ENGL 105 - Reading the University

3 Credit(s) | Lecture | Graded or pass/fail
Course can be counted for credit once

Description:
What is a university and what is its purpose? Many assume that the university is designed to train people for jobs and improve their earning potential, but are these its main objectives? What do universities require courses that seem to bear no direct relevance on the career path of many students? And what value do the humanities have in a university curriculum? This course introduces students to university education through critical reading and active engagement with the humanities. As a complement to the ‘writing intensive’ course within the general education curriculum, this ‘reading intensive’ course aims to help students establish a balance between their career and civic goals for their university learning. Students will therefore read the university within the specific context of UMass Boston to reveal the economic, political and social issues the university is facing. The university will be unpacked to expose its structure, its curricula, and its role in society, all in an effort to empower students to take charge of their education and make it meaningful for them before and beyond graduation. This is a hands-on, interactive course designed with the support of the Mellon Foundation.

Course Attribute(s):
Distribution Area: Humanities

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