AA-251C 001  Museums Mean Business
Designed for students interested in a museum career, this course is an exploration of the museum as a sustainable (and successful!) business operation. Students will gain insight into the importance of money to mission and consider various museum business models. Topics will also include trends in the field, membership, earned revenue and fundraising, basic museum finances and operations, and the dramatic effects on museums of changing recreational patterns by millennials.

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. Restricted to declared studio art majors/minors.

AH-151D 001, 002  Latin American Art and Architecture
Introduction to the art and architecture of Latin America since Spanish arrival in the New World to the present. Students will examine a varied set of visual, spatial, and material practices (painting, sculpture, urban form, cartography, and film, among others) from North and South America to learn how art and architecture shapes and defines colonial encounters and negotiations, religious and cultural exchange, conceptions of race and gender, and notions of nationalism and globalism.   (Designated a Cultural Diversity course; fulfills humanities requirement.) This course counts for IA major and minor; counts for LA minor; counts for 100-level requirement for AH major. 

AH-251C 001  African American Art
Survey of the visual arts of African Americans from 1600 until the present. Students will learn about the artistic traditions that Africans sustained and invented during the Middle Passage and enslavement, and will analyze the work of late nineteenth-century and early twentieth century African American painters and sculptors in relation to the writings of W.E.B. Du Bois. They will study historic artistic movements such as the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement, and explore recent contemporary art by African Americans in media such as film, video, and performance.  (Designated a Cultural Diversity course; fulfills humanities requirement.)  This course counts for IA major and minor; counts for breadth category "b" or "c" OR "exploration" for AH major. 

AH-351D 001 Ephemeral Exhibitions: World Fairs, Colonial Expos, Festivals, and Biennials
Revisiting a variety of time-based exhibition formats throughout recent history. From Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace to All the World's Futures (2015 Venice Biennale), students will examine a globally-oriented history of landmark exhibitions that were designed to dazzle audiences for a few months before being dismantled. Sponsored by governments, the corporate sector, or grassroots movements, the motivations for these exhibitions are as varied as the actual form the event takes. We will discuss not only the framework and ideologies behind such projects, but also the legacies they have had on more permanent arts institutions, as well as criticisms levied against them by artists. (Designated a Cultural Diversity course; fulfills humanities requirement.)  This course counts for IA major and minor; counts for "exploration" for AH major. )

AH-375D 001 Liberation, Nationalism, and Globalization: African Art Since 1950
Study of the independence movements in Africa and their related artists. Students will examine a broad range of arts and cultures linked to the continent and consider how arts and artistic practices served as a sounding board for anti-colonial dissension, liberation sentiments, or new nationalisms. During what Okwui Enwezor calls “the Short Century”  (1945-1994), many African nations gained their political independence and autonomy even as they strove to participate in the global circuits of modernity. This class will cover case studies on African art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as it has been seen on the continent and in international exhibitions. (Designated a non-Western cultures course; fulfills humanities requirement.)  This course counts for IA major and minor; counts for Seminar requirement OR "exploration" for AH major.

AM-103W 001  A Humorous (Dis)course
In this course we will use comedic cultural forms to think critically about American culture and to explore key moments and transitions in American history. As burgeoning Americanists, we will examine the history of comedy as the history of the United States-that comedy reflects the institutions and ideologies shaping cultural production; the same institutions and ideologies that prompt us to warfare, that determine who has rights and who does not and that influence our consumptive practices. This course will examine the history of cultural production in America, specifically through the cultural forms of minstrelsy, vaudeville, improv, and stand-up comedy and how it has been influenced and shaped by shifts in social consciousness, changing economy, industrial and technological innovations, political events, public/popular discourses and global conflict and relations. (fulfills expository writing requirement; fulfills social sciences requirement.)

AM-103W 002 Myth and Symbol in America
An introduction to the ways in which myths and symbols function in American culture. Students will study the life-cycle of national myths, considering how myths develop initially as mirrors for reflecting and testing cultural experience; how they gradually change over time to accommodate altering cultural conditions; and how they eventually outlive their usefulness. In particular the course focuses on the pervasive mythology of the American frontier, paying special attention to how, once the physical frontier disappeared in the late nineteenth century, Americans transferred their ambitions for the West to imperial outposts in the Caribbean and the Pacific in the early twentieth century, and then to outer space in the late twentieth century, where astronauts replaced cowboys as the archetypal American heroes and where the successes and failures of western frontier development were recapitulated in space exploration and development. (fulfills expository writing requirement; fulfills social sciences requirement.)

AN-251C 001  Forensic Anthropology: Bones, Bodies, & Trauma
Forensic Anthropology is the analysis and examination of human remains in forensic death investigations. This course will review the methods and theories used by anthropologists working within this context to establish the identity of decomposed and skeletonized human remains. This course will review methods of establishing a biological profile as well as trauma and pathological analysis. In addition, this course will examine the role that forensic anthropology plays in human rights work and legal responsibilities of the professional forensic anthropologist.

AN-252C 001  Cultures of Southeast Asia
An introduction to the diverse cultures and histories of Southeast Asia from the perspective of anthropology and related disciplines. We begin with the historical development of Southeast Asian societies and nations, identifying common cultural and political trends while questioning what may be obscured by a regional approach.  Then we turn to contemporary ethnographies of Southeast Asian cultures-supplemented by film and literature-to explore the topics of kinship and family, changing gender roles, conflict and memory, urbanization and industrialization, relationships to the environment, and the revitalization of traditional religious practices. Finally, we examine how people and governments have responded to the forces of globalization and new patterns of migration, including experiences of Southeast Asian immigration to the United States.   (Designated a non-Western cultures course; fulfills social sciences requirement.)

AN-351C 001 Citizenship, Migration, and Belonging
The modern concept of citizenship represents the unquestioned form of membership linking individuals to territorial nation-states. Yet new patterns of migration and the forces of globalization have caused some scholars to question the ongoing relevance of citizenship and state sovereignty, as the movements of people, goods, ideas, and political activities increasingly transcend national borders. Other scholars dismiss this notion of the declining importance of citizenship, pointing to the life-and-death struggles of many people to escape hardships and find belonging in a new political community. In this seminar, we employ anthropological perspectives to uncover the relationships between citizenship, migration, and belonging, drawing upon cases from Mexico, Cambodia, the United States, China, Brazil, Japan, and elsewhere to speculate on the meanings of movement and the future of national membership.  (Designated a Cultural Diversity course), Prerequisite:  AN-101 or permission of the instructor.

AN-351C 002  Biocultural Approaches to Social Inequality
This course will address the archaeological origins of inequality and continued social differentiation of human populations into the modern era.  Students will examine archaeological, historical, and current examples of various forms of inequality.  Social theories including violence theory and gender theory will contextualize hierarchies organized by sex and gender, ethnicity, class and status, and age.  Biological manifestations of inequality will be examined. Students will consider agency and practice on the part of the individual and community in reproducing or effecting change on the cultural system.  Prerequisite:  AN-101 or AN-102.

AN-351D 001  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.   Prerequisite:  AN-101 or AN-102.

AR-264H 001  Printmaking:  Artist Books
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.  Prerequisite:  AR-133 or AR-228 or permission of instructor; Studio 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-351G 001 The Ecological Lens
Responding to the environmental crisis in our world today, students in this advanced photography course will explore environmental issues and themes through creative photographic works of art.  Each project in this course focuses on a specific environmental theme and photographic genre.  We will use significant environmental texts and study a diverse range of contemporary artists/photographers who have defined this powerful movement within photography.   Prerequisite:  AR 229 or permission of instructor; Studio Fee:  $80.  

BI-152 001 Public Health and Infectious Diseases
This course provides an introduction to medically important microbes-the good, the bad and the ugly. We will study several disease causing microbes, including the viruses, bacteria, protists and fungi (the bad) and the diseases they cause (the ugly).  Although microbes do cause diseases, they also have a great impact on the human body in positive ways.  Therefore we will also examine the human microbiome (the good) as well as other positive ways microbes affect people.  Did you know that you are composed of more microbial cells than human cells? Did you know that microbes provide us with much of the food we eat on a daily basis?  We will also track current news making microbes, explore epidemiology and some public health issues, as well as the growing resistance to our current arsenal of anti-microbial medications.   In the laboratory, students will learn basic microbiological techniques and analytical tools for the study of microbes. The laboratory will also focus on medically important microorganisms, their growth characteristics, sensitivities to antimicrobial compounds, and test procedures used to identify them and the diseases they cause.   Note:  Three hours of lecture, three hours of lab per week. Cannot be taken if student has already taken BI-165.  (Fulfills natural science requirement.)

BI-351 001  The 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 lecture emphasis is on the ecology and physiology of important algae and highlights current research topics on algae-environment interactions. The course also 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 include taxonomy, cell and environmental biology and thus will be relevant to students with general interests in plants, environment, evolution and physiological ecology.  Prerequisite:  BI-106 and at least one 200-level course in the natural sciences, or permission of the instructor.

BI-351 002 Medical Systems Physiology
A study of selected physiological disorders primarily affecting cardiovascular, respiratory and neural systems. Computer simulation of human cas studies will be emphasized. Pre-requisite: at least one 200-level biology course or permission of instructor.

BI-352 001Adv Cell Bio:Focus on Cannabis
Facing widespread legalization of marijuana for both recreational and medicinal purposes, it is critical that we understand cellular, developmental, behavioral and physiological responses to individual cannabinoids.  In lecture, students will read cutting edge primary literature that addresses these questions.  In lab, students will engage completely in problem-based activities where they develop their own hypothesis, methodology and analysis and communicate their results in written and oral formats. Using zebrafish, planaria other model organisms and in close collaboration with the instructor, students will independently design and carry out their experiments while utilizing the many resources in the Biology Department.  Prerequisite:  One of the following: NS-201, BI-247, BI-242, BI-245, BI-244, BI-246.

BI-352 002 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.

BI-352 003 Histology
Histology is an introduction to those aspects of the biology of cells and tissues based on observable morphology using the light microscope.  Course topics include a basic progression through planes and sections, practical microscopy, cell structure, and tissue organization of all systems of the vertebrate body with a concentration on human anatomy.  Students will develop an appreciation of cell shape and size, relationships to surrounding tissues, and staining characteristics enabling them to navigate the terrain of anatomy at the microscopic level.  Prerequisite:  At least one 200 level biology course, or permission of the instructor.

DA-274A 001 Integrative Wellness
Integrative Wellness is an experiential, peer-centered learning course established to allow students to explore the field of health and wellness with a hands-on approach. Students will have the opportunity to choose a wellness method or discipline (EX: MELT, nutrition studies, acupuncture, myofascial release) to observe, interview, and participate with experts in that field as a 'mini-internship'.  Following their fieldwork, students will return to the classroom to share their knowledge and engage with their peers through projects and round table discussions.

DS-113A 001 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 Skidmore stories with  Skidmore alumni and/or 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.

DS-116A 001 Video and Virtual Reality (9/7 - 10/26)
Explore the rapidly evolving landscape of virtual reality from its early beginnings in the 1960s, to its resurgence in the 1990s, to today. Study the impact of VR technology on film/video production, editing, and narrative storytelling.  Experience immersive 360-degree photography, video, and animation.  Learn how to capture, edit, composite, and share camera-based 360-degree content.  Create two original immersive projects: one individual photography project, and one group video project. 

DS-202A 002 Workshop: Public Service Announcement Video
Students will learn basic video storytelling through this one-credit video production course. You will develop two video public service announcements (PSA) over the course of the semester for Skidmore College partners or community partner organizations.  You will work in small teams as you move from concept to completion of the PSAs, which you will research, shoot, edit and present.  Skills developed may include pitching, storyboarding, DSLR camera workflow, setting up video interviews and how to tell a visual story.  This is a skills-based visual course for students at any level of experience.  

EN-228L 001 Salmagundi Workshop for Archive-Based Media Stories
A hands-on workshop dedicated to creating and developing media content inspired by Salmagundi Magazine, the independent international quarterly housed at Skidmore. Students will design and realize projects that include audio, video, digital and multi-media pieces for presentation online. Generating ideas, writing scripts, and contributing to the production and editing of class projects, the members of the workshop will operate as a working collaborative with the goal of publishing their work on the magazine's social media platforms. Salmagundi, founded in 1965, has featured the writing of many leading figures (including Nobel laureates and iconic intellectuals) in a variety of genres and fields and offers archives of printed material, video, audio, correspondence and photography from 1965 through the present. The magazine's creative and intellectual scope-encompassing the visual arts, poetry, politics, philosophy, fiction and psychology-offers a broad base for developing creative projects from multiple perspectives. (fulfills humanities requirement).

DS-251B 001 Storytelling for the Screen I
The craft of storytelling for the screen will be honed through examining landmark films, documentaries, television shows and an assortment of new media.  We will put what we learn into practice through writing our own visual stories and class discussion. Over the course of the semester, students will learn the classic three act structure for telling a visual story.  They will develop skills in how to craft a compelling log line, as well as learn to create a skeleton treatment from which to build a story.  They will develop a final treatment which can be shared with other participants in the often collaborative work of telling stories through the various visual mediums available to 21st century storytellers. 

DS-251C 001 Introduction to Audio Documentary
In this course, students will learn the technologies, tools, and skills to create audio documentaries. Working individually and in small production teams, we will produce original sound works for radio broadcast and podcast. Closely linked to the development of our studio and field practice as audio recordists, editors, and producers, we will also listen to and critically analyze examples in the medium, ranging from classics of international radio art to today's most innovative podcasts. Analyzing the aesthetics, extrapolating techniques and getting inspiration from these exemplars, we will try our hands at varied ways of sculpting an audio experience, telling stories, and representing reality. The course assumes no prior knowledge of audio technologies, and should interest budding documentarians, writers, performers, and digital artists regardless of primary medium. Through a partnership with WSPN, students may have the opportunity to appear live on the radio to introduce, air and engage in a discussion about their projects.

Note: an optional fourth credit is available for students to work, alongside the instructor, as a collaborative production team on the Skidmore-Saratoga Memory Project in DS-113A Storytellers' Toolkit: Interviewing. 

DS-302A 001 Video Projects
This course is for students interested in developing a documentary project based on existing or in-progress research in any discipline. Proposed projects may employ video, photography, and/or media work. Students will workshop an individual short project through written reflections, rough cut screenings/presentations and group and individual critiques. Students will focus on finding an approach to form that suits both subject matter and their personal creative and academic goals. Students will also work with readings, technical workshops, screenings, and discussions.  Prerequisite:  Permission of the instructor.

DS-302C 001/002/003 Story to Screen
Crew based production.  Take a film project from story to script to screen as you develop production skills, work across areas of study for an interdisciplinary experience, and create a films of the caliber to build a professional portfolio. Over a semester, you will collaborate in a small (3-5 person) crew to create a 5 -10 minute film based in research. The film  might be a narrative film based on a true story, a story that requires research, or a documentary film.  You will be involved in pre-production, production and post-production in one of three areas: script/direction, cinematography or sound/soundtrack. While writers prepare scripts, production crew will learn more advanced audio and video techniques.  The crews will work together on production and post-production.  Each student will contribute research relevant to their area of specialization (i.e. learning about historical or subject area, creating an appropriate lighting or sound effect, selecting from styles in existing media), present their findings in class, and participate in crew-based video production. Critical film analysis from the perspective of your role on the crew will hone your skills in and appreciation for the craft of filmmaking.

Prerequisite:

Section 1: Writer Director -- DS-251B: Storytelling for the Screen I and permission of the instructor.

Section 2: Cinematographer – DS-251D Doc Production, AR-229 Beginning Photography, and permission of the instructor with portfolio of work.

Section 3: Sound Designers --  DS-251C intro to Audio documentary, MU-357, or MU-255, and permission of the instructor with examples of original work (audio documentary, original score, etc.).

PORTFOLIOS: Submit links to online portfolio (photography, video, or sound)  or upload examples of work (10-15 photos, and/or 3 short videos, or up to 3 short clips) to box.skidmore.edu or dropbox, email link to vriley@skidmore.edu with DS-302C portfolio in subject line.

DS-351C 001  Advanced Audio/Multimedia Doc
Students who are already adept in one or more digital editing platform (e.g. Pro Tools, Audition, Logic Pro, Ableton, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, Avid, AfterEffects) will produce a series of their own large-scale audio-centric documentary projects. In these projects, we will use the basic toolkit of audio/radio documentary (field recording, interviewing, narration), and extend its expressive potential through integration with cutting-edge multimedia. Projects, whose topics will be driven by student interests, will require both intensive research and a sustained process of drafts, critique, test showings, and exhibition in a variety of unusual settings.  Examples of projects that may emerge include a GPS-aware "sound map" of Skidmore's North Woods (which listeners will be able to explore via mobile devices), the collaborative creation of animated documentary films (in which the audio is grounded in documentary reality, while the images are blatantly constructed), interactive installations and performances that blend live and mediated elements. Prerequisite:  One of the following: DS-202A/B (Radio Storytelling), DS-251C or D (Intro to Audio Documentary or Documentary Film Production), AR-351J (Advanced Digital Media), MU-353 (Music Technology II), or permission of the instructor (showing competence in one or more time-based medium).

EC-361 001 Evolutionary Economics
Evolutionary economics uses the evolutionary principles of variation, selection and retention to understand the dynamics of economic systems.  In this class, students will be introduced to:  I) evolutionary theory as applied to the social sciences, II) the history of evolutionary theorizing in economics (including readings from Veblen, Hayek, Schumpeter and Nelson & Winter), III) the economic roots of human evolution, IV) evolutionary game theory and agent-based modeling as tools in evolutionary economic inquiry, and V) the application of evolutionary economic tools and theory to environmental economics and macroeconomics.  Prerequisite:  EC-235 or EC-236.

English Department Course Descriptions click here.

 

EN-228L 001 Salmagundi Workshop for Archive-Based Media Stories
A hands-on workshop dedicated to creating and developing media content inspired by Salmagundi Magazine, the independent international quarterly housed at Skidmore. Students will design and realize projects that include audio, video, digital and multi-media pieces for presentation online. Generating ideas, writing scripts, and contributing to the production and editing of class projects, the members of the workshop will operate as a working collaborative with the goal of publishing their work on the magazine's social media platforms. Salmagundi, founded in 1965, has featured the writing of many leading figures (including Nobel laureates and iconic intellectuals) in a variety of genres and fields and offers archives of printed material, video, audio, correspondence and photography from 1965 through the present. The magazine's creative and intellectual scope-encompassing the visual arts, poetry, politics, philosophy, fiction and psychology-offers a broad base for developing creative projects from multiple perspectives. (fulfills humanities requirement).

ES-252C 001  Energy Systems and Sustainable Solutions
Energy is a principle means for providing basic human needs, and it facilitates various opportunities for the achievement of a decent quality of life. Access to affordable, adequate, and sustainable energy sources is a prerequisite for sustainable development, and understanding the design, efficiencies, and environmental impacts of different energy systems is critical to our transition to a cleaner, more equitable energy future. We will explore the fundamental physics of energy, the evolving designs and efficiencies of more traditional and alternative energy production, and the comprehensive environmental impacts of various energy sources and systems. Case studies in electricity generation, heating and cooling, and transportation will push our understanding of the multiple perspectives and the complex analysis of impacts that shape reasonable solutions to our growing energy demands.  Prerequisite:  ES-100.

GE-251D 001 Data Analysis and Modeling in Geosciences
Quantitative analysis of earth processes is fundamental to understanding the past and predicting the future of all earth systems including tectonics, climate, weather, oceanography, geochemistry, and hydrology.  Students will develop skills in quantifying past trends and events, and in making predictions about future earth system behavior.  These skills will include using publicly available data and techniques for estimating parameters, analyzing uncertainty, and developing predictive models using programs such as Excel and MATLAB.  Topics may include, but are not limited to, sea level rise, ocean currents, plate motions, global temperatures, atmospheric chemistry, and rainfall patterns. Four hours of combined lecture and lab per week.  Prerequisite:  MA-111.

GE-351D 001The Ocean and Global Change
We are entering an era of accelerated change in Earth's systems, and many profound effects are occurring or are predicted to occur in the oceans.  In this course students will explore topics such as the impacts of ice melt and increasing temperatures on ocean circulation; the spread of low-oxygen conditions and ocean acidification; shifts in marine species distributions and the loss of biodiversity; the implications of ocean-related geoengineering; and the effects of human resource extraction from the sea.  Discussion will center around readings taken from the primary oceanographic literature, and will emphasize the role of Earth system models in predictions of future change.  Prerequisite:  GE-101 or GE-112 or permission of the instructor.  May not be repeated for credit by students who completed GE-351-001 in Spring 2015.

GN-151B 001/002 English for Academic Engagement (2 Credits)
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

GO-251A 001 Race, State, Power
Does the founding and maintenance of a stable political community, a nation-state, by a discrete group of people (the in-group, "we"), always also necessitate the presence or creation of an opposing group (the out-group, "them"), a group that may be targeted for political, social or economic exclusion, or even for extermination, in order that the nation-state forming "in-group" might prosper?  When nation-states are founded on ideologies and structures of racial or ethnic oppression, are those ideologies and structures always the same, regardless of time or geographic location? Or must each situation of structural national racism be understood to be unique? What does the comparative study of race, state and power in different contexts (Colonial regimes in Africa; States that engaged in genocide or mass killing-Ottoman Turkey, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Cambodia, Serbia; and states whose modern existence has been in large part predicated on the systematic oppression of a significant racial minority-the United States, South Africa and Brazil) tell us about this abhorrent and disappointing aspect of human behavior, and how we might mitigate it?  Prerequisite:  GO-103.

GO-251C 001  Demagogues and Democracy
"American politics has often been an arena for angry minds."  While the American historian Richard Hofstadter made this statement in the midst of Barry Goldwater's unconventional presidential campaign in 1964-a campaign that Hofstadter thought had unleashed the "heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy" that characterized the "paranoid style" in American political life-many contemporary commentators have suggested that the anger of many current voters, candidates, and officeholders has curdled our political discourse and poisoned our political institutions.

This course will trace the roots of American political invective by examining the historical, institutional, and cultural influences on America's peculiar brand of emotionally labile politics.  It will, in particular, ask whether anger or "passion" is always harmful to democracy?  Does, in short, America need to tolerate the presence of demagogues such as William Jennings Bryan, Huey Long, Joe McCarthy, Ross Perot, and Donald Trump who trifle with the public's emotions in order to create space for the "righteous anger" of those seeking healthy political change?  (Fulfills social sciences requirement.)  Prerequisite:  GO-101.

GO-251C 002  Campaigns and Elections
This course provides an overview of campaigns and elections in the United States for political science majors and non-majors with an interest in understanding elections, campaigns, and voting. We will cover the institutions governing voting, political communication, public opinion, political participation, and political behavior. The primary course objective is an in-depth understanding of when, where, why, and how candidates, media, and voters shape strategies and outcomes. (Fulfills social sciences requirement.) Prerequisite: GO-101 or permission of the instructor. 

GO-351B 001  African-Amer Pol Thought
W.E.B. DuBois described his people as "gifted with second sight in this American world...an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings."  In this course we will examine the writings of those African-Americans who have reflected most profoundly on the American regime and their place in it, from the time of the nation's founding to the present.  Prerequisite:  GO-102.  Recommended preparation: GO 236 and/or permission of the instructor.

GO-367 001  Election Research
Recent and ongoing controversies have demonstrated that the conduct of elections can have profound effects on election outcomes. Yet the conduct of elections remains one of the most neglected areas of political science research. This course aims to fill that gap by developing and conducting a research project on the quality of polling places in the Capitol Region. Polling places are the foundation of the electoral process in New York, and their quality can effect turnout, confidence in the voting process, confidence in government, and more. This civic engagement/research in the community course will begin by reading existing research on conducting elections in order develop a research design. Students will collect information about polling places on Election Day, then write up their findings in the last part of the semester.  Prerequisite:  GO-101 and at least one 200 or 300 level course in GO; or permission of the instructor.

HI-151 001  Survey of the Middle East, c. 600-1500 
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. (Fulfills social science requirement).

HI-151 002 Japanese Cultural History
Survey of Japanese cultural history from classical and medieval literary and dramatic expressions of a Buddhist worldview, to early modern popular culture and distinctly modern cultural forms like the novel, short story, cinema, and television. (Fulfills social science requirement; Designated a Non-Western Culture course).

HI-251D 001 Japanese Film History
A survey of Japanese film history from the "pre-history" of cinema, to the silent era, to the contributions of major directors from the "golden ages" of Japanese film (both the 30s and 50s have been described as such), to major directors and developments of the postwar years. We will also consider the question of a "national cinema" as we analyze Japanese cinema in the context of Japanese history, a broader global context, and in the context of the historical development of film studies as a discipline. (Fulfills social science requirement; Designated a Non-Western Culture course).

HI-251D 002 Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the ME
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.  (Fulfills social science requirement; Designated a Non-Western Culture course).

HI-265C 001  Thinking About Class in the United States, 1776 to present
An examination of ways in which Americans have thought about social and economic class from 1776 to the present. Topics include the origin of the United States as a new kind of classless society, the influence of Marx on Americans' thinking about class, debates about social mobility and the causes of poverty, the politics of class-consciousness, and the dynamics of race and class in the twentieth century.  The 4th credit hour will feature novels and films.  (Fulfills social sciences requirement.)

HI-351C 001 Colonial and Postcolonial Masculinities in Latin America
This course will examine the construction and performance of manhood and masculinities in Latin America from the colonial era through the modern day. Students will explore topics like the imposition of the gender binary as part of the colonial project, the narration of masculinities during the independence era and U.S. expansionism, the intersections of class, race, and sexuality in men's lives, and the role of men and masculinities in neoliberal economics and migration. (Designated a Cultural Diversity course)

IA-251A 001  Cyberwar: States, Industry, Hackers and Global Security
From electronic sabotage of the Iranian nuclear program and the collapse of the Estonian internet, to Chinese hackers stealing American corporate secrets and widespread power outages in the Ukraine, a global electronic battlefield has emerged in which states and non-state actors alike are engaged in a dynamic new arms race which does not respect sovereign borders. What are the rules for 21st century cyberspace conflicts between nation-states? How should responsibility for safeguarding key infrastructure from cyberattacks be allocated among governments and private industry? This course will explore the rapidly changing face of cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism and cybercrime, through political, economic, legal, ethical, business and technological perspectives. Students will critically evaluate cybersecurity from the standpoint of national governments, the private sector and non-state actors (e.g. terrorists and hackers) as well as international law and politics. Students will consider a range of policy perspectives concerning homeland security (i.e., critical infrastructure protection), privacy/data breaches, intellectual property theft/industrial espionage, cybercrime (e.g. terrorism financing and organized crime) and interstate cyberwarfare. Analyzing individual and collective actors involved in the formulation of broader policies implementing cybersecurity technologies and strategies will highlight the interactions between political, economic and technical dimensions of cyber-conflict amid concerns for confidential business information and national security.  Prerequisite: IA-101 or permission of the instructor.

ID-251A 001 Campus Restorative Justice: Integrity Board Training
This class is organized as a training for members of the Integrity Board. IB is the primary hearing board for cases of student misconduct and participants of this class are expected to commit to IB for the whole year. Membership on IB is a significant responsibility because its decisions affect both the fate of students’ academic lives and the well-being and safety of the Skidmore community. The training will include a discussion of relevant readings, debriefing of cases, skill-building exercises, and individual projects. The training is an introduction to the underlying sanctioning philosophy of IB—restorative justice.  Prerequisite:  Prior approval from the instructors.

ID-351C 001 Spatial Analysis and Modeling
This course provides an in-depth experience in applied spatial analysis.  Topics will range from digital representations of  topographic features (e.g., natural and built ) and modeling thematic data (e.g., social, health and economic). Selected topics will allow students to become versed in advanced software applications including ArcMap extensions (e.g., spatial, 3D, geostatistical and network analysts) and specialized applications for watershed modeling and processing elevation data.  Both remotely-sensed and vector-based data will be used.  An additional focus on publishing methods and professional production will be included.  As an interdisciplinary course, topics will be adjusted to match student backgrounds, with the opportunity to individually explore topics specific to their interests. Prerequisite: ID210 or other introductory GIS class with permission of the instructor

MB-351C 001  Visualizing Work: Pop Culture’s Representation of the Work Experience
A visual analysis and exploratory study of pop culture's (often misguided) message about the nature of work. Cultural media (e.g., film, television, advertisements) increasingly communicate what may be perceived as "truths" about our world. In this course, we seek to understand media effects, explore popular culture research, and analyze how key themes in the work experience are depicted in a variety of visual media (e.g., the meaning of work in Pretty Woman, leadership in Friday Night Lights, career advancement in Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP). Students will develop research methods skills, fine-tune written and oral communication skills, conduct analyses of visual media, and learn focus group methods all while designing a small-scale study to examine the cultural implications of these pop culture messages.   Prerequisite:  MB-107, MB-224.

MB-351C 002 Law and Ethics in the Uber Economy
If you were a passenger in a car driven by its owner but hired through Uber or Lyft and you were seriously injured in an accident, who would compensate you? Is the sharing service responsible, or is the poor driver trying to support his kids going to have to go bankrupt to pay your expenses? Many questions of this nature are raised by new disruptive business models because they do not fit neatly into our existing legal and regulatory systems. Likewise, ethical issues concerning the fairness of compensation, the general changing nature of work and specific issues related to competing rights, such as those that appear when your neighbor in a coop building begins to rent her unit every weekend using Airbnb and your once peaceful nights are  disrupted by noisy temporary guests renting next door. We will study how the rapid growth of this "sharing" economy is causing growing pains in many sectors of the business and legal worlds and is giving rise to an interesting array of ethical dilemmas. This course covers the following dimensions for studying management and business in context: History, Philosophy, and Ethics of Management and Business; Media, Technology and Innovation; Government and Politics.

MB-309 001  Banking and Fin Services Mgmt
An examination on the history, operations, and functions of American and international companies and institutions in the banking and financial services industry. Special emphasis is placed on how major strategic decisions are made in commercial banks and investment banks. Aside from investigating the mechanics of various financial products and markets, such as money markets, Treasury bonds, junk bonds, stocks, derivatives, ETFs, and insurance policies, students will also critically analyze several major financial crises in history and the role of financial regulations. This course covers the following dimensions for studying management and business in context: I. History, Philosophy, and Ethics of Management and Business; III. Culture and Global Awareness; and VI. Government and Politics.

MF-251C 001  Film Noir!
Film Noir! The term conjures up tales of forbidden or twisted love, fierce betrayals, and sleazy crimes told in stylish images in which geometric patterns of darkness and light play off of one another. Coined in 1946 by a French film critic, the term film noir encompasses a wide range of films over a long historical arc. In their relentless depiction of the underside of the American Dream, noir films expose problems of genre and of gender, of social conflict and the power of desire.

In this course we will examine a number of these critical questions, film noir’s roots in German Expressionism, and its influence on world cinema through close study of a representative group of noir and neo-noir films and directors.  These will include but not be limited to M, The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, He Walks by Night, Double Indemnity, The Big Heat, Elevator to the Gallows, The Third Man, Blood Simple, Chinatown, Body Heat and LA Confidential. Weekly discussion Blackboard postings, three papers or two papers and one in-class exposé.

MF-351D 001 History of Media and Communications
A survey course that traces the development of communications technologies from prehistoric cave art to the Internet. 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.   Can be counted as an American Studies subject course. (Fulfills Humanities Requirement)

MP-179 001  World Music Ensemble – Gamelan
An introduction to traditional Indonesian music from the islands of Bali and Java. The ensemble is open to students with OR without prior Indonesian musical experience. The class will present a recital or concert at the end of the semester, and perform at several additional events as they become known. No prerequisites or prior musical training is required. (Fulfills arts requirement.)

MU-106 001  Global Pop
This survey of global pop explores musical thought and processes through an examination of the development of "world music" and "world beat," including its meaning and importance to contemporary culture as well as its history and impact. Intended to provide students with a basic understanding of the international popular music scene from its explosion at the close of the 20th century thru the present day, this course questions the meaning and importance of this trend in contemporary culture. It explores the complex relationships of music and mass media while addressing themes of nationalism, popular resistance and subversion, censorship, transnational identity, gender representation, and cultural hegemony. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)

MU-106002  Miles Davis and John Coltrane
Surveys the legacy of two major figures in postwar jazz, trumpeter Miles Davis saxophonist John Coltrane, and their professional associates such as saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter, and pianists Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock.  No prior background in music is needed.  (Fulfills humanities requirement.)

MU-205A 001  Social History of Singing
In this class we learn about a variety of sung musics, and we treat singing as a lens through which we can begin to understand individuals and social groups from different times and places.  We'll take a case-study approach.  Cases will include classical, vernacular, and popular musics of the past and the present, and may include: religious chanting, the oratorio Messiah by Handel, the opera Don Giovanni by Mozart, shape-note (or sacred harp) singing, Tuvan throat singing, college a capella groups, and reality-TV singing competitions.  The ability to read notated music is not required; however, you should be willing to participate in singing along with the class (not alone).  This is a discussion- and participation-based course with frequent reading and short writing assignments.

MU-205B 001 Film Music
Selected themes in the history of film music. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)

MU-345B 001  The Blues and African American Musical Heritage
This course provides a socio-cultural history and survey of the blues music tradition from its sound culture sources in Africa, to its emergence in African American oral culture, and to the diasporic spread of African American musical heritage around the world. Emphasis will be placed on the philosophical underpinnings of blues music, the social and political forces that led to the development of blues music in the United States, and the profound impact of the blues on the development of country, jazz, gospel, rhythm 'n' blues, rock, and hip-hop. While following the evolution of the music through the 20thcentury, we will also examine how blues has served as a metaphor for African American culture as it permeates the American tradition.  (Designated a Cultural Diversity course.)  Prerequisite: MU-241 or consent of the instructor.   

MU-345B 002 Minimalism
Selected aspects of musical minimalism.  Prerequisite:  MU-242. 

NS-312A 001  Sleep-Neurobiological Approach
This upper-level neuroscience seminar will focus on the characteristics, disorders, and many possible functions of sleep. Topics will span molecular biology, genetics, animal and human behavior, and medicine. The class format will be primarily student-driven, with a focus on peer-led discussion of primary literature. In addition to learning about the intricacies of sleep itself, students are expected to improve in their ability to understand and communicate scientific information. Depending on enrollment, the course may also include an introductory research component, in which students will carry out and analyze results of studies of sleep behavior in fruit flies.  Prerequisite:  NS-101, NS-201, BI-105, and BI-106 or permission of the instructor.  Recommended Courses:  BI-245, and one statistics or research methods course.

PH-327I 001 Great Philosophers:  “Marx and Marxisms”
A study of Karl Marx as the originator of a philosophical and political tradition. This course critically examines the formation, elaboration, and practical deployment of Marxian concepts such as alienation, class struggle, science, economic determination,  progress, and ideology.  In addition to studying Marx’s classic works and discussing their continued relevance, this course will explore representative development in Marxist theory made over the last century and a half by such figures as Lenin, Lukács, Luxembourg, Mariátegui, Lefebvre, Althusser, Cohen or Fraser.

PH-330D 001 The Unconscious Mind from Leibniz to Freud
An exploration of the deep, dark recesses of the unconscious mind. Specifically, we will look at theories of unconscious mental activity, starting in the late 17th-century with the German philosopher G.W. Leibniz, who was among the first to account systematically for unconscious thought, and we will progress through Kant, German Idealism and Romanticism, 19th-century British physiology, and late 19th-century psychology. We will finish the semester with a close look at Freud's conception of the unconscious. Primary texts will be read throughout.

PS-312A001Topics in Child Clinical Psychology
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.

PS-312B 001  Applied Behavioral Analysis
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) and functional assessment theories are the hallmarks of treatments used with individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.  ABA is the use of classical behavior modification techniques to modify problem behaviors.  Functional assessment is based on the theory that all behavior serves a purpose and through the understanding of the "function" of the behavior you can design more effective behavior modification techniques. This course provides an in-depth look at these practices and how they have been applied to a variety of different treatment modalities.  Through the use of lecture, readings, discussions, and hands-on projects, students will gain an understanding of these various techniques and how they are utilized to modify maladaptive behavior and teach new behaviors.  Prerequisite:  PS-101.

PS-312B 002  Existential Psychology
"People die and murder, nurture and protect, go to any extreme, in behalf of their conception of the real.  More to the point, perhaps, they live out the details of their daily lives in terms of what they conceive to be real: not just rocks and mountains and storms at sea, but friendship. love, respect are known as false or real....This is the domain of meaning making, without which human beings in every culture fall into terror.  The product of meaning making is Reality.  So how human beings construct their meanings needs necessarily to be at the center of the study of the human condition."    Jerome Bruner

This course will consist of an overview of existential psychology, including experimental approaches to testing hypotheses derived from existential accounts of human behavior and consideration of clinical applications of these ideas. Prerequisite: PS-202 and PS-210 or permission of instructor

Texts:

-The Denial of Death, Ernest Becker

-The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life, Sheldon Solomon, Jeff  

  Greenberg, and Tom Pyszczynski

-The Cry for Myth, Rollo May

-Tales of Unknowing: Therapeutic Encounters from an Existential Perspective,  

  Ernesto Spinelli

-Clock Without Hands, Carson McCullers

PS-351 001 Applying for Graduate Fellowships in Psychology
The goal of this course is to provide instruction and support to students who will be applying for grant funding for graduate school in psychology -- many awards should be applied for in the Fall of the year prior to entering graduate school, and this course will help you create a strong application.  We will read and critique successful (and unsuccessful) applications for grant funding. We also will create and critique our own full grant applications, including developing appropriate CVs, project proposals, and personal statements. At the end of the course, students will have produced an entire submission-ready grant application. While the focus of the course will be on preparing students to apply for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP), we will also discuss and offer support in applying for other major grants (including the NDSEG, the Ford Fellowship, and the Soros Fellowship). This course is most appropriate for students who plan to attend graduate school in empirical psychology. Importantly, those planning to receive a PsyD or to attend clinical graduate school may not be eligible for some of these fellowships -- please feel free to contact the instructor if you are unsure about whether this course would be appropriate for you.  Prerequisite:  PS-303 (203) Research Methods II (or course that fulfills Research Methods II).

PS-351 002 Vision in the Blind - Sensory Cortical Reorganization
Substantial evidence demonstrates cortical reorganization following sensory deprivation. Typically, deafferentation in one sensory modality is found to cause encroachment of the associated cortical area by some of the remaining modalities. While the existence of such changes is not in doubt, their functional significance is unclear. The dominant account suggests that cortical reorganization is adaptive, leading to enhanced sensitivity in the remaining senses to compensate for the missing one. Notwithstanding the intuitive appeal of this account, and contrary to conventional wisdom, a comprehensive examination of empirical data reveals that the case for compensatory enhancements is weak. Evidence for increases in proficiency is not only confined to a very narrow set of tasks, it is also countered by reports of performance decrements. This mixed set of data necessitates revisiting the question of why the cortex reorganizes after partial sensory loss. We consider a few possibilities and discuss empirical approaches for assessing their validity.

RE-230C 001  Love, Sex and God in the History of Christianity|
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 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  Yoga: Theory, History, Practice
An exploration of yoga from its roots in Hindu religious philosophy to its current status as a globally popular form of physical culture.   Understood as a set of physical and meditative practices, yoga has been employed by Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists to attain magical powers, heightened states of consciousness, and spiritual liberation. But it has also been used more recently as a form of exercise consisting of stretches and breathing techniques.  This seminar examines the social, religious, political and historical raised around the practice of yoga, as we investigate its development in various contexts. (Designated a non-Western cultures course; fulfills humanities requirement.)    Prerequisite:  One course in RE or PH.

RE-330D 002 Sacred Journeys, Holy Shrines
Surveys pilgrimage practices in various modern and postmodern contexts. Along our journey, we will think about how pilgrimage intersects with gender, national identity, religious orthodoxy, spirituality, secularity, tourism, migration, and popular culture. From resistance to the British colonial state by 19th-century Indian pilgrims at the Kumbh Mela to contemporary practices of "secular pilgrimage" at Jim Morrison's Paris tomb, our case studies reflect the diverse ways that humans create, instrumentalize, and sacralize journeys and destinations.  (Fulfills humanities requirement.)   

SO-251C 001  Development and Social Change in Asia 
What does development mean? Is economic development always at the expense of social integration? By whose standard should we measure development? Is there a single best way of development? Are some cultures more likely to develop than others? Is an alternative logic of development possible? This course will cover the basic sociological theories on development, trace the global commodity chains, dissect the ideologies embedded in development and globalization, and answer the above questions by focusing on the experience of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia on issues such as class and gender inequality, the role of the state and transnational organizations, cultural transformation, and environmental challenges.  (Designated a Non-Western course.)  Prerequisite:  one sociology gateway course (SO-101 or SO-201 or SO-202 or SO-203 or SO-204) or one Asian Studies course.

SO-251R 001  Sociology of the Media
A variety of social, political, and economic forces influence contemporary mass media.  We will examine some of them and will consider the changing role of the media in society as well. Students will be introduced to a range of social scientific methods that have been used to document the nature of media content and understand how it is produced. Topics will include the consequences of concentration in media ownership, the dynamic relationship between producers and consumers of media, and the study of class, race, and gender inequalities in media content.  Students will undertake a significant research project. Prerequisite:  SO-101, SO-201, SO-202, SO-203, SO-204, or MF-220.

SO-251R 002  Visual Sociology
What sociological sense can we make of the photographs, videos, graphics, graphs, tables, and other forms of image that inundate us?  How can video cameras be used as research instruments to create new knowledge?  Visual sociology is both an analytical tool for more deeply understanding the visual in society and a means of portraying social facts: creating the visual.  Students will explore these two faces of visual sociology, discussing theories, methods, and published research as well as producing a sociologically-informed video of their own.  No prior video experience is required.  Students are strongly encouraged to have taken at least one Sociology course beyond the Gateway class.  Prerequisite:  Prerequisite:  one sociology gateway course (SO-101 or SO-201 or SO-202 or SO-203 or SO-204)

SO-351R 001  Economy and Society
Early sociologists, like Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber, were interested in the causes and consequences of the rise of capitalism, and the analyses of changes in economic behavior patterns were important pieces in their works. Then for most of the 20th century, sociologists turned away from the study of economic activities. Under the division of labor, the study of economic behavior was considered to be the turf of economists. That changed in early 1980s when sociologists started to reclaim the lost land and bring a sociological lens to the study of economic activities that emphasizes the importance of social structures, relationships, values, and even emotions in shaping economic behavior. This course will offer a survey of the growing field of economic sociology and look at how social institutions, social networks, power, and values affect the economy. We will also compare the different approaches that economists and sociologists take.  Prerequisite:  One sociology gateway course (SO-101 or SO-201 or SO-202 or SO-203 or SO-204) and one additional sociology course.

SW-224 001 Writing for Social Change
In this class, students will deepen and expand their writing skills, learning to tell vital stories of social change and social justice work as journalists, researchers, and theorists. From the start of this course, students will begin to identify stories that are compelling to them, then go to learn more about them from activists, artists, social workers, teachers, and others involved. Students will be encouraged to experiment with various written forms to enhance versatility in writing skills, including autoethnography, observational research, interviews, popular writing, creative nonfiction, and more traditional academic writing. Students will write drafts, meet with the professor regularly to generate ideas and develop pieces, and finally workshop drafts in class. Students will also work with the professor to select readings by other authors of interest to them. The goal for each of us is a short publishable piece of popular, creative, or academic writing about social justice work by the end of the term. All are welcome regardless of experience or current confidence as writers. 

SW-224 002 Trauma and Post Traumatic Growth
Theories of trauma are widely used today in many fields of learning, including social work, psychiatry, psychology, neurobiology, LGBT/queer studies, literary studies, and history. Studying traumatic experiences and treatment raises crucial questions about memory, selfhood and identity, community, family, politics, and ethics. In this interdisciplinary course, we will examine how various forms of trauma are currently understood, with a focus on theories of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, complex trauma, collective trauma, gender and race-based trauma, and historical trauma. We will also examine contemporary models for individual and group psychotherapy, healing, and post-traumatic growth. No prior knowledge of the subject is necessary.

SW-298 001 Working in a Political Campaign
This one credit course is for students volunteering in a political campaign. Students work for a candidate of their choice, work at phone banks, canvassing and in social media, critique candidate policy positions, and develop an appreciation for electioneering.  

WLL-263 001 China's Greatest Novel
Just 200-some years ago, China was the richest and most powerful nation in the world. When the novel in the West was but an infant, China produced a work of such towering accomplishment that it remains a masterpiece for all time to this day, read by millions of people, over and again, throughout their lives. Yet few outside China have even heard it. This course helps change that, providing the opportunity to read the whole thing, all 2,500 pages in English translation, with a guided tour to its mysteries and messages. A meta-fictional exploration of the nature of reality, with strong Buddhist themes, The Story of the Stone (aka The Dream of the Red Chamber) is also a love story set within a grand extended family, as well as a veritable compendium of traditional Chinese culture. We'll study the novel from all these angles, and more. All readings and discussions will be in English; fulfills Humanities and Non-Western Cultures requirements. 

WLS-340 001Advanced LAC: Spanish for the Natural Sciences
In this course students will develop Spanish language skills in the context of the natural sciences, including common genres of science communication and public dissemination of science. We will also briefly explore the state of science and technology in the Spanish-speaking world.  Prerequisite:  FS-208 or permission of the instructor. 

WLS-376 001  Rise of the Machines: Science and Technology in Hispanic Narrative
From soul-stealing cameras and mad scientists, to quantum mechanics and cyborgs, scientific and technological notions have been a constant, if sometimes overlooked, theme in cultural productions from Spanish America and Spain. In this course we will explore the role of science and technology in Hispanic literature and film from the late 19th century to the present day. As we will soon realize, such representations often reflect the uncertainty that characterized an era dominated by international armed conflicts, profound social changes, and the exponential growth of scientific knowledge. Prerequisite:  Senior status and declared major or minor in Spanish.