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IDS-001–008 Bonner Leaders
This course is designed for Bonner Leaders as an academic complement to their community service work, focusing on the Bonner Common Commitments—civic engagement, community building, diversity, international perspective, and social justice—and providing the students with opportunities for intentional reflection on their service experience. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor. Graded S/U. One hour per week. One semester hour.
IDS-011–012 Sustainability Fellows Course
This course is a required component for Sustainability Fellows Program as an academic complement to their sustainability work. The course will cover directed readings and reflection on topics relating to sustainability theory and practice. Students will work closely with a member of the Office of Sustainability by reading about, discussing, and implementing practices related to sustainability planning. Students will be expected to conduct written and oral assignments in addition to individual practicum. Students may repeat this course for credit. Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Sustainability Fellows Program and permission of the instructor. Graded S/U One semester hour.
IDS-021 Creating Success: Skills for Academic Success in College
Creating Success will provide an opportunity for the student to discuss and critically evaluate strategies and skills for academic success in college. This course will introduce the student to practices that are central to academic and personal success in college. The student will develop strategies and skills needed to facilitate the transition to college expectations, finding and evaluating sources, making and exploring available campus resources to achieve academic and personal success during their time at Ursinus College. Graded S/U. Two semester hours.
IDS-023–028 Resident Advisor Practicum
This course is designed for Resident Advisors as an academic complement to their campus community work. It utilizes a variety of texts to stimulate discussion, reflection, and written work to supplement the practical experiences of the role. The course focuses on the Core curriculum questions as they relate to the RA role, especially what should matter to me and how should we live together. This course is graded S/U. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor. Two hours per week. One semester hour.
IDS-031–37. Peer Educator/Advocate Practicum
This course is designed for Peer Educators and Peer Advocates as an academic complement to their campus service. It focuses on theories related to their role and reflects on their applied understanding throughout the semester by answering the Ursinus Quest questions individually and as a group. This course integrates theory and research in classroom discussion with application and skill development in a professional setting. It seeks to develop the core skills needed to make them a better leader, role model, activist, and team member in a career within the health and social work fields. All students must pass the national exam to become Certified Peer Educators (CPE). Students may repeat this course for credit. Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Peer Advocate or Peer Education programs and permission of the instructor. Graded S/U. One semester hour.
IDS-040. Career and Post-Graduation Planning
This course will introduce a career management model intended to provide the resources and skills necessary to manage decisions about careers, academic major choice, and graduate school planning. Career development theories will be considered within the context of The Four Questions. Students will explore college experiences, interests, skills, and values and learn how to apply self-knowledge to make decisions related to careers and graduate school. The course follows a comprehensive career management model to guide career decision making and development. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Graded S/U. Two hours per week. Two semester hours.
IDS-055. Media on Main – A Student-Run Venture
This course allows students to cooperatively operate Media on Main, an Ursinus digital marketing agency, under the guidance of the Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Through an authentic learning experience, students develop an entrepreneurial mindset that focuses on action and ethical considerations. This work-oriented experiential learning opportunity encourages students to effectively communicate with and be accountable to external stakeholders, collaborate among teams, manage facets of a business, execute project plans independently, create digital media, and use digital tools. This course is open to all students and may be taken more than one time for credit. Graded S/U. One hour per week. One semester hour. (XLP, if taken three times)
IDS-060. Theory and Practice of Pedagogical Partnership
This course is a required component for Teaching and Learning Institute Student Consultant Program as an academic complement to their pedagogical partnerships. The course will cover directed readings and reflection on topics relating to theory and practice of pedagogical partnerships. Students will work closely with the Director(s) of the Teaching and Learning Institute by reading about, discussing, and implementing practices related to pedagogical partnership. Students may repeat this course up to four times for credit toward graduation. Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Teaching and Learning Institute Student Consultant Program and permission of the instructor. Graded S/U. One semester hour.
IDS-089. Science and Mathematics in Society
This course is designed as an interdisciplinary academic component for “Fellowships in the Ursinus Transition to an Undergraduate Research Experience” (FUTURE) students participating in the “Center for Science and the Common Good” (CSCG) summer research program. Topics will include exploration of the intersection of science and mathematics on society. The class will reflect on ethical issues related to research in science and mathematics and on how science and society influence each other. Students will explore how scientists and mathematicians in different disciplines approach research questions and how scientific papers are written. The course meets during the summer and a final paper is due during the fall semester. Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor. Graded S/U. One semester hour.
IDS-095. Topics in Global Film
This course is offered in conjunction with the International Film Festival, which takes place in the Fall Semester. The festival presents six films, one for each of the six languages offered at Ursinus: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. The films are subtitled in English. The festival is usually organized around a theme, such as childhood and adolescence, gender and sexuality, war and conflict, or social justice, but may also present a genre, such as musicals or documentaries. Students are required to attend screenings of all six films, plus one additional film about the theme or topic of the festival, and participate in discussion after each screening. Students are also required to post on a discussion board. This course may be taken more than once for credit. Three hours per week (screening and discussion). Graded S/U. One semester hour. (LINQ)
IDS-099. Topics in Diversity
The exploration of readings, other texts, traditional or not, and activities related to diversity. Sample topics are issues concerning race, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, gender, or religion. This course is graded S/U. One hour per week. One semester hour.
IDS-110. Topics in Interdivisional Studies
This course will focus on a topic that is interdisciplinary in nature and is not covered in a similar fashion in other courses in the curriculum. Topics will vary, and students may repeat course when topics differ. Four hours per week. Four semester hours.
IDS-120. Introduction to American Culture for International Students
This course is to be taken during the first year at Ursinus by foreign students, including exchange students, in order to introduce them to the history, society and culture of the United States and the Philadelphia region. Assignments will provide practice in the structure and style of academic English, including oral and written communication. Limited to international students who are not native speakers of English. This course fulfills the core requirement in language for eligible students if approved by the chair of the Department of Modern Languages. Three hours per week plus one hour of additional work. Four semester hours.
IDS-130. COVID Public Health
Readings on the epidemiology, physiology, sociology, and politics of COVID-19. Ends with the development of guidelines for specific measures to control the spread of COVID-19 on the Ursinus campus, and a personal reflection by each student in the context of the four questions of Ursinus QUEST. Students completing this summer online course will be eligible to participate in a COVID Student Health Corp on campus in the fall and spring semesters. Readings and quizzes over the span of 10 weeks in the summer. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Graded S/U. Two semester hours.
IDS-131. COVID Campus Health Corps
Alumni of IDS-130 will practice experiential learning by engaging in the following activities on campus in cooperation with the office of Student Affairs: educating about and advocating for safe behaviors on campus, monitoring student health (temperature checks), engaging in contact tracing. Occasional readings as appropriate. End-of-term reflection by each student in the context of the four questions of Ursinus QUEST. Three hours per week. Prerequisite: IDS-130. Graded S/U. Can be taken twice. One semester hour.
IDS-140. Career and Post-Graduation Planning
This course will introduce a career management model intended to provide the resources and skills necessary to manage decisions about careers, academic major choice, and graduate school planning. Career development theories will be considered within the context of The Four Questions. Students will explore college experiences, interests, skills, and values and learn how to apply self-knowledge to make decisions related to careers and graduate school. The course follows a comprehensive career management model to guide career decision making and development. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Graded S/U. Two hours per week. Two semester hours
IDS-201, 202, 203. Independent Study
Guided independent study involving more than one academic discipline for sophomores, juniors, seniors and second-semester freshmen. Projects will result in a major paper or creative project. The project proposal requires two faculty sponsors. Four semester hours. (XLP.)
IDS-210. Study Abroad Pre-departure Orientation
This course, required of all students approved by the College to participate in a semester or academic year-long study abroad program, is designed to help students prepare for the academic, intellectual, and personal challenges associated with study abroad. The course meets for 75 minutes per week during the last seven weeks of the semester. Students preparing to study in Japan take EAS-398 in lieu of this course. One semester hour.
IDS/GWSS/PSYC-214. Human Sexuality
A multidisciplinary study of the development and expression of human sexuality through the ages, across cultures, and through the lifespan of the individual. Topics include how is “having sex” defined, sexual anatomy and physiology, sexual behaviors and response cycles, development of gender identity, sexual orientations, relationships, atypical sexual practices, sexual dysfunctions, sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive methods, conception and birth. A working knowledge of sexual intelligence will be developed. Prerequisite: PSYC-100. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
IDS-224. Human Rights and the Korea Experience
Students will explore matters related to human rights in the context of Korean history and culture in this faculty-led program in South Korea. Topics include the philosophy and history of concepts of human rights, human rights abuses and war on the Korean peninsula, rights against torture, women’s and LGBTQ rights, disability rights, reproductive rights, adopted children’s rights, aging people’s rights, and other issues. The course includes visits to relevant sites and institutions. Generally offered over three weeks in May and June. No prerequisites. Four semester hours. (GN, LINQ, XLP.)
IDS/MCS-256. Decoding Science
This course teaches students the art of critically reading primary research articles and translating them into news articles, policy papers and advocacy pieces for non-science audiences. Three hours per week. Four semester hours.
IDS-290. Writing, Pedagogy, and Society
Students will explore theories about how to teach and tutor writing and speaking; how the writing process works; how writing centers can best support students and college communities; and how diverse educational, socio-economic, and linguistic backgrounds affect student learning and writing. Putting theory into practice through hands-on tutoring exercises and/or civic engagement, students will become prepared to work as Writing Fellows, either in the Center for Writing and Speaking or in partnership with faculty in writing-intensive courses. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (SS.)
IDS-301. Directed Readings
This course can be taken either as an individualized tutorial or as a group readings course. Students and faculty collaborate in designing a reading list of interdisciplinary materials and writing projects appropriate to the number of semester hours for which the course is being taken (eight to ten pages of formal and informal writing per credit hour). Permission of instructor required. Two to four semester hours.
IDS/POL-336. Science and the Common Good
This is the core course for the fellows of the Center for Science and the Common Good. It examines the philosophic bases and critique of modern science through the works of such authors as Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. The course also considers the ethical, political, and religious implications of contemporary developments in science such as advancements in genetic and information technologies. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (CCAP, O, SS.)
IDS-381. Internship
Open to juniors and seniors of any major. This internship is of an interdisciplinary nature or otherwise falls outside the student’s major department. Interns must engage a faculty advisor in a relevant department. Other qualifications are the same as for traditional internships. Students must document their experience according to the requirements delineated in the College catalogue section on Internships. Term will be designated by one of the following letters, which will be added immediately after the internship course number, A (fall), B (winter), C (spring) or D (summer). Internships undertaken abroad will be so indicated by the letter XLP. The intern must log a minimum of 120 hours of work. Graded S/U. Three semester hours. (XLP.)
IDS-382. Internship
Open to juniors and seniors of any major. This internship is of an interdisciplinary nature or otherwise falls outside the student’s major department. Interns must engage a faculty advisor in a relevant department. Other qualifications are the same as for traditional internships. Students must document their experience according to the requirements delineated in the College catalogue section on Internships. Term will be designated by one of the following letters, which will be added immediately after the internship course number, A (fall), B (winter), C (spring) or D (summer). Internships undertaken abroad will be so indicated by the letter XLP. The intern must log a minimum of 160 hours of work. Graded S/U. Four semester hours. (XLP.)
IDS-402. What Will I Do?
A multidisciplinary course that asks students to bring to bear, on a special topic, the habits and skills of analysis and constructive thought that they have accumulated through other courses in the core curriculum. Students will bear the responsibility for collaboratively constructing the second half of the syllabus. Open to third- and fourth-year students. Two hours per week. Two semester hours. (CCAP.)
IDS-491. Research/Independent Work
Individual investigation of an interdisciplinary topic. Open to candidates for interdepartmental honors and to other students. Four semester hours. (XLP.)
IDS-492W. Research/Independent Work
Continuation of IDS-491. Four semester hours. (XLP.)
Washington Internship Institute
The Washington Internship Institute (WII) program has three components all of which must be taken concurrently and combine for a total of 14 credits (for the 15-week semester program) or 9 credits (for the 10-week summer program). The academic course forms the theoretical framework for the entire experience and is selected from one of several thematic tracks (IDS-361, 362, 363, 364, or 365). The academic course of the student’s choosing is accompanied by an internship seminar (IDS-360) common to all program participants and is rounded out by an intensive internship placement in a relevant organization (IDS-386).
All WII participants take the following:
IDS-360. Washington D.C Internship Seminar
This course will explore how principles of active global citizenship can both advance your professional and career goals while also enabling you to serve as a leader in a rapidly globalizing community. This seminar is designed for small group interaction, reflection, and peer critiquing in order to enhance communication skills and the professional skills needed to transition from undergraduate course work into career-intensive tasks. At the end of the term, students will document their learning in accordance with the Essential Learning Outcomes described in the American Association of Colleges and Universities Liberal Learning and America’s Promise (LEAP) Initiative by preparing posters to present at the Active Learning and Global Citizenship Forum. Co-requisites: IDS-386 and one of the following: IDS-361, 362, 363, 364, or 365. The term will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the course number: A (fall), C (spring), or D (summer). Graded S/U. Three hours per week. Two credit hours for semester seminar; one credit hour for summer seminar.
All WII participants select one of the following courses which determines the thematic focus and placement options of the internship:
IDS-361. Environmental and Sustainability Policy Studies
This class will examine how the United States’ environmental and energy policies are made; who and what influences policy; and the scope and breadth of some of those policies. While the class will focus on U.S. policy positions on matters such as climate change, energy, and endangered species, the international aspects of these issues cannot be ignored and will also be addressed. Co-requisites: IDS-360 and 386. The term will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the course number: A (fall), C (spring), or D (summer). Graded S/U. Three hours per week. Four credit hours for semester course, two credit hours for summer course.
IDS-362. Global Health Policy Studies
This course offers students the opportunity to look at the issues surrounding global health and the institutions and global structures that actively shape them. Students in this track enjoy close proximity to the National Institutes of Health and the Johns Hopkins University Hospital and will combine their academic study with an internship in the field of global health studies. Co-requisites: IDS-360 and 386. The term will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the course number: A (fall), C (spring), or D (summer). Graded S/U. Three hours per week.Four credit hours for semester course, two credit hours for summer course.
IDS-363. Global Women’s Leadership Development
In this course students will explore assumptions about gender worldwide alongside race, ethnicity, culture, sexuality, class, generation and other aspects of identity and community. Readings draw from texts in anthropology, history, sociology and cultural studies and serve to help students analyze policy papers, advocacy efforts, news media and other sources in order to identify obstacles to women’s equitable global leadership, as well as avenues for encouraging women to be policy leaders. Co-requisites: IDS-360 and 386. The term will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the course number: A (fall), C (spring), or D (summer). Graded S/U. Three hours per week.Four credit hours for semester course, two credit hours for summer course.
IDS-364. Inside Washington: Politics and Policy
This course has three primary goals: (1) to teach students the analytical, statistical, and political skills important for policy analysis; (2) to introduce them to a series of specific policy areas, and (3) to improve policy writing skills in various formats. The work in this course will be similar to that produced in a think tank, but the skills are applicable to a wide range of contexts. Co-requisites: IDS-360 and IDS-386. The term will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the course number: A (fall), C (spring), or D (summer). Graded S/U. Three hours per week.Four credit hours for semester course, two credit hours for summer course.
IDS-365. International and Foreign Policy Studies
This course employs theories and concepts, the study of institutional architecture, and an examination of contemporary and historical issues in order to address questions about the role of the United States, its policies and practices and relations with allies and rivals. A running simulation of the National Security Council will challenge students to synthesize theory and institutions as they make decisions about how to respond to ongoing crises. Co-requisites: IDS-360 and 386. The term will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the course number: A (fall), C (spring), or D (summer). Graded S/U. Three hours per week.Four credit hours for semester course, two credit hours for summer course.
All WII participants pursue a full-time internship. Individual placements are determined by the thematic track selected by the student and are made in consultation with WII staff.
IDS-386. Washington, D.C. Intensive Internship
The Washington Internship Institute’s academic internship program is carefully designed to provide participants with practical, hands-on experience and academically rigorous courses emphasizing public service, leadership, and professional development. Interns spend four full days per week at an internship site in an area of special interest in a government office, nonprofit organizations, or for-profit company. Open to rising juniors and seniors. The term during which the internship work is performed will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the internship course number: A (fall), C (spring), or D (summer). The intern completes 32 hours of work per week. Prerequisites: Students must apply to and be approved to participate in this program by the College committee that oversees it. Contact Career Services to learn how to apply. Co-requisites: IDS-360 and one of the following: IDS-361, 362, 363, 364, or 365. Graded S/U.Eight credit hours for semester internship, six credit hours for summer internship. (XLP.)
IDS-405. Who Do I Want to Be: Reflections on Your Ursinus Education from CIE to CCAP
In this course, students will reflect upon their growth over their time at Ursinus relative to the four questions through re-engagement with some CIE texts as well as with new texts that invite students to think about the purposes and experiences of liberal education. Students will be asked to consider: how has Ursinus helped you to think about your values, who you are, and where you want to go next in your future? In addition to reflecting on Ursinus’s four questions, students will be asked to identify the questions that matter most to them and to think about the experiences that have most shaped them. Graded S/U. Four semester hours. (CCAP.)
IDS/GWSS-441. What Will I Do? Kin and Care
This course is a CCAP that considers “What will I do?” through exploration of families and parenting, and students’ hopes and plans for their own families as they prepare for life after Ursinus. Beginning with a return to select CIE texts, the course then examines the present and future of family life through close readings of texts from the social sciences, journalism, and literary fiction. Themes addressed include climate change, gender and sexuality, labor, race, religion, and violence, among others. Students will reflect on their own desires and concerns regarding family and children, considering how those desires and concerns emerge from their own lived experiences and current social, environmental, and economic conditions. They will also contemplate the kinds of futures, individual and collective, in which they might construct and sustain their own families. Three hours per week. Four semester hours. (CCAP.)