Courses and Description

45 hrs, 3 credits

ELEMENTARY (A1)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of Italian spelling and pronunciation (assessment: homework, oral participation in class, oral comprehension quizzes and tests, dictations)
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of part of the Italian grammar and syntax (assessment: homework–workbook, computer assignments, essay, quizzes and tests)
• Participate in simple conversations on topics on everyday situations such as work, education, food, time, weather etc. (reinforced through in-class group activities)
• Demonstrate basic reading comprehension skills (in-class or homework reading assignments from textbook or websites, quizzes and tests)
• Demonstrate some knowledge of Italian geography, history, culture and daily life.

ELEMENTARY (A 2)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Italian 102 will establish the foundations of conversation and grammar. Students will work on basic grammar and speaking skills through conversation, dialogues, exercises and drills, develop vocabulary through reading, discussing and writing, and learn more about Italian culture through reading, video and presentations.

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• carry on basic conversations
• read articles and short stories
• write short compositions in Italian.

45 hrs, 3 credits

INTERMEDIATE (B 1)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed for students who wish to develop the skills necessary to interact in the language and learn about Italian contemporary culture and society as well as Italy’s history. Students will continue to refine their speaking skills by completing tasks with their classmates in pairs and small groups and by following models of native speakers presented on video.

Students will develop reading and writing skills by reading increasingly more elaborate authentic texts and writing related, reaction essays, and their listening skills will be cultivated by completing on-line listening activities, viewing and analyzing short clips from Italian movies, and listening to short lectures on topics in Italian culture, society, and history, such as Pompeii, the contemporary demographic profile of Italy, the history of the language, and of the unification of Italy.

45 hrs, 3 credits

INTERMEDIATE (B 2)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed for students who wish to develop the skills necessary to interact in the language and learn about Italian contemporary culture and society as well as Italy’s history. Students will continue to refine their speaking skills by completing tasks with your classmates in pairs and small groups.

They will develop reading and writing skills by reading increasingly more elaborate authentic texts and writing essays, and their listening skills will be cultivated by in-class interactions, listening to short lectures on topics in Italian culture, listening to Italian music, and watching Italian movies.

45 hrs, 3 credits

ADVANCED (C 1)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• demonstrate advancement in spoken and written language
• communicate with advanced grammatical structures, idiomatic expressions, and refined vocabulary
• communicate personal opinions in group discussions on a variety of topics, articles, events, and personal stories.

45 hrs, 3 credits

POST-ADVANCED (C 2)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Italian 106 aims to guide students to become aware of their personal learning style and strategies, and to support them in their independence. Students need to have completed 5 semesters of Italian language. The language acquisition process takes place and is reinforced through daily contact with the language and through an interactive computer component. The grammatical revision of the language emerges from the linguistic encounters in class, where language teaching is embedded in the socio-cultural context of contemporary Italy. The multimedia component reinforces, tests and contextualises language learning done in the classroom and is regarded as an essential part of this course.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Dante Alighieri is the most important Italian poet, the father of Italian language and the principle figure of Medieval Literature in Europe.

This course will examine Dante’s Divine Comedy and some other minor works of his (i.e.“Vita Nuova” and “Convivio”). The course aim is to allow students to examine his internationally renowned literary texts in their original language.

Students will read excerpts from these works and engage in ahistorical, literary and rhetorical analysis of texts while determining techniques of poetic composition. Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to class discussion. They are also expected to do all the exercises assigned daily.

*Students must have earned at least 12 credits of Italian language as the course will be instructed in Italian.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students will study Italian literature from the 14th to the 16th century.

Students will critically analyze the internationally renowned literary texts in their original language. Authors include Petrarch, Boccaccio, Ariosto, Tasso, Machiavelli, and others. Students will read excerpts from these works and engage in a historical, literary and rhetorical analysis of texts while determining techniques of poetic composition.

Students will also learn about the lives of authors and the historical context and how these affected the masterpieces studied. Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to class discussion. They are also expected to do all the exercises assigned daily.

*Students must have earned at least 12 credits of Italian language as the course will be instructed in Italian.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students will study Italian literature from the 17th to 19th century. Students will critically analyze the internationally renowned literary texts in their original language. Authors include G. Leopardi, U. Foscolo, A. Manzoni and others. Students will read excerpts from these works and engage in a historical, literary, and rhetorical analysis of texts while determining techniques of poetic composition. Students will also learn about the lives of authors and the historical context and how these affected the masterpieces studied. Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to class discussion. They are also expected to do all the exercises assigned daily.

*Students must have earned at least 12 credits of Italian language as the course will be instructed in Italian.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students will study Italian literature of the twentieth century. Students will critically analyze the internationally renowned literary texts in their original language. Authors include Pirandello, Quasimodo, Ungaretti, Montale, and others. Students will read excerpts from these works and engage in a historical, literary, and rhetorical analysis of texts while determining techniques of poetic composition. Students will also learn about the lives of authors and the historical context and how these affected the masterpieces studied. Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to class discussion. They are also expected to do all the exercises assigned daily.

*Students must have earned at least 12 credits of Italian language as the course will be instructed in Italian.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Elementary Latin I provides students with a proficiency-oriented immersion in beginning Latin which is geared primarily toward reading comprehension. Emphasis is on the thorough study of the fundamentals of grammar (morphology and syntax) and vocabulary.

Students study basic grammar and learn the essential elements of Latin pronunciation in order to be able to read simple passages in Latin. They read aloud Latin passages that have been modified for comprehension. The relationship between English and Latin is emphasized in vocabulary building, word derivation, and meanings of prefixes and suffixes.

Essential vocabulary and language structures are presented to students within the context of the themes and topics.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Elementary Latin II provides students with a proficiency-oriented immersion in beginning Latin which is geared primarily toward reading comprehension.

Emphasis is on the thorough study of the fundamentals of grammar (morphology and syntax) and vocabulary. During this class students will gain a mastery of the first principles of Latin grammar that they have studied in Elementary Latin I. Students will also study the Latin syntax in order to be able to read quite complex sentences in Latin. The relationship between English and Latin is emphasized in vocabulary building, word derivation, and meanings of prefixes and suffixes.

More advanced vocabulary and language structures are presented to students within the context of the themes and topics.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introductory Ancient Greek is the introductory course in which you will learn the simplest grammatical concepts and proceed step by step to the more difficult.

The Greek course is designed to help you develop proficiency in writing and especially reading Ancient Greek. Such a goal means that you will acquire certain linguistic knowledge and skills (e.g. pronunciation, vocabulary, morphology and syntax), but it also means that you need to understand the culture that produced texts in Greek and used it on a daily basis.

Third, it means that you will learn not only to observe, abstract, and analyze linguistic and cultural information, but also to synthesize it and to put it into the historical context. No prior knowledge of grammar or any other language except English is required. All technical terms will be explained and illustrated when they first appear.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is an introductory survey of ancient Greece and Rome. We will focus primarily on political, social and military history, but we will not ignore art, architecture and literature. By the end of the term you should have a good sense of how Greek and Roman political ideas and institutions developed and operated, the kinds of social problems each era and culture faced, as well as an understanding of broader cultural trends and ideas which originated in antiquity and are still with us today. The core values of these two cultures, along with their achievements and failings, have been and remain deeply influential on our own world.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

a. Critically describe some of the political, social or economic systems, historical, cultural or spiritual traditions, and/or technological innovations around the world;
b. Demonstrate an awareness of the diversity of people or traditions in our world in ways that promote effective engagement, both locally and globally;
c. Use political, social, economic, historical, cultural, spiritual or technological knowledge to evaluate contemporary issues.

Starting from Spring 2020

3 credits

The course offers a historical framework to understand the Greek presence in western Europe: the sites colonized starting from the 8th century B.C., and the dynamics that caused the foundation of poleis in specific areas of the Italian peninsula.
Magna Graecia is the collec’ve name for the Greek cities of Southern Italy. A worth premise is that Greek civilization and identity crystallized not when Greeks were close together but when they came to be far apart. It emerged during the Archaic period when Greeks founded coastal city states and trading stations in ever-widening horizons from the Ukraine to Spain. No center directed their diffusion: mother ci’es were numerous and the new settlements (“colonies”) would open engender more settlements. The “Greek center” was at sea; it was formed through back-ripple effects of cultural convergence, following the physical divergence of independent se3lements. The course focuses on the history of the Mediterranean as seen from a variety of perspectives,
including Phoenician, Greek and Roman.
Students will be also introduced to the methodology of ancient history and the critical analysis of a wide variety of historical and literary source material, including inscriptions and coins as well as the interpretation of classical texts. Archaeological evidence, including art and architecture will also be examined. Attention will also be given to the organization of the urban space in relation to politics, religion and social life. Field trips to historical sites and museums will be used to reanimate the ancient sources.

45 hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

ENGL 103 focuses on the development of skills necessary for reading analytically and writing clear, accurate, coherent expository prose. It also introduces students to basic research skills, library resources, and documentation systems.

Course Objectives

This student-centered, inquiry-based writing course is designed to help students throughout their college careers and as they enter communities beyond the college. Inquiry-based writing is designed to engage the student in both problem posing and problem solving.

Drawing on the rhetorical situation—specifically, audience, purpose, and context—instruction emphasizes the social nature of inquiry and how writers test ideas to discover the reasons behind and for discursive choices. Students practice recursive writing processes, such as peer review, in order to help them adapt to changing demands of writing within the college and their lives.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

With a particular focus on the connection between narrative and identity formation, this course is an introduction to the interrelated techniques of the creative process.

Exploring the symbiotic relationship between reading and writing, students are encouraged to read as writers, as they investigate and develop a voice of their own while they engage in dialogue with representative texts from various genres and time periods. As a way to foster further critical engagement, academic theory from the fields of postmodernism, post-colonialism and psychoanalysis will accompany literary works in English.

Class time will be spent discussing the writer’s craft, assigned readings and student submissions. Through selected literature and assignments, students are, above all, encouraged to be analytical readers and thoughtful writers who interact with the experience of living and breathing a culture that is different from their own.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

This course acquaints students with significant figures and works of world literature.
We live in a world of fast and fleeting connections. Whether online or offline, we are flooded by images, texts, sounds, videos, status updates, Instagram photos, and other streams of information. Some believe that we are losing the capacity to focus and concentrate, a multitude of others that we are developing new skills and capacities, adapting to digital media in ways that are redefining out relationship to the creation of meaning.

How can “world literature” help to us navigate the predicament of the postmodern present? What can it do for our understanding of where we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going? What does “world literature” actually mean? Are we talking about a specific canon of texts, or simply a perspective, a methodology, a way of reading literature that transcends national boundaries and opens new networks and modes of understanding? In this course, we’ll tackle these questions by engaging with a number of different texts and genres not just from the Western- European tradition, but also from other cultural and historical traditions across the globe as well. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this course explores a vast range of expression (from inscriptions on ancient tablets to poetry, cinema, and theater), while paying particular attention to the role of genre, media, and narrative in shaping humanity and the human condition.

Class requirements include regular participation, a reading journal, a midterm, a poetry illustration project, and a final exam.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Art is the highest expression of a culture. Political, historical and social changes lie at the heart of art. Works of art are the reflection of the ages in which they are produced and are often used as a “tool” to carry messages. During our classes we will focus on the study of the development of art during the centuries and how it affects today’s artists. We will have a brief review of the main artistic movements starting from the ancient Greek reaching Italy’s Baroque period.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• Interpret a work of art with understanding of its historical and social background;
• Demonstrate written and oral communication skills in analyzing a piece of art.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Archaeology studies past cultures and societies through their material remains. This course provides a basic introduction to the discipline, focusing on the study of some major Roman cities destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. The program combines the archaeological study with the analysis of the historical, economic and social aspects of the Roman culture of the era. Students participate in several site visits to examine the remains and reconstruction of the ancient cities.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• know the history of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD and its consequences;
• understand the characteristic features of Latin civilization (i.e. economy and society) of the second century;
• analyze the importance of the archaeological heritage of cities such as Pompeii and Herculaneum.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

As an introduction to the discipline of philosophy, this course will cover a representative selection of texts and problems in the history of philosophy. The course will address the nature of philosophical inquiry and the methods it employs.

Topics to be discussed include the foundations of ethics, the sources and limits of knowledge and historical approaches to metaphysical speculation. Philosophy is not like other subjects you’ve taken in school. You will not be asked to memorize facts.

There are no fundamental principles that all philosophers accept that you must learn and apply, though you will learn principles that particular philosophers have suggested and be asked to think about how(and whether) they apply.

The order in which you learn philosophy doesn’t matter that much, though the more philosophy you know, the better you will be at any part of it. The skill of asking questions is much more important than the answers found. Philosophy is analytical and critical, speculative and creative.

Philosophy is an activity more than a collection of knowledge, a way life more than an academic subject. The goal of philosophy is combining the creative adventure of ideas with the rigorous analysis of them; it is a serious play with thought.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course introduces the student to the world of Italian Cinema. In the first part the class will be analyzing Neorealism, a cinematic phenomenon that deeply influenced the ideological and aesthetic rules of film art.

In the second part we will concentrate on the films that mark the decline of Neorealism and the talent of “new” auteurs such as Fellini and Visconti. The last part of the course will be devoted to the cinema from 1970’s to the present in order to pay attention to the latest developments of the Italian industry.

The course is a general analysis of post-war cinema and a parallel social history of this period using films as “decoded historical evidence”. Together with masterpieces such as “Open City” and “The Bicycle Thief” the screenings will include films of the Italian directors of the “cinema d’autore” including “The Conformist”, “Life is Beautiful”, “Le conseguenze dell’amore”.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Lectures and field sketching sessions are centered on drawing on location as the best way we have to increase our capacity to observe and to understand reality. An object, a tree, a person, cities or landscapes: during everyday life or while traveling, journaling and sketching from reality is a profound and lasting experience. While drawing, we learn to see and we can select information and highlight details better than we could with a camera.

Students will discover Sorrento and its region of Campania, visiting Naples and surrounding archaeological sites, recording their observations through images and words in a travel sketchbook.

Freehand drawing and location drawing as basic and complementary skills are recommended; not only among architects, visual artists, animators and graphic designers, but also in disciplines such as archaeology, history, zoology, botany, and geology.

Classic drawing exercises, as suggested by authors such as Kimon Nicolaides or Betty Edwards, will also help beginners to break the ice with life drawing and get the most out of the experience.

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

• 1 blank sketchbook, appprox size 5×8 in., hardcover, paper weight min. 100 lb.
  1 watercolor block, appprox size 9×12 in., paper weight min. 170 lb.
• 1 watercolor box with 8/10 colors (tubes or pans). If you buy tubes you need a palette or a box to
  mix them. Selected colors: Ivory Black, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cad?
  mium Red Deep, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Alizarine Crimson (+ Payne’s Grey, Cerulean Blue).
• 1 waterbrush, large size; 1 flat brush n.10 to16, 1 round brush n.10 to16.
  Waterproof pen or fountain pen. Water soluble pen or fountain pen.
• Pure graphite pencils 6B/9B. Normal pencil HB/2B. Sharpener and soft rubber eraser.

60 hrs, 4 credits

Course Description

Introduction to Digital Photography gives students fundamental skills for effectively recording travel, home, and work experiences. Using digital photography as a tool, students are encouraged to become more careful observers of the people, the landscape, the art, the architecture, and the culture that they encounter in their daily lives.

The course concentrates on technical lectures and lab/studio time regarding the basic operation of a digital camera and the processing of images. Students develop an understanding of the elements that combine to create powerful visual images: subject matter, composition, color, and light. Through selected readings, assignments, lab/studio time, and critiques, students produce a written and visual final project for the course.

Students are responsible for providing their own cameras, supplies, and image editing software.

Required supplies:
You can find below the material that the photography professor will require for the course:

COMPULSORY:

• DIGITAL CAMERA SLR OR MIRRORLESS
• USB FLASH MEMORY

SUGGESTED:

• CAMERA FILM 35 MM
• INSTANT CAMERA (FUJI INSTAX WIDE or FUJI INSTAX MINI POLAROID CAMERA or POLAROID ZYNC)
• 50 MM LENS F 1.4/F 1.8 /F 2.8

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course explores the religions of ancient Greek and Roman society from their earliest beginnings to the end of paganism and the emergence of Christianity. We will try to ask questions like how did Greeks and Romans conceptualize the divine and their relationship to it? How was ancient religion actually practiced? How does religion relate to myth and ritual? How did religion and politics interrelate? What exactly were the alternatives to civically practiced religion we call “mystery
cults”? Who were the critics of ancient religions, and what was the substance of their criticisms? What was the distinction between magic and religion? These fundamental questions (and many others) will concern us in this course. While the course follows a broadly chronological outline, individual lectures concentrate on
specific themes, such as forms and places of worship, philosophy and religion, death and afterlife, magic and the concept of conversion. The course is designed to introduce the tenets, beliefs, and certain spiritual practices of Classical antiquity and to investigate the social, cultural, and political background of which ancient religion was part. Students will benefit from attending their study abroad program in Sorrento, in the middle of ancient Magna Graecia. On-site lessons in Paestum and Pompeii will be organized throughout the course of the semester.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is intended to provide the student with a comprehensive introduction to business in the European Union. The course describes how economic, political and social factors interrelate, and influence business in Europe. Students will use a framework to research sustainable business practices from different European Union member state’s perspective. Guest lecturers and field trips are planned for students enrolled in the study abroad program.

Student Learning Objectives

At the end of the course the student will be able to do the following:

1. Analyze the origins of the EU, its history and development to the point of enlargement.
2. Identify important steps in EU integration, name EU institutions and understand how they interact with one another
3. Analyze the impact of the social and cultural influences brought about by the enlargement of the EU.
4. Determine how business and trade are conducted both internally and externally by the organizations of the EU.
5. Conduct a sustainable business analysis (SWOTS) for a specific industry sector operating in Italy.
6. Analyze how companies should react and position themselves strategically and operationally responding to key issues in Europe’s evolving sustainable business environment.

3 credits

Course Description

The course presents concepts of tourism relating to food and geography, using Italy as its example. The course is relevant to students of all backgrounds, but was designed specifically for students of hospitality, business, and culinary arts. Students will study international organizations operating in tourism (i.e. WTO) and the different types of tourism, with particular attention paid to sustainable tourism.

Students will be asked to investigate the tourism geography of Italy, becoming familiar with the most important tourist sites in Italy and Campania (through several excursions). The third module of the course will bededicated to a very important kind of tourism in Italy and of the Campania: Food and Wine Tourism.

45 hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

The course aims to analyse the relationship between sustainability, economy, quality and globalization. It will also focus on the European Union and sustainable development. Other included topics will be: the food industry in Italy (focusing on the Campania region), organic farming in Italy, “local food, local market, local business” and food & wine tourism in Italy.

In particular, students will build different business model to answer the following questions:

• The choice of environmental sustainability is compatible with the consumption habits and the impact on prices?
• How local production can change consumer habits?
• Which may be the effect on local producers?
• What is the “minimum” threshold of sustainability adequately significant, but acceptable for customers both culturally and economically?

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The focus is the study of the entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial start-up process. Areas of concentration include the search for new venture opportunities, evaluation of the viability and attractiveness of the new venture; determining the resources required and the sources of those resources and the development of a business plan appropriate for presentation to funding sources.

COURSE AND PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Identify the role of the entrepreneur in a market economy;
• Through a written report and presentation, demonstrate understanding of various components of entrepreneurial activity in practice;
• Apply economic reasoning as it relates to policies impacting entrepreneurship;
• Explain the impact of various institutions on entrepreneurial activity in the short run and long run;
• Evaluate various public policies for their effect on entrepreneurial activity.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to basic marketing concepts. Topics include the marketing mix, new product development, consumer behavior, customer relationship management, strategic planning and e-commerce. Students will develop a comprehensive marketing plan and apply course concepts to real or imaginary products.

Learning Goals
The content of this course addresses the following goals:

• Professional competency and professional identity
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Diverse and global perspectives
• Commitment to ethical practices and service

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

This course covers principles and applications of food marketing, focusing on current trends related to food production, distribution, consumption and the dynamics characterizing food systems. The course will center on the importance of understanding consumer behavior as a key factor in strategic food marketing and on the role of different agents in the food channel, particularly food producers, distributors, wholesales, retailers, and marketers. This course also highlights the interface between producers and consumers (e.g. farm to table). As a result, part of the course will be dedicated to assessing the importance of issues related to food sourcing (including alternative venues such as local and regional sourcing) and food access. The delivery of this course includes live lectures, class discussions, case studies, field trips and the creation of a marketing plan for an agricultural or food product.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

• 20 hours of theory lessons online
• 40 hours of virtual project work partnered with an Italian organization located in the Sorrento area, assigned to each student before the start of the course.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

This course will examine how people meet each other and how they communicate; how they interact and create connections; how these encounters can be a source of creative change. The focus will be on the impact of experiencing different cultures and becoming aware of one’s own fears, which can be an obstacle in creating relationships, forcing oneself back to his/her own comfort zone. Specifically, the goals of this course are: 1) to increase awareness of common and important patterned social and cultural differences, 2) to provide a space for students to reflect on their own personal experience with cultural difference, and 3) to encourage students to engage with different cultures in a hands-on way and to meaningfully and mindfully experience cross-cultural communication.

45 hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

In this course, students will examine Italian history, beginning with the end of World War II and the birth of the Italian Republic. The clashes between various political parties, the Cold War, the economic boom and terrorism in the 1970s will also be analyzed. Students will later examine the political degeneration of the 80s, “Tangentopoli” and the new political system in the Berlusconi era. Particular attention will be devoted to foreign policy, focusing on Italy’s role in the international arena with an emphasis on the European unification process with Italy as a leading country. The faculty will generate a critical discussion on these topics, inviting students to think independently about the causes and consequences of the events that they study. Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to class discussion. Evaluation will include two written exams and one 5 page research paper.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course examines the history of southern Italian organized crime syndicates from their origins to the present day. It also focuses on how these mafias work and have succeeded, on their activities as well as on modern-day approaches to combating the criminal presence in Italy, including the reaction of civil society organizations.

Attention is paid to examples of Mafia enterprises, its past and present role in politics, and its evolution from a regional organization to one with an international reach. A research project, with both a paper and an oral presentation, is required in addition to two written exams.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• discuss the historical origins of the Mafia;
• describe how the Mafia works and the tactics it has used to succeed;
• discuss past and present Mafia enterprises;
• describe the role the Mafia has and does play in Italian politics;
• critically examine the different approaches used to combat the Mafia;
• describe the evolution of the Mafia from an organization that was regional in scope to one today that has international reach;
• employ basic research techniques to locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides an introduction to the political, intellectual, cultural, and economic features of Western civilization from the early modern period to the mid-twentieth century. The topics covered will include the roots of Western Civilization, Enlightenment, French Revolution and Napoleon, Industrial Revolution, Liberalism, Romanticism, Nationalism, Socialism, Imperialism, the First World War, Totalitarianism, World War II, post-War Europe, the rise of Western feminism, post modernism and the current communications revolution, and globalization trends.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• define western civilization, explain the development of its major elements, situate it in a global context;
• evaluate the influence of social, intellectual, and political movements and the impact of wars and revolutions;
• demonstrate the causal and interrelated nature of events and compare and contrast people and events of various periods.

45 hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will examine cultural diversity in contemporary Europe as the continent struggles to compete in an evolving global environment. Students will explore many different aspects of Europe today including issues relating to the development of the European Union and to gender, migration, religion, nationalism, crime, food and social innovation.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to do the following:

1. Discuss the values of and challenges faced by the European Union today.
2. Describe the power of organized crime and its impact on European governance.
3. Identify the main gender issues facing the continent today and discuss possible remedies.
4. Describe the history and goals of European nationalist organizations extant today.
5. Analyze the role of religion in today’s Europe.
6. Discuss past and present patterns of migration to and from Europe.
7. Discuss how social innovation is changing European economies and societies.
8. Describe both the cultural and the economic meaning of food in Europe today.

45 hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

The goal of this course (45 contact hours, 3 credits) is to offer a wide introduction to the main evolution of the Mediterranean, using not just history but its cultures, religions and peoples as well. The main topics covered are: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Greece, Rome, Germanics, Byzantines, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the Renaissance, the different Mediterranean families and the Modernization of the Mediterranean Societies. These topics will not be covered chronologically but by item. Although each lecture will maintain a chronological structure. At the end of each module, students will be invited to prepare and present oral presentations covering one of the topics of the module.

At the end of the course, students will write a 15-page essay concerning one of the topics studied during the course.

3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is an introduction to the field of International Relations. The first module of the course will present the major theoretical frameworks developed and employed to analyze of world politics. Thinking in terms of theory is the only way to ponder over international dynamics and processes in an informed and proper way.

The second part of the course will refer to those theories in order to make sense and discuss some of the major themes currently pertaining to world politics: international security, globalization, transnational terrorism, human rights, with a strong focus on development cooperation and the issues related to migrants/refugees (module C).

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Overview

The purpose of this module is to examine the history, development, structure and efficacy of international human rights law. In this module, students will investigate the legal framework of the United Nations and regional systems relating to the protection and promotion of, inter alia, the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, women’s rights, the rights of migrants and refugees, cultural rights, and the emerging field of environmental rights. Students will assess the remedies that exist for violations of human rights law in the various systems and examine practical case studies where relevant.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course the students will be able to:

• Compare the international human rights law system and regional human rights law systems;
• Evaluate the various mechanisms and procedures for human rights law enforcement;
• Critically assess specific areas of international human rights law with reference to relevant legal instruments and contemporary cases;
• Acquire basic competency in legal writing and research.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

This course examines energy in international relations. The first module of the course will present the Energy fundamentals including the historical overview, the different sources and their characteristics, the supply and demand. The second module will focus on energy security as a key perspective in the study of energy and geopolitics. It will then look at the link between energy, development and environment, and will examine a range of energy scenarios developed by distinct international and research institutions.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This interdisciplinary course provides students with an introduction to the theories and methods used
in gender studies. Through the examination of a variety of topics, students will explore the ways that
gender shapes societies and cultures historically and throughout the world.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate creative thinking by linking content and insights from multiple disciplines;
2. In written, oral, and/or visual communication, students will communicate in a manner appropriate to audience and occasion, with an evident message and organization structure;
3. Students will demonstrate awareness of societal and/or civic issues;
4. Students will understand and practice academic honesty.
5. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the interconnectedness of global dynamics (issues, processes, trends, and systems)

Offered from Summer Term 2020

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

In this course we will trace the history of Italian food from a transnational perspective. Challenging nationalist historiographies we will focus on circulation, exchanges, hybridity and mobility.

Borrowing from Edward Said’s notion of “overlapping territories and intertwined histories,” we will discuss how food is part of a stratified and heterogeneous modernity suspended between the local and the global.

Special topics will include: Arab and Asian merchants before the European hegemony; Mediterranean currents; the Columbian exchange; Neapolitan food and the invention of tradition; Italian American food and issues of memory and ethnicity; Food and Southern Italian migrants in northern Italy; food and the boom economico; multiethnic food in contemporary Italy; space and place in connection with food in Italy and the United States. Some works of cinema and popular music will be included.

45 hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

The course aims to give an introduction to the science of geology. In particular, the main types of rocks are analyzed with an emphasis on genetic processes and in relationship to plate tectonics theory.

This basic knowledge will provide a background to understand and study the main geological risks, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, and landslides. Specific examples from the Apennines mountain chain and Campanian plain will be examined to contextualize these topics in the Italian environment. In addition, a significant aim of this course is for students to gain a conscious relationship with the environment. The Campania region is an ideal place for experiential learning via site visits, with the opportunity for students to witness a wide range ofgeological features.

The evaluation for the course will include mid-term and final written exams, a presentation and graphical exercises.

45 hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

The course is an introduction to the main elements of geological sciences including stratigraphy laws, the maintypes of rocks, and an understanding of faults and folds. These elements will be used to understand Plate Tectonics theory.

Using this theory, different kinds of volcanoes will be analyzed, examining different magmatic compositions, igneous and pyroclastic rocks, and their geodynamic environments. The role of geologic and geomorphologic processes will be analyzed in reference to volcanic risk.

This course will also study landslides in volcanic soils (the case of Sarno mountains) and groundwater flow in volcanic aquifers and exploitation of thermal waters (the case of Ischia).

45 hrs classroom + 45 hrs lab, 4 credits (Spring and Fall)

MSC 113 – 45 hrs classroom, 3 credits (Summer Terms)

Course Description

This course focuses on the biology of organisms residing in the sea, from the diversity of planktonic communities to marine megafauna, taking into consideration the ecological principles that govern marine life.The course aims to provide a solid educational background in basic and applied marine biology. Emphasis will be placed on marine environment issues and the adaptive and evolutionary mechanisms of organisms that allow them to occupy marine habitats. In particular, the Mediterranean Sea will play a central role in the course subjects, profiting from the availability of unique ecosystems and a nearby renowned marine research institute to conduct thematic field trips and practical tutorials.

REQUIREMENTS: bring a mask and a snorkle for Marine Bio field trips.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will focus on the key principles of marine conservation biology, analyzing the main threats for the organisms and ecosystems that inhabit the world oceans, from the marine pollution and bio-invasions to the serious problem of fisheries and ocean over-exploitation.

In the second part of the course, students will study the most important conservation approaches (fishery management, species and habitat conservation measures, etc.) and the Marine Protected Area strategies to maintain and restore the natural equilibrium.

Conservation biology emerged as a recognized field of mission-oriented scholarship about a half century ago when many terrestrial ecologists, genecists and systemacists were horrified by the gathering momentum of a great planetary extinction event. After 50 years many conservation strategies reported good data in recovering population and restoring ecosystem.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students will examine evidenced-based relationships between nutrition and the promotion of long-term health and well-being. They will become familiar with food-related policy and recommendations, including Dietary Guidelines, Food Labels, and evidence-based nutrition programs, and gain practical skills to make healthful dietary choices. Moreover, students will learn health promotion strategies to help influence other people’s food choices and apply these strategies to a specific modifiable chronic disease such as diabetes and heart disease.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to introduce students to the study of sports nutrition, diet analysis, biochemical processes in energy metabolism, nutrition and health problems, and how it can be used to optimize performance. Emphasis will be on nutritional concepts related to the daily
training, diet, energy utilization in exercise and recovery, body composition, use of nutrient and herbal supplements and ergogenic aids as well as the special needs of athletes. The substances that are most abused in athletics will also be examined.

Learning Objectives

This course will provide students with the opportunity to:

• Understand the relationship between physical activity, nutrition, metabolism and sport performance
• Gain an awareness of the dietary challenges that athletes and other active people face.
• Investigate specialized areas of sports nutrition.
• Obtain practical knowledge related to sport nutrition counseling.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

An overview of roles of various members of the health care system, education requirements, and issues affecting the delivery of health care.

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Identify roles of various health care professionals
• Describe legal and ethical issues affecting the practice of health care professionals in Europe
• Give examples of professionalism
• Define the rights and responsibilities of health care professionals
• Discuss payer sources
• Describe various documentation and ordering systems in health care (with a focus on the Italian/European system)

45 contact hrs, 4 credits

Course Description

This class is designed to teach undergraduate students to 1) gather published and unpublished sources of information and bring them to bear on scientific questions, 2) critically read scientific writing, 3) access electronic sources of information, including but not limited to internet searches, library databases, and public information and data, 4) learn the structure and functions of different components of scientific papers to effectively communicate scientific findings, 5) learn techniques for effective communication of scientific information in oral and poster presentations, 6) understand the ethical boundaries associated with scientific communication.

The class will emphasize fundamental principles of communication, presented in lecture format, and reinforced by 1) examination of writing published by professionals, 2) in-class editing of “mock” examples of papers, 3) frequent small assignments, 4) in-class discussions, 5) completion of a paper based on sampling designed and carried out by each student, 5) an oral presentation, and 6) a poster presentation.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

Inspired by the work of Paul Gilroy this course will focus on how the culture of the Black Atlantic – deviated and rerouted by sound and ideas– enters into an unsuspected dialogue with the repressed and hidden histories of a largely silenced Black Mediterranean. Using primary historical documents as well as the accounts of historians we will discuss a range of topics such as the Masaniello revolt of 1648 in Naples, the Haitian Revolution of 1799; the international dimension of Black Power; the racialization of urban space and contemporary migration from Africa towards the Mediterranean.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

This course will trace a form of call and response between New York City and Naples. It will juxtapose these two cities within wider currents, moving across time and space and tracing multiple histories that connect past, present and futurity, local and global. Topics will include the early slave rebellions in the Americas, the 1648 rebellion of Naples, the U.S. military presence in Naples during World War II and Cold War era, Italian immigration to New York City and the urban crises of Naples and New York in the 1970s and 1980s.
In this course, music, cinema and other cultural expressions are not considered as a background but become central narrative devices. Sustained by the saxophone sound of James Senese, the electro funk of Afrika Bambaataa, the echo chamber effect of Sha-Rock, the poetry of Sandra María Esteves, the blue maps of Bobby Womack and Mario Merola we will study unexpected and critical connections between New York City and Naples.
In addition to music, films, and poems, we will use other primary sources collected at the archives of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library, the Bronx County Historical Society and the National Library of Naples.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to provide an introductory overview to Mediterranean migration patterns and trends by examining macroeconomic and geopolitical causes. The course begins with a survey of the historic legacies of Mediterranean migration and moves through the twentieth century with an examination of mass emigration from the Southern Mediterranean to the Americas. By using international economics, demographics and geopolitics as a lens through which to view current Mediterranean migration phenomena, this course prepares the student to analyze effects of mass migration on the stability of the European Union and the Euro zone and propose solutions to ongoing systemic pan-European political and demographic challenges.

Offered from Summer Term 2020

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

In this course we will trace the history of Italian food from a transnational perspective. Challenging nationalist historiographies we will focus on circulation, exchanges, hybridity and mobility.

Borrowing from Edward Said’s notion of “overlapping territories and intertwined histories,” we will discuss how food is part of a stratified and heterogeneous modernity suspended between the local and the global.

Special topics will include: Arab and Asian merchants before the European hegemony; Mediterranean currents; the Columbian exchange; Neapolitan food and the invention of tradition; Italian American food and issues of memory and ethnicity; Food and Southern Italian migrants in northern Italy; food and the boom economico; multiethnic food in contemporary Italy; space and place in connection with food in Italy and the United States. Some works of cinema and popular music will be included.

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Course Syllabus

Introduction to Civic Engagement, a community-based learning course, is designed to give students a basic understanding of key concepts and the framework of civic engagement. Students will critically examine university-community relationships, power structures and
the concept of privilege. They will be exposed to different types of civic engagement, through direct service opportunities and by researching specific case studies. Throughout all class discussions and assignments, students will be asked to engage in critical reflection.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify Civic Engagement models;
• Apply essential aspects of civic engagement (such as observation, reflection, and dialogue);
• Identify social issues connected to direct service at a community partner;
• Construct a personal vision of a civic pathway;
• Recognize the potential for individual civic action to affect change;
• Identify examples of power and privilege and be able to explain their impact in everyday life.