FSS-125 First Semester Seminar (2 credits)
FSS-125 introduces beginning students to academic studies through an engaging instructor-chosen topic. Students would get a first look at what it means to study an academic subject through reading, viewing, and engaging with faculty, staff, and other students. In addition to learning college-level academic skills, students would also learn strategies for being a successful college student, including practicing time-management skills, communicating effectively with faculty, and using college resources, such as the Library and the CRC, and college technology, such as Moodle and LiveText. This course would also include the students' first careering experience, through taking the Strong Interest Inventory and doing research on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Website. The Social Interaction Level 1 external assessment would be facilitated by this course.
FSS-125A Unlock Your World With Spanish (2 credits)
This introductory seminar invites students to explore the rich personal, professional, and cultural benefits of learning Spanish. Designed for those with no prior experience, the course emphasizes foundational conversational skills and cultural understanding relevant to real-world contexts. Students engage with the language through collaborative activities and reflective practices that support the development of Alverno's Eight Abilities.
FSS-125B Mindfulness Strategies (2 credits)
In our busy day-to-day lives, we are sometimes challenged to balance all our responsibilities. This can lead to occasional anxiety and stress. What might our lives be like if we could find ways to slow down, relax into the present moment, and cultivate a greater sense of inner calm? In this section of FSS-125, we will explore ways to use mindfulness strategies to discover more effective ways to balance our daily responsibilities, and find joy along the way!
FSS-125C Sustainable Living (2 credits)
Every day we make choices. What should I eat? How much time should I use for fun, for work, for exercise, for sleep? Should I buy this? The list goes on, and the sum of these choices add up to our lifestyle. One criteria we might use to make our choices is sustainability, but how do we know what is and isn't sustainable? Sustainability is not easily described because it can be looked at from many different perspectives including; energy, money, resources, time, or even community. This class will look at both personal and community issues, and evaluate how we may choose to be more or less sustainable, and why we make these choices.
FSS-125D Women in Graphic Novels (2 credits)
Strong, fierce, bold-women in graphic novels are much more than one might assume. In this first semester seminar course, we will learn and practice college-level academic skills through the theme of Women in Graphic Novels. Stories from this medium may seem totally centered around white, male characters (especially to the casual viewer of Marvel films), but there are an increasingly wide array of diverse voices and characters to experience. We will read several graphic novels centered on powerful female characters and explore themes of friendship, heroism, coming-of-age, sexuality, racism, and misogyny for their cultural significance.
FSS-125E Surviving the ZombieApocalypse (2 credits)
In the movies, we notice actors taking on many characters. Have you noticed how many women in science fiction movies have leadership roles or a role that is not secondary? Let's take a look at some science fiction movies, starting with the first ever science fiction movie - and classic - A Trip to the Moon, by Georges Melies in 1902. We will move onward in time to movies being produced today. What do these roles say about women of the time? What skills and abilities did women reflect in the working world? Were women into science? Did women appear to be as educated as their male counterparts? Did and do science fiction movies do justice to gender equality? What do these science fiction movies say to you? We will watch snip-its from several science fiction movies over the course of time, and analyze how women were and are portrayed. We will look at what appeared to be their role, based on their gender, and class, and how women in science fiction movies impact you today. You will learn college-level research skills, time-management skills, and effective communication skills.
FSS-125G CSI: Crime Science Issues (2 credits)
Does science lead to justice? In this section of the First-Semester Seminar, we will learn and practice college-level academic skills through the theme of issues in forensic science. What constitutes valid evidence for criminal investigations? How are various types of evidence collected and interpreted by law enforcement and the judicial system? When has evidence been misused? You will get a chance to work with some basic forensic techniques. We will read a book on forensic science and various articles about specific controversies, such as the use of DNA data from a genealogy company to capture the Golden State Killer. Some material may be disturbing.
FSS-125H Children's Lit: Tough Topics (2 credits)
In this section of the First-Semester Seminar, we will learn and practice college-level academic skills through the theme of Tough Topics in Children's Literature. From its earliest forms, children's literature has introduced young readers to issues related to death and dying, poverty, racism and bigotry, and sexuality. We will read several children's books, exploring these themes and reflecting on broader issues related to child development and education.
FSS-125J Global Travel & Tourism (2 credits)
This class has as its focus global travel and tourism. It is designed to introduce you to the importance of tourism as an industry and to travel as a means of personal growth. We will also wrestle with some ethical issues associated with travel. If travel and tourism are done improperly they can produce considerable environmental damage, destruction of cultural heritage, economic dislocation and exploitation. We will also examine some of the logistical challenges of planning a trip.
FSS-125L Women in Sci Fi Movies (2 credits)
FSS-125 introduces beginning students to academic studies through an engaging instructor-chosen topic. Students would get a first look at what it means to study an academic subject through reading, viewing, and engaging with faculty, staff, and other students. In addition to learning college-level academic skills, students would also learn strategies for being a successful college student, including practicing time-management skills, communicating effectively with faculty, and using college resources, such as the Library and the CRC, and college technology, such as Moodle and LiveText. This course would also include the students' first careering experience, through taking the Strong Interest Inventory and doing research on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Website. The Social Interaction Level 1 external assessment would be facilitated by this course.
FSS-125M Spirituality & Meaning (2 credits)
Both non-religious and religious people can benefit from studying the world religions' discoveries about life and spirituality. Simply defined, spirituality is the capacity to develop a centered and meaningful approach to living. The psychologist, William James, provides some insights into meaningful spirituality. He identified a personality type he called the "healthy minded." Healthy-minded people are optimistic and affirm the goodness and happiness of life. They emphasize life's rigor and creativity. Such people exhibit traits like love, self-discipline, humility, charity and wholeness. Using texts, stories, and the arts, this course explores some of the discoveries particular world religions have made about how to develop these universal and natural characteristics.
FSS-125N Rise Up! Women in Leadership (2 credits)
In this course we will explore how previous and current women leaders have been able to impact our society and pave the way for future leaders. As a class we will examine various types of leadership styles, investigate our own mental models and values of women in leadership, analyze how various cultures impact leadership and reflect on how we as women are able to develop as leaders both personally and professionally.
FSS-125P College, Life, Everything Balance (2 credits)
Being a first semester student is exciting and it can be challenging at times too. How do you balance college, employment, family, life, friends, caretaking responsibilities, and the list goes on. Please join us in this section of the First Semester Seminar to learn and discuss topics such as self-care, self-esteem, healthy relationships, family expectations, managing your emotions, strategies to stay organized, approaches to manage commitments, and self-reflect on your progress. The goal is to find balance and harmony so that you can be successful in all areas of life. Plus, you will be able to take the knowledge and skills learned in this course and apply them not only to your educational goals at Alverno, but also to your new professional career.
FSS-125R Healing Through Art & Activism (2 credits)
The arts have a long history of serving as healing agents, while also having a powerful influence on community transformation. This course will explore ways we can use art as a therapeutic practice and as a tool for activism to heal ourselves and heal the world. During this semester you'll experiment with different art mediums and modalities, while building creative habits that also consider the community around you. Integrating artistic practices into your daily life can help you discover your unique voice, while building belonging within your community and acting as a force for positive change.
FSS-125S Getting Around Milwaukee (2 credits)
Getting your feet wet taking field trips, and investigating ways to get your voice heard, will open your eyes to the systems by which neighborhoods in Milwaukee grow, change, and stay the same. Experience a taste of civic power and responsibility -- plus you might even save yourself $5000 a year by reconsidering how you get around. How did Milwaukee get to be the place that it is? And how do we navigate it now, physically, socially, economically, and personally? Dive deep into how decisions -- public and personal -- are made about what gets built where, who lives where, and how people get around. Then learn skills to use this knowledge to make your world better.
FSS-125T Happiness (2 credits)
In this course, we will explore what makes people happy and how you can incorporate this learning into the decisions you make about your time at Alverno and your life beyond college both now and in the future. We will use the insights from multiple disciplines to help us think about what it means to create a happy and meaningful life.
FSS-125V Living in A Material World (2 credits)
In this section of FSS125, Living in a Material World, we will use an academic process and a variety of practical skills and strategies to explore the material world and our relationship to it.