Course Syllabus

GNST 1060 Convocation: Snow College Arts and Lecture Series

Course Description

The Convocation Arts and Lecture Series at Snow College is a weekly enrichment series for students and for residents of local communities. A 50-minute lecture, visual, or musical presentation is offered each Thursday at 12:30 p.m. Speakers and performers are selected from various disciplines, including humanities, arts, business, science, public service, education, entertainment, and ethnic/international areas of study. The series is also used as a vehicle for presenting faculty honor lectures and campus performing groups.

Justification

The Convocation Arts and Lecture Series was initiated as an extension to the academic offerings at Snow College. It is designed to promote, foster, and stabilize intellectual and aesthetic inquiry. As an enrichment program, it stimulates an exchange of views with a variety of speakers. The convocations are a natural extension of the college experience and as such add important depth to the academic/cultural life of the campus and the local communities.The merits of this program and the advantages it brings to Central Utah are clearly consistent with the goals of the College and of higher education in general. The College may also, through such convocations, be of service to those students, faculty, staff, and citizens of the Central Utah area who look to the College for academic and cultural leadership in exploration of the arts, humanities, sciences, business, and public affairs.Two other institutions in the Utah System of Higher Education award credit for similar convocations courses: Weber State, COMM 1040; and Southern Utah University, UNIV 2010.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will recognize that cultural and philosophical difference will enrich their own experience and will demonstrate this by sharing new ideas and insights gained in a weekly quiz on canvas.
2. Students will increase their interest in academic inquiry and thought-provoking dialogue and will demonstrate this by participating in the Q&A with weekly presenters.
3. Students will increase their appreciation of and attendanace at academic lectures and performances and will demonstrate this by attending in class presentations and three additional cultural events.

Course Content

Convocation content will vary from semester to semester. The class will have twelve presentations for the Thursday class meetings. Speakers should represent a variety of academic fields, life experience, and professional expertise.Additionally, students are required to attend musical, cultural, artistic, dance, theatrical, or scientific events to enrich their college experience.