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This spe­cial top­ics course of­fers an in­ter­dis­ci­pli­nary ap­proach to in­ves­ti­gat­ing our built en­vi­ron­ment using a case study fo­cused on a spe­cific place each se­mes­ter. This course com­bines phys­i­cal ex­am­i­na­tion with in­for­ma­tion re­search and data col­lec­tion using method­olo­gies de­vel­oped in mul­ti­ple dis­ci­plines. Stu­dents from a va­ri­ety of de­part­ments en­gage in on-site ex­plo­ration and in-depth re­search of a lo­ca­tion in New York City. Fac­ulty from Hos­pi­tal­ity Man­age­ment and So­cial Sci­ences will be teach­ing the course this se­mes­ter and will thus focus the course ma­te­r­ial through the lens of psy­cho­log­i­cal/so­cial sci­ence and hos­pi­tal­ity and tourism.

This special topics course offers an interdisciplinary approach to investigating our built environment using a case study focused on a specific place each semester. This course combines physical examination with information research and data collection using methodologies developed in multiple disciplines. Students from a variety of departments engage in on-site exploration and in-depth research of a location in New York City. Faculty from Hospitality Management and Social Sciences will be teaching the course this semester and will thus focus the course material through the lens of psychological/social science and hospitality and tourism.

“Mak­ing any state­ment of your feel­ings is risky. It’s just like mak­ing pic­tures.” – Joel Meyerowitz This course sur­veys the his­tory of pho­tog­ra­phy from its be­gin­nings in the early nine­teenth cen­tury to the pre­sent. We will ex­am­ine the use of pho­tog­ra­phy for aes­thetic, doc­u­men­tary, and “sci­en­tific” pur­poses, styl­is­tic shifts in pho­tog­ra­phy re­lated to aes­thetic con­cerns, and vary­ing in­ter­pre­ta­tions of sub­ject mat­ter based on so­cial and cul­tural con­cerns at spe­cific mo­ments in his­tory. We will also con­sider the re­la­tion­ship be­tween pho­tog­ra­phy and the vi­sual arts in gen­eral, which cul­mi­nates with the pri­macy of pho­tog­ra­phy as a medium by the late twen­ti­eth cen­tury.

“Making any statement of your feelings is risky. It’s just like making pictures.” – Joel Meyerowitz This course surveys the history of photography from its beginnings in the early nineteenth century to the present. We will examine the use of photography for aesthetic, documentary, and “scientific” purposes, stylistic shifts in photography related to aesthetic concerns, and varying interpretations of subject matter based on social and cultural concerns at specific moments in history. We will also consider the relationship between photography and the visual arts in general, which culminates with the primacy of photography as a medium by the late twentieth century.

An overview of the his­tory, likely di­rec­tions and or­ga­ni­za­tional struc­ture of the hos­pi­tal­ity in­dus­try and its role in local, na­tional and global economies. Stu­dents are in­tro­duced to the na­ture and scope of the hos­pi­tal­ity in­dus­try, basic ter­mi­nol­ogy, man­age­ment con­cepts, ca­reer path ex­plo­rations and the de­part­ment’s mis­sion and cul­ture.

An overview of the history, likely directions and organizational structure of the hospitality industry and its role in local, national and global economies. Students are introduced to the nature and scope of the hospitality industry, basic terminology, management concepts, career path explorations and the department’s mission and culture.