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2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
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2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

 Course Numbering System

001-099 Developmental Courses (Credit Type DV*)
100-299 Lower division courses; may have prerequisites
300-499 Upper division courses
500-599 Foundational graduate courses and Education graduate certification courses
600-699 Graduate courses

*DV - Developmental courses completed at Avila count toward Term hours, Term GPA and Career GPA, but are not counted in Career hours. Developmental courses completed at another institution are counted in Term hours and Term GPA, but are not counted in Career hours or Career GPA.

Catalog Course Information

The number in parentheses after the course title indicates the credit in semester hours.

The letters following the course description indicate the semester in which the course is given. Fall semester course offerings are indicated by FA; spring semester, SP; summer session, SU. Where frequency of course offering is not indicated, the course is given as required.
 

Education
  

  • ED 498 - Options in Modern Education (3)

    This course is intended to provide opportunities for students to explore nontraditional career options in the field of education by engaging with professionals outside of traditional classrooms. Students will interview, shadow, research, read about, and investigate options. They will prepare employment seeking materials to help them move forward in advancing their career objectives. This is the Capstone course for the Bachelor of Science in Educational Studies. Approval of the School of Education Chair is required. FA, SP, as needed.
  

  • ED 499 - Education Capstone (1)

    In this Capstone course for initial certification students, we will use the nine Missouri Teacher Standards as a foundation, students will review and integrate the basic concepts and theories studied in previous courses and relate them to teaching in preparation for their student teaching experience. Theories and concepts to be discussed include developmental theories, cognitive information processing, behavior management, lesson planning, instruction, and assessment. Must be taken the semester prior to student teaching. Prerequisite: ED 341  or ED 375 . FA, SP.

English
  

  • EN 095 - Writing Strategies (3)

    Introduction to principles of academic writing such as reading for understanding, vocabulary development, and essay structure. Review of grammatical and usage principles of Standard American English, including parts of speech, sentence formation, and punctuation. Extensive writing practice designed to prepare students for EN 111. Does not satisfy core requirement or count toward degree program. FA, SP.
  

  • EN 111 - Composition I: Rhetorical Discourse (3)

    Development of a robust composition process centered on considerations of audience and purpose. Introduction to argument, including collegiate research practices and integration of reputable sources. Intense practice in close reading for understanding and analysis. Includes refinement of writing mechanics necessary for academic discourse in Standard American English. This is a skills level course.

    Prerequisite: EN 095  with a grade of “C” or better or appropriate placement exam scores. FA, SP.

    MOTR ENGL 100 - Composition I
  

  • EN 112 - Composition II: Rhetorical Argument (3)

    Expansion of writing skills with training in academic research, proper citation, and reasoned argument. Emphasis on persuasive composition, including critical analysis of arguments and rhetorically attentive arguments from evidence. Refinement of a mature writing process centered in revision practices. Includes close reading for understanding, analysis, evaluation, and response. May not be taken concurrently with EN111. This is a skills level course. Prerequisite: EN 111  with a grade of “C” or better or appropriate placement exam scores. 2015 CORE: Belief & Reason, Acquire. FA, SP.

    MOTR ENGL 200 - Composition II
  

  • EN 210 - Composing for the 21st Century (3)

    This course develops writing techniques applied to diverse rhetorical situations exterior to the university. Students investigate and practice non-academic composition focused on community involvement and their anticipated career. The course includes practice in writing, speaking, and digital literacy. Prerequisite: EN 111  or EN 112 . 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Transform. 2020 CORE: Liberal Arts, Literature/Rhetoric. FA.
  

  • EN 213 - Writing with Style (3)

    This course is designed to expand student understanding and repertoire of stylistic moves and to enable them to write finely crafted, rhetorically sensitive prose. The course also introduces students to modern language theories, which posit that language is inherently ideological. Student will analyze the role of style in persuasion and try to strategically employ elements of style in their own arguments. Prerequisite: EN111 or EN112. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Transform. 2020 CORE: Liberal Arts, Literature/Rhetoric. SP, even years.
  

  • EN 222 - Technical Writing (3)

    Continued practice in writing, with an emphasis on the rhetorical and critical thinking demands of writers in specialized fields. Includes techniques and skills needed to participate in technical communication in specific discourse communities. Focus on clarity, conciseness, and accuracy of expression. Prerequisite:  EN 111  or EN 112 .

  

  • EN 231 - Poetry Writing (3)

    In this creative writing course, students will write their own poetry while being introduced to a number of respected and well-known poets. Students will write a group of poems that will have been critiqued and edited in class. At the conclusion of the course, students will have learned the many elements and terminology of Poetry. Prerequisite: EN 111  or EN 112 . 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Transform. Every third semester.

    MOTR PERF 106P - Creative Writing-Poetry
  

  • EN 233 - Fiction Writing (3)

    The emphasis of this course will be on creative writing along with discussions of fiction writing techniques. Topics include language, point of view, characterization, plotting, dialogue, setting, etc. Also, there will be in-class critiquing student work. Prerequisite: EN 111  or EN 112 . Every third semester.

    MOTR PERF 106F - Creative Writing-Fiction
  

  • EN 235 - Playwriting (3)

    This is a Creative Writing (Playwriting) course. Students will be required to write a One Act Play. Students will also become familiar with various pre-playwriting steps. Prerequisite: EN 111  or EN 112 . Every third semester.

    MOTR PERF 103P - Playwriting
  

  • EN 271 - African-American Literature (3)

    This course is a survey of African-American Literature. Writers are selected because of their individual merit and their  representation of African-American thought and experience. They will be studied for their cultural, political, and social contexts. Further, students will consider the struggles of Black Writers to gain respect and recognition against the societal obstacles of racism and stereotyping. Prerequisite: EN 111  or EN 112 . 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Acquire. 2020 CORE: Liberal Arts, Literature/Rhetoric. FA, SP.

    MOTR LITR 105AA - Multicultural Literature
  

  • EN 275 - Gender & Literature (3)

    This course explores the expression of gender as it appears in selected literature from the 19th Century to the 21st Century. In this class, we will explore Western heteronormative masculinity and femininity as well as alternative gender expression. Among the secondary focuses evaluated in this course are issues of power, authority, social representation, and social change as they relate to gender issues. Prerequisite: EN 111  or EN 112 . 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Transform, Global Studies. CORE 2020: Liberal Arts, Literature/Rhetoric. FA.

    MOTR LITR 106 - Women’s Literature
  

  • EN 278 - Global Literature (3)

    Through the lens of literature, this course explores the flows of people and their culture and labor across borders. Each text is examined in terms of its artistic and political dimensions with a focus on identity, gender politics, and historical revision. Rather than discrete nations and single cultures, the course concentrates on movement, hybridity, and multiplicity. In addition to physical movement, the course examines other possessions that move across the borders including information, language, traditions, and beliefs, examining ways in which people remember, reimagine, and reshape their sense of self and community. Prerequisite: EN 111  or EN 112 . 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Acquire, Global Studies. 2020 CORE: Liberal Arts, Literature/Rhetoric. FA, SP.
  

  • EN 279 - Research Methods & Technology (3)

    An in-depth study of the English research methodologies which will prepare students for more advanced courses in the field of English literature or rhetoric. A focus will be on using computer programs and digital databases. Will fulfill the University Functional Computer Literacy requirement in the major. Prerequisite: EN 112 . SP, odd years.
  

  • EN 350 - Rhetorical Theory (3)

    This course will examine the shape of rhetorical theory in general as well as study contributions of specific modern rhetorical theorists. Students will apply theory to rhetorical texts, including nonfiction, speeches, fiction, and digital or otherwise multimodal productions. Prerequisite: EN 111  or EN 112 . Creativity & Culture, Contribute. FA, odd years.
  

  • EN 355 - Authors & Identities (3)

    This course will look at literature through the lens of authorship, or how a particular author or set of authors shape their compositions. Prerequisite: One lower-level literature course. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute. FA, odd years.
  

  • EN 357 - Reading Genre (3)

    In this course, students will read diverse works that represent a literary genre, including poetry, prose, drama, novel, and short form works. By examining and interpreting these works, they will learn the significance of the literary genre, where it came from, who shaped it, and what role it plays in shaping culture. Prerequisite: One 200-level English course. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute. FA, even years.
  

  • EN 359 - Moments in Writing (3)

    In this course, students will read diverse works that represent a literary period, learning the significance of the period, where it came from, who shaped it, and what legacy it left. They will learn the shape of literary aesthetics for this period, what arguments authors were having about literary composition and reception, and how these played out in critical and popular reception of literature. Prerequisite: One lower-level literature course. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute. SP.
  

  • EN 361 - Literacy Studies (3)

    An examination of the development of the English language and historical and current discussions around the uses of literacy in culture. Includes the study of digital literacy, grammatical principles, and an examination of the relationship between literacy and social, economic, and political development. This course approaches the idea of literacy as embedded within society, whose social institutions and conditions shape how literacies are practiced and assigned cultural value. Prerequisite: EN 112 . SP, odd years.
  

  • EN 377 - Adolescent Literature (3)

    Study of adolescent literature, how to analyze and engage students, and ways to incorporate literature and promote reader-response in middle school and secondary classrooms. Primarily for middle school and secondary English education candidates, but open to all education students. Prerequisite: one lower level literature course. FA, even years.
  

  • EN 380 - Special Topics in English (1-3)

    Selected topics to be determined by the department. Course may be repeated for up to 12 credit hours towards the degree. Prerequisite: One EN course 200 level or above.

  

  • EN 443 - Advanced Creative Writing Workshop (3)

    The workshop is an essential component of the English major. Students immerse themselves in the imaginative process of creating literature and completing a manuscript of poetry, a play, or a novella. The course provides critiques that are intense and technical. Students prepare portfolios of their creative writing and present their work before peers and faculty. Prerequisite: One 200 level writing course. Intermittently.
  

  • EN 466 - Persuasion & Performance (3)

    This course engages the rhetoric around contemporary social issues. The emphasis will be on questions contested in the public sphere and will involve in-depth examinations of power and voice within competing American ideologies. Possible topics include the rhetoric of politics, the environment, war, and race. Prerequisite: EN 111  and one English course 200- level or higher.  2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute. SP, odd years.
  

  • EN 480 - Special Topics (1-3)

    Selected topics to be determined by the department. Course may be repeated for up to 12 credit hours towards the degree. Prerequisite: Two EN courses 200 level or above.

  

  • EN 490 - Directed Studies (1-3)

    Under faculty supervision, an advanced study project will be pursued in the area of choice. Course may be repeated for up to 12 credit hours towards the degree. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

  

  • EN 499 - Senior Seminar (3)

    Senior Seminar students undertake an extended research project on a topic of their choice, write a research paper, and present their paper at the senior colloquium. This course meets the Capstone requirement in the English major. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. FA.

Finance
  

  • FI 330 - Finance (3)

    An introduction to important topics in finance with an emphasis on corporations. Topics include: time value of money, bond valuation, equity valuation, analysis of risk and returns, capital budgeting decision models, capital structure, cost of capital, and financial statement analysis. Prerequisites: AC 201  and EC 240  with a grade of “C” or better. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Transform. FA, SP.
  

  • FI 331 - Investments (3)

    A study of investment theories and practice. Topics include: major asset classes and financial instruments, the security markets, portfolio theory, bond prices and yields, bond portfolio management, security analysis and equity valuation, and portfolio performance evaluation. Prerequisite: FI 330 . SP.
  

  • FI 432 - Derivatives (3)

    A study of the major types of derivative contracts, their uses, and valuation. Prerequisites: FI 330 . FA, even years.
  

  • FI 435 - Financial Policy (3)

    Case studies of the theories and practice of financial management including financial statement and cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, estimation of weighted average cost of capital, capital budgeting decision models, and capital structure analysis. Prerequisite: FI 330 . FA.
  

  • FI 437 - International Finance (3)

    A survey of major issues in international financial management. Major topics covered include: introduction to international financial markets, exchange rate determination, currency derivatives, international arbitrate and interest rate parity, purchasing power parity, exchange rate forecasting, measuring exchange rate risk, and exchange rate risk management. Prerequisite: FI 330 . 2015 CORE: Global Studies.


Foreign Language
  

  • FL 111 - Foreign Language I (3)

    Study of the grammar and vocabulary, aural comprehension, oral ability, and the reading and writing of a foreign language. For beginning students.

  

  • FL 112 - Foreign Language II (3)

    Continued study of the grammar and vocabulary, and development of aural comprehension, oral ability, and the reading and writing of a foreign language. Prerequisite: FL 111 .

  

  • FL 380 - Special Topics (1-3)

    Study of the grammar and vocabulary, aural comprehension, oral ability, and the reading and writing of a foreign language.

  

  • FL 490 - Directed Studies (1-3)

    Advanced studies of a language.


Foundation Studies
  

  • FS 101 - First-Year Seminar (1)

    Students will be introduced to the academic and social knowledge, skills, and resources within the Avila community and encouraged in their ongoing development through exploring personal values, Avila’s mission and global issues. This is a Skills Level course. FA.

Geography
  

  • GG 101 - World Geography (3)

    An introductory survey of the major geographical regions of the world. Emphasis on the interaction between humans and their environment and on the contrasts between developed and less developed regions. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Acquire, Global Studies. FA, SU.

    MOTR GEOG 101 - World Regional Geography

Health
  

  • HE 101 - Introduction to Healthcare Careers (2)

    This introductory course will provide the student interested in a healthcare career an opportunity to explore a variety of career options and understand how healthcare professionals work together to meet health outcomes. Information will be shared about the characteristics of various health careers including necessary academic preparation, job responsibilities, employment potential, and salary ranges. In addition, students will learn about current issues and trends in healthcare. 2015 CORE: Community Engagement. FA.
  

  • HE 103 - Introductory Strength Training (2)

    This course is designed to provide students with the basic skills, techniques, and programs to develop and maintain a lifelong strength training program. The basic objectives of the course are in alignment with a lifelong fitness/wellness program. FA, SP.
  

  • HE 104 - Introduction to T’ai Chi Ch’uan (2)

    This course is designed to introduce students to the principles of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, a meditative form of physical exercise and mental discipline that, if practiced daily, enhances health and wellbeing. FA, SP.
  

  • HE 111 - Nutrition (3)

    This course will address nutrients, their functions, and factors affecting their utilization, food sources, and dietary requirements. Nutrition recommendations in all phases of the life cycle and consumer/nutrition related topics will be addressed. This course is web-supported. 2015 CORE: Explorations of Nature, Acquire. FA, SP.
  

  • HE 124 - Medical Terminology (2)

    A study of the terminology of diseases, operative reports, pathology, surgical instruments, diagnostic tests, drug groups, and abbreviations with emphasis on word analysis and definitions. 2 hours lecture per week. SP.
  

  • HE 325 - Understanding Pathophysiology (3)

    A study of the physical and biological abnormalities in the body resulting from specific condition or disease process and considered the foundation of health care practice. Knowledge of pathophysiology helps guide physical assessments, medication management, and provides rationale for diagnostic tests in the treatment of disease processes, as well as the management of  general health care and disease prevention. Prior knowledge of anatomy and physiology will provide a strong foundation as we explore changes in the body as a result of acute and chronic health conditions. Prerequisite: 100-Level Biology with a grade of ”C” or better. Prerequisite or Corequisite: BI 220 with a grade of “C” or better. FA, SP, SU. (as needed)
  

  • HE 380 - Special Topics (1)

    Selected topics courses determined at the discretion of the department. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Intermittently.

Healthcare Management
  

  • HC 201 - Introduction to Healthcare Management (1)

    An Introduction to the healthcare profession, this course focuses on the healthcare environment and delivery systems. Students will learn the common vocabulary of the healthcare industry and its role in the world economy. FA.
  

  • HC 301 - Human Resources for Healthcare (1)

    Human Resources, when pertaining to the Healthcare Industry, can be divided into the two major categories of Clinical and Non-clinical staff responsible for public and individual health intervention. This course explores the need for the successful attraction, selection, hiring, training, retaining and compensating healthcare workers in the healthcare industry. Prerequisite: BU 321 / MG 321  or BU 322 / MG 322 .

  

  • HC 305 - Healthcare Policy & Managed Care (3)

    This course is an introduction to the concepts and principles involved in the Managed Healthcare industry. The course will provide practical knowledge about the structure and functions of Managed Healthcare, in addition to raising ethical, social, economic and political questions regarding the management and distribution of Managed Healthcare services. It examines and describes ethical, political, social, technological, economic, and cultural issues including various options or choices facing U.S. healthcare. This includes an examination of recent health reform legislation and the potential outcomes and consequences.

  

  • HC 310 - Healthcare for the Elderly (3)

    This course is designed to examine the services, clients, and caregivers comprising the continuum of long-term care. It describes the evolution of the concept, its current organization, and the basic financing sources enabling its operation. An introductory course, it focuses on practical issues facing healthcare managers and also highlights the experience of informal caregivers who play an essential role in the continuum. Major regulatory bodies are identified as voluntary, federal, and state agencies that attempt to ensure quality of care. A personal touch on the subject is gained by students through caregiver/client interviews and site visits to continuum service centers. Prerequisite: HC 305 .

  

  • HC 330 - Financing the Healthcare Organization (3)

    This course will provide insightful examination into the complexities of both the organization and financing of healthcare through the context of systematic operations. This course will cover healthcare finance, fiscal operations, financial reporting and measures, comparative data, evaluating budgets, plan financial models, and strategic healthcare financing. Prerequisite: AC 201 .

  

  • HC 335 - Healthcare Marketing (3)

    This course is designed to introduce the student to the vital roles strategic planning and marketing share in today’s healthcare field. These functions are presented as essential tools for organizational survival in an era where reform and change are sweeping the healthcare industry. Prerequisite: HC 305 .

  

  • HC 340 - Legal Aspects of Healthcare (1)

    This course will focus on the key current legal issues facing healthcare providers and organizations today. The content will change each term as the course explores those issues that are most pressing and relevant in the healthcare industry. As the student explores these issues they will also gain a fundamental understanding of the laws and regulations that are applicable to them. They will be asked to apply their knowledge to devise a new approach to addressing these issues. Prerequisite: BU 305  / BL 305 .

  

  • HC 499 - Healthcare Internship (3)

    This course is designed to synthesize previous studies in healthcare management while bringing students to the foreground of their role as healthcare managers. The course serves as a culminating experience in which students are expected to apply knowledge gained from their undergraduate experience. The course is designed to provide a final experience in which students demonstrate mastery of content and allow an opportunity for closure and connection between courses. The purpose of this capstone course is to facilitate the integration and synthesis of content through critical thinking. Meets the Capstone requirement in the major. Internship hours required. Prerequisites: HC 305 , HC 330 , and HC 335  .


History
  

  • HI 201 - Ancient History & Culture (3)

    Using culture as the central category of historical analysis, this course is a global history of human experience from ca. 3500 BCE to 1450 CE. In each major unit of the course, students will contextualize materials from the past to convey both the particularity of past lives and the scale of human experience through analysis of the effects of the breadth of time and place, the depth of detail, the multiplicity of perspectives, and the complex ways humans shape and/or are shaped by their past. In this manner, students will excavate the significance of culture as a reflection of and reaction to the development of power relations (i.e., political, economic, social, or gender hierarchies) and the impact of transnational forces (i.e., global networks of trade, war, ideas, or human migration) in diverse cultures and societies over time in world history. Meets the lower-division requirement for World History in the major. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Acquire, Global Studies. 2020 CORE:  Liberal Arts, History.

    MOTR HIST 201 - World History I
  

  • HI 202 - Modern History & Culture (3)

    Using culture as the central category of historical analysis, this course is a global history of human experience from ca. 1450 CE. to the present. In each major unit of the course, students will contextualize materials from the past to convey both the particularity of past lives and the scale of human experience through analysis of the effects of the breadth of time and place, the depth of detail, the multiplicity of perspectives, and the complex ways humans shape and/or are shaped by their past. In this manner, students will excavate the significance of culture as a reflection of and reaction to the development of power relations (i.e., political, economic, social, or gender hierarchies) and the impact of transnational forces (i.e., global networks of trade, war, ideas, or human migration) in diverse cultures and societies over time in world history. Meets the lower-division requirement for World History in the major. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Acquire, Global Studies. 2020 CORE:  Liberal Arts, History.

    MOTR HIST 202 - World History II
  

  • HI 203 - American Experience I (3)

    This course is a survey of American social, political, cultural, and economic developments from the first European settlements to 1865, with emphasis on the experiences of Native Americans, colonization, independence, nation building, reform, and slavery. Meets the lower-division requirement for American History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Acquire. 2020 CORE: Liberal Arts, History.

    MOTR HIST 101 - American History I
  

  • HI 204 - American Experience II (3)

    This course is a survey of major political, social, cultural, and economic changes in United States history from 1865 to the present, with emphasis on the development of industrial society, consumerism, the expanding role of the United States in world affairs, as well as civil rights and other social movements. Meets the lower-division requirement for American History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Acquire. 2020 CORE: Liberal Arts, History.

    MOTR HIST 102 - American History II
  

  • HI 270 - Fairy Tales & History (3)

    Using gender as a central category of historical analysis, this course is an exploration of fairy tales as a means to promote and/or subvert power relations in European society from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. Students will read and interpret primary sources (i.e., the fairy tales of both male and female collectors/writers) and understand and critically appraise secondary works (scholars’ interpretations of the fairy tales from a variety of historical and other disciplinary perspectives), which are essential in understanding history as a discipline. Meets the lower-division requirement for World history in the history major. Prerequisite: EN 111  or appropriate assessment score. 2020 CORE: Liberal Arts, History.

  

  • HI 271 - The Witch (3)

    Using gender as a central category of historical analysis, this course is an exploration of the images and realities of women and gender in Early Modern Europe in general and the witch hunts of the sixteenth through the eighteen centuries in particular. The focus of the course will first focus on a general survey of women and gender in Early Modern Europe from ca. 1450 to 1750 focusing on 1) power relations and gender in European society and 2) transnational influences of colonialism on both “European” and “colonial” women. The latter portion of the course will focus on case studies of the witch hunts using the theoretical foundation of power relations and gender established earlier in the semester. Students will read and interpret primary sources (i.e., ancient, medieval, and early modern accounts of beliefs, trials, and criticism of witch hunts) and understand and critically appraise secondary works (scholars’ interpretations of the witch hunts from a variety of historical and other disciplinary perspectives), which are essential in understanding history as a discipline. Meets the lower-division requirement for World history in the history major. Prerequisite: EN 111  or appropriate assessment score. 2020 CORE: Liberal Arts, History.

  

  • HI 280 - Topics in History (1-3)

    This course is a survey of specific historical problems, debates, or periods in American or World history using current methodologies. Course may be repeated for up to 12 credit hours towards the degree.

  

  • HI 304 - History Study Tour (1-3)

    This course involves directed study of a particular historical period, event, theme, or topic conducted on-site in the United States or abroad in a foreign country. Course may be repeated for up to 12 credit hours towards the degree. Restricted to history majors and minors. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

  

  • HI 311 - American Women (3)

    This course explores changing cultural images of women, examines the role of gender in structuring American society, and compares the experiences of American women from a variety of racial and ethnic groups as well as class positions. Additionally, this course includes a discussion of important theoretical and methodological concerns related to women’s and gender history. Meets the upper-division requirement for American History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Contribute.

  

  • HI 312 - African-American History (3)

    A survey of the African-American experience in North America, the course examines the evolution of slavery and racism, the methods and movements of resistance, and the creation of African-American communities and cultures from the colonial period to the present. The course stresses African-American agency in shaping their own lives and the history of the United States. Meets the upper-division requirement for American History in the history major.

  

  • HI 321 - Revolutionary Era America (3)

    From the emergence of English colonial communities to riots, rebellions, and the War for Independence, the course examines the causes and consequences of revolution and the perils of nation-building. Meets the upper-division requirement for American History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Transform.

  

  • HI 329 - American Slavery & the Slave Trade (3)

    This course begins with the historical roots of U.S. slavery in the ancient world and West Africa. It covers the Indian slave trade, the Atlantic slave trade, as well as the domestic slave trade. This course will address the diverse policies and practices of slavery and anti-slavery in the U.S. during the colonial, revolutionary, early Republic, antebellum, and Civil War eras. Comparisons with other regions in the western hemisphere will also be offered. Finally, this course will investigate the legacy of slavery in the modern day United States. Meets the upper-division requirement for American History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Transform.

  

  • HI 330 - American Empires (3)

    This course focuses on imperialism and colonialism in the Americas. Beginning with the establishment of European empires to U.S. expansion in the 19th century, as well as current debates about expansion and globalization, this class foregrounds the contributions of multiple racial/ethnic groups in forming American culture. Meets the upper-division requirement for American History in the history major.  2015 CORE: Belief & Reason, Contribute.

  

  • HI 365 - The German Fatherland (3)

    This course explores the transformation of the German-speaking lands from an ambiguous cultural patchwork of feudal lands to a unified, industrial, and culturally diverse empire in the period from 1780 to 1914. Using gender as a central category of historical analysis, special attention is given to the dynamic relationship between German national identity (“the German Fatherland”) and supposed outsiders in German society, such as workers, women, and Jews. Meets the upper-division requirement for World History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute.

  

  • HI 366 - The Spectre of Nazism (3)

    This course explores the history of Germany from 1914 to the present, a troubled odyssey of war, revolution, genocide, and reunification. Using culture as a central category of historical analysis, special attention is given to the cultural responses to the changing political landscapes of the German Empire during World War I (1914-1918), the Weimar Republic (1919-1933), Nazi Germany (1933-1945), occupied Germany (1945-1949), the Cold War German states (1949-1990), and reunified Germany since 1990. Meets the upper-division requirement for World History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute.

  

  • HI 368 - Red Utopia (3)

    Using culture (especially popular culture) as the central category of historical analysis, this course explores the transformation of Russian society during the Soviet Union (1917-1991) in its effort to create a “New Soviet Human Being” and, thus, a revolutionary, communist utopia. Meets the upper-division requirement for World History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute.

  

  • HI 372 - The Great War (3)

    Using visits to the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City as a central focus, this course is a survey of the origins, experiences, historiographical controversies, and legacies of the First World War (1914-1918) in a global context. Meets the upper-division requirement for World History in the history major. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Transform, Global Studies.

  

  • HI 380 - Special Topics in History (3)

    This course involves study of specific historical problems, debates, or periods in American or World history using current methodologies.

  

  • HI 399 - Seminar in History (3)

    This seminar is a methodologies course that will prepare students for more advanced work in the discipline of history. The course will focus on what historians do and how they do it. To that end, the course will help students to develop critical thinking and research skills, plan for careers after graduation, and enhance students’ understanding of the discipline of history and its practices, both in and out of the academy. Furthermore, students will also learn about integrating technology into the practice of history and the place of technology in the future of historical work. Students must complete this course at Avila University in order to fulfill the University Functional Computer Literacy/Technology requirement in the major. FA, intermittently.
  

  • HI 490 - Directed Study in History (1-3)

    This course involves directed study of a particular historical period, event, theme, or topic. Course may be repeated for up to 12 credit hours towards the degree. Restricted to history majors and minors. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

  

  • HI 496 - Internship in History (3)

    The course involves participation in the activities of a historical agency or in a public history research project under supervision of a faculty member or supervisor designated by the faculty. Restricted to history majors and minors. Prerequisite: Instructor approval. 2015 CORE: Community Engagement.

  

  • HI 499 - Senior Thesis (3)

    Building on the foundation of “knowledge” and “theory” gained from upper-level history courses, this capstone seminar in the history major challenges advanced students to pose a historical question based on primary sources, provide a historical context for this research using current secondary literature, and then produce a well-written work and verbal presentation of historical scholarship. Lastly, students enrolled in this course will create an electronic portfolio that serves as the departmental comprehensive examination in the major of history. Meets the Capstone requirement in the major. Must be completed at Avila University. Prerequisite: HI 399 .


Hospitality Management
  

  • HM 380 - Topics in Hospitality Management (3)

    This course covers the growth and progress of the hospitality industry. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the background, context, and career opportunities that exist within the hospitality industry. Course may be repeated for up to nine credit hours towards the degree.


Human Resources
  

  • HR 224 - Psychology of Communication (3)

    A hands-on examination of individual differences in receptive and expressive communication with a focus upon increasing awareness of self in the context of group interactions. Prerequisite: PY 101 . FA.
  

  • HR 323 - Human Resources Management (3)

    Study of human resource management as an integral function of an organization. Areas emphasized are employee influence and human resource flow. Prerequisite: BU 321  or BU 322 . FA.
  

  • HR 335 - Staffing Design (3)

    Building on prior coursework, this course will provide students with advanced staffing skills. Students will learn to diagnose, analyze, and make recommendations regarding effective programs in staffing, developing, motivating, and managing its personnel. This course covers various aspects of employee staffing including job analysis for job description and selection procedure development, recruitment, screening, interviewing, and ability testing. This course will further the development of conducting performance reviews and determining the quality of personnel. This course will also provide students with skills necessary to lead an organization through the difficult scenarios of termination and downsizing. Prerequisite: HR 323 .

  

  • HR 346 - Employment Law (3)

    The study of state and federal statutory and case law that govern the employee/employer relationship. Prerequisite: BU 305 .

  

  • HR 411 - Global Human Resources Management (3)

    Global Human Resources provides the knowledge for HR Practitioners working in U.S. entities that are doing business internationally to develop the competencies needed to address cross-cultural understanding, including but not limited to business leadership, ethics, and social responsibility, employee relations, safety and security, staffing management, and diversity. It includes a focus on the recruitment and selection of a global workforce including training, compensation and benefits as well as addresses expatriation and repatriation. It does not include matters involving U.S. immigrations policies and visas or the requirements for verifying eligibility to work in the United States. Prerequisite: HR 323 . SU.
  

  • HR 421 - Compensation & Benefits (3)

    This course focuses on various topics dealing with compensation and reward system. Topics include the role of compensation and benefits in effective recruitment, selection, and retention of employees. Also treated are pay structures, pay-for-performance plans (group and individual), and executive pay. Government/Legal influences and the role of benefits are some of the other topics covered in this course. Prerequisites: HR 323 . FA.
  

  • HR 479 - Training & Development (3)

    Rapid changes in technology and job design, along with the increasing importance of learning-and knowledge-based organizations, make training and development an increasingly important topic in human resources development. In this course, the student will learn how to 1) identify training and development needs through needs assessments; 2) analyze jobs and tasks to determine training and development objectives; 3) create appropriate training objectives; 4) design effective training and development programs using different techniques or methods; 5) implement a variety of different training and development activities; and 6) evaluate training and development programs. Prerequisite: HR 323 .

  

  • HR 499 - Strategic Human Resources Planning (3)

    Building on prior coursework, this course will provide students with skills to analyze organizational need and develop a comprehensive succession plan to ensure a viable pipeline of management and executive talent to continually move the organization forward. We will discuss the impact of the economy, terrorism, the political climate and a global marketplace on the future needs of the organization and develop forward-thinking skills sets to proactively address those needs while maintaining ethical standards of practice. The course will reinforce the critical thinking and writing skills developed in previous coursework. Meets the Capstone requirement in the major. Prerequisites: HR 323 , HR 335 , HR 411 , HR 421 , and HR 479 .


Interdisciplinary Studies
  

  • IS 301 - Minds (3)

    Students will learn multiple methodologies for addressing issues in cognitive science and philosophy, such as: the relationship between the mind and the brain; ethics and metaphysics of artificial intelligence; the language and nature of thought and consciousness; and how neural processes are expressed in behavior and the mind. 2020 Core: Interdisciplinary. SP.
  

  • IS 302 - Religion & Economics (3)

    This course will examine the longstanding rhetoric used by many cultures to connect one’s wealth with one’s moral, political, or spiritual status.  Drawing from a wide variety of global examples, the course will consider how religion and political economy together have been used as tools in shaping cultural concepts of wealth, poverty, morality, work, and human dignity. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following: global liberation theologies; attitudes regarding social justice; the ethics of capitalism, nationalism, and militarism; branding and advertising religion; the prosperity gospel; Marxism and Christian socialism; the Protestant Ethic; Hindu caste and class; Occupy Wall Street, etc. May not receive credit for both IS 302 and IS 203 . 2020 CORE: Interdisciplinary Studies, Global Studies. FA.
  

  • IS 309 - The Paranormal (3)

    This interdisciplinary course focuses on paranormal phenomena and those who investigate them from the disciplinary perspectives of sociology and history. It examines the cultural systems that promote paranormal beliefs, and thus paranormal investigators, in both the past and the present. We will explore how the beliefs and practices of paranormal investigations differ from those typically held within scientific fields, how paranormal investigators rely on historical records and accounts when conducting investigations, and how communities of paranormal investigators form. Prerequisite: SO 101 . 2020 CORE: Interdisciplinary Studies. FA.
  

  • IS 310 - Images & Realities of Gender (3)

    This course will examine the social construction and significance of gender in society from feminist, interdisciplinary and multicultural perspectives. Students will analyze the ways that gender (in combination with race, sexual identity, and social class) affects access to opportunity, power, and resources. CORE: Interdisciplinary Studies.

  

  • IS 311 - Peace Studies (3)

    This course provides an interdisciplinary (religious studies, communication, philosophy, sociology, history, and economics) approach to achieving peace on a personal, local, national, and international level. The focus is on developing practical strategies for creating peace and living peacefully in a global society. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Contribute, Interdisciplinary Studies, Global Studies.

  

  • IS 315 - Implementing Change in Children’s Healthcare (3)

    The connection between learning and healthcare provides a multi-perspective view of how culture influences a child’s physical and cognitive development leading toward societal and economic stability. Non-project organizations, such as the World Health Organization and Charlie’s House, provide tools to enhance community awareness and create behavior change. Students will consider cultural influences while participating in self-directed learning while promoting healthy child development. Final products will be constructed using a variety of methods to influence and create behavior change within the KCMO community based on learnings from a global perspective. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute, Interdisciplinary Studies, Global Studies, Community Engagement. FA.
  

  • IS 318 - The Mask (3)

    This course is an in-depth look at the creative process in the arts. Creation of a mask and coordinating performance allows students to explore creative work through multiple ways of making. Students will investigate unique forms of mask making and moment to communicate project ideas throughout the course. The theatrical performance is based largely on the movement, choreography, and physicalization of the character and interactions with a group through the improvisational and scene work process. The mask creation will look at multiple ways of creation through experimenting with materials, self-exploration for ideas, and process-oriented results. The course will be team taught and assisted by guest speakers. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute, Interdisciplinary Studies.

  

  • IS 331 - Women & Science (3)

    This interdisciplinary course in Women’s Studies and Natural Science introduces students to the complex and challenging relationship between women and science and technology across the globe. The course introduces students to the history of women and science and technology, including the ways in which female biology has been framed by philosophers, physicians, and scientists from the ancient Greeks to the present and ways in which science has used gender as a way to explain the natural world. The course examines examples of gender bias in the substance of science and technology on both a broad and individual basis, identifies gender stratification within scientific and technological professions, explores the ways in which women use science and technology regarding reproduction, and analyzes persistent barriers to women’s participation and advancement in STEM fields. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Transform, Global Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies. FA, odd years.
  

  • IS 332 - Avant-Garde in Art & Experimental Film (3)

    The course traces the history of the avant-garde movements in art and film/video from the early 19th century to the present day. Students will learn how the avant-garde challenges the social, political, economic, and aesthetic norms of contemporary culture, pushing the boundaries of what is “art,” the use of new technologies, and provoking social norms. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Acquire, Interdisciplinary Studies.

  

  • IS 333 - Gender Communication (3)

    A critical analysis of the interrelationship between gender, culture, and communication. Gender differences and sex-role stereotypes and their influence on communication and relationships will be explored so that strategies for bridging these differences can be developed.

  

  • IS 335 - Plagues (3)

    This course is a survey of plagues in world history using the disciplines of biology and history as interpretative guides. The biological origins, historical and modern techniques of disease control, the social consequences of plagues, and the historical and contemporary ethical debates concerning the nature of disease and treatment of plague victims provide the foundation of the course. In addition, the transnational causes and effects of plagues, such as the Black Death (bubonic plague), small pox, cholera, and AIDS, will be explored in depth. 2015 CORE: Belief & Reason, Contribute, Interdisciplinary Studies, Global Studies.

  

  • IS 336 - Health & Healthcare Issue (3)

    This course identifies and examines current issues involving the health behaviors, health status, and healthcare of people in the United States. Among the specific issues included in this course are (1) the impact of health behaviors on health status and the healthcare system; (2) the ethics of healthcare treatment and decision-making; (3) the patterns of health status based on gender, age, race, and income; (4) the cost of healthcare; (5) inequalities in access to healthcare; and (6) alternative models of healthcare reform. Prerequisite: One natural and one behavioral/social science course. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Transform, Interdisciplinary Studies.

  

  • IS 337 - Tropical Culture: History of Invasions (3)

    Using a combination of a 10-day trip to a tropical location (such as Hawaii or the Bahamas) and classroom experiences at Avila both before and after the trip, this interdisciplinary course will examine the cultural and natural history of the selected tropical location. During the tropical location field experience, students will engage in both biological and social research experiences. Students will study the biology and geology of the tropical location and the surrounding Coral Sea environment. In addition, students will examine the tropical location’s past, present, and future, with an emphasis on the cultural diversity of its residents. 2015 CORE: Belief & Reason, Contribute, Interdisciplinary Studies, Global Studies.

  

  • IS 340 - Mediation (3)

    An interdisciplinary course introducing students to the role of mediation in resolving disputes. It explores the social psychological basis for mediation, including conflict theory. Students develop practical mediation skills. The learning approach includes lectures, simulations, modeling, and practice mediations, in a variety of settings. Case studies and role plays will be used heavily. The disciplines of communication and psychology are represented. 2015 CORE: Social Justice & Civic Life, Transform, Interdisciplinary Studies.

  

  • IS 344 - Music & Politics (3)

    Musical works representative of folk, popular, and refined art idioms will provide subject matter for analysis and discussion of the following: conceptualizing the distinct nature of music from other art forms and human activities, the role of emotion in music and politics, the political use of music, and the musical representation of politics and political action as well as the possibility of music affecting social and political relations. 2015 CORE: Creativity & Culture, Contribute, Interdisciplinary Studies, Global Studies.

  

  • IS 350 - Behavior & the Brain (3)

    This course seeks to explain vertebrate (especially human) behavior, traditionally within the domain of psychology, in terms of the biological disciplines of physiology, development, and evolution. Behavior will thus be examined from the viewpoint of both the psychologist and the biologist with common themes emerging from the two somewhat different views. The course provides an introduction to the biological mechanisms most relevant to key issues in psychology. Prerequisite: PY 101  or BI 111 . 2015 CORE: Explorations of Nature, Contribute, Interdisciplinary Studies. FA.
 

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