SMI courses

UNST 101 - Precision Reasoning: Problem Solving in Pre-calculus Mathematics - Professor Strand

This offering attempts to stimulate the ability to engage in logical thinking and to critically read the technical information with which our contemporary society abounds. The approach is based upon exercises which are embedded in many concepts encountered in mathematics courses at the high school level. The aim of each exercise is to develop a conceptual understanding and appreciation for problem solving, not computational expertise, an ability to reason precisely, a capability to translate a verbal quantitative problem into a mathematical model, and abstract and rigorous though processes. The only prerequisite is elementary functions. The most important attribute you, the student, can bring to this course is curiosity. Take a problem and use anything and everything you know to solve it. Think about it; if necessary put it aside, but keep it in mind; come back to it; share your ideas with others, with a helpful hint you then may be able to obtain a solution. The more you get involved with the exercises, the more benefits you will derive. If you approach the exercises conscientiously, you will find that you will not only become a better problem solver but your general thinking processes will benefit from the experience.

Biology - Concepts in Biology - Professors Arnold & Fuller

This course will examine key concepts in biology and their relationships to real world issues discussed in Tuesday’s New York Times - Science Times. The course will focus on evolution and this concept will be the common thread that will link all concepts discussed in class. We will focus on natural selection as a process and discuss the diversity of different organisms from an Earth-history perspective. We also will discuss energy production and use, and the evolution of energetic pathways used by prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Students will do laboratory exercises that familiarize them with different living organisms and where they exist by doing field collections. They also will visit field sites and do laboratory experiments on organisms in both aerobic and anaerobic environments (the latter simulating a primitive Earth system). Discussions in class will get students to think about biological systems from an evolutionary perspective and relate what they have learned to current issues addressed in the Science Times.

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