The contemporary demographic profile of the major communities and school systems in America is one of rapid change and growing diversity especially in language, ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, religion, family, spirituality, disability, gender, sexual orientation etc. This trend is expected to continue unabated into the next millenium. While there is no doubt that some mental health needs are commonly shared, how they are met often resonates in unique ways within and among this diversity. Such a scenario must sit uneasily with any mental health professional no matter how well meaning, who is only versed in the traditional mono-cultural approach to helping. Against this backdrop, the course (1)explores the history, aims and assumptions of traditional counseling, (2)examines some innovative approaches to diversity -sensitive practices with African Americans, Latina/o ,Asian Americans, Native American Indians and Whites; (3)broadens students' counseling repertoire with the attitudes/beliefs, knowledge and skills needed to both effectively and sensitively meet the needs of all variations of clients in diverse human service settings.

Prerequisite: A 100-level course in any area of social studies, the natural sciences or language and literature, or consent of the instructor.

The study of the self has preoccupied psychologists for decades; interest has not waned as they continue to grapple with its meaning, its basic building blocks, roots and value. Equally the study has retained its tremendous appeal and perplexity for young people who must take time off to find themselves! Has the self always been such a concern? Much progress has been made to tease out answers to the following questions: Is there an entity out there that is the self? Is there one or a multiplicity of selves? Or is the self a social construction? If so, should one expect group variations by gender, religious affiliation, lifestyle, race/ethnicity? And given that our current understanding about the self stems mostly from our contemporary psychological tradition of experimentation, should one expect cross national/societal variations too? Should the way a given society constructs its notion of the self-influence how its members behave, think, feel? What emphasis is placed on the self's capacity for autonomy, agency, control, responsibility? Again are there cultural variations? What can be considered the tolerable limits of acceptable self-construction (boundary)? But above all, how can our current insights shape the way we respond to others? This course will critically address these questions and interrogate current notions through a psychohistorical, cross cultural and interdisciplinary excursion on the subject of the self.

2 credits In this course, students will participate in laboratory research in developmental psychopharmacology, neurochemistry, neuroanatomy and/or neurobehavioral teratology. Within these general fields, specific roles of neurotransmitter systems in normal behavioral development and the neurobehavioral effects of chemical insults during early development will be investigated. The majority of time in this course will consist of independent laboratory work. In addition, there will be weekly laboratory meetings, readings, and student presentations. Open to all students with consent of instructor.