This course introduces students to the foundational concepts and skills needed to communicate effectively in writing for academic study and professional development. Students will learn how to use the four stages of the writing process - prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing - to create written communication that meets its intended purpose for its intended audience. Students will also be introduced to rhetorical styles and the role of outside sources in academic writing. Constructing and implementing effectively-designed search strategies for information to answer a critical inquiry or research question are also addressed in this course.

This course introduces students to the foundational concepts and skills needed to communicate effectively in writing for academic study and professional development. Students will learn how to use the four stages of the writing process - prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing - to create written communication that meets its intended purpose for its intended audience. Students will also be introduced to rhetorical styles and the role of outside sources in academic writing. Constructing and implementing effectively-designed search strategies for information to answer a critical inquiry or research question are also addressed in this course.

What are the qualities that make a particular work of children's literature endure? Why do some deceptively simple books remain favorites for years? Citing the work of psychologists, art historians, educators, and authors, students explore these and similar questions. The course considers picture books, traditional literature, and Young Adult novels. Students prepare annotated bibliographies of various genres, taking a personal look at the important role particular books play in the moral and social development of children.

This course is designed to bridge the ever-widening civilian-military gap in the United States by examining the twenty-first century war experience through literature. The course will explore stories in multiple genres such as fiction, poetry, memoir, drama, and blogs to gain insights into the value of stories portraying combat and its aftermath. The course will also explore representations of military families on the home front. In addition to assigned readings, learners will have the opportunity to design research projects tailored to their own interests. This course provides insight to those who work with veterans and/or military families in the fields of behavioral health, health care, business, or education, and to anyone exercising their civic duties in a democracy.