Core Seminars

In the core seminars, students build the foundation for upper level classes in their chosen major and begin to develop skills for taking their learning into their work in the world.

Writing Seminars
Students acquire an understanding of the writing process—from generating and drafting ideas to revising and editing texts—across a range of rhetorical tasks and genres. They practice the art of scholarly investigation, building a set of research and writing skills that enable them to make informed choices and to adapt their writing to the needs of a particular audience and purpose. They also learn to become proficient critical readers, approaching a variety of texts (literary, theoretical, etc.) with a writer’s awareness of craft and a critic’s ability to interpret and respond to textual meanings and effects. In addition, students develop the information fluency needed in order to critically evaluate and effectively utilize emerging information sources and technologies.

Humanities Seminar
Taught by core faculty members from various academic departments, the Humanities Seminar introduces students to the excitement of scholarship. While each of these topics courses reflects the disciplinary focus of its instructor, all address educational goals in a set of skills basic to becoming well educated in today’s world.

Contemplative Practice Seminar
The Contemplative Practice Seminar introduces the tradition of contemplative education as it has been developed at Naropa University, with an emphasis on its vision, purpose and application to the academic, artistic and psychological disciplines taught in the various majors. Students are introduced to contemplative practices that have shaped these disciplines, especially emphasizing mindfulness- awareness and sitting meditation practice. This course is designed to integrate the personal journey of the entering student with the rest of his or her Naropa educational experience.

Diversity Seminar
The Diversity Seminar emphasizes the development of knowledge, critical thinking, analytical skills, and interpersonal and intergroup interactions necessary for living and working in a society characterized by diversity. Students engage in inquiry and analysis of the complexities of multiple and competing theories of race, class, gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexuality, nationality and religion, and how they shape and are shaped by social and cultural life in the United States. Through diversity and contemplative education, students can awaken a greater understanding of others, develop self-understanding and develop understanding of self in relation to others in order to promote ethical behaviors and values that support a diverse world.

Civic Engagement Seminar
Taken in a student’s second year, the Civic Engagement Seminar adds a public dimension to academic learning developed by students in the first-year seminars. Each seminar section focuses on a unique topic chosen according to the expertise of individual faculty. Through community-based learning, students develop skills that allow them to act effectively in the world. Prerequisites: COR 130 and COR 150.