This course familiarizes students with the social, economic, psychological, and political issues that challenge contemporary women locally and internationally. It also encourages students to further their personal progress toward understanding and dealing constructively with womens issues. Cross-listed with WMST 100. Prerequisite: any 100-level VUSM or transfer student placement. LDW

Work with a team to explore a realistic, open-ended and multifaceted project under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Tasks may include research, design exploration, design refinement, prototyping, documentation, customer discovery, marketing, or program management. This course provides disciplinary expertise to a capstone engineering project. Consent of instructor required.

Viterbo University was founded in 1890 by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. This entry-level course examines that heritage and what it means to be and behave like a Franciscan. These courses will use the works of Saints Francis, Clare, and Rose of Viterbo as a foundation for exploring the universitys core values of hospitality, integrity, contemplation, stewardship and service. Students may not earn credit for more than one VUSM course at the 100 level. FVT

Students in this seminar will define, identify, and evaluate diverse notions of justice, equity, equality, oppression, discrimination, and prejudice specifically related to diversity. While thinking more broadly about what constitutes a fair and just society, students will build skills in cultural awareness and empathy. The course culminates in a group problem-solving project. Prerequisite: any 100-level VUSM course or transfer student placement. LDW

This seminar is designed to increase students awareness, understanding, and appreciation of diversity, broadly defined (e.g., diversity in race and ethnicity, social class, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and religion). Students will build skills for becoming responsible citizens and advocates for cultural competency. Students will complete course expectations through an intercultural travel experience. Prerequisite: any 100-level VUSM course or transfer student placement and completed study abroad application and approval. LDW

The content of this course focuses on novels written between 1983 and 2004 by women who identify as Caribbean even though they may not live or have been born in that part of the world. All but one of the novels used in the course were originally written in English. I, Tituba was written in French and translated into English. The novels to be read are set in several different countries (Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Antiqua, Cuba); but as Caribbean womens fiction, they share common themes and ways of perceiving the world.

Global Music in a Diverse World raises critical consciousness of diverse populations through the exploration of various musical and cultural traditions from around the world. Examples include Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Ghana, Argentina, Jazz, Gospel and other traditions. These cultures will be studied within the broader context of rituals, memory, migration, politics, transmission, identity and life-cycle events. Students will learn through directed reading, listening, online group discussion, giving online presentations and attending live performances.

At its best, theatre helps us understand who we are; it can explain, examine, ridicule, or celebrate the human condition. Gender is a fundamental aspect of personal and social identity. It is a biological, psychological, and cultural category of paramount importance. In addition, gender is often a criterion for social stratification and differing political treatment, as well as a favored symbol for expressing essential values and beliefs.

Multicultural America Literature addresses questions of cultural difference through analysis of contemporary hyphenated-American narratives by authors such as Toni Morrison and Jhumpa Lahiri. Students will examine how character choices and options are culturally shaped and socially bordered. Against the background of dominant white culture, students will explore the common ground among these cultures-conflicts between genders and generations as well as assimilation pressure. Students will also compare their own cultural identities with those represented in the narratives they analyze.

This writing and reading intensive course provides university transfer students an introduction to the academic and social elements of college. Students will explore what it means to be a critical thinker and a part of the college community. Students will gain an appreciation of the importance of general education within a liberal education. In the exploration of these concepts students will develop the skills to be a successful college student. Restricted to students in the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science program.