Strand Classes - Office of the Registrar

Fall 2025 Strand Course Descriptions

Technology and Innovation (301)
Conflict (302)
Citizenship (303)
Wellness (304)
Sustainability (305)

Technology and Innovation (301)

English (ENGS 301)

ENGS 301-01 (CRN: 50427): “The Future Now: Reading Sci-Fi”
MWF 10:00-10:50
Professor Livingston

This elective investigates the ways in which the genres of Science-Fiction and Fantasy allow us to examine our present while preparing for the future. We will work through a variety of different works, classical and contemporary, to glean a better understanding of this exciting genre of fiction. As in all classes in the English department, it is intended that through reading, writing, and discussion, students in this course will develop the capacity to better understand and respect the views and concerns of others, especially regarding gender, ethnicity, and religion.

ENGS 301-02 (CRN: 50428) & ENGS 301-03 (CRN: 50807): “Future Troubles: Technoparanoia”
MWF 11:00-11:50, MWF 12:00-12:50
Professor Leonard

From Galileo to Neil Armstrong, our quest to map and later travel the cosmos has paralleled a story of humanity pushed to the limits of its understanding. Such advances in technology are often paraded as shining examples of a civiliazation’s achievements. But below theses narratives of triumph and ingenuity lies the persistent fear that, one day, humanity’s reach will exceed its grasp, and some creation (think Frankenstein and Skynet) will unravel our control over the world and perhaps even our minds. In this course, we will explore the genre of Technoparanoia/Technophobia in order to think through ways in which this unique link between hope and terror, possibility and catastrophe, has been a driving force in art and popular culture since the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment. Course texts will include 1984 as well as select stories from Jorge Louis Borges, and our analysis will extend to films such as Event Horizon and the television series Black Mirror.

History (HISS 301)

HISS 301-01 (CRN: 50445) & HISS 301-02 (CRN: 50451): “The Gun & the Press”
MWF 13:00-13:50, MWF 11:00-11:50
Professor Boughan

This course examines the impact on western Europe, in the period 1450-1650, of two transformative technologies: the gun and the printing press. While the press was invented c. 1450 and the gun existed well before that, both technologies only began to realize their revolutionary potential decades later. We will explore how both profoundly altered the warfare, economy, politics, society, and culture and of Early Modern Europe. This course’s learning objectives are to 1) chart the development of firearms technology in the period 1325- 1650 and print technology in the period 1450-1650; 2) situate guns and the press in their economic, political, religious, social, and economic contexts; 3) interpret and analyze primary and secondary sources in the early history of firearms and print; 4) chart the transformative consequences, both tangible and psychological, of these transformative technologies on early modern Europeans.

SCSS 301-01 (CRN: 51076) & SCSS 301-02 (CRN: 50549): “Tech & Representative Government”
MWF 11:00-11:50, MWF 13:00-13:50
Professor Owens

Technological advances have government practices more efficient and transparent. This course focuses on the principles of representation that have guided how new technologies are implemented in how the public participates in government from paying taxes to voting in elections. It also offers students an introduction to the expertise and skills that the public now expects governments to have in order to reinforce equal access to our representative government.

SCSS 301-03 (CRN: 51550): “Tech & Society “
TR 8:00-9:15
Professor Roof

This course examines the basic concepts and principles of technology. A scientific approach to the analysis and explanation of the complex cultural and sociological debates that surround modern technology.

Natural Science (NTSS 301)

NTSS 301-01 (CRN: 51264) & NTSS 301-02 (CRN: 51265): “Technical Solutions to Climate Change”
MW 13:00-14:15, TR 11:00-12:15
Professor Bevsek

Climate change–the long-term change in average weather patterns that define our planet’s various climates–is a reality that we are coping with now and far into the future. Doomsday scenarios get significant media coverage however there are an array of innovations (some currently in existence, some to be developed) that could mitigate or help us adapt to the consequences of climate change. In this course we will discuss these technologies: how they (may) function; how they could address different aspects of climate change; and their potential drawbacks. The course is divided into four sections:

• Evidence for/against human-caused climate change,

• Predicted consequences of climate change,

• Methods for mitigating climate change, and

• Methods for adapting to existing and future climate change impacts.

NTSS 301-03 (CRN: 51459): “How Airplanes Fly”
TR 9:30-10:45
Professor Berlinghieri

The course has several components which are important in acquiring a physical understanding of How Airplanes Fly. Unlike training, educating means that you will have a knowledge of why something occurs in addition to how to bring about that something by pulling or pushing on a control knob. Lectures, measuring data using a wind tunnel, plotting and analyzing data, understanding the language of equations, describing in words observations, and experiencing flying using a sophisticated flight simulator will all be used to acquire that understanding.

Team projects to include building model air foils, gliders, and other aerodynamic models will be performed if time during the semester permits.

Conflict (302)

Elective (ELES 302)

ELES 302-01 (CRN: 51082): “Muslims & Christians”
TR 9:30-10:45
Professor Segle

This course focuses on the study of narratives about Muslims and Christians during the medieval and early modern periods in Spain. Students will be provided with the foundation for understanding the complexity of the relationship between both the Moorish and Christian populations as both friends and foes. Through a critical lens, students will analyze various texts and attempt to make sense of the curious nature of Spain’s creative imagination that defined the social, cultural, religious, and political environment.

ELES 302-02 (CRN: 51478): “Water Security/Climate Change”
MWF 10:00-10:50
Professor Doeffinger

The most serious and high-profile impacts of climate change are being felt through water: floods, droughts, melting of ice, and reduced snow cover, amongst others. Water is also a major sustainable development challenge: worldwide, 844 million people lack access to drinking water, and 2.3 billion do not have access to latrines or other basic sanitation facilities, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. High-income countries are also faced with water-related policy and engineering dilemmas. Therefore, water is at the center of the sustainable development and climate action agendas, and water security is seen as the ultimate goal of effective water management. The course explores the concept of water security, threats to water security, and established and emerging practices for managing water under climate change. The course introduces key water issues around the world, including access to water supply and sanitation, flood and drought risk management, irrigation water service provision, and freshwater ecosystem degradation. Established and emerging engineering and policy practices for addressing these issues under climate change will be reviewed, including risk-based water resources planning, water allocation reform, and nature-based solutions.

English (ENGS 302)

ENGS 302-01 (CRN: 50429), ENGS 302-02 (CRN: 50430), & ENGS 302-03 (CRN: 50473): “Literature of War”
TR 8:00-9:15, TR 9:30-10:45, & TR 11:00-12:15
Professor Adair

This class provides a broad overview of the major themes of modern war through a mixture of fictional and non-fictional texts. Although the majority of the works cover the Global War on Terror (GWOT), other classic selections have been woven in to provide evolving perspectives. Subjects covered include training for combat, modern combat, the crippling military bureaucracy, PTSD and other post-combat experiences. Finally, the course hopes to raise awareness of psychological stressors in both the military and civilian world and consider healthy coping techniques.

ENGS 302-04 (CRN: 50808): “Contested Urban Spaces”
MWF 10:00-10:50
Professor Hendrix

Stark photographs and raw footage of ruined Ukrainian cities in the aftermath of Russian bombings convey the harsh reality of ruined human lives amid the rampant destruction and devastation of war. Natural disasters wreak similar havoc on landscapes, most viscerally of late on American soil with the wreckage left of the Gulf Coast of Florida caused by Hurricane Ian in the fall of 2022. Major incidents notwithstanding, climatologists have long warned against coastal erosion and the increasingly intense impacts of weather systems on residential areas. This Conflict Strand class explores the narratives of the displaced and disenfranchised as society sorts out how to rebuild communities, serve the needs of refugees, and house the marginalized. The syllabus includes a classic work of literature that depicts the struggle to gain a foothold in a hostile environment and live autonomously—Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, a play that chronicles the lives of three generations of a working-class Black family living in mid-twentieth-century Chicago—and a collection of poetry engaged with similar themes of the obstacles to existential safety and security disproportionately affecting the marginalized segments of society. Susan Crawford’s investigative assessment of Charleston’s vulnerability to the destructive force of floodwaters predicts that those left in harm’s way will be those who cannot afford to save themselves. We will also read selected excerpts from P. E. Moskowitz’ How to Kill a City, a modern-day investigation of the particular challenges facing New Orleans, Detroit, San Francisco, and New York, which will help us to think about contemporary issues of urban development, public policy, and the competing priorities that jeopardize lives and livelihoods, and their impacts on where people choose to make their homes as well as the communities from which they are excluded.

Through reading, writing, analysis, and discussion, students will improve their capacity to think both critically and empathetically: to understand and respect the views and concerns of others, especially regarding gender, ethnicity, and religion.

ENGS 302-05 (CRN: 51287): “Canonical Angst and Ire”
TR 13:30-14:45
Professor Frame

Description coming soon!

History (HISS 302)

HISS 302-02 (CRN: 50404), HISS 302-03 (CRN: 50554), & HISS 302-09 (CRN: 51380): “Islamic Conquest“
MWF 09:00-09:50, MWF 13:00-13:50 & MWF 11:00-11:50
Professor Wright

This course examines the era of the Islamic Conquests from the 7th through the 8th centuries. Attention is given to the historical, political and religious contexts of the conquests, motivations, the makeup of Islamic armies and those of their adversaries, and how these armies changed over time. Includes a detailed look at the conquests of Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Iran, North Africa, India, Central Asia, Spain and the invasion of France. Finally, the course discusses Arab migration and settlement into conquered territory, the treatment of conquered peoples and the impact of the conquests.

HISS 302-04 (CRN: 51376) & HISS 302-05 (CRN: 51377) & HISS 302-08 (CRN: 51378) : “America Divided: The Civil Wars of the 1960s”
TR 8:00-9:15, TR 11:00-12:15, & TR 13:30-14:45
Professor Kieran

This course uses music, film, literature, art, along with historical documents to explore the 1960s as a decade of social, political, and cultural conflict. We will place particular emphasis on American nationalisms and their continual redefinition through acts of the US Congress, the shared experience of attending music festivals, and the US military’s efforts to establish Strategic Hamlets in Vietnam.

Natural Science (NTSS 302)

NTSS 302-01 (CRN: 50696): “Chemistry in War and Peace”
TR 11:00-12:15
Professor Adair-Hudson

Humans have used chemicals and chemical properties to create weapons for centuries, but the conflict associated with the use of chemicals is not just related to war. Both negative and positive impacts on people, animals, and the environment (natural and fabricated) frequently occur with the use of chemicals. For example, food waste and cost can be reduced when lightweight plastics are used for shipping and storing. However, recycling of many plastics can be cost prohibitive due to the same chemical properties that make them useful. Students will learn some common chemical structures and properties to better understand their uses. Students will research and discuss many quantitative factors that produce conflict from chemical use during times of war and peace.

NTSS 302-02 (CRN: 50916) & NTSS 302-05 (CRN: 50681): “Bioterrorism”
TR 9:30-10:45, TR 13:30-14:45
Professor Johnson

This course will examine diverse aspects of the creation, use, and response to the weaponization of biological agents. An understanding of the science underlying biological agents is critical to preventing the escalation of biological outbreaks. A detailed study of the biological characteristics of these organisms will be the focus for this course.

NTSS 302-03 (CRN: 51080) & NTSS 302-04 (CRN: 51081): “Human-Wildlife Conflict ”
TR 9:30-10:45, TR 11:00-12:15
Professor Andrea Gramling

As the human population grows and the habitat for wildlife shrinks, conflicts between humans and wildlife increase in frequency. These conflicts can be deadly, costly, and frustrating. This elective Conflict Strand course will discuss the biology of predators, pests, and plagues to better understand the nature of their impact on humans. We will also explore methods of wildlife damage management to answer the question: Can we balance the needs of humans with the needs of wildlife?

SCSS 302-01 (CRN: 50579) & SCSS 302-05 (CRN: 51467): “Six-Legged Terrorism”
TR 08:00-09:15, TR 09:30-10:45
Professor Fenoff

Explore the dark side of nature in this Social Science Conflict Strand course, where you’ll uncover how insects have been weaponized in war and terrorism to disrupt food and agriculture, harm military forces, and instill fear in civilian populations. This interdisciplinary course combines history, biology (entomology), and the social/behavioral sciences for a comprehensive look at the use of insects in global security. Start with a deep dive into insect biology, then move through historical examples of insects used as weapons. Finally, examine the impact of bioterrorism, homeland security, and current trends shaping this unique field. Don’t miss out on this eye-opening exploration—enroll in six-legged terrorism today!

SCSS 302-02 (CRN: 50580) & SCSS 302-03 (CRN: 51136): “National Guard in Conflict”
TR 09:30-10:45, TR 13:30-14:45
Professor Moring

The use of the National Guard in domestic and international conflicts to establish law and order has a contentious history in the United States. This course will examine the sources of conflict and the methods of conflict resolution. Beginning with the Colonial Militia at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the curriculum follows the evolution of the citizen-soldier in conflict through the Global War on Terrorism. The deployment of the National Guard in domestic disputes and overseas combat implicates Constitutional and legal issues involving federalism, separation of powers, and political concerns. LTC Moring, Deputy General Counsel of the Department of Defense in the Trump Administration, explores the role of the citizen-soldier in war, insurrections, labor unrest, protests, and the conquest of the West.

SCSS 302-06 (CRN: 51468): “Sitcoms and Society”
MW 13:00-14:15
Professor Ferguson

This course examines the role of sitcoms in shaping American culture. Through the analysis of popular sitcoms from different decades, students will explore how these shows reflect and influence societal values, political discourse, beliefs, and attitudes. The course will focus on the ways in which sitcoms can be used to promote civic engagement, explain societal trends, and provide a sense of shared identity.

Citizenship (303)

Elective (ELES 303)

ELES 303-02 (CRN: 51151): “Immersive Cultural Experience”
Online
Professor Parris

Selected topics or problems in the general area of culture and leadership. This course examines the culture(s) of host country, leadership styles/philosophies, conflicts, changes, and human resources involved in entities/organizations.

English (ENGS 303)

ENGS 303-01 (CRN: 50431): “Plague & Penance: Greek Tragedy”
MWF 11:00-11:50
Professor Hendricks

In this Citizenship Strand course of the General Education curriculum sequence, we will perform close readings of four celebrated tragic plays that form the foundation of the Western artistic and cultural tradition. These works of literature encompass narrative situations that prompt the interrogation of our notions of heroism, moral courage, and principled leadership; the significance of defiance against authority (both sacred and secular), personal conscience contrasted against what is commonly accepted as socially appropriate behavior in the pursuit of one’s desired ends, and what is required to bring members of a social order into compliance with established power structures and the standards of civilizations. When characters live in community, there is an implicit expectation that they will adhere to the written and unwritten rules governing that society. When they fall out of compliance—whether the inciting incident is rooted in personal choice, immutable circumstance, or some combination thereof—the attendant friction takes on a life of its own, impacting the perspective, judgment, and limits of autonomy of the parties involved.

In Plague & Penance we will use the material provided by these four classic texts not only to challenge our own preconceived notions of the basis of how to redress wrongdoing, but also to analyze the premises upon which the works of fiction we read/view are based:

• What are the embedded values that provide a barometer for character and contextual assessment, and do we share those values today?

• How do characters seek to justify their own choices and actions?

• How do characters endeavor to make up for their transgressions?

• Is it fair to hold entire communities accountable for the transgressions of errant individuals?

• Does ideological dissent release individuals from obligatory adherence to particular cultural codes and standards?

• What are the repercussions of the rejection of an imposed social script?

• To what extent do works of literature or their performative interpretations operate to endorse or condemn the fictional situations contained within them?

• How do texts serve to reflect or shape the cultures within which they are situated?

• How do unorthodox representations impact the lived experience of those who read/view them?

History (HISS 303)

HISS 303-02 (CRN: 51372): “European Revolutions/Citizen”
TR 11:00-12:15
Professor Neulander

European revolutions spanned the long nineteenth century, from the French in 1789 to the Russian in 1917, with several more in between. This course will explore how these revolutions sought to define modern citizenship, tying it to new, and ever-expanding, rights guaranteed by constitutions and suffrage. We will learn about the origins of modern rights and obligations of this citizenship and the struggles that the nations of Europe went through to claim them. This course fulfills the history requirement for the Citizenship Strand.

Natural Science (NTSS 303)

NTSS 303-07 (CRN: 50811): “Biology, Environment and Law”
MWF 10:00-10:50
Professor Berry

This course explores the relationships between biological systems in the environment, and the environmental laws that regulate them. We will examine the profound influence that environmental laws have on species, ecosystems, and landscapes, and the effects of regulation of air, water, and land in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health. The course begins with an exploration of the legal system, and how it relates to the science of environmental biology. We then consider ecosystems biology, the effects of regulations on plant and animal communities, and the importance of land use regulation on ecosystems. We then explore the specific laws that control pollution of air, water and land, and their effects on natural ecosystems. Finally, we review the influence of international laws and agreements on the health of natural communities.

SCSS 303-01 (CRN: 51125): “National Identity and Political Participation”
MW 14:30-15:45
Professor Ferguson

Description coming soon!

SCSS 303-02 (CRN: 51469): “The Right to Have Rights”
TR 8:00-9:15
Professor Gonzales

Although they’re regularly mentioned in everyday political conversations, intangible concepts such as ‘citizenship,’ ‘duty,’ and ‘human rights’ can be difficult to describe in a concrete way. For example, although ‘citizenship’ is sometimes summarized as ‘the right to have rights,’ there’s not even a universally accepted definition of what a ‘right’ actually is.

Drawing from multiple disciplines (political science, moral philosophy, international law, etc.), this course aims to develop students’ understanding of contemporary trends and debates in human rights thought, especially as they relate to the concepts of duty and citizenship. Although primarily international in focus, this course will also examine these issues in specifically South Carolinian contexts.

Wellness (304)

English (ENGS 304)

ENGS 304-01 (CRN: 50426): “Improvise, Adapt, & Overcome”
MWF 10:00-10:50
Professor Heuston

This course will examine a wide range of written sources (fiction and nonfiction from the Roman Empire to the present) and films that deal with the central issue of the Wellness Strand: how to live a good life. We will read and discuss selections from classic works of nonfiction (including the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own,), fiction (including Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried), poetry (including poems by Robert Frost, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and William Wordsworth) and films (such as Apocalypse Now, Bigger, Stronger, Faster*, and Little Dieter Needs to Fly) alongside more recent nonfiction texts about facing and overcoming life’s manifold challenges. In addition to developing familiarity with our course texts, students will become familiar with related research on aspects of wellness they can apply to their own lives.

This course will help you hone your skills as a critical viewer and reader who engages with and questions a variety of challenging texts and issues. In addition to the required texts listed above, we will read and view a wide range of critical essays, news articles, and online resources. Many of the texts will require substantial, careful reading and will give us a great deal of provocative material to discuss, so make sure to look ahead in the syllabus and budget sufficient time to read them thoroughly. You will apply your ideas and insights directly to your chosen area of academic interest and/or specialization by developing a semester-long research project in consultation with me. The course will also help you develop your skills as a writer. I will assign short response papers and a longer essay (the culmination of the semester project), all of which will be related to the texts or issues we read, view, and discuss in class.

ENGS 304-02 (CRN: 50975) & ENGS 304-03 (CRN: 50715): “Overcoming Ego for Good”
MWF 12:00-12:50, MWF 13:00-13:50
Professor Frame

In the first part of this course, we will build an interpretive framework from Karl Jung’s shadow self-theory, connect Jung’s concept of the shadow to behaviors (punishing, placating, projecting, and denying) and emotions (fear, anger, and hatred), apply the interpretive framework to analyze works of literature and film, and evaluate victory over inflated ego as a potential key to healthy maturity, creativity, mindfulness, letting go, and reconciliation. In the second unit of the course, we will construct an interpretive framework from Murray Bowen’s family systems theory, contrast Bowen’s relationship patterns and postures (conflict, distance, pursuit, cutoff, over-functioning/under-functioning reciprocity, triangles, and reactive repetition) with autonomy, equality, and openness as healthy alternatives for managing emotional intensity in relationships, and apply this framework to analyze works of literature and film. In the final phase of the course, we will identify points of intersection between Jung’s and Bowen’s theories, synthesize an integrated framework, and apply this framework to analyze a work of literature.

History (HISS 304)

HISS 304-03 (CRN: 51367) & HISS 304-04 (CRN: 51368): “Ancient Greek Good Life”
TR 8:00-9:15, TR 9:30-10:45
Professor Maddox

Course description coming soon!

Natural Science (NTSS 304)

NTSS 304-02 (CRN: 50835) & NTSS 304-03 (CRN: 50836): “Human Diseases”
MWF 10:00-10:50, MWF 11:00-11:50
Professor Andrea Gramling

What causes human diseases? In NTSS 304, a wellness strand science course, we will explore the general classifications of the causes of disease as well as investigate the disease processes associated with specific diseases and body systems. We will also explore our body’s defense mechanisms to combat diseases and begin to quantify the prevalence of diseases in multiple populations. The purpose of this course is to present a systematic approach and application to the study of human diseases so that the student will be able to use appropriate terminology to describe diseases 2) understand the mechanism and progression of diseases and 3) understand the appropriate treatment options.

SCSS 304-01 (CRN: 50849) & SCSS 304-02 (CRN: 51015): “Sports and Society”
MWF 8:00-8:50, MWF 9:00-9:50
Professor Roof

This course is designed to introduce students to critical analysis of contemporary sports culture in the United States. Students will get an overview of the insights, findings, concepts, and perspectives that are held by a wide variety of interdisciplinary popular culture scholars today. Several prominent areas of sports culture to be studied include: youth, race, gender, religion, and economics.

SCSS 304-04 (CRN: 50913): “Sports & Exercise Psychology“
MWF 12:00-12:50
Professor Grace

This course will examine a wide range of psychological factors relating to participation in sport and athletic performance, and to physical activity more generally. Particular emphasis will be given to social psychological variables affecting participation and performance and their relationship to the psychological well-being of the individual athlete, to include attention to sports fans and sports marketing.

Sustainability (305)

Elective (ELES 305)

ELES 305-01(CRN: 51095): “Critical Thinking in Sustainability“
MWF 09:00-09:50
Professor Ortiz

In this course students will be encouraged to think critically, ask questions, and analyze sustainability issues from multiple angles while considering ethical implications. Students will be actively engaged in real-world projects and decision-making activities. The course will explore the United Nations 2030 agenda, and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. “The world community has refined its commitment to sustainable development to ensure sustained and inclusive economic growth, social inclusion, environmental protection and to do so in partnership and peace.

English (ENGS 305)

ENGS 305-01 (CRN: 50432) & ENGS 305-02 (CRN: 51288): “Climate Fiction & Sustainability”
TR 09:30-10:45, TR 13:30-14:45
Professor Horan

Description coming soon!

History (HISS 305)

HISS 305-02 (CRN: 51369) & HISS 305-03 (CRN: 51370): “Changing American Landscapes”
TR 13:30-14:45, TR 8:00-9:15
Professor Mushal

In this course, students will explore changing interactions between American society and the natural world, from pre-contact through the 21st century. From hunting practices to urban planning, agriculture to landscape design, and exploration to automobile tourism, how have people shaped the landscape and environment around them, and how have they been shaped by it? How and why have attitudes toward the landscape and natural resources changed? How has changing technology shaped our relationship to the natural world?

Natural Science (NTSS 305)

NTSS 305-01 (CRN: 50762): “Foraging Wild Plants”
TR 09:30-10:45
Professor Joel Gramling

A study of significant topics or problems in the Natural Sciences tied to the specific theme of the strand. Topics to be addressed will be drawn from the academic disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

In Foraging Wild Plants (NTSS 305), students will explore the biology of native plants through the practical application of foraging. Core topics include ecology, evolution, plant identification, systematics, and human nutrition. Students will deepen their understanding of general biology through lectures, interpretive walks, and hands-on activities. Daily in-person participation is required for this course.

SCSS 305-01 (CRN: 50556) & SCSS 305-02 (CRN: 51078): “Sociology & Sustainability”
TR 11:00-12:15, MWF 12:00-12:50
Professor Roof

This course examines the basic concepts and principles of sociology. A scientific approach to the analysis and explanation of culture, personality, and social organization are emphasized along with the major sociological paradigms along with a heavy emphasis on sustainability issues.