The Core: Academics
The Core curriculum at Champlain College merges two distinct approaches to traditional academics-a comprehensive liberal arts program and interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The result is a rich experience that combines academic rigor, self-exploration, and local and global awareness, preparing twenty-first century students to live rich lives and enjoy satisfying careers.
First Year:
Individual and Community (12 Hours)
First-year students take Concepts of the Self (fall semester) and Concepts of Community (spring semester). They study in linked learning communities, cohorts of twenty students who share two Core faculty members. Employing the Inquiry Method, these small discussion-based classes emphasize critical thinking skills and reflective learning. Each Concepts course is paired with a Rhetoric course.
Fall Semester
COR-110 CONCEPTS OF THE SELF
How are contemporary developments in art, literature, psychology, and science challenging our traditional notion of what it means to be human? Students will have the chance to explore how these fields approach questions about humanity and individuality as they begin to build an interdisciplinary perspective on their own lives. They will study texts and artifacts from multiple disciplines as they learn about different ways in which the self is understood, lived, and expressed.COR-115 RHETORIC I
Students learn rhetorical strategies to read and write in response to academic texts in various disciplines. Thematically linked to the first Core course, this course teaches students to engage with ideas and work through difficult texts by posing meaningful questions and analyzing both what a text says and how it says it. Students learn to use writing to think deeply and to communicate effectively through summaries, paraphrases, analyses, and critiques.
Spring Semester
COR-120 CONCEPTS OF COMMUNITY
In the age of instantaneous and open communication, economic globalism, and intercontinental travel, never has the question of the possibilities and limits of human community been more important. What are the practices and institutions that bind us together? What are the structures of communities, and how do these limit and define us as individuals? Exploring such questions through the disciplines of history, philosophy, and economics, students will develop an interdisciplinary perspective on community in the modern world and their place in it.COR-125 RHETORIC II
Building on the skills learned in Rhetoric I, this second-semester course teaches students to develop and support opinions based on critical reading and discussion of interesting and diverse texts into effectively written and researched arguments. Students continue to learn strategies for writing essays that are clear, coherent, comprehensive, creative, concise, and correct for a specific audience and purpose.
Second Year:
The Western Tradition (12 Hours)
Through a sequence of four courses, students study the shaping influence of Western thought on science, religion, art and music, and politics.
Fall Semester
COR-210 SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS
The challenges of the 21st century demand an understanding of the nature and limitations of scientific thinking, the place of science within society, and its relationship to other forms of human thought and expression such as religion, art, and literature. This course will examine three major transformations of scientific ideas and their social and historical context, and will help students gain a broad understanding of the relationship of scientific ideas to other forms of thought and expression. Paired with COR 220.COR-220 AESTHETIC EXPRESSIONS
What is art? What is beauty? How do works of visual art, literature, and music express both traditional and revolutionary ideas? This course will explore the nature of artistic and literary expression in the Western tradition. Students will analyze and discuss major accomplishments of Western culture to discover how the arts function both as the expression of cultural ideals and as a force of challenge and transformation. Paired with COR 210.
Spring Semester
COR-230 THE SECULAR AND THE SACRED
What does God have to do with anything? Everything, or nothing-both answers have deep roots in the Western tradition. This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the influence of religion and religious institutions on Western society from the earliest roots of the Judeo- Christian tradition through the modern era. The course focuses on the way religion and reactions to religion have shaped personal, political, social, and cultural institutions and practices in the West. Paired with COR 240.COR-240 CAPITALISM AND DEMOCRACY
The 20th century saw the international triumph of the twin pillars of modern Western life: capitalism and democracy. The 21st century problems of globalism, environmental degradation, and terrorism, however, pose unique challenges to these institutions. This course will study the origins and development of our primary ideals of social organization. Students will actively engage questions about the value and future of capitalism and democracy while learning about its past. Is private property a fundamental right? What are the contemporary threats - internal and external - to democracy? In what ways do capitalism and democracy succeed and fail to provide for social justice? Paired with COR 230.
Third Year:
Global Themes (12 Hours)
Because international study is transformative and provides lifelong insight into the world in which we live, third-year students will take two courses in common (COR 310 and COR 320) and will also take two courses that explore a particular region. For the Class of 2011, the regional focus for the two-course sequence will be the Middle East; for the Class of 2012, the regional focus for the two-course sequence will be China.
Students who choose to spend a semester at a Champlain Abroad campus will take two place-based cultural courses in addition to COR 310 and COR 320. Students who choose to study abroad through a third-party program will be required to choose from a pre-approved list of institutions that have place-based cultural courses that will substitute for the two-course sequence. They will also take COR 310 and COR 320.
COR-310 GLOBAL STUDIES I: TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT
The expansion of the global economy and the widespread introduction of advanced technologies and practices across the globe have brought sweeping changes to the world. This course looks at the positive and negative effects of those changes, with particular attention to the interaction of technology, culture, and human rights. In COR 320 students examine how people across a wide spectrum of cultures contextualize human rights, and in this course they study how economic development and advanced technology is affecting those cultures and what effect that has on the concept and practice of human rights.COR-320 GLOBAL STUDIES II: HUMAN RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The very concept of human rights challenges us to learn about the different values people hold around the world, to try to make sense of values different from our own, and to wonder whether it is even possible (or appropriate) to think there are fundamental rights that apply to all people everywhere. This course also challenges us to look at contemporary human rights issues as they are actually developing in the world around us. Particular topics might include food and famine relief, rule of law issues, freedom of information and expression, gender equality issues, immigration, economic justice, or genocide.COR-330 STUDIES IN CHINA
FALL 2012
COR 330 OFFERINGS
COR-330-01: SHANGHAI
Lee McIsaac
T/TH 3:30-4:45
For almost 100 years, Shanghai has been China’s most cosmopolitan, modern and westernized city. This interdisciplinary course explores its emergence as a major industrial and financial center in the 1920s, the impact of war and revolution, and the urban renaissance and that has been underway in recent decades. Using literature, images, film, multimedia resources and a range of texts, we will examine the ways in which the various social groups that have lived in Shanghai (foreigners, factory workers, capitalists, gangsters, artists, urban planners and entrepreneurs, etc.) have shaped its development, the city’s relationship with the rest of China, and its role on the broader global stage.
COR-330-02: HISTORY OF WOMEN IN CHINA
Ann Clark
T/TH 3:30-4:45
This course will look at the history of women in China by using a series of novels, non-fiction works, poetry, and articles focusing on the lives of women in China. Topics such as women’s roles over the centuries, migration patterns, and the current adoption patterns in China will be stressed. This is a course designed for students who enjoy reading, and synthesizing women’s history in a country that has struggled with the value of women.
COR 330-03: BUDDHISM
David Kite
T/F 11:00-12:15
This course will focus on a variety of themes surrounding Buddhist philosophy and practice. These may include study of classic Buddhist texts and persons, a review of the origins and development of Buddhism, an examination of Buddhist practices, and a survey of the impact of Buddhist attitudes on life and culture in East Asia today.COR 330-04: BUDDHISM
David Kite
T/F 9:30-10:45
This course will focus on a variety of themes surrounding Buddhist philosophy and practice. These may include study of classic Buddhist texts and persons, a review of the origins and development of Buddhism, an examination of Buddhist practices, and a survey of the impact of Buddhist attitudes on life and culture in East Asia today.COR-330-05: CHINA’S WILD WEST
Kerry Noonan
M 12:30-1:45/W 9:30-10:45
Did you know THAT China has 55 ethnic minority groups, mostly located in its western regions? As China expanded westward and southward, a large number of culturally distinct groups have become “Chinese.” In this course we will explore folklore in order to understand how these peoples are attempting to preserve their customs, ride the Chinese economic rollercoaster, and modernize without losing their identities. Similar issues are faced by other ethnic minorities around the globe. Tourism – is it good or bad? Traditional languages – should they be learned or forgotten? Is being different an asset or liability?COR-330-06: HOLDING UP HALF THE SKY: WOMEN IN CHINA
Fred Koch
T 5:00-8:15
The course will explore women’s evolving roles and statuses in China since the Communist Revolution. As the political and cultural agendas shifted since then so too have the experiences and recognition of women. In some ways they gained social and economic status; in other ways they took ‘the great leap’ backwards. The course will look at these shifts and where Chinese women currently stand as the country’s population shifts from a rural, village environment to a rapidly evolving urban one.COR-330-07: HOLDING UP HALF THE SKY: WOMEN IN CHINA
Fred Koch
T/TH 2:00-3:15
The course will explore women’s evolving roles and statuses in China since the Communist Revolution. As the political and cultural agendas shifted since then so too have the experiences and recognition of women. In some ways they gained social and economic status; in other ways they took ‘the great leap’ backwards. The course will look at these shifts and where Chinese women currently stand as the country’s population shifts from a rural, village environment to a rapidly evolving urban one.COR-330-08: THE BIRTH OF MODERN CHINA – FROM EMPIRE TO COMMUNISM AND BEYOND
Rob Williams
M/TH 8:00-9:15
This COR 330 course is an immersion in modern Chinese history, media, and culture, with a focus on the past century's tumultuous political and economic changes within China. We'll begin our journey with the 1911 Revolution and the collapse of the Empire, explore the multi-decade civil war between Nationalists and Communists, Communism's coming to China with the "Cult of Mao," and 20TH century reformers' attempts to challenge PRC authority, culminating in the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising in Beijing. Our course will also emphasize cross-cultural study with new digital media tools (blogging, social media platforms), and explore how these tools can be used to collaborate and come to a deeper understanding of a culture and a place very different from their own. Upon completion of this course, students will have a basic understanding of the unique qualities of Chinese culture, an appreciation for China's complex and varied histories, and will have spent 8 days on the ground in China in an intensive immersion experience designed to provide students with a first-hand look, up close and personal, at Chinese history, culture, and contemporary society. We'll be reading Peter Hessler's RIVER TOWN, Dai Sijie's BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS, Rob Gifford's CHINA ROAD, and James Fallows' POSTCARDS FROM THE FUTURE, as well as screening the Longbow Group's documentary films on Mao's Cultural Revolution and "The Gate of Heavenly Peace," which chronicles the 1989 Tiananmen uprising.
**This course has a required travel component and accompanying fee. Permission of instructor required.COR-330-09: CUT TO THE CHASE: CHINA’S CULTURAL UPHEAVAL CAUGHT ON FILM
Erik Esckilsen
W/F 3:30-4:45
The first film was shown in China in 1896, only one year after the first film ever was shown in Paris. Over the century-plus since, Chinese filmmakers have borne witness to China’s tumultuous (re)evolution. From the “Hollywood East” days of 1920s Shanghai cinema to the Communist propaganda films of Mao Zedong’s regime to today’s art-house gems, Chinese film has focused on human experience amidst awesome forces of change. Students in this course will examine China’s rise to 21st-century global power – and cinematic powerhouse – through a blend of written texts and captivating documentary and narrative films from and about China.COR-330-10: CHINA RISING? MYTHS AND REALITIES ABOUT 21ST CENTURY CHINA
Rob Williams
M/TH 9:30-10:45
The past 20 years have seen China emerge on the world stage as a major economic and political powerhouse. Western observers have spilled plenty of pixels both celebrating and lamenting China's rise. But what is 21st century China really like? This course will explore myths and realities of 21st century China, with a specific focus on exploring the contrast between life and culture on China's "Gold Coast" and the interior of the country, and considering the economic and political relationship between China and the West. In addition to using a wide variety of online resources, we will read Martin Jacques' WHEN CHINA RULES THE WORLD, James Fallows' POSTCARDS FROM THE FUTURE, and Rob Gifford's CHINA ROAD.COR-330-11: GODS, GHOSTS, AND ANCESTORS
Kerry Noonan
M 2:00-3:15
W 11:00-12:15
Hungry ghosts, ancestor worship the Kitchen God, Guanyin, Buddhism, feng shui – are you interested in these? In this course we will examine the supernatural in China, looking at religions like Buddhism and Daoism as well as new religions such as Falung Gong. We will also consider supernatural beliefs, such as ghost tales, and ideas about the dead. How have these beliefs survived under half a century of official atheism? Now that religion is somewhat tolerated in China, what directions is it taking today?COR-330-12: CUT TO THE CHASE: CHINA’S CULTURAL UPHEAVAL CAUGHT ON FILM
Erik Esckilsen
W/F 2:00-3:15
The first film was shown in China in 1896, only one year after the first film ever was shown in Paris. Over the century-plus since, Chinese filmmakers have borne witness to China’s tumultuous (re)evolution. From the “Hollywood East” days of 1920s Shanghai cinema to the Communist propaganda films of Mao Zedong’s regime to today’s art-house gems, Chinese film has focused on human experience amidst awesome forces of change. Students in this course will examine China’s rise to 21st-century global power – and cinematic powerhouse – through a blend of written texts and captivating documentary and narrative films from and about China.COR-330-13: SCIENCE AND SOCIETY IN CHINA
Chuck Bashaw
W/F 2:00-3:15
In this course we will explore the place of science in the Chinese tradition. In the first part of the course we will focus on ancient Chinese ideas about humanity and the universe and their continuing legacy in Chinese and Global culture. In the second we will take a look at key developments in Chinese science in cultural context prior to the modern era. In the third we will consider the interaction of traditional Chinese and Western ideas about the world in the modern period.COR-330-14: CHINESE JOURNEYS
Gary Scudder
M/W 5:00-6:15
Despite its current headlong rush into globalization, few nations have had a more tortured relationship with change and the outside world than China. For centuries China stood unchallenged as the world’s great nation and paid little attention to the outside world. One of the first, and maybe the most famous, attempts to connect with the broader world was the 7th century journey of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang to India, which was later immortalized In the epic novel Journey to the West. Using the novel as its foundation, this interdisciplinary course will examine the monk’s journey, the Silk Road, the interplay between history and literature, the ethnic and economic make-up of western China, and the Chinese attitude towards change through literary, historical and societal lenses.COR-330-15: CHINA 2020
Craig Pepin
T/F 11:00-12:15
To many Americans, China is the source of much of our stuff and where our jobs appear to be headed. Its factories are booming, its influence in world affairs is growing, and – don’t look now, but it just became the second largest economy in the world. What’s the source of this dramatic rise and is it sustainable or inevitable? We’ll examine the peculiar mix of capitalism and communism that is known as the “China Model,” and uncover some of the hidden obstacles potentially slowing China’s rise in the years ahead. Instead of a historical look, this course will be future-oriented, examining the trends in politics, economics and the environment that will help us answer the question: Where will China be in the year 2020?
Professional Writing work created by student Erin Gleeson