This course will provide instruction on the capabilities of multimedia technology to expand identity, foster civic responsibilities, and explore ecological issues. Specifically, students will utilize digital video, photography, music, and the Internet to acquire information on local environmental and social conditions. This data in the form of images, sound, and written word will then be edited and transformed into the student's unique voice.

Ever wonder why so many instructors assign group projects? Well, out in the real world, employers want applicants that can work well with others. This course is designed to give students tools to use in the future, no matter what that future may hold. This active participatory class teaches facilitation skills and the principle concepts behind consensus decision making. The students will use presentations, written work, and, of course, group projects to demonstrate knowledge and applicability of the material. Lessons learned in this class will go with the students to no matter what group they find themselves in.

Rage Against the Machine and Zinn is a class designed to illuminate alternative viewpoints on America's past, present and potential future. By learning history from the perspective of its "losers," students will gain new insights into lives of oppressed peoples. History from this perspective puts America's current policies into context. The course also sheds light on one potential future that could befall America if changes do not occur. Howard Zinn and George Orwell are juxtaposed with the musical phenomenon of Rage Against the Machine. The lyrical content of RATM can be easily compared to Zinn, and Orwell is quoted multiple times by the band.

This course is designed to give students who have no familiarity with The Bible an overview of its importance as the underlying text for much of Western Literature. It is based upon the premise that without first understanding what is actually on the page, students cannot accurately layer on another critical approach. Students will read parts of The Bible, as well as some of the more important literature which The Bible informs. The course is keyed to provide a "quick-book" approach, by teaching the two components jointly, not separately. There will be much reading, in class free-writing, two short quizzes, one three page paper, and a creative project.

Students will read and discuss texts, hear speakers, review films, and participate in projects based on the experience of Tibetans abroad, the impact of various groups working world-wide on the issue of Tibetan sovereignty, and current projects seeking to preserve Tibetan culture while helping Tibetans survive outside their home country.

Students will read and discuss selected texts about traditional Tibetan culture, review documentaries and films from and about Tibet, hear expert speakers and discuss issues with members of the Tibetan community in Portland. The class is taught by an activist in the movement to have Tibet reassume its status as a sovereign nation.

Students will read, analyze, and discuss texts basic to Buddhism and Christianity, hear speakers who are practitioners of both religions, and develop projects which will stimulate dialogue between the two faiths. Topics will include the nature of prayer and mediation, approaches to creation and sustenance of the universe, and the issue of life after death.

Students will learn basic written Tibetan, including the alphabet and grammar. They will read and discuss ancient and modern texts in Tibetan and compare them with English translations. Students will also learn from discussions of cultural contexts and have opportunities to work with literal translations of selected texts. Note: this class will track closely with the "Beginning Spoken Tibetan" class offered on Monday nights.

We will define, explore, and challenge concepts of "disability" from an academic and experiential context. Class assignments will include voluntary disability self-exploration, social action projects, and an expanded understanding of disability studies. We will utilize assistive technology and learn to be better advocates for our communities and ourselves. We will role-play and journal in real-life situations. The course will explore the possibility of an expanded disability studies curriculum.

This course is about Scotland and the tenacity of the Scottish spirit as well as those historical and cultural elements that strengthened this spirit. Traditionally, history paints Scotland as a wild land full of barbaric warriors, and the modern offspring of its people as a sub-culture of Great Britain. This course looks at the Scottish people from outside this perspective and examines the struggles between Scottish Highlander, Lowlander, and the Englishman, while analyzing some of the events that motivated their traditional rivalries. The years between 1600 to 1800 will be the focus of the course.