Spring 2027 Freshman Seminar Course Descriptions
FSEM 101-01 (CRN: 11456): “Understanding Conspiracy Theories”
MWF 08:00-08:50
Professor Bevsek
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-01 (CRN: 11457) TR 13:30-14:45 – Professor Maxwell
Description: Almost everyone believes at least one conspiracy theory, and some of them turn out to be true, as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study did. So how do you decide what to believe? In this class, you will learn practical tools like logical fallacy analysis, Shermer’s Conspiracy Detection Kit, and the Toulmin model of argument to judge whether a claim is true, likely true, likely false, false, or unknown. Along the way you will examine the psychology of conspiratorial thinking and apply those tools to famous cases, including the JFK assassination, UFOs, the moon landing, ghosts, and cryptids. The course ends with you choosing your own conspiracy theory, investigating it, and presenting your verdict to the class.
FSEM 101-02 (CRN: 11458): “Participatory Democracy“
MWF 09:00-9:50
Professor Owens
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-02 (CRN: 11459) MWF 10:00-10:50 – Professor Booth
Description: Democracy and true self-government require citizens participate in making decisions. Additionally, our participation is a way to maintain civic knowledge. This course will focus on how repeated social interactions and mutual respect propel civic engagement. This gives an opportunity to explore critical details of South Carolina’s communities and tracking policy trends over time. The purpose is to see politics from the public’s perspective and how politicians can operate in an inclusive way and take decisive action.
FSEM 101-03 (CRN: 11460): “The Military & the Environment”
MWF 13:00-13:50
Professor Berry
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-03 (CRN: 11461): MWF 12:00-12:50 – Professor Horan
Description: The relationship between the military and the environment is unique. Rarely do humans intentionally cause complete and lasting destruction of the environment as they do during times of war. In this course, we will explore some of the environmental impacts of military actions and warfare, and examine alternatives.
FSEM 101-04 (CRN: 11462): “The Ideal Chinese World“
TR 11:00-12:15
Professor Knapp
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-04 (CRN: 11463) MWF 13:00-13:50 – Professor Horan
Description: Some scholars think that “utopia” is a European idea that only appeared in the Renaissance. Scholars of China’s past beg to differ. Chinese conceptions of utopia are different: often they locate utopia in the far past rather than the future and are both religious and secular in nature. Despite such discrepancies, utopian thought had profound and long-lasting effects on Chinese society, economy and politics. This course explores the contours and development of Chinese utopian thought from China’s pre-imperial past to the present. We look at not only how Chinese at different points of time envisioned a better future, but also their real attempts to make it happen. The first part of the course will examine Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist visions of utopia, while the second half will focus on modern, disastrous attempts to bring about an ideal world, such as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the Maoist campaigns of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, and the Tian’an men protests of 1989.
FSEM 101-05 (CRN: 11464) : “Reading Urban Spaces“
TR 09:30-10:45
Professor Mushal
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-05 (CRN: 11465): TR 11:00-12:15 – Professor Leonard
Description: Can you tell a city’s history by looking at its buildings, roads, and parks? How do geography, business needs, and cultural values shape a city? How do cities adapt to new challenges? By looking at Charleston and other American cities, this class will consider key aspects of American town and city development over the past three centuries. These will include colonial concerns about trade and defense; 19th-century industrialization and the creation of new city parks; the 20th-century role of cars in shaping urban growth; and some of the innovative ways that cities are changing today. We will discuss how each of these developments reflects larger social values, and how they have shaped the experience of living in American cities.
FSEM 101-06 (CRN: 11466) : “Reading Urban Spaces“
TR 11:00-12:15
Professor Mushal
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-06 (CRN: 11467): TR 09:30-10:45 – Professor Leonard
Description: Can you tell a city’s history by looking at its buildings, roads, and parks? How do geography, business needs, and cultural values shape a city? How do cities adapt to new challenges? By looking at Charleston and other American cities, this class will consider key aspects of American town and city development over the past three centuries. These will include colonial concerns about trade and defense; 19th-century industrialization and the creation of new city parks; the 20th-century role of cars in shaping urban growth; and some of the innovative ways that cities are changing today. We will discuss how each of these developments reflects larger social values, and how they have shaped the experience of living in American cities.
FSEM 101-07 (CRN: 11468): “Cybersecurity and Humans“
TR 13:30-14:45
Professor Sahin
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-07 (CRN: 11469) MWF 13:00-13:50 – Professor Rink
Description: This course introduces cybersecurity as a critical domain for shaping modern society and everyday life. While cybersecurity is often viewed as highly technical, this course approaches it through the lens of the human experience. Technology does not exist in isolation, but it reflects human choices, values, behaviors, and vulnerabilities. At the same time, the systems we build shape our privacy, security, relationships, leadership decisions, and even national defense. It further explores the major sub-domains of cybersecurity such as social engineering, network security, cryptography, digital forensics, and human-centered security without requiring prior technical experience. Through interactive games, case studies, debates, applied activities, and reflective writing, students will examine how cyber systems are attacked, defended, regulated, and managed, and how human behavior remains at the center of both risk and protection. The course emphasizes critical thinking, ethical reasoning, leadership responsibility, and real-world application rather than technical complexity. Students will leave with a broad understanding of cybersecurity career domains, risks, and responsibilities, as well as practical skills for personal digital security and thoughtful participation in an increasingly connected world.
FSEM 101-08 (CRN: 11471): “Video Game Culture“
MWF 13:00-13:50
Professor Skenes
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-08 (CRN: 11472): MWF 12:00-12:50 – Professor Rink
Description: This First-Year Seminar will give students a behind-the-scenes look at the cultural phenomenon of video games. The class will begin by looking at the history of video games from a technical standpoint, and move into a discussion of the increasing role video games have played in culture and politics. From there the course will move into a discussion of creative license and censorship in an artistic medium, and the various ways video games are treated in this manner. This will be followed by a discussion on historical accuracy and the integration of real-life events into a player-controlled story. As part of this historical accuracy section, students will be expected to model fundamental physics to predict how objects behave when acted upon by forces in the real world. The course will then address business models for creating video games and how they differ between AAA-level studios like Electronic Arts or Blizzard and indie developers on a shoestring budget. Finally, students will spend time studying the potential effects of video games on real-life actions, ranging from possible links to violence and addiction to therapeutic treatment and the development of fine motor skills.
FSEM 101-09 (CRN: 11473): “Games & How to Win Them“
MWF 10:00-10:50
Professor Swart
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-09 (CRN: 11475) TR 13:30-14:45 – Professor Spring
Description: In this FSEM 101, we will explore a variety of deterministic combinatorial games, including impartial and partisan games. For each game, we will determine winning strategies. Justifications will play an important role in this course. Games investigated may include Nim, Hex, and Hackenbush.
FSEM 101-10 (CRN: 11476): “Games & How to Win Them“
MWF 12:00-12:50
Professor Swart
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-10 (CRN: 11477) TR 11:00-12:15 – Professor Spring
Description: In this FSEM 101, we will explore a variety of deterministic combinatorial games, including impartial and partisan games. For each game, we will determine winning strategies. Justifications will play an important role in this course. Games investigated may include Nim, Hex, and Hackenbush.
FSEM 101-11 (CRN: 11478): “The Titanic“
MWF 11:00-11:50
Professor Grenier
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-11 (CRN: 11479) TR 11:00-12:15 – Professor Booth
Description: This Freshman Seminar will examine the history and mythic significance of the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic. We will consider this event in the context of early twentieth-century British and American history. When, where, why, and how was Titanic built? Why did it sink? Who survived and who did not? Who bears responsibility for this disaster? Why do people continue to be fascinated by this event? Through newspapers, books, and movies we will explore how people in the early twentieth century and since have interpreted these disasters, and why they have captured so much imagination.
FSEM 101-12 (CRN: 11480): “Modern Americans, Modern Grit“
MWF 09:00-09:50
Professor Leonard
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-12 (CRN: 11481) TR 11:00-12:15 – Professor Vilouta Vazquez
Description: In this course, students reflect on the nature of knowledge, and how we know what we claim to know. Through critical thinking and inquiry, they are encouraged to question assumptions, analyze different perspectives, and support their ideas with evidence. Rather than passively accepting information, students learn to engage actively with knowledge, construct reasoned arguments, and navigate its complexities with clarity and coherence.
FSEM 101-13 (CRN: 11482): “Theory of Knowledge“
TR 09:30-10:45
Professor Ortiz
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-13 (CRN: 11483) MWF 14:00-14:50 – Professor Rink
Description: In this course students reflect on the nature of knowledge, and how we know what we claim to know. Students are encouraged to think critically about the subjects they study rather than passively accepting what they are taught. By asking questions, supporting ideas with evidence, arguing coherently and making reasoned judgments, students actively engage with knowledge and its complexities.
FSEM 101-14 (CRN: 11484): “French Culture“
MWF 09:00-09:50
Professor Ramos
*Co-requisite: FSWI 101-14 (CRN: 11485) MWF 11:00-11:50 – Professor Booth
Description: The romantic language, the internationally beloved art, the sophistication, the fancy cuisine. What makes the French so… French? Find out in Culture of France where we’ll take a leisurely tour of France’s cultural traditions from their core values such as liberté, égalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and brotherhood) to their artistic legacy in literature and even their culinary creations! We’ll also be looking into their rich tradition of intellectualism as well as pivotal historical events. If you want to find out why the French are who they are, Culture of France is the class for you!
FSWI 101-15 (CRN: 11486): “Freshman Writing Seminar“
MWF 12:00-12:50
Professor Allen
Description: This is an opportunity to retake FSWI for upperclassman. It is being offered as a standalone 3 credit class as opposed to the typical linked course with FSEM.