In this course, you will become familiar with key figures and arguments in contemporary social-political philosophy. We will focus on the tradition of liberal social contract theory, which first emerged in the 17th century and continues to inform political thought. We begin with an introduction to the major theoretical and cultural origins of contract theory: Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan and John Locke's Two Treatises of Government.

This course will look at the way Darwin's theory of biological evolution was received in the Muslim world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and how these debates have played out to contemporary times. We will encounter early defenders of Darwin's ideas like Sayyid Ahmad Khan in British India and the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Muhammad Abduh, as well as critics such as the proponent of pan-Islamism, Jamal al-din Afghani.

In this course, students will further develop their 3D modeling skills, with a focus on character modeling for games and animation. Students are expected to have some experience related to 3D modeling prior to taking this course. The course work will include practical examples and project-based work, ideally providing useful material for student portfolios. Models will generally be high poly, and if time allows, techniques related to 3D printing will also be explored.

The diverse and seemingly complex vocalizations of whales and dolphins (cetaceans) have long fascinated people and have led to suggestions of "language"-like communication. We will take a "deep dive" into what is actually known (and not known) about cetacean communication in this course, through readings and discussions of current scientific literature. We will also do hands-on analyses of existing bioacoustic data sets, recorded from a variety of cetacean species, such as blue whales, pilot whales, and several dolphin species.

In this course, students will play, analyze, and design many non-digital games to deepen their understanding of game design. We will make good use of the Hampshire Game Library! Assignments will be project-based and are intended to provide both crucial practice of skills and useful additions to a portfolio. Student interest will determine the specific games to be studied, but could include D&D miniatures, Magic: the Gathering, Star Wars: Destiny, and a large variety of strategy board and card games, etc.

This course will cover intermediate topics that pertain to the production of visual imagery with the tools of three-dimensional computer graphics (CG). Lectures, readings, and homework assignments will explore subjects including organic shape modeling, character articulation, character animation, extensions to the basic shading and lighting models, as well as procedural and computational animation. Students will be expected to complete individual projects and participate in group exercises that explore CG as both a standalone medium and as an integral part of modern film/video production.

In this advanced-level course on environmental education, we will read seminal works on notions of place (Thoreau; Leopold), critical pedagogy (Freire), place-based education (Sobel), critical theory (hooks), and ecophilosophy. We will also read modern thinkers such as Gruenwald/Greenwood, Berry, Gough, and non-white, indigenous and gender diverse scholars LaDuke, Taylor, Hoffner and others. We will spend time in "places" (possibly including a field trip, or two) to investigate our own notions and perceptions thereof to connect the theory and practice.

Through the lens of interactive fiction, students will improve their creative writing and digital game development skills by working as a member of a small, interdisciplinary team. As a prerequisite, students must have expertise in creative writing and/or game design. No programming experience is required, though some light programming will be included in the course. Students will pitch ideas for games and will work on games of their choice. To obtain instructor permission and more information, see irafay.com/classes.

This course will look at the way Darwin's theory of biological evolution was received in the Muslim world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and how these debates have played out to contemporary times. We will encounter early defenders of Darwin's ideas like Sayyid Ahmad Khan in British India and the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Muhammad Abduh, as well as critics such as the proponent of pan-Islamism, Jamal al-din Afghani.

This course is an introduction to a scientific approach to meaning called semantics. We will focus on composition: the idea that the meaning of a whole is composite of the meanings of its parts. In addition, we will focus on truth: the idea that we understand the meaning of a sentence by understanding what the world would have to be like for the sentence in question to be true.