Seminar Program

Prof. Dr. Cynthia Chalupa

Prerequisites:
Interest in German Culture and German language skills of at least level B2

Course Description:
You’ve been learning German and already know something about German culture, but what is Germany really? What importance do the last 130 years hold for German culture?  Why and how did certain events take place and how has Germany come to terms with them? In this course, we will address these questions in the context of years spanning 1871 to 2000. Using films, works of art, music, literature, and eyewitness reports from the past 130 years, we will try to establish a more clearly defined image of Germany.

Goals and Content:
The course will cover the following topics:

1. Germany in the 19th Century: Industrial Innovation and the Development of a Unified Nation
2. Germany in Turmoil: Art and History at the Turn of the Century
3. War and Rebuilding: 1914-1949 (WWI, Weimar Republic, Holocaust, Third Reich, WWII, Economic Wonder)
4. Two Countries, Two Worlds (GDR/FRG)
5. A Global Player: Germany in Europe and the EU

Instructor:
Dr. Cynthia Chalupa is associate professor of German at West Virginia University. She earned her doctorate in 2001 from the Ohio State University. Her dissertation addressed the mirror motif and crisis of language in the works of Rainer Maria Rilke, Georg Trakl and Ilse Aichinger. Her research areas include fin-de-siécle German-language literature, contemporary pop literature, the image of mountaineering in German culture and history, and foreign language pedagogy.

Dr. Mechthild Nagel

Prerequisites:

Interest in German philosphy and German language skills of at least level B2

Course description:

Considering the image of Germany in the late 19th century and in the post world war II era, we will analyze Nietzsche’s criticism of the ideology of society and discuss in which ways this way of thinking influences nowadays’ "Zeitgeist" and the social and political situation after 1989 (or how it determines it?). Participants should also pursue a hermeneutic of skepticism towards Nietzsche’s and Gadamer’s works.

Literature:

Friedrich Nietzsche, Also sprach Zarathustra
Hans Georg Gadamer, Wahrheit und Methode

Amy Williams

Prerequisites:

Proficiency in English 

Course Description:

This seminar examines the cultural and structural aspects of poverty and their impact on populations at risk.  It explores the particularly damaging effects of poverty on women, children, and persons of color and encourages exploration of societal and social welfare policies and practices which contribute to or reinforce impoverishment.  We will explore the need for social work practitioners and others to become more aware of and sensitive to the effects of poverty on human behavior and to examine how professionals in social welfare organizations relate to impoverished and oppressed persons.

Course Objectives:

Through completion of this course the student should be able to:
Identify values and ethics which underpin a helping professional’s commitment to practice with low income and impoverished persons, groups, organizations, and communities; Understand the varied ways in which poverty is defined, measured, and applied to the formulation of a poverty perspective;
Understand the historical influences which shaped perceptions of poverty and its causes, as well as the policies and practices to relieve poverty;
Explain the particular impact of poverty on oppressed and discriminated-against groups; particularly persons of color, women, and children;
Analyze the impact of a changing economy and global capitalism on employment, wages and poverty;
Critically analyze the rationale and argument for federal, state, local government, and private philanthropy in poverty policy and programs;
Critically examine the impact of current poverty policies and programs on the poor as identified in the current research and suggest needed changes or improvements; and
Identify and suggest resources for use in case specific services.

Dr. Wolfgang Meyberg:

Prerequisites: 

There are no prerequisites for enrollment in the music therapy seminar.

Course Description:

In the whole world music is known to be a method of health care and recovery. Hearing and producing sounds increases people's activity as well as their creativity. It helps them to get connected with others playfully and it's good for relaxation and regeneration.  Furthermore, this seminar will deal with the topic of the autism spectrum disorder. Significant signs of the autism spectrum disorder are treated. We will learn how children with autism can be helped to get in contact with others.

Course Objectives:

The objective of the seminar is to impart methods of music therapy that are especially suited for educational and therapeutic work with children and minors. Music fosters cognitive abilities, concentration, communication and cooperative capacity.

Instructor:

Dr. Wolfgang Meyberg is a professor for music at the University of Applied Sciences Fulda. He received his M.A. in expressive therapies at Lesley University (Cambridge/USA) and earned  his PhD from Oldenburg University (German). Dr. Meyberg has many years of experience as music therapist in psychatric hospitals for children and adolescents.

Dr. Ted Coleman

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites per sé for this course.  The only requirement is a desire to learn about health as a multi-dimensional concept (with emphasis on the causes and effects of stress) and to explore and practice ways to handle stress in the healthiest ways possible.

Course Description:

In this four-week course, we will explore basic concepts of “health” from various historical perspectives and focus on a modern, ecologic perspective as the framework for understanding stress.  We will identify sources of stress in various cultures and societies, discuss how stress can affect health and well being, and explore ways to deal with stress effectively.

This course is open to everyone, and based on previous reviews, will provide meaningful personal experiences as well as necessary and valuable professional insights. It will be especially helpful academically for students of health, humanities, medicine, nursing, psychology, social work, sociology, and other human services.

Course Objectives:

At the completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Define “health” from an ecologic standpoint;
• Distinguish among various theories of health and disease;
• Develop or adopt a functional definition of “stress;”
• Articulate phases of the General Adaptation Syndrome;
• Describe how stress affects health;
• Consider the benefits of mindful stress management;
• Demonstrate a range of stress management techniques;
• Assess personal responses to stress and stress management.

Instructor:
Dr. Ted Coleman was a faculty member at Cal State, San Bernardino (CSUSB) from 1983 to 1985. After pursuing a variety of other career opportunities, he returned in the fall of 2006 to Chair the Department of Health Science and Human Ecology. His background includes teaching at Purdue University, Utah State University, and Kennedy-Western University as well as national and international consulting and training, hospital administration, and corporate training. Research interests include the area of thanatology (the study of death, dying, grief, and mourning); the effects of effective patient training on glycemic monitoring and control (i.e., how people with diabetes keep track of and maintain proper blood glucose levels); health status and the influence of internalized homophobia in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals; health issues of men; and various health concerns of individuals with autism and their families.

Prof. Andrew Miller

Prerequisites:

Proficiency in English

Course Overview

Whether in school or in a job, everyone has to manage projects or be a part of a project team.  In order to be an effective project manager or project team member, it is important to have basic understanding of project management.

This course is designed to provide students an introductory overview of the field of project management and the skills/activities of project managers.  The course is designed around the framework outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) 4th Edition from the Project Management Institute (PMI). We will examine the tools, techniques, and challenges commonly associated with planning and executing projects, and also discuss project leadership and potential team issues. Through this examination, students will be exposed to all 5 stages of the project life cycle (process groups) including initiation, planning, execution, controlling and closing

The course will touch on the 9 different PMI Knowledge Areas:

• Project Integration Management
• Project Scope Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Quality Management
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Communications Management
• Project Risk Management
• Project Procurement Management

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Identify the common terms, concepts, and activities associated with project management.
2. Identify and describe the initiation, planning, execution, control and closing processes as outlined in the PMBOK.
3. Identify and describe the 9 project management knowledge areas as outlined in the PMBOK.
4. Apply critical thinking skills developed by defining project requirements and project work breakdown structures.
5. Apply analytical skills in estimation, scheduling, and anticipation of potential project problems.
6. Gather information from professional organizations that promote the development of project management skills.´
   Increase your ability to function effectively on a project team or as a project team leader.

Instructor:

Andy Miller is on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.  His primary teaching areas are Project Management and Quantitative Business Analysis.  He has over 17 years of industry experience in project management, software development and marketing.  In addition he is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and sits on the board of the local Project Management Institute (PMI) Chapter

Prof. Dr. Volker Hinnenkamp

Prerequisites:

Proficiency in English and an interest in intercultural communication issues

Course Description:

Intercultural communication is said to be source of misunderstanding and breakdown – that’s one side; the other side is creative solutions and synergy. In times of globalization intercultural competence seems to have become more relevant than ever.

In this course we will do both, look at intercultural issues from various aspects, like communication and foreign language learning, the body, values and gender, and also do practical things in order to become aware of the richness and potentials of cultural diversity, in general as well as from the perspective of the participants. We will work with many examples, participants’ own experience and the outcomes of group activities.

Course Objectives

The aim of the course is that participants
- will gain greater awareness of aspects of other and one’s own culture and how that relates to communicating and identity;
- will see how understanding and mutuality in communication is a process of rapport and negotiation;
- will increase their confidence in dealing with other cultures and with foreign language situations in a creative way.

Instructor:
Volker Hinnenkamp is chair of Intercultural Communication and European Studies at Hochschule Fulda. He studied linguistics, English and education at Bielefeld University. His interest in socio and speech linguistics triggered his interest in sociology. He earned his PhD from Bielefeld University and his postdoctoral lecture qualfication from Augsburg University. Focus of his research are intercultural communication in socio linguistics, German as a second language, multilingualism and language contact.