First-Year Preceptorial Course Descriptions

First-Year Preceptorial introduces students to liberal learning by teaching them the skills of intellectual synthesis, academic honesty, and resourcefulness—skills necessary for creative thinking, responsible choice, and problem-solving.

Each year, entering students can choose from a selection of ever-evolving topics. Students examine issues through reading, writing, critical analysis, and—most importantly—class discussion. Preceptorial teaches students how to analyze objectively and discuss competing explanations and contradictory beliefs, how to question or affirm a viewpoint, when to be persuaded by a new idea, and how to interact in good faith with those whose opinions differ from their own.

The course generally meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in individual sections for discussion: Tuesday afternoons are generally set aside for class projects, films, one-on-one writing conferences, and writing workshops.

(Only one section of each course topic is offered unless noted otherwise below.)

PREC 106: Cinematic Visions - 2 sections

In this course we will use films to explore a variety of questions: What does it mean to be human? Who are we, and how do we know? What do we want out of life, and how should we go about getting it? What are our responsibilities to others? What does it mean to live "the good life?" We consider the ways in which film addresses these questions. Does film reflect the answers, or does it create them? In addition to film, we will use works from psychology, philosophy, and film studies to explore these issues.

PREC 107: Creating Monsters  

One becomes a monster either by committing some "monstrous" act or by possessing some properties that designate them as essentially "other." This course examines and evaluates the psychological, sociopolitical, and ethical processes through which this occurs and will attempt to answer the question: What does the status of monsters tell us about what it is to be human? To do so, we will look at Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, William Shakespeare's Othello, and a number of shorter readings and films.

PREC 110 The Art of Listening

Are you a good listener? How does listening differ from hearing? In what ways do culture and society encourage or inhibit our ability to listen? How does living in a digital world challenge our social interactions and shape our experiences with communication and listening? This course will focus on examining the surprising depth of the act of listening effectively. We will discuss various factors that influence our ability to listen including culture, technology, physiology, conflict, politics, religion, social status, power, gender, and interpersonal engagement. We will also explore ways in which truly listening can foster more effective political discourse, conflict resolution, and personal relationships. The course will rely on discussion and listening, reflective writing, activities, and experiences as well as analytical assignments and experiments.

PREC 115: Science Fiction & Human Identity - 6 sections

Do humans differ in a fundamental way from thinking machines? What is the relationship of the body to our conception of the human, and how might it change with the advent of genetic or cybernetic augmentation? What is the likely endpoint or destiny of humankind? Science fiction stories can be read as thought experiments designed to explore deep questions about what it means to be human. Drawing on a variety of readings and films, our goal in this course will be to explore the issue of human identity as seen through the lens of science fiction.

PREC 149: Myth & Modern

Ancient Greek mythology, the product of an entirely foreign culture, still strikes modern readers as surprisingly relatable. This course focuses on how people today use Greek myths to better understand their own identities. Through readings and films, we will examine the ways in which ancient stories have influenced our world and how our experiences and perspectives can illuminate ancient texts: in other words, this course explores the complex interplay between ancient myth and modern identity.

PREC 153 Gen-Z: Critical Thinking - 2 sections

Critical thinking is at the heart of a liberal arts education. But what is critical thinking? And how is critical thinking useful in confronting the unique challenges of Generation Z? Join us, as we define and use critical thinking to examine issues like global economic collapse, the crisis of racial and economic democracy, and threats to worldwide health and environment. What are the prospects of Gen Z in creating more democratic politics, socially just economic systems, and fostering cooperation on a global scale? Let's find out together.

PREC 156: What is a Citizen?

What is a citizen, and how is one "made?" The term is used frequently in the media and in political discourse, but what does it mean? Using film, current events, curriculum materials, and readings, students in this course will dig into the meanings attributed to citizenship in the U.S. context, the role of schools in developing citizens, and the strategies applied by advocates of competing philosophies of citizenship. Under what conditions, if any, can a "good" citizen avoid paying taxes? Burn the U.S. flag? Protest racial inequity?

PREC 160: The Gothic Impulse in Film 

Why do we enjoy being frightened at the movies? Why are anxiety and terror so pleasurable as we watch others suffer them? The Gothic, popular in literature for centuries, has found particularly inventive and disturbing opportunities in film. This course explores Gothic cinema's impulse to focus on those disturbances to our psyche: isolation, the uncanny and the grotesque, suspense and terror, the outcast, secrets, and the disorienting notion of the "double." We will also discuss how the Gothic contributes to an understanding of our fears and anxieties regarding strangers--the "other"--and the struggle for identity that can be seen as "wrong" or transgressive.

PREC 162 Performance Studies

In this class, we will be introduced to Performance Studies, a field that holds that all human behavior can be viewed as performance, from brushing your teeth to flirting to performing a violin solo. We will examine and analyze various types of performance while answering such questions as: What does it mean to “perform” oneself? How do we shape others' visions of us through our social media activities? What do we mean when we say that someone is a “performative” activist? What rituals do we perform, on a daily basis and on special occasions, and what purpose do they serve?

PREC 163: Trees

Trees are generous, specific, and tangible—involved in what we know and how we know it. Their branching structure is present in knowledge, decisions, families, bodies, and social networks. Is there not a tree outside your window right now, whether you are in a city, on a farm, or near a strip mall? In this course, we consider trees from the perspectives of sociology, racial and ethnic studies, biology, anthropology, and art. Through readings, discussions, intergroup dialogues, and hands-on activities, we aim to deepen our understanding of trees in all their forms. No outdoor experience is necessary or desirable; this course is for everyone.

PREC 164 Adulting - 2 sections

In this course, we will explore the definition of what makes one an adult. What are "adult" tasks? What is "adulting"? In addition to discussing the difference between adolescence and adulthood, we will also question whether "emerging adulthood" should be considered a separate phase of life and its implications if so. What does it mean to contribute to society as an adult? Finally, we will also explore the question of what makes a life a good life to have lived.