Course Auditing Descriptions

• Malcolm Boston
• Mon/Weds/Fri 8:00-8:50 am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Surveys the history of African Americans from 1865 to the present, covering such themes as emancipation, reconstruction, migration, urbanization, community formation and development, the political and cultural movements of the 1960s and 1970s, affirmative action, the underclass, and the reparations debate. Makes students aware of the historical conditions and development of people of African descent in the United States along with their contributions to American society

• Christina Twicken
• Tues/Thurs 11:00-12:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Explores Black American poetry and poetics of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries with emphasis on the cyclical dynamic of political discomfort for African Americans & the subsequent poetic movements created in response. Pursuant to this aim, major authors such as Hughes, Walker, Brown, Brooks, Baraka, Neale, Sanchez, Dove, Komunyakaa, Alexander, Schockley, Hayes and the Roots are studied.

• Christina Twicken
• Tues/Thurs 2:00-3:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Examines how Eurocentric philosophical theories of aesthetics and beauty became popularized and have affected Black women and women in general. Pursues an understanding of the ways Black women writers have engaged in discourse with these theories and resisted the harm they perpetuate. Covers works of literature by and about Black women, films and documentaries, and other artifacts of popular culture.

• Rozenn Bailleul-LeSuer
• Tues/Thurs 12:30-1:45pm [Face to Face]
• Location: Cooper Hall C0003
• 2 Seats

Provides an overview of the field of anthropological archaeology while emphasizing the relationship between the past and the present. Topics include the history of archaeology, methods and techniques used to recover archaeological data, and an examination of how data are used to understand and interpret human existence in the past, and exploration of particular case studies and important issues in contemporary archaeology.

• Tiffany Rawlings
• Mon/Weds/Fri 9:05-9:50am [Face to Face]
• Location: Cooper C0003
• 2 Seats

Provides an overview of the field of anthropological archaeology while emphasizing the relationship between the past and the present. Topics include the history of archaeology, methods and techniques used to recover archaeological data, and an examination of how data are used to understand and interpret human existence in the past, and exploration of particular case studies and important issues in contemporary archaeology.

• Pilapa Carroll
• Tues/Thurs 9:30-10:45pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Economic change, war and political upheaval have created an increasing number of authorized and unauthorized migrants in the contemporary world. Using the holistic approach and cultural insight of anthropology, this course takes a migrant’s perspective from departure from one’s native land through the journey and challenges of adaptation in a new place. We will focus on issues related to gender, identity and personal histories.

• Tiffany Rawlings
• Mon/Weds/Fri 12:20-1:10pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Introduces anthropological approaches and methods to studying death, burial and commemoration using archaeological and skeletal evidence from prehistoric and historical periods. This course answers questions such as: what insights does burial of the dead provide about the human condition; what do graves reveal about burial rites; what do funerary objects reveal about social identities; what do gravestones, tombs and cemeteries reveal about beliefs, sentiments and political relationships; and what does the skeleton reveal about a person’s life?

• Alexander Smith
• Mon/Weds/Fri 1:25-2:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Have you ever wondered what lies outside of academic archaeology? Have you ever watched Ancient Aliens, Searching for the Lost Giants or read Chariots of the Gods? “Alternative” archaeologies are the bestsellers when it comes to presenting the human past. This course will take a critical look at different types of alternative archaeologies, both past and present, to understand how they intersect and interface with academic understandings of archaeology and human history. Be prepared to quell academic prejudices as we delve deep into the culture of alternative archaeologies to rattle our comfort zones and uncover our connections to the most popular forms of human history ever to have been made.

• Jennifer Hecker
• Tuesday 6:30-9:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: Tower Fine Arts Rm 2204
• 2 Seats

An introductory course for students with little or no art experience, designed to broaden their visual vocabulary. Explores the basic elements and principles of art through a sequence of problems to be solved by the execution of original works in various media. $45 course/materials fee.

• Alisia Chase
• Tuesday/Thursday 2:00-3:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: Edwards Hall Rm. 107
• 2 Seats

Examines the major trends and developments of the 20th century, primarily in Europe and the United States. Students will learn how biographical, social, cultural, and political forces influenced various artists. Helps students understand how art making is not a practice in isolation, but an expression of how creators respond to their interior and exterior worlds.

• Alisia Chase
• Location: Online (Asynchronous)
• 2 Seats

This course examines the art and history of comics and graphic novels, or what is more formally known as sequential art from its inception in the late 19th century to the present day. What is unique about comics as an artform is that it intentionally places text and image in tension with one another, resulting in a story that transcends mere illustration. By doing a close reading of 5 texts over the span of the semester, students will also learn how form and subject matter converge to create meaning/theme, and how texts reflect their period’s aesthetic and historical trends. Additionally, by reading a number of scholarly articles on comics methodology, students will learn how to use similar critical tools in their own analysis and interpretation.

This course is 100% online and is taken/completed via asynchronous course activities such as online readings, problem solving, and discussions using Brightspace. You must have access to a computer with Internet connection to participate in this course.

• Ka-Wah Wong
• Tuesday/Thursday 2:00-3:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Follows stellar and galactic astronomy through the last hundred years of discovery, leading to the modern scientific understanding of our place in the cosmos. Traces the lives of stars, the formation and evolution of galaxies, and the birth and fate of the universe. Emphasizes the modern frontiers of astrophysics, including black holes, dark matter, gravitational waves, and dark energy.

• Nate Cederstrom
• Monday 6:30-9:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

This course investigates the relationship between oratory and the American experience. To explore this link, students study foundational concepts about communication and important speeches that have shaped democracy in the United States. Special emphasis is placed on civic engagement and on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).

• Veronica Droser
• Tuesday/Thursday 12:30-1:45pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Introduces students to the theory and process of interpersonal communication, examining and applying the concepts and principles basic to interpersonal encounters. Acquaints students with the essentials of communication transactions in experiential learning opportunities that lead to effective skills; intimate, inter-gender, families; professional and intercultural relationships.

• Elizabeth Thorpe
• Monday/Wednesday 3:30-4:45pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Critically examines significant 20th-century American political speeches and campaigns. Explores the ways in which individuals and institutions use media to exercise power and influence opinion through the use of verbal and visual symbols. Places special emphasis on representations of gender in political rhetoric. Course will discuss conspiracy theories ranging from the Civil War era to present.

• Katharina Neissl
• Mon/Weds/Fri 2:30-3:20pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Covers the history and evolution of corrections; the social organization of prisons; differences between adult and juvenile correction; and probation and parole practices and alternatives to incarceration.

• Ann Bunch
• Mon/Weds 11:15am-12:05pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Provides a study of the work of the crime lab and the medical examiner. Examines methods of analysis of items commonly found at crime scenes such as: fingerprints, blood, illegal drugs, hairs, fibers, arson residues, bullets, etc. Covers procedures for processing the crime scene and safeguarding the evidence.

• Katharina Neissl
• Mon/Weds 5:05-6:20pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Examines women’s relationships with crime and the criminal justice system. Specifically provides a study of women and crime, victimization and occupational obstacles and opportunities. Develops students’ understanding of how social, political and economic conditions affect these problems.

• Andrew Baranauskas
• Location: Online (Asynchronous)
• 2 Seats

Provides a review and critical analysis of the major criminological theories including the classical school; biological school; and psychological, sociological, and psychoanalytic orientations, including economic determinism. Considers various forms of criminality, as well as studies dealing with the frequency of crime in different places at different times.

This course is 100% online and is taken/completed via asynchronous course activities such as online readings, problem solving, and discussions using Brightspace. You must have access to a computer with Internet connection to participate in this course.

• Andrew Baranauskas
• Location: Online (Asynchronous)
• 2 Seats

The death penalty is the most severe form of punishment given by the criminal justice system. The death penalty is also a hot-button issue. Discussions on capital punishment are fraught with numerous moral, ethical, and legal questions. This course serves as a general introduction to the use of the death penalty by the criminal justice system in the United States and the issues surrounding the death penalty debate. It takes an academic approach to exploring the death penalty, carefully examining multiple sides of contentious issues. This course explores topics such as: the history and current state of the death penalty, the effectiveness of capital punishment in fulfilling goals of punishment, public opinion on the death penalty, and legal and social issues surrounding the death penalty.

This course is 100% online and is taken/completed via asynchronous course activities such as online readings, problem solving, and discussions using Brightspace. You must have access to a computer with Internet connection to participate in this course.

• Jennifer Ashton
• Tuesday/Thursday 2:00-3:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

This course explores the ways in which disability is represented, embodied, constructed, and marginalized in educational systems. This course addresses and defines concepts such as disability, impairment, ableism, neurodivergence, accessibility, and inclusion. Students will learn about how educational systems are structured in ways that normalize and reproduce systems of exclusion and oppression. The work of the course will focus on understanding socio-cultural influences that shape how students with disabilities are served in educational systems and how that influences their life trajectories.

• Amy Shema
• Tues/Thurs 11:00A-12:15P [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 1 Seat

Focuses on social, cultural, historical, and philosophical foundations of education; changing roles of teachers within contexts of contemporary schools; and other programs serving children. Considers contexts for students at the early childhood, childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence levels, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners. The course will also explore the idea that education reflects the wider society in which we live.

• Sarah Liu
• Mon/Weds/Fri 10:10-11:00am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Examines the substances and processes of writing poetry through contemporary study and objective workshop criticism of student writing.

• Michael Slater
• Tues/Thurs 9:30A-10:45am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Explores several comedies and romances to gain a detailed and in-depth understanding of the issues and themes central to Shakespeare’s works. Although knowledge of historical background is essential, the primary focus will be on the poetic, thematic and dramatic elements that cause these plays to resonate so profoundly today.

• Carter Soles
• Mon/Weds/Fri 1:25-2:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

From its inception in the late 1890s through the current impacts of digital technology, film as a medium has always been subject to intense scrutiny and inquiry regarding its meanings, aesthetics, and social effects. This course offers an overview of many of these debates, examining how film scholars and cultural critics have approached the interpretation of film (and other popular media). This class will introduce you to the key terms, ideas, and discourses within the theory and criticism of film, training you to use a set of interpretative tools and analytical frameworks not only for your future academic study of film but for your everyday consumption of film and other visual media. We will pay special attention to the application of theory and criticism: how do you take the broad ideas of theory and use them in your own interpretations? How do you take the specific interpretations of criticism and develop a broader argument that can be applied to other texts? We will analyze historically significant films as well as more contemporary films in our examination of visual media and its ideological meaning(s).

• Carter Soles
• Mon/Weds/Fri 9:05-9:55am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

This class explores the relationship between racial and ethnic identity, cinematic representation, film production, pleasure, and power. We will investigate the complex representation of people of all races (including whites) in mainstream Hollywood cinema and, to some extent, independent and experimental cinema. The course will primarily emphasize U.S. films made by non-white filmmakers, asking questions about how financing and distributing works by people of color (POC) might lead to increased antiracist ideologies and aesthetics in Hollywood and beyond. We will investigate the “Hollywood Jim Crow” described by Maryann Erigha: structural policies and practices that limit the contributions, cultural reach, and profitability of films made by, for, and about non-whites. We will explore issues of nonwhite stars and celebrities, as well as the role of POC as spectators and consumers of commercial media. Throughout, we will use the debates surrounding critical race theory and the Hollywood Jim Crow to frame our examination of Hollywood’s relationship to racial representation, moving beyond the examination of stereotypes to analyze the complex ideological negotiations at play as race relations – onscreen and off – continually adapt to shifting cultural and social circumstances.

• Carter Soles
• Mon/Weds/Fri 12:20-1:10pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Explores aesthetic, social, psychological, and political issues that inform the relation between women and film. Traces the evolution of women’s work in front of and behind the camera in diverse filmmaking institutions worldwide. Focuses on both the roles women have played in mainstream cinema and the contributions they have made to the genre as directors.

• Tia Kennedy
• Location: Online (Asynchronous)
• 2 Seats

Provides students with an overview of healthcare ethics including: major ethical theories; ethical decision-making models; application to patients’ rights, confidentiality, informed consent, professional relationships, and allocation of scarce resources.

This course is 100% online and is taken/completed via asynchronous course activities such as online readings, problem solving, and discussions using Brightspace. You must have access to a computer with Internet connection to participate in this course.

• Jessica Sniateki
• Location: Online (Asynchronous)
• 2 Seats

Provides an overview of the field of grief and loss, including its psychological impact, and social responses to a variety of losses. In addition, the course will examine grief and loss among substance abuse clients, both during active use and throughout the process of recovery.

This course is 100% online and is taken/completed via asynchronous course activities such as online readings, problem solving, and discussions using Brightspace. You must have access to a computer with Internet connection to participate in this course.

• Joe Torre
• Location: Online (Asynchronous)
• 2 Seats

Empire State: The History of New York is a broad survey course designed to introduce students to the history of New York State from the pre-contact (the contact between the indigenous peoples of New York and Europeans and African newcomers) to the modern era. Themes include colonial New York, the industrial to the post-industrial eras. Special emphasis is place on New York’s role in creating a diverse nation. Students will examine New Yorker’s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Rights Movement, and the broader “Rights Revolution” that reshaped notions of power, community and nation in post-World War II America.

This is a 100% asynchronous course with activities such as online readings, discussions, using Brightspace, SUNY Brockport’s learning management system. You must have access to a computer with Internet connection to participate in this course.

• Paul Moyer
• Mon/Weds/Fri 9:05-9:55am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Presents a survey of American military history from the colonial period to present. Major themes include the changing experience of battle, combat motivation, systems of recruitment for the armed forces, the impact of technology on warfare, civil-military relations, the rise of the military as a professional institution, and the evolution of military doctrine.

• Elizabeth Masarik
• Tues/Thurs 9:30-10:45am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Focuses on the changing history of American women, including the intersections of gender and sexuality with ethnicity, race, immigration, and class. We analyze cultural images of American women, as well as individual and organized resistance to conventional definitions of womanhood as well as contemporary issues, including employment, reproductive freedom, and anti-racism.

• Meredith Roman
• Mon/Weds/Fri 12:20-1:10pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Highlights the multiple legacies of the Russian Empire; examines the Russian Revolution; explores the nature of the Stalinist regime; and seeks to explain the collapse of the Soviet Union.

• Meredith Roman
• Wednesday 5:05-7:35pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Introduces students to influential and controversial scholarship on the history of modern Europe, focusing on the twentieth century. We will examine European ideas of race, class, and gender and use popular culture to enhance our understanding of the First and Second World Wars, the Holocaust, European imperialism and decolonization, nationalism, and the Cold War. We will consider how Western Europe viewed itself as uniquely modern and civilized in the midst of mass death and destruction and the long shadows of that violence.

• Takashi Nishiyama
• Tues/Thurs 3:30-4:45p, [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Studies Japanese political, economic and cultural history from the early Yamato state to the status as an economic superpower in the late 20th Century.

• Anne Macpherson
• Mon/Weds/Fri 10:10-11:00am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Analyzes the dynamics of Spanish and Portuguese conquest in the “New World,” from the 1490s, including gender dynamics; indigenous and enslaved African peoples’ active shaping of colonial rule, including racial concepts and practices; and the Catholic church’s regulation of gender relations. Examines regional diversity and the sudden collapse of the colonial system in the independence wars of 1810s.

• John Daly
• Tues/Thurs 5:00-6:15pm, [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

This course is survey of religion’s influence on US history from Columbus to today. Religion motivated many of the key events in American history: encounter with Native Americans, colonization, the American Revolution, 19th century reform movements, the Civil War, Immigration, the Cold War and current political divisions. The class also emphasizes how the United States produced new religions and new approaches to religion with a special emphasis on religious freedom and separation of church and state. The course will also give a broad overview of denominations and religious philosophies present in the United States.

• Michael Kramer
• Wednesday 11:15am-12:05pm, [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Happy Semiquincentennial America! The United States turns 250 years old in 2026. To reflect on this anniversary, we will explore Michael Hattem’s *The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History* (Yale University Press, 2024) together. What stories have Americans told themselves about their nation’s founding? Origin myths, it turns out, don’t originate with the original event. They get made and remade over time. History does not stand still. So Hattem examines the changing dimensions of America’s creation as it continually got re-created. Tracing the legacies of the Revolutionary War and 1776 down the years with Hattem’s help (and adding a little bit of additional material: speeches, films, music, art, material culture, cartoons, and more) aids us in seeing how history is always alive. Looking back to when the nation started always turns out to be a means of trying to argue where it is now—and how it should proceed next.

• Tamara Wilcox
• Mon/Weds/Fri 10:10-11:00am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

MUS 235 is a piano class for students who have some playing experience. It is musicianship-based, with an approach that encompasses multiple levels of piano development. Students meet twice per week in class as a group, and also receive a weekly individual lesson. Material covered includes piano technique, as well as skills in harmonization and improvisation, music theory, rhythmic proficiency, and lead sheet reading.

• Lisa Lancia
• Tues/Thurs 5:00P-6:15P [Face to Face]
• Location: Tower Fine Arts Center 0120
• 15 Seats

The course provides for the study and performance of choral literature, both secular and sacred. Stylistic periods may include Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary, including Jazz, Musical Theatre, and music of other cultures. Singers will gain knowledge of the historic context and musical genre of each concert piece. Emphasis will be placed on ensemble singing while developing musicianship and healthy personal vocal technique. This is a unique multi-generational ensemble of SUNY Brockport students, faculty, and community members who all have a passion for the choral arts and creating joy together through their voices. We hope that you will join us!

• Natalie Sarrazin
• Tues/Thurs 2:00-3:15pm, [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

An historical and topical approach to the study of rock music including the study of popular music from the late 19th century into the 21st century, through the blues, jazz, and R&B. The chronological outline places the history of rock music into both socio-historical and political events contexts, while tying in the economic history of the music industry, radio, and the effect of changing media trends.

• Monica Ramich
• Tues/Thurs 12:30-1:45pm, [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Surveys the American musical theatre, including Broadway shows, through investigation of its form. Provides analyses, discussions, viewing and research of selected works to serve as a basis for a more aware listening technique.

• Erik French
• Mon/Weds/Fri 10:10-11:00am [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

Examines post-World War II and post-Cold War changes in national security (military defense) policy perception, planning and implementation as a result of technological advances. In particular, focuses on military defense policies, including strategies and tactics of the Great Powers, and other powers of military consequence. Considers the challenger of asymmetrical conflict.

• Jack Peltz
• Mon/Weds/Fri 11:15am-12:05pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

This course introduces students to the biological, psychological, social/environmental bases of sleep. Through readings, in-class activities, classroom discussions, lively debates, videos, and lectures, we will examine the normative process of sleep as well as sleep disorders. We will explore each area of sleep across diverse perspectives and seek to understand inequities and disparities related to sleep.

• Sara Margolin
• Location: Online (Asynchronous)
• 2 Seats

Students experience an overview of the psychology of aging, including topics such as research methods in aging; physical changes associated with age, including the psychological impact of physical change; memory changes; retirement; and death and bereavement.

• Melissa Brown
• Mon/Weds 3:35am-4:50pm [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

This course critically examines meditation and mindfulness from the following perspectives: philosophical, methodological, biological, cognitive, health, clinical, interpersonal, and societal. Students will critically evaluate the literature on a topic of their choice pertaining to meditation and mindfulness.

• Jason Dauenhauer
• Tues/Thurs 2:00-3:15pm, [Face to Face]
• Location: TBA
• 2 Seats

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the aging process from the biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives. The course will examine a number of aging-related concepts and controversies associated with an aging American society including caregiving, retirement, sexuality/relationships, and healthcare. Emphasis will be placed on how individuals, families, and society cope with the increasing life expectancy of older adults. In-class intergenerational dialogue and discussion between students and auditors is a hallmark of this course.

• Danny Hoskins
• Tues/Thurs 11:00am-12:15pm [Face to Face]
• Location: Tower 1102
• 2 Seats

Provides an introduction to the craft of acting. Emphasizes basic techniques through acting exercises, monologue presentations and scene work. For this course there are some simple movement exercises and the class requires some memorization.

• Danny Hoskins
• Tues/Thurs 9:30-10:45am [Face to Face]
• Location: Tower 1115
• 2 Seats

From ancient Egypt to the 21st Century, fashions illustrate the cultural aesthetic of each society, as driven by gender roles, available technology, social patterns, religious pressure, economic prosperity and catastrophic events. Examination of basic textile processes and the silhouettes of each era, the Body Ideal, created by Characteristic garments, embellishment and hairstyles. Expanding communications, social change and shifting attitudes on gender impact the fashion industry