Contact Us

    The Honors College

    Guthrie House

    1200 Ivinson St.

    Laramie, WY 82070

    Phone: 307-766-4110

    Fax: 307-766-4298

    Email: honors@uwyo.edu

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    Spring 2022 Courses

    Registration Guidelines

    Meeting times, locations, CRNs, specific section numbers, are all listed in WyoRecords under the “Look Up Classes” search function. 

    Pre-Requisites: All Honors Upper-Division Classes (3000 and 4000 level) require students to have completed their COM 1 and COM 2 requirements.

    Main campus Honors College fall courses will open to non-Honors College after the early enrollment period. Non-Honors College students wishing to register for these courses need to have at least a 3.25 cumulative UW GPA and will need to request an override from the Honors College. Students should email Cass Tolman at ctolman2@uwyo.edu to make this request. Online Honors classes are open to all students.

    *Please note that Honors College FYS courses are open to all UW students with no override necessary.

    Advising

    Please reach out to the Honors Advising Team for more information and guidance when registering.

    Course Modalities

    • Traditional – This means that the class is scheduled to be in-person and students will meet face-to-face.  

    • Asynchronous Online –  This means that the course will be completely online, without any scheduled meeting dates or times. 

    • Synchronous Online – This means that the course will be completely online, but there will be a synchronous requirement, meaning students will have specific day/times scheduled for Zoom sessions.

     

    Spring 2022 Enrollment Still Open for Select Late-Start Courses

    HP 4151: Ideation, Innovation, and Invention
    Instructor: Chris Rothfuss
    Modality: Traditional 
    Honors College attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    *Late Enrollment | Course Start Date: March 21- May 6, 2022, Tuesday/Thursday 2:45-5:35pm*

    From Fortune 50 corporations to garage start-ups, open innovation has become a standard practice for overcoming challenges, developing solutions and bringing new products to market.  In this course we will learn and apply various innovation techniques to develop and refine REAL potential solutions to REAL targeted challenges. With sufficient skill, determination and some luck, these solutions may result in products, start-ups, or intellectual property.  This course will be primarily experiential and student interest driven as we work to implement concepts and best practices for innovation. We will research, we will brainstorm, we will prototype, we will refine, and we will repeat. We will benefit from a broad range of backgrounds and interests - all majors are welcome!

    2022 J-Term Courses

     

    HP 4153: Film and Social Construction of Race
    Instructor: Dewey Gallegos
    Modality: 
    Asynchronous Online
    Honors College Attributes: 
    Upper-division elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    Film is such an important part of American culture that we invite movies into our homes to spend time with our families by entertaining and educating us. Movies are such an American tradition that they are imbedded in our national identity and a significant number of people have come to consider them a quality family time activity. We watch them and let our guard down while Hollywood thinks for us, and these images become part of us, part of who we are as a community. We watch them when we go out on dates. We watch them while we eat dinner, we laugh and cry with them. They are an important part of our collective consciousness and they are a significant influence on how we view subjects we have little to no personal experience with.

    In this class we will work to increase our understanding of how some of the most prolific films in American history have shaped the way the modern movie industry presents ideas about culture, race, and racism. We will unpack the historical significance of these films and have the opportunity to review research to better understand these concepts and discuss their place in American society. We will examine the historical context and the social impact of the overall relationship between films produced in the United States and the populations that consume them.

    Join us this J-term and explore some of America’s seminal cultural films concerning culture, race, and racism.

    HP 4153: Environmental and Sustainability Issues in Art
    Instructor: Breezy Taggart
    Modality: 
    Asynchronous Online
    Honors College Attributes: 
    Upper-division elective
    USP attributes: H (Human Culture)
    A&S attributes: none

    Environment and Sustainability Issues in Art investigates the ways in which Earth is represented and used in art as subject matter, sculptural medium, and vehicle for examining relationships between humans and nature. Topics include historical landscapes, earthworks and landart, and environmental activism.

    When looking at landscape paintings or images that involve the earth we can explore the history of the person or community tied to that piece, but we can also explore our own connections to the land. Our memories and experiences layer our experiences viewing visual depictions of nature, and inform and shape the way we understand these representations. Additionally, we can explore our local communities within our state, or we can explore global issues. We can explore the past, swimming through memories and traditions, but we can also wade into the future.

    HP 4153: Saffron, Silk, and Broadswords: A Trek Through Great Civilizations
    Instructor: Lori Howe
    Modality: 
    Asynchronous Online
    Honors attributes: Upper-division elective
    USP attributes: 
    H (Human Cultures)
    A&S attributes: 
    none

    Through readings, research, films, documentaries, virtual tours of museums and sites, popular sources, and research, students will explore the complex histories of several great human civilizations via such disciplines and foci as food, art, music, architecture, science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, literature, politics, religion, language, gender, agriculture, and many more. In this exploration, students will examine these threads in the ancient world and follow them forward, exploring ways in which the historical intersections of culture, religion, politics, and other topics and phenomena continue to impact our contemporary world. Students will work individually, in pairs, or in groups of three to research and creatively respond to aspects of one civilization, culminating in an artistic or literary project and presentation. Students will also do a deep dive into a specific civilization, offering a presentation on some compelling aspect of that civilization to the class as a course text. Finally, students will work singly or in small groups on the two-part Capstone Assignment, researching a particular civilization or empire and the culture and history of that place, culminating in a multimodal presentation and research paper. The delivery method of this course is asynchronous, with optional synchronous discussion sessions each week for those who want to meet. 

    HP-4151: Data Science Deep Dive
    Instructor: Patrick Kelley
    Modality: Synchronous Online
    Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    Have you been working on a research project and have questions about what to do with your data? Students in this intensive, three-week course will explore important aspects of processing and analysis for quantitative datasets. Students first will learn best practices for data structuring and storage, the basics of data distributions, and how to identify statistical modeling approaches that match their project goals. Collaborations among students and with the instructor will be encouraged as each student works towards a completed analysis. There will be asynchronous lectures and synchronous web-based discussions. Students must have a previously collected dataset and must be Junior/Senior undergraduates working on an Honors Capstone or independent research project.

    2022 Spring Courses

     

    HP 2020:  Honors Colloquium II: What does it mean to be human?
    REQUIRED FOR ALL FIRST-YEAR HONORS STUDENTS*

    *A first-year student is any student who begins at UW with fewer than 30 post high school college credit hours.  Students who earned an associate’s degree while completing their high school degree are still considered first-year students.
    Instructor: Various 
    Modality: Various
    Honors College Attributes: Colloquium 2
    USP attributes: (COM2) Communication 2
    A&S attributes: none

    HP 2020 is the second course in the Colloquium sequence.

    The first-year Colloquium is a required two-semester sequence of courses that takes a complex topic – for example, Dreams and Reality – and explores it with readings based in the humanities, arts, sciences, and social sciences. The courses build community in the Honors College while promoting high levels of academic achievement. In the Colloquium, students push themselves to become stronger critical thinkers. They weigh and consider multiple points of view; they develop thoughtful, well-supported perspectives on important issues of our times; and they defend their ideas in public presentations.

    Colloquium is enriched with visits to UW’s Theatre and Dance department, Art Museum, Archives, and Library, and with service projects carried out around Laramie. Expert faculty from various departments give specialized lectures on relevant topics. Distinguished visiting scholars and writers meet with students to discuss their work. In all these ways, Colloquium teaches students to take advantage of the rich resources we are privileged to have at UW.

    Non-Western

    HP 3151: Inuit Environmental Dilemmas
    Instructor: Joslyn Cassady
    Modality: 
    Synchronous Online 
    Honors College Attributes: 
    Honors Non-Western, Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: 
    none
    A&S attributes: (D) Diversity in the United States
    The Arctic is experiencing rapid environmental change due largely to human activities in the south. Three of the processes that are creating the most dramatic changes in Arctic ecosystems are climate change, the northern flow of industrial toxins and intensified resource exploration and extraction. This course focuses on how these three processes are affecting the livelihood of roughly 160,000 Inuit living in Siberia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland. By focusing on Inuit strategies and engagements, this course will dispel enduring misconceptions of northern peoples as passive victims of outside forces while simultaneously examining the considerable challenges that they face in maintaining control of their lives and land. Ultimately, I hope this course raises awareness about how our own lifestyles are exacerbating environmental injustices and culture change in the Far North.  

     

    HP 3151: Eastern Thought and American Culture
    Instructor: Tyler Fall
    Modality: 
    Traditional
    Honors College Attributes: 
    Honors Non-Western, Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none
    This course traces how ideas and philosophies from India, China, and Japan have become a part of American Culture.  We will cover a range of topics, including Transcendentalism, Theosophy, Vedanta, the Beat Generation, the Counterculture, Zen and Guru scandals, and the more recent rise in popularity of yoga and mindfulness meditation.  Among our central questions:  Why has American culture been selectively receptive to Hindu, Buddhist, and Daoist ideas?  How does American interest in these ideas reflect the larger social and cultural context of American life?  What happens to these ideas as they are folded into American culture?  What sort of controversies and scandals have these ideas generated?  

     

    HP 3152: Outbreaks and Pandemics
    Instructor: Joslyn Cassady
    Modality: 
    Synchronous Online 
    Honors College Attributes: Honors Non-Western. Note: Students who have already completed their Honors Non-Western requirement may use this course as an Honors upper-division elective
    USP attributes: 
    PN (Physical and Natural World)
    A&S attributes: none
    Join me in the timely interdisciplinary study of infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics. This course provides students with an introduction to domestic and international disease outbreaks, methodologies for public health investigation and response, and programs for pandemic preparedness. We will study the disease ecology and societal response to outbreaks such as Covid-19, Ebola, “Mad Cow” disease, and HIV/AIDS. The instructor was an Epidemic Intelligence Officer (a.k.a. “disease detective”) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will prioritize learning from case studies of real-world outbreak investigations.  In the end, students will gain an understanding of the staggering health challenges posed by human-animal interactions, social inequality, and environmental contamination, as well as the intervention strategies that have been developed to confront them.

     

    HP 3151: Climate Change and Colonialism
    Instructor: Matt Henry
    Modality: 
    Traditional 
    Honors College attributes: 
    Honors Non-Western. Note: Students who have already completed their Honors Non-Western requirement may use this course as an Honors upper-division elective
    USP attributes: 
    none
    A&S attributes: none

    From megadroughts to wildfires, climate change affects us all. But it has been well-documented that the impacts of the climate crisis are disproportionately felt along the lines of race, class, gender, and ethnicity and can be traced to ongoing colonial systems. While colonialism has not been a uniform process, at bottom it has been animated by a desire to access and exploit diverse lands, resources, and peoples, in the process establishing the mechanisms – industrialization and capitalism – driving the climate crisis.

    In this class, we will explore how global climate change both emerges from and reinforces historically inequitable power relations. For example, how has European colonialism rendered low-lying regions of South Asia vulnerable to sea level rise? What can we learn from a “first contact” story about American oil prospectors seeking petroleum reserves beneath a Bedouin oasis in 1930s Saudi Arabia? What do we mean when we describe the “cyclical” nature of climate change experienced by Indigenous peoples under North American settler colonialism? How has the grammar of geology been used to justify resource extraction and slave labor? What should we even call this geological epoch: the Anthropocene, the Capitalocene, or the Plantationocene? Turning to diverse disciplinary perspectives, we will consider experiences of climate change and colonialism in South Asia, Latin America, North Africa, Israel/Palestine, North America, and elsewhere.

     

    HP 3151: The Empire Writes Back
    Instructor: Matt Henry
    Modality: 
    Traditional 
    Honors College attributes: 
    Honors Non-Western. Note: Students who have already completed their Honors Non-Western requirement may use this course as an Honors upper-division elective
    USP attributes: 
    none
    A&S attributes: G (Global Awareness)

    A comprehensive introduction to the field of postcolonial studies, this course focuses on writers that explore the political, socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aftermaths of colonialism, including local decolonization and liberation struggles. With a focus on the post-WWII decline of the British Empire and the rise of decolonial movements worldwide, we will read fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and scholarship from writers and thinkers in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Caribbean, Latin America, and elsewhere. In doing so, we will ask questions about historical constructions of race, the intersections of language and power, the development of national identity, and more.  We will also examine the techniques – literary themes, tropes, styles, and genres – those postcolonial authors use to “write back” to the Euro-Western canon and will ask how these techniques challenge the study of literature as we know it. We will conclude by taking stock of the contemporary effects of history’s colonial conquests, considering phenomena like globalization, economic imperialism, mass migration, and climate change.

     

    HP 3151: History, Philosophy, Methodology and Application of Traditional Asian Martial Arts
    Instructor: Chris Dewey

    Modality: 
    Traditional
    Honors College Attributes: 
    Honors Non-Western, Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    The proposed course would offer both a didactic and practical (hands-on) exploration of the Traditional Asian Martial Arts. The course would explore Chinese arts such as Taiji and Qigong, Korean arts such as Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido, and Japanese arts including Aikijujutsu, Judo, Ju Jutsu and Karate. Students would be given the opportunity to investigate the historical, philosophical, cultural, political and religious influences that affected the development and evolution of the various martial arts that have been an integral part of Chinese, Korean and Japanese society for more than two millennia. The didactic component of the course would, therefore, take an evolutionary and historical perspective of the martial arts in an effort to demonstrate how the various cultures influenced each other and how the development of the martial arts have progressed to become the world-wide phenomenon that they are today. Additionally, students would be given an opportunity to gain practical experience of the similarities and differences between the various art forms. Students would learn and practice techniques from a variety of martial disciplines as a necessary and integral part of the course structure.

     

     

    Upper Division

    HP 3152: History of Diseases
    Instructors: Renee Laegreid, William Laegreid
    Modality: 
    Traditional
    Honors College Attributes: 
    Upper-division elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none
    People make history, but seldom under conditions of their own choosing.  In contrast to the optimistic view that history is the inexorable march of progress, there is another perspective: it also has negative or ambivalent drivers such as climate change, zealotry, class and other forms of warfare, and racism, among others.  A seldom-discussed factor is the historical role in human societies of infectious disease in humans, livestock and wildlife.  This interdisciplinary course introduces students to the role several major and some minor diseases played as drivers in history or for social change, progressive and regressive. It is aimed equally at students of history and at science majors.

    HP 3152: History of Money
    Instructor: Barbara Logan
    Modality: Traditional 
    Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    At its most basic level, money is simply a unit of measurement and a convenient means of exchange. At its deepest level, money is a measurement of trust and community. In the history of money we can study what and why people desired or valued different things. The story of money is a story of both greed and charity. In the pursuit of money there have been great innovations and great crimes. In this class we will study the history of money as a history of cultures, peoples, and material effects.

     HP 3152: American Biographies: History and Story
    Instructor: Ann McCutchan
    Modality: Traditional 
    Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    Biography is one of the most popular genres of nonfiction writing – a quick search on Amazon reveals more than 100,000 titles, in various formats, beginning at the pre-school level.  Readers are attracted to biographies for powerful reasons. First, they offer stories of real individuals in the context of particular times, places, events and conditions.  Just so, a reader may comprehend history within the sphere of one person’s life. However, biographical writing is not necessarily historical writing.  Built around a central character (or perhaps a group), a biography is often novelistic – an engaging account of how an individual became themselves, and made a particular impact on the world. From biographies, we may learn important life lessons.

    In this course, we will read and respond to four very different American biographies, considering various questions.  Why was a particular life worth writing about?  What materials did the author use to compose the biography, and how might they have affected the life story and its telling?  What were the relationships between author and subject, author and other sources? What is the form of the biography, and can we imagine other forms? What are the differences between biography and memoir?

     In addition, students will read and write a paper on a biography they select OR write a short biography or memoir of a person they choose.

     

     


    HP 3152: Mass Media and Collective Consciousness
    Instructor: Adrian Molina
    Modality: 
    Asynchronous Online
    Honors College Attributes: 
    Upper-division elective
    USP attributes: (H) Human Culture
    A&S attributes: none

    This course explores the most central and critical issues of our times: Humanity, Technology, and Sustainability.  In this course, the student is the main "Text," meaning that each student will engage in contemplative education practices.  Students will examine their own lives in relationship to technology, mass media, social media, and how the cyborg-ification of our lives affects our physical, mental, and motional health, as well as our relationships with other humans.  

    Additionally, this is a topics course that may explore any of the following: the development of collective consciousness; historical uses of propaganda; functions of mass media; the functions of corporate media vs independent media; how mass media affects public opinion; journalism and ethical considerations; pop culture's relationship to American values and standards; the nature of news coverage and news filters; access to media and social justice concerns; functions of art and entertainment; critiques of mass media and pop culture; alternative forms of media; futurist perspectives on human consciousness; ecological and environmental concerns; and real-time developments in technology. 

    HP 3152: American Civil War
    Instructor: Mark Johnson
    Modality: 
    Traditional 
    Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    The Civil War was a transforming event in United States history that resulted in the emancipation of 4 million slaves and the deaths of more than 700,000 Americans. This course will explore some of the social, political, military, and economic aspects of that conflict, from its origins in the antebellum years though post-war Reconstruction efforts. 

    The course will examine three broad themes in sequence: the crisis of union and disunion in an expanding republic; the experience of war for individuals and society; and the political and social challenges of Reconstruction. Overlaying these three themes are the issues of slavery, race, and emancipation as national problem, personal experience, and social process. 

    HP 3153: Arts in Social Justice
    Instructors: Jane Crayton, Derek Osterlund
    Modality: 
    Traditional 
    Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    Seminar course focused on exploring the intersection of arts, technology and social justiceIn this course you will develop new media skills focused on delivering social justice art messages for local community activism. Students will learn how art can be used as a transformative tool for social critique, community engagement, and political action. Students will learn how art provides meaningful vehicle to engage and empower individuals and communities to take action around a social issue. The processes by which people create and interact with art can help them understand and challenge inequities through art education and social justice. This seminar will focus on understanding the role of media in social justice reform and how new media arts practice, DJ/VJ culture, graffiti, murals and projection mapping may inform social justice activism. Students will engage with experts in media, technology and diversity, equity and inclusion to complete a social justice new media installation in this project-based course that will be on display for the Matthew Shepard Symposium.

     

    Graffiti art on a wall depicting two children

    HP 4151: Global Public Health Structures on the Brink
    Instructors: Anne Alexander, Kem Krueger
    Modality: 
    Traditional 
    Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    Have you wondered how emergent disease and public health emergencies start and grow? This class will offer a nuanced look at how differing systems interact to impede or accelerate policy responses to situations that push health care systems to their limits. This course will explore the principles and systems of public health across borders, including community and individual health outcomes globally.  We will dive into how health determinants and economic disparities; access to clean water, safe food, a healthy environment, and reliable sanitation; levels of health literacy and trust in science; and disease prevalence are dependent upon geography, chance, and socioeconomic position.

    HP 4151: Engineering, Ethics, and Energy
    Instructors: Tawfik Elshehabi
    Modality: 
    Traditional 
    Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    How many times have you heard the word “energy” recently? Have you wondered why energy is so critical?

    In the “Engineering, Ethics, and Energy” course, we will discover the various renewable and nonrenewable energy resources as the world continues to demand an enormous amount of energy. We will put a particular emphasis on the energy resources in Wyoming. These energy resources include wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, biofuels, nuclear, oil, natural gas, and coal. We will also discuss global climate change and examine various innovative solutions.

    To tackle the energy challenge, we need innovation, entrepreneurship, and diverse teams. Together, we will explore the different engineering disciplines and learn the process of creative problem-solving and ethical decision-making. We will enjoy constructing engineering projects using 3D printing, virtual reality, and physical modeling. We will also discuss why we shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public, as well as protecting the environment for future generations. We will research the engineering design, reliability, affordability, and ethical issues associated with the different energy resources.

    You don’t need to be an engineer to join us. Your perspective and creativity are needed to tackle the energy challenge. We are excited to welcome you to Engineering, Ethics, and Energy.

    HP 4151: Moby Dick
    Instructor: Harvey Hix
    Modality: 
    Traditional 
    Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none

    It is often identified as “the Great American Novel,” but Moby Dick is also a proof text for the characterization of literature as “news that stays news.”  It was written 170 years ago, yet:

    • Its characters come from a U.S.A. that is at a fever-pitch of political polarization. Sound familiar? (Moby Dickwas published in 1851; the U.S. Civil War began in 1861.)

    • It depicts a small population extracting the primary fuel of its time, one dwindling in both supply and demand, as other fuels were being developed. Sound like Wyoming? (Whale oil use peaked in the 1820s, and by the 1860s kerosene had become the dominant fuel.)

    • It is preoccupied with race and gender/sexuality. What’s your pronoun? (The queer, interracial love between Ishmael and Queequeg is a defining feature of the book.)

    • It interrogates the impact of global commerce on individuals. When was the last time you went through a day without using a product or service from Google, Amazon, Apple, or Walmart? (Whaling was prominent among the drivers of globalization.)

    And so on.  In this course, we will read Moby Dick cover to cover, reflecting together on its contemporary salience, aided by a complementary text, Rebecca Giggs’s 2020 nonfiction book about the history, ecology, biology, and cultural meanings of the whale, Fathoms: The World in the Whale.

    HP 4151: Futurism 001
    Instructor: Adrian Molina
    Modality: 
    Asynchronous Online
    Honors College attributes: 
    Upper-Division Elective
    USP attributes: (H) Human Culture
    A&S attributes: none
    This course is about the present human condition, human diversity, and the future of humanity.  

    Is there any question that we are living in the future?  Is there any doubt we are in times of accelerated change and shifting landscapes?  Whose future is it?  Whose imagination are we living in?  It is a time of mass movements for racial and economic justice, new gender orientations, populism and fascism, anti-fascism and mass protests.  Mixed reality.  Wearable technology.  Virtual headsets.  Artificial intelligence.  Robots.  Cyborgs.  Self driving vehicles and flying cars.  Singularity.  Questions of human survival.  Time travel.  Quantum leaps…  

    Futurism 101 places students in the context of present and future times.  Most college classes and the bulk of academia revolves around the distant past or recent history, with select courses focusing on current events.  While it is critical to study history from a multitude of perspectives, young people know intuitively that we are in different times. The social rules, norms, modes, moods, pace, and dialogue have shifted dramatically over the past decade.  Popular media, social media, and social and political movements indicate that further shifts will come in rapid succession.  Students now need to study the future as much as they study the past.  Given the multitude of present and future problems facing the human species, we have never been more in need of imagination, expansions of consciousness, and forward thinking.  

    Futurism 001 exposes students to various futurist movements of the past 100 years, with a focus on contemporary perspectives of Women of Color, and the futurist movements of people of color.  Course topics include: futuristic depictions in popular media and alternative media; philosophies of time and space; future cultural, social and political identities; human agency to determine future life on planet earth; and emerging strategies for social change.  

    COMM3

    HP 4990: Honors Capstone Research
    Instructor: Susan Aronstein
    Modality: 
    Traditional 
    Honors College attributes: 
    none* (see explaination below)
    USP attributes: COMM3
    A&S attributes: none

    This course, designed to support students in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts as they work on their Honors Capstone Project, meets the USP COM 3 requirement rather than counting towards Honors course requirements.  Whether you officially need a COM 3 or not, it will help you take your communication skills to the next level as you work on your senior Honors Project (students doing a creative project will have the opportunity to work on their artist's statements and critical introductions) and hone your ability to communicate with professional, academic and public audiences. You will learn to analyze and evaluate effective communication in your field at the same time as you collaborate with me, your peers, and your senior project mentor on a final project and presentation that demonstrates your ability to produce a significant work situated in ongoing disciplinary and/or creative conversations, and effectively communicated in writing, on a digital platform, and in a public oral presentation.

     

    HP 4976: Capstones for Community Engagement
    *One Credit Hour
    Instructor: Tom Grant
    Modality: Traditional 
    Honors College attributes: none
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none
     

    Do you want to help rural Wyoming communities thrive? The Honors College is ‘standing up’ a new one credit course to connect Honors students’ Capstone projects with the needs of Wyoming communities. Our goal is to help students complete meaningful capstones all while assisting rural WY communities to address their priorities. The course initiates a ‘pipeline’ for students to explore an Honors Capstone project with a community engagement component and be eligible for a $1000 stipend from the UW Provost’s Strategic Investment Fund. Additionally, the course will provide a foundation for writing grants to fund students’ Capstone projects.

    Potential project proposals can cover any aspect of a community’s need, including economic, entrepreneurial, environmental, engineering, or cultural topics. The ‘Capstones for Community Engagement’ class will attend community meetings in three Wyoming communities to experience and explore the needs of the communities. We’ll meet community leaders and learn about the real problems rural communities face. Students will develop a draft Capstone project proposal, give a presentation on their project, and complete peer-reviews of colleagues’ proposals. All costs associated with field trips will be covered by the UW Provost’s Strategic Investment Fund and field trips will be scheduled to minimize conflicts with other courses. The class will meet for one hour per week, although several class meetings will be cancelled to make time for the three field trips. Please join us as we work to build functional and resilient relationships between Wyoming communities and the University of Wyoming, while assisting students in the development of a meaningful Honors Capstone project.

     

    Independent Study

    HP 4976: Independent Study
    DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS HONORS-COLLEGE UPPER-DIVISION ELECTIVES
    Instructor: Student must identify faculty mentor and receive approval from faculty mentor and the Honors College
    Honors College Attributes: none
    USP attributes: none
    A&S attributes: none
    Why might you take an Honors independent study?  Register for one if you need the structure to help you complete your senior capstone project, if you need additional upper division elective hours to graduate, if you need additional hours to be a fulltime student in any given semester, or if you have been working with an instructor on a particularly interesting area for which there is no designated course. You can take up to 3 credit hours of an Honors independent study per semester for up to a total of 6 hours overall. 
    You don’t need to sign up for an independent study to complete the senior capstone project.  Please note that these hours do not meet any specific requirements towards your degree or your Honors minorThey do not count towards the required Honors upper division electives.

     
    Contact Us

    The Honors College

    Guthrie House

    1200 Ivinson St.

    Laramie, WY 82070

    Phone: 307-766-4110

    Fax: 307-766-4298

    Email: honors@uwyo.edu

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