Liberal Studies

One-semester project that involves empirical research, library investigation, or an on or off-campus applied learning experience. Regardless of the format, the project will culminate in a significant paper. Course sections are overseen by faculty within each concentration to foster integration of prior coursework, and should be selected in consultation with academic advisors. Required for all liberal studies students.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: WRI1110 Or WRI2110 Or Or

Introduces students to the historical and natural treasures of the Hudson Valley, including the lifeways of Native Americans who lived east of Hudson River, from Rhinebeck to Manhattan. Bound together by a common Wappingers language and sociopolitical system, these progressive indigenous people possessed a different understanding of nature known as traditional ecological knowledge. Coursework includes fieldtrips to relevant sites.

Credits: 2

Introduces interdisciplinary study of politics, socioeconomics, culture, and knowledge diversity on the global stage. Coursework examines the history and theories of globalization, origins of the United Nations as a formative global institution, and the ambitions behind the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students explore the local-global dimensions of relevant topics (i.e., environmental justice, human rights, global health, gender inequality, etc.).

Credits: 3

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: 3

Now more than ever, the world and workplace depends on our collective ability to collaborate across differences. What does collaboration mean and look like as the 21st century advances? Students learn about the benefits and challenges of democratic engagement across fields of study, including organizational leadership, theory of change, civic engagement, community organizing, conflict mediation, and cultural and emotional intelligence.

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 how people across the world interact with water as an indispensable source of all life. Coursework investigates water access and usage across fields (i.e., agriculture, sanitation, industrial production, recreation, cultural purposes). Students explore the politics of water and impact of climate change on the water cycle through the sciences, participatory art, and policy planning.

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

Explores fundamentalist movements and dynamics across time and space, in relation to geopolitics, religion, social psychology and more. What common worldviews and predispositions do political and religious fundamentalists share? How do fundamentalist movements intersect with ethnic, national and political identities? In what ways do intergenerational trauma, endemic violence or protracted warfare, resource scarcity, and social disenfranchisement factor into fundamentalist commitments?

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

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

Examines the intersections between culture, art and coloniality, with emphasis on freedom movements and abolition. How are the arts used as a tool to decolonize the spaces we inhabit and uncover blind spots of colonial legacies? Students explore world settings where art figures prominently in decolonization efforts, contemplating the role of archival documentation, museum collections, and exhibitions for reproducing colonialities.

Credits: 4

Examine the histories and meanings of public art from interdisciplinary perspectives. How does artistic expression intersect with public planning to cultivate civic space and democratic participation? Coursework explores how artists, urban planners and architects of the built environment come together to inform the publics, engage in civics, and create public realms that reflect diverse communities of belonging.

Credits: 4

Bees are instrumental to the preservation of biodiversity and ecological balance. Together with other insects, they pollinate close to three quarters of the plants that produce 90 percent of food worldwide. Students learn about these indispensable creatures from biological, ecological, and sociological perspectives, examining the interspecies relationships surrounding their labor. Coursework includes fieldwork at our campus honey bee hives.

Credits: 4

Students explore contemporary social issues with relevance to their lives in conversation with campus peers. Emphasis is placed on deepening our understandings and experiences of dialogue, and engaging across differences. Coursework includes light readings, screenings, interactive activities, and informal assignments.

Credits: 1

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

PREREQ: LBS2017 Or LBS3017

A seminar that exposes students to the methods and praxis of mentorship in preparation for peer mentorship in the School of Liberal Studies. Coursework introduces creative activities alongside theories of inclusive leadership and community engagement to facilitate peer support systems that complement academic programming. Participants meet weekly for guidance and to exchange experiences, identify challenges, and refine best practices.

Credits: 3