Fall 2008 BDP Course Offerings
BDP 101 Forum Seminars
- BDP 101 courses are restricted to Freshmen and Sophomores, or to students participating in the Bridging Disciplines Programs.
- BDP 101 courses do not satisfy a substantial writing component requirement.
- BDP 101 courses meet for two hours/week for the first eight weeks of the semester.
BDP 101: Exploring Digital Art & Media
Unique Number 65885
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Professor Bruce Pennycook
This seminar will present a survey of the wide variety of ways that digital technologies are changing how we create art and media. The seminars will include presentations on digital sound design, digital cinema production, interactivity (especially in gaming and live performance), real-time "show control", visualization, networked audio/visual presentation and performance, "wearable" computers for new expression in dance and movement, and interactive story telling. We will also examine some current software and hardware systems used by professional artists, designers, and producers.
BDP 101: Going Global: Topics in International Studies
Unique Number 65890
Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m.
Professor Karin Wilkins
This course introduces students to a variety of issues in a global context. Building respect and understanding of our global environment is crucial in our educational system as well as our social and political engagement beyond the classroom. This introductory seminar will address current global concerns, particularly in the areas of conflict and negotiation; human rights and social justice; international development; and media systems.
BDP 101: Health Inequality in Childhood & Adolescence
Unique Number 65895
Mondays, 2-4 p.m.
Professor Robert Crosnoe
Health inequality in childhood and adolescence appears in all stages of the human life course as a function of the stratification of American society by race, social class, gender, and other factors. In childhood and adolescence, inequalities emerge in mental health, obesity, health behavior, and other aspects of health that lay a foundation for the even greater inequalities in health, including life expectancy, that characterize adult populations. Thus, combating early health inequalities can have long-term, lasting effects on the general well-being of American society as a whole. Because the first step in combating such early health inequalities is to understand them, this seminar will investigate in detail the various inequalities in health that arise and persist during the early life course by listening to experts from the health field, reading research articles on health, and discussing both the causes of health problems and possible methods of preventing such problems.
BDP 101: Image/Society: Exploring Visual Culture
Unique Number 65900
Wednesdays, 2-4 p.m.
Professor Charles Ramirez Berg
This course explores the many kinds of images that we encounter in daily life. Faculty members from across campus will speak about how they use images in their work. Students will learn how to appreciate and read images from a variety of sources. In previous semesters we have had presentations on a wide variety of images including movie and circus posters, advertising, maps, photographs, movies, animation, building design, theater sets, the design of the University of Texas Commencement, comics, Japanese anime, painting, graphic art, and digital media.
BDP 101: Introduction to Film Studies
Unique Number 65905
Mondays, 2-4 p.m.
Professor James Buhler
What is film? Why do we go to the movies? How are films produced and consumed? What is the function of film in society? How do filmmakers tell stories? What are the key elements, and who are the main contributors? What is the relationship of film to other mass media? In this seminar, we will try to answer these questions through a comprehensive introduction to film as a subject of critical analysis and scholarly inquiry. Through lectures, screenings, and discussions, we will look at film from a variety of perspectives, including the role of film as an industry and art form, the development of film form and style, the relationship between entertainment and ideology, the contribution of film to definitions of gender, race, and nation, and the dynamics of mainstream cinema, art film, and alternative filmmaking.
This forum seminar is part of UT's Bridging Disciplines Program, which allows you to earn an Interdisciplinary Certificate in Film Studies and learn about the diverse ways film is studied and researched across campus. Professors from film studies, history, art history, music, communications, and foreign languages and literatures will give guest lectures about various aspects of film studies, including the Hollywood studio system, the star phenomenon, film genres, foreign films, experimental cinema, film history, the global film industry, and so forth. These lecture topics will be coordinated with film screenings.
BDP 101: Lessons in Ethical Leadership Studies
Unique Number 65910
Wednesdays 1-3 p.m.
Professor J. D. Howell
The purpose of this course will be two-fold. First, through a series of lectures, discussions and readings, the students will be introduced to the Principles of Leadership and shown how they can be applied to enhance their personal Leadership skills. Secondly, the class will be exposed to a series of guest speakers who represent various scholarly disciplines at The University of Texas. These speakers will discuss the challenges of Ethical Leadership in their particular fields of study.
Other BDP Courses
BDP 306: Fundamentals of Ethical Leadership
Unique Number 65300
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30-11 a.m.
Professor Geoff Tumlin
BDP 306 explores essential concepts in leadership and ethics and is divided into two interdependent sections. In the first section of the course, students will develop core concepts of ethical leadership, discuss essential leadership ideas, and consider personal talents and predispositions as they relate to individual leadership tendencies. In the second section of the course, students will look at the difficult decisions that leaders frequently make and discuss timely topics and events relevant to contemporary leadership. BDP 306 is a restricted to freshmen and sophomores and counts towards the Ethics and Leadership BDP, although students to not have to be in a BDP to enroll.
"As a Sociology major, I have interests not only in how sociological theory is formulated, but also how it is implemented in the political context. The Social Inequality, Health, and Policy BDP provided an outlet for me to take courses and gain experience in this area, without having to declare multiple majors or extend my tenure at the University."
- Michelle Robinson, Social Inequality, Health & Policy