University of Oregon Courses for High School Students Program

The University of Oregon Courses for High School Students (UOCHSS) Program is designed for high schools students who would like to take advantage of furlough and non-school days to further their education. UOCHSS offers rigorous courses similar to those offered to college undergraduates, but offered on a smaller scale.

For more information about the program, including course meeting dates, download the detailed UOCHSS Program overview.

• Grading Options
• Cost and Textbook Assistance
• Application Procedure

Winter/Spring 2012 Courses

PS 199: Sp St Introduction to Political Science
Credits: 3
Instructor: Jane Cramer, PhD

This course is the first part of a two-course sequence that provides an introductory look at the United States and its national system of government. We will first explore the constitutional underpinnings of the United States, paying particular attention to the historical context of the founding and the most notable provisions of the U.S. Constitution, including federalism, checks and balances, the separation of powers, the right to free expression, and the general framework for democratic governance. We will then discuss political beliefs and behaviors in the United States, with emphasis on the following topics: beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders; processes by which citizens learn about politics; the nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion; the ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life; and factors that influence citizens to differ from one another in terms of political beliefs and behaviors. Finally, we will consider the role played by political parties, interest groups, and the mass media. Students who take this course will have the option of taking a follow-up course in the summer term, Advanced Political Theory. That course will address a different range of topics including institutions of national government, the process of formulating public policy, and the protection of civil rights and civil liberties.

ENVS 199: Sp St Complex Ecosystems
Credits: 3
Instructor: Christopher Doe, PhD

This course is the second part of a two-course sequence exploring various aspects of environmental science. During the second term, we will address the following subjects, among others: Earth systems and resources (including geological and atmospheric systems, global water resources and use, and soil dynamics); the living world (including ecosystem structure, energy flow, ecosystem diversity, natural ecosystem change, and natural ecosystem cycles); population (including population ecology, human population dynamics, and impacts of population growth); and land and water use (including agriculture, forestry, mining, fishing, urban land development, transportation infrastructure, sustainable land-use strategies, and global economics bearing on land and water use). Students who take this course in the fall term will have the option of taking a follow-up course in the spring term, Complex Ecosystems. That course will address a different range of topics including energy, pollution, and global change. Both courses may offer opportunities for laboratory work and field trips.

While neither of the two courses is officially an AP class, the syllabi for Political Science and Environmental Science will closely track the course descriptions for AP Government and Politics and AP Environmental Science, available at apcentral.collegeboard.com.

Grading Options

All courses may be taken for a grade or pass/no pass; students must choose upon enrolling.

Cost and Textbook Assistance

UO Academic Extension has set tuition for these classes at the unusually low rate of $60 per class. Tuition is the same for 3 and 4 credit classes. The low tuition is possible because professors are donating their services and Academic Extension is donating administrative support. The Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics has generously provided a grant that will allow the UOCHSS Administrator to buy textbooks for admitted students who are eligible to receive free or reduced lunch. Staff rates do not apply to UOCHSS courses.

Application Procedure

Students who wish to enroll in the UOCHSS Program in winter/spring 2012 must send an e-mail to Tom Lininger at lininger@uoregon.edu by November 30, 2011. The e-mail must include the following information:

1. The applicant's name, grade level, and school;
2. The name, phone number and e-mail address of the applicant's parent or guardian;
3. The course or courses in which the applicant wishes to enroll in the winter/spring 2012;;
4. Whether the applicant has maintained a 3.0 grade point average for the past two years;
5. Whether the applicant intends to enroll on a graded or pass/no pass basis.

For information on course content or the approval process, contact Tom Lininger at lininger@uoregon.edu.