Ohio University faculty are invited to attend the first annual “Themes Fest” on Nov. 5 from 2-4 p.m., in the Nelson Commons Reception Area.
Themes Fest provides an update on the curricular themes initiative launched in the College of Arts & Sciences last spring. [See A&S Faculty Bring Curricular Themes to Life.]
“It will also be a chance to broaden participation, and we encourage you to join the conversation on Nov. 5,” says Dr. Robert Frank, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University.
“At Themes Fest, you can hear more about the themes that are under development and learn how you can participate in existing themes and contribute to the development of new thematic areas,” he adds. The event is designed to facilitate small group discussion of various thematic areas following a brief introduction to the themes concept.
“In a nutshell, a theme is composed of a set of interrelated, multi-disciplinary courses and extracurricular activities organized around a topic of importance for the 21st century. Ideally, a theme includes content from the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. However, it is not essential to have representation from each of these domains to have a viable theme.
“In its simplest conception,” Frank says, “a theme is simply a suggested set of related courses and experiences that provide a guide to fulfilling a substantial portion of the breadth of knowledge requirement. Following a theme allows students to explore interdisciplinary study that may or may not be related to their major, and it enables them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In A&S, we have been developing themes in support of our college distribution requirements. More broadly, themes can be designed to support completion of the general education Tier II requirements.”
The following themes are under development and discussion. The name of a faculty contact for each theme is provided.
- Conflict and Cooperation—David Curp, History
- Making and Breaking the Law—Haley Duschinski, Anthropology
- Sustainability—Nancy Manring, Political Science
- Food Studies—Theresa Moran, English
- Wealth and Poverty—Yeong Kim & Edna Wangui, Geography
- Love and Hate (formerly Race and Gender)—Dr. Vincent Jungkunz, Political Science, and Dr. Ayesha Hardison, English
- Knowing the Future (formerly Future Studies) (Knowledge, Uncertainty & Prediction)—Daniel Phillips, Physics
- Humans and Technology: Past, Present and Future—Rosemary Rossiter, Economics
- So, You Want to Change the World: Promise and Peril—Elizabeth Collins & Bill Owens, Classics & World Religions
- Becoming Human—Cory Crawford & Brian Collins, Classics & World Religions
Additional themes are developing, and we welcome you to consider contributions you can make to existing themes or join in designing new themes.
Come and be part of the conversation on Nov 5!
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