Inquiry 1000 is a one credit hour, small group, discussion-based course designed to engage lower division students in the discovery, exploration, and analysis of ideas that faculty members, across a variety of disciplines, study and investigate. This course fulfills the Core Course requirement in Area B.
Each year, INQR 1000 will have a programmatic theme which can be used to create course content. The academic theme is determined using student surveys and faculty input. The theme for 2016-2017 will be "Humans and Heroes”. What is a Hero? Heroes give us wisdom, deliver justice, offer hope, and provide direction. But aren’t all heroes just humans who, given a set of circumstances, have stepped up to solve a problem? INQR 1000 courses will consider various social, economic, health and political problems from numerous perspectives and discuss, as a class, heroic and sometimes controversial solutions.
All courses will be seminar format, 18-20 students per course with an end of term capstone event—INQR EXPO—an academic festival showcasing student work via posters, photos and videos.
At the conclusion of the course, the student will be able to:
Humans & Heroes
INQR Expo
INQR Expo
"The thing I appreciated the most about my INQR class, was the discussions my professors led. It helped me think deeper about the topics we were learning and helped me understand the movies we watched more. I also enjoyed the EXPO because it allowed me to explore the other classes and different topics in a brief period of time."
--Jessie Yuan
"The inquiry is a great way for students to do research and have questions answered on a certain topic. I believe this course will help guide us as students to help solve problems and it is great way to inspire students on what they want to do in the future"
--Kishan Bhagwandas
"Inquiry 1000 is a class designed to enhance the research abilities of new college student while providing them with an enriching learning experience that allows them to obtain insight in prospective careers. This course is valuable due to the fact that it prepares students for real world inquisition, analysis, and communication in areas of their interests."
--Brandon Edwards
Challenging the Single Story: Using Technological Tools to Be Agents of Change
Taught by: Barker
This course utilizes a STEAM approach that is grounded in inquiry to add to the conversation about a selected topic. Students will experiment with various technologies and select one to use as a means of adding to the discourse around a topic.
Don't Stress Bench Press: Exercise and Stress Relief
Taught by: Greene
This course will focus on exercise and stress. Including an overview of how different modes of exercise impact stress and anxiety in both the short term and over extended periods of time. Students will gain valuable knowledge about different components of exercise (i.e., frequency, intensity, time, type) and how to reduce daily stress by incorporating exercise into their routines.
Superman: Defender of Truth, Justice, and the American Way!
Taught by: Johnson
This Inquiry class will look at the significance of the super-hero. Using Superman as a guidepost, the class will investigate what makes a hero “super” and why heroes are needed.
Multicultural Aspects of Food
Taught by: Meyer
This course will introduce the customs, foods and holidays associated with multiple cultures (French, Francophone, German, Latin American, Spanish, Southeast Asian, etc.). Discussions and assignments will address food traditions and role culture plays.
Criminology Goes to the Movies
Taught by: Drescher
What do Psycho, Do the Right Thing, and Scarface all have in common? Criminological theory of course! Students will learn about various criminological theories and then apply those theories to various films.
Charting My Academic Course
Taught by: Evans
Why are you in college? And what do you want to do when you graduate? This course will explore some tough questions and help you to figure out your goals and purpose in college.
Why Poetry?: The Vitality of Verse
Taught by: Harris-Parker
There's more to poetry than Shakespeare and Spoken Word. In this course, students will explore poetry's application to their individual lives, their chosen career fields, and the world around them.
Diagnosing the Dead: A look at zombies through the medical, scientific, and social perspectives.
Taught by: Logue
This class will explore zombies in film and literature and break down the stories from a variety of perspectives.
Freedom of Speech on Campus
Taught by: van Tuyll
This course will examine the role and place of free speech on college campuses; what, if any, limits should be placed on speech; free speech zones; political correctness; and a bit of the history of freedom of speech. We'll read some classic arguments in favor of freedom of speech, and we'll plan a class project that will support Constitution Day in September. Students will also discuss the value of free speech in the American democracy.
Surviving in a Cyber Centric Society
Taught by: Griffith
Protection in a cyber focused society is important. Preventing victimization is the key to taking full advantage of living in a connected world.
Metacognition Strategies; Understanding How I Learn
Taught by: Silva
Metacognition refers to understand the way we learn. It involves thinking before, during, and after a learning mission. Students will learn how they learn and manage their own academic performance.
Charting My Academic Course
Taught by: Evans
Why are you in college? And what do you want to do when you graduate? This course will explore some tough questions and help you to figure out your goals and purpose in college.
Fair and Balanced or Fake News? You Decide!
Taught by: Ginn
Have you ever wondered what news is real and what news is fake? This course will focus on asking questions and evaluating your own biases to asses what information you should trust in news consumption.
Magician Behind The Medicine: Heroes Who Made Healthy Impact on Human Life
Taught by: Mukhopadhyay
Some ground breaking discoveries about physiological functions (like blood types) and pharmaceutical drugs (like penicillin) have saved lives of millions of people. This course will look for the heroes who’s work have impacted the human life forever.
Taste of France
Taught by: Babayan
Taste of France is a course, designed to give students a summary about various aspects of the rich French Culture. During this course we will inquire and explore and reflect, inquire and research various aspects of French culture.
Poetry in Motion: Kinetic Energy in the Arts
Taught by: Heckman and Rust
In this course, students will examine this question: how does an artist, whether literary or visual, examine and represent the beauty of motion? Students will collaborate in creative teams to design and build interactive kinetic sculptures.
Exercise and Sport for Social Change
Taught by: Bennett
This course is designed for students who wish to understand about the diverse roles that sport and exercise can fulfill. A particular focus will be on how exercise and sport interventions can create a positive change.
Bigger, Faster, Stronger, Better: Improving Human Performance
Taught by: Hunt
How can I perform better? Students in this course will explore ways of improving human performance.
The Burnout among Healthcare Providers in Current Era
Taught by: Mehta
This course will inquire about the perception and influence of burnout among different healthcare providers.
Built Environment: Helping or Hindering the Hunt for Health
Taught by: Peritore
The evidence is clear that the world around us has profound impacts on our wellbeing. This class will explore of the different ways that the built environment impacts health and techniques to assess parks and downtown areas.
