Upper-Year ISUP Courses

ISP251H5 F Special Topics:  Language, Power and University Culture: Who speaks and who belongs?

LEC0101

• Taught by Laura Taylor
• Monday 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  & Wednesday 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• ONLINE SYNCHRONOUS
• Prerequisite: ISP100H5
• Distribution requirement for HUM, SSc

Language shapes how we understand ourselves and how we connect with others. It reflects power, belonging, and identity, and it plays a central role in who feels at home within a community. This course allows students to explore the study of social discourse and think about how communication constructs meaning and influences social life. Through examples from media, education, and interaction in the university setting, students will investigate how words and symbols shape inclusion, difference, and authority in academic contexts. Alongside these critical explorations, the course supports students as they participate confidently in the culture of university, perhaps looking at their community in a way that they may have not previously considered. We will examine how to communicate effectively with peers and instructors, engage in academic dialogue, and express ideas. Students will develop practical skills in writing, speaking, and analysis while also reflecting on their own linguistic identities and experiences. By the end of the course, they will understand how language both reflects and creates social power and how they can use this awareness to communicate thoughtfully and ethically in university life and beyond.

ISP311H5 F Special Topics:  Mathematics in History and Culture 

LEC0101

• Taught by Margaret Karrass
• Tuesday 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
  & Thursday 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
• Prerequisite: 8.0 credits
• Distribution requirement for HUM, SCI

Mathematics is often taught as an abstract and timeless discipline; however, its discoveries and inventions have always been intertwined with the practical, cultural, religious, and political needs of societies. This course will examine the historical development of mathematics from its early origins in ancient civilizations to its present-day and its influence on shaping the modern world. Necessity is the mother of invention, students will explore how human activities such as counting, measuring, recording, building, and navigating have spurred mathematical breakthroughs, which, in turn, have influenced and have been influenced by broader cultural contexts.

ISP490Y & ISP491H: Independent Reading Courses

Independent reading courses offer students advanced supervised reading and research experience within the areas of writing studies, numeracy, and pedagogy.

Students interested in submitting a proposal for an independent reading course must find a faculty supervisor, obtain their approval, and submit a completed Course Proposal Form to isup.advisor@utoronto.ca. The proposal form should be completed in consultation with your supervisor. Please note that you cannot self-enroll in this course via ACORN.

Proposal forms for projects beginning in the fall term, including full-year projects, should be submitted by August 15. Proposal forms for projects beginning in the winter term should be submitted by November 15.

Research Opportunity Programs (ROP)

ISP299, ISP399, ISP499

ROP offerings and topics vary each year depending on faculty interests. Students interested in ROPs should connect with a faculty supervisor first. Please note that you cannot self-enroll in this course via ACORN.