High-profile profs answer the question: "How Do You Know?"

Only the students in College 100 know what professors in disciplines ranging from Math to English and University President Judith Rodin all have in common. They are all instructors this semester for the team-taught course entitled "How Do You Know?". This University-wide course -- formerly only open to General Honors students -- teaches students about knowledge and how scholars make and evaluate their discoveries. This semester, students are being exposed to Math, English, Political Science, Biology and Psychology by some of the University's best professors -- including Rodin, who sits on the faculty of the Psychology Department. "It introduces people to issues to how we obtain knowledge," said Psychology Professor Paul Rozin, who serves as the course's moderator. Rozin added that the course aims to teach students about how professors "make progress in their fields." Each teacher covers a two-week segment, with Rozin overseeing the course, and one out of every four sections of the course is taught by a teaching assistant. Rozin noted that the professors involved are "outstanding scholars and teachers," who are selected to teach the course by invitation. The students began the semester studying mathematic theory and proofs with Math Professor Dennis DeTurck, and they now find themselves engaging in the different versions of Christopher Marlow's Dr. Faustus with English Professor Rebecca Bushnell. "Students see the profound difference of the disciplines but also the similarities," Bushnell said. Students enrolled in the class expressed enthusiasm for the content and teaching quality. "The profs are all extraordinary," College sophomore Rachel Fleischer said, adding that the fast pace of the course "keeps you on your toes." And College senior Prithvi Karthikeyan said she liked the team-taught nature of the course. "It's a lot less pressure and a lot more variety," Karthikeyan said. Following Bushnell, Political Science Professor Ian Lustick will talk about land issues and the problems they have caused for countries. Then Biology Professor Ingrid Waldron will lecture students about eating habits, clinical trials and experiments. Rodin will then conclude the course with a series of lectures on body obsession and health. Students noted that Rodin's appearance as a lecturer to undergraduates -- a rare occurrence for the president -- was a motivator for taking the course. "I heard it would be cool, after all, Rodin's teaching it," Karthikeyan said. The course also satisfies the science studies sector in the General Requirement and can be taken as a Writing Across The University Course. While College 100 has traditionally been offered through the General Honors program, students from all four undergraduate schools can enroll in the multi-disciplinary course next spring. The course has been limited to 50 students. The course line-up this spring will include professors from the Biology, Art History, Archaeology, Law and Geology departments.

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