*Seminars will be added throughout the year so check back often.
Winter 2026
HNRS 299-01: Wednesdays 11:10am-12:00pm
The F Word: Theorizing (Against) Fascism Today
Department of English
In this seminar, we will read some recent works of critical theory that attempt to come to terms with our political present through the diagnostic and analytic framework of fascism. Our aim will be twofold: first, to understand as precisely as possible what constitutes fascism as a political category, in itself and in relation to its political others (e.g., liberal democracy, communism). Second, to determine what dimensions of our historical moment this category enables us to understand and critique. In particular, we will consider the roles that race, and gender play in contemporary fascist ideologies. Our major texts will be Alberto Toscano’s Late Fascism, Judith Butler’s Who’s Afraid of Gender and Dagmar Herzog’s The New Fascist Body.
HNRS 299-02; T 1:10-2:00pm
A Tour of Organic Chemistry Around Us
Chemistry Department
Organic molecules are all around us. From pharmaceuticals to pheromones to polymers to petroleum products, we encounter them daily. We will take a broad look at the diverse functions of organic compounds. In this seminar we will explore a variety of questions that organic chemistry can answer, such as: How does soap work? What clever ways do flowers attract bees for pollination? How many components give Skittles their color? How are polymers made? How do we identify substances at the scene of a crime? No prior knowledge of chemistry is required. Occasional laboratory activities (such as making nylon or isolating plant components, etc.) and/or demos will be included.
HNRS 299-03: Tuesdays 12:10-1:00pm
Beyond the Birds and the Bees: Variation in Sexual Anatomy and Behavior Among Animals Including Humans
Department of Biological Sciences
Evolution favors individuals who pass on their genes to future generations. This involves different things for different species, from broadcasting eggs and sperm directly into the environment, to advertising for mates, to minimizing the damage caused by sexual conflict. We will discuss how different animals meet these challenges, using an evolutionary framework. This will include discussions of variation in genitalia, reproductive organs, and advertisements (visual displays, vibrations, calls, pheromones, and odor cues). We will use these examples to bolster the idea that variation, rather than the binary, is the norm in most species. This will allow for a discussion of humans, and the spectra of sex and sexual behavior we exhibit. Through popular science readings, small group discussions and exploration of media, we will explore biodiversity as it relates to sex.
HNRS 299-04: Thursdays 12:10-1:00pm
Money Mindset: Building Habits that Reflect Who You Are
Kara Samaniego, MBA
Communication Studies & Psychology & Child Development Departments
College is the perfect time to build strong financial habits that will last a lifetime. This seminar is designed to help students take charge of their money with confidence. Topics include better understanding your values and goals around money, how to create and stick to a budget, smart ways to save on a student income, managing debt, understanding credit, and navigating tough money conversations with roommates, family, or partners. Through interactive activities and real-life examples, students will gain the tools they need to make informed financial choices that align with their values now and in the future.
HNRS 299-05 T 11:10am-12:00pm
Find Your Fit: Careers, Strengths & Next Steps (This seminar can be used to substitute for HNRS 261)
Evie Kriegbaum (she/her), Career Counselor
Cal Poly Career Services
Embark on a fun and engaging journey to discover careers that align with who you are! In this course, you’ll explore how your values, interests, identities, personality, and strengths (VIIPS) shape your career path. Through interactive activities, discussions, and hands-on projects, you'll gain essential skills in communication, networking, resume building, and interview success. By the end of the course, you’ll have a personalized career roadmap to help you navigate your time at Cal Poly and beyond. Get ready to find your fit and take the next step toward a future that excites you!
HNRS 299-06; Thursdays 1:10-2:00pm
Myth or Reality?: Untangling Differences in Gender and Negotiation
Management, Human Resources, and Information Systems Academic Area, Orfalea College of Business
In this seminar, we explore what research has to say about gender differences in negotiation in the 21st century. The belief that “Women Don’t Ask” has been oft-repeated in academia and society for decades – but how much truth does this statement hold? How have gender differences in negotiation evolved and what do they mean for how we should approach future negotiations in work and life? What unique strengths might each gender bring to the table? And how might the use of AI dissolve or perpetuate these differences? We complement this exploration of the literature with hands-on negotiation simulations and self-assessments to unpack students’ own strengths and areas for growth.
HNRS 299-07; T 10:10-11:00am
Creativity 101
Communication Studies Department
Do you consider yourself to be a creative? A non-creative with creative tendencies? A non-creative through and through? If you identify as any of these, this seminar is for you! Creative thinking is a set of skills which can be used to illuminate and expand any problem, in any subject area and in any discipline. Together we will explore what creative thinking is and how to harness, nurture, and act upon your own creativity for both personal and professional endeavors, with the goal of achieving a more creative mindset through experiencing, imagining, critiquing, journaling, creating, observing, communicating, and sensing. Learn how to think, not what to think. All majors are welcome. Artistic ability not required. Will you join us?
Disclaimer: This class takes a hands-on approach to teaching and learning. A willingness to embrace the creative process is required. Students will not be graded beyond participation, effort, and completion of assignments; no exams or quizzes will be given.
HNRS 299-08: Fridays 10:10-11:00am
Art Rock Music of the 1970's
The seminar is a survey of the influence and impact of classical, folk, and non-western music on rock musicians in the 1970s. It will trace the origins of this influence, survey the most important musicians and groups that embraced and developed it, and how it impacted the development of rock/pop music into the next decade.
Fall 2025
HNRS 299-02; M 4:10am-5:00pm
Madness
Department of English
Aristotle’s observation of an alliance between madness and creativity has enjoyed a remarkable endurance. Literary artists, in particular, seem especially keen to riff on the philosopher’s sentiments, and writers otherwise separated by space, time, and temperament find a curious solidarity in the creative expression of mental anguish. The history of literature may very well be a history of madness, but why, after all, should an aesthetic discourse be so very invested in a psychiatric one? In this seminar, we will examine the mutually constitutive relationship between these fields by engaging with a range of work from the areas of literature, cinema, history, psychology, and psychiatry, focusing specifically on the ways madness and the myriad mental illnesses it signifies are represented aesthetically and situated historically.
HNRS 299-03 M 1:10-2:00pm
The Science and Technology of Timekeeping
Physics Department
The playful question of "what is time?" occasionally comes up. The answer usually involves philosophy, religion, and even Einstein’s theories, and generally leaves us even more confused. Let’s instead ask a simpler question about time, which is "How is it measured?" whose answer is simply "with a clock." In this seminar, we'll take a whirlwind tour of the past 700 years of humankind’s quest to build clocks. We'll see how human ingenuity in both science and technology has progressed from clocks that used large rocks to tell time, to “atomic clocks” that use atoms to tell time. We'll see evidence of humankind's strange and persistent need to keep ever more accurate time, and how desperately our daily lives depend on it.
HNRS 299-04; F 10:10-11:00am
Joy to the World: Global Strategies for Bliss
Dr. Devin Kuhn, Lecturer, she/her
Philosophy (Religious Studies)
What constitutes “the good life,” and what are the secrets to achieving one?
This course examines communities around the world renowned for happiness, exploring various cultural and religious techniques that cultivate joy and bliss, such as meditation and mindfulness, appreciation of nature, strong social connections, and more. Each week students will investigate different practices designed to elicit contentedness, joy or bliss, culminating in a final project of the students’ design aimed at increasing happiness at Cal Poly.
HNRS 299-05 T 9:10-10:00am
Find Your Fit: Careers, Strengths & Next Steps (This seminar can be used to substitute for HNRS 261)
Evie Kriegbaum (she/her), Career Counselor
Cal Poly Career Services
Embark on a fun and engaging journey to discover careers that align with who you are! In this course, you’ll explore how your values, interests, identities, personality, and strengths (VIIPS) shape your career path. Through interactive activities, discussions, and hands-on projects, you'll gain essential skills in communication, networking, resume building, and interview success. By the end of the course, you’ll have a personalized career roadmap to help you navigate your time at Cal Poly and beyond. Get ready to find your fit and take the next step toward a future that excites you!
HNRS 299-06; T 2:10-3:00pm
The Art of Disruption: Visual Culture & Social Justice
Department of Art & Design
The Art of Disruption explores the intersection of visual culture and social justice through both a critical and creative lens. We’ll look at how artists, activists, and communities use visual strategies—from protest posters to performance art—to confront systems of oppression and advocate for change. The course encourages students from all disciplines to think expansively about art as a tool for transformation. Online, open to all majors.
HNRS 299-07; T 11:10am-12:00pm
Relationships 101
Cheri Love LMFT & Amber Clemmons-Trigueros LMFT
Cal Poly Counseling and Psychological Services
Whether they are serious or casual, romantic or platonic, with colleagues or family or roommates, relationships can be defined in many ways. In the Relationships 101 seminar we will focus on the many aspects of nurturing healthy relationships. We will explore effective communication, relational self-awareness, identification of needs and boundaries, consideration of various cultural experiences and intersecting identities, and how to navigate conflict; all while building community.
HNRS 299-08; T 1:10am-2:00pm
Race, Reels, and Representation
Communication Studies Department
What does it mean to have "representation"? What does identity have to do with media? Are there any drawbacks of people wanting more characters that "look like” them in media? This seminar addresses these questions and more by examining media discourse surrounding race in contemporary U.S. society. As members of society, we will explore what race means for all of us, examine the role of representation in contemporary platforms, and investigate the implications of media representations of race. We will apply a critical lens to examples you bring in from the media all around us. The seminar explores racial logics, stereotypes, and representational strategies that will help us investigate the role that representations play in our lived experiences and in shaping our understanding of society.
Honors Seminars in Previous Years
