CUA Marks Bicentennial of President Lincoln’s Birth With 5 New Courses
School of Arts and Sciences Unveils ‘Lincoln Semester’
Catholic University of America will commemorate the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth with a multidisciplinary “Lincoln Semester” that will offer students insight into the mind, accomplishments and legacy of the 16th president, through the spectrum of art, history, literature, political science and film.
The five coordinated courses will examine Lincoln in history, politics and culture. The courses are: “Abraham Lincoln in History and Memory,” “Lincoln in Literature and Film,” “The Legacy of Lincoln: American Art and Culture from 1809 to 1930,” “Lincoln and Political Leadership” and “Lincoln’s Eloquence.”
All five courses were developed especially for this themed semester by CUA professors who are experts on Lincoln, the Civil War, the Reconstruction and classical rhetoric. The courses are meant to work in tandem, offering a depth of perspective beyond a single course on the 16th president. The courses are scheduled at different times so that students can enroll in more than one and even up to all five.
In addition to using Lincoln’s own speeches and writings; award-winning biographies about the president; and paintings, sculptures, photographs and films about that era, the students will utilize the capital as their extended classroom.
Nearly every course will rely heavily on field trips to local museums and monuments, including the recently restored President Lincoln’s Cottage on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in northwest Washington, D.C., located within walking distance of CUA’s campus.
“We plan to make use of the greatest audiovisual aid that we have,” said L.R. Poos, dean of CUA’s School of Arts and Sciences, referring to the classroom that is D.C.
“Using the city as a major part of the students’ academic experience will be a theme of the Lincoln semester. This focused semester has offered our school the chance to not only be creative with the curriculum, but also best utilize our academic experts in the relevant fields and our capitol city. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the students,” said Poos.
For more information about the Lincoln courses or to register for a class, contact the School of Arts and Sciences at 202-319-5114.
Visit: http://www.cua.edu/
MEDIA: To make arrangements for an interview about the courses or other Lincoln-related events at CUA, contact Katie Lee or Mary McCarthy in the Office of Public Affairs at 202-319-5600.
