COWL - Cowell College

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 emergence and development of key concepts of justice including procedures, rights, and reparation.

Develop the leadership and professional skills and confidence that will enable you to make a difference in your personal, academic, and professional life. Course offers students the opportunity to give back by sharing their stories and successes, engaging in networking events, and serving as role models for fellow students. Course limited to students participating in the Slug Ambassador program. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor.

Orientation to and 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.

An interactive approach to effective studying, note-taking, critical thinking, and exams. Also explored: time management; good communication with staff and faculty; major and career exploration; and use of campus resources. Enrollment priority given to first-year students and sophomores.

Students gain skills and confidence to lead groups; develop a leadership mindset; build tools for communication, conflict resolution, and receiving feedback; cultivate an inclusive and welcoming environment. (Formerly offered as STEV 11A.)

Gain insights, tools, and confidence to identify and pursue goals, dreams, and aspirations. This Experiential Leadership Program course focuses on developing greater self-awareness, and practical tools for getting where you want to go. Includes an all day adventure hike. No experience necessary. (Formerly offered as STEV 11B.)

Experiential Learning Program course in which students gain insights and confidence to work with multicultural and global teams. Focuses on developing a mindset and frameworks that support people to work effectively with one another. Includes an all-day sea kayak adventure (funding dependent). No experience necessary.

Although applicable to any setting, this Experiential Leadership Program (ELP) course explores topics of risk management and social justice through the lens of outdoor leadership. Students gain tools and insights to cultivate a safe and inclusive environment. Includes a weekend backpack trip (funding dependent). No experience necessary.

Experiential Leadership Program course focusing on tools to build a high functioning team that has the confidence and skill to work together, solve complex problems, and navigate challenges to achieve a shared goal. Includes a 10-day wilderness expedition as a testing ground to practice and apply new team skills. Includes leadership development, and learning about good expedition and team behavior. Enrollment is by instructor permission. (Formerly offered as STEV 13.)

This introductory level seminar is designed to reduce anxiety and increase competence and confidence in a variety of public speaking situations. While providing some theory, this seminar emphasizes the practice of composing and delivering speeches, including formal, informal, and extemporaneous occasions.

An interdisciplinary introduction to the study of the brain, mind, and consciousness. Topics include the philosophy of mind, neuroscience, cognition, and social psychology, and their applications in fields such as health science, technology, and social development.

Explores evidence and inferences from existing literature surrounding near-death experiences. Uses a multidisciplinary approach to investigate concepts, such as consciousness, aging, life, and death.

Intended to enhance students' skills in using the most powerful learning tool in any university: the library. Topics: organization of the library; how to begin researching; search engine and database use; judging the quality of sources; using sources responsibly. Disciplinary focus changes from quarter to quarter.

Overview of the financial responsibilities that young adults take on after college. Topics include: taxes, budgeting, student loans, credit, and investing in the stock market. Ubiquitous terms, such as 401(k), are defined, and financial principles are used to develop a framework for personal financial decision-making.

For publication in a Cowell literary journal, students substantively revise one of their fall quarter essays by studying a major work that influences, acknowledges, or further clarifies a required reading of the Cowell core course.

Focused followup on social justice topics and readings introduced in the Cowell core course. Allows first-year students to pursue social justice themes in greater depth. Students must have previously taken a Cowell core course (or equivalent).

Mary Holmes--legendary founding faculty member of UCSC, keen observer, painter of mythic images, and profound thinker--had a visionary's insight into the mysteries of love, paradox, and meaning. This course explores her art, teaching, and wisdom.

Students learn techniques of bookbinding, construction, and design, and fundamentals of letterpress printing. Enrollment is by permission of instructor.

Learn fundamental skills in fine letterpress printing, including hand typesetting and instruction in the operation of printing presses. Basic typography explored as students design and print a small edition of a selected text.

Students learn fundamental skills in fine letterpress printing, including hand typesetting and instruction in the operation of printing presses. Basic typography explored as students design and print a small edition of a selected text.

First-year honors seminar focusing on current research and theory related to children and technology. Attention is given to the gaps between public opinion about the impact of technology on children and the actual evidence regarding such impacts. Topics may include how use of digital devices may influence children's thinking; how children learn to use new technologies; computer gaming and aggression; and how children's social development may be influenced by social media and other technology.

Explores the world of philanthropy. Examines the different models of philanthropy to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. Also examines what drives philanthropists to give. Enrollment by permission and restricted to College Scholar students.

A comparison of three great modern cities, with emphasis on their roles as incubators of new forms of art, spectacle, and entertainment; the specters of alienation, poverty, and crime during periods of explosive growth; and immigration and diversity as sources of cultural dynamism.

Through study of primary sources in translation, considers a range of classic Chinese approaches to basic reflective questions about human experience, with special focus on issues of justice, social engagement, and meaning and authenticity in everyday life.

Gateway course illuminating the operation of the writing systems of greater China. Intended for students who are curious about the world's longest continually used symbol set as well as for those who may be considering a serious commitment to learning the language.

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.

Examines the history of temporality or the human experience of time. Theoretical readings and primary sources are used to explore the ways that humans have related to the past, present, and future. Course focuses on research and writing methods.

Introduction of UCSC as a research university, our notable researchers, and their work. Weekly discussions with UCSC faculty from a variety of disciplines.

Various topics to be arranged. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Various topics to be arranged. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

A program of independent study arranged between a group of students and a faculty instructor. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

A program of independent study arranged between a group of students and a faculty instructor. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Various topics to be arranged. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Various topics to be arranged. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Students learn practical tools and techniques for assessing trustworthiness, including your own, and applying these tools in a variety of situations. Integrating insights from practical experience, philosophy, and psychology, this course teaches us how to pay attention to red flags in relationships and ultimately develop a network of trustworthy people that will help us succeed in work and in our personal lives.

Introduces Mock Trial, which is open to all students. Covers the basics of argumentation, cross and direct examinations, permissible evidence, witness testimony, and courtroom protocol. Special emphasis is on public speaking. Students write speeches for opening and closing arguments and create questions for witnesses. Students must read the Mock Trial handbook for examples and strategies. Each student has an opportunity for public speaking and creating a coherent legal argument.

Offers opportunities to improve students’ public speaking and communication skills through weekly exercises which challenge a student’s ability to think quickly, organize information effectively and speak persuasively. Students also learn and practice courtroom procedures and legal argument styles. Each week students learn about a facet of mock trial. Students focus on different speaking skills weekly. Speakers of all skill levels are welcome and receive constructive criticism both from peers and the teachers and participate in debates within a small team.

Study of significant texts enhanced by music for performance. Topics vary annually. Course compares original texts in English translation with their adaptation to musical theater (My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, etc.) and opera (Carmen, etc.)

Investigates the early years of musical theater by focusing on the arrival and spread of opera across the continental United States. Explores popular genres, media reception, discourses on race and art, and the way that opera transformed the American landscape. Students read important social, cultural and political histories of American opera, listen to recorded versions and watch several films. Class also features collaboration with the UCSC Opera Program to examine questions of performance.

Introduces the Model United Nations through discussion of contemporary issues. Students learn parliamentary procedures and U.N. protocols, as well as how to work collaboratively to research and to present position papers. Students learn resolution writing, alliance building, and persuasive speech.

Enables students to become expert on the potential impeachment of Donald Trump in the context of progressive American history, emphasizing his Neglect of Duty regarding global climate change through the lens of The Native Uprising against the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Formerly The Trajectory of Justice in America.)

Centers around interviews of alumni and involves a reflective term paper on a specific topic having to do with the role of higher education in a democratic society. Teaches students how to conduct interviews.

Visits from alumni form the centerpiece of this course. In teams, students study the lives and the issues of the visitors. The aim is to reflect on the meaning of education in adult development.

Course approaches literature and literary devices in their capacity to address the patient's experience of illness, medical education and practice, and medical ethics and to understand and assess how considerations of justice impact these themes in medicine. Particular issues raised by a variety of topics are examined and discussed in the context of case examples as presented in literature and film, e.g., informed consent, the doctor-patient relation, withdrawing vs. withholding life-sustaining treatment, organ transplantation, health care reform, rationing/social justice, etc.

Introduction to the theory, practice, technology, and ethics of conducting oral history. Readings and expert guest speakers offer both theoretical and practical insights. Students plan and implement oral history projects in accordance with professional standards.

Through study of ancient and contemporary forms (epics to e-literature), students study the connections that have tied literary reading and writing to specific technologies, including memory, the alphabet, pens, printing, radio, computing, the Internet, and handheld devices.

Covers the fundamental skills, ethics, and practices of crowd-sourced fundraising in the liberal arts. Students build a project portfolio that includes mission statement, donor-cultivation tools, and action reports. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. Meet with the instructor to verify enrollment in a Giving Day campaign with liberal arts focus.

How do you change the world, working alone and in concert with others? To find out students spend the quarter learning about how one non-profit organization of their choosing creates change in their community. Students research an agency, focusing on who is served, how funding works and how real change is created.

Students learn about leadership styles, how leaders work with constituent groups, build cooperation, and develop implementation plans. Students learn to consider how decision making is done, and what is best practice for best working in a variety of communities and cultures. Enrollment is restricted to those participating in Virtual Global Internships.

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 136A, PRTR 175A/PHIL 136B, or STEV 136/PHIL 136C

Through lectures by senior administrators and student consensus-and-recommendation teams, students learn how leaders work with constituent groups, build cooperation, and develop implementation plans in an institution such as the University of California, specifically, UC Santa Cruz. Enrollment is restricted to undergraduates accepted in the Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program. Students submit applications winter quarter for the following academic year.

Through lectures by senior administrators and student consensus-and-recommendation teams, students learn how leaders work with constituent groups, build cooperation, and develop implementation plans in an institution such as the University of California, specifically, UC Santa Cruz. Enrollment is restricted to undergraduates accepted in the Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program. Students submit applications winter quarter for the following academic year.

Through lectures by senior administrators and student consensus-and-recommendation teams, students learn how leaders work with constituent groups, build cooperation, and develop implementation plans in an institution such as the University of California, specifically, UC Santa Cruz. Enrollment is restricted to undergraduates accepted in the Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program. Students submit applications winter quarter for the following academic year.

Teaching of a lower-division seminar under faculty supervision. (See COWL 42.) Upper-division standing required and a proposal supported by a faculty member willing to supervise.

Program of study arranged between a group of students and an instructor, which may involve work with an off-campus or non-departmental agency (e.g., internship or field work). Interview only; prior arrangement with instructor. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors.

Program of study arranged between a group of students and an instructor, which may involve work with an off-campus or non-departmental agency (e.g., internship or field work). Interview only; prior arrangement with instructor. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors.

A program of independent study arranged between a group of students and an instructor. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

A program of independent study arranged between a group of students and an instructor. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors.

Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

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. Approval of student's adviser, certification of adequate preparation, and approval by provost required.

Various topics to be arranged. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Various topics to be arranged. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.