Catalog 2010 - 2011

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts |

The Creative Writing Minor is designed for the student who has interest in developing skills as a creative writer (in fiction, poetry, and/or creative nonfiction) and in pursuing the formal study of literature as a form of cultural expression. The study of creative writing involves: producing original works of creative writing in more than one genre; exploring major literary traditions and literary-theoretical perspectives; examining the ways in which literature shapes and influences culture; recognizing the socio-cultural and historical contexts of literature; and examining one's own socio-cultural position as a writer. The Creative Writing Minor fulfills the Humanities PEAK.

The Creative Writing Minor consists of 18 credits:

• ENG-299T (any version) (3 cr)
• Two writing workshops (only one of which may be Journalism) from:
  • ENG-218 Poetry Writing Workshop I (3 cr)
  • ENG-219 Fiction Writing Workshop I (3 cr)
  • ENG-220 Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop I (3 cr)
  • JOURN-200 Principles & Practices of Journalism: Print (3 cr)
• One subsequent writing workshop from:
  • ENG-318 Poetry Writing Workshop II (3 cr)
  • ENG-319 Fiction Writing Workshop II (3 cr)
  • ENG-320 Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop II (3 cr)
• ENG-280 Theory & Methods of the Study of Literature
  or
  an additional 300-level writing workshop (3 cr)
• Three credits of Fine Arts. A liberal arts curriculum values breadth and exposure to both the Fine Arts & Humanities. Therefore, any student completing a minor in Creative Writing must also complete a course in Art, Music, or Theatre.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Analytical Reasoning
• Communicate clearly, persuasively and confidently in writing
• Critically interpret literature
• Understand and interpret literature as a form of human imagination and expression
• Understand how the literary tradition has helped shape the world
• Critical Thinking

In addition, in successfully completing a minor in Creative Writing students should be able to:

• produce polished creative written work and articulate the place of that work in the literary tradition (with regard to traditions of genre and literary history)
• discuss the socio-cultural and historical contexts of literature
• demonstrate a basic familiarity with major literary traditions and themes
• contribute meaningfully to creative writing workshop discussions of the works of both their peers and professional, published authors
• discuss some of the ways in which their own encounters with texts are shaped and limited by culturally-influenced assumptions concerning individuality, situatedness, and reality.

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts | Professional Studies & Enhancements |

Call it "the first draft of history," the engine of the communication revolution, or the literature of fact, journalism performs an ever-increasing role in the twenty-first century. Online and interactive journalism have made journalism more immediate, personal, and democratic than ever before. Yet the essential tools and techniques of nonfiction and journalistic writing remain remarkably unchanged. The Interactive Journalism minor combines the resources of the college in art, photography and traditional liberal arts disciplines with coursework in journalism. Internships in real world media businesses give College of Idaho journalism minors a sense of what is happening in the workplace.

Present in all our coursework is a focus on critical thinking and exposure to the best examples of nonfiction writing for print, websites, radio and television. All minors are expected to work for The Coyote student newspaper and the CofI Online—our college online publication for The College of Idaho community that includes articles and artwork, creative nonfiction, poetry and short fiction, and also publishes our capstone projects. The goal of the minor in Interactive Journalism is to produce journalists who possess the skills and critical thinking ability to work in today's media. The means—broadcast, print, Internet—of distributing news have evolved; the method of gathering and interpreting information has quickened, but the essence of the work—the informed, well-researched and compellingly told story—remains at the heart of all good journalism. Our students benefit from an inter-disciplinary approach, taking courses in ethics, graphic and web design, a required capstone project as well as a core curriculum in journalism. Internships in print, video or interactive media give the students hands-on experience off campus.

The Interactive Jounalism minor is a comprehensive minor that fulfills the Humanities & Fine Arts and Professional Studies PEAKs. It requires that students consider aesthetic, philisophical, and artistic aims in the study of communication.

The minor consists of 28-30 credits:

• JOURN-200 Principles & Practices of Journalism: Print (3 cr)
• JOURN-201 Principles & Practices of Journalism: Visual (3 cr)
• JOURN-299T Special Topics (1 cr) (any version)
• JOURN-300 Feature Writing (3 cr)
  or
  ENG-320.1 Advanced Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop (3 cr)
• JOURN-301 Advanced Editing & Reporting (3 cr)
• JOURN-400 Senior Project (3 cr)
• JOURN-497 Internship(1 to 3 credits)
• PHI-331 Ethics (3 cr)
• One course from:
  • ART-114 Desk Top Publishing (2 cr)
  • ART-129 Web Design (2 cr)

PEAKS | Professional Studies & Enhancements |

The Journalism minor presents the fundamentals of the profession. Classes introduce the student to the history of the profession, examine ethical questions that journalists confront and explore the remarkable transformation that contemporary media are undergoing. Each student minoring in journalism is expected to develop a capstone project, contribute to campus publications and complete an internship. Working journalists regularly visit the classes to share their experiences. All the coures are writing intensive and include both a presentation of research and reporting as well as a portfolio of papers.

The minor consists of:

• JOURN-200 Principles & Practices of Journalism: Print (3 cr)
• JOURN-201 Principles & Practices of Journalism: Visual (3 cr)
• JOURN-300 Feature Writing
  or
  ENG-320.1 Advanced Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop (3 cr)
• JOURN-301 Advanced Editing & Reporting (3 cr)
• JOURN-400 Senior Project (3 cr)
• JOURN-497 Internship (1 to 3 cr)

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Critical Thinking
• Analytical Reasoning
• Problem Solving
• Written Communication
• Journalism minors should demonstrate the ability to research, report and edit according to professional standards. They are expected to be proficient nonfiction writers and undertstand the history of the field. They need to apply ethical standards in their reporting, interviewing and show that they can do thorough and thoughful research for articles. In addition they must demonstrate an understanding of the methods and uses of multimedia in journalism today.

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts |

The Literature in English Minor is designed for the student who has interest in the formal study of literature as a form of cultural expression and in practicing literary research methods. The study of literature involves exploring: the ways in which literature shapes and influences culture; the socio-cultural and historical contexts of literature; the politics of canonicity; the cultural assumptions that readers bring to texts; and major literary traditions and literary-theoretical perspectives.

The Literature in English Minor consists of 18 credits:

• ENG-299T (any version) 3 credits
• Nine credits (3 courses) in literature seminar courses at the 300-level
• ENG-280 Theory & Methods of the Study of Literature
  or
  an additional 300-level seminar in literature 3 credits
• Three credits in the Fine Arts (Music, Theatre, and Art)

Students who wish to be certified to teach English at the secondary level may need to take additional courses in English. Please consult with a faculty member in the Education Department to learn the current requirements for certification.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Analytical Reading
• Communicate clearly, persuasively and confidently in writing
• Critically interpret literature
• Understand and interpret literature as a form of human imagination and expression
• Understand how the literary tradition has helped shape the world
• Critical Thinking

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts | Social Science & History |

Home to over half of the world's population, Asia is a region of immeasurable significance to contemporary global society. The Asian Studies minor allows students to pursue a course of study that includes a variety of regional emphases across East, Southeast, and South Asia and disciplinary perspectives across English, Philosophy and Religion, History, and Political Economy. The minor consists of at least 16 credits.

This minor qualifies for either the Fine Arts & Humanities or the Social Science & History PEAK.

With approval of the Asian Studies faculty, students who complete study abroad coursework can appeal to substitute credits in the Humanities and Social Science from other disciplines not listed above.

Students are also encouraged to study abroad in Asia through internationally recognized programs or College of Idaho study tours. Credits from ASN-designated courses that include study tours to Asia are distributed according to the sponsoring discipline of the participating faculty. For example, a six-credit ASN course that includes Religion and Political Economy will count as three credits toward each discipline.

This minor requires 16 credits.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Critical Thinking
• Analytical Reasoning
• Problem Solving
• Written Communication
• Acquire a basic familiarity with major traditions and themes in the study of Asia across at least three disciplines
• Think comparatively about at least three different regions of Asia
• Demonstrate an ability to write thoughfully and persuasively about Asia's diverse cultures and history

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts | Social Science & History |

The British Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary exploration of British society and culture. Any student interested in developing a rich perspective on the history, politics, and creative expressions of the British Isles through multiple disciplines will find the British Studies minor rewarding. The British studies minor allows students to choose from a wide variety of courses embedded in disciplines which have traditionally been engaged in fruitful dialogue with each other, thus enabling students to explore meaningful and complex connections between fields of study.

This minor qualifies for either the Fine Arts & Humanities or Social Science & History PEAK. Additionally, students need to complete a starred paper in the PEAK for which they are seeking credit.

Students are encouraged to undertake overseas studies such as The College of Idaho IND-307 course or the opportunities offered College of Idaho students to study in Northern Ireland.

This minor requires 15-18 credits. Students may choose from these courses in the following disciplines. Courses marked with an asterix (*) have a research-intensive component.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Critical Thinking
• Analytical Writing
• Problem Solving
• Written Communication
• Demonstrate an understanding of how historical and cultural contexts of the British Isles inform and influence specific events or creative expressions
• Demonstrate an understanding of what areas and forms of inquiry are considered meaningful in British Studies through framing relevant research questions.
• Analyze and apply pertinent scholarship on British history, literature, or music

PEAKS | Humanities & Fine Arts | Social Science & History | Professional Studies & Enhancements |

The Criminal Justice Studies (CJS) minor offers a distinctly liberal arts approach to the burgeoning field of criminal justice studies. This program offers students the opportunity to investigate the field from a number of disciplinary perspectives. The Prison Experience capstone course, during which students visit a variety of adult and juvenile facilities, provides direct contact with prisons, insights into prison life, and the means by which students can enter the field. The internship option provides additional valuable experience in regional facilities, forging connections for future employment

This minor requires 17 credits.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Critical thinking about the field from a number of disciplinary perspectives
• Analytical reasoning applied to crime- and prison-related arguments
• Problem solving in regards to social, political economy, and humanitarian issues
• Written communication through intensive journals, research and response papers
• First-hand experience visiting adult & juvenile correctional facilities
• Opportunities to explore criminal justice-related professions