Catalog

Why Do I Have to Take This Course? A Guide to General Education developed out of many years of thinking about general education courses and curriculums. We, as university personnel, do not always succeed in explaining why we have certain requirements. Even though these courses make up a significant percentage of our college careers, there is not often time set aside to talk about general education and explore its purpose and goals. When we do not know the reason why we are doing something, it can sometimes lead to apathy and even resentment. Once we have an idea of the purpose, then we can start to appreciate and learn. It is worthwhile to spend some time thinking about these purposes, both “official” and personal ones, in order to maximize student learning.

This textbook helps students systematically study how general education requirements are developed, their history, post-graduation value, etc. It emphasizes exploration of the significance of individual learning outcomes, especially through the lens of John Lewis’ philosophy of “good, necessary trouble.” For instructors adopting this book, it is designed to assign in its entirety or in parts as instructors can choose to emphasize relevant learning outcomes. It is also designed for use by advisors, especially with advisees who express concerns over taking certain requirements.

What do we owe the dying, the unborn, the uninsured? Arguments in Medical Ethics invites students into seven of the most consequential debates in contemporary medical ethics and shows them how philosophers think about hard cases. An opening chapter on ethical reasoning equips students with the basic tools of argument analysis; the chapters that follow apply those tools to organ donation and the definition of death, euthanasia, abortion, embryo selection, animal research, the right to health care, and rationing. Throughout, the emphasis falls on arguments rather than verdicts – students encounter the strongest versions of opposing views and learn to assess them on their merits. The book is written for undergraduates with no philosophy background, in a direct and informal voice, with detailed cases, discussion questions, and study aids in every chapter. As an open educational resource, it is free to students and can be freely adapted by instructors.  Creative Commons License: CC-BY-NC-SA

This is a two-part book that covers short-film screenwriting and pre-production. The first half is a guide to screenwriting format and structure; it also covers character development, writing a treatment, and the step outline. The second half provides detailed instructions on the steps of pre-production for any film being prepared for production, including shot lists, storyboards, script breakdown, and scheduling.