Courses and Earning Credits

The Summer Scholars Program is designed so that high school students may experience first-hand the rewards and reality of taking a college course, while experiencing "life on campus." Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive from 2 to 4 credits which can normally be applied toward an undergraduate degree at the University of Richmond, and may be accepted as transfer credit at other universities.

In July 2008 six challenging courses will be offered for students to choose from.

Biogenetics

If you are interested in a career in medicine or biotechnology, this is the course for you. You will study microbiology, genetics, gene transfer, gene therapy, cloning, stem cell research, pathogenesis, genetically-modified organisms and the transfer of antibiotic resistance. You will be exposed to current research examples by University professors, and have a chance to discuss the medical, environmental and ethical issues involved. Hands-on research takes place in both the field and laboratory, and you will collect samples, isolate and clone specific genes and then investigate aspects of gene expression.

Into the Green: Explorations of Text and Trail

As we speed into the 21st Century, it is easy to become so excited by our mp3 player or our laptop that we often forget where we came from and all that nature freely teaches us. Nature as text and teacher has been a literary theme since writing was invented, so in this course we will study a selection of both fiction and non-fiction to see what others have learned, to discuss various writing styles and to think more deeply about our own relationships to nature and technology. Our readings will be enhanced with a variety of outdoor experiences designed to transcend the artificial confines of the classroom and maximize the intellectual potential of combining scholarship with direct experience. We will also view a selection of related films and examine them critically as texts for their connections to our readings and experiences. Today, as developments in technology continue to accelerate the speed of change, our experience of nature often decreases and we become too busy to enjoy and learn from nature. What is the intellectual value of nature and what important skills and knowledge might we want to preserve as the future unfolds before us?

Disaster Science and Homeland Security

Hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes and terrorism. If you are intrigued by manmade and natural disasters, consider this course. You’ll have the chance to examine how and why disasters happen, as well as learn the major issues in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Explore the unique threats posed by natural events such as tsunamis and landslides, and the immediate threat of conventional, nuclear and bioweapons. Focus includes disaster plans and preparations, community protection, and coping methods for the personal, social and economic trauma that follows chaos. Students who successfully complete this course also receive a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Emergency Response Team member training certificate.

Microeconomics, Games and Experiments

Inexpensive bananas, iPods, and global warming: What do they have in common? They are each the result of markets. When do markets produce good outcomes for society, and when do they produce bad outcomes? How can we prevent the bad outcomes? Should we have a market for human kidneys too? You will learn the economic approach to answering these questions, as well as how consumers, businesses, and government officials make efficient decisions. You will learn the theories, simulate the models, discuss the ideas, and practice the concepts with problems sets and computer exercises. You will simulate these theories using classroom games and experiments. Classroom experiments model real markets, and game theory helps us understand the role of strategy in decision-making. Students in this course will learn material that is equivalent to a Principles of Microeconomics course in college. While this course is a standard prerequisite for a business major, its insights apply to all types of decision-making.

Developing Intercultural Competence in a Changing World

Studying abroad? Working in a multinational corporation? Traveling as a tourist or just simply intrigued by languages and cultures? How does one really assimilate into another culture, or just better understand it? To be able to appropriately communicate with other peoples in today’s global world, speaking a language is not enough. This course will take your language skills to the next level by focusing on the culture within which it is spoken. We’ll develop your intercultural competence through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for developing a true comprehension of the cultural norms and values lying underneath what can be casually observed.

A Journey to the Heart of Russia

Peel away the layers of myth and propaganda. See for yourself the real Russia that only a real study of her many facets can reveal. A mixture of madness and creative genius with a ravenous appetite for life, the Russians frighten the lighthearted, but those who know them fall in love with them. Take a journey to the heart of Russia this summer on the wings of music, literature, painting and film. It’s a trip you’ll not soon forget.

We are confident that Summer Scholars participants will find this new and innovative program at the University of Richmond to be of great value, both during the course of the session and beyond as future college preparations begin. This is a good way to try out a college-level course, see how you cope with the personal challenge and sample some of the fun of college life!