At Rutgers–Camden College of Arts and Sciences, Learning Communities consist of two courses that examine a single theme from different disciplinary perspectives that mutually support student learning. One group of students is enrolled in the two courses, which are taught by different instructors. Periodically, both professors meet with the whole class to reflect on the material they are learning and also to engage in some fun activities. Learning communities also provide students joining Rutgers–Camden for the first time with a way to build a sense of community on campus.
In Fall 2022, the CCAS will be offering the following learning communities, which are open only to first-year students. Courses marked with an asterisk fulfill a general education requirement. Interested students should consult their academic advisor for registration.
Power and Propaganda
Young Adult Literature (course number pending)
Professor Holly Blackford Humes, English and Communication
* Truth and Lies in the Digital World (50:209:110)
Professor Jim Brown, Digital Studies and English and Communication
These courses study the critical problem of navigating dubious environments constructed by those in power. Young Adult Literature facilitates the study of an increasingly important genre that situates young people in dystopian settings wherein navigating truth, power, and realities is a treacherous matter. Truth and Lies in the Digital World present students with the opportunity to study how digital landscapes are fraught with misinformation and ethical issues, along with strategies to navigate and evaluate them.
Japanese Art and Culture: History and Visual Arts
* Japanese Art (50:082:212)
Professor Chinghsin Wu, Visual, Media and Performing Arts
* Samurai Japan (50:516:233)
Professor Nick Kapur, History
This learning community provides a broad-based introduction to Japanese art, history, and culture for students with no prior background in Japanese history or art. The two courses will cover different chronological time periods in Japanese history, starting with stone-age cultures, and moving on to the age of great tombs, Japan’s classical Heian period, medieval Japan, Japan’s early modern era of national seclusion, and ending with more recent times. One class provides students with the historical, social, and political context, and the other class provides an in-depth look at art, architecture, literature, material culture, design, aesthetics, rituals, and other forms of cultural production from that same time period.
Understanding Physical Concepts
Elements of Physics (50:750:131:02)
Professor Cory Trout, Physics
* Calculus I (50:640:121)
Professor Haydee Herrera-Guzman, Mathematics
Mathematics and physics are two closely connected fields. For physicists, mathematics is a tool used to answer questions. For mathematicians, physics can be a source of inspiration, with theoretical concepts such as general relativity and quantum theory providing an impetus for mathematicians to develop new tools. Calculus is the mathematical study of change, which is an extremely important concept in understanding the physical laws of motion, helping us understand how position, velocity, and acceleration are related. By closely coordinating the material covered in each of the courses, this learning community will address the needs that students have in understanding physical concepts. In particular, it will separate the need to understand mathematical computations from the physical concepts.
To learn more, contact Academic Advising:
Phone: (856) 225-6043
ASadvise@camden.rutgers.edu