fictional people who are moving about America in search of something. They might be running to something, running from something, seeking knowledge and insight, pursuing a spiritual or carnal quest, or just goofing around. We will examine the variety of reasons why people move about in America and consider how the outward physical journey could be a manifestation of a more private inward journey. Authors range from Cabeza de Vaca to Mark Twain to Jon Krakauer to Cormac McCarthy to Aretha Franklin and the Dixie Chicks. |
| ENGL 2332 | World Literature I: Tales of Epic Heroism |
|
Description: |
This World Literature I class focuses on heroes as portrayed in ancient and medieval texts, comic books, and one twentieth century film. The primary focus is the ancient world, but with each text examined, we will explicitly compare the values shown and emphasized with those of 21 st century America. |
| ENGL 2333 | World Literature II |
| Description: |
World Literature II Honors is an opportunity for students to develop their own reading lists for the course, to participate in reader's theatre and poetry readings, and to work collaboratively in a less structured environment than the regular classroom. Students have much more to say about what they learn and how they demonstrate their learning and are free to propose alternatives to the assignments. Grading is by portfolio and emphasizes the students' assessments of what they learned, rather than the professor's assessment. |
| ENGL 2342 | Introduction to Literature: "Gay & Lesbian Literature " |
| ENGL 2342 | Introduction to Literature: "American Indians" |
| Description: | In this course, students will practice the analytical/interpretive skills learned in Composition II by reading and writing about Native American literature in the short story, novel, drama and poetry genres. Readings will include works by twentieth-century writers such as Joy Harjo, Louise Erdrich, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Sherman Alexie to name but a few. Also included will be works by nineteenth-century writers such as John Oskison and Gertrude Simmons Bonnin. Additionally, students will view documentaries and read non-fiction essays by Native American scholars for background information and critical interpretation. The course will focus on Native American fictional themes— including religion and spirituality, heritage and tradition, identity and alienation, and on techniques—including narrative fragmentation, shifting narrative perspectives, and humor. |
| ENGL 2342 | Introduction to Literature: "Reader's Choice |
| Description: | Students choose their own readings from a variety of selections and choose their own assignments from a number of suggestions. The course fulfills the requirements for English 2342 by introducing the students to short story, novel, drama, and poetry. Details are found at www.austincc.edu/phillips. |
| ENGL 2342 | Introduction to Literature: "Texas Writers" |
| Description: | Students will read Horseman, Pass By, by Larry McMurtry and Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter. The class will also look at poetry and songs written by Texans and be visited by some of these would-be (or wouldn't-be) cowpokes. No need to wear boots, but expect more than a smidgeon of Texas friendliness and fun in class. |
| GOVT 2305 | U.S. Government: "Democracy, Film and Literature" |
| Description: |
This honors course will incorporate classic literature and film to help highlight the ongoing American struggle for democracy. Students will examine how individuals and groups of citizens in America compete with powerful political and societal forces in an effort to enhance the realization of our democratic principles. We will study the three key features of American democracy: rule by the people, liberty, and equality. Also, some contrast will be made with societies essentially devoid of freedom or individualism. The dramatic presentations that come from literature and film should help the student better understand and appreciate the degree to which politics affects our lives. |
| GOVT 2305 | U.S. Government: "Election '04: Running for the White House " |
| Description: | Since this is a presidential election year, we will make the quadrennial race for the presidency the focus of our course as we examine the framework for understanding U.S. government and politics as well as the constitutional basis for and the processes, institutions, and policies of U.S. government and politics. The course will incorporate a variety of learning activities, including in-class projects in which students will work collaboratively, research projects that students complete on their own, class discussions based on textbook readings, class simulations, and traditional lectures. |
| GOVT 2305 | U.S. Government: "Globalization & U.S. Politics Post 9-11" |
| Description: | This course offers an indepth analysis of the current international political and economic structure and its impact on U.S. government and politics. Topics covered include the impact of globalization on U.S. policy on jobs and the economy, the connection between U.S. foreign policy and terrorism, the impact of the WTO and NAFTA on U.S. democracy, and the relationship between U.S. law and international law, such as the Geneva Convention. |
| GOVT 2305 | U.S. Government: "The American Presidency " |
| Description: | This course seeks to explore the nature and operations of the modern presidency. We will examine how the presidency has changed throughout our history but we will focus primarily on the roles, expectations, tools, and limitations of modern presidents, especially post-September 11th. The goal of this course is to examine the fundamental elements of the political system while also discussing some of the timeless questions related to the presidency, including "What is the presidency for?" "How is presidential power used?" "How much presidential power is enough?" "How has the presidency as an institution changed?" "What sort of person makes a good president?" |
| GOVT 2306 | Texas State and Local Government: "A Hands on Guide" |
| HIST 1301 | History I: "Evolution of the U.S. Economy " |
|
Description: |
This course is designed to provide a survey of U.S. History focusing on business, labor, and economic history from 1607 to 1877. It addresses themes such as the nature and chronology of American economic growth, business strategies in the face of changing markets, foreign trade relations, labor relations, the role of government in the economy, the nature of workforce participation with regard to race, class, gender, and ethnicity, and the development of the financial, transportation and communication infrastructure, the origins of manufacturing and factory production, and changing business/marketing strategies. The emphasis will be on analyzng the interactions of economic developments on business and labor strategies. |
| HIST 1301 | History I: "American Indians" |
| HIST 1302 | History II: "Evolution of the American Economy " |
|
Description: |
This course is designed to provide a survey of U.S. History focusing on business, labor, and economic history from 1877 to the 1980s. It addresses themes such as the nature and chronology of American economic growth, business strategies in the face of changing markets, foreign trade relations, labor relations, the role of government in the economy, the nature of workforce participation with regard to race, class, gender, and ethnicity, and the development of the financial, transportation and communication infrastructure, the development of manufacturing and factory production, the role of research facilities, changing business/marketing strategies, and the transition to a service sector economy. The emphasis will be on analyzng the interactions of economic developments on business and labor strategies. |
| HIST 1302 | History II: "America and the World in Film/Print" |
|
Description: |
As with all US History II courses, this class will address the principal themes of modern US history since 1877. But US History II: America and the World will take advantage of the honors format to also examine in detail the role of America in world affairs and, in turn, the influence of the world on life in the United States. To make sense of such a sweeping view of history, the class will concentrate on four distinct but interrelated periods: 1877-1920, 1920-1945, 1945-1989, & 1989-Present. |
HIST 1302GOVT 2306 |
History/Government: "The Political Transformation of Texas: 1930 - Present" |
| Description: | To state the obvious, the Lone Star State has undergone a political revolution over the course of the last two generations. As completely and solidly Democratic as any state in the nation throughout most of its history, Texas is today a Republican stronghold. Nonetheless, our political culture, party affiliation notwithstanding, remains essentially unchanged. This course examines and seeks to explain this seeming contradiction. Major topics include: (1) the historic attachment to both the tenets of Jeffersonian Republicanism/Jacksonian Democracy and the Democratic party, (2) the Depression-era transformation of the national Democratic party and the resultant fissures in Texas Democracy, (3) the internecine struggles between ideological factions between 1940 and 1970, (4) the tortuously slow emergence of a viable Republican opposition as part of a larger regional realignment, (5) the role of race and class in the transformation of Texas politics, and (6) the state’s current partisan picture and conjecture about the likely future. |
| HUMA 1301 | Introduction to Humanities |
| MATH 1332 | College Mathematics: "The History of Mathematics" |
| PHIL 1301 | Introduction to Philosophy |
| Description: |
In the honors philosophy course, we will look even more deeply at the problem of interpretation, and I will show how interpretation is involved even in the act of translating philosophical texts. I will give some examples of the difficulties of translating, for instance, Aristotle's Greek, and I have several examples of translations in different periods that "read into" Aristotle's Greek the concerns and perhaps prejudices of the day. |
| PHIL 2306 | Ethics |
| PSYC 2301 | Introduction to Psychology |
| Description: |
The course is an in-depth introduction to the science and profession of psychology. Students will develop a foundation of psychological concepts to prepare them for further study in specific areas of psychology. Topics covered include neurobiology, sensation and perception, life span development, states of consciousness, learning, memory, intelligence, motivation, stress and health, personality, psychopathology, therapies, and social psychology. When compared with non-honors sections of introductory psychology, there will be more of an emphasis on developing oral and written communication skills, especially as they relate to understanding research. More attention also will be paid to group dynamics and debate of controversial issues. |
| PSYC 2314 | Human Growth and Development |
| Description: |
The course is an in-depth study of the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social factors in human development from conception to death. There will be an emphasis on understanding people at various stages of development in order to interact with them more effectively. When compared with non-honors sections of human growth and development, there will be more of an emphasis on developing oral and written communication skills, especially as they relate to understanding and conducting research. More attention will also be paid to group dynamics and debate of controversial issues. The course is especially well suited for students interested in pursuing careers in the healthcare, helping, and education professions. |
| PHYS 1401 | General College Physics I |
|
Description: |
The course has many more applications of physics concepts than a traditional course. Physics content is the same as regular Physics 1401, but with many applications from recent editions of the New York Times and Austin American Statesman. Traditional treatment of basic physics concepts as: Kinematics, Newton's Laws, Work and Energy, momentum, rotational dynamics, properties of materials and fluids, gas laws, heat, waves and sound is enhanced by the web based applications. |
| SOCI 1301 | Introduction to Sociology |
| SOCI 2301 | Marriage and the Family |
| SPAN 1511 | Spanish I |
|
Description: |
In the honors spanish course, students will give mini-presentations in simple Spanish and create a reading portfolio of Internet articles based on course vocabulary. Students will also view and discuss three subtitled, Spanish-language movies that introduce and illustrate cultural and historical concepts pertinent to the course material. |
| SPCH 1311 | Introduction to Speech: "Culture & Communication" |
| Description: |
This course will focus on Cultural Identity, Belonging, Intercultural Competence, Xenophobia, and Intercultural Communication through a series of projects, readings, class discussion, and exercises. |
| SPCH 1315 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking: "Social Movements, Politics, Human Rights" |
|
Description: |
This course will focus on the study of human rights, social movements and the fundamentals of public speaking. Students will study the rhetorical artifacts of the major social movements of the 20th century and current events, including: Civil Rights Movement, Labor Movements, Women Movements, Environment Movements, and Animal Rights Movements. Students will examine historical artifacts such as the Magna Carta, U.S. Declaration of Independence, France's Declaration of the Rights of Man and how these influenced the developed of the writing of United Nation's Declaration of Human Rights. Speech artifacts will be read from renowed social leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela. Students will also study various national and cultural and aspects of different social movements within the last century. |
| SPCH 1318 | Interpersonal Communication |
| Description: |
Interpersonal Communication is the study of the theory and practice of one-to-one communication behavior, including a study of interpersonal communication theory, listening skills, verbal and nonverbal communication, relationship development and maintenance, and conflict management techniques. Emphasis is on the development of skills that aid in increasing communication competence in daily interpersonal interactions. Note : The films used in the Interpersonal Communication Honors course are rated R, PG-13, or PG. The R rating is assigned due to strong language and adult themes. Some films may contain material that is potentially objectionable. All film titles on the calendar are subject to change, depending upon availability. |
Old Schedules:
Summer/Fall 2004 Course List (PDF)
Spring 2004 Course List (PDF)
Fall 2003 Honors Course List (PDF)
For Questions or Comments, contact: honors@austincc.edu
Last updated: 07/17/2008