Faculty: Logan, Paul

This course will provide students with the skills and strategies to succeed in college. Towards that end, our work together will be organized around the study of digital media theory and skills. We will ask questions such as: What is the role of technology in higher education? How can practitioner skills in digital media help students pursue their careers after graduation? What is the system of ethics underlying new media technologies, and how can this system of ethics help students participate in their civic responsibilities? How does the law dictate our use of new media? We will read a range of scholarly and mainstream sources across the communication field, and will analyze a variety of graphical, video and radio sources.

Faculty: Ramirez, Anthony

This first-year course provides students with opportunities to develop and practice learning strategies essential to college success through the exploration of popular culture. Through this course, we’ll explore movies, television, music, comic books, and more in order to explore college and life in general.

Faculty: Hatfield, Elizabeth

This first-year course provides students with opportunities to develop and practice learning strategies essential to college success through the exploration of communication and relationships. Students will engage topics related to managing anxiety, successfully navigating conflict, and building healthy relationships with a focus on living a purposeful, happy life. Within the context of the discipline and the special topic, students learn to develop ideas and express them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively. Courses in this area help students acquire the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience. Strategies for academic success are practiced within the context of the special topic.

Faculty: Archiopoli, Ashley

This seminar will explore the ways we can enhance our quality of life by emphasizing our interpersonal relationships in our homes, our workplaces, and our communities. Students will learn to the basics of communication with emphasis on how theories of interpersonal communication manifest in our day-to-day. Further, students will learn to develop ideas and express them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate effectively. After taking this course, students will have refined and developed essential skills in oral, written, and visual communication that allow an individual to foster and maintain meaningful relationships and contribute to one’s overall quality of life. Strategies for academic success are practiced within the context of the special topic.

Faculty: Ali, Syed

This course will utilize fundamental principles of communication, the Internet, and digital technology tools to enhance communication skills in face-to-face and virtual environments. This course also explores ways that the Internet can be used to effectively supplement communication.

Faculty: Beane, Susan

Success in college and beyond will be the focus of this course.  Students will collect personal data, analyze and represent the data mathematically, and develop critical thinking and analytical skills to improve performance in college and obtain career goal.

Faculty: Duman, Ali N.

Risk surrounds us in every aspect of life, and understanding how to measure and manage it is crucial for personal success, thriving businesses, and effective governance. This course delves into work of actuaries to quantify and manage risk supporting our society and multi-billion- dollar industries. In this course, you’ll unravel the mysteries of risk through the lens of actuaries, gaining insights into their intricate work. Dive into the exploration of diverse global risks, ranging from climate change and aging populations to evolving healthcare models and pandemic epidemiology.

Faculty: Nganou, JB.

This first-year course provides students with opportunities to develop and practice learning strategies essential to college success through the exploration of the mathematics of voting. Voting theory is the mathematical description of the process by which democratic societies resolve the different and conflicting views of the group’s members into a single choice for the group. One of our key duties as citizens is participating in votes. There are some natural questions that we would like to address as participants in elections: What properties should a fair election have and are these properties achievable in theory and in practice? How can a ``fair’’ winner be declared across the various systems? How can mathematics and statistics be used to expose election fraud and gerrymandering? Students will address these questions as they compare different election systems, evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and abuses, and design improvements to current structures. This is a natural area where some basic statistics can also be applied. Topics will include gerrymandering, ranked voting, approval voting, and Arrow's Impossibility Theorem.

Faculty: Blaimont, Pauline

We will consider the science behind your everyday world and how it can inform how you approach college and life in general. Topics will include analyzing personal well-being (for example making healthy nutritional choices and reconsidering what actually makes you “happy”?) based on scientific findings. We will approach everyday decisions with a scientific lens while incorporating important skills for your future (study skills, career information and resume writing etc.). 

Faculty: Brown, Houston

Sustainable energy in our modern world will be examined with an eye on the chemistry behind the science.  From fossil fuels to nuclear energy, and then to modern renewables, students will learn that all energy focuses back on the atom, either through fission or fusion processes.  Student teams will choose an energy topic to explore, while understanding some of the most basic chemistry which delivers energy on a daily basis.

Faculty: Minard, Meghan

‘You are what you eat!’  What does this mean?  This first year seminar will make your favorite foods talk to you and tell you their story- where they come from and how they become part of you.  By way of interesting readings, label analysis, nutrition discussions, and surprising research findings, you will come to understand food on a whole new level!

Faculty: Nakamura, Mitsue

Do you know that you can find many interesting research topics in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics by watching your favorite movies? You will be inquiring, analyzing data, using technologies, and communicating through research project and group collaboration led by experienced and trained peer leaders who have the same goals as you. You will also improve your critical thinking skill by solving a murder mystery. The main goal of this class is to “Learn How to Learn STEM topics” in college and make a transition from high school to college as one of your success stories.

Faculty: Saha, Sanghamitra

​‘Are men and women really from different planets? What makes women different from men? The answer is in the chromosomes! In this seminar course, you will explore the biological changes an infant girl experiences to become a woman. With relevant readings, classroom activities, informational videos, and group discussions, you will understand half of our species on a whole new level’.

Faculty: Standlee, Courtney

​In this course, we will review basic concepts of human anatomy, microbiology, and immunology in the context of the description of the human microbiota. You will be introduced to the microbial world that inhabits the human body, the interactions between the microbial organisms and the human host, how human diet and behavior can influence the microbiota, how the microbiota changes during disease or health, and the ethical issues related to widely-promoted diets, probiotics, and other public health emerging trends. 

Faculty: Harris, Cyril

​The course will cover a variety of topics from a computer science perspective.  These topics include: the scientific method, spreadsheets, data visualization, artificial intelligence, robotics, natural language processing, algorithms, web design, search engines, web crawling, algorithmic trading, bioinformatics, 3D printing, computer graphics, game design, computer networking, computer security, and computer architecture. The course will also introduce students to the plethora of UHD resources that are available to them.   Part of a scientist’s responsibilities involves conducting research and delivering presentations on their research to a group of their peers.   

Faculty: Cueva, Edmund

​A multidisciplinary approach to explore and analyze urban legends. How do urban legends come in to and out of existence? Which legends persist and why? How do they reflect, support, or challenge cultural norms and beliefs?  Among many others, the course includes such well known legends as the Vanishing Hitchhiker, Jersey Devil, UFOs, Ouija Board, Slender Man, and the Chupacabra. 

Faculty: Dalhberg, Sandra

Explore the cultures of Native America and how Indigenous peoples of the Americas revolutionized the global food supply and shaped North America. Examine topics ranging from Disney's appropriation of Pocahontas (Matoaka), racialized sports mascots, and cultural sovereignty from Native perspectives.

Faculty: Gascoigne, Carolyn

We all use a host of "languages" throughout our day; speaking to our friends one way and to our professors another way. This course will provide a cultural, linguistic, and psycholinguistic examination of code-switching across dialects and across languages.

Faculty: Jackson, Chuck

Monsters, ghosts, evil, terror – the very best horror stories conjure a nightmarish world and leave their audiences giddy with fright and disgust. This seminar invites students to study and enjoy some of the most famous American horror stories ever told. We will turn to experts to help us better understand why horror remains such a popular genre in the United States, why some of us love horror and some of us avoid it, what inspires and influences creative people to make horror, how horror stories change over time, and why horror might even be good for us.

Faculty: Sullivan, Nell

This seminar will examine the relationship between the popular zombie horror genre and the serious social, moral, and political issues facing U.S. culture.  Students will analyze zombie films through the lens of Monster Theory, which employs a range of psychological, sociological, and political theories to hypothesize the ways in which a culture’s monsters reflect its major social issues. 

Faculty: Thomas, Tammis

Instagram posts, dating app swipes, dreams of makeover shopping sprees or transformed gym bodies —fairy tales enter our minds when we are children and continue to impact our thinking and behavior into adulthood. This seminar invites students to examine some of the most famous fairy tales ever created and to think about the powerful influence of key fairy tale concepts such as “happily ever after” and “rags to riches.”  Our discussions will focus on high-ranking princes, beautiful princesses, big bad wolves, beloved mermaids, and ugly beasts  and will examine how fairy tale tropes serve as essential templates for video games, the Super Bowl,  TikTok videos, modern weddings, and blockbuster movies.   

Faculty: Kintzele, Paul

This seminar explores the fundamental human relationship to time, in particular as it has been developed in narratives of time travel since the nineteenth century. We will examine literary texts and films that imagine what it would be like to visit the past or journey into the future. We will consider what historical, cultural, scientific, and technological developments led to the appearance of time travel narratives and why they continue to have such appeal. Because each individual has a relationship to time, we will also investigate the philosophical, psychological, and personal aspects of temporality and how awareness of time confronts us with our capacity to make choices. As we pursue these questions about time travel, students will also learn strategies for their own academic success, such as time management, self-monitoring, note-taking, exam preparation, reading and writing strategies, and the importance of thinking ahead in time in order to accomplish college and career goals.

Faculty: Walker, Faye

This course explores how women are presented throughout history, in literature, and in film, analyzing and evaluating the cultural effects including economic, political, and personal. How do cultural roles of both women and men create certain paradigms that we then apply to our personal lives? How is the economy affected by women’s work? What happens in politics when men and women are equally participating? What is our own personal attachment to these life situations and how do we learn to be who we are?

Faculty: Choudhuri, Sucheta

This first-year course provides students with opportunities to develop and practice learning strategies essential to college success through the exploration of topics in film adaptions of short fiction. Is the book really better than the film? How do we know? From Page to Screen will help you understand this question better. The course will focus on how film adaptation is influenced by history and culture. Through the study of film adaptations of literary texts (short stories), you will see how stories change as they move between different media, and you will become discerning consumers of both literature and film. Different genres of fiction and film—suspense, horror, science fiction, comedy—will keep you engaged throughout the semester. Understanding the difference between writing about film and writing about literature will also be one of the crucial components of the course. Assignments for this course will assess both oral and written communication. The course will also teach you the strategies necessary for college success, resources that you need to navigate the university, and help you explore possible career options.

Faculty: Moore, Kyle

Theatre teaches us to think on our feet. Project managing the most collaborative artform requires us to understand other works of art and be able to tell the story again using our own expertise and experiences. During this class we will be using different Theatrical productions as case studies to understand how the process of producing live theatre teaches us to think creatively.

Faculty: Vasquez, Benito & Klein, Timothy

“All the world’s a stage and all the students, merely players.” Meet with professional actors, designers, and directors from the local Houston area. Explore theatre spaces large and small. See live shows and find out what goes on behind the scenes. Remember it’s your first year of college... so “Break a Leg.”​ This course will introduce students to Houston’s theatre scene including the Alley Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, Houston Grand Opera and other theatres through class discussions, fieldtrips and attending plays. It explores selected theatres, plays, playwrights and artists in theatre to expose students to the world of theatre and the cultural significance of theatre.

Faculty: Jackson, Larisa

Everyone loves music. What kind of music do you like? Find out about the other world of music that is out there. You can become a part of this world of classical music by experiencing it firsthand. The course introduces students to interpretation of artistic expression through classical music and enables critical, creative, and innovative communication about musical works.

Faculty: Secor, Mary

In this first year seminar, students will investigate and integrate social justice issues and Joseph Campbell's "The Heroes Journey" into their own Graphic Novel, which they will both illustrate and write.  The class will also explore Houston cultural institutions, meet artists and learn their stories, and will also develop basic skills in the visual arts.​

Faculty: Bunin, Matthew

This course examines the history of ethnic and racial discrimination in the United States with a center focus concerning the Holocaust and U.S. immigration policy before, during, and after World War II. This first-year course provides students with opportunities to develop and practice learning strategies essential to college success through the exploration of the history of the Jewish-American community and confronting racism. The course equally examines the origins of the Holocaust and the international response to the Final Solution.

Faculty: Case, Theresa

Students in this course play starring roles in historical role-playing games called Reacting to the Past. Each game will send you back in time to a contentious, pivotal period in US history. You will dig into a fascinating controversy from the past, consider the reasoned arguments of leading figures from opposing sides, and take on the persona of a historical actor as you and your team strive to convey the most persuasive interpretation of the history.  

Faculty: Cantú, Carlos

This course will provide students with the opportunity to develop and practice learning strategies essential to college success. Using oral histories (interviews) and within the context of Mexican American history in Houston, students will explore the historical connections between Mexican Americans and the city of Houston. To consider how Mexican Americans continue to contribute to the development of Houston, students will conduct oral histories with Mexican American medical professionals, city leaders, business owners, veterans, educators, and criminal justice personnel. This course will emphasize a historical approach to college-level readiness, including note-taking strategies, critical reading of sources, exploring digital humanities, time management, and team-building activities. Our goal for this course is to use a blended learning environment to diversify the classroom experience.

Faculty: Preuss, Gene

In 1970, historian Richard Hofstadter wrote about “America as a Gun Culture.” In this course, students will explore the evolving image of firearms in popular culture, as well as debates over public safety and 2nd Amendment debates through the lens of the social, political, economic, cultural and intellectual history of the United States since 1877. In their exploration of the topic, students will learn how historians and other scholars in other disciplines approach difficult and complex topics. Students will also identify student success skills and methods, including effective reading for comprehension and effective note-taking, time-management skills, and how to develop evidence- based arguments and written, visual, and aural means of conveying their research.

Faculty: Allen, Austin

This seminar is about slavery, how it shaped the United States in the past, and how our understandings of it continue to shape the present. We will study the development of slavery in the U.S., the antislavery movement and emancipation, the rise and fall of Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, while noting along the way how our understandings of these developments continue to shape the contemporary U.S. But in this course, the course-specific topic is really of secondary importance. The primary goal of the of this first-year seminar is to help you become a successful college student. To that end, we will focus on strategies for note-taking, college-level reading, time management, and for reviewing and improving performance.

Faculty: Stevens, Genevieve

In this course we will consider the science behind your everyday world and how it can inform how you approach college and life in general. Topics will include analyzing personal well-being-- (for example making lifestyle choices and reconsidering what actually makes you productive and successful based on scientific findings. We will approach everyday decisions and actions, or Mindsets, to assist your decision making and perseverance strength, while incorporating important skills for your future (notetaking, time management, reading strategies, study skills, and career planning etc.).

Faculty: Sanchez, Christal

In the context of PK-12 education, it is essential for families, communities, and schools to collaborate to improve educational experiences. This course focuses on how we can center family and community needs and experiences in the educational process to establish capacity building relationships and equitable educational experiences.

Faculty: Beebe, Ron

Urban schools provide a microcosm in which the dynamics of economic, historic, political and social factors of society play out in the lives of students, teachers, and communities. This course will explore the purpose and role of public education in the United States, the social and political forces that have shaped education, specifically in the urban context, as well as current issues arising from the increasing diversity of the urban classroom. Additionally, public school funding, school reform, the “hidden curriculum,” high stakes assessment, and legal considerations will be covered. Students will also have the opportunity to engage in conversations on related topics. The course develops knowledge, skills and dispositions related to the economic, historical, political, and social factors underlying the culture of urban schools.

Faculty: Morgan, Whitney

This course begins students' journeys to becoming competent leaders. Despite the myth that leaders are born and not made, anyone can learn the knowledge, skills and abilities that constitute effective leadership. While this course adopts a business perspective, the concetps covered are relevant beyond the workplace, including at school and in the community. Students will gain practice as well as an understanding of their leadership strengths and weaknesses through a variety of experiential learning exercises.

Faculty: Pohl, Bernardo

This course investigates the historical, social, political, and philosophical contexts of American schools and debates about school reform. From the vision of Thomas Jefferson for the common schools in Virginia to the No Child Left Behind legislation, public and private education has been crucial in indoctrinating the masses for citizenship, moral character, and for productivity. Most importantly, education empowers individuals to reach their potential, allowing them to become whole and pursue a happy and fulfilling life. Through readings, discussions, and research, students will explore the complicated, even contradictory, relations between schooling and democratic life in the U.S.; in response students will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate findings to deliver defensible arguments, infer logical conclusions, and address issues of concern relative to education in the 21st century.