Stories We Tell Course Pairing
The Narrative Impulse(WR 100)
Throughout the semester, we will explore what it means to be a critical thinker, reader, and writer. We will think about the stories we tell, and how these narratives influence our lives and perceptions. We will take risks and ask open-ended questions. What kinds of narratives do we construct to make sense of the world, and to persuade others of our points of view? In turn, how do we recognize the narratives we encounter, evaluating their contents for fact, and fiction? How do we decide what to listen to, who to believe? We will read essays closely and analyze how authors develop and support their ideas in a meaningful way. As writers, we refine our skills through practice. In a series of written assignments, you will test out different approaches to analysis and experiment as you develop your own writer’s voice. The central goals of this class are to cultivate confidence, curiosity, and commitment to process as a community of writers, working to participate in creative, intellectual exchange.
Faculty Biography
Professor Helen Hofling is a writer, editor, and teacher. She received a BA in philosophy from Vassar College and an MFA in creative writing from The Writer's Foundry at St. Joseph's College. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in Berkeley Poetry Review, the Columbia Review, Electric Literature, Epiphany, Fugue, New South, Passages North, Prelude, and elsewhere. She is a member of the PEN Prison and Justice Writing Committee and serves as a poetry judge for their annual writing competition. She teaches in the Writing Department at Loyola University Maryland.
Discovering the Truth via Data and Statistics (ST 110)
An introductory statistics course requiring no calculus. Statistical methods are motivated through real data sets. Topics include graphical summaries of data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, chi-squared tests, regression model fitting, normal distributions, and sampling. Technology will be used.
Faculty Biography
Dr. Richard Auer is now the most senior member of the full-time faculty. He started year 42 in Fall of 2022. Statistics is the methodology of doing ANY sort of research. Rick has especially enjoyed applying it to sports and social sciences. But his passion has always been knowing and teaching students.
Mentor Biography
Luke Haus is an Associate Director in the Office of Student Engagement. Luke oversees the Evergreens, orientation, and new student programs. Luke joined Loyola in 2020 as the Assistant Director of Student Engagement for leadership development programs, before transitioning to his new role. He also works with the transfer and commuter student experiences. Luke is passionate about helping students better understand themselves and those around them so they can grow to their fullest potential while here at Loyola. Luke is a 2017 graduate of Loyola and has since received his Master's in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University.
Virtual Advisor
The statistics course satisfies a core requirement for Speech Language Hearing Science, Elementary Education, Forensic Studies, Global Studies, and all social science and humanities majors. The Writing course satisfies a core requirement for all students.
