Liberal Studies

Introduces students to the historical, artistic, and natural treasures of the Hudson River Valley. Students experience the Valley's historical and natural development from multiple disciplinary lenses. Sites may include: Jay Homestead, Marshlands Conservancy, Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, St Paul's National Historic Site; Croton Point Park and Gorge Dam; Sunnyside, Philipsburg Manor, Hudson River Museum.

Credits: 2

An interdisciplinary course that examines the way air, ground, and marine transportation is structured and used to move demographically diverse people. Discussions about the role of public participation in planning efforts includes particular attention to youth, minority populations, and people with low income. Programs to increase participation from people traditionally under-heard in planning processes are examined and proposed.

Credits: 4

The modern conception of health and its resulting issues are examined from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include the origins of emerging health and related public policy issues; the impact on the local, national, and global economy and educational systems; national security; preventive efforts; and approaches to planning policy that address these health challenges now and in the future.

Credits: 4

An interdisciplinary course that examines physical aspects of the world’s water, from oceans and rivers to streams and ponds. Noting the role that water plays in ecosystems and social systems provides the basis for further exploration into the history of use, contamination, and protection. The physical and chemical properties of water provide the basis for questions of safety and sustainability.

Credits: 4

Food preferences differ culture by culture. This interdisciplinary course explores practices and politics of food production, consumption, and regulation locally and globally. After taking a historic look at how food practices have changed, students examine microbial and chemical agents that may contaminate food supplies and learn practical considerations for preventing food scarcity and contamination on small and large scales.

Credits: 4

Contemporary culture cannot be adequately understood without considering the impact of religious extremism. While other factors play a role, it is religious passions that fuel the jihadist movement in the Islamic world, incite violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, and amplify culture wars between secular and religious forces in the U.S. This course examines the root causes of such cultural phenomena, asking whether fundamentalism can exist in modern society without leading to bloodshed.

Credits: 4

This interdisciplinary course examines ethical, technical and workplace issues surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). By discussing conceptual dilemmas about human-AI interaction from science fiction, TV and film, considering the rise of workplace automation, and exploring specific cases from self-driving cars to intelligent systems that (un)lock front doors and control household items within the internet of things, students tackle policy implications.

Credits: 4

This course will examine the meanings and determinants of happiness from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, including cultural anthropology, economics, and psychology. Coursework will combine sociocultural and economic analyses with scientific research from the field of positive psychology regarding the psychosocial and neuropsychological nature of happiness, including how positive emotions influence cognition, health, wealth and social relations.

Credits: 4

This course emphasizes the importance of integrating interdisciplinary perspectives in problem-solving, as well as combining academic and experiential learning in confronting real-world challenges. Students will reflect on the meanings and purpose of higher education as a community of learners, will engage in a variety of activities designed to strengthen academic skills, and will address contemporary social issues from cross-disciplinary perspectives.

Credits: 4

Explores the meanings and definitions of ability and disability. Students examine genealogies of ‘disability’ in the United States and cross-culturally from historical, legal, and sociocultural perspectives. Representations of disability in art history, museums, and theatre and film are critically analyzed in efforts to move toward diverse and inclusive understandings of human ability and universal design principles.

Credits: 4

Provides a broad view of migration from multiple disciplinary perspectives, at multiple scales of analysis (local-global), and across geopolitical space. Explore how migration intersects with development, environment, security, and identity. A central concern includes how such sociopolitical considerations vis-a-vis migration, in turn, impact and fashion our sense of responsibility for the global commons.

Credits: 4

Explore the sociopolitical dimensions of the arts across diverse creative outlets. Students examine art in relation to the politics of power in society, and engage the activist dynamics of artistic expression with regards to persistent forms of inequality and oppression.

Credits: 4

How do energy systems and our energy choices affect anthropogenic climate change across the global north and south? This course examines the technological, sociopolitical, and cross-cultural dimensions of energy use, and their implications for the environment, human life and non-human life. Students explore alternative sources of energy, with particular emphasis on sustainable policy and governance at the local level.

Credits: 4

Housing is a basic necessity of life yet the most costly expenditure for most U.S. households. It configures the well-being of individuals and families in fundamental ways, affecting everything from daily quality of life to (in)equality of opportunity. Students examine the sociopolitical and cultural implications of housing for individuals, families and communities, with a view toward sustainable living.

Credits: 4

Humans have produced waste since the days of genus Homo, with approximately 102 tons of refuse accumulated by the average U.S. individual today. What can we learn from the waste of past and contemporary societies using household archeology and garbology? Students explore life through the lens of waste, examining such topics as pollution, waste management, consumer capitalism, and environmental justice.

Credits: 4

Questions of justice are as old as civilization and involve historically and culturally contingent processes. How do we understand justice in light of widening disparities between groups of people across contemporary societies? Students examine how definitions of justice are interpreted, mediated and put into practice, particularly as part of public policy and the social institutions that structure our lives.

Credits: 4

A course that examines the meanings of belonging in relation to identity formation, group membership, social institutions, regional and national boundaries, sociocultural practices, and natural ecosystems. Topics include nationalism, kinship, race and ethnicity, economy and class, gender and sexuality, and the environment. Students explore the concept of a global commons and its role in forging a sense of global collective belonging.

Credits: 4

A course that examines the concepts, practices, experiences and theory of leisure and play as part of human existence, and their role in cultivating vision and innovation. The essential function of leisure and play in the human lifecycle is explored, including cross-cultural perspectives on their importance for allaying fears, maintaining hope, envisioning possibilities, and creating pathways toward invention.

Credits: 4

Examines intersections between communication technology, media and political power. Can media maintain its function in producing informed, democratic members of society who hold governments accountable during a time when the lines between fact and fiction are blurred? Students contemplate how the transforming practices of social media alter the meanings of civic engagement, public awareness, and democratic governance.

Credits: 4

How we treat animals reveals a great deal about who we are, as a society and species. This course examines intersections between animals, humans and society from multiple perspectives (ecology, history, sociology, literature). Using text, media, documentaries and photojournalism, students explore contemporary topics, including animal intelligence and emotions, biodiversity and keystone species, animals in captivity, and zoonotic disease (i.e., Coronavirus).

Credits: 4

This seminar will prepare students to select among research methods to examine and address a challenging social problem from multiple angles and perspectives for their capstone. By conducting a comprehensive literature review, students explore disciplinary connections and compile reflections within an e-portfolio. They will draft a field-based research proposal that addresses one complicated contemporary issue.

Credits: 4