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INTD 101-01 - Is Your Freedom at Risk?

Mondays & Thursdays 2:15 – 3:55 p.m.

CRN 40263

Laura Valente
Adjunct Faculty

State laws and U.S. Supreme Court Decisions have a tremendous influence on your liberty and safety.  Recent laws and court decisions have restricted access to reproductive rights, limited voting rights, permitted book banning, reduced environmental protections, and made it easier to obtain assault-style weapons.  This course will examine the changing landscape of freedom and security in the U.S., with a particular focus on issues relevant to 18-34 year-olds.  (School shootings, abortion, contraception, voter registration, immigration, diversity, and affirmative action.)

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INTD 101-02 - How Poetry Can Change Your Life

Mondays & Thursdays 2:15 – 3:55 p.m.

CRN 40082

Lisa Williams
Professor of Literature

In this section of FYS, we will explore the music and rhythms of slam poetry and other poetic genres as a way of discovering how poetry can help us understand our own lives and those around us.  Why is poetry important in this present moment in history? How have poets grappled with the central issues of human relationships, acceptance of self, life, death, and everything in between. We will see the relationship between music and poetry as we write, critique, and even create our own poetry and presentations about the music we find meaningful.

Classroom discussions will focus on how poets are communicating their experiences and ideas, and why and how poetry can help us live better lives.

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INTD 101-03 - Issues in Health Care: Exploring a Career as a Medical Profession

Tuesdays & Fridays, 9:55 – 11:35 a.m.

CRN 40078

Mark A. Caselli, M.D.
Adjunct Faculty

This first-year seminar course is designed for students interested in pursuing a career as a medical professional. It will explore the many facets of the road to becoming a health care provider and an advocate for global health. We will examine the political, ethical, moral, cultural, educational, and financial issues that affect the delivery of health care both in the United States and in many other countries in the world. Aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, physician assisted suicide, the opioid epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the social and cultural determinants of healthcare will be explored with emphasis on how they effect our nation’s healthcare and the practice of medicine. We will also explore the many issues that affect the critical decisions that must be made in providing medical care for our patients, as well as the consequences of our decisions. This course will utilize specially selected readings to assist in class discussions on medical and healthcare issues. This will give the pre-healthcare profession student an opportunity to experience the type of problems they may encounter in the world of medicine. This experience will also demonstrate the need for the medical professional to be capable of preparing (research and writing skills) and presenting (public speaking skills) a paper before a group of peers. This experience also embraces the concept of the need for life-long learning. This course will help to impart an understanding of what lies ahead in becoming a health care provider as well as an appreciation of the challenges in providing health care in our changing world.

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INTD 101-04 - What is it like to be Batman? The Science and Ethics of Superheroes

Tuesdays & Fridays, 11:50 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

CRN 40083

Lisa Cassidy
Associate Professor of Philosophy

This course will explore some scientific and ethical aspects of being a superhero.  Superheroes are fictional characters that have been a part of popular culture for nearly one hundred years – first in comic books, pulp magazines, and newspapers, and now in film, television, and online.  Students will engage with a range of academic and popular sources to analyze the concepts of superheroes and the philosophical questions they raise.  Some of these questions include: Could we use science to create superhumans, and should we?  How does science actually work, and what distinguishes science from a story?  What lessons do superheroes teach us about caring, justice, and power, and should we implement those lessons in our own ethical lives?  We will learn through reading, conversation, working and teaching in groups, and writing papers.

As a part of the Ramapo Exploration Program (REP), undeclared students in this FYS can explore major selection with the instructor, who will help them make informed decisions in their Ramapo undergraduate career.

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INTD 101-05 - ‘It’s Giving’: Moods and Vibes in Philosophy, Art, Literature, and Film

Mondays & Thursdays, 6:05 – 7:45 p.m.

CRN 48605

Todd Barnes
Professor of Literature

We often say, “It’s a mood” or “It’s a vibe.” But what is it? Why do certain objects or situations create particularly strong feelings in us? Are these feelings personal or social? Are they historical or political? This course will examine the history of moods and vibes as students are introduced to “affect theory” and theories of emotion and aesthetics in philosophy. We will look at various artworks, stories, poems, plays, performances, songs, and films with particularly strong vibes or moods. Together we’ll think about the history of moods, vibes, genres, and aesthetics like boredom, anxiety, cringe, melancholy, dread, nostalgia, cottagecore, extra-ness, toxicity, FOMO, YOLO, slaying, and much more.

As a part of the Ramapo Exploration Program (REP), undeclared students in this FYS can explore major selection with the instructor, who will help them make informed decisions in their Ramapo undergraduate career.

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INTD 101-06 - Public Relations: Communication in Your Future World: Issues, Perspectives and Innovations

Mondays & Thursdays, 6:05 – 7:45 p.m.

CRN 40217

Mary Cicitta
Adjunct Faculty

This course is designed to introduce students to the college experience, and more specifically to Ramapo College life.  It will follow two paths.  The first, more traditional track will expose students to the values and goals, the resources and demands of a college education, and provide them with a variety of tools to make the most of their college experience here at Ramapo.

The second component of the course will lead students from an examination of current trends, and perspectives in public relations for the 21st century and its new innovations, both positive and negative, to an understanding of how these trends exist and intersect with students’ roles, cultures, gender and class. Students will analyze their philosophical premise of these identities and explore their similarities and differences through the contemporary issues of public relations as a form of communication in their future world, and through a review of films, TV, blogs, articles, etc.

This introductory course will cover new innovations in public relations and communications tactics, including the use of live/streaming video platforms like Twitch; the necessity for sensitivity to diversity, equity and inclusion in communications; employee engagement; propaganda; customer and stakeholder communications; personalized media; influencer marketing; values-based marketing and communications; harmful impact of professionalization of deception; demonization; media witch-hunts; co-paganda; cancel culture; new technologies: altered reality, holograms; the impact of deep-fake videos, and AI; and, content as a commodity.

2020 brought innovation in communications tactics, with a strong influence on public relations and best practices.

Innovation still rules. It never went away, of course. But big ideas that drive media attention, bridge the virtual and physical, engage customers, vendors and employees, and extend marketing budgets will be more important than ever in a fractured and fragmented attention economy.

This course will serve to uncover and apply these new innovations, including these topics, as all are mission-critical in today’s public relations:

  • Breaking New Ground in Public Relations
  • Cancel Culture
  • Content as a Commodity
  • Personalized Media
  • Social Influencer Expansion
  • Livestream Goes Mainstream
  • DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion)
  • Convergence Culture

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INTD 101-07 - Communication at its Best

Mondays & Thursdays, 4:10 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40174

Staci Dinerstein
Adjunct Faculty

This course will focus on improving your verbal, non verbal, and written communication skills.  You will take part in different types of communication experiences which are designed to develop your understanding and use of interpersonal communication.  You will learn how to effectively express yourself using oral communication and writing through reading and thinking.  Part of our class work will include discussions, and I’m very interested in what you’ll have to say.  Please plan on being an avid participant.    Remember that quite often, there is more than one way to look at a situation.

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