Exceptionality

This course develops basic skills in touch keyboarding and data entry for personal and workplace use (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Photoshop, and basic publishing applications).

This course examines the concept of a balanced diet, exercise and health, wellness and food safety. Nutritional models are presented to allow the student to understand and develop personal health and wellness practices that lead to a healthy lifestyle.

This course examines the structures and functions of government that shape American politics including political parties, interest groups, and elections. The course also examines laws and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and analyzes the multiple histories, cultures, perspectives, contributions and/or struggles of various peoples, with focus on people with disabilities.

This course develops communication skills applicable to the workplace including the use of social media and other technology/ computer platforms so that students understand the use and implications of social media, utilize email skills for the workplace appropriately, and exhibit interview skills to prepare for future opportunities. The course also identifies the critical features of an online posting and how to proceed with securing a desired work opportunity.

This is a pass/fail course that presents different learning modalities and personal styles to articulate learning needs for self-advocacy. The course covers basic skills such as time management and organization. Using templates and processes for effective reading and writing practices, the course covers specific methods of note taking, actively reading, researching information, writing research papers, presenting and producing effective writing and incorporating personal learning styles for success. Academic disclosure is discussed.

Experiential Learning is a philosophy in which students purposefully engage in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values and develop individual and communal capacity to contribute to communities as a whole. Using student interest, differing topics are explored in this course as electives. Said topics may include but are not limited to culinary arts, owning/ operating a small business, office skills, animal science/ behavior, retail, and art.

This course is designed as an introduction to contemporary biblical studies including an in-depth study of the major world religions, their historical development, intellectual traditions, and cultural influences. The course integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

This course helps students develop a foundation of money management, along with the use of finance tools, and skills necessary for independent financial success by compiling a spending journal and reflecting on wants and needs that develop into a personal budget. This course covers basic financial concepts, safe practices when buying an item online, use of a credit or debit card, and using a savings account.

This course examines cases of social change to understand how and why change occurs. Students identify an issue and make a plan to initiate or continue with others toward social change in their community. This course requires 15 hours of community-based work as part of a service-learning component.

This course explores healthy and unhealthy relationships emphasizing strategies to maintain a healthy relationship in various environments. Disability disclosure in social situations is discussed along with conflict resolution.

This course examines the dynamic nature of the physical environment and how people's interactions shape the world around us. Critical thinking and problem solving are used to determine sense of space. The course continues to build awareness of sociological systems by engaging students in the pressing issues facing our communities. Student relationships to the community are explored through the lens of service and volunteerism by identifying ways they can contribute to the environmental movement.

The course introduces students to the process of starting and growing their own business. Students work in teams, use design and discovery thinking, combined with ideation, customer discovery process and inputs from experts to develop the value proposition and a business model for the delivery of a product or service. The course also covers conscious capital strategies including recognizing your personal and cultural values, engaging in authentic relationships with your stakeholders, learning to inspire others through conscious leadership and a connected company culture.

This course examines the criminal justice system and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Students explore basic knowledge of ADA, labor laws, unions, and OSHA and students investigate controversial issues in the workplace such as gender or racial discrimination through case studies, related court cases and laws and current news stories.

This course explores human biology and development and includes adult lifestyles, relationships, reproduction, and healthy behavior. The course will also address modern biological concepts such as the cell, organization and diversity of life, metabolism, general physiology, and development.

This course increases cultural awareness both locally and globally when students reflect on their own culture and examine how cultural diffusion affects the lens in which they see the world. The course explores how culture, gender, race, politics, and religion shape our lives and the importance of diversity. This is designed to increase awareness of different types of disabilities within our community – specifically one’s own disability and when and how to disclose this information.

This course examines the use of assertive language, management of conflict, solving problems, and job finding skills as they are related to being an effective communicator. Career networking is introduced. This course covers basic office skills includes filing, faxing, copying, answering telephones, and handling money and customer service skills focusing on the interaction with others.

This course discusses the types of news and how it affects one’s daily life. The course covers the correlation between reality and representation and how various points of view enter into the elements of news and apply it to an article.

Experiential Learning is a philosophy in which students purposefully engage in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values and develop individual and communal capacity to contribute to communities as a whole. Using student interest, differing topics are explored in this course as electives. Said topics may include but are not limited to culinary arts, owning/ operating a small business, office skills, animal science/ behavior, retail, and art.

This course presents skills needed to participate professionally in the workforce. Students will discuss and construct a professional network, and examine and experience current interviewing styles. The course includes securing an internship site and examines and updates professional publications. Students will learn methods for advocating for ones’ self in a professional environment during an interview, how to ask for accommodations, and ask for help as needed. Includes interviewing skills both in group and one-on-one situations.

In this course, students will participate in hands-on activities including creating and using their own budget and balancing accounts. Content will examine use of credit cards, money scams, and paycheck information with additional focus is on applying personal money management knowledge in real and simulated situations to improve the view and handling of money. The course also examines the benefits of using retirement tools by taking action on their financial planning today to expect a healthy financial scenario in the future.

This course helps students develop a career portfolio based on courses taken, adding to the document throughout the program identifying personal values and strengths. The information is used to begin a career pathway setting an initial career goal and includes resumes and cover letters and professional versus personal computer use.

This course develops skills to give public and office presentations using a variety of presentation platforms.

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Prerequisite: Department Consent.

Evaluates the history of emergency management, the identification and assessment of hazards, risk, and vulnerability, and the four phases of emergency management (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery).

Focuses on the creation and application of laws in various areas of society. Investigates the workings of the United States court system, as well as how laws are actually carried out. Addresses the intersection of law and society including the organizations and policies involved in social services delivery. Provides an overview of human functioning in the environment by studying legal frameworks and societal structures. Builds knowledge and values for practice with task groups, organizations, and communities.

Teaches understanding of the nonprofit sector and the issues and major areas of responsibility that leaders face in this growing field. Addresses differences in leadership in a nonprofit environment and in the private sector. Identifies visionary leadership and the role of ethics in leadership. Examines critical real-world leadership issues confronted by nonprofit managers.

Investigates creating safety for dialogue along with social identity as a basis for inter-group dialogue. Discusses process and power issues in dialogue, dialogue methods, and framing dialogic questions. Evaluates case studies of dialogue and teaches students how to create dialogue processes for particular contexts.

Introduces students to contemporary concepts, debates, and contexts necessary for analyzing and engaging in the sphere of social entrepreneurship. Analyzes social context and stakeholders, private sector roles and motivations, organizational forms and collaborations, and measurement and impacts (private and public). Exposes students to various forms of social entrepreneurship, such as base of the pyramid/microenterprises, private-public partnerships, private-governmental partnerships, voluntary social codes, corporate social responsibility, and ethical consumerism. Examines the practice of identifying, starting and growing successful mission-driven for profit and nonprofit ventures and organizations that strive to advance social change through innovative solutions.

Survey course that addresses a range of topics including but not limited to: refugee and cross-border migration issues; practical implications of international humanitarian law; ramifications of international human rights law in crises; the interagency nature of a large-scale humanitarian response, including UN, National Governments, international NGOs and national NGOs and how to coordinate across actors; humanitarian field negotiations; humanitarian operations issues (logistics, staff security, human resources management, etc.); and emergency response design.

Offers a basic introduction to the application/interpretation of statistical analysis in social context. Investigates a variety of basic statistical techniques that allow examination of interesting social questions. Evaluates methods for describing the characteristics of groups and discusses how to examine and generalize about relationships between the characteristics of groups. Emphasis is placed on the understanding/interpretation of statistics used to describe and make generalizations about group characteristics.

Offers a basic introduction to the application/interpretation of statistical analysis in social context. Investigates a variety of basic statistical techniques that allow examination of interesting social questions. Evaluates methods for describing the characteristics of groups and discusses how to examine and generalize about relationships between the characteristics of groups. Emphasis is placed on the understanding/interpretation of statistics used to describe and make generalizations about group characteristics.

Provides students with a theoretical introduction into documentary film theory to develop skills and different approaches to reading documentary films that deal with social issues. Discusses and analyzes selected documentaries treating issues of social justice and civic responsibility in current and historical contexts. Students engage in practical filmmaking training with the aim of introducing students to how to visually express social issues. Using narrative inquiry as a research framework, training includes interview techniques, observation exercises, learning story construction and narrative structure, synopsis, treatment and script writing, camera using, sound recording, log writing, and film editing. Develops the art of socially engaged storytelling through documentary film. Equips students with increasingly sought after skills of understanding, producing and using media in the digital age.

Explores the history and dynamics of nonviolent movements. Presents the categories of specific methods of nonviolent action and some of the key theories that inform civil resistance strategies and campaigns. Addresses the themes of protest or persuasion, noncooperation, and intervention.

Examines different budgeting techniques, including fundamental issues with fundraising. Develops the ability to interpret financial accounting statements, and understand how they differ from for-profit financial reporting. Evaluates how nonprofits use marketing to publicize their mission and to gather contributions of time and money. Covers the key terminology and practices surrounding capital campaigns and the basics of grant writing as a method for raising money to fund projects and programs.

Explores theories, models, and methods of social and behavioral disciplines relevant to the identification, description, and solution of public health problems. Engage students’ critical and creative thinking regarding social and behavioral concepts and processes that influence personal and population health. Develops public health competency in social and behavioral principles and related core themes in health promotion and disease prevention. Evaluates social, behavioral, structural, and cultural factors that have an impact on public health in multiple contexts including individual, community, national and global perspectives.

Special Topics in Exceptionality