2019 summer session course descriptions

Use the links below to jump to course descriptions for your desired summer session.

Summer session 1 (May 28–June 28, 2019)
Summer session 2 (July 2–August 2, 2019)
Summer session 3 (May 28–August 2, 2019)
High school students (pre-college course descriptions)
Course times and locations (master calendar)

2019 Course Descriptions

Summer Session 1: May 28–June 28, 2019

Course # • Course Title • Credits • Instructor • Lab Fee (if any)

AN 351D • Language and Culture • 4 • Michael Ennis-McMillan
An examination of human language as a cultural phenomenon. Students learn basic concepts and techniques from anthropological linguistics to study the interrelationship of human thought, expression, and culture. Using examples from diverse world regions, students use linguistic principles to compare patterns of communication in Western and non-Western settings. Topics include the structure of language, linguistic diversity, multilingualism and codeswitching, cultures of performance, and globalization of media. We also analyze how the interdependence of language and power relates to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Students consider how to apply anthropological linguistics to promote language learning, including English language learning. Prior social science coursework is recommended.
Prerequisite: AN-101 or permission of instructor.

AR 134 • Color • 4 • Janet Sorensen • Lab Fee $25
An introduction to the study of color in studio art. Students will build awareness of the principles of color theory through guided exercises exploring color relationships, their psychological and expressive impacts, and the physical properties of color mixing. Using collage and acrylic paint on paper, students will practice technical skills and increase understanding of perception, composition, and visual thinking. Presentations, class critiques, and individual discussions with the instructor are a significant aspect of this course. No prior experience is necessary. Recommended for painting students.

AR 136 • Digital Foundations • 4 • Joe Klockowski • Lab Fee $105
A survey of technological and aesthetic best practices and theory in visual communication. Students will study the basic functions and integral properties of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other presentation and video editing software. Vector and raster imaging techniques, scanning, printing, and using digital images and typography are introduced through a series of demonstration/projects that build upon one another. Projects focus on design principles and basic skills needed to communicate a visual message with a specific intent.
Note(s): (Fulfills arts requirement.)

AR 223 • Drawing II • Joanne Vella • Lab fee $50
A further investigation of the formal and expressive characteristics of drawing, with a focus on drawing as visual communicative act. Structured assignments provide a context for focused exploration of materials and processes and development of individual vision. Readings and discussions will complement studio work.

Prerequisite: AR 133.

AR 264G • Special Topics in Photography: Early Summer Landscapes • 4 • Emily Vallee • Lab Fee $80
This course is designed to explore the genre of landscape photography. Students will photograph the local landscape with DSLR cameras, experimenting with a variety of digital image making techniques. Through interaction with the land students will develop an environmental awareness. Emphasis will be placed on the creation of a cohesive body of work, in class critique, discussion of imagery and literature pertaining to contemporary landscape and developing a personal relationship to the land. Students should be familiar with the basics of digital photography as well as provide their own DSLR camera for course. Introductory Photoshop and Printing skills will be incorporated into class workflow. Students should have a basic understanding of DSLR cameras and must provide their own.

AR 264H • Projects in Printmaking • 4 • Sophie Isaak • Lab Fee $100
Designed for students with some prior printmaking experience. Students will have the opportunity to design independent projects utilizing various printmaking techniques. Projects could be an expansion of previously explored ideas, such as making a series of prints, or perhaps an ambitious installation taking advantage of the possibilities of the multiple. Students may also wish to utilize the five weeks to explore more experimental techniques, such as delving into a new process or using the time to build spontaneous compositions at the press. Instruction will be tailored to the interests’ of the class and will include more advanced printmaking tutorials. Demonstrations will be held on hot stamped foil, multi-plate and multi-block color printing, ink mixing, screenprinting and various monotype techniques. The class will investigate contemporary artists working with printmaking, digital possibilities of the medium and non-traditional applications.
Prerequisites AR 228 or permission of instructor.

AR 264J • Special Topics in Digital Media: Motion • 4 • Paris Baillie • Lab Fee $105In this course students will learn to integrate traditional and modern techniques to expand and evolve their animation practice. In addition to using After Effects, students will create a range of projects that explore motion through frame-by-frame illustration, GIFs, and live-action video. There will be weekly in-class discussions, readings, screenings, and critiques. No digital experience is required.

AR 311 • Painting II • 4 • Joanne Vella • Lab Fee $50
A continuation of painting concepts explored in AR 201, designed to further acquaint students with technical processes, formal relationships, and conceptual issues. Structured assignments employing direct observation (including the figure) and invention provide a context for development of a personal vision. Other assignments will refer to historical and contemporary movements and painting methods with readings and discussions.
Prerequisite: AR 201.

AR 326 • Drawing III • 4 • Joanne Vella • Lab fee $50
A further investigation of drawing as a visual communicative act. The development of images through individual exploration of form, structure, and space with emphasis being placed upon the growth of personal vision and skill.
Prerequisites: AR 223 or AR 224. Note(s): May be taken for credit three times with permission of instructor.

AR 332 • Painting III • 4 • Joanne Vella • Lab fee $50
Further investigation of formal, expressive, and technical aspects of painting. This course emphasizes individual exploration of structured assignments, leading toward self-directed studio practice. Readings and discussions complement studio practice. Emphasis is placed upon more individual exploration of assigned formal problems in the studio.
Prerequisites: AR 225 or AR 311. Note(s): May be taken for credit three times with permission of instructor.

AS 251 • Buddhism in America • 3 • Benjamin Bogin
This course surveys Buddhism in America from the East Asian communities of 19th-century California through the counterculture of the 1960’s to the mindfulness movement of the present day. Students will develop a foundational knowledge of Buddhist doctrine and explore expressions of Buddhist thought in American literature, art, and film. American expressions of the Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhist traditions will be examined in depth through biographies of key figures in each tradition. Recent American Buddhist responses to contemporary social justice issues including racism, climate change, and sexual abuse will be considered.

BI 152 • Pestilence: The 4^th Horsemen • 4 • Patricia Hilleren

The course title is a play on TheFour Horseman of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament of the Bible (6:1-8). In this vision, the manifestation of the four horsemen (Pestilence or Disease, Famine, War and Death) purportedly anticipates Judgment Day- the end of the world. In this course we will explore the topic of pestilence, with a focus on infectious disease and the roles that a variety of microbes (bacteria, protozoa and viruses) play in this process.

To fully appreciate infectious disease, we must examine the interactions of microbes with the human host. To that end, this course is also an introduction to some of the fundamental structures (e.g. tissues, cells, genomes, and proteins) that comprise the human organism. As the course progresses, we will explore how representatives of three categories of microbes (bacteria, protozoa and viruses) disrupt the physiology of a ‘healthy’ cell/organism- leading to a state of disease. We will also learn how medical interventions aim to mitigate these diseases.

The laboratory portion of the course will focus on learning how scientists study bacteria- one of the predominant classes of microbes that cause infectious disease. The lab experience offers you the opportunity to i) learn and develop skills in scientific thinking and process; ii) practice a variety of technical skills including sterile technique, bacterial cell culture, light microscopy, bacterial transformation, and viral plaque assays and iii) gain skills in the interpretation and communication of scientific ideas and results.

BI 170 • Human Genetics • 4 • Bernard Possidente • Lab fee $80
An introduction to the principles of genetics and their application to human biology. Topics include the history of genetics; the structure, function, and inheritance of genes; medical genetics; and genetic engineering.
Note(s): Academic Year: Three hours of lecture, two hours of lab per week.
Summer: Nine hours of lecture, six hours of lab per week. (Fulfills natural sciences and QR2 requirements.)

CS 106 • Introduction to Computer Science I • 4 • Tom O’Connell
An introduction to the principles of design, implementation, and testing of object-oriented programs. The course covers language features such as control structures, classes, file I/0, and basic data structures including arrays. Other topics include recursion and fundamental algorithms, such as elementary searching and sorting algorithms. May not be taken for credit by students who have taken or are currently taking CS 107 or CS 206.
Note(s): (Fulfills QR2 requirement.)

DS 251D • Filmmaking in the Voice of “I” • 4 • Adam Sekuler
This accelerated course develops a basic understanding of filmmaking through an examination of what is known as the “essay film“; a porous, highly personal mode of film practice. These works create meaning precisely by eating away at boundaries such as fact, fiction, and experience to capture essential truths. Poetic and transportive, essay films are used to document cultural and historical moments, evoke a feeling, unravel an auto-biography, and respond to critical social turning points with a challenging mix of traditional documentary conventions, personal nuance and experimental artistry. Saratoga Springs will serve as a hands-on laboratory as classes mix hand-on instruction in cinematography, nonlinear editing, sound and recording, to compliment students as they produce and direct of a short documentary essay film.

EC 104 • Intro to Microeconomics • 4 • Severin Carlson
An introduction to the study of markets. The course develops the basic economic model of supply and demand to illustrate how choices regarding the production and distribution of goods and services are made by firms and households in a market economy. The course also examines the possibility of market failure and the appropriate government response. Policy topics may include poverty and homelessness, health care, the environment, antitrust, discrimination, international trade, unions, and minimum wage laws.
Prerequisite: QR1. Note(s): (Fulfills QR2 and social sciences requirements.)

ED 115 • School and Society • 4 • Hope Casto
An introduction to the foundations of American education exploring the historical, philosophical, and social contexts of schooling. Students will explore the purposes of education within a democracy where the goals are influenced by politics, the law, global competitiveness, multiculturalism, and social justice, and examine the nineteenth-century Common School period, twentieth-century standardization and consolidation, and twenty-first-century plans for school choice. Students study the intersections of race, culture, immigration status, language, gender, sexual orientation, and ability with education. Required of majors. (Fulfills social science requirement.)

GE 112 • Intro to Oceanography • 4 • Amy Frappier
Introduction to the interaction of physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes operative in the great water bodies that cover nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface. Three hours of lecture, two hours of lab per week. Note(s): Fulfills natural sciences requirement; fulfills QR2 requirement.

HI 111 • Intro to Latin American History • 3 • Jordana Dym
An introduction to the economic, political, social, and intellectual history of Latin America. Organized thematically and chronologically, topics emphasize understanding the emergence of the colonies of Spain, Portugal, France, and England into a group of distinct nation-states. Students will explore Latin American society from initial encounters among Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans. We then study independence: political, economic, and social challenges of early nation-state formation in a multicultural context. We conclude with the twentieth century, addressing topics such as industrialization, revolution, U.S.-Latin American relations, and selected intellectual trends.
Note(s): Not open to students who have successfully completed HI 109. (Fulfills Cultural Diversity requirement, fulfills social sciences requirement.)

HP 111 ● Intro to Exercise Physiology ● 4 ● Justin Faller
An introduction to the scientific basis of physical activity. Emphasis is placed upon the study of the physiological change and adaptations that occur as a result of the stress of exercise. Students will be active participants in laboratory experiments that examine the body’s response to exercise. Three hours of lecture, two hours of laboratory per week.
Note(s): (Fulfills natural sciences requirement.)

MA 111 • Calculus I • 4 • Erin Lopez
Derivatives, integrals and their applications. Techniques of differentiation. Integration and differentiation of exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions.
Prerequisite: High school preparation including trigonometry. Note(s): (Fulfills QR2 requirement.)

MA 200 • Linear Algebra • 4 • Csilla Szabo
Vector spaces, matrices and linear transformations, determinants, solution of linear equations. (Fulfills QR2 requirement.

MB 214 • Foundations of Marketing • 3 • Azita Hirsa
A comprehensive assessment of marketing’s dynamic role in contemporary global society. The course emphasizes the development of marketing strategies which reflect domestic and cross-national competitive structures and diverse marketplace realities. Topics include consumer analyses, target market identification, positioning, e-commerce, ethics, sustainability, and coordination of marketing mix-elements. This course covers the following dimensions for studying management and business in context: I, III, V.
Prerequisite: MB 107.

MB 224 • Foundations of Organizational Behavior • 3 • Azita Hirsa
The study of human behavior in the organizational context. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of topics in the area of organizational behavior through three levels of analysis (individual, group, and organizational). Topics covered may include: organizational theory; managing diversity; personality, values, and work attitudes; perception; decision making; motivation and goal setting; teamwork; conflict and negotiation; leadership, power, and influence tactics; organizational structure; organizational change; and organizational culture. This course incorporates the following dimensions for studying management and business in context: I, II, III, IV, V, VI. Coverage of the dimensions may vary per instructor.
Prerequisite: MB 107.

MB 333 • Business Law I • 3 • Scott Mulligan
A study of the origin of laws, philosophy of law and related ethical issues, and the court system and its legal procedures with emphasis on their impact in business and economic situations. Specific topics, which will be studied using a modified Socratic method and examination and briefing of case law, include contracts, agency, LLCs, corporations and partnerships. This course covers the following dimensions for studying management and business in context: I, VI.

NS 101 • Introductory Neuroscience • 4 • Sarita Lagalwar
An interdisciplinary examination of the neurobiological bases of behavior and mental processing. Topics include the structure and functioning of the nervous system, brain-behavior relationships, and hormonal and genetic effects on behavior and mental processing. Laboratories develop students' understanding of functional neuroanatomy, neural transmission, and human psychophysiology. (Fulfills natural sciences breadth requirement.)

PH 207 • Introduction to Logic • 3 • Peter Murray
An introduction to the basic concepts and methods of modern symbolic logic, with a focus on their application to proper reasoning. Students learn how to represent sentences in logical notation, to reconstruct arguments in that notation, to assess arguments for validity and soundness, and to prove conclusions from premises using a system of natural deduction. Students also learn to recognize common argument forms and common mistakes in reasoning (fallacies), are introduced to philosophical issues related to logic, and learn how symbolic logic is the basis for the digital computer. (Fulfills QR2 requirement.)

PS 205 • Social Psychology • 4 • Ellen O’Malley
A survey of theory and research on the nature and causes of individual behavior (thoughts, feelings, actions) in social situations.

PS 214 • Psychological Disorders • 4 • Rachel Mann-Rosan
An introduction to the history and study of psychological disorders (e.g., substance use disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders) with an emphasis on understanding the development of disorders, diagnostic issues, and symptoms.

SO 251C • Sociology of Sport • 3 • Andrew Lindner
Why do we love sports so much? Sports are nearly as old as human society. But in our SportsCenter culture of 24/7 sports, where North American sports alone are a $67.7 billion industry, where tens of thousands of fans have tattoos of their favorite teams, where Presidents make March Madness brackets for public consumption, sports have become a very powerful social institution. Some critics see sports as the “toy department” of academia and journalism – not worthy of serious study. In one sense, organized sports are simply an entertaining microcosm of our wider society. At the same time, sports are a space where society is constructed, reproduced, and changed. For this reason, organized sports are as worthy of scholarly attention as religion, family, or the media. Throughout the course, we will apply a sociological lens to the world of sports. In particular, this course examines organized sports as a form of recreation and leisure, as popular culture, and as an industry with significant labor issues. We will pay special attention to stratification within sport along lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality, and disability. Students will also consider the potential of sport for liberation and personal expression as well as a potential contributor to social problems.

SW 212 • Social Work Values and Populations at Risk • 3 • Peter McCarthy
This course introduces social work values; it provides students an opportunity to identify and clarify conflicting values and ethical dilemmas; and, it examines the impact of discrimination, economic deprivation, and oppression on groups distinguished by race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental ability, age, and national origin. Students learn assessment and intervention skills that enable social workers to serve diverse populations and to promote social and economic justice.
(Fulfills social sciences requirement; designated a Cultural Diversity course.)

TH 140 • Introduction to Directing • 3 • John Michael DiResta
An overview of the essential elements of stage directing. Students will analyze play texts and directing theories as well as engage in active lab work in understanding dramatic action, composition, and picturization in a variety of spaces, which will provide the foundation for working with actors. Students will also analyze plays, study the expression of directorial concepts, and communicate with actors through class exercises and scene work reinforcing the idea of the director as a collaborator as well as the primary leader and communicator about the play before and during the rehearsal process. Students will develop time-management strategies, enabling them to craft a rehearsal schedule by which to build the play and move the rehearsal process forward. Theoretical texts and articles about directors and play texts will provide one context for these analyses. In the studio, students will work as actors and directors.
Prerequisite: TH 103

TH 230 • Theater & Culture: 1860 - Today • 3 • Lisa Jackson-Schebetta
A study of major periods of Western theater since 1800. Students explore and analyze how theater's components—plays, acting, design, theory, and management—combine to express and reflect a culture's dominant values. Architecture, painting, sculpture, music, and dance—the constituent arts of theater—will be examined both within and outside the theatrical context to explore aesthetic, socioeconomic, and political values that shape a culture's idea of theater. (Fulfills humanities requirement.)

WLS 101 • Elementary Spanish • 4 • Diana Barnes
An introduction to spoken and written Spanish emphasizing cultural perspectives. Linguistic emphasis is on basic grammar, vocabulary, and the development of reading, conversation, and writing skills while learning about the cultures of Spain and Spanish America.
Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

WLS 103 • Alternative Second Semester of Spanish • 3 • Beatriz Loyola
An introduction and review of elementary spoken and written Spanish emphasizing cultural perspectives. Linguistic emphasis is on grammar, vocabulary, and the development of reading, conversation, and writing skills while learning about the cultures of Spain and Spanish America.
Prerequisite: Instructor approval. Note(s): For students who have completed one or two years of pre-college Spanish, and who have not placed in WLS 203 or above. Open to students who have completed WLS 101.

Summer Session 2: July 2–August 2, 2019

Course # • Course Title • Credits • Instructor • Lab Fee (if any)

AN-101 • Intro to Cultural Anthropology • 3 • Christine Vassallo-Oby
Anthropology is a lot more than the scientific study of humans. By asking ourselves, “what is anthropology?” and “what is culture?” we must understand what cultural anthropologists actually do in practice. A cultural anthropologist is someone who observes, records, and thinks about the operation, function, and design of human life in all of its complexities. Humanity, like culture, is messy, nonlinear, multifaceted, and constantly shifting. Think about the culture which your parents grew up, lots of things may have changed since then, including popular music, technology, medical advancements, and so on. The purpose of this course is to provide you with an introduction to the historical context, current manifestations, and theoretical processes of cultural anthropology as an academic discipline and as a way of viewing the world. We will accomplish this by exploring the similarities and diversity of human societies through ethnographic case studies and cross-cultural comparisons in both film and text. These topics are illustrated through examining the history and utility of anthropology's hallmark method, ethnography, which is the immersion of the researcher in the culture under study.

AR 101 • Intro to Painting • 3 • Angela Heisch • Lab Fee $60
An introduction to painting as a medium of visual expression. Emphasis is placed upon exploration of formal and technical concerns. Basic studies include drawing and will explore a variety of subject matter and media directed toward the organization of the two-dimensional plane.
Note(s): Summer only. Not open to Skidmore art majors.

AR 101Z • Intro to Painting Workshop • 0 • Angela Heisch • Lab Fee $60
An introduction to painting as a medium of visual expression. Emphasis is placed upon exploration of formal and technical concerns. Basic studies include drawing and will explore a variety of subject matter and media directed toward the organization of the two-dimensional plane.
Note(s): Summer only. Not open to Skidmore art majors.

AR 133 • Drawing I • 4 • Kathy Hemingway-Jones • Lab Fee $50
This course builds on basic drawing experiences, refining skills in observation, organization, interpretation, and critical analysis. Studio work introduces a range of traditional drawing tools and materials while exploring a variety of approaches to image making and visual expression.

AR 133Z • Drawing Workshop • 0 • Kathy Hemingway-Jones • Lab Fee $50
This course builds on basic drawing experiences, refining skills in observation, organization, interpretation, and critical analysis. Studio work introduces a range of traditional drawing tools and materials while exploring a variety of approaches to image making and visual expression.

AR 264Z • Projects in Printmaking Workshop • 0 • Sophie Isaak • Lab Fee $100
Designed for students to explore a variety of printmaking experiences. Students will have the opportunity to design independent projects utilizing various printmaking techniques. Projects could be making a series of prints, or perhaps an ambitious installation taking advantage of the possibilities of the multiple. Demonstrations will be held on multi-block color printing, ink mixing, and various monotype techniques. The class will investigate contemporary artists working with printmaking, digital possibilities of the medium and non-traditional applications.

AR 264Z • Contemporary Drawing Projects • 0 • Sophie Isaak, Kathy Hemingway Jones, Katie DeGroot • Lab Fee $50
This class will focus on contemporary drawing methods with an emphasis on experimentation and concept, using various drawing mediums to create a body of work. New mediums will be explored for example; alternative papers, digital printing, and organic matter as drawing material. Students will complete a series of unique drawing projects and will have a diverse portfolio of finished drawings at the end of the session. Research will be done into current artists and drawing techniques. Acceptance to this course will be based on applicant’s portfolio or Directors discretion.

AR 351H • Translations and Conversations: Printing with Artists • 4 • Patrick Casey • Lab Fee $100
This is a special opportunity for students to work with artists and a printmaker to participate in the creation of new prints by contemporary artists who has not made a print before. Students will be involved in the collaborative process of choosing the printmaking method most suited to the artists’ work, and then helping create an edition of prints. Students will also be expected to work on and complete prints of their own during the course. An intermediate course in printmaking will be a pre-requisite. Several types of printmaking will be available in the print shop, however, lithography and intaglio will not be.
This course can also be taken for independent study or an internship credit.

CH 115 • Fundamentals of Chemistry • 4 • Beatrice Kendall
An Introductory course for students with little to no background in chemistry. Fundamental chemical concepts such as atomic structure, bonding, chemical reactions, and the properties of solids, liquids, and gases are presented. Emphasis is placed on learning the “language of chemistry,” achieving the ability to visualize and understand process on an atomic and molecular level, and developing problem-solving skills. Laboratory exercises and experiments serve to illustrate concepts presented in the lecture. This course is appropriate for students preparing to take CH 125 Principles of Chemistry (or AP Chemistry).
Prerequisites: QR1 and placement based on an online diagnostic exam. Note(s): May not be used to satisfy major or minor requirements in chemistry or biology. (Fulfills QR2 and natural sciences requirements.)

CS 206 • Introduction to Computer Science II • 4 • Michael Eckmann
Fundamentals of software development and algorithm design. Topics include recursion, data structures, analysis of algorithms, and program verification.
Prerequisites: CS 106 or CS 107 or permission of instructor.

DS 251C • 3D Interactive Storytelling • 3 • Greg Lyons

Want to build a 3D virtual experience for others? Have a story to tell where choices lead to different consequences? Want to create interactive shorts? In this course students will learn the basics of Unity3D and develop an understanding for interactive storytelling in a digital space. Unity3D is a powerful interactive storytelling tool that can be used to bring student research or creativity to life in a variety of ways. No prior coding or gaming experience is necessary.

EN 103 • Writing Seminar I • 4 • Paul Fogle
Introduction to expository writing with weekly writing assignments emphasizing skills in developing ideas, organizing material, and creating thesis statements. Assignments provide practice in description, definition, comparison and contrast, and argumentation. Additional focus on grammar, syntax, and usage.
Note(s): Students and instructor meet in seminar three hours a week; students are also required to meet regularly with a Writing Center tutor. This course does not fulfill the all-college requirement in expository writing.

EN 105 • Writing Seminar II • 4 • François Bonneville, Thaddeus Niles
This seminar immerses students in the process of producing finished analytical essays informed by critical reading and careful reasoning. Special attention is given to developing ideas, writing from sources, organizing material, and revising drafts. Additional emphasis is on grammar, style, and formal conventions of writing. Students respond to one another’s work in workshops or peer critique sessions. Occasional informal writing complements assignments of longer finished papers.
Note(s): (This course fulfills the all-college requirement in expository writing.)

GE 101 • Earth Systems Science • 4 • Kyle Nichols
An introduction to Earth’s dynamic systems and geologic processes. The planet is studied from its deep interior to its oceanic, surficial, and atmospheric components to develop a scientific understanding of Earth as a holistic environmental system, of which the biosphere, including humanity, is one component. Within this context, course topics such as rocks and minerals, mountain building, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, surface and groundwater, and resources are examined from the perspective of the interactions between geologic processes and humans.
Prerequisite: QR1. Note(s): Three hours of lecture, two hours of lab per week. (Fulfills QR2 requirement; qualifies as a natural science laboratory course for breadth requirement.)

HI 151 • 20^th Century Britain • 3 • Peter Moloney
The story of Britain in the twentieth century is an instructive story of rise and decline, showing that Great Powers, even those based upon what are thought to be the best possible political and moral principles, don’t necessarily remain Great Powers forever. In 1900, Britannia ruled the waves. The 40 million citizens of the British Isles were linked to a colonial empire of 400 million people over which the sun was said never to set. Britain was financially pre-eminent in the world; the pound sterling was the currency against which all others were measured. Britons prided themselves on what they thought to be their cultural, racial, and religious superiority. All of these certainties would be eroded over the course of the twentieth century as colonialism receded all over the globe. Rather than the pre-eminently successful colonialists they once had been, the British came to be seen as the perpetrators of an anachronistic and bloody imperial system in, among other places, India and Northern Ireland. The British social and political system was also beginning to show cracks. At the beginning of the twentieth century, a revolt against the House of Lords was stirring. Women’s suffrage and unionism threatened social stability, and the war undermined the nation’s demographic fabric. By the time the Depression of the 1920s and 1930s struck, the country was due for a complete economic overhaul, which culminated a complete Welfare State. A nation riven by political and economic divisions was briefly united during World War II, but important differences in ideology persist to the present. From Manor House to Monty Python, from Balfour to the Beatles, from Rule Britannia to Cool Britannia, this class will examine the changes in British culture over the course of the twentieth century.

MB 306 • International Business Foundations • 3 • Peter Moloney
An analyzsis of the political, social, legal, economic, competitive, technological, and cultural environments of international business. Students focus on the challenges facing international enterprises operating in these dynamic and often ambiguous environments. Topics include: competitions in global markets, organizational structure and control, transferability of management theories in a cross-cultural context, fundamentals of trade theory, global institutions and interdependencies, and the ethical, social, and ecological responsibilities of enterprises in a global context. This course covers the following dimensions for studying management and business in context: I, III, V, VI.

MF 101 • Intro to Media Studies • 4 • Aaron Pedinotti
This course provides an introduction to key topics and analytical frameworks in the fields of media and film studies. It is structured around four main units focusing on the technologies of film, radio, television, and new media. Each unit introduces techniques of formal and technical analysis concerning the medium to which it pertains, and covers differing theoretical perspectives on the nature of that medium. Major themes of the course include the difference between deterministic and non-deterministic understandings of media technologies, the nature and extent and media’s effect on society, and the relationship(s) of media to social forces, history, and power. Lessons include lectures, film and television screenings, radio listening sessions, and various forms of experiential engagement with new media. Assignments and in-class exercises involve formal analyses of texts and artifacts and the comparative application of different theoretical perspectives to contemporary media landscapes. Because the topic of media is inextricably tied up with the topic of communication, active participation in class discussions is an important component of this course’s evaluative criteria.

MF 251D • Virtual Reality • 4 • Aaron Pedinotti
This course provides an overview of several important topic areas in the academic study of virtual reality. It surveys historical, theoretical, and empirically-based approaches to VR as a technical and socio-cultural phenomenon, and incorporates texts ranging from classical myths to contemporary films and television shows and cutting-edge VR adventures into the curriculum. The historically focused units of the course trace three threads in the scholarship on virtual technologies and practices. The first thread concerns the ways that storytelling from ancient times to the present (from premodern mythology to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter) has involved elements of virtual world construction. The second examines the roots of contemporary VR technologies in nineteenth-century optical technologies and military-based war simulations and follows their subsequent development in the online gaming, social media, and virtual worlds industries, culminating in the still-recent launches of Oculus Rift, Vive, PlayStation VR, and other virtual reality technologies. On the theoretical front, the course surveys the work of media theorists who have attempted to formally define the nature and underlying properties of virtual media and worlds. This portion of the course focusses heavily on theories of immersion and interactivity as two core aspects of virtual reality that contemporary technologies attempt to combine. The theoretical portions also incorporate texts from a longer tradition of philosophical commentaries that deal with the virtual dimensions of existence, including Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the cosmologies of ancient gnostic mystics, and the work of modern theorists of the virtual. Alongside these historical and theoretical contents, the course includes readings and screenings on the practical implications of virtual reality for society-at-large and a few science fiction texts that speculate about its impact on the future. Students should be advised that experiential engagement with virtual reality is a significant part of the curriculum and assignments, which will involve use of the state-of-the-art equipment available at Academic Technologies.

PY 109 • Physics: Sound and Music • 4 • Jill Linz
The physical principles of sound—how it is produced, propagated, and perceived. Illumination of principles will emphasize examples from music. Mechanisms used to produce different types of musical sounds will be discussed as well as the physical principles behind the reproduction of music in its many forms, such as radio, tape recorders, and CD players. The laboratory component will include measurement of the speed of sound, frequency analysis of musical instruments, and sound recording.
Note(s): (Fulfills QR2 and natural sciences requirements.)

SO 101 • Sociological Perspectives • 3 • Philip Lewis
The basic concepts and principles of major sociological perspectives. Attention is given to how these perspectives have been developed and used by social scientists to explain social phenomena. Recommended as an introduction to the discipline.
Note(s): (Fulfills social sciences requirement.)

SW 253 • Human Behavior and the Social Environment • 3 • Peter McCarthy

A multidisciplinary examination of theories and knowledge of human bio-psycho-social development from birth through later years. The course draws on research from biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science to study the impact of biological, psychological, social, and cultural systems on health and well-being. Students explore the range of social systems in which individuals live (families, groups, communities, and organizations) and study the importance of ethnicity, culture, gender, disability, and other elements of diversity in human development.

TH 304 • Special Studies in Acting • 3 • Lary Opitz
Students will train with and perform with The Saratoga Shakespeare Company, a professional regional theater company engaging Equity actors. Students will be cast in roles in a production and will then perform in the production over a two-week period. Training will involve techniques in Shakespearean acting, stage movement and combat, vocal work and career preparation. Students are eligible to join the Actors' Equity EMC (Equity Membership Candidate) program and will accrue five points towards Equity membership.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

TH 305 • Design and Technical Theatre • 3 • Lary Opitz
Students will be involved in various aspects of production and/or arts management with The Saratoga Shakespeare Company, a professional regional theater engaging Equity actors. Students will have a variety of opportunities to train and work in the areas of scenic construction, sound reinforcement, stage management, costume construction, arts management, and career development throughout the five week rehearsal and performance period.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

WLI 101 • Elementary Italian • 4 • Barbara Garbin
An introduction to spoken and written Italian emphasizing cultural perspectives. Linguistic emphasis is on basic grammar, vocabulary, and the development of reading, conversation, and writing skills while learning about the culture of Italy.