Seminars

ANTHROPOLOGY

1.
ANTH 14F, sec. 01: Bones, Bodies, and Burials (BH), 3 s.h., CRN 93458
T/TH, 9:40-11:05 a.m., Kristen Hartnett-McCann 

A skeleton is found in a shallow grave in a wooded area behind a strip mall. How should you collect all the evidence at this scene? How can you figure out who this person is and what happened to them? Is it a male or female? Child or adult? And what are those holes in the skull? Find out the answers in this course and learn about the diverse roles of a Forensic Anthropologist in a modern, medicolegal setting. Students will participate in hands-on skeletal analyses, case studies, and class discussions. Contemporary issues such as human rights, serial killers, mass fatalities, and ethics of human subjects’ research will be investigated through readings and case examples.  

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category.

ART HISTORY

2.  
AH 14F, sec. 01: Exploring New York City’s Art Museums (AA), 3 s.h., CRN 91239
M/W, 11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Susan Schafer

This course will be an introduction to art history through virtual tours of the great art museums of New York City.  We will begin with the extraordinary collections of Egyptian art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum, and continue through Ancient Greece and Rome and the Middle Ages.  Next, we will focus on the great artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods – for example Titian, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Vermeer – in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Frick Collection. We will continue our exploration with the art of the 18th and 19th centuries including Impressionist painters Monet and Degas and Post-Impressionists Van Gogh and Gauguin and will end our semester-long virtual journey in the rich collections of 20th and 21st-century art in the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. 

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category.

ASTRONOMY

3. 
ASTR 14F, sec. QR1: Cosmic Explosions: The Cataclysmic Lives of Stars & Galaxies (NS, QR), 3 s.h. CRN 93565
Lecture, T, 2:40-4:35 p.m.; Lab, TH, 2:40-4:35 p.m.; Christina Lacey

This course investigates the birth and lives of stars, including stars like our sun. We study how stars produce energy and how some stars die with a whimper and some die spectacularly in massive supernova explosions. From there we talk about galaxies that are composed of these stars and the supermassive black holes that lurk at the hearts of most galaxies.

Please note: This course satisfies University graduation requirements in both the Natural Sciences and Quantitative Reasoning categories.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

4. 
CLL 14F, sec. 01: The Perils of Love in Literature (LT), 3 s.h. CRN 92240
T/TH, 1-2:25 p.m., John Krapp

There are few things people desire more than love. We revel in it when we feel it. We fear the loss of it. We lament it when it is gone. But what is love? Is it anything more than an idea and a feeling associated with biochemical and neurological responses to our own bodies and the world around us? Would such knowledge help us negotiate love any more successfully? One of the places we can look for understanding and appreciation of love is literature, which represents characters with the same desires, appetites, and needs as we have. In this course, we will look at a variety of literary texts to prompt a conversation about the meaning and value of love both historically and in contemporary American culture. Along the way, we will discuss whether unconditional love is possible, how social circumstances may color our understanding of love, whether or not love may have a spiritual component, whether we should separate love from sexual desire, and what may happen if we confuse the two.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category. 

CREATIVE WRITING

5. 
CRWR 14F, sec. 01: Keeping a Journal (CP), 3 s.h. CRN 92364
M/W, 2:40- 4:05 p.m., Martha McPhee

Using Lynda Barry’s book Syllabus as an inspiration this course will be an exploration of the artistic benefits of keeping a journal. Students will be required to keep a daily journal, using exercises as prompts for noticing the world, for becoming aware of how to be present with our own selves and our inner lives while also coming to understand the importance of observation and seeing what’s there right in front of us. Prompts will come in many forms and generally engage questions that writers are constantly asking either indirectly or directly: What makes good art? Where does imagination come from? How do we learn from books we love? Can creativity be contagious? Why do details matter? How does writer’s block get broken? What is bad writing? Why does art exist? In addition to Lynda Barry, we will also look at journal excerpts from Anais Nin, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Ann Frank, Susan Sontag, Vladimir Nabokov, and others. 

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category.

ECONOMICS

6. 
ECO 14F, sec. 01: The Future of Capitalism: Economics and Politics in Our Times (BH), 4 s.h. CRN  90415
M/W, 9:10-11:05 a.m., Massoud Fazeli

Globalization and technological change are potent forces that offer prosperity to many and yet are also causing deep rifts, anxiety, and anger in considerable segments of our society. Many observers have referred to rising inequality and the erosion of economic security as defining characteristics of our evolving capitalist economy. Is it feasible to generate sustainable economic growth that is more equitably distributed? Do populism and nationalism merely signify a passing backlash against the new global order? Has the U.S. lost its economic and political dominance permanently? And is it possible to envision a new and qualitatively different global order?

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category.

FINE ARTS

7. 
FA 14F, sec. 01: Curious Stranger: Experimental Drawing (CP), 3 s.h. CRN 92279
M/W, 9:40 -11:05 a.m., James Lee

This course is devoted to the exploration of alternative techniques, methods and concepts in contemporary art. Students will develop individual artworks and experiment with materials and processes that contribute to a broadened understanding of drawing as a discipline. Selected readings may be required, along with virtual/actual field trips to galleries and museums in New York City. During the semester each student will develop a small series of drawings (approximately 8-12) of a body of work that incorporates some form of experimentation or the use of a specific technique or alternative material that we have discussed and worked on during class.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category.

8. 
FA 14F, sec. A: The Art and Design of Music (CP), 3 s.h. CRN 92622
T/TH, 6-7:25 p.m., Johnathan Swafford

The Art and Design of Music is so compelling it is as influential on culture as the music itself. In this course, students will study designers and artists who created iconic artwork as well as develop class projects covering various mediums that visualize music. Projects will include creating vinyl, CD, digital album covers, music videos, sound design, and other printed matter. Lectures will include Music Industry leaders in design, production, engineering, and marketing.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category.

9. 
FA 14F, sec. B: Reclaiming Photography (CP), 3 s.h. CRN 93606
T/TH, 4:20-5:45 p.m., Richard Odell

In this course you'll step away from the digital screen and immerse yourself in the timeless art of alternative photographic techniques, processes, and concepts in contemporary art. Students will create individual photographic works while experimenting with a variety of materials and methods that expand the understanding of photography beyond traditional practices. The course will focus on hands-on experimentation with processes such as, pinhole photography, image transfers, and other historic or unconventional techniques. Selected readings may be assigned, and field trips (virtual or actual) to galleries and museums, including those in New York City, will provide context and inspiration. Over the semester, each student will develop a small series of photographic works that incorporate experimentation with specific techniques or alternative materials discussed in class, culminating in a unique body of work that reflects their creative and technical growth.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category.

GEOLOGY

10. 
GEOL 14F, sec. QR & QRL: Science of Gemstones and Crystals (NS,QR), 3 s.h. CRNs 91790
& 91791
Lecture, M/F, 10:10-11:05 a.m.; Lab, F, 12:30-2:25 p.m.; Steven Okulewicz

This course explores the world of precious and semiprecious gems, metals, and crystals. Students learn about the variety of precious materials that come out of the Earth, how precious stones form, and where we find them. We also explore how to identify precious stones, how to tell real stones from fakes, and how raw gems are turned into jewelry. This course includes a laboratory component where students work with a variety of precious stones.

Please note: This course satisfies University graduation requirements in both the Natural Sciences and Quantitative Reasoning categories.

HISTORY

11. 
HIST 14F, sec. 01: Displaying the Past: Museums and Media (HP), 3 s.h. CRN 92751
T/TH, 1:40-2:25 p.m., Sally Charnow

What stories are told or not told by the actors working at Colonial Williamsburg? Whose voices are heard at the living history museum Plimoth Patuxet, a 17th century English village located in Massachusetts? Which objects are chosen by curators to tell the history of ancient Greece at the Metropolitan Museum of Art? How can exhibition spaces contextualize disparate histories and timelines?  This course explores the role of historical memory and aesthetic choice in shaping our understanding of the past as it is put to use in public settings, especially museums and media. Students will also learn how the visual products of a culture relate to historical circumstances, societal values, and shifting personal and collective identities. The skills developed in this course provide important tools for navigating and interpreting media and visual representation in the 21st century.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category.

12. 
HIST 14F, sec. 02: McCarthyism and the Perils of Political Repression (HP), 4 s.h. CRN 92060
T/TH, 2:40-4:35 p.m., Carolyn Eisenberg

Who was Joseph McCarthy and why should we care about him? For at least five years, this Senator from Wisconsin had been a household name. At the height of the Cold War, he became the face of national hysteria over possible communist subversion and the need to curtail or stifle political dissent. In this course, we examine McCarthy’s rise and influence, as well as the roles of the Senate Internal Security Committee and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). What impact did their investigations have on Hollywood, labor unions, the press, and universities? Through films, oral histories, and biographies, we will explore how this era shaped American politics and culture.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category.

LEGAL EDUCATION ACCELERATED PROGRAM (LEAP)

Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Hofstra’s Maurice A. Deane School of Law offer a selective, accelerated program in which students earn both the Bachelor of Arts and the Juris Doctor in six years (one year less than if each degree were pursued separately). LEAP students can choose from among a wide variety of liberal arts majors. For a full program description, please visit hofstra.edu/leap. LEAP students are strongly encouraged to register for one of the following first-year seminars:

13.
PSC 14F, sec. 01: Law, Politics, and Society (BH), 4 s.h. CRN 91290
T/TH 9:10-11:05 a.m., Celeste Kaufman

Every year, tens of thousands of young people enter law school and begin the study of legal rules. Most do so because they see the legal profession as a noble calling, and they enter it with a desire to promote justice. In their three years of full-time study of the law, however, these future lawyers spend little time thinking critically about legal rules and about the place of the lawyer in a just society. In this course we explore how our legal rules and constitutional norms have developed; how the American legal system interacts with the rest of our political institutions; how the American legal system reflects the cultural norms, class distinctions, and idiosyncrasies of our society; and how legal rules and the role of the lawyer relate to larger ideals of a just society.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category.

MUSIC

14. 
MUS 14F, sec. 01: Listening as a Way of Knowing. The Philosophy and Practice of Sound in South Asian Music Literature. (AA, CC), 3 s.h. CRN 92875 
T/TH, 11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Francesca Cassio

One of the earliest sources on South Asian music states, “There is no song without sound, there are no musical notes without sound, there is no dance without sound, hence the world is of the essence of sound” (Matanga Muni, 6th century CE). With a focus on listening as ‘a way of knowing the world’ (Feld 2010) in this course, on the one hand, we will reflect on the role of the ear as a cognitive apparatus, while exploring the ‘yoga of sound’ as a philosophy and a practice transmitted in pre-modern texts as well as in lineages of South Asian musicians. Through an experiential approach, we will delve into the relationship between intonation, melodic frameworks (rāgas), Nature, breath, time, and rhythm (tāla), as foundational principles of the Indian music system. From this ‘indigenous’ standpoint, and a ‘fresh ear’, we will study some masterpieces of South Asian music literature – from devotional to love songs – in which the notion of sound is mentioned as a significant component.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in either the Humanities or the Cross-Cultural category.

15. 
MUS 14F, sec. 02: Exploring Hip Hop Culture (AA), 3 s.h. CRN 93469
T/TH, 9:40-11:05 a.m., Abimbola Kai-Lewis

This course explores the African and African American performance traditions that have shaped the development of rap music and hip-hop culture. Through the analysis of instrumental, musical, and lyrical elements, we will uncover the defining features of hip-hop and examine the cultural, economic, historical, and social forces that have influenced its evolution. Students will also conduct a research project on a selected emcee or producer, gaining deeper insight into the artistry and impact of key figures in the genre. By tracing the origins of rap and hip-hop culture, this course will provide a rich understanding of their historical foundations and lasting significance.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in either the Humanities or the Cross-Cultural category.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

16. 
PSC 14F, sec. 02: Juvenile Justice and Law (BH), 4 s.h. CRN 90959
T/TH, 11:20 a.m.-1:15 p.m., Celeste Kaufman

This course will examine the law and practice of juvenile justice in the United States. We will explore the historical reasons for a separate juvenile justice system, one that holds children legally accountable for criminal acts, and the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in limiting and expanding the constitutional rights of juveniles. In this course, students will learn to analyze the ways that legal, political, and historical factors have influenced the development of the American juvenile justice system, describe the legal and philosophical reasons for the existence of two distinct courts for crimes committed by juveniles, and identify landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases that have established criminal procedures dealing with issues ranging from apprehension and prosecution to detention of juveniles.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category.

ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

17.
RLLT 14F, sec. 01: European Comic Book Culture (LT), 3 s.h. CRN 92859
T/TH, 2:40-4:05 p.m., Simone Castaldi

This seminar provides an introduction to the history of the comics medium in Europe, focusing in particular on Franco-Belgian, Italian, and Spanish traditions. Charting the development of the medium from its advent as children's literature in the early 20th century to the appearance of the graphic novel in the late 1970s, students will learn how these different comics cultures interacted with contemporary art trends, and were shaped by historical events like WWI, the rise of Fascism in Europe, WWII, the postwar reconstruction period, the dawn of the European Union, immigration, and a cultural reconfiguration of gender dynamics. In addition to being introduced to popular comics characters like Tintin, Spirou, and Corto Maltese, students will learn the rudiments of comics criticism and analysis. All texts assigned and discussed will be presented in English.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category. 

SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES

18. 
SBLY 14F, sec. 01: Sustainability and Food (IS), 3 s.h. CRN 92382
T/TH, 11:20 a.m.-1:15 p.m., Sasha Pesci

Do you ever wonder how your food got to your plate? Do you wonder who produced it and what their farms are like? What are the environmental impacts of food production? Why do so many people in the world go hungry when it seems like so much food is wasted? How did we go from a situation where the vast majority of people were involved in agriculture, to the situation now where most of us only know about food through grocery stores? Should we eat organic and local, or eat more plant-based foods? What efforts exist to make the food system more equitable and sustainable? If these questions are interesting to you, then Sustainability and Food is a course for you!

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Interdisciplinary Studies category.

STUDENT SUCCESS

19-22
University 101 is designed to assist first-year students in making a positive adjustment to University life. Students discuss topics that have an impact on a college experience, and they learn about important resources and support services available at the University. Through discussions, readings, and assignments, students develop the skills and awareness that will serve them throughout their years at Hofstra and in the future.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the electives category. Three sections are being offered. One is geared toward students interested in pre-health disciplines, and meets for one hour each week throughout the Fall semester. The other two sections are appropriate for students interested in any discipline for a major, and for students who are undecided. These latter two sections meet only during the first half of the Fall semester, for two hours each week.

19. 
UNIV 101, sec. F01: University 101: Pre-Health, 1 s.h., CRN 92261
TH, 9:55-11:05 a.m., Ellen Miller and Monica Schauss

20. 
UNIV 101, sec. F02: University 101: All disciplines, 1 s.h., CRN 92262
T/TH, 9:55-11:05 a.m., Christina Cacioppo Bertsch and Ashley Andree
This section ends on 10/24/25

21. 
UNIV 101, sec. F03: University 101: All disciplines, 1 s.h., CRN 92263
T/TH, 9:55-11:05 a.m., Brittany Rhoden
This section ends on 10/24/25

22. 
UNIV 101, sec. F04: University 101: Student Athletes, 1 s.h., CRN 92967
W, 5-6:15 p.m., Alessandra Brady and Graham Radcliffe