Thompson Rivers University

Arts Cohort Program


TRU’s Arts Cohort is a specialized program designed exclusively for first-year Bachelor of Arts students. It’s not just a schedule — it’s a community.

Applause for making it to Thompson Rivers University (TRU)! Starting university is both thrilling and a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry—we’ve got your back.

As an Arts Cohort member, you’ll join like-minded peers and journey together through your first year at TRU, taking six core courses that lay the foundation for your Arts degree.

A convenient timetable for a balanced life-An ideal blend of academics and social experiences

The Arts Cohort offers first-year TRU students a perfect blend of structure and flexibility, providing dynamic learning experiences and meaningful social connections. You’ll take six core courses that fulfill graduation requirements and help you foster connections with your peers and instructors.
For Fall 2025 and Winter 2026, choose from two course clusters, each offering a well-rounded mix of subjects to match your interests and goals.

Find your fit and make your first year unforgettable!

Course Options:

Arts Cohort Cluster 1

STSS 1010 – Academic Skills: An Introduction to Writing, Research, Studying, and University Life

GEOG 1000 – Planet Earth: An Introduction to Earth System Science

FILM 2200 – Introduction to Film Studies: 1938-Present

PHIL 1010 – Introduction to Philosophy: Great Thinkers: Ancient to Enlightenment

SOCI 1210 – Introduction to Sociology II

HIST 1400 – Queer Activism

Arts Cohort Cluster 2

ANTH 1210 – Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

PSYC 1110 – Introduction to Psychology

POLI 1210 – Introduction to Contemporary Politics

THTR 1000 – Theatre Appreciation: From Page to Stage

PHIL 1110 – Introduction to Critical Thinking

ENGL 1100 – Introduction to University Writing


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Meet Your Instructors

Get to know your passionate faculty members and what makes them tick.

Jenna Goddard

Courses taught: STSS 1010: Academic Success Skills: An Introduction to Writing, Research, Studying, and University Life In and Outside the Classroom

Dr. Jenna Woodrow

Courses taught: PHIL 1010: Introduction to Philosophy: Great Thinkers: Ancient to Enlightenment

Crystal Huscroft

Courses taught: GEOG 1000 Lecture: Planet Earth: An Introduction to Earth System Science

Dr. Nicholas Hrynyk (he/him)

Courses taught: HIST 1400: Queer Activism

Welcome to HIST/POLI 1400: Queer Activism! I am excited to embark on this journey with you. As an interdisciplinary historian trained in women’s and gender studies, queer studies, and social justice, my work is deeply rooted in exploring the complexities of identity and activism. My research spans various intersecting fields, including queer history, disability studies, feminist and gender studies, critical race studies, and visual culture. 

In this course, we will engage with 2SLGBTQ+ activism from the 1950s onward, with a special emphasis on Canada. We will investigate how queer communities in North America are created and sustained through protest, alliance-building, symbols, and digital spaces. Additionally, we will navigate the historical and contemporary politics of “inclusion” within queer communities. You will engage with both formal and informal forms of queer activism and apply core principles learned to transformative social justice projects. Over the course of the semester, I will help you explain the evolution of queer activism as experienced from inside the movement. We will identify and explain the significance of catalysts and turning points such as HIV-AIDS and same-sex marriage in the evolution of queer activism. Additionally, we will describe and evaluate the impact of organizing strategies, such as law reform and pride parades, on the lived reality of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and communities. Together, we will explore the intersection of queer activism with feminist and other social justice activism and describe how queer theory challenges common-sense ideas about gender, race, and sexuality.

You will evaluate the usefulness of personal narrative as an authoritative source of knowledge about queer activism and locate and assess local sources of information about queer activism. You will design and compose queer-positive messages and strategies to challenge homophobia and transphobia, defend the importance of coming out as a form of activism, and defend the importance of queer-friendly spaces such as 2SLGBTQ+ clubs on university campuses, gay-straight alliance clubs in secondary schools, and pride parades. Finally, you will assess your own internalized homophobia and transphobia, articulate the rationale for challenging these biases, and work cooperatively with others to create and present a group project.

As you can tell, my work is not just academic; it reflects my passion and commitment to understanding and advocating for the queer community. I look forward to sharing these insights and engaging in meaningful discussions with all of you throughout this course.

Warmest wishes,  Dr. N. Hrynyk

Dr. Heather MacLeod

Courses taught: ENGL 1100: Introduction to University Writing

Dr. Ji Young Lee-An

Courses taught: SOCI 1210: Introduction to Sociology II

Hello Arts Cohort student members,

My name is Jiyoung Lee-An (Lee is my mother’s family name and An is my father’s family name. I have adopted both family names as part of the Korean feminist movement) and I am a faculty member in Sociology at TRU. I am pleased to be part of this very first Arts Cohort Project together with you. I will teach Introduction to Sociology II in the 2025 Winter semester. I came to Canada as an international student for my PhD in sociology, and now I am an immigrant living on the unceded, traditional lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. I am living, learning and teaching on these unceded lands, with full awareness and respect of and support for Indigenous resistance and pathways to decolonization.  

As a critical race feminist sociologist, in the course, I will introduce decolonial and anti-racist feminist sociological perspectives to understand and critically engage with the broader social structures of colonialism, capitalism, heteropatrichy and globalization in both Canadian and global societies. You will have an opportunity to delve into diverse sociological topics of gender, race, social class, dis/ability, work, education, technology, media, environment, etc. I place a high value on critical thinking, inclusive and communal learning and collaborative work. You will be invited to work with your peers in class and produce collective outcomes together.

Looking forward to meeting you soon!