Welcome to Core Humanities at the University of Nevada

The humanities component of the Core Curriculum at the University of Nevada is comprised of three courses required for graduation of all undergraduate students.  These courses have two important goals:

• As the introductory humanities core courses, they provide students the experience of working with the basic tools of the humanities disciplines: clear writing, close reading of primary texts, practice with oral expression of serious ideas, awareness of modes of discourse, sensitivity to cultural differences, understanding and evaluating the past, and reflecting upon the cultural implications of arts, technologies, and scientific discoveries.
• As interdisciplinary courses in the traditions of the West, they expose students to the cultural diversity that finds expression in the modern West, and they also make students aware of the great diversity of sources from which our cultural legacies derive and show the richness of the historical debate over the ideas that continue to shape us as Americans.

The required courses are:

• Core Humanities 201: Ancient and Medieval Cultures. This interdisciplinary course critically surveys the cultures of th Near East, Greece, Rome and the European Middle Ages. The text-based course examines the cultural and historical origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and explores the roots of philosophy and science. Through texts and images, concepts like heroism, justice, and romantic love are treated.
• Core Humanities 202: The Modern World. Through texts, images, and music, this course traces Europe’s legacy in shaping world ideas, institutions, and cultures from the early modern era to the present. Cultural artifacts of the Renaissance, the reformation, the Enlightenment, the period of revolution and romanticism, and the twentieth century are examined and discussed. Students will study such topics as the development of science and industry, political revolutions, colonialism, postcolonialism, and globalization.
• Core Humanities 203: American Experiences and Constitutional Change. Identities, ideas, and institutions in America from initial European contact to the present inform the content of this interdisciplinary course. Students will critically explore such concepts as civil rights, liberty, individualism, federalism, environmentalism, urbanization, industrialization, and cultural diversity. Satisfies the U.S. and Nevada constitution requirements.

English 102, the Core Writing requirement, is a prerequisite of all Core Humanities courses. CH 203 satisfies the legislatively mandated U.S. and Nevada Constitution requirements.

Weinstein and Santesso to deliver public humanities lectures during Spring 2008

Every semester the CH Distinguished Professors of the Humanities offer free public lectures on the university campus. Valerie Weinstein of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, is the Sanford Distinguished Professor of the Humanities for 2006-2008, and Aaron Santesso of English is the Fitzgerald Professor for 2007-2009. Professor Weinstein's lecture will take place on April 10th. Details...

Ken Lucey named Sanford Distinguished Professor for 2008-2010

Ken Lucey, currently Chair of the Philosophy Department, has been named the Sanford Distinguished Professor of the Humanities for the next two academic years. The award means that Lucey will continue his involvement in Core Humanities teaching, will deliver public humanities lectures, and will focus some of his teaching and research interests on issues of aging. Support for this Professorship comes from the NEH/Core Humanities Endowment and from the Sanford Center for Aging.

Alan Bible Award for Excellence in Teaching Goes to Bernie Schopen!

Bernie Schopen, lecturer in the Core Humanities program, was given the prestigious Alan Bible Award for Excellence in Teaching at a College of Liberal Arts awards ceremony May 2, 2007. The award, funded by Vivienne and Bill Morris and by Paul Bible in honor of former Nevada Senator Alan Bible, has been awarded annually since 1983 to a faculty member from the arts, humanities, or sciences. A number of faculty who teach in Core Humanities have won the award in the past.