Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Honors Seminar (Face-to-Face)

HONR 4010-H01

Course: HONR 4010-H01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: LIB
CRN: 11174

Course Description

In HONR 4010, students conduct an in-depth investigation of an issue, topic, or theme not readily available in existing academic departments or programs at SUU. Critical thinking, inquiry and analysis, research methods, and written and oral communication skills are stressed. The course is taught by an expert in the subject matter and may include team teaching.

This section of HONR 4010 will focus on the topic of comedy. Students will explore the human emotion of humor, investigating the concept of comedy, jokes, and satire as they have appeared through different time periods and cultures. The course will interrogate why what is considered to be funny can change over time, sometimes even becoming offensive to different audiences.

Required Texts

  • The General, 1927, dir. Buster Keaton
  • When Harry Met Sally, 1989, dir. Rob Reiner
  • Dr. Strangelove, 1964, dir. Stanley Kubrick
  • Blazing Saddles, 1974, dir. Mel Brooks
  • Heathers, 1989, dir. Michael Lehmann
  • Anchorman, 2004, dir. Adam McKay (Paramount+)
  • “Downsize,” The Office S1.E1, 2001, dir. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (Hulu)
  • “Pilot,” The Office S1.E1, 2005, dir. Ken Kwapis (Peacock)
  • The Carol Burnett Show S10.E8, 1976, dir. Dave Powers (Tubi)
  • “Sammy’s Visit,” All in the Family S2.E21, 1972, dir. John Rich
  • “The Soup Nazi,” Seinfeld S7.E6, 1995, dir. Andy Ackerman (Netflix)

Readings may be provided by the course instructors or found readily online, and any further required media, films, etc. will be provided online or in class.

Learning Outcomes

Topic Learning OutcomesLearning ActivitiesAssessment Methods
Systematically explore issues, objects or works through the collection and analysis of evidence that results in informed conclusions or judgments.Readings/screenings, class preparation, and in-class discussions and activitiesParticipation in seminar discussions & presentations on various practitioners of world comedy
Break complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding of them.Readings/screenings, class preparation, and in-class discussions and activitiesResponse/reflection papers on differing styles/types of comedy.
Develop and express ideas and will be able to do so in a variety of ways, namely in writing, by speaking, visually, kinesthetically, through design or aurally.Readings/screenings, class preparation, and in-class discussions and activitiesMid-term sketch comedy duo rehearsal/performances & critical review.
Make connections among ideas and experiences and synthesize and transfer learning to new, complex situations within and beyond the campus.Readings/screenings, class preparation, and in-class discussions and activitiesShort film final project & critical review/assessment

Course Requirements

  • Assignments: [10% of grade] Over the course of the semester, you will participate in various in-class activities, perform writing assignments, respond to discussion posts on Canvas, and complete other assignments. Most of these assignments will be assessed on a pass/fail basis.
  • Presentation: [20% of grade] Working in teams of two, you will give a 5–10 minute, in-class presentation on various practitioners of world comedy discussed during the semester. Presentations will consist of the artist(s) early work, their inspirations, famous works, and legacy. You will sign up for days and topics in class.
  • Response/Reflection papers: [20% of grade] Over the course of the semester, you will write three (3), 5-paragraph response/reflection papers on your choice of the various film and television screenings offered throughout the semester (as outlined in the course schedule).
  • Mid-term sketch and critical review: [20% of grade] Working in assigned teams of two, students will rehearse and perform a 3–5 minute sketch comedy routine in the vaudeville tradition, exploring presentational style and clever wordplay.
  • Short film final project: [30% of grade] Working in assigned teams of 4–5, students will collaborate on a 3–5 minute comedic short film. Students may invent their own stories/ideas or use the template for success provided by the faculty.
Grading Policy

The primary goal of this course is autonomous student learning. Because this course emphasizes learning over performance, you will have opportunities to explore, experiment, fail, and recover before you are graded. For the majority of the semester, this course will emphasize formative assessment; that is, you will receive constructive and nonjudgmental feedback from both the various instructors and your peers to give you opportunities to improve, with pass/fail scores on the assignments and seminar work. Not until the end of the course will you be summatively assessed on the journal, the term project, and your holistic development as a student in the course. If you demonstrate mastery of the learning outcomes, you will receive an A; competence, a B; familiarity, a C; and ignorance, a D.

Course Outline

  • Jan 8: Peter: An introduction to comedy
    Kyle: Icebreaker definition activity
    Introduction to the syllabus
  • Jan 13: (No Kyle)
    Peter: Comedy Clips-Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, Tati, Marx Bros., others.
  • Jan 15: Kyle: verbal, physical, and satirical humor; Freud theory on jokes
  • Jan 20: Peter: Controversial Comedy
    “Why can’t we laugh at ourselves anymore?”
    All in the Family, Blazing Saddles
  • Jan 22: (No Peter)
    Kyle: Televised sketch comedy (Carol Burnett, SNL, etc.)
  • Jan 27: (No Kyle)
    Peter: Looking at Comedy Sketches, Abbott & Costello, and others
  • Jan 29: Peter: Pick teams, assign & read comedy sketches in class
  • Feb 3: Kyle: Sitcoms (Sinfield, etc.)
  • Feb 5: (No Peter)
    Bill: TBD
  • Feb 10: (No Kyle)
    Peter: Rehearse comedy sketches
  • Feb 12: Peter: Rehearse comedy sketches
  • Feb 17: Kyle: Dark comedy/humor; Heathers
  • Feb 19: (No Peter)
    Kyle: Heathers
  • Feb 24: (No Kyle)
    Peter: Mid-term: Performance comedy sketches
  • Feb 26: (No Kyle)
    Bill: TBD
  • Mar 3: Kyle: Anchorman
  • Mar 5: (No Peter)
    Kyle: Anchorman
  • NO CLASSES - SPRING BREAK
  • Mar 17: (No Peter)
    Kyle: Cultural comparison of The Office pilot episodes
  • Mar 19: (No Kyle)
    Bill: TBD
  • Mar 31: No Class: FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE
  • Apr 2: Peter: Filmmaking tutorial
    Screen past student comedy films
  • Apr 7: (No Kyle)
    Film teams’ production meetings
  • Apr 9: (No Peter)
    Film teams’ production meetings
  • Apr 14: Bill: TBD
  • Apr 16: Bill: TBD
  • April 23: Final Period 1:00–2:50 p.m.
    Screening and assessment of student films

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Class Decorum and Behavior: Listen attentively and engage respectfully in conversations. We expect you to have read the assigned material carefully in advance so you can participate intelligently in all in-class discussions and activities. Please don’t distract others with your electronic devices!

Participation: You will be expected to be ready to engage insightfully with the material by reading, watching, or listening to a variety of materials in preparation for class discussion and projects. You will then be invited to participate in a number of in-class and out-of-class activities and exercises to facilitate the learning process, including discussions and seminar, personal reflections, and experiential activities, i.e. sketch comedy performance.

Late/Make-up Work: Late work will not be accepted and make-up options will not be available. In extenuating circumstances, exceptions may be made in advance and at the instructors’ discretion.

Attendance Policy

Attendance: Even though this is strictly a face-to-face course, we will not take attendance. However, you will learn more and have a better experience if you hear the lectures and participate in the discussions personally. That said, your health should be your top priority!

Course Fees

You must have access to paper or a computer in class for note taking and for possible quizzes, written assignments and exercises, and other potential activities.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.