Minicourses

Criminology: An Examination of the Causes of Crime and Solutions
Dr. Meghan Sacks, Professor of Criminology
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Tuesday afternoons, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
April 7, 14, 21, 28, and May 5, 2026.

Why do people commit crimes? This course will provide students with an introduction to the nature of criminal behavior and the major theories of crime. Theories on criminal behavior range from biological explanations, such as brain injuries, to psychological theories, such as insanity, to sociological theories, such as the economic barriers faced by people from lower classes. Sociological explanations of crime currently dominate the field of criminology, and in this class, we will consider the role of family, education, and the economy in crime.

Modern Art
Dr. Heather Cammarata-Seale, Assistant Professor of Art History (adjunct)
Drew University
Thursday afternoons, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
April 9, 23, 30, and May 14, 21, 2026. (skip Apr 16, May 7)

In this course, we will discuss the development of Modern art through works produced in Europe and the United States between c.1850 and c.1950, focusing on revolutionary artistic movements including Realism, Impressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Dadaism, Surrealism, and Mexican Muralism. We will investigate the stylistic and theoretical attributes of these movements as well as their relationship to political, philosophical, technological, and social changes. The rise of the artistic manifesto and the development of abstraction will also be considered.

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