From Fake News to the Psychology of Men: BHSU online summer courses address emergent trends

Several new, timely courses are offered online this summer through Black Hills State University including courses on Domestic Violence (PSYCH 492), Fake News & Calling It Out (PSYCH 492), and the Psychology of Men (PSYH 492). Business courses include Analytics in Human Resources (HRM 452) and Business Finance (BADM 310), among others. Registration is open now. View the summer course offerings at www.BHSU.edu/summer

Classes are offered in four, six, eight, or 10-week sessions. The first session begins May 11.

Dr. Laura Colmenero-Chilberg, professor of sociology at BHSU, says domestic violence is a continuing and increasing problem in American society. Her online summer course will address intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, and family violence of all kinds including sibling and elder violence.

“Students often request more criminology courses, and domestic violence is something we should all know about, and more than just what we see on TV programs and in movies,” says Colmenero-Chilberg.

All mandatory reporters could benefit from taking the Domestic Violence (PSYCH 492) course including counselors, direct professional staff for agencies, nursing homes, social services, teachers, and ministers.

Conspiracies about the causes and cures of COVID-19 will be among the topics discussed in the Fake News and Calling It Out (PSYCH 492) course this summer. Taught by Dr. Cheryl Anagnopoulos, the course will also address UFOs, Bigfoot, vaccines and autism, and Holocaust denial.

“In light of the barrage of information we get all the time, how do any of us sift through to figure out what is right? There are three primary goals in this class: figuring out when something is fake (and how), understanding science and statistics and the psychology of attitudes and beliefs, and how to talk to other people it,” says Anagnopoulos.

Businesspeople looking for continuing education or skill enhancement may be interested in the HR IS/Workforce Analytics (HRM 452) course. Retention, performance, and the impact of HR metrics on business will be addressed in this online course this summer.

Dr. Michael Huxford, assistant professor of psychology, is teaching the Psychology of Men (PSYCH 492). Men drop of out of high school more, complete suicide more frequently, populate prisons, engage in violence and substance abuse and die earlier than women, according to Huxford.

“There is growing concern about men’s experiences and dispositions and society has responded, which has had both positive and negative effects on men and boys. In this course we will look at the life experiences, emotions, physical responses, ideas, and aspirations of men as they interact with women, and with each other,” says Huxford.

Teachers, mental health workers, social workers, medical clinicians, foster parents, parents, military officers, and addictions therapists may be especially interested in the Psychology of Men course.

While each BHSU online course is unique, students can expect recorded and/or live online lectures and labs, self-paced learning, online quizzes and/or writing components in these summer courses.

Educators may be interested in the South Dakota Indian Studies (INED 411 or 511) course, which is a requirement of teacher certification in South Dakota. Four sections of this course are offered online through BHSU this summer, including one for graduate credit.

Courses offered online for the first time include Chemistry Survey and Biology Survey (CHEM106 and BIOL121). These courses include checkpoints to assess progress along with virtual demonstration labs.

Intro to Mass Communication (MCOM 151) is one of several general education courses that has not been offered over the summer in recent years, but is now on the course list for summer 2020.

For more information visit www.BHSU.edu/summer