For students who want to take a class for more than the grade, UTM offers several classes that will not only give beneficial information for a career, but will also open students’ minds to new subjects.
Popular classes offered at UTM cover a wide range of topics that vary depending on students’ individual interests, some of which include Holocaust Literature, British Literature, Fantasy Literature and Intercultural Communications.
In some of these classes, student participation is a big part of the classroom environment, which is usually focused on encouraging critical thinking of issues by student-led conversation based on reading assignments. Assistant Professor of Communications Dr. Chara Van Horn’s Intercultural Communication course does just that, focusing on discussing American assumptions, norms, prejudices and perceptions and how they ultimately compare to other cultures and societies.
“I warn the students from the outset that they will get offended in the class, but that students are in no way allowed to denigrate one another. [It] forces people to confront some of their assumptions and privileges that they don’t even know exist so that they can better understand the viewpoints of others,” Van Horn said.
Trenton Woodley, a senior Political Science major, took Intercultural Communication and said that despite it not being a class he had to have, it taught him quite a bit.
“There are always classes which are not enjoyed, but were simply there to fulfill a requirement and not necessarily to gain any new information. [Through this class,] I was able to learn about the impact that both verbal and non-verbal communication can have,” Woodley said.
Another class that many students take as an elective is Holocaust Literature, led by Instructor of English Tim Hacker. He said that through this class, students can experience history and gain a better understanding of what happened and how it relates to them in the modern world.
“As for Holocaust Literature itself, I think it’s important for students to see that literature can serve as a complement to an event that most of us think of as purely ‘historical.’ History can teach us to think new things about the Holocaust, but literature is cathartic: it can teach us to feel something new,” Hacker said.
Another class that many students have enjoyed taking is Fantasy Literature, taught by Assistant Professor of English Dr. John Glass.
“In the case of Fantasy Literature, I think, the idea of getting three hours of credit for reading what you already like is probably pretty appealing. … The most important things this class has done are allow students to see relationships between the ideas they encountered in the classroom and what they enjoyed reading outside of school,” Glass said.
While many students show interest in classes such as these, factors such as staffing, scholarships and having to take other required courses have greatly influenced the availability of some of these courses.
“Students are no longer encouraged to explore, to take classes that seem interesting. Instead, if the class isn’t part of their degree plan, if it isn’t going to help them graduate ‘on time,’ then they are frequently discouraged from taking such courses. At least, that is what students have told me,” Van Horn said.
Still, many students, such as Woodley, think that students should take classes that are out of comfort zones, opening up doors.
“It is important for students to take classes that are considered out of the norm because they help us in our career lives build better decisions not solely based upon the stock knowledge that we receive. … I believe that the most successful students seek out those unique classes because it opens their minds to new possibilities in what they can accomplish in their future lives,” Woodley said.
Featured Image: (Nathan Morgan)
