Other Opportunities
Get Involved on Campus
Voter Engagement Tabling
Thursdays, Sept. 24 to Oct. 29, 1 to 3 p.m., Wean Commons
Weekly on Thursdays, CMUVotes will be tabling in Wean Commons (right outside of Connan!)
We’ll be set up from 1-3 p.m., and we’ll be offering an opportunity for students to get registered or ask any questions they may have about Democracy Day, the electoral process, their own plan to vote, or anything in between!
Voter Engagement Office Hours
Fridays, Sept. 25 to Oct. 30, 3 to 5 p.m., The NEXUS, CUC
Meet with our Voter Engagement Intern in the NEXUS to update your voter registration, learn more about voter resources, or find ways to get more democratically engaged.
Soft Tech Quilting Bee
Wednesdays, 5 to 7 p.m., IDeATe Studio A (Room 106B), Hunt Library
Soft Tech Quilting Bee is a casual weekly gathering. All skill levels are welcome. Not necessary to come each week; come as often or as little as you like.
You have options for how to participate: We have a communal quilt project going that all are welcome to join, you can bring your own quilting/piecing project to work on, or come to hang out. When we finish our communal quilt, let’s raffle it off to raise money for a cause that we want to support.
You are welcome to also invite your friends who may be interested in Soft Technologies or quilting.
Paws to Relax: Pet Therapy Program
Wednesdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Well-Being Lab (Room 104), Highmark Center
Your weekly opportunity to pause, pet some dogs, and recharge! Friendly therapy dogs and volunteers from Animal Friends’ Therapets program will join us every Wednesday from 6:30–7:30 p.m. in the Well-Being Lab. All are welcome. Drop in any time.
Humanities Hang
Fridays, 2 to 4 p.m., Voices Lounge (Baker 126D)
Humanities Hangs will be occurring weekly on Fridays from 2 to 4 p.m.! Come work with other humanities students on coursework, improve your study skills, relax with your fellow humanities students, and chat with your Humanities Ambassadors. There will be snacks!
Fall 2027 Mini-2 Courses with Open Seats
History Mini-2 Courses
79106-A2: Introduction to Asian Religions
- TR 3:30-4:50 p.m.
- Instructor: Soorakkulame Pemaratana
This mini course covers traditional Asian religions ⏤ Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Daoism, and Confucianism ⏤ from their historical and cross-cultural perspectives, thereby allowing us to explore each tradition's history, beliefs, practices, and internal diversity. This course is open to all students and majors alike, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to fulfill the Religious Studies minor.
79124-A2: History of Indian Yoga and Meditation
- TR 12:30-1:50 p.m.
- Instructor: Soorakkulame Pemaratana
This mini course will examine the underlying doctrine of yoga and meditation, pivotal texts to their study, influential teachers, and the historical journey from their origins to their current manifestations. This course is open to all students and majors alike, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to fulfill the Religious Studies minor.
79242-A2: African American History: Reconstruction to the Present
- MW 3:30-4:50 p.m.
- Instructor: Ezelle Sanford
This course explores changes in the African American experience from the end of the Civil War to today, emphasizing transformations in both inter- and intra-race relations, economic mobility as well as economic inequality; and forms of political engagement and grassroots movements for social change. This course is open to all students and majors alike, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to fulfill the African and African American Studies minor.
79244-A2: Women in American History
- MW 2:00-3:20 p.m.
- Instructor: Crystal Brandenburgh
This mini course examines U.S. history through the lives of individual women and the changing concepts of gender and "womanhood," as well as trends related to women, their work, motherhood, slavery, and suffrage, amongst other considerations. This course is open to all students and majors alike, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to fulfill the Gender Studies minor.
79296-A2: Religion in American Politics
- TR 11:00 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
- Instructor: James Gilchrist
This mini course will provide a historical perspective on religion in public life down to the present day, including religion's influence on political parties and public policies, and the boundaries set by the Constitution on such activity. This course is open to all students and majors alike, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to count towards the elective requirements for the Religious Studies minor. It may also fulfill the History and Policy Core requirements for the EHPP major.
79330-A2: Medicine and Society: Health, Healers, and Hospitals
- TR 3:30-4:50 p.m.
- Instructor: Ezelle Sanford
This course explores the history of American medicine and its relationship to American society, major developments in U.S. public health, and the voices of historical actors, including physicians, patients, activists, policymakers, and researchers. This course is open to all students and majors alike, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to fulfill the Health Humanities major. It may also fulfill the History and Policy Core requirements for the EHPP major.
79351-A2: Understanding Contemporary Britain: Culture, Politics, and Society
- TR 2:00-3:20 p.m.
- Instructor: Aidan Beatty
This mini class addresses British public life since 1979 (manifested in popular film, music, and sport) and the electoral landscape of contemporary Britain, from the dominance of the Labour and Conservative parties to the emergence of separatist parties.
79355-A2: Fake News: "Truth" in the History of American Journalism
- TR 2:00-3:20 p.m.
- Instructor: James Gilchrist
This mini course will examine conflicts over credibility in print and online, partisan and other biases in journalism, as well as contemporary sources of information, misinformation, and disinformation, especially as they relate to public interest and policy. This course is open to all students and majors alike, requires no prerequisites, and may be used to fulfill the History and Policy Core requirements for the EHPP major.
CMIST Mini-2 Courses
84-329/84-629: Asian Strategies
- MW 3:30-4:50 p.m.
- Instructor: Patrick Cronin
What are the grand strategies and national security aims of leading Asian governments? How do their military, diplomatic, economic, and technology policies serve their national interests? How do they reconcile conflicting goals and make tradeoffs? These questions are the heart of this mini-course, focusing on some of the most problematic, consequential, and promising regional states: North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan, and India. While all these actors have a rich history, they were reborn within five years after 1945, with the conclusion of the Second World War, the division of the Korean Peninsula, the partition and independence of India, and the founding of the People's Republic of China. The course will culminate in a discussion of strategic convergences and divergences, as well as the implications of national strategies for regional and global peace and stability.
84-345/84-645: Hackers, the Law, & Policy Responses
- W 7:00-9:50 p.m.
- Instructor: Mieke Eoyang
As the internet has developed, individuals have tested the bounds of acceptable behavior, engaging in activities that have caused disruption, harm, or otherwise infringed on established rights. As these disruptions ⏤ real and potential ⏤ were discovered, policy makers have reacted to them by establishing new rules to direct, limit, or outlaw the behaviors that led to the disruption. In this class, we will review foundational hacking cases and examine the policy debates that flowed from them, and the ways in which laws and policies changed in response to understand the frameworks and legal limitations we operate within today.
Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics Courses with Open Seats
82-064: Francophone Poetry: Reading, Writing and Experimentation
- TR 7 to 8:20 p.m.
- This course will be taught in French
- Prerequisite: 82-201 (intermediate or advanced students).
In this course, Francophone poetry serves as a lens through which students examine how poets engage with themes of migration, exile, identity, and belonging. Through reading and analysis of poems, the course seeks to make students engage with the life, background and style of the poets, using them as models to produce new bodies of work.
82-315: Topics in Cross Cultural Studies – Documentary in Practice
- Thursdays, 7 to 8:50 p.m.
This mini-course introduces students to the full documentary filmmaking process, from the first idea through filming and post-production, using a hands-on, experiential learning model. Students will immediately put theory into practice by creating a short documentary (maximum 2 minutes) focused on the self and the city — exploring personal perspective in relation to urban space, memory, identity, and everyday life. The course combines practical workshops, critical discussion, and guided viewing. Alongside learning core documentary tools — research, ethics, interviewing, visual storytelling, sound, and editing — students will watch and analyze documentary films from the Arab world, situating personal storytelling within broader social and political contexts. Through this dual approach, students gain technical skills while expanding their understanding of cinema as a medium for civic engagement and social reflection.
First-Years and Sophomores: Enter the PNC & 180DC Social Impact Case Competition!
Deadline: Oct. 9 at 11:59 p.m.
We are excited to announce the PNC X 180D Social Impact Case Competition!
This competition gives first-years and sophomore students the chance to take on a real, AI-focused business challenge from PNC. Teams of 4 will strengthen data analysis, AI-driven problem solving, and research skills as they build and pitch a solution, developing analytical and case skills along the way. They will also get the chance to network directly with PNC professionals and see firsthand how AI is shaping business strategy. Top teams walk away with cash prizes!
Prizes for the top teams include:
Key dates to note:
Register for the Competition!