Hey Everyone!
As you’re figuring out your class schedule for next semester, don’t forget to check out the 5 CavEd:Student-Initiated courses offered for the Fall! The courses are all CR/NC, they range from 1-3 credits, and best of all, they’re taught by your peers and friends. The courses can be found under the Interdisciplinary Studies [INST] Department on the SIS. Student Council is proud to present the following Student-Initiated Courses for next semester: The West Wing: Where Hollywood Fantasy and Reality Collide; American Conservatism in the 20th Century; Living Art History: Introduction to Art Business; Political Satire in the New Media Age; and Issues in Contemporary Film and Photography. Course times, instructors, and descriptions are listed below. For more information on these courses or CavEd, check out http://cav-ed.blogspot.com/ or email cavalier.education@gmail.com.
Have a great weekend!
The Student Council Academic Affairs Committee
CavEd Courses Fall 2010
INST 1550-001: The West Wing: Where Hollywood Fantasy and Reality Collide
Mo 3:30PM – 6:00PM: South Lawn (Nau) 341
Student Instructor: Matthew Moran
Faculty Supervisor: David O’Brien
Credits: 3
Authorized Enrollment: 25
This course will compare and contrast the hit television drama The West Wing with its real-life counterpart, the West Wing of the White House. We will seek to examine the accuracy of the show in portraying the challenges faced by staffers of the real West Wing and how the show portrays the American Presidency and how that relates to how Americans view the President and his office. We will discuss our view of the American Presidency and our interpretation of The West Wing on a topic-by-topic basis, covering the most prominent aspects of American Political Development. Selected clips of 5-10 minutes will be shown in every class in an effort to frame the discussion within the context of the show. Knowledge of American Politics and The West Wing will be beneficial, but is not required for this course.
INST 1550-002: American Conservatism in the 20th Century
We 6:00PM – 8:30PM: Monroe Hall 122
Student Instructor(s): Rick Eberstadt, et. al
Faculty Supervisor: Vigen Guroian
Credits: 2.0
Authorized Enrollment: 30
This course is a survey of modern conservative political ideas, with a specific emphasis placed on 20th Century American Conservatism. We will begin with an analysis of its philosophical foundations and expand into the American Founding Fathers. We will then continue through the rise of Libertarianism and Neo-conservatism, concluding with the Compassionate Conservatism of George W. Bush. This course is intended to serve as an introduction to a particular political theory and its critics, addressing topics ranging from the role and scope of government, to fiscal conservatism and capitalism, through religion and morality as they apply to the political sphere. We understand that there is no single “conservative” theory or perspective. Rather it encompasses a broad spectrum of political, economic, moral and social philosophies. We therefore aim in each class to present a topic with a few perspectives, considered by most to be conservative approaches to the topic, and to encourage respectful debate over the strengths and weaknesses of the perspectives.
INST 1550-003: Living Art History: Introduction to Art Business
Tu 5:00PM – 6:30PM: Monroe Hall 114
Student Instructor: Reece Mealy, Courtney Schaefer, Martha Byrd, and Anna Belk
Faculty Supervisor: George Sampson
Credits: 2.0
Authorized Enrollment: 20
While many students at UVa are filled to the brim with art historical knowledge, most are stymied when it comes to applying that knowledge to a career in Art. This course will arm students with a basic knowledge of what the art market is, how it works, and how they can integrate art into their lives after graduation. We will focus on Contemporary art, as this is inherently the most vibrant, active sector of the art market today. This once weekly, multi-faceted course will consist of lectures by UVa faculty from the Arts and Economic fields as well as community arts leaders, field trips to museums and galleries, auction analyses, and explanations of potential career paths. Each class period will consist of a lecture and question and answer session or discussion of readings, unless otherwise specified. The course is geared towards both Art History and Studio Art majors; however, no previous knowledge or experience in art or economics is needed!
INST 1550-004: Political Satire in the New Media Age
Mo 12:00PM – 12:50PM: Bryan Hall 328
Student Instructor: Bri Rizzo and Courtney Stokke
Faculty Supervisor: Bruce Williams
Credits: 1.0
Authorized Enrollment: 35
In the contemporary political realm, where New Media reigns and nightly network broadcasts have become increasingly obsolete, it is not uncommon to hear of individuals most or all of their political information from more entertaining news media, such as The Daily Show with John Stewart or The Colbert Report. While this change has stirred up controversy within mainstream news media sources (we’re looking at you, Bill O’Reilly,) trends in viewer knowledge levels have shown this change in media habits to be beneficial to its viewers, citing 54% of Jon Stewart’s audience as “high knowledge” participants, while a mere 35% of Fox News viewers were listed in the same category. This course will offer a look into the controversial, yet alluring nature of political satire. By exploring its origins, political effects, international relevance and various other real world connections, this course will elucidate the various ways this genre changes, and is changed by, the world which it critiques.
INST 1550-005: Issues in Contemporary Film and Photography
We 6:00PM – 8:30PM: Ruffin Hall 102
Student Instructor(s): Austin Blanton and Jennifer Van
Faculty Supervisor: Howard Singerman
Credits: 2.0
Authorized Enrollment: 15
Issues in Contemporary Film and Photography” is a 2.0 credit (Credit/No Credit) student-initiated course. The main driving force for offering this class is the question of, “What does it mean to be a photographer/filmmaker today, and what are the problems that I will run into?” As such, the class will offer a space for peer student artists to explore the medium’s unique concerns. Issues to be covered include representation vs. fabrication, high vs. low art, and authorship. It is our hope that identification of such issues will spark the student artists’ consciousness of identity within the art world, further informing subsequent student art work.
