New Coffee Course Keeps Students Awake, Alert, and Inquisitive

Interdisciplinary class looks at one of the world's most popular brews from five academic disciplines

Team teaching in the "Coffee Course" (clockwise from lower left) are: Dean Fraga, associate professor of biology; James Warner, associate professor of economics; Amy Jo Stavnezer, assistant professor of psychology; Greg Shaya, assistant professor of history; and Walter Zurko, professor of art.

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WOOSTER, Ohio - A new class at The College of Wooster has students scrambling to "wake up and smell the coffee." Officially listed in the catalogue as No. 210, but more commonly referred to as the "Coffee Course," this unique interdisciplinary undertaking presents an intriguing look at one of the world's most popular brews from five different academic perspectives: biology, psychology, economics, history, and art.

Although interdisciplinary approaches to learning are quite common on college campuses, few, if any, have ever studied a subject from this many different angles. The idea was first presented by James Warner, associate professor of economics, who believes that students need to think about things from a variety of angles. He also likes the team approach to teaching. Of course, his love for coffee didn't hurt either. "That's what brought us all together," said Warner. "We talked things over among ourselves and decided to go for it."

Dean Fraga, associate professor of biology, helped to sell the idea to Shila Garg, dean of the faculty and professor of physics at Wooster. "We hope that our combined efforts will create something that is greater than individual efforts and that enriches both students and faculty as a result," wrote Fraga in the proposal. "Our goal is to develop some elements of interdisciplinary thinking for both our students and ourselves."

Students are awake and alert by the time class gets underway every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 9:30, in part, because some of them are halfway through a second-cup of coffee. The caffeine-charged atmosphere leads to spirited discussions on a range of topics, from the physiology of taste and smell to the history of early coffee consumption.

Greg Shaya, assistant professor of history and a loyal coffee drinker, sees the class as an opportunity for students and faculty to step out of their comfort zone. "Each of us could approach the topic from our discipline, but this class forces all of us look at it from many different perspectives," he says. "It provides an excellent model for critical inquiry and requires all of us to think more broadly than we ordinarily might."

Walter Zurko, professor of art, shares his perspective by taking a pragmatic look at the coffee cup, which he refers to as "the humble vehicle for consumption." He also steps out of his comfort zone as he takes the class through an examination of brand identity through product design. In the end, Zurko will ask students to create a graphic logo for Old Main Café in Wooster's recently renovated Kauke Hall.

Amy Jo Stavnezer, assistant professor of psychology, teams with Fraga for a look at the science of coffee. Together, the two explore the science of taste, smell, and satisfaction that come from coffee. Fraga, who specializes in molecular biology, explains the role of proteins and how they serve as receptors to receive and process information. Stavnezer, an expert in neuroscience, discusses the all-important olfactory bulb where nerve cells live and transmit signals to the brain.

Students have been percolating about the class since it was first listed as a course option last spring. Allyson Palmer, the only sophomore in the group, saw it as an opportunity to cram a variety of different subjects into one class. "Because I'm a biochemistry and molecular biology major, I have to take a lot of science classes, so I don't have room for as many electives," she says. "This class gives me a chance to sample the other disciplines without having to take separate classes."

Coordinating schedules, lesson plans, and grading criteria among five faculty members has not been without its challenges, but so far the students have given their professors high marks. "The class has delivered everything that it promised," says Akhil Banthia, a senior from Kolkata, India. "The material covered in the course has been fascinating, both in terms of content and the approach adopted to study the subject at hand. Every class has been different, and it is evident that the professors have spent a great deal of time and effort ensuring that the multidisciplinary aspect of the class gets emphasized, which is probably the hardest thing to do."

The course began with a field trip to several area coffee houses to gain some perspective on how chains (Starbucks) and locally owned establishments (Seattle's) differ in the ways they do business. Subsequent classes have dealt with such topics as the chemistry of coffee flavor extraction, the history of coffee consumption, and the economics and marketing of coffee. After spring break, caffeine will be examined from a chemical, biological, and neurological point of view. The course will conclude with a look at coffee as a social statement.

By the end of the semester, students will know as much about coffee as the entire Folger Family, but most importantly, they will have learned more about how to study a subject from multiple points of view. "It has been interesting to see so many different perspectives about this one topic," says Julie Williamson, a senior from Hilliard, Ohio. "It has also been valuable to see how some of the different disciplines fit together, and why in the real world people from different disciplines must communicate and interact in order to accomplish their goals."