Summer 2012 Session 1 Course Offerings

The College reserves the right to change course offerings and scheduling.

AHT 345 Picasso: His Life and Work
Professor Stanford

The course attempts to examine the work of the child prodigy through to the final works and the impact and influences of this artist on painting in the twentieth century. The course follows the evolution of Picasso's work throughout his lifetime along the lines of chronological breakdown suggested in the Penrose Biography, i.e. Origins and Youth 1881-95, Barcelona l895-l901, the Blue Period l901-04, the Rose Period and first Classical Period l904-06, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon l906-09, the creation of Cubism l909-l4, First World War 1914-1918, Beauty must be Convulsive 1918-30, Boisegloup l930-36, Guernica l936-39, Second World War, Royan and Paris l939-45, Antibes and Vallauris l945-54, La Californie l954-58, Vauvenargues l959-61, Le Mas Notre Dame de Vie l961-70, and the Last Years l970-73.

BUS 357 Global Information Systems
Professor Dudukovic

This course addresses the impact of modern information technology and data management concepts at the functional levels of international business, especially in the areas of finance, marketing, accounting and resource management. The computer-based section of the course provides methodology and software tools, advanced EXCEL modeling and DBMS -FoxPro, necessary to develop and evaluate Decision Support Systems, Management Information Systems, and Transaction Processing Systems. Case-based learning is utilized to stress how international firms can gain a competitive advantage by leveraging information technology. Students are asked to complete a six-week-long project related to system analysis and design. (Recommended CPT 105 and BUS 326)

BUS 373 International Entrepreneurship
Professor Della Corte

This course develops attitudes, concepts and skills that enable entrepreneurs and managers to pursue opportunities in spite of uncertainty. The course examines how entrepreneurs and business innovators acquire and manage resources for new ventures and change within organizations. The course also explores current problems and issues in entrepreneurial ventures and change management. Course activities include the preparation of a new venture business plan. (Recommended BUS 326)

BUS 410 International Organizational Behavior
Professor Bresciani

This course analyzes the principal cross-cultural relationships between employee characteristics, cultural characteristics, and managerial effectiveness. Topics include: cross-cultural communications, practical issues of management in foreign cultures, leadership dynamics, group motivation, and comparative management techniques based on the patterns of organizational behavior in different countries. (Junior status recommended)

COM 105 Introduction to Communication and Media Studies in the Global Context
Professor Sugiyama

This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and theories of communication and media studies as they apply to the ever-increasing intercultural interactions of a contemporary world. In particular, students will learn the basics of intercultural/international communication processes, gaining a foundation for developing intercultural communication competence.

COM 180 Public Speaking
Professor Gardiner

This course provides an introduction to the key concepts and skills involved in the art of public speaking, argumentation and deliberation. In this course, students will learn how to use public speaking both as a means to argue and defend a position as well as to better understand and resolve issues of social significance. In addition to focusing on one-directional public speaking, this course also explores speaking in more dynamic situations that involve interaction and deliberation.

CPT 105 Introduction to Computing
Professor Della Corte

Students in this course are offered an overview of modern computer applications, with an emphasis on data processing and information management techniques. Hands-on experience is used to emphasize the importance of practical computer software packages. Computing theory and ethics are also discussed.

ECN 100 Principles of Macroeconomics
Professor Stack

This is an entry-level course in economics, covering fundamentals of macroeconomics and aimed at students who choose it as an elective or plan to continue their studies in economics. Together with ECN 101, it provides the necessary prerequisites for any other upper-level course in economics. It is a program requirement for the majors in International Banking and Finance, International Economics, International Management, International Relations, and Environmental Science. It is also a prerequisite for Economics as a combined major as well as a minor. This course helps students develop basic analytical skills in economics and macroeconomics. It provides the fundamental theoretical vocabulary for the study of economics with a major emphasis on macroeconomic issues. After an introductory part focused on production possibilities and opportunity cost, the course is concerned with the definition and the theory of determination of national income, employment, business fluctuations, and price level. It also introduces students to the functioning of a payment system based on bank money. The instruments and the functioning of public policy aimed to stabilize prices and maintain high levels of output and employment are discussed in the current macroeconomic context of major world economies. Selected economic news is constantly watched.

ECN 303 Development Economics
Professor Khan

The course will introduce students to the evolution of theory and practice in economic development in three stages. First, models of economic growth and development including work by Harrod-Domar, Robert Solow, Arthur Lewis, and Michael Kremer are compared to provide students with a feeling for how economists have conceived of the development process. The class then proceeds to examine particular development issues such as population growth, stagnant agriculture, environmental degradation, illiteracy, gender disparities, and rapid urbanization to understand how these dynamics reinforce poverty and deprivation. In the final stage, students will read work by supporters as well as critics of international development assistance and use the knowledge and perspective they have gained thus far to independently evaluate efficacy of a specific development intervention.

ECN 341 International Economics
Professor Khan

This course will introduce students to the major theories and tools used in the study of international trade. Particular attention will be paid to deriving, analyzing, and assessing the empirical evidence for and against the Ricardian and Heckscher-Ohlin conceptions of comparative advantage, the Stolper-Samuelson Factor-Price Equalization Theorem, and New Trade Theories based on assumptions of imperfect competition. Students will become skilled at using a variety of graphical devices including offer curves to describe the effect which variations in government policy, factor dynamics, country size, technology, tastes, and transport costs will have on the terms of as well as the magnitude and distribution of the gains from trade.

FRE 300 Advanced French, Pt. I
Professor Saveau

For students who have completed at least two years of college-level language studies or the equivalent. This sequence offers cultural readings from a variety of sources, including some literary pieces, as well as magazine and newspaper articles reflecting the contemporary scene in the countries where the language is spoken. Vocabulary expansion and development of techniques of expression are accomplished through oral and written exercises.

FRE 302 Advanced French Conversation
Professor Saveau

This course uses techniques of oral expression to develop greater conversational fluency and accuracy. Conversational practice uses outstanding French films as springboards for classroom French-language discussion and instruction in the full range of language proficiencies in an array of different contexts and situations. Movies will be partially watched outside of class.

HIS 100 Western Civ I: Ancient and Medieval
Professor Novikoff

This course is an introduction to themes and trends in the political, economic, social, and intellectual history of the West from the Neolithic Revolution to the seventeenth century with emphasis on the relationship between ideas and institutions. Students are introduced to the reading and analysis of primary sources, and attention is devoted to historiography and recent trends in scholarship.

ITA 100 Introductory Italian, Pt. 1
Professor Carretta

The beginning courses stress the understanding and speaking of the lan- guage. As students progress through elementary conversation, more gram- mar study is introduced and reading and composition skills are developed.

ITA 200 Intermediate Italian, Pt I
Professor Caussette

For students with one year of language study. The sequence presents short readings inviting conversation and a review and expansion of written command of basic grammatical structures. Communicative and meaningful use of the language is stressed.

ITA 300 Advanced Italian, Pt. I
Professor Orsi

For students who have completed at least two years of college-level language studies or the equivalent. This course offers cultural readings from a variety of sources, including some literary pieces, as well as magazine and newspaper articles reflecting the contemporary scene in the countries where the language is spoken. Vocabulary expansion and development of techniques of expression are accomplished through oral and written exercises.

MAT 201 Introduction to Statistics
Professor Dudukovic

Basic concepts of descriptive statistics, such as random variables, random sampling, histograms, central tendency measures, variance and standard deviation, probability rules, and correlation coefficients, are presented in this course. The most important probability distributions, binomial and normal, are introduced. Inferential statistics and sampling distributions are briefly covered in order to introduce statistical model building and linear regression analysis.

POL 104 Government and Politics of the United States
Professor Mottale

The structure of the American polity is examined in theory and practice. Its salient characteristics are analyzed from historical, sociological and economic standpoints with a focus on current issues.

POL 276 International Environmental Politics
Professor Zanecchia

It has become increasingly apparent in recent years that environmental problems have been proliferating and nation-states are not able to cope with them individually. International cooperation is essential to finding and applying solutions. This course will first examine the nature and the sources of the main environmental problems affecting the lives of nations, such as climate change and its effects, including the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect, acid rain, desertification, pollution, disposal of radioactive and chemical waste material, etc. Students will look at the environmental problems connected to trade globalization and the question of sustainable development and will study how states have tried to deal with these problems and the role of international organizations such as the UN and the EU and non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace, etc. The effectiveness of international treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol and the problems in their application will also be examined.

POL 290 Govt and Politics of the Middle East
Professor Bregman

This course examines the political processes that shape conflict and consensus in Middle Eastern societies. From this perspective, main regional conflicts are analyzed. The confrontation between (1)Iran and the Arab World and (2)Israel and the region at large are surveyed in light of intra-Arab antagonisms and the historical great power rivalry for hegemony in the area. Special focus is directed toward an understanding of the politics of modernization and the clash between tradition and modernity.

STA 115 Introductory Painting
Professor Stanford

This introductory course explores basic painting techniques and attempts to assist the development of visual awareness through various experiments and media, thus providing a foundation for further art study. With a combination of theory and studio practice, the course investigates the properties of color, line, point, plane and texture in an effort to free students from dead convention and at the same time encourage their creative abilities. The course will incorporate structured exercises on the nature of paint and the rudiments of color theory, while encouraging students to study the painting of past and present artists to develop their own creative identity. Visits to museums, galleries or ateliers may be organized if possible. The course carries a fee for art supplies.

STA 179 Photography on location in Europe
Professor Bolgé

Aimed at beginning and intermediate students exploring the countryside, towns, villages, and interiors of Ticino, this digital photography course concentrates on the dynamics of composition through the use of color and natural light. (Students in this course must provide their own tools for some of the techniques, a good quality reflex digital camera is required, and the course carries a nominal fee of 100 CHF or USD 100 for art supplies and equipment).

STA 215 Intermediate Painting
Professor Stanford

Intermediate course aimed at further developing the basic skills learned in STA 115. More emphasis will be placed on developing individual projects and exploring different media and genre as students work towards finding a personal identity through creative experience. The course carries a fee for art supplies.

STA 315 Higher Painting
Professor Stanford

Continuation of the previous painting courses to more advanced levels. The course carries a fee for art supplies.