Special Topics Course Descriptions - Winter Session 2026
Course descriptions are also provided in the "requirements and notes" area of each course listed in the public course schedule . For general winter session or registration questions, please visit the registration page or email elo@cortland.edu.
UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL
COM 329 – Marketing the Screenplay
ONLINE Course in Session II: January 6 – 20, 2026, CRN 10345
This course examines approaches screenwriters use to get their work read by the film industry. Students develop an understanding of how agencies, management companies, production companies, studios, entertainment attorneys, and writer unions interact as well as the important role writers' groups, conferences, film festivals, fellowships and competitions play in getting your work in the hands of the right people. For more information related to the course content COM 329, contact Dr. Samuel Avery at samuel.avery@cortland.edu.
CRM 329 – Fear, Crime and Media
ONLINE Course in Session II: January 6 – 20, 2026, CRN 10348
Fear is defined by psychologists as an “intense emotion aroused by the detection of imminent threat.” While deeply felt on an individual level, fear is also a culturally shared emotion. Indeed, researchers have considered a “culture of fear” in which a sense of fear, insecurity, and risk shapes everyday interaction. It is perhaps no wonder, given mass media images of danger. How is fear constructed in the media? What are the consequences of such representation? In this course, we adopt theory in criminology and sociology to study the construction of fear in the media and consequences thereof. We utilize various methods including media/visual analysis coupled with survey, interview, and ethnography. As fear is embedded in representations of crime – and informs public concern, entertainment, and punishment – analyzing fear is important for understanding contemporary social inequality and for broader social change. For more information related to the course content COM 329, contact Dr. Kevin Revier at kevin.revier@cortland.edu.
LIT 129 – Introduction to AI Literacy in Education (1 credit)
ONLINE Course in Session II: January 6 – 20, 2026, CRN 10365
This course will explore the development of GenAI, examine how it works, and identify different applications and the potential ethical issues that may arise. Students will learn how to become AI literate and participate in a society where AI is becoming increasingly prevalent. Special attention will be given to integrating AI into education. For more information related to the course content for LIT 129, contact Dr. Michael Hockwater at michael.hockwater@cortland.edu.
PHI 429 – Philosophical Issues in Education
ONLINE Course in Session II: January 6 – 20, 2026, CRN 10278
Philosophical Issues in Education welcomes students to a conversation about the nature of being a student—and thus invites a renewed consideration of what it means to become a teacher of students. What sorts of self-knowledge must one possess in order to create an educational environment in which students can learn? Do teachers know what they teach? What is the relationship between such inner experiences and the students who find their way to your classrooms? Should we unlearn in order to teach (better)? What are the aspirations of our pedagogy, individually and collectively—or what should they be? With an eye kept on the contemporary context of education in the United States, we will ask fundamental questions about the long arc of the philosophy of education from ancient China and Greece to a range of modern experiments in re-thinking education as an ongoing and ever-evolving project—“a beautiful risk,” according to one of our authors. For more information related to the course content for PHI 429, contact Dr. David LaRocca at David.larocca@cortland.edu.
GRADUATE LEVEL
ESL 529 – Language, Mind and Culture
ONLINE Course in Session I: December 16, 2025 – January 20, 2026, CRN 10367
How do the languages we speak shape the way we see the world? This course looks at the fascinating connections between language, thought, and culture. Students will be introduced to key ideas from Cognitive Linguistics, such as how metaphors help us understand abstract concepts, how different languages guide us to notice different details of reality, and how culture is deeply tied to the way people talk and think. We will also compare how languages across the world describe events like motion, space, and time, and what this tells us about human cognition. For more information related to course content for ESL 529, contact Dr. Jean Costa Silva at jean.costasilva@cortland.edu.
HLH 529 – SEL Education for the Prek – 12 Educator
ONLINE Course in Session I: December 16, 2025 – January 20, 2026, CRN 10305
SEL education supports the developmental process of cognitive, social, and emotional learning to help students thrive in their personal lives. This course will delve into key SEL concepts such as self-awareness, self-management, relationship management, social awareness, and decision-making, aiming to enhance the well-being of both PreK-12 students and educators. For more information related to the course content for HLH 529, contact Dr. Lori Reichel at lori.reichel@cortland.edu.
ICC 529 – Co-teaching for Multilingual Learner Inclusion
ONLINE Course in Session I: December 16, 2025 – January 20, 2026, CRN 10301
Co-Teaching for Multilingual Learner Inclusion Methods of co-teaching in the K12 setting for multilingual learner inclusion, with an emphasis on developing oral language, academic vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and writing skills. For more information related to course content for ICC 529, contact Professor Chloe Walters at chloe.walters@cortland.edu.
