Teaches foundational concepts for intellectual exploration and personal development within an academic community: analysis, critical thinking, metacognition, engagement with others across difference, and self-efficacy. Examines the roots of modern society using diverse religious texts and major classical and modern philosophical works.
Orientation to and an exploration of the nature of the liberal arts, and of learning at research universities. Topics include: academic planning for upper-division coursework; enrollment processes; and understanding pathways to degree completion; UCSC resources that support health and well-being; strategies for academic success; the cultivation of just communities; the prevention of sexual harassment and violence; campus conduct policies; awareness of risks associated with drug and/or alcohol use; and an introduction to traditions of community-engaged learning, ground-breaking research, and interdisciplinary thinking that define a UC Santa Cruz degree. This course can be taken for Pass/No Pass grading only.
Winter quarter of Stevenson's core course continues development of analytical writing, critical reading, and effective speaking in exploring conflicts inherent in modern society. Investigates themes of colonization, race, gender, class, and cultural conflict. (Formerly course 81A.)
General Education Code
TA
Applications of practical skills for effective, meaningful study in the context of a full, busy life. Topics include learning styles, time management, test preparation, and life balance. Specific techniques for efficient reading comprehension, note-taking, memorization, and self-assessment are introduced. Enrollment restricted to college members and by permission of instructor.
Hands-on course in ecological horticulture at the Stevenson garden. Students grow the Stevenson community through gardening and projects focused on building a healthy and regenerative local-foods culture. Enrollment by interview only. Enrollment restricted to Stevenson College members.
A reading seminar focusing on a set of key texts. Examines how the political and industrial revolutions of the 19th century fundamentally transformed the relationships between individuals and their respective societies.
Reading seminar focusing on a set of key texts from classical social theory. Explores the transition from traditional to modern societies. Authors addressed may include Locke, Rousseau, de Tocqueville, Marx, Weber, and Durkheim.
Explores critical engagement in education in the context of a research university. Introduces first-year issues and success strategies and ways to participate in the institution's academic life. Investigates strategies for clarifying education goals and devising a plan for success. Students cannot receive credit for this course and
PRTR 26 or
KRSG 26.
Quarter offered
Winter, Spring, Summer
This online course frames and supports the service-learning experiences of students engaged in field placements both here in Santa Cruz and in their home communities. Students approach social challenges thematically (e.g., homelessness, environmentalism, domestic violence, etc.) and consider how different disciplines might engage these issues. They consider how our community partners conceptualize and address social issues and how these conceptions connect, or fail to connect, with academic approaches,
Instructor
Geoffrey Childers
General Education Code
PR-S
Identifies and examines the assumptions, expectations, and formats of writing in students' fields, with the goal of beginning—or continuing—academic research. Prerequisite(s): satisfaction of the Composition requirement. Enrollment restricted to junior and senior college members and by permission of instructor.
Examines ethical dilemmas in contemporary topics, such as the status of moral principles during warfare; animal rights and the ethics of eating meat; privacy in the age of the Internet; imprisonment and rehabilitation; legal and illegal immigration; same-sex marriage; and health care.
Exploration of and reflection on everyday values and virtues such as integrity, open-mindedness, honesty, and community. Objectives include learning how to think about moral dilemmas and how to begin drafting one's own code of ethics.
Focuses on the acquisition and application of critical thinking skills and examines skeptical perspectives on a variety of issues.Topics include rationality, fallacies, cognitive biases, religion and the paranormal, media biases, and the costs and benefits of arguing with people.
Instructor
Geoffrey Childers
General Education Code
TA
Investigates scientific and pragmatic perspectives on spirituality from William James to Fritjof Capra. Explores spirituality in Western and Eastern traditions from Martin Buber to Pema Chodron. Students analyze, support, and articulate their spiritual positions in a culminating paper.
From the white nationalist demonstrations in the USA to Brexit and the resurgence of populist movements in India and Europe, nationalism is resurgent worldwide. In this course, students conduct research into a current nationalist movement of their choice.
General Education Code
CC
Connecting Stevenson students with alumni who provide practical advice for careers in law. Topics covered include the variety of career possibilities in law, preparing for law school, internships, networking, applying for jobs, and interviewing.
Instructor
Geoffrey Childers
Connecting Stevenson students with alumni who provide practical advice for careers in science and technology. Topics covered include internships, graduate school, networking, applying for jobs, interviewing, and adapting to a rapidly changing job market.
Instructor
Geoffrey Childers
Provides support for reading, understanding, and engaging with difficult Core texts; models and facilitates college-level discussion; provides instruction in collaborative processes; encourages community-building with the college; and helps acclimate students to university culture. Enrollment is restricted to first-year Stevenson students who have been placed in the Multilingual Curriculum.
Uses feature films and documentaries to address and discuss perspectives of self and society. Films include Star Wars, The Hunger Games, and The Matrix.
Instructor
Kevin MacClaren
General Education Code
IM
Introduction to Asian American, Chicano/Latino, and African American plays through reading of major authors, discussion of social and historical context of their work, and development of a production of a one-act play from each cultural group. In-depth examination of key historical context of these three cultural groups. Video presentations followed by class discussion. Enrollment by audition.
Instructor
Donald Williams
General Education Code
ER
Condensed version of Stevenson's core course for transfer students. Develops analytical writing, critical reading, and effective speaking by considering influential philosophical works while exploring cultural conflicts in modern society. Themes include imperialism, racism, and class conflict.
Provides first-time tutors and supplemental-instruction learning assistants with the theoretical background and practical interactive teaching and learning strategies essential for planning, implementing, and evaluating effective peer-guided learning.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Tutorial
In pairs, students facilitate one seminar section of
STEV 2, attend lectures, and meet with faculty for mentoring and guidance through the teaching process. Students are responsible for designing and executing lesson plans, creating assignments, and for evaluating student work. Prerequisite(s): STEV 80 or
STEV 1, and STEV 81 or
STEV 2. Admission to the program by application and subsequent interview. Applications are available each fall in early October from the college office and interviews are conducted in early November. Qualifications include, but are not limited to, excellent performance in the core courses, good academic standing, leadership experience, genuine passion for teaching, and caring for fellow students. Strong candidates will be skilled in time management, organization, communication, and judgment.
Examines contemporary perspectives on the theme of imagination. Course readings include philosophical treatments of imagination, Indigenous imaginative cultural formations, and Black radical imaginations for socio-spatial liberation. Addresses the following questions: To what extent is imagination tied to our particular position, culture, and time period? What are some ways to expand our imaginations and when are these approaches limited? And how can imagination help us advance radical social change? Explores imagination as an inherently cross-cultural topic and teaches students to present, analyze, and critically discuss philosophical and sociological arguments about imagination. Students cannot receive credit for this course and PHIL 136C,
PRTR 175A / PHIL 136B, or
COWL 175A/PHIL 136A.
Cross Listed Courses
PHIL 136C
Teaching of a lower-division seminar under faculty supervision (see course 42). Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing and a proposal supported by a faculty member willing to supervise.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Provides for individual programs of study, sponsored by the college and performed off-campus. This course may be counted for up to three courses of credit in any quarter. Prerequisite(s): approval of student's adviser and the academic preceptor, and, in the case of full-time study, the board of studies supervising the major.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
A program of independent study arranged between a group of students and a faculty instructor. Enrollment restricted to members of Stevenson College. Enrollment limited to 12.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
A program of independent study arranged between a group of students and a faculty instructor. Course designed for members of Stevenson College. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. Enrollment limited to 10.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Provides for college-sponsored individual study programs off campus, for which faculty supervision is not in person (e.g., supervision is by correspondence). Up to three such courses may be taken for credit in any one quarter. Prerequisite(s): approval of the student's adviser, certification of adequate preparation, approval by the academic preceptor.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Provides for college-sponsored individual study programs off campus, for which faculty supervision is not in person (e.g., supervision is by correspondence). Up to three such courses may be take for credit in any one quarter. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. Requires approval of the student's adviser and academic preceptor
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Individual projects carried out under the supervision of a Stevenson faculty member. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Individual projects carried out under the supervision of a Stevenson faculty member. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.
Quarter offered
Fall, Winter, Spring
Cross-listed Courses
Offers students the knowledge and skills required to lead diverse teams. Topics include the social-change model of leadership and principles of collaboration. Geared toward Cowell and Stevenson Residential Assistants, but students interested in the topics may take the course with permission from the instructor.
Cross Listed Courses
STEV 86
General Education Code
PR-E