AA-351C 001 The Entrepreneurial Artist
Today's business climate presents many challenges to visual artists. Artists find
themselves needing to combine their creative abilities with strong business practices.
Whether you are an artist interested in financially sustaining your art making or
have a vision to launch an arts-based business, this course is designed to introduce
students to the basic principles needed. Through active participation and an interactive
classroom format, students will merge practical business knowledge with insight from
local experts in the field, to fuel students' entrepreneurial spirit. Topics to be
explored include business planning, legal requirements, budgeting, marketing, branding
and networking. Prerequisite: Restricted to declared studio art majors/minors.
AA-351C 002 Engaging and Developing Audiences for the Arts
This course will examine how to engage a variety of communities through the arts,
while raising the profile of artistic work with grassroots, traditional and social
media marketing campaigns as well as special projects, programs and processes. We
will learn some of the history of marketing the arts, as well as cutting edge tools
used today to communicate and activate the arts for audiences. We will explore how
to authentically entangle the artistic work of individual artists and organizations
in the life of a community, while also increasing funding and earned income for the
arts. We will look at many new ways that artists and arts organizations are engaging
and developing audiences - and how artists and institutions aim to connect with those
not already included in their work in new ways, including underrepresented communities
and those for whom the arts sometimes pose an economic barrier to participation.
Students will practice strategies for engagement through a final project detailing
a proposed program or media/marketing plan aimed at increasing engagement while enhancing
the artistic work of the individual or organization.
AH-151D 001 and 002 Visual Cultures of the Americas
An interdisciplinary, introductory survey of the visual and material cultures of North,
Central, and South America from the Archaic Period to the present. Students will engage
in a hemispheric investigation of the art and visual cultures generated in the Americas
through the complex historical exchanges between indigenous, European, African, and
Asian societies and peoples. This course highlights not only the richness of the Americas’
indigenous cultures, but also that of the material produced by the mechanism of colonialism
and the development of the modern nation-state. (Designated a Cultural Diversity
course; fulfills humanities requirement; counts for 100-level requirement for AH major.
Counts for the Latin American Studies minor. Counts for the IA-Cultural World requirement.)
AH-251C 001 Ritual, Politics, and Power: Mesoamerican Art and Culture
An interdisciplinary introduction to the art and architecture of Mesoamerica from
the Formative Period (c.2000 BCE) to the arrival of the Spanish in the early sixteenth
century CE. Students will explore the larger religious and political transformation
of the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and other societies through their production of artistic
objects. Particular attention will be paid to cultural memory and myth to understand
the intersection of indigenous history and cosmology as well as the manner in which
these systems shaped social, ritual, and political order. (Designated a Cultural
Diversity course; fulfills humanities requirement. Counts for breadth category "d"
in AH major. Counts for the Latin American Studies minor. Counts for the Religious
Studies major. Counts for the IA-Cultural World requirement.)
AH-351B 001 Picturing and Displaying New World Sacrality
An examination of how the sacred images and ritual activity of the Aztec, Maya, and
other Pre-Columbian societies were circumscribed by European visual culture and institutional
mechanisms from the sixteenth century through the modern period. Europeans visualized
the Americas as an empty space upon which their own cultural narratives could be written,
and they documented systems they did not understand as both a fantastic oddity and
a nefarious Other. Students will explore the European documentary tradition that began
with the first arrival of Spanish forces in the New World; the resultant imaging of
the Americas and its inhabitants; the origins of collecting practices; and the continuation
of colonial narratives in modern museums and Western popular culture. (counts for
the Latin American Studies minor, Counts for the IA-Cultural World requirement.).
AM-101W 001 The Wizard of Oz
An interdisciplinary analysis of The Wizard of Oz, this course will examine the numerous
adaptations of L. Frank Baum's classic tale to introduce students to the study of
American culture, past and present. Students will read critically, think historically,
practice interdisciplinarity, and acknowledge the intersections of race, class, and
gender in order to analyze the ways that The Wizard of Oz, in its many versions, has
reflected and shaped American culture. Students will consider primary and secondary
sources that explore Oz through a range of media (fiction, film, theater, television,
and music) and from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. In addition to reading
Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), students will consider MGM's The Wizard
of Oz (1939); the "super soul" Broadway musical, The Wiz (1975), and its 1978 film
adaptation; Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (1973); Gregory Maguire's Wicked
(1996); Stephen Schwartz's 2003 Broadway musical version of the Maguire novel; ABC
television's The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005); and the television mini-series Tin
Man (2007). (Fulfills expository writing requirement; fulfills social sciences requirement.)
AM-101W 002 The City
Introduction to the interdisciplinary study of American culture, past and present.
Emphasizes reading critically, thinking historically, practicing interdisciplinarity,
and acknowledging diversity. Students will analyze and synthesize multiple kinds of
primary sources (such as fiction, film, music, art) and disciplinary perspectives
(sociology, economics, media criticism) to appreciate better the complexity of American
life and culture. (Fulfills expository writing requirement; fulfills social sciences
requirement.)
AM-261C 001 The Holocaust and American Culture
This course has two emphases. The first third will focus on what Americans knew about
the Nazis' genocidal policies in the 1930s and 1940s, how and when they knew it, and
why the U.S. government and Jewish leaders were mostly ineffective in halting or mitigating
the murder of some six million European Jews (among others). It will also consider
the initial American reaction to learning about the Nazi death camps in 1945. The
remaining two-thirds of the course will employ an interdisciplinary methodology to
critique and put in context a variety of texts-films (documentary and feature), a
TV series, graphic non-fiction, museums-created by and for Americans that have represented
the Shoah ("the catastrophe"). The course will engage issues related to power and
justice. It will probe the ways in which those in power in the United States did less
than they could or might have done to save thousands of European Jews. It will also
consider the power of popular culture to teach people lessons about the past and social
justice. Ultimately, the class is about the power of remembering and representing
the past, and the perils and possibilities that are part of those processes.
AM-265 001 Pop History
A topical examination of the creation, dissemination, and consumption of popular history
in American culture. The course will examine the ways in which Americans absorb history
through vernacular forms of communication, including radio dramatizations (The Cavalcade
of America); cartoons and comic books (Classics Illustrated); television programs
(Time Tunnel and Drunk History); movies (Disney's Pocahontas); living history demonstrations
(Civil War re-enactments); and rap music (Flocabulary's Hip-Hop History). The interrelationships
among popular, elite and folk history will be explored. (Fulfills social sciences
requirement.)
AM-351D 001 History Preservation Theory and Practice
Historic Preservation is a necessarily interdisciplinary field. Born of grassroots
efforts to safeguard our country’s early heritage and to create a sense of “national
lineage,” this field has expanded to include city planning, public history, archaeology,
landscape studies, and economic development, to name only a few allied fields. As
such, this yearlong course composed of one semester of History and Theory of Preservation
(4 credits) and one semester of a Preservation Practicum (3 credits), with an option
to attend the National Park System Advisory Board Landmarks Committee Meeting (1 credit)
should appeal to upper-level students in the fields of American Studies, Art Administration,
Art History, Business, Environmental Studies, History, and Political Science, etc.
The course will take advantage of the local resources in the Capital Region. Guest
lectures from specialists from the Saratoga Battlefield National Historic Park, Saratoga
Springs Preservation Foundation, Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor and the New
York State Historic Preservation Office will be central to the class structure, in
addition to site visits. Students will also have the chance to attend a National Park
Service meeting in Washington, D.C. in the fall.
AN-251C 001 Anthropology of Violence
Students will be introduced to cross-cultural variation in violence at both a collective
(social) and individual level. Primary topics will include different forms of violence
within various positions of social complexity. Warfare will be distinguished from
violence as a concept. Theoretical perspectives of violence will range from evolutionary
adaptation to ritual ideology. Lastly, students will understand how agency, identity,
and performance play a role in the implementation and avoidance of violence in a wide
range of time periods and cultures. Activities will include group discussion, reflective
writings, and presentations. (Designated a Cultural Diversity Course; fulfills Social
Science.)
AN-252A 001 Indigenous Medicine in the Middle East
The course will analyze cultural origins of perceptions of disease among Arab communities
in the Middle East. It will describe the indigenous healing practices, ethno- botanic
medicine, and worship of saints. The course will contribute to renewed thinking about
a synthesis between indigenous and modern medicine, and their reciprocal enrichment.
AN-252C 001 and 002 Themes in Cultural Anthropology
Examination of a non-Western geographic or subject area not available in existing
course offerings; this course will focus on cultural anthropology. More information
to be announced soon. (Designated a Cultural Diversity course; designated a non-Western
cultures course.)
AN-351C 001 Anthropology of International Development
Despite the monetary, technological, and intellectual resources invested in eliminating
poverty, the World Bank estimates that 2.2 billion people live on less than two dollars
a day worldwide. Why have so many development projects failed to meet the objective
to alleviate poverty and suffering by increasing living standards through social and
economic change? Why have others been successful and what can anthropology contribute
to this field? This course will use an anthropological perspective to examine how
theories of development and socio-economic change have been set into practice in the
postcolonial context. Through ethnographic accounts, we will consider how these are
experienced by both development workers and people targeted for intervention, while
also exploring the dynamics of poverty, gender and households, and the informal economy.
We will additionally look at how anthropological insights and critiques of development
create pathways for collaboration within the development industry, and the types of
ethical issues that this may pose. Prerequisite: AN-101 or AN-102.
AN-351C 002 Topics in Cultural Anthropology
Examination of a theoretical or subject specialization (with a strong theoretical
component) not available in existing course offerings; this course will focus on cultural
anthropology. More information to be released soon. (Designated a Cultural Diversity
course.) Prerequisite: AN-101 or AN-102.
AN-351D 001 Human Osteology
Students learn about the human skeletal system and its role in human biological
function as it has evolved from our hominid ancestors. Topics covered include cellular
structure of bone, form vs. function, and basic skeletal identification of features.
Methods of analysis will briefly be introduced to show students how skeletal data
are applied in various contexts including bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology, paleoanthropology,
and medical anthropology. Students will learn through hands-on observation of skeletal
material. Completion of this course will prepare students to further explore evolutionary
topics, life history theory, adaptation, and the impacts of biocultural processes
(such as environmental, cultural, or biological change) on human health and survival.
Prerequisite: AN-102.
AN-351D 002 Urban Anthropology
This course uses ethnography and film to explore culture in contemporary urban
spaces. Students learn the main theoretical frameworks anthropologists use to study
culture and how urban life relates to national, transnational, and global forces.
Studies focus on how inhabitants adapt to urban environments as well as create new
identities that give city spaces distinctive characteristics. Students deconstruct
urban terminology (Metropolitan, Ghetto, City, and Neighborhood) to decipher the complex
relationship
between urban inhabitants and urban infrastructure. We particularly explore how class,
race and ethnicity affect the movement of people, use of resources, and explore how
anthropologists apply contemporary studies to address social problems. Each student
develops a case study of a particular issue in a global city that involves health,
development, or culture. (Designated a Cultural Diversity course.) Prerequisite:
AN-101 or AN-102.
AR-264D 001 Wearable Art
This course is designed to introduce a variety of sewing skills and projects that
will spark interest and help students learn about wearable art. Experimentation with
fiber arts techniques includes dying, embellishment, sewing and structure within a
contemporary art context. The students will have an opportunity to explore and develop
their unique approach to creativity by developing and producing wearing art. Prerequisite:
AR-133 or AR-136; Studio Fee: $105.
AR-264E 001 Enameling
This course introduces students to enameling as a means of embellishing small works
in metal (e.g. jewelry). Students will explore a variety of traditional methods for
fusing glass powders to copper and fine silver including sifting, painting, cloisonné,
champlevé, and, piqué-a-jour. Assignments will direct students toward developing a
personal aesthetic vision, while emphasizing the effective application of color theory
and formal design principles. Students will maintain a journal/sketchbook and conduct
research to enhance their learning. Students should be willing to commit a minimum
of 8 hours per week to out-of-class work in this studio. Critiques will provide a
means for sharing ideas, challenging assumptions, and assessing “quality” in the work
being undertaken. A basic knowledge of jewelry fabrication methods and a willingness
to work patiently, precisely, and responsibly are prerequisites for this course.
Prerequisite: AR-219 or permission of instructor; Studio Fee: $75.
AR-264H 001 Books and Prints
An introduction to the traditions and methods of the handmade artists' book in a combination
of the critical study of original works and bookmaking processes. The student will
learn the expressive possibilities of sequential pictorial information combined with
original text. Construction of various bindings, relief prints, and letterpress will
be explored. Prerequisites: AR-133 or AR-228. Lab/Credit Fee: $75
AR-264I 001 CNC Processes and Sculpture
The goal of the course is for students to become confident at using digital means
to define and solve problems in three dimensions. Students develop technical skills
related to metal processes and become increasingly more visually sophisticated as
they create, observe, evaluate and then share the consequences of their efforts.
CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology is used to create metal shapes that are cut
out with a CNC plasma cutter, assembled, and then welded together. A basic working
knowledge of software like Adobe Acrobat, Corel Draw, Sketchup or other CAD programs
is helpful but not a requirement. Advanced students are encouraged to use Autodesk
Inventor. Students are expected to have their own laptop. Studio Fee: $75.
AR-264J 001 Interactive Design
An introduction to designing interactive pages and environments for the web. Emphasis
is placed on visual and information design through theories of color, principles of
design and the study of typography. A variety of tools and techniques will be explored
including photo editing, writing code for the web and animation through basic scripting
languages. Studio projects will explore issues of audience participation, experience
design, motion and interface. Prerequisite: AR-133 or AR-136; Studio Fee: $105.
AR-264J 002 Video Art
An in-depth exploration of video and the moving image as a form of contemporary art
practice. Students will learn the concepts and techniques employed in video and audio
production and post-production as well as the history of video art and related forms
from Fluxus to today. Class time will be used for hands-on instruction, screenings,
discussions, and critiques. Throughout the semester students will create a series
of short video experiments and a final video project. Studio Fee: $105.
BI-112 001 Straw into Gold: Science in the fiber arts
An introductory-level class combining the science of fibers and dyeing with their
use in creating textiles. Students will learn how to form and test hypotheses and
draw evidence-based conclusions while exploring the science behind differences between
different fibers and dyeing techniques. Topics will include how different animal and
vegetable fibers are generated, harvested, and prepared; the relationship between
the observed structure and physical properties of fibers and their function; and the
chemistry of natural and synthetic dyes and dyeing. Students will also be introduced
to creating different textiles, weaving a fabric structure, and the stages and processes
involved in constructing a creative textile art form. No previous experience in fiber
arts or college level science required. Class will use a flipped classroom and case
study project-based pedagogy, meeting for two 3 hour periods per week. A one day weekend
workshop and two weekend field trips will be required, as well as a final project
for display/exhibition. (Fulfills the Natural Science requirement.)
BI-252 001 Bioinformatics
Bioinformatic s is a rapidly-growing, interdisciplinary field that uses modern computational
techniques to store, retrieve, and analyze biological data (e.g., DNA and protein
sequences). This course introduces fundamental concepts, methods, and tools used in
bioinformatics. Lecture topics include database searching, gene finding, sequence
alignment, phylogenetic inference, protein structure modeling and visualization, next
generation sequencing and comparative genomics. In lab, students follow step-by-step
instructions to complete project-oriented exercises. Upon completion of the course,
students will have a basic understanding of bioinformatics methods and essential skills
for analysis of molecular biological data. Prerequisite: BI-106 or permission of
the instructor. (Computer programming skill is not required.)
BI-351 001 Biology of Algae
This course provides advanced insights into the diversity and evolution of pro- and
eukaryotic algal groups, including Cyanobacteria, red algae, diatoms, brown and green
algae. The lectures delve into ecology and physiology of important algae. It focusses
on their physico-chemical environment and highlights current research topics on algae-environment
interactions. In this context, the course further explores the fundamental role of
algae in ecosystem functioning, acclimation and adaptation strategies and examines
the consequences of algal activities at local and global scales. Topics of this course
include taxonomy, cell and environmental biology and thus will be valuable to students
with general interests in plants, environment, evolution and physiological ecology.
Related areas include, but are not limited to, marine biology, microbiology and microscopy.
Three hours of lecture/discussion each week. Prerequisite: BI-105 and BI-106 and
at least one 200-level course in the natural sciences, or permission of the instructor.
BI-351 002 Ecology of North America
A survey across the continent of the major biomes and communities of plants and animals
characterizing major sectors of the landscape. The course summarizes classical and
recent studies of the biota of eastern deciduous forests, boreal forests, grasslands,
deserts, and major aquatic systems from coast to coast, and includes baseline conditions
and modern threats to these systems. One full-day field trip required.
BI-351 003 Medical Systems Physiology
A study of selected physiological disorders primarily affecting cardiovascular, renal-fluid
balance and respiratory systems. Computer simulation of human case studies will be
emphasized. Prerequisite: At least one 200-level biology course or permission of
the instructor.
BI-352 001 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
Comparative anatomy is a biological discipline that describes the structure of animals
with a braincase and a vertebral column. In discussing vertebrate systems and organs
and how they evolved, the course introduces the basic concepts of embryology and morphology.
In the lab, actual hands-on dissection will show the structural relationships of the
major organ systems of three model vertebrates (lamprey, shark, cat or mink). Students
will develop an appreciation of the structural diversity of the major vertebrate groups,
including the fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Prerequisite: At
least one 200 level biology course, or permission of the instructor.
CS-376B 001 Mobile Computing and Smart Sensing
An introduction to mobile and wearable computing and smart sensing. The number of
smartphone users in the world is predicted to grow to 2.5 billion in 2019. The Internet
of Things, once called the "next best thing," is already here. Students will learn
how to design the next-generation of efficient mobile devices and applications with
the user's interests and privacy in mind. The course will cover different aspects
of mobile computing and smart sensing such as ethics, security and privacy, usability,
computing in an environment with low resources, and wireless networking. Students
will be expected to identify new applications of mobile computing and/or smart sensors.
They will learn at least one development framework (Android, Arduino) and use it to
develop their course project. Prerequisite: CS-206.
DS-110B 001 Storytelling Toolkit: Video
Students will learn the basics of video storytelling through this one-credit video
production course. Over the course of the semester, you will move from concept to
completion of a single video project (3-4 minutes), which you will shoot, edit and
present. Skills developed may include storyboarding, DSLR camera workflow, setting
up video interviews and how to tell a visual story. Students will present a project
on the first day of class. Project stories and approaches are open based on student
interest; they may range from documentary and narrative to experimental and creative.
They may be drawn from a previous or current course or your expertise and interests.
This is a skills-based visual course that has been designed for students at any level
of experience.
DS-113A 001 Storytelling: Interviewing
A workshop in the basics of oral history interview practices, ethics and techniques,
including how to digitally record and transcribe an interview. We will begin by working
on stories with Saratoga Springs residents. Each student will record, log and transcribe
two interviews, one from a pre-selected pool of interviewees and another of their
own choosing. Completed oral histories may become part of the Skidmore-Saratoga Memory
Project. Emphasis will be placed on conducting oral histories of marginalized communities
with a special focus on the Latino immigrant community.
DS-116A 001 Storytelling: Map Design and Spatial Visualization
Presentation of geographic spatial information begins with maps made following good
design. What makes a good map design in terms of color composition, scale, and density
of information? How does one present multiple scales and time series? Good design
is only the beginning. Once content is mapped, how and with what media can the visual
information be best presented? This course will explore map design and appropriate
use of increasingly complex presentation strategies starting with powerpoint, followed
by Google map engines and embedded internet applications and culminating with ArcGIS
Online driven story mapping. Students with prior GIS experience will be able to create
their own map data, while those uninitiated in GIS will be able to use existing data
sets to achieve powerful and appropriate visualizations. The seven week course design
allows for those with significant presentations at the end of the semester, such as
capstone projects, to apply visualization and presentation methods gained in this
course in those projects. The course would be offered under Documentary Studies with
Environmental Studies and Science cross-listing to appeal to a broad range of students.
DS-116B 001 Persuasive Interactive Media Design
In this course students will learn interactive media design in the Unity game engine,
basic programming skills, and the theory of making persuasive arguments with interactive
media and games. One major project will include learning to create an educational
interactive experience for desktop. Course content will also begin to prepare students
for the Unity developer certification exam.
DS-251C 001 Documentary Storytelling
In many ways, documentary stories aren't so much written as discovered. Our world
is already full of stories waiting to be told, but what makes a story worth telling
and how one should tell it, are two of the most crucial questions any documentarian
must answer. From initial concept through to the final edit, this course asks students
to grapple with this process of documentary discovery to develop a robust set of practices
from which to tell the stories of the world around us. Major topics include:
· How to develop, nurture and test a story idea: when to know it has 'legs'
· The value of Loglines, Treatments and Pitches for conceptualizing story
· Form and Methodology: is this story best told as a short? Podcast? Feature?
Interactive project? Does it require archival research? Interviews?
· How to ethically obtain access to a story
· Finding the story in the footage-the importance of the editing room
This course requires no pre-existing knowledge or experience of documentary practice or technical expertise, and will be of interest to anyone curious about telling documentary stories in a multitude of forms. Students will work with an archive of previously shot footage to craft a short documentary film, learning basic editing techniques with Adobe Premiere.
DS-381A 001 Skidmore-Saratoga Memory Project Practicum: The WSPN Story
Students in this practicum will work with WSPN archival materials - including oral
histories, artifacts, media, and papers - to develop a multimedia exhibition to tell
the history of our station as an integral institution on campus since the 1970's.
One of the oldest independent college radio stations in the country, WSPN offers Skidmore
College and Saratoga area communities the opportunity to bring music, share stories,
and shape the region's listening experience. The exhibition is planned for the end
of Fall 2017. WSPN's board and larger community have developed this opportunity
to expose and tell the story of radio to both the Skidmore community and the Saratoga
community at large The project is a collaboration of WSPN, MDOCS' Community and Radio,
and Scribner Library.
English Department Descriptions can be found here - https://www.skidmore.edu/english/courses/index.php
GE-251A 001 Introductory Seminar in Geosciences
A discussion of research, communication, and careers in earth sciences, based on journal
articles, student research, and oral presentations. Designed for students who have
little or no Geosciences experience.
GN-151B 001 Peer Academic Coaching Experience
This course prepares students to work as Peer Academic Coaches in individual and group
academic coaching settings. Topics covered include the role of academic coaching,
models of academic coaching, creating coaching plans, setting goals, ethics in academic
coaching, brain based learning, learning preferences vs. learning styles, critical
thinking, meta-cognition, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, academic intervention,
cultural intelligence, and confidentiality and student privacy laws. Students will
apply the knowledge learned in evening group academic coaching sessions and individual
sessions as Peer Academic Coaches partnered with students enrolled in XXXXX. Enrollment
by permission of the instructor, Brenda Pashley - bpashley@skidmore.edu
GN-151B 002 and 003 English for Academic Engagement
English for Academic Engagement centers on building students' vocabulary and teaching
language skills necessary for students to integrate with the Skidmore academic community
and engage in academic discourse. Students will work directly with faculty and peer
tutors to develop skills that include academic oral engagement, public speaking, conversational
and interpersonal communication strategies, reading comprehension, and listening.
The course is open to all students seeking to further develop their English language
skills. Final placement will be reviewed and approved by faculty prior to the start
of the semester. Letter grade only
GN-151C 001 Strong Start: Calibrating your College Compass
Students in this course, primarily first year or gap year students, will learn strategies
to cope with the personal, social, and academic stressors of college life and prepare
for future success. The course will introduce students to emerging literature on
the psychology of resilience; including Dweck’s concept of mindset, how to recover
from setbacks and failures, and the practice of mindfulness. Topics will also include
effective communication practices with both professors and peers, time management
planning, study strategies and problem solving skills. Varied presentations, written
assignments and activities will strengthen the foundation of academic skills and habits.
The central goal is for students to gain an understanding of how humans are able to
be resilient in the context of stress, especially as it applies to being a college
student.
HI-151 001 Two World Wars: A Global Perspective of the Years 1900-1945
Examines the two world wars from a global perspective. Rather than study the two wars
as merely a series of military battles in Europe and the Pacific, this course will
give special attention to the global nature of the two wars: the clash between imperial
powers over colonial possessions; the use of colonial subjects as soldiers; the collapse
of great empires after the wars; the emergence of the United States and the Soviet
Union as a world powers; the impact of war on Africa, Asia, Latin America and the
Middle East; the growth of colonial independence movements after the wars; and the
origins of the global Cold War in the second half of the twentieth century. The course
gives equal weight to how the wars broke out, how they were waged, and how their outcomes
fundamentally rearranged the world. Students will be introduced to various lenses
through which the war can be examined, including perspectives that emphasize, culture,
the economy, the homefront, gender, and society. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.)
HI-151P 001 Middle East Survey
This course is a survey of the history of the Middle East, from late antiquity to
the early modern period. It combines a chronological and thematic examination of social,
political, and legal institutions scientific, philosophical, and scholarly ventures;
the impact of invaders; conversion; and, religious, political, and economic interactions.
By examining cities, such as Aleppo, Baghdad, Cairo, Constantinople, Cordoba, Esfahan,
and Shiraz, as well as areas, such as the Mediterranean basin, bodies of water, such
as the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, over the course of a thousand years,
the course challenges the notion that there was one physical center to the Middle
East. Through a close reading of historiographical debates and primary sources, students
will examine the circulation of people, ideas, goods, and practices across space and
time. (Designated a non-Western cultures course; fulfills social sciences requirement.)
HI-251D 001 Resisting Hitler
An introduction to perspectives on the German and European resistance to Hitler from
1933 to 1945. We'll explore a number of general questions about resistance, including:
What types of behavior can be called resistance? How does resistance differ from opposition,
dissent, and non-conformity? What forms did resistance take within Nazi Germany and
how did resistance in Germany differ from resistance in German-occupied countries?
How did Jews resist? How can one distinguish between the myths of resistance and the
realties of the resistance? How has the resistance been memorialized? We begin to
try to answer some of these questions by exploring how Germans resisted the Nazi dictatorship
from within. In particular well look at the resistance and opposition by high school
and university students, Communists and Socialists, Jews and Christians, and the military
opposition portrayed in the movie Valkyrie. We'll then expand outward to see how people
living in nations occupied by the Germans resisted Nazi policies, such as in Poland,
Italy, Denmark, and Bulgaria. The third unit of the course will explore the revolts
and uprisings that took place in some of the extermination camps and ghettos, such
as the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. And we'll conclude by considering how the resistance
has been remembered and memorialized. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.)
HI-351D 001 The Age of Reformation in Europe
On October 31st, 1517, an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther protested the Catholic
Church's sale of indulgences by nailing his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints Church
in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther's act of rebellion would spark a movement we have come
to know as the Protestant Reformation, a term he would not have recognized or, for
that matter, much appreciated.
This course is designed to explore the Reformation in the broad context of its social, political, and cultural impact on Germany first, where it began, and then Europe and England, where it spread. This was an important, transitional phase in European history, a time when new, often radical ideas and social unrest threatened established institutions and intellectual assumptions. Thematically, this course casts a wide net: we will begin by understanding the precursors to reform. We will discuss the state of medieval Christianity and the influence of Renaissance Humanism on the Reformers. We will trace the rocky path of the Reformation from Martin Luther and John Calvin's denunciations of the Catholic hierarchy to its establishment as the Protestant Reformation in European and English contexts. Near the end of the semester we will examine a variety of reactions to the Reformation: among them the revival of the Catholic Church, witch hunts, and the religious wars that tore Europe asunder in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This course will satisfy the HI 300R requirement. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.)
HI-351D 002 Media, State and the Society in Modern China
This course examines how the modern Chinese state emerged from mass media and communication
practices in the late 19th and 20th centuries. It surveys the changing landscape
of verbal, visual, and print regimes through an era of rapid social and political
transformations, and how new ways of perceiving, writing, and living were invented
through technologies of communication. (Designated a non-Western cultures course;
fulfills social sciences requirement.)
HI-351D 003 Women, Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East
Western pop culture, media, and political discussions frequently portray Muslim and
Middle Eastern women as oppressed. This oppression is regularly attributed to Islam
and a culture of patriarchy. This course will present a more complex historical narrative
of women, gender, and sexuality in the broader Middle East. It seeks to enable students
to cultivate a more nuanced lens through which they can analyze the past and the present.
The course will examine how the perceived differences and relations between men and
women were historically produced and have differed across a vast geographical space
(Middle East and North Africa), and temporal field (from the seventh century to the
contemporary period). The course combines a chronological and thematic investigation
of women in the early Islamic community; veiling and broader sartorial practices;
the emergence of the Harem; women in Islamic courts; marriage; the relationship between
gender and sexuality; different genealogies of sexual thought and practices; same-sex
love; homosocial forms of companionship; and gendered differences of beauty. (Designated
a non-Western cultures course; fulfills social sciences requirement.)
HF-200-001 Saratoga Architecture
Explore, understand, and explain Saratoga Springs architecture. In this Honors Forum
(HF) add-on, students will develop and lead a 30-minute presentation on significant
buildings, parks, or other important structures in Saratoga Springs. The possibility
of local sites—Victorian buildings, racetrack, monuments, springs, or even Skidmore
College—is endless, offering many opportunities for analyzing and interpreting the
historical arc of Saratoga’s built environment. Examining our local built environment
means we can visit local sites, interview residents and lead onsite tours that analyze
a structure’s historical, aesthetic, material, functional, and/or propagandistic aspects.
Students will research their structure, studying, at the very least, the architect;
the intent of the structure; material and aesthetic concerns; and the building’s afterlife.
Must be concurrently enrolled in AH 251C 001 Architecture and Utopia.
IA-252B 001 The Global Economy: Issues and Institutions, Politics and Policy
An examination of the interplay between international economics and politics and how
these interactions affect international trade and finance. The objective of this course
is to familiarize students with the operation of the world’s economy at the theoretical
and practical levels while examining how economic relationships and institutions may
affect political outcomes. Building on theoretical foundations, the course contrasts
mainstream economic theories of international trade law, finance, development and
investment with theories highlighting class relations/wealth distribution, power,
and market imperfections or failures. Among the subjects likely to be explored: multinational
corporations, capital flight, debt and financial crises, exchange-rate mechanisms,
regional trade agreements, the role of the state and the prospects for national and
supra-national monetary and fiscal policies. Debate on free trade policies versus
state-focused protectionism, the historical role of international economic institutions
and the interactions of politics and economics are essential to the course. Students
will also examine the roles that international economic organizations such as the
WTO, IMF, ECB, and the World Bank have played in economic globalization as well as
the activities of regional and state-level financial players which have considerable
influence over macroeconomic policies and the world’s economy. By examining real
life phenomena and recent events, the course aims to give students the tools they
need to critically examine the political relationships between states, markets and
international economic actors.
IA-252D 001 Global Geography and International Affairs
This course, which fulfills the physical world foundation knowledge requirement for
IA majors, explores the relationship between international affairs and the physical
world. The course will probe how policymakers and other stakeholders approach a variety
of issues related to demographics, climate, natural disasters, agriculture, public
health, energy, resource management and physical geography. Prerequisite: IA 101.
IA-351 002 001 Islamphobia
This course examines the historic, political and cultural origins of Islamophobia,
its manifestations over time, and its relationship with other forms of hate and bias,
such as anti-Semitism. Particular emphasis will be given to a recent surge in Islamophobic
incidents and their relationship to immigration, foreign policy, and political trends
in Europe and the United States. We will explore movies, film, art, news and a variety
of other media. Prerequisite: IA-101.
MA-276A 001 Problem Solving for a Complex World
This course provides students with a unique opportunity to study open-ended interdisciplinary
problems in a format that more closely represents the types of projects they might
encounter in their careers. The main objective of this course is to prepare for the
Mathematical Contest in Modeling and Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (MCM/ICM),
an international competition where teams of students propose solutions to open-ended
problems. Upon successful completion of the course, students will have practiced several
past MCM/ICM problems, including model set-up, analysis, simulation, formal write
ups, and oral presentations.
Some examples of previous contest problems include: create a sustainable city and a metric for “smart” growth, optimize the passenger throughput at airport security, and model refugee immigration policies. Prerequisite: MA 113 (Coding experience recommended)
MA-276A 002 Statistical computing using R and RStudio
R has quickly become the leading programming language for working with data and creating
reproducible analysis. Statistical computing using R & RStudio will be structured
so that students learn R in a way that is motivated by specific data sets with relevant
questions of interest. As one example, how could we use 300 thousand flights in and
out of New York City airports to characterize which airports have the longest delays?
As another, what can we discover in 60 thousand anonymous profiles of OkCupid users?
The course will cover R’s basic syntax, variables, operations, vectors, matrices,
and data frames, and will explore the use of RMarkdown to create reproducible analysis.
Additionally, it will explore techniques for data wrangling (i.e., how to handle messy
data sets). The course concludes with a project in which students use R to present
their own analysis of data. There are no prerequisites, other than a willingness to
code. The course will meet bi-weekly on Mondays.
MA-276C 001 Statistical Genetics
In this course, we will use the tools of statistics or “dirty math” to abstract meaning
from the messiness of real-life genetic data. We will explore what our DNA says (or
doesn’t say) about us, for example, whether our DNA matches evidence from a crime
scene, what our future risk of cancer is, and whether traits like our intelligence
and athletic performance are fixed or flexible. We will also examine a number of
statistical fallacies and paradoxes and misconceptions about “what’s in our DNA.”
Our emphasis will be on problem solving and critical and analytical thinking about
real data. Prerequisite: MS-104 or equivalent.
MB-351C 001 Innovation and Structure of American Industry
Why and how does innovation occur in some industries and not in others? Students
will explore historical and contemporary theories of innovation within the context
of varied industry structures and macro-environmental factors. Students will study
the nature, frequency, defining characteristics and rate of innovation in an array
of industries. Further, students will examine the interrelationships among a variety
of industry environments, organizational forms and industry structures, allowing students
to gain an understanding of organizational and industry evolution.
MB-351C 002 Insight Driven Marketing: Theory and Practice
This course is an introduction to qualitative methods in business specifically exploring
how insight driven research impacts understanding of consumer behavior and marketing.
After a review of the philosophical foundations of research, the course will center
on diverse qualitative research methods in marketing. Subsequently the course focuses
on application of qualitative methodology to diverse research problems, data collection
procedures, and analysis approaches. Prerequisite: MB-107 and MB-214.
MB-351C 003 Branding and Marketing Communications
This course will be taught by a leading expert in the advertising industry – a proven
entrepreneur and creative thinker with significant global and national experience
to create and transform brands and deliver unified multimedia campaigns for a connected
world. Branding is about a product/service’s engagement with the world. In a nutshell,
a brand is a promise with a personality. The best brands are built from emotional
insight derived from the target audience. Branding is deeply creative; it is psychological
as well as practical. The strongest, most well-defined brands result in more engaging
advertising and promotion. Branding is both strategic and creative, and this course
will explore the fundamental nature of branding as well as best practices and methodologies.
We will examine existing brands in various categories including Fashion, Automotive,
Entertainment, Hospitality, and Healthcare. Through exercises and projects, the class
will come to understand that branding is the cornerstone effective marketing communications.
MB-351D 001 Media and the Meaning of Work
How do sports films teach viewers about leadership and motivation theory? Do tween
television shows set expectations about careers for young viewers? Could NBC's Chicago Fire or Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch have cultural implications for how society understands the meaning and experience
of work? This course will provide a visual analysis and exploratory study of pop culture's
message about the nature of work. Using an interdisciplinary management lens (e.g.,
organizational behavior, media studies, applied psychology, sociology of work), we'll
explore how cultural media (e.g., film, television, advertisements) depict messages
about work and careers. The messages and their effects will be our initial focus as
we explore published research on media effects. Students will then build research
skills when tasked with gathering data on key research questions about media and the
meaning of work using methods such as focus groups, interviews, survey research, and content
analysis. The goals of this fast moving, rigorous special topics course are to critically
analyze media's messages, to develop research skills, and to question the cultural
implications of pop culture messages about work. Prerequisite: MB-107 and MB-224
or Permission of the instructor.
MF-251C 001 From Super-Heroes to Anxiety Attacks, or Comics Here and There, Now and
Then
A synoptic look at the medium of comics as they have evolved from the strip to the
comic book to the graphic novel in America and elsewhere. Attention to the evolution
leading from the super-hero craze of the 40s to the return to genre-based story telling
in the fifties and the great explosion of innovation in the 60s when the medium “discovered”
neurosis. Important touchstones: the pulps of the 30s and their influence; the witch
hunt of the 50s led by the publication of Seduction of the Innocent by the psychiatrist Frederick Wertham; the powerful influence of EC horror and science
fiction comics on the field; the transition to “adult” themes that herald the coming
of the graphic novel.
We will also consider briefly comics in other places such as France and Japan to understand
both the reach of American comics and their limitations.
Readings will include Michael Chabon’s Kavalier and Clay, selections from comics from the 40s to the 60s, close reading of EC genre comics
in an exercise I call the “EC Mash-up, ; study of “Master Race” by Bernard Krigstein,
quite possibly the most important comic book story ever written; a Tintin novel; some
manga/animé selections (with guest lecturers Professors Masako Inamoto and Masami
Tamagawa); graphic novels from among a list including but not limited to Maus, Fun Home, Jimmy Corrigan, God-damn this War, Palestine, Love and Rockets; Optic
Nerve. Students will submit a weekly one page reaction paper, and write two extended papers,
one at mid-semester, one at the end of term. At least one of these will have a research
component. At least one may be a work of creative emphasis in terms of either scripting
or drawing a strip of your own invention.
MF-351C 001 The Suspense is Killing Me! The Cinema of Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock’s place among the greatest exponents of film is well established.
His career spanned two continents, began in the silent period and ended in the 1970s,
some ten years into a renewal of cinema that began in France where Hitchcock was one
of the touchstones of French New Wave criticism. Vertigo (1958) the film recognized as his masterpiece, has been voted the “greatest film”
of all time in the most recent Sight and Sound magazine poll of film experts ,unseating for the first time Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, which had held the title for 10 years.
This course will involve close study of a selection of films by Hitchcock (for example:
Notorious, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Birds,
Psycho) as well as other films whose styles are strongly marked by his example (such as
Elevator to the Gallows, Body Double, The Bride Wore Black, Monsieur Hire). Class sessions will be devoted to lecture and discussion of the films, with projection
of specific sequences for analysis. Beyond developing a strong sense of the core components
and thematic constants of Hitchcock;s films, our objectives in the class will center
on writing about the visual. How does one effectively speak of what one sees? How
does the way visuals are presented affect what we feel and think we know about what
they depict? Hitchcock’s reliance on elaborate illusionistic techniques provides a
constantly provocative arena for the consideration of such questions. Students will
be expected to watch additional films not discussed in class,. They will write a weekly
reaction paper, a mid-term sequence analysis paper, and a final paper that will include
research into secondary sources.
MF-351D 001 History of Media and Communication
History of Media and Communication is a survey course that traces the development
of communications technologies from prehistoric cave art to the internet. While doing
so, it introduces students to important topics in the fields of Media and Communications
Studies. Historical subjects covered in the course include the ancient Near Eastern
invention of writing; the media landscapes of ancient China, Greece and Rome; media
of the Middle Ages; and the development of various modern technologies and practices,
including the printing press, book publishing, newspapers, film, radio, television,
and new media. Units vary in focus from the prevailing media of specific eras to the
long-term development of technologies over time. Readings include excerpts of works
by historians of media and communication, as well as media theorists, anthropologists,
and experts on specific periods. Central themes of the course include the difference
between relativistic and universalistic theorists of media’s history, the role of
media in social change, and the complex relationship of media technologies to public
spheres and politics. At points throughout the course, students are encouraged to
engage the history of media through assignments involving the analysis of historical
artifacts. Lessons involve lectures, screenings of films and documentaries, and class
discussions.
MP-179 001 World Music Ensembles: African Drumming and Dance
This course introduces students to various techniques of artistic expressions in sub-Saharan
Africa. To acquire a holistic experience, we will learn traditional and contemporary
songs, as well as drumming and dancing styles from East, West, and Southern Africa.
Weekly rehearsals will culminate into an end-of-semester concert, which will also
count as the final examination. The course is open to all students at Skidmore College,
regardless of one’s background. Students are also allowed to repeat the course during
the subsequent semester(s), if offered, for credit or non-credit. No auditioning is
required.
MU-106C 001 Music in Africa
This course explores the rich musical traditions of Africa through in-depth reading
as well as close listening and/or viewing of assigned recordings. While this is not
a survey course, we will explore and critically scrutinize “issues” and content about
instruments, musical styles, genres, as well as multiple contexts that give rise to
music in particular histories and socio-political settings in Africa. To enhance a
critical reflection upon the multiple perspectives about music in Africa (particularly
Sub-Saharan Africa), we will draw on an ethnomusicological approach – the study of
music in the context of culture.
MU-106D 001 Introduction to Jazz
An introductory survey of jazz from the early twentieth century through the present.
Discussion of major musicians and stylistic trends, historical and social issues,
and intersections with other art forms such as literature, film, and dance. No prior
musical experience necessary.(Fulfills Humanities requirement.)
MU-344B 001 Ethnomusicology/Introduction
An introduction to the principal issues and concepts of the discipline of ethnomusicology.
Attention will be given to selected publications in ethnomusicology with seminar visits
by the authors.
MU-344B 002 Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven
Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, and their contemporaries thought music was integrally
connected to other fields of inquiry throughout the arts and sciences. Since their
time, many of us have become accustomed to thinking about music (especially the music
of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven!) in a more abstract, and less interdisciplinary,
sense. We refer to "Haydn's quartet" or "Beethoven's Symphony" as timeless "works"
we "get to know" by playing and/or analyzing the score. In this class, while we will
look closely at scores, they will not be our focus. Our approach will be historical
and cultural. Our questions will include: What were the contexts (political, social,
artistic) in which the composer lived, and how did they shape the music? How was
the music played and how did it sound? How did listeners receive it? What kinds
of meanings and significance did they attach to it? Prerequisite: MU-242 or permission
of the instructor.
PH-101 001 and 002 Introduction to Philosophy
“How Should We Act, How Do We Know?” This course provides an intensive introduction
to the practice of philosophy. To introduce this practice, we will look at two perennial
problems for philosophy, those of "How Should We Act?" and of "How Do We Know?" To
animate and give substance to this practice, we will discuss classical and contemporary
attempts to answer these questions offered by women and men who have thought deeply
about such issues. Students in the course will gain an understanding of what philosophy
is and what kind of things it studies. However, the main benefit of the class will
be acquiring an approach to asking questions and of finding answers to hard questions
about our lives and about our universe to which the answers are not readily apparent.
(Fulfills Humanities Requirement)
PH-330C 001 Women Philosophers of the Seventeenth Century
The standard narrative of seventeenth-century philosophy is dominated by men (Hobbes,
Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke). But women as well were active members of the
intellectual community: they were nuns, princesses, courtiers, and countesses, but
they were also philosophers, metaphysicians, scientists, and early defenders of the
"equality of the sexes." Some of their works were widely circulated in the seventeenth
century, but most have faded from view over the intervening centuries. Philosophers
today are starting to recover some of these lost works and revive the neglected voices.
In this course, we will explore the works of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Princess Elisabeth
of Bohemia, Margaret Cavendish, Anne Conway, and Mary Astell. The writings of these
philosophers cover topics including the nature of knowledge, the education of women,
criticisms of mind-body dualism, science, religion, politics, and the good life, as
it might be lived out in the midst of great personal success or deep personal difficulty.
By revisiting these philosophers, we will have a richer conception of the innovations
of the seventeenth century, and we will give rightful place to some of the women who
engaged in modern philosophy from its inception. Prerequisite: One course in Philosophy.
PL-251 001 Introduction to Political Research
Political science research seeks to answer interesting and important questions with
valid inferences about political processes. This course will introduce the wide range
of research approaches used by political scientists to study American, comparative,
and international politics: observational data, surveys, and experiments; quantitative
and qualitative; case studies and comparative designs; and more. The primary goal
is becoming a smart consumer of political science research with the ability to understand
research techniques, interpret findings, assess appropriateness of research designs,
and identify challenges to valid inference. The course will discuss principles of
data analysis and statistical tools frequently used in political science, but the
emphasis is skills to read, understand, and critique research. Note: this course will
not count for the American Politics subfield in Political Science since it covers
research methods. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.) Prerequisite: PL-101
or PL-103 or ES-100 or permission of the instructor.
PL-251B 001 Africa's Rise and the Changing Global Order
Once labeled "the hopeless continent," the political and economic developments in
Africa today suggest the exact opposite. Africa's economies are among the fastest
growing in the world, with at least a dozen countries enjoying a growth rate of six
percent or higher since the mid-1990s. The number of democracies on the continent
has risen from a mere three in 1989 to twenty-three in 2008. What explains these political,
economic, and social changes? How are emerging African economies re-shaping world
politics and international markets? What are the consequences of China's increasing
role in the region? To answer these questions, we will travel through Africa's recent
political history, beginning with colonial rule and its legacies, the independence
movements and development policies of the 1960s, economic crises, foreign aid, and
civil war in the 1970s and 1980s, and the wave of democratization and economic growth
starting in the mid-1990s to today. (Designated a non-Western cultures course; fulfills
social sciences requirement.) Prerequisite: PL-103 or permission of the instructor.
PL-251C 001 The Politics of Gay Rights
Today same-sex couples can get married in all fifty states, and yet only twenty-two
states prohibit discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation (there are
even fewer protections based on gender identity). As such, you can obtain a marriage
license in any one of the remaining twenty-eight states and still be fired for being
gay. How has the United States been able to achieve full marriage equality in the
absence of basic legal protections for gay men and lesbians? In exploring some possible
answers to this question, we will study the development of the LGBT rights movement
in the United States, from its origins in the 1950s to the present day. In addition
to studying the movement's history, we will analyze social movement goals and strategies,
as well as the ensuing backlash, across a wide range of issues including employment
discrimination, political and legal representation, gays in the military, marriage,
and transgender rights, just to name a few. We will then conclude with an exploration
into the relationship between gay rights and the renewed push for religious freedom.
(Fulfills social sciences requirement.) Prerequisite: PL-101 or permission of the
instructor.
PL-367 001 Real Democracy
How well does democracy work in Saratoga Springs? How do we know? Real Democracy
uses the 2017 Saratoga Springs City Council elections as a real life laboratory for
studying the practice of democracy in 21st century America. Students will design
and implement several research projects including mapping voter turnout, surveying
city council meetings, analyzing local campaign strategies, interviewing local political
elites; and conducting an exit survey of citizens' vote choice in the 2015 Saratoga
Springs city. The culmination of the class will be a public presentation of our analysis
to the general public and candidates. The class is more of a workshop than a class
or seminar. (Fulfills social sciences requirement. Fulfills QR2 requirement) Prerequisite:
PL-101 or permission of the instructor.
PL-367 002 Experimental Research
Political science increasingly relies on experiments to understand the causes of behaviors,
attitudes and events: why do people vote, what is the effect of campaign ads, what
influences legislators, how much discrimination still exists, and many more questions.
In this course, we will discuss the logic of experiments, its strengths and weaknesses
compared to other ways of studying political science, and the ways in which experimentation
has been -- and could be -- used to investigate political, social, and economic phenomena.
Students will learn how to interpret, design, and execute experiments, with an emphasis
on field experiments and survey experiments. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.)
Prerequisite: PL-101 or permission of the instructor.
PS-261 001 Educating Parents in the Digital Age
The creation and maintenance of a public multi-media web resource about child development.
Students will determine the mission of the website, its format, and its content. Students
will research the types of blogs and websites that parents read; have conversations
with caregivers, parents, and educators to discover what people want to know about
developmental psychology; and speak with developmental psychologists about what they
would like parents and the public to know. Students can (and are encouraged to!) take
this course multiple times. Each semester, we will add content and brainstorm new
ways to make our site better.
PS-312B 001 Vision in Human, Animal and Machine
This class will focus on ‘vision’ in its many forms — ranging from single-celled animals
to complicated ‘artificial intelligence’ based computer vision systems. We will survey
the biological and evolutionary processes that led to our human sense of sight as
well as how both natural and artificial systems have influenced our understanding
of ‘vision.’ We will explore computational models of human vision as well as current
state-of-the-art deep learning techniques for image and scene identification. Ultimately
we will settle once-and-for-all whether ‘vision’ as practiced by machines bears any
resemblance at all to the behavior of ‘vision’ in natural systems. Prerequisite: PS-101
or NS-101 or permission of the instructor.
PS-312B 002 Topics in Child Clinical Psych
This course will explore the practice of clinical psychology with children and adolescents.
Students will focus on etiology, assessment, analysis and intervention for emotional
and behavioral disorders of childhood and adolescence with an emphasis on evidence-based
treatments. Particular attention will be paid to relevant differences between children,
adolescents and adults and how working with children in clinical settings differs
from working with adults. Prerequisite: PS-214 or PS-308.
PY-251A 001 Arduino Electronics
An introduction to digital electronics and the use of embedded systems for sensing
and processing of information. Students in this course will design and construct
instruments or devices that combine Arduino microcontrollers and analog circuits.
Prerequisite: PY-208.
RE-230C 001 Buddhism An Introduction (NAB)
A broad introductory survey to Buddhism, focusing on the tradition's history and development,
its key doctrines and practices, its geographic spread, and its cultural adaptations.
The course materials have a dual focus: we will examine the intellectual history of
Buddhism in detail, and also explore how Buddhism functions as a living, practical
tradition. Students will engage with the rich diversity of Buddhist worlds in a variety
of media, including scriptures, paintings, sculptures, and film. (Designated a non-Western
cultures course; fulfills humanities requirement.)
RE-230C 002 God, Sex, and Love
Christian approaches to the divine have played a decisive role in the formation of
Western and global cultures, including approaches to love, sex, and marriage. However,
within the Christian tradition there are-and always have been-transgressive voices
who have challenged and subverted these approaches. In this class, we will first examine
Jewish and Christian constructions of love, gender, and marriage based on notions
of the complementarity of the sexes, love as eternal union, and marriage as a divine
intimacy with God. We shall then approach texts and figures that challenged such conceptions,
and in some ways opened pathways for modern/contemporary discussions concerning love,
sex, and partnership. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)
RE-330D 001 Goddesses and Other Powerful Women
An intensive introduction to the concept of the feminine divine as it finds expression
in cultures across space and time. As a comparative investigation of goddesses in
selected societies, we will read myths, ethnographies and scholarly studies that explore
the theological and political possibilities of female divinity. We will also explore
how people in particular socio-historical contexts - scholars, people of faith, men,
women and transgendered individuals - have drawn on goddess mythology, symbolism and
ritual in order to challenge, or justify, established norms surrounding gender, race,
religion and power. (Designated a Cultural Diversity course; fulfills humanities requirement.)
SO-251R 001 Studying Student Worlds
An introduction to qualitative research methods as vehicles for exploring and describing
social experiences, focusing on the lives of students. Course topics include field
research, qualitative interviewing, and the role of the researcher. Students examine
ethnographic studies of academic settings and collect and analyze qualitative data
about Skidmore's culture. Not open to students who have completed SO-332R.
SO-351A 001 Skills for Survey Research
An applied workshop in methods for conducting secondary analysis of survey data. Students
review core statistical and methodological concepts and learn the nuts and bolts of
data management, variable recoding, and statistical analysis using SPSS. Attention
is given to the creation of effective forms of data visualization. Prerequisite:
Open only to senior sociology majors.
SO-351A 002 How College Maintains Inequality
Research on social stratification has often touted college education as a "great equalizer."
This course will examine recent sociological research literature to identify the extent
and means by which higher education also reproduces social inequalities. Students
will read, discuss, and critique the 2015 American Sociological Association Distinguished
Book Award winning "Paying for the Party" and address policies aimed at bringing the
realities of contemporary higher education into line with its highest ideals.
SO-351R 001 Population Dynamics in Sociological Perspective
Will you marry? Will you have children? How many? When will you have them? Where
will you live? With whom will you live? How long will you live? Answers to these
questions are at once demographic and deeply sociological. This course will introduce
students to the formal study of social demography which examines the causes and consequences
of human population growth and change. We will study, at length, the two most direct
causes of global population growth--fertility (birth) and mortality (death). We will
also examine changing patterns of family formation, migration, urbanization, education,
environmental degradation, aging, and illness that bear on the quantity and quality
of human lives lived now and in the future. All of this is done in search of answers
to the question, what social forces determine how long and how well we live?
TH-306 001 Performing Arts Management & Producing
Exploring the essentials of producing dynamic mission-driven performance work in today's
arts landscape. Non-Liberal Arts
TH-306 003 Intro to Corset Building
The corset epitomizes fashion's relationship between the visible and the invisible.
In this class you will have the chance to create the ultimate foundation garment.
You will produce and fit two corsets. One will be representative of the late 16th
to early 17th century, and the second will be representative of the Victorian times
(1839 - 1899). You will learn appropriate production methods, and the use of eyelets,
boning and lacing to manipulate the body shape. You will need to purchase you own
top fabric for the corset (guidance will be given on materials), and you will need
a corsetry "pack" containing a busk, boning, lacing and base fabric, and the two commercial
patterns the class will be using. You will also keep a learning log / (sketchbook).
The corsets will be built using both hand and machine sewing. Students need to have
previous sewing experience, by hand and machine. Non-Liberal Arts
WLF-263 001 Travel Blogs, Travel Writers
Combine your love of travel and your passion for French! This course offers opportunities
for writing creative fiction and non-fiction, drawing upon students' experiences as
travelers, both literal and figurative. Students will read real, contemporary travel
blogs to see how French speakers use language in the blogosphere. Short readings introduce
students to travel writing as a genre, and texts in French serve as models and inspiration
for student-generated travel writing. Readings include excerpts from travel accounts
by Flaubert, Gautier, and Eberhardt, among others. One excursion will take us to the
Tang Teaching Museum, where students will examine travel artifacts, selecting an object
to serve as a creative spark for writing. Students will write frequently and share
their work with the goal of refining their written expression in French and communicating
greater complexity of thought. Grammar review provided on an as needed basis. Prerequisite:
WLF-208 or WLF-210.
WLI-263 001 Italian through Film, Food, Music, Poetry
This is a Special Topics course especially designed for students at the mid-to-upper-intermediate
level of Italian. We will examine contemporary Italian films, the vocabulary and highlights
of Italian gastronomy, sing Italian songs (il bel canto) from rap to opera, and read
selections of the most representative Italian poetry. This innovative Italian course
promises to be exciting, informative, enjoyable and instructive. Course counts for
the Minor in Italian. (Fulfills Humanities Requirement) Prerequisite: WLI-203 or
permission of the instructor.
WLJ-363 001 Bara no nai Hanaya (Japanese TV drama)
This Special Studies in Advanced Japanese is a seminar on the spoken Japanese language.
Using Bara no nai Hanaya, a popular Japanese TV drama, as a text, the student learns
and acquires the intricate skills of everyday spoken Japanese. Emphasis will be placed
on a systematic study of and learning various sociolects, associated with different
social groups, such as gender, generations, and socioeconomic classes, in the contemporary
Japanese language. Throughout the semester, the student will engage in discussion
in Japanese about the TV drama, as well as various topics of contemporary Japanese
culture and society, including its sociolinguistic features. By the end of the semester,
the student will learn how to speak Japanese in a manner consistent with sociocultural
and situational factors, in conveying everyday conversation, including expressing
one's opinion, narrating a story, and giving advice. Whenever time permits, visual
media will be incorporated to gain and enhance our understanding of contemporary Japanese
language and culture. Class is conducted entirely in Japanese and uses authentic spoken
and written materials. (Designated a Non-Western cultures course) Prerequisite:
WLJ-206 or permission of the instructor.
WLL-263A 003 There and Back Again: Intercultural Perspectives Through Study Abroad
A 3-semester course designed to develop intercultural skills and knowledge in connection
with studies abroad, and to integrate academic interests and training with the study
abroad experience. Semester I (pre-departure) focuses on concepts and practices of
intercultural communication competence, strategies for language and culture learning,
and approaches to cultural differences through a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
Students will prepare for life abroad by deepening their knowledge of the host country
and its current events. Semester II (while-abroad) includes a series of assignments
applying the work of Semester I in the context of the host culture and in conjunction
with a capstone research project to be completed in Semester III. The third or post-study
abroad semester will include 're-entry' discussions and activities, re-examination
of themes discussed in Semester I in light of the while-abroad assignments and experiences,
and culminate in the completion of capstone projects that integrate students' academic
interests with their experiences abroad.
WLL-263C 001 Grimm's Fairy Tales: Gender and Traditions
The collected folk tales of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm have had a substantial impact
on the cultural history of Germany and beyond. Deceptively simple, these short texts
communicate extraordinary messages about accepted behavior or unwelcome desire. They
are said to carry universal appeal, which explains their endurance across different
cultures and times.
This course surveys representative tales popularized by the Brothers Grimm and offers a comprehensive introduction to the literary form of the folk tale. We will consider the distinction between oral and written storytelling traditions as a starting point for a better understanding of the Grimm’s' collection; consider the impact of the German nationalist and other cultural backdrops for the rise of the German fairy tale; trace the prehistory of individual tales in French, Italian, and ancient contexts; examine the profound influence of male and female roles in fairy tales on our societies; and discuss adaptations of the tales in 20th-century German, feminist, and popular US film and TV contexts. Counts toward German major and minor.
WLL-263C 002 Translation for the Professions
Translation matters in so many fields: business, international diplomacy, health care,
the legal system, STEM, literature, cinema, even the spread of religions. This course
uses case studies presented by experts in these areas to highlight basic concepts
and tools that you can learn through hands-on practice. Learning formats include lectures,
readings, short exercises and a final project translating the text of your choice
into English. Taught in English, the course is open to students with working knowledge
of any language taught at Skidmore or for which expertise exists on campus. Students
of French, Spanish or Chinese are encouraged to enroll jointly in LAC (WLF-220, WLS-220
or WLC-340, respectively) and to use that class to work on the final project. (Fulfills
humanities requirement.)