Leticia Lopez

Here are the courses I am teaching next year!

ENGL 98: Integrated Reading & Writing

This course is all about building the skills you need to succeed in college—and beyond. We’ll focus on reading, writing, and critical thinking strategies that help you communicate more clearly, confidently, and effectively. Along the way, you’ll read texts that speak to real issues students face and write pieces that matter to your future, like college personal statements, scholarship essays, and reflections on academic success.

This is a hybrid course that meets twice a week in person and includes some additional online, asynchronous work to help you stay on track. You’ll take part in a variety of activities—class discussions, reading and writing workshops, and creative assignments that help you apply what you're learning. We use labor-based grading, which means your effort matters more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you’re ready to sharpen your voice and take your academic skills to the next level, this class is a great place to start.

ENGL&235: Technical Writing

Want to write like a pro—and land the job? This course teaches real-world technical writing skills you can use right away. You’ll learn how to create workplace documents like business emails and step-by-step instructions, and you’ll use AI tools to build a polished resume and job application materials. We’ll focus on writing with purpose, designing clean and effective documents, and building the communication skills that employers seek out.

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll complete readings, discussion posts, and hands-on projects like interviewing someone in your field or writing instructions using LEGO blocks. We use labor-based grading, which means your effort matters more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you like learning by doing and want practical skills you can actually use, this class is a great fit.

ENGL 269 / WMN 269: Reading the Romance

This class takes a critical (but fun!) look at love stories in American books and films. While romance is often dismissed as a “guilty pleasure,” we’ll flip that idea on its head. Love stories aren’t trivial—they’re powerful cultural texts that help shape how we understand gender, race, sexuality, desire, and power! From classic romance novels to Hollywood rom-coms, we’ll explore what these stories reveal about who gets to be desired, who gets a happy ending, and what our culture says about love, intimacy, and worth. Along the way, we’ll ask questions like: Why do love stories matter? What do they teach us about identity? And how can something as cheesy as a Hallmark movie still reflect serious social dynamics?

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll complete film viewings, readings, discussion posts, and creative projects like reimagining a love story from a new point of view or creating a modern dating app profile for a classic romance character. We use labor-based grading, so your effort counts more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you love romance and want to take a course that’s fun and thought-provoking, this one’s for you!

HUM 105: Intercultural Communication

How does your identity shape the way you communicate—and how others see you? This course explores the ways culture, power, and communication intersect in everyday life. From the doctor’s office to the classroom, from the Central District to TikTok, we’ll look at real-world case studies on topics like fat shaming, transgender healthcare, gentrification, redlining, and online activism. Students will reflect on their own identities, analyze how systems of power influence communication, and explore how intercultural understanding can lead to equity, empathy, and change. The course ends with a call to action: how can we use what we’ve learned to make a difference?

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll watch video clips, complete readings and discussion posts, and take on creative projects like observing real-world healthcare settings or walking a local neighborhood. We use labor-based grading, so your effort counts more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you’re interested in how culture shapes the way we connect, communicate, and navigate the world around us, this class is a great fit.

HUM 110: Introduction to United States (US) Film

This course takes you on a journey through U.S. film history—from the silent film era all the way to today's streaming-dominated landscape. Together, we’ll explore major movements like the Golden Age of Hollywood, the revolutionary spirit of New Hollywood in the '70s, the rise of the blockbuster, and the indie film wave of the '90s and early 2000s.

But this isn’t just about movie history—it’s about seeing film as both art and industry, and as a powerful lens through which we understand American culture. We’ll look at how films reflect and shape conversations around identity, politics, race, gender, and power—and how they’ve helped tell (and sometimes distort) the story of America itself.

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll complete film viewings, readings, discussion posts, and creative projects like imagining how a modern Hollywood blockbuster might look if it were made during the silent film era. We use labor-based grading, so your effort counts more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you’re curious about how American movies reflect, shape, and challenge culture, this class is a great fit.

HUM 151: Introduction to Film

Every shot, sound, and cut in a film is a choice—and this course will help you see those choices with fresh eyes. You’ll gain tools to watch and think about movies in a deeper, more intentional way. We’ll break down how films are made and how they create meaning through visual storytelling elements like cinematography, editing, sound, acting, and mise-en-scène.

Together, we’ll watch a wide range of films and dig into what makes them work (or not!). Why do some scenes stay with us long after the credits roll? How do filmmakers build suspense, create emotion, or push us to see the world differently? By the end of the course, you won’t just watch movies—you’ll know how to break them down, talk about them with purpose, and see things most people miss.

This is a fully online, asynchronous course with work due on the same two days each week. You’ll watch films, complete readings and discussion posts, and take on creative projects like experimenting with camera angles on your phone or choosing music to shift the mood of a movie scene. We use labor-based grading, so your effort counts more than perfection—and there’s no textbook to buy. If you like learning by doing and want a course that’s hands-on, creative, and never boring, this one’s for you!