By definition, TIDES is an interdisciplinary experience, driven by intellectual curiosity, active learning, and experiential education. Discover the exciting topics of this year’s TIDES below. Each class also has an accompanying peer mentor, an upperclass student paired with each section to offer academic and social support as you transition to campus.
TIDES courses marked with an asterisk (*) are Service Learning courses. Students in these courses must also register for the corresponding Service Learning component.
TIDR 1725 Black Culture, Power, Politics, and Leadership
T 3:30-4:45p
This one credit course complements the experience of students living in the 1963 Collective Residential Learning Community (RLC) through providing them with an equity-oriented interpretative framework grounded in Black thought, experience, and history. The modular survey course was designed for first year students interested in exploring Black history, culture, and knowledge across the African diaspora. Through this first-year seminar students will develop an appreciation and understanding of the contributions of Black people in a globalized context.
Cara Guilbeau, Director, Multicultural Affairs | BIO
TIDR 1185 Innovation in Chemical Engineering
W 2:00-3:15p
This course will introduce students to the modern approaches chemical engineers employ to solve real-world problems. Topics will emphasize engineering design and innovation. Students will learn through relevant readings, hands-on activities, and guest lectures from leaders in the field. We will also take a fieldtrip to the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.
Katie Russell, Administrative Senior Professor of Practice, Chemical And Biomolecular Engineering | BIO
Julie Albert, Associate Professor, Chemical And Biomolecular Engineering | BIO
TIDR 1925 Natural History of Louisiana
R 5:00-6:15p
This course examines the origin and evolution of Louisiana’s ecosystems. Students will learn about living and prehistoric plants and animals and their physical surroundings while exploring Louisiana’s coastal marshes, bottomland hardwood forests, longleaf pine savannahs, and tallgrass prairies. Course includes multiple field trips.
Jeff Agnew, Professor of Practice, Earth and Environmental Sciences | BIO
TIDR 1016 Crossroads of Culture: New Orleans’ Global Identity in Local Context
W TBD
In this course we will delve into the rich tapestry of New Orleans' cultural geography and its profound multicultural existence. Students will explore the historical roots and global influences that have shaped the city's unique identity. Through engaging lectures, seminar discussions, and experiential learning, students will develop a nuanced understanding of the city's multicultural history and its ongoing impact on contemporary society. Students will gain an appreciation for the global influences in New Orleans' music, cuisine, environment, and traditions while addressing social justice issues rooted in the city's unique history. The course aims to foster cultural competence, inclusivity, global awareness, civic engagement, and leadership skills, providing students with the tools to navigate an increasingly interconnected world.
Jimmy Huck, Administrative Associate Professor, Stone Center for Latin American Studies | BIO
TIDR 1500 The Entrepreneurial Landscape of New Orleans and How the City’s Diverse Culture Influences It**
R 3:30-4:45p
In this course, students will be given a behind the scenes look at the entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Orleans – the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts and what needs to happen to have a vibrant startup community that is equitable, accessible, and collaborative. From local entrepreneurs to community partners to support organizations to investors and more, this course will bring together some of the most important stakeholders in the New Orleans entrepreneurial ecosystem. We will also leverage our data from the Greater New Orleans Startup Report, hearing from our very own Lepage Center to present an in-depth overview of the current state of the early stage business economy in New Orleans.
Optional Service Learning: This course offers an optional service-learning component, to be completed in the spring semester 2023. Students participating in service learning will compile into teams. In partnership with The Idea Village, these student teams will be paired with companies participating in their VILLAGEx Accelerator program during the spring semester. Students will provide support to these ventures based on their respective backgrounds and company needs, utilizing the business model canvas to identify, analyze, and implement respective strategies. Students are expected to meet in person with their companies at least 4 times a year, completing company point of contact reports and self-reflections in this process. In addition, students are expected to volunteer for New Orleans Restaurant Week.
Rob Lalka, Professor of Practice, Albert Lepage Center | BIO
Evan Nicoll, Senior Development Officer, A.B. Freeman School of Business | BIO
TIDR 1983 Encountering Difference in an "Us vs. Them" Society
T 2:00-3:15p
In recent years, the United States has become increasingly polarized. The most interesting and exciting aspects of human diversity are set against one another, in rigid opposing binaries and upheld by white supremacy culture. Through interactive workshops, cultural trips, discussions of texts and films, writing reflections, and guest speakers, this seminar will serve as an incubator for students from diverse backgrounds to develop their understanding of the complexities of cultures, identities, and power dynamics. We will simultaneously explore everyday practices for world building beyond "Us. Vs. Them."
Gabe Christian-Solá (they/them), Assistant Director, Gender and Sexual Diversity | BIO
Olivia Gowen (she/her), Senior Program Coordinator, Gender and Sexual Diversity | BIO
Petey Peterson (they/them), Director, Gender and Sexual Diversity | BIO
TIDE 1981 Frames Films & Femmes Fatales**
T 9:30-10:45a
This course is a critical survey of cinematic works by and about women, with examples drawn from different modes of cinematic expression (mainstream fiction films as well as alternative film and video [including documentaries, experimental, & narrative]) and from different historical periods (from the 1930s to the present). The course deploys feminist approaches to film criticism and applies these approaches to cinematic representations of women. Films illustrating particular genres, as well as feminist and ''women's'' films, are discussed and critiqued. We will consider the role of film in our understandings of sex, gender, and sexuality, as well as race, class and disability. Through discussions and writing we will work to discern relevant social, political, ideological, and aesthetic concepts in the media we examine. We will look at contemporary Hollywood and independent cinema, US and some international films by both established and emerging filmmakers.
**This course includes a service learning component**
Aidan Smith, Administrative Assistant Professor, Newcomb Institute | BIO
TIDR 1090 Who Dat, Fan Up, and Geaux: Sports & New Orleans
M 5:30-6:45p
Founded in 1718, the city of New Orleans has a long and rich history with sports. From the rise of social class-driven sports such as rowing and billiards to the New Orleans Saints’ heroic revival of the city post-Hurricane Katrina, sports has been as integral to the area as food, music, and Mardi Gras. Sports have made an enduring impact on the social world in which we all live. It is a taken for granted aspect of our everyday lives – whether that entails watching “SportsCenter” or noticing that every single major newspaper contains a “Sports” section that is as long if not longer than any other section. Yet there is more to sport than just what we see on a daily basis. In this course, we will explore general sports-related topics and examine actual case studies related to New Orleans’ sports scene. More than simply ‘talking sports,’ students will study issues from political, economic and social viewpoints and also gain an understanding of the rich sports heritage found here in New Orleans.
Readings and discussions, field trips, and guest speakers will aid students to understand both historical accounts and modern-day subjects associated with sports such as governmental involvement, public financing, community development and community engagement. Students will learn about after-school programs and how they promote and development boys and girls through activities that build character, cultivate new skills, and create a sense of belonging – in this case a place where kids can express themselves, play together and get fit.
Jana Woodson, Deputy Athletic Director, Athletics | BIO
Mike Woodson, Director of Admissions, School of Medicine | BIO
