Winter 2027

Introduction to Cybersecurity and Digital Threats

Dr. Natalia Stakhanova, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Security & Privacy,
Professor, Dept. of Computer Science | Director, The CyberLab

Back by popular demand, this course provides a foundational understanding of modern cybersecurity principles, focusing on the protection of digital assets and the evolving nature of cyber threats. Students will explore core topics such as the threat landscape, attacker tactics, role of cryptographic tools, malware, social engineering, and password security. Learners will gain practical skills to recognize, respond to, and prevent common security risks in today’s digital environment. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the essential knowledge to protect their personal data and contribute to safer computing practices. 

Topics to be Covered

• Introduction to Cybersecurity & the Threat Landscape
• Attackers and the Anatomy of a Cyber Attack
• Social Engineering Attacks: Phishing, Spam, Trojans
• Malicious Software: Viruses, Worms, Ransomware, and Botnets
• Cryptography and Encryption Fundamentals
• Passwords, Authentication & Access Control
• Personal Cyber Hygiene & Defensive Best Practices 

Breakout sessions will not be used.

The Brill Building: Popular Music of the late 1950s and early 1960s

Mark DeJong, B.Mus., M.Mus., Saxophonist, Composer, Educator and Bandleader, Mount Royal University Conservatory

Explore popular music of the late 1950s and early 1960s, when a fresh new breed of songwriters blended the youthful energy of rock ’n’ roll with sophisticated harmonies and song structures of a bygone era to create new forms of soulful, dance-oriented popular music. Through directed listening, audio examples and video clips, explore the music of Carole King, Ellie Greenwich, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Leslie Gore, the Shirelles, the Crystals, the Marvelettes and others, while highlighting the musical trends, social influences, technology and global affairs that shaped the era.

Weeks 1 - 2: Overview of significant bands and music trends in late 50’s
Weeks 3 - 4: Shift from Tin Pan Alley to Brill Building - new songwriters, styles emerge
Weeks 5 - 6: Female vocal bands, teenage symphonies, gospel influence
Weeks 7 - 8: Producer/performers like Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, Carole King

Breakout sessions will not be used.

The Poetry of Ovid & the Culture of Rome

Dr. Kyle McLeister, B.A. (Hons., Toronto), M.A. (McMaster), PhD (McMaster), Lecturer (History, USask)

Ovid was perhaps Rome’s greatest poet and without a doubt the most wide-ranging: he wrote love poetry, satire, and invective, as well as elegiac letters from the perspective of mythical figures (including from scorned women to the Greek heroes who abandoned them), not to mention the Metamorphoses, the most unique epic poem ever produced in the ancient world. In this course we’ll explore the length and breadth of Ovid’s works and discuss what they can teach us about Roman society, culture, and literature. We’ll also examine Ovid’s personal life and what led him to fall afoul of the emperor, who exiled him to the far reaches of the Roman Empire, an extremely harsh penalty that Ovid says was the result of “carmen et error”, a poem – and a mistake. 

Lecture Outline:

1. Introduction & the life of Ovid
2. The Amores (Ovid’s love poetry)
3. The Art of Love (Ovid’s dating guide)
4. The Remedia Amoris (How to heal a broken heart)
5. The Heroides (Letters from mythological figures),
6. The Metamorphoses: Part I,
7. The Metamorphoses: Part II,
8. Conclusions & Ovid’s Legacy

Breakout sessions will not be used.

Writing Your Life

Kristine Scarrow, B.A., MFA (Writing, Sask.), Author, Editor & Post-Secondary Instructor (English, Creative Writing & Communications)

Writing Your Life: Sharing stories through memoir is a powerful reflection tool that can entertain, inspire others, and bring healing. Through several weekly exercises and sharing in a safe, gentle environment, we’ll explore the importance of telling your life stories and developing your voice. 

Lecture Outline:

1. Who Are You and Why Does This Matter?
2. Families Are Complicated
3. The Connection with Food
4. Childhood Memories
5. Life Transitions: It’s Always Changing
6. The Tough Times: How To Write About Them
7. Just for Laughs: Writing Comedy
8. What’s Your Story?: Creating Themes and Weaving It Together

Breakout sessions will not be used.

The House of God: The Development of the Gothic Cathedral

Dr. Sandra Herron, M.A. (UCL), PhD (Sask.), Instructor (Art & Art History, USask) 

The House of God: the development of the Gothic Cathedral will explore the rise and the enduring influence of the medieval design of the physical house of God and regional differences are reflected in the construction and appearance of the buildings 

Lecture Outline:

What came before, where did the design come from

1. The elements come together and the Gothic Cathedral is born
2. France
3. England
4. Italy and the South
5. Germany and further North
6. Gothic Revival
7. Gothic as it is now

 Breakout sessions will not be used.

From Stone Tools to Settlements: An Introduction to Archaeology in North America

Dr. Karin Steuber, B.A. (Alberta), M.A. (Sask.), PhD (Sask.), Executive Director (Saskatchewan Archaeological Society) & Adjunct Professor (Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan)

How do archaeologists reconstruct the past, and what can artifacts, archaeological sites, landscapes, and other sources of evidence tell us about the people who lived there? This course introduces participants to the methods, discoveries, debates, and responsibilities of archaeology, with a particular focus on North America and the Prairie provinces. Through illustrated presentations, discussion, and real-world examples, participants will explore how archaeologists investigate the past, from early stone tools and the development of settlements to trade, migration, colonialism, and cultural change.

The course also examines Indigenous histories and knowledge, the relationship between archaeology and Indigenous communities, and contemporary issues including repatriation and rematriation, reconciliation, archaeological ethics, preservation, looting, and the impacts of climate change. Participants will learn how archaeologists conduct fieldwork, excavate and interpret sites, date archaeological materials, and use new technologies to investigate the past. The course also considers how archaeological discoveries are debated and sometimes is represented through myths and pseudoarchaeology. With an emphasis on the rich and diverse archaeological record of the Prairie provinces, this course introduces archaeology as both a way of understanding the past and a responsibility to steward and respect heritage for future generations. 

Lecture Outline:

1. What is Archaeology?
2. How Archaeologists Work
3. Evidence, Interpretation, and Controversy
4. Archaeology, Communities, and Ethics
5. Indigenous Peoples and Archaeology in North America
6. Prairie Archaeology
7. Contact, Colonialism, and Change
8. Archaeology Today: Research, Stewardship, and Protecting the Past

Breakout sessions will not be used.

Walking Perth's Past: The Muses Threnodie in its Time and Place

Dr. David J. Parkinson, PhD (Toronto), Professor Emeritus (USask)

With focus on a single, vividly localized poem from seventeenth-century Scotland, this course is designed to illuminate human relationships and perceptions as they took shape in the Scottish burgh of Perth, on the banks of the River Tay. On one level, the poem is a satire on provincial, middle-class pretensions, but more deeply, it is an elegy over the losses Perth has suffered in recent centuries. The Muses Threnodie was published on the eve of the Scottish National Covenant, 1638, and the subsequent outbreak of civil war. Might it serve as a means of preserving the values that in the coming decades would suffer repeated shocks? 

We will consider the poem's political context, the conditions in which it was composed, and the geography of the region it depicts. We will consider how the poem celebrates power and privilege in the local landscape, but also allows socially marginal groups (women, Highlanders) to take centre stage. We will look closely at the experience of the outdoors through the pursuit of sports and pastimes. We will focus on selection and depiction of the particular animal species that are highlighted. We will end by considering the poetic representation of local landscape as an approach to myth. Throughout, we will have ample opportunity to consider and discuss how reading about seventeenth-century Perth enables us to reconsider perception and memory unfolding in our own river city. 

Lecture Outline:

1. Seventeeth-Century Perth, Scotland, and Britain: The Reformation, the Church, and the rise and fall of noble dynasties.
2. The Adamsons and Civic Life: Henry Adamson, the making of The Muses Threnodie, and its real-life protagonists.
3. Marginalized and Excluded People: Women, Highlanders, and the disgraced Ruthvens.
4. Sports and Pastimes: Curling, golf, and archery as opportunities for liberation or descent into wickedness.
5. The Geography of The Muses Threnodie: Exploring the rivers, hills, towns, and landmarks of Perth and the surrounding region.
6. The Natural World of the Tay: Eels, mussels, salmon, tides, shoals, hills, and herbs.
7. Science, Lore, and the Supernatural: Antiquities, Classical influences, and claims to a heroic past.
8. Freemasonry, Second Sight, and Visions of Restoration.

Breakout sessions will not be used.

Biomaterials: How Materials Enable Modern Medical Devices—Science, Design, and Impact

Dr. Mariam Mir, PhD (Biomedical Sciences), PhD Candidate (Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan), Biomedical Materials Scientist & Medical Device Researcher

Modern healthcare relies on materials that safely interact with the human body, from joint replacements and stents to contact lenses, wound dressings, and drug‑delivery systems. But what are these materials, and why do their design choices matter so much to patient outcomes? 

This course provides an accessible introduction to biomaterials and medical devices, showing how materials science, biology, and engineering work together in modern medicine. Using real‑world examples and case studies, participants will explore why certain materials are chosen for specific medical applications, how the body responds to implants, and what distinguishes long‑lasting devices from those that fail. Topics include the evolution of medical materials; metals, polymers, and ceramics in medicine; biocompatibility and inflammation; drug‑delivery systems; tissue engineering; and lessons learned from medical device failures. 

The course also looks ahead to emerging technologies, ethical considerations, and the future of smart and personalized medical devices. Designed for curious lifelong learners, the course emphasizes clear explanations, discussion, and real‑life relevance rather than technical detail. No prior background in science or engineering is required—just an interest in understanding how materials quietly enable many of the medical technologies we rely on every day. 

Lecture Outline:

1. What Are Biomaterials and Why They Matter
2. A Brief History of Medical Materials
3. Metals, Polymers, and Ceramics in Medicine
4. How the Body Responds to Medical Devices
5. Drug Delivery and Smart Biomaterials
6. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
7. Medical Device Failures and Lessons Learned
8. Ethics, Safety, and the Future of Biomaterials

Breakout sessions will be used.

Spain, 1868-1936: The Leadup to the Civil War

Dr. Clay Burlingham, B.A. (Toronto), M.A., PhD (Sask.), Sessional Lecturer

The purpose of this first class on Spain is to explain what went so terribly wrong, for only in understanding that, is one able to later appreciate the incredibly brutal nature of the Spanish Civil War. This class, therefore, will begin with the Spanish ambivalence to the monarchy, the stunning loss of the Spanish Empire in 1898, and the exceedingly violent nature of the Spanish Moroccan War, which began in 1912, and only ended in 1925. Franco, who grew famous in this war, and who later came to rule Spain for almost forty years, once said that it is impossible to understand him, without first understanding his role in this war. The course will also examine establishment of the Spanish Legion in 1920, the impact of the 1921 Spanish defeat at the Battle of Annual, as well as the attempt of General Rivera, between 1923-1930, to shore up a shaky sovereign, before the flight of that sovereign in 1931, and the establishment of the Second Republic.

Breakout sessions will not be used.

Introduction to Printmaking

Patrick Bulas, BFA, MFA (Alberta), Sessional Instructor & Printmaking Studio Technician (School for the Arts, UofS), Board Member (SK Printmakers)

Printmaking is an exciting art form that brings together technique, tradition, and creativity. It is dynamic, retaining historical techniques that have existed for hundreds of years while incorporating new, innovative methods of creating art. 

At its most fundamental level, printmaking involves creating an image that can be transferred or “printed” onto a surface, usually paper. The same image can be printed multiple times, but the intention of contemporary printmaking is not to simply reproduce an image but to use the materials and processes to express a concept or idea.

Community is an important part of printmaking, and artists often work in a shared environment either at a university or at an artist-run print studio. The print studio often becomes a second home where artists can discuss work and support each other. The printmaking community is truly global and prints on paper can be easily sent to print exchanges and competitions.

In this course, students will have the opportunity to work at the U of S School for the Arts Printmaking Studio in the four main printmaking techniques: relief, intaglio, screen printing, and lithography. Each Saturday will cover one printmaking technique and will include a brief look at the history of the technique, a step-by-step demonstration, and an opportunity for students to work in the studio and create their own prints based on what they learned that day. No previous art or printmaking experience required. 

Access to the printmaking studio has been made exclusive to SSCL and is not offered through the public Community Arts program.

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