LA-301 Introduction to Alverno Degree Cmpletion (0 credits)
LA-301 is a required program introduction for all students entering the Associate Degree to Baccalaureate Degree hybrid programs at Alverno. It is a one-day, one-credit course that introduces the student to the campus, to the resources available, and to the technology necessary to participate in the degree programs. The student is introduced to Alverno College's: 1. Ability based curriculum 2. Hybrid learning format 3. Learning management system (Moodle) 4. Technology and library resources 5. Student services
LA-310 Finding Meaning in Professional Practice (4 credits)
In this course, students access and use concepts and philosophies about the nature of human spirituality to confront and make meaningful their experiences as health care professionals. The implications of spiritual practices for professional and personal ethics are an integral dimension of the course. A special emphasis will be placed on meditative and ritual practices across world religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Native American. Students will have the opportunity to practice making sense of human experience by applying what they learn about spirituality to select works from the humanities, including literature, film and other art expressions. Students will be introduced to a variety of resources on spirituality on websites and libraries which they will apply to their professional context. Assessments will provide the opportunity to practice and develop communication, valuing, and social interaction skills, both in person and through effective use of online tools. Online technologies will place a marked emphasis on continuing collaborative experiences outside of the classroom (rather than mere input) to assure the ongoing formation of a learning cohort.
LA-320 Art, Culture & Ethics (4 credits)
In this General Education course, students will explore ethical issues in contemporary art and visual culture. Students will research contemporary art (art since the 1970's) that looks to visual culture as a maker of meaning. They will learn about art that acts as a critical voice in community development related to local and global issues. This course will also assist students in broadening visual literacy skills in all fields and in developing critical analysis and creative skills necessary to explore and understand ethical issues in contemporary art related to culture. Students will focus on two-dimensional, three-dimensional, virtual and installation art in public, private and global settings. They will learn critical strategies and frameworks of analysis. They will explore ethical issues and make cultural connections through the use of Formalist, Constructionist, Deconstructionist and Community Frameworks. Students will learn to read works of art by broadening their interpretive skills. They will apply research and live artistic and cultural experiences as they begin to formulate a personal point of view about contemporary art across communities, contexts and cultures. They will also increase their expressive abilities through the use of multiple art media in their engagement in the creation of artworks. The integration of interpretation and art making will be used to enlarge aesthetic viewpoints related to the ethical and valuing dimensions of contemporary themes in art. Students will articulate how this integrated method of learning has deepened their relationship to concepts, media, cultures, and subject matter in diverse contexts across contemporary art. They will develop and communicate opinions about personal and global perspectives in artistic and cultural ethics while exploring relationships to their own cultures, communities and careers.
Prerequisite(s): LA-301
LA-330 Sustainablty& Technology in Changng Wrld (4 credits)
The student develops a personal operational definition of sustainability while researching a global issue from multiple perspectives which may include cultural, geographic, economic, environmental, human health and safety, and perspective of one's own discipline. The student will practice media awareness by collecting and evaluating current stories related to an area of research, will evaluate pros and cons of technology in relation to sustainability while analyzing the life cycle of human made materials, will both quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate components of the issue and communicate the analyses to peers, and will apply knowledge of sustainability issues and methods of analysis as while working on a sustainability project. The student will investigate, evaluate, and develop a proposed strategy for action, and a method to evaluate the results of the action in response to the sustainability issue. Students may choose a global issue for their projects such as water, food, health care, or energy. Alternatively, students may choose to work on a more specific issue such as investigating a sustainability issue in their communities or workplace.
LA-340 Informed Decision-Makg/Complex Societies (4 credits)
In this General Education course, students will explore contemporary issues through literature and film. They will learn humanities strategies, such as close-reading, literary and film analysis, and research to deepen and broaden their understanding of novels and films. Major frameworks for exploring social issues in literature and film will be ethics and moral dilemmas. Students will use a variety of in-person and on-line communication modes, including discussion and chats, web-site development, wikis, journals, and mock trials, to explore their own perspectives and others' perspectives on contemporary social issues. In an autobiographical essay, written over the course of the semester, students will reflect on how their professional identities shape their engagement with literature and film, and how they use moral and ethical decision-making in professional contexts.