Colby
College
Catalogue
2023-2024
311 Corporation and Trustees
312 Trustees Emeriti
314 Visitors and 2022-23 Visits
315 Administration
322 Faculty
338 Named Faculty Chairs
341 Fellows and Interns
341 Associates and Assistants
342 Applied Music Associates and Instructors
343 Sabbaticals and Leaves
343 Faculty Emeriti
349 Alumni Council Executive Committee
349 Enrollment by States and Countries
349 Presidents
350 Accreditations and Memberships
351 Degrees and Honors Awarded at
Commencement 2023
361 Academic Calendars 2023-24 and 2024-25
362 Inquiries
Colby College Catalogue 2023-24
Table of Contents
Academic Program
3 About Colby
3 Colby Plan: Mission and Precepts
4 Summary of Colby Values
5 ColbyAfrmation
5 Admission
8 Fees and Charges
10 Financial Aid
13 Academic Procedures
20 Academic Requirements
30 Academic Advising and Placement
31 Academic Honors
32 Divisions and Departments
32 Key to Courses Descriptions
35 Research and Creative Scholarship
36 Colby Writing Requirements
36 Opportunities to Study Off Campus
39 Departments, Programs, Courses of Study
Appendices
297 The Residential Experience:
Student Life and Services
301 Athletics and Recreation
303 Center for the Arts and Humanities
303 Center for Small Town Jewish Life
304 Center for Teaching and Learning
304 Colby Museum of Art
306 DavisConnects
306 DavisInstituteforArticialIntelligence
306 Farnham Writers’ Center
307 Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs
308 Information Technology
308 Island Campus
309 Libraries
310 Oak Institute for Human Rights
Campus Resources
About Colby
Founded in 1813, Colby College is the 12th oldest liberal arts college in the United States.
Distinctive in its offerings, Colby provides an intimate, undergraduate-focused learning environment with a breadth of
programs presenting students and faculty with unparalleled opportunities. A vibrant and fully integrated academic, residential,
and cocurricular experience is sustained by a diverse and supportive community. Located in Waterville, Maine, Colby is a
global institution with students representing nearly every U.S. state and approximately 70 countries.
Colby’s model provides the scale and impact of larger universities coupled with intensive learning in a community committed to
scholarship and discovery, multidisciplinary approaches to integrated learning, study in the liberal arts, and leading-edge
programs addressing the world’s most complex challenges. Its network of partnerships with prestigious cultural, research,
medical, and business institutions extends educational and scholarly collaborations, providing students with unmatched
experiences leading to postgraduate success.
The College’s wide variety of programs and labs provides students and the community access to unique experiences: the
Colby College Museum of Art, the finest college art museum in the country, and the Lunder Institute for American Art have
made the College a nationally and internationally recognized center for art scholarship; DavisConnects prepares students for
lifelong success by combining a forward-thinking liberal arts education with extensive internship, research, and global
opportunities for all students regardless of their personal networks and financial circumstances; and the 350,000-square-foot
Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, is the most advanced and comprehensive NCAA D-III facility in the country. In
fall 2021, Colby opened the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the first such institute at a liberal arts college. Colby’s new
Island Campus, consisting of Allen and Benner islands, gives Colby a significant presence on the coast of Maine for a wide
range of academic programs and activities and undisturbed environments ideal for conducting interdisciplinary experiences.
Colby Plan: Mission and Precepts
Colby is committed to the belief that the best preparation for life, and especially for the professions that require specialized
study, is a broad acquaintance with human knowledge. The Colby experience is designed to enable each student to find and
fulfill their own unique potential. It is hoped that students will become critical and imaginative thinkers who are welcoming of
diversity and compassionate toward others, capable of distinguishing fact from opinion, intellectually curious and aesthetically
aware, adept at synthesis as well as analysis, broadly educated with depth in some areas, proficient in writing and speaking,
familiar with one or more scientific disciplines, knowledgeable about American and other cultures, able to create and enjoy
opportunities for lifelong learning, willing to assume leadership roles as students and citizens, prepared to respond flexibly to
the changing demands of the world of work, useful to society, and happy with themselves.
Colby stands for diversity, for respect for various lifestyles and beliefs, and for the protection of every individual against
discrimination. In the classroom and outside, there is freedom to study, to think, to speak, to work, to learn, and to thrive in an
environment that insists upon both civility and the free and open exchange of ideas and views. The behavior of individuals may
often affect the rights and well-being of others; therefore all members of the campus community are responsible for fostering
an environment in which teaching, learning, and research flourish.
The Colby Plan is a series of 10 educational precepts that reflect the principal elements of a liberal arts education and serve
as a guide for making reflective course choices, for measuring educational growth, and for planning for education beyond
college. Students are urged to pursue these objectives not only in their course work but also through educational and cultural
events, campus organizations and activities, and service to others. These precepts, which the College believes are at the
heart of a liberal arts education, are as follows:
1. to develop one’s capability for critical thinking, to learn to articulate ideas both orally and in writing, to develop a
capacity for independent work, and to exercise the imagination through direct, disciplined involvement in the creative process
2. to become knowledgeable about American culture and the current and historical interrelationships among peoples
and nations
3. to become acquainted with other cultures by learning a foreign language and by living and studying in another
country or by closely examining a culture other than one’s own
4. to learn how people different from oneself have contributed to the richness and diversity of society, how prejudice
limits such personal and cultural enrichment, and how each individual can confront intolerance
5. to understand and reflect searchingly upon one’s own values and the values of others
6. to become familiar with the art and literature of a wide range of cultures and historical periods
7. to explore in some detail one or more scientific disciplines, including experimental methods, and to examine the
interconnections between developments in science and technology and the quality of human life
8. to study the ways in which natural and social phenomena can be portrayed in quantitative terms and to understand
the effects and limits of the use of quantitative data in forming policies and making decisions
9. to study one discipline in depth, to gain an understanding of that discipline’s methodologies and modes of thought,
areas of application, and relationship to other areas of knowledge
10. to explore the relationships between academic work and one’s responsibility to contribute to the world beyond the
campus.
Summary of Colby Values
Academic Integrity
Intellectual integrity is a fundamental value of all academic institutions and is at the heart of the primary teaching, learning, and
research activities of the College. Misrepresenting one’s work, using sources without appropriate attribution, and giving or
receiving unauthorized aid on assignments and examinations are dishonest acts that violate the core value of intellectual
integrity.
Diversity
Colby is dedicated to the education of humane, thoughtful, and engaged persons prepared to respond to the challenges of an
increasingly diverse and global society and to the issues of justice that arise therein. The College also is committed to
fostering a fully inclusive campus community, enriched by persons of different races, gender identities, ethnicities, nationalities,
economic backgrounds, ages, abilities, sexual orientations, political beliefs and ideas, and spiritual values.
Campus Sustainability and Resource Conservation
Colby is committed to nurturing environmental awareness through its academic program as well as through its activities on
campus and beyond. As a local and global environmental citizen, the College adheres to the core values of respect for the
environment and sustainable living. Colby seeks to lead by example and fosters morally responsible environmental
stewardship. Environmentally safe practices inform and guide campus strategic planning, decision making, and daily
operations. We urge community members to recognize personal and institutional responsibilities for reducing impact on the
local and global environment. Finally, we recognize that achieving environmental sustainability will be an ongoing challenge
that evolves as we become more aware and educated as a community.
Nondiscrimination
Colby is a private, coeducational liberal arts college that admits students and makes personnel decisions on the basis of the
individual’s qualifications to contribute to Colby’s educational objectives and institutional needs. The principle of not
discriminating on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, parental or marital status,
national or ethnic origin, caste, political beliefs, veteran or military status, or disability unrelated to job or course of study
requirements is consistent with the mission of a liberal arts college and the law. Colby is an affirmative action/equal opportunity
employer and operates in accordance with federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination.
Prohibition of Harassment or Intimidation
Harassment or intimidation based on race, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national or ethnic origin,
caste, parental or marital status, political beliefs and ideas, veteran or military status, or disability results in loss of self-esteem
for the victim and in the deterioration of the quality of the classroom, social, or workplace environment. Neither the law nor
College regulation permit harassment or intimidation as defined in relevant College these policies. Both racial and sexual
harassment are illegal under state and federal law. Harassment or intimidation by one’s peers, by any student, or by any
employee of the College will not be tolerated. Possible penalties for those found guilty of harassment or intimidation include
probation, suspension, expulsion, termination of employment, and civil or criminal lawsuits. Those in positions of authority in all
sectors of the College community must recognize that there is always an element of power in their relationships with persons
having less authority. Faculty members must be aware that they can unexpectedly find themselves responsible for the
instruction or evaluation of any student at the College. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the person in authority not to abuse
that power. Relationships between consenting adults that would otherwise be acceptable can pose problems when one of the
two has any kind of authority over the other. Such relationships should be avoided.
Prohibition of Sexual Misconduct
Members of the Colby community, guests, and visitors have the right to be free from all forms of sexual misconduct. All
members of the campus community are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not infringe upon the rights of
others. Colby maintains a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct, including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating
violence, non-consensual sexual intercourse or contact, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and stalking.
For additional details, see the sexual misconduct policies in the Student, Staff, and Faculty handbooks.
Residential and Social Life
Because Colby is a residential college, students create a community that is simultaneously intellectual and social. The patterns
and programs of social and residential life are administered so as to enhance faculty-student ties beyond the classroom;
assure respect for persons and property as well as the individual rights, well-being, and dignity of others; promote
understanding among all people; and foster personal growth and the opportunity to make lasting friendships. In the conduct of
its social life Colby is committed to several principles. First, while not every social event can or should be open to every
student, campus social life as a whole should be open and welcoming to all students. Second, students must retain the right to
avoid social engagements when they so choose. To this end, departments, residence halls, teams, clubs, and other groups
should strive to ensure that participation in social activities is neither formally nor informally required. Third, personal conduct
at social events should be governed by respect for the rights and well-being of others.
Code of Student Conduct
In accepting membership in the Colby community, students agree to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with
the values of an academic community, including but not limited to honesty, integrity, civility, personal responsibility, respect for
the rights of others, honoring the principles of free expression and free inquiry, and openness in the pursuit of knowledge and
the search for truth, and to adhere to the following Code of Student Conduct: Colby students will not lie, steal, cheat, or
engage in dishonest or unlawful behavior or any other behavior intended to inflict physical or emotional harm on another
person. Colby students must abide by College policies and comply with directions of College officials acting in performance of
their duties. For additional details see Code of Student Conduct in the Student Handbook.
Colby Affirmation
The Colby Affirmation is the source of the vision shared by the community. The affirmation was developed by a task force of
students, faculty, staff, and members of the Board of Trustees. By living this way, we prioritize the intellectual, physical, social,
emotional, and spiritual well-being of all our community members.
The Colby Affirmation
Colby College is a community dedicated to learning and committed to the growth and well-being of all its members.
As a community devoted to intellectual growth, we value academic integrity. We agree to take ownership of our academic
work, to submit only work that is our own, to fully acknowledge the research and ideas of others in our work, and to abide by
the instructions and regulations governing academic work established by the faculty.
As a community built on respect for each other and our shared physical environments, we recognize the diversity of people
who have gathered here and that genuine inclusivity requires active, honest, and compassionate engagement with one
another and surrounding communities. We agree to respect each other, to honor community expectations, and to comply with
College policies.
As a member of this community, I pledge to hold myself and others accountable to these values wherever I may find myself.
Admission
Colby admits students as candidates for the degree of bachelor of arts. Admission is highly selective, and evaluation is based
on a holistic, contextual assessment of the candidate’s application.
The College actively seeks applicants who exemplify academic excellence and have special qualities or talents to contribute to
the Colby community, including diverse experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds valued by the College.
To ensure a common educational base, a minimum of 16 academic preparatory units is strongly recommended, including four
years of English, three of a single foreign language, three of college preparatory mathematics, two of history or social studies,
two of laboratory science, and two years of other college preparatory electives. Most successful candidates for admission
present at least 20 academic units.
Colby supports the efforts of secondary school officials and governing bodies to have their schools achieve regional accredited
status to provide reliable assurance of the quality of the educational preparation of its applicants for admission.
The average rate of return from first year to sophomore year is 95 percent. The average six-year graduation rate is 87 percent.
Application Deadlines
● Early Decision I admission and financial aid: Nov. 15
Notification: by Dec. 15
● Spring transfer admission and financial aid: Nov. 15
Notification: by Dec. 15
● Early Decision II admission and financial aid: Jan. 1
Notification: by Feb. 15
● Regular Decision admission: Jan. 1
Notification: by April 1
● Regular Decision financial aid: Jan. 15
Notification: by April 1
● Fall transfer admission and financial aid: April 1
Notification: by May 15
● Candidate reply date for students admitted Regular Decision: May 1
Application Forms
Application forms are available at https://afa.colby.edu/apply. There is no fee to apply for admission.
Tests
Colby is test optional. Students may choose whether to submit the results of their standardized test scores with their
application for admission. Students choosing to submit SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Test scores may elect to self-report their
standardized test scores on the application. Official scores will be required only for students who submitted test results with
their application and choose to enroll at Colby. Students seeking to fulfill the College’s foreign language requirement may do
so by submitting official test scores that indicate an earned score of 640 or higher on a foreign language Subject Test or
receiving a score of a 4 or higher on an AP foreign language exam or scoring a 6 or higher on an International Baccalaureate
foreign language exam. Please refer to the Colby AP Exam Policy via the Registrar’s webpage. Information about the tests is
available at collegeboard.com/testing and at actstudent.org. The Colby College institutional codes are 3280 for the SAT and
Subject Tests and 1638 for the ACT.
Global Entry Semester Admission
Colby offers two first semester abroad options—in Dijon, France, and Salamanca, Spain—which are described in the
Opportunities to Study Off Campus section. Students who participate in one of the College’s first semester abroad programs
will earn academic credit and satisfy distribution requirements toward the degree at the same pace as their classmates.
Admission to the fall semester abroad program is based on prior foreign language study and personal qualities that suggest a
smooth transition to campus in January.
Advanced Standing
Colby participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the College Board. Credits will be recorded on the Colby
transcript for official AP scores of 4 or 5, and, where appropriate, advanced course placement will be granted. These credits
may also be applied to certain academic areas of the College’s distribution requirement (see Academic Requirements section),
but AP credits may not be counted toward the 128 credits required for graduation.
Colby also recognizes the International Baccalaureate (IB) and offers advanced course placement and credit based on
individual Higher Level examination results, as well as performance on the full IB Diploma program. At the discretion of
individual academic departments, advanced placement may be earned for scores of 6 and 7 on higher-level examinations. A
full year of credit toward the 128 credits required for graduation and up to two full semesters toward the residency requirement
may be earned for an IB Diploma point total of 36 or better, assuming all examination scores are 5 or better.
Finally, students who receive an A or B (superior level) on A-levels or comparable scores on the Leaving Certificate (Ireland),
the Abitur (Germany), or the Baccalauréat (France) may be eligible for advanced placement.
International Students
International applicants whose first language is not English or whose language of secondary school instruction has not been in
English must submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Duolingo English Test (DET), TOEFL
Home Edition, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Need-based financial aid is available to international students. Colby meets one hundred percent of demonstrated need for all
applicants. Applicants for financial aid must complete the International Student CSS Profile, which is available online.
A campus advisor is available to international students on immigration and other matters. A multilingual writing specialist
teaches a fall course on college-level academic English writing and speaking for international students, WP111
“Communication in Context,” and provides individual tutoring on English writing, reading, and speaking for any international
student during the academic year.
Transfer Students
Priority in admissions is to incoming first-year students, though a small number of transfer students are admitted each year.
Admission by transfer is open to those with strong academic and personal records from accredited colleges or universities.
Application forms are available online at https://afa.colby.edu/apply/.
Credits from accredited institutions are generally accepted for courses that are comparable to those offered at Colby and in
which grades of C or better are received. No more than 64 transferable semester credit hours may be applied toward a Colby
degree. Campus housing for transfer students is not guaranteed.
Veterans and Yellow Ribbon Program
First-year students receiving Veterans Administration benefits should refer to their Colby Memorandum of Understanding for
information regarding major declaration.
Veterans may request advanced standing consideration for completion of service schools before matriculation. Credit is not
granted for military service or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests. All students are bound by Colby’s transfer
credit policies which can be found in the transfer section of this catalogue.
Students receiving Veterans Administration benefits will receive a copy of a personalized financial aid letter along with a
certified financial planning sheet before the start of the next academic year.
Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence to serve in the United States military may return without obtaining special
permission and without change of academic status, assuming the absence does not exceed five years. Exceptions include
veterans who receive a dishonorable discharge, bad conduct charge, or who were court-martialed.
The Yellow Ribbon Program is an agreement between colleges and universities and the Veterans Administration in which
higher education institutions help cover the cost of tuition and fees in excess of the amounts payable under the Post-9/11
Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.
Non-matriculated Students
Anyone interested in enrolling as a non-matriculated student must contact the Office of Civic Engagement and Community
Partnerships for information about the application process. Registration in individual courses then requires the approval of the
course instructor and may be limited; matriculated students have priority for admission to courses with limited enrollments.
All persons seeking to take courses for credit must present evidence that they are qualified to pursue the intended courses
and must pay the established fee. A limited number of Waterville-area secondary school students may be recommended by
their schools to take a course. Adults from the immediate Waterville area who are not degree candidates may qualify to take
courses at one-half the usual fee or may audit courses at no charge.
Persons wishing to enroll as auditing students must also contact the Office of Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships
and are referred to Auditing Courses in the Academic Procedures section.
Fees and Charges
Annual Basic Charges 2023-24
Semester 1
Semester 2
Total
Comprehensive Fee
$41,860
$41,860
$83,720
Calendar of Payments 2023-24
Upon Acceptance for Admission: Enrollment deposit—new students only (nonrefundable)
$300
Aug. 1: One-half of annual basic charges, less enrollment deposit if applicable
$41,860
Jan. 2: One-half of annual basic charges
$41,860
Students arriving at Colby for their first semester on campus will also be charged for the Colby Outdoor Orientation Trip
(COOT). The fee of $275 is due the same date as basic charges for the appropriate semester.
Deposits
Enrollment Deposit for All New Students: A nonrefundable deposit of $300 is due on or before the date of confirmation of
intention to attend. This deposit is credited against the charges for the student’s initial semester of enrollment and will be
forfeited if the student does not enroll.
Study-Away Deposit: Students who will not be enrolled on the Waterville campus, but are participating in a Colby-billed
study-away program are required to pay a $500 deposit. This deposit is forfeited should the student withdraw from the
program.
Comprehensive Fee
Tuition: All matriculating students are required to enroll for at least 12 credit hours each semester. Exceptions are made by the
dean of admissions and financial aid in the case of nontraditional students and by the dean of students in certain cases of
regular students with extenuating circumstances that prohibit them from carrying a normal course load. Students who receive
loans and/or grants should be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours per semester to qualify for these funds. In exceptional
cases, students may be charged on a credit hour basis at the rate of $2,450 per credit hour.
Board/Food: The College offers a board plan of 21 meals per week. This plan allows students unlimited access to the dining
halls during posted hours and is automatically billed to all students living on campus.
Students living in the Harold and Bibby Alfond Residence Complex or the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons will receive
a cost reduction of $2,285 per semester and will receive 100 meals per semester.
Room/Housing: Students are expected to occupy College housing facilities to the full extent of their availability. Other
arrangements may be made only with specific approval of the dean of students. Residence hall reservations are made through
the Office of Campus Life.
Room and Board Cost Reduction: Students enrolled on campus who are approved to live off campus will receive a room and
board cost reduction of $5,510 per semester and will receive 100 meals per semester.
All full-time students are required to have health insurance coverage while attending Colby. All students are automatically
enrolled in the plan administered by Wellfleet and billed the $2,178 annual premium. Students are required to complete the
online enroll/waive process annually and may waive participation in the plan by documenting comparable coverage under
another insurance policy. This process must be completed by August 1, 2023. Failure to meet this deadline results in
automatic enrollment in the plan, and the student will be responsible for paying the non-refundable annual premium. More
information regarding health insurance can be found at colby.edu/sfs.
Off-Campus, January Program, Miscellaneous Charges
Off-Campus-Study Charges
Two types of off-campus-study programs are available at Colby: approved non-Colby off-campus study and Colby off-campus
programs. Students who are engaged in approved non-Colby off-campus foreign or domestic study programs pay fees directly
to the host institution or service providers. For Colby programs abroad and domestic exchanges, a comprehensive fee
including tuition, room, board, and travel applies. Financial aid is available to students enrolled in approved non-Colby
off-campus programs as well as to those enrolled in Colby off-campus programs. Colby-billed study-away programs require a
$500 attendance deposit. Semester fees for the 2023-24 Colby off-campus programs are as follows:
Semester Charges
Colby at Bigelow Lab $41,860
Colby in Dijon $41,860
Colby in Salamanca $41,860
Students who expect to transfer credits for full-time study in a non-Colby program will be subject to a fee of $1,500 per
semester. This fee will be charged on the Colby tuition bill.
Information regarding application deadlines and other program details may be obtained from the Office of Off-Campus Study.
January Program
A January Program that requires extensive travel, special materials, or highly specialized outside instruction carries a fee
calculated to reflect the costs of the individual program.
Students who are not enrolled on campus for either the fall or spring semester will be charged a fee of $7,090 for tuition for
participating only in an on-campus January Program. If on-campus housing is provided, an additional charge will be assessed.
Miscellaneous Charges
Applied Music: A student is notified of the fee that will be charged to the student account when registering for musical
instruction in the applied music program. Music majors are eligible for subsidized instruction; refer to Music in the
Departments, Programs, and Courses of Study section.
Medications: A student may be charged for the cost of some prescription and nonprescription medicines prescribed by the
health services staff.
Fines: Fines are charged for failure to register automobiles, parking violations, late return of library books, checks returned as
uncollectible, and disciplinary actions.
Damage to or Loss of College Property: Liability for damage or loss of College property located within individual residence hall
rooms lies with the resident(s) of the room. When damage or loss of College property occurs in residence hall common areas
(e.g., lounges, hallways, lobbies, bathrooms), the Office of Campus Life will make every effort to identify the individuals
responsible and to bill them. In cases in which residential life staff determines that responsibility lies with the residents of a
specific section of a residence hall, those students will be billed. Any conflicts regarding assignment of responsibility may be
directed to the Judicial Board.
Financial Aid
In order to ensure access and opportunity for students from all economic backgrounds, Colby offers financial aid to admitted
students who demonstrate financial eligibility and are enrolled full time. Almost $60 million in grant funding is awarded annually
to approximately 40 percent of the student body. The average aid package awarded to 978 grant recipients in 2022-23 was
nearly $66,000. In addition to Colby’s own programs, state grants, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Federal College Work-Study, and Yellow Ribbon grants may be included in aid awards.
Beginning with the 2008-09 academic year, the portion of calculated need previously met with student loans has been met with
grants and campus employment; federal direct student and parent (PLUS) loans may be available to reduce the family
contribution and to supplement the need-based financial aid package.
First-time aid applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents wishing to apply for federal funds need only submit the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the federal processor. Those also applying for Colby’s institutional grants
should submit the Profile form to the College Scholarship Service (CSS), including the Non-Custodial CSS Profile if applicable.
On the basis of the FAFSA, the College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS) form, W-2 forms, federal income tax returns, and
other forms that may be required for special circumstances, the College determines eligibility within the context of Colby policy
and federal regulations. Students who do not complete a financial aid application prior to admission will not be considered for
Colby grant assistance for two award years unless their family financial circumstances change substantially, unexpectedly, and
unavoidably.
Early Decision applicants who wish to be considered for institutional financial aid must file the CSS Profile, FAFSA*, and
provide copies of the parent and student 2022 federal income tax return (including all schedules and W-2s) before Nov. 15 for
Early Decision I, before Jan. 2 for Early Decision II, and before Jan. 15 for Regular Decision. *The 2024-25 FAFSA is currently
scheduled to have a delayed release with an anticipated release date of December 2023. Early Decision I domestic aid
applicants are expected to submit their FAFSA application once available. International students must complete and submit
the International Student CSS Profile by the appropriate decision deadline. The Certification of Finances and documentation of
family income (bank statements, employers’ letters, and/or tax forms with translation) will be required by enrolled international
students only.
Aid is also available for programs of study abroad and domestic programs of study away that are approved by the Office of
Off-Campus Study. The only domestic programs for which federal or Colby aid may be used are those specified in the
Off-Campus Study Handbook as Colby-approved programs.
Aid for programs of study off campus is based on the actual cost of the program plus an administrative fee, up to a maximum
of Colby’s cost. Student loans may enable financial aid recipients to replace semester earnings, which are not available while
studying internationally.
Parents and students may review information in the Student Financial Services and Career Center offices concerning
scholarships offered by non-Colby organizations.
As stated more fully in the section on Academic Procedures in this catalogue, the Committee on Academic Standing reviews
the records of all students at the end of each semester to determine if each is maintaining satisfactory academic progress.
Decisions of this committee govern eligibility for financial aid in accordance with federal regulations and Colby policy.
Committee decisions of dismissal may be appealed. When students have been readmitted after academic dismissal, federal
Title IV assistance (to a maximum of 10 semesters) will be awarded on a cumulative basis according to Colby’s published
funding priorities for financial aid. All standards are in accordance with federal laws with respect to satisfactory academic
progress. In general, a Colby grant is available only for tuition charged for coursework required to obtain a Colby degree, up to
eight semesters of full-time enrollment. To ensure maximum aid eligibility, a student must maintain a minimum of 12 credit
hours each semester, exclusive of credits taken during January.
Students who are admitted to Colby as other-than-first-semester first-year students are eligible for Colby aid for the number of
semesters required for graduation as determined by the College at the time of entry. For example, a student who matriculates
as a second-semester first-year student is considered for up to seven semesters of aid.
Payment
Payment of Bills
Online student account statements are available to enrolled students. Students may authorize the College to make online
statements accessible to parents or to discuss financial matters with parents. In order to do so, permission must be granted by
the student through the myColby portal. Instructions on how to grant parental access are available on the portal. Electronic
notices may be sent to the student’s email account should there be a balance due or as needed to communicate financial
transactions, obligations, and pertinent information.
Prior to the first day of classes each semester, student accounts must be paid or satisfactory arrangements made with Student
Financial Services. If the balance on the account is to be paid by an outside scholarship, a 30-day late fee waiver will be
granted for the amount of the scholarship only if the student notifies Student Financial Services of this information prior to the
first day of classes. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all financial matters are resolved prior to the first day of
classes. Payments are applied against charges in the order in which the charges appear on the student’s account.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this catalogue, a student’s account, including tuition, room and board, fees, charges,
and fines, must be paid in full before that student will be allowed to register for classes for an upcoming semester, to
participate in the annual room draw process, or to participate in baccalaureate or commencement exercises.
In the event that a student account is delinquent, the account may be placed with a collection agency or an attorney for
collection. All collection costs, including attorney’s fees, will be charged to the student.
The College does not accept post-dated checks or credit card payments on campus for semester charges. Electronic
payments from a U.S. checking or savings account can be made at colby.edu/sfs. A fee of $15 is charged for any returned
check or electronic payment.
Late Payment Fees
A late payment fee of one percent of an unpaid balance of $1,000 or more will be assessed at the first of each month for as
long as such a balance remains unpaid. A balance must be 30 days old to be assessed a fee. Assessment dates for
September and February will coincide with the first day of classes rather than with the first day of those months. In order to
avoid late fees, it is best to send payment as early as possible as Colby cannot be held responsible for delays in mail service.
Overnight mail or electronic payments are recommended when making payment within two weeks of the first day of classes.
Electronic payments from a U.S. checking or savings account can be made at colby.edu/sfs under the Student Account Info
link. Student Veterans Administration (VA) participants, entitled to educational assistance under either Chapter 31 or Chapter
33, are therefore exempted and should contact the Registrar’s Office for specific information related to the Veterans Benefits
and Transition Act of 2018, section 3679 of title 38, United States Code amendment.
Loan and Payment Plans
The College makes available a number of loans and a payment plan. Those interested in such plans may contact Student
Financial Services at 1-800-723-4033.
Institutional Refund Policy
Colby College has developed a refund policy for all students. Students who officially withdraw before the first day of classes
will be refunded 100 percent of institutional charges (tuition and fees), less any non-refundable enrollment or matriculation
fees. Once the semester has begun, refunds for semester charges (tuition, room, board, and the general fee) will be prorated
on a weekly basis.
● Withdrawal before first day of scheduled classes—100 percent refund
● Pro-rata refunds of semester charges are calculated at 1/15 per week for students who withdraw for medical or
personal reasons.
Refunds are made no later than 45 days after a student has withdrawn, if the withdrawal is official, and no later than 45 days
after the institution has determined that a student has unofficially withdrawn.
Refunds will be made for students who withdraw either voluntarily or unofficially in accordance with this policy. Refunds of
institutional charges are not granted to full-time students withdrawing during the January Program. No refunds are made for
students who elect not to do an on-campus January Program. A similar refund policy is in effect for Colby off-campus
programs.
The College offers an optional tuition refund insurance designed to reduce the financial loss caused by a medical withdrawal.
Information is sent to students in July of each year.
Title IV financial assistance recipients who withdraw from the College must have their aid eligibility recalculated in accordance
with applicable federal laws. Please refer to the section titled Treatment of Title IV Aid When a Student Withdraws for more
information.
Return of Title IV Funds Policy
Treatment of Title IV Aid When a Student Withdraws
The law specifies how Colby must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that you earn if you withdraw from
school. The Title IV programs that are covered by this law are Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, Direct
Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), and Federal Perkins Loans.
Though your aid is posted to your account at the start of each period, you earn the funds as you complete the period. If you
withdraw during your payment period, the amount of Title IV program assistance that you have earned up to that point is
determined by a specific formula. If you received (or your school or parent received on your behalf) less assistance than the
amount that you earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds. If you received more assistance than you earned,
the excess funds must be returned by the school and/or yourself.
The amount of assistance that you have earned is determined on a pro rate basis. For example, if you completed 30 percent
of your payment period or period of enrollment, you earn 30 percent of the assistance you were originally scheduled to
receive. Once you have completed more than 60 percent of the payment period or period of enrollment, you earn all the
assistance that you were scheduled to receive for that period.
If you did not receive all the funds that you earned, you may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. If your post-withdrawal
disbursement includes loan funds, your school must get your permission before it can disburse them. You may choose to
decline some or all of the loan funds so that you don’t incur additional debt. Your school may automatically use all or a portion
of your post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds for tuition, fees, and room and board charges (as contracted with the
school). The school needs your permission to use the post-withdrawal grant disbursement for all other school charges. If you
do not give your permission (some schools ask for this when you enroll), you will be offered the funds. However, it may be in
your best interest to allow the school to keep the funds to reduce your debt at the school.
There are some Title IV funds that you were scheduled to receive that cannot be disbursed to you once you withdraw because
of other eligibility requirements. For example, if you are a first-time, first-year undergraduate student and you have not
completed the first 30 days of your program before you withdraw, you will not receive any Direct Loan funds that you would
have received had you remained enrolled past the 30th day.
If you receive (or your school or parent receives on your behalf) excess Title IV program funds that must be returned, your
school must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of:
1. your institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage of your funds, or
2. the entire amount of excess funds.
The school must return this amount even if it didn’t keep this amount of your Title IV program funds. If your school is not
required to return all the excess funds, you must return the remaining amount. For any loan funds that you must return, you (or
your parent for a Direct PLUS Loan) must repay in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, you must make
scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a defined period.
Any amount of unearned grant funds that you must return is called an overpayment. The maximum amount of a grant
overpayment that you must repay is half of the grant funds you received or were scheduled to receive. You do not have to
repay a grant overpayment if the original amount of the overpayment is $50 or less. You must arrange with your school or the
Department of Education to return the unearned grant funds.
The requirements for Title IV program funds when you withdraw are separate from any refund policy that your school may
have. Therefore, you may still owe funds to the school to cover unpaid institutional charges. Your school may also charge you
for any Title IV program funds that the school was required to return. If you don’t already know your school’s refund policy, you
should ask your school for a copy. Your school can also provide you with the requirements and procedures for officially
withdrawing from school.
If you have questions about your Title IV program funds, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at
1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243). TTY users may call 1-800-730-8913. Information is also available on Student Aid on the
Web at studentaid.ed.gov.
Future Tuition and Fees
The College projects that Colby costs likely will increase above inflation in order to maintain the real growth in salaries
comparable to professionals outside of higher education, continue a financial aid grant program for about one-third of all Colby
students, maintain and update the College’s physical plant and sophisticated equipment, and retain flexibility for currently
unforeseen but essential investments that will be needed to keep Colby in the forefront of innovation and excellence in national
liberal arts colleges.
General Information
Student Financial Services is located on the first floor of the Garrison-Foster Building. Staff members are available on
weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to answer questions about student accounts, financial aid, student and parent
loans, and College financial policies.
Academic Procedures
Academic procedures in this section spell out policies related to the student’s academic program, from course selection and
registration to exams and grades to issuance of transcripts. Topics include:
● Student’s Responsibility
● Student’s Program
● Selection of Courses (Eligibility, Adding,
Dropping, Withdrawal)
● Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading
● Repeated Courses
● Exemption by Examination
● Auditing Courses
● Attendance
● Religious Holidays
● Academic Honesty
● Academic Alerts
● Exams (Hour, Quizzes, Semester)
● Marks, Incomplete Grades, Changes in Grades
● Transcripts
● Academic Review and Standing, Probation,
Dismissal
● Class Standing
● Transfer Credits
● Leave of Absence
Student’s Responsibility
Each student must be aware constantly of progress in meeting requirements for graduation. If there is any question about an
individual record, the Registrar’s Office should be consulted. Each student must also be aware of deadlines set within each
academic year that pertain to academic actions; these are available from the Registrar’s Office and on the registrar’s website
as Critical Dates. Academic calendars, maintained online, list official schedules for Colby’s academic terms.
The College’s official means of communication is electronic. Students are expected to activate their Colby email accounts and
to check them regularly, as many official notices from the administration and the faculty are sent only as electronic mail.
Academic records, including courses a student has taken and the student’s status with respect to fulfillment of academic
requirements, are available in a password-protected environment through the College website.
Student’s Program
The student at Colby normally takes from 12 to 16 credit hours in each semester and one offering during the January term.
Full-time standing during a semester requires a minimum of 12 credit hours.
Each first-year student has a faculty advisor to assist in planning the academic program. A new faculty advisor is assigned
when the student has selected a major. Approval of the faculty advisor(s) is required for all procedures affecting a student’s
academic program.
Prospective students frequently ask what subjects they will study—especially in the first year. It would be misleading to present
any specific pattern of courses for either of the first two years. The programs of individual students may vary widely because
there is considerable latitude within the requirements. To prepare for their lives in an increasingly complex society, students
are encouraged to learn quantitative skills, to learn to write well, and to take courses that expose them to cultures other than
their own.
To ensure distribution among the divisions, first-year students must include a first-year writing (W1) course, a foreign language
(unless exempted by examination), and courses to meet area requirements. Students are urged to complete all distribution
requirements by the end of their sophomore year. Students are encouraged to elect subject areas that are new to them and
are advised to avoid over-concentration in any department or division.
Students considering a scientific career or the study of medicine should begin electing scientific subjects at once. Many
departments in the natural and social sciences recommend mathematics in the first year. The student and assigned advisor
should discuss a prospective program, noting carefully the recommendations and requirements in areas of major study. The
initial selection of a major is by no means final; students are encouraged to explore alternative options throughout their
sophomore year.
Selection of Courses
Each semester students select programs of study for the following semester. Students select courses via the web after
consultation with academic advisors. Selections are confirmed or denied following review of courses against academic
departments’ criteria for course limits and priorities, after which students may add or drop courses via the web, subject to rules
stated for each course.
Deadlines for voluntary changes—adding, dropping, or withdrawing from a course, changing sections within a course,
declaring or revoking the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option, augmenting or decreasing credit in courses offered for variable
credit—appear in Critical Dates published annually by the registrar and available online.
No student may register for more than 18 credit hours in any semester without special permission from the faculty advisor(s)
and the dean of studies.
Ordinarily, a student can neither repeat a course for additional credit nor register for two courses scheduled to meet
concurrently (but see Repeated Courses in this section).
Eligibility
Other than in exceptional circumstances specified in advance in writing by the dean of studies, a student will not be permitted
to register later than the fifth class day of a semester.
Prior to registration, each student must complete payment of fees as specified by the treasurer, who is not authorized to defer
such payment. New students must also provide the required health certificate prior to the first day of classes. (See Health
Records in the Student Affairs and Campus Life section.)
Adding Courses
Students in any class year are permitted to add courses to their schedules, subject to established course rules, through the
fifth day of classes (hereafter referred to as the “add period”) in either semester.
Dropping Courses
All students enrolled full time at Colby may drop courses via the web through the 13th day of classes. The specific drop dates
for each year are published in Critical Dates, available online or from the Registrar’s Office.
Students’ schedules are available online. It is each student’s responsibility to ensure that his or her registrations are accurate
and total at least 12 credits, the minimum for full-time status (see Student’s Program above). Dropped courses will not appear
on the student’s permanent record or transcript. Students may not drop a course simply by absenting themselves from its
meetings. Absence without formally dropping a course subjects the student to a mark of F in the course.
Withdrawal from Courses
All students may withdraw from courses until the end of the 11th week of the semester and receive the mark of W. Appropriate
forms, approved by advisor and instructors, must be filed with the Registrar’s Office. If at the time of withdrawal the instructor
considers the student to be failing, the mark shall be WF (for a conventionally graded course). Neither W nor WF is used in
calculating the student’s grade point average but will appear on the transcript.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading
Students may elect a limited number of courses, totaling no more than 16 credits), on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis; these
cannot fulfill distribution requirements. Most departments specify that major courses must be taken on a conventionally graded
basis.
Forms for declaring satisfactory/unsatisfactory options can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office. The form must be
completed and returned by the end of the add period in the semester in which the course is taken or by the end of the drop
period for a January course. A satisfactory/unsatisfactory election may be voluntarily revoked by a deadline established for
each term. Letter grades submitted by instructors will be converted to S (for grades A through C-) or U before being posted on
permanent records; any grade below C- is unsatisfactory and will be recorded as a U on the grade record. The Registrar’s
Office cannot release more specific information on the quality of the S, even upon request of the student who earned it.
Repeated Courses
Students with a need to earn a higher grade may repeat a course previously passed; both the first and subsequent
enrollments and grades will be permanent entries on the academic record and transcript, and both grades will be used in
computing the grade point average. No additional credit will be granted for the repeated course. Exceptions: Some courses
build skills or change content in ways that make them repeatable regardless of grades given. Catalogue descriptions for such
courses usually include the statement “May be repeated for additional credit.” More-specific information about repeatable
courses may be obtained from the chair of the department concerned.
Exemption by Examination
Distribution requirements, as well as certain requirements for the major, may be absolved by examination without course
enrollment when appropriate and at the discretion of the department concerned. Matriculated students may earn credit by
examination in 100- or 200-level courses to a maximum of 12 hours. Departmental examinations or external examinations
approved by the department may be used, with credit given for the equivalent of at least C-level work. The cost of each
examination is borne by the student. The College will exempt students from the language requirement for attaining before
entrance a score of 640 in an SAT-II Subject Test in a foreign language or for attaining a score of 640 in Colby’s placement test
during first-year orientation or for attaining a 6 or 7 in a foreign-language International Baccalaureate higher-level exam or a 7
on a standard-level exam; in those cases, no academic credit will be granted.
Auditing Courses
A matriculated Colby student may arrange to audit courses with the consent of the instructor. No credit is earned, and the audit
is not recorded on the student’s permanent record.
An auditor is not permitted to submit papers or perform any other function for which course credit is usually given. For this
reason, auditing is seldom permitted in courses where the method of instruction involves significant individual attention and
criticism. Under no circumstances can academic credit be given an auditor, nor can an audited course later be converted into
an accredited course. The decision whether the course is to be audited or taken for credit must be made at entry.
Individuals who are not matriculated Colby students may register to audit courses at the College. Application to audit must be
made with the dean of admissions; if approval is granted, forms for registering to audit specific courses must be filed with the
Registrar’s Office. Permission to audit will be withheld if the class is already too large and if auditing applications for it are
numerous.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all of their classes and scheduled course events in any semester and in January and are
responsible for any work missed. Failure to attend can lead to an academic alert, grading penalties, and/or dismissal from the
course with a failing grade.
Religious Holidays
Colby is supportive of the religious practices of its students, faculty, and staff. The College is committed to ensuring that all
students are able to observe their religious beliefs without academic penalty.
The College will enable any student to make up any course requirements scheduled during a religious holiday that is observed
by that student. Students are expected to inform course instructors within two weeks of the beginning of the term of any
religious observance that will conflict with course work. The faculty member will then work with the student to find a reasonable
accommodation that will allow the student to complete the academic work. In addition, no student will be required to participate
in college events such as athletic commitments, lectures, or concerts on these holidays.
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life maintains a list of religious holidays. Faculty are encouraged to consult this list as
they plan their courses.
Academic Honesty
Intellectual integrity is a fundamental value of all academic institutions and is at the heart of the teaching, learning, and
research activities of the College. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are serious offenses. Finding
an instance of academic dishonesty, the instructor will report the case to the academic integrity coordinator. If the student does
not accept responsibility for the charge of academic dishonesty, an investigation will be initiated. The Academic Review Board
will review the case and may impose a sanction up to and including suspension or expulsion. The decision of the board shall
be final and binding. The report becomes part of the student’s confidential file and is destroyed six years after graduation or
the last date of attendance. Students may not drop or withdraw from a course in which they have been found guilty of
academic dishonesty (unless approved by the Academic Review Board).
Student accountability for academic dishonesty extends beyond the end of a semester and even after graduation. If Colby
determines following the completion of a course or after the awarding of a Colby degree that academic dishonesty has
occurred, the College may change the student’s grade in the course, issue a failing grade, and rescind credit for the course
and/or revoke the Colby degree.
Students who are found responsible for academic dishonesty in a course, while that course is still in session, are not allowed
to complete a course evaluation for that course. Students who are found responsible for academic dishonesty in a course will
not be allowed to write a letter for the promotion or tenure of the professor of that course.
Without the approval of all the instructors involved, registration for two or more courses scheduled to meet concurrently is a
form of academic dishonesty.
Academic Alerts
Throughout the semester, at the discretion of the professor, academic alerts are issued to students. A major academic alert signifies that a
student’s average is below passing. Academic alerts may also be issued for excessive absence or late or incomplete assignments. Attention is
called to the statement on attendance in this section of this catalogue.
Exams
Hour Exams and Quizzes
Hour exams will be scheduled with at least one week’s notice. Short quizzes may be given without notice.
Semester Exams
Six days are set aside at the close of each semester for three-hour final exams. The Registrar’s Office schedules the time and
place of semester exams in all courses except those that are specifically exempted by the appropriate department chair. An
excused absence for a semester exam is granted if:
1. The instructor gives permission because of illness or grave emergency.
2. The registrar has been notified (on the appropriate form) of a valid conflict involving three exams on one day, four in
consecutive order, or two courses with the same exam number.
A student with three exams scheduled in one day or four exams in sequence may choose the exam to be postponed.
A postponed exam may be taken during the designated make-up period or at another time subsequent to the scheduled exam
agreeable to both the student and the instructor. There is no make-up for failed exams.
The mark for the exam may constitute up to half of the total course mark.
Marks
A student may obtain marks from instructors, but the only official College record is that maintained in the Registrar’s Office.
Grades can be viewed online two weeks following the faculty’s grade reporting deadline; semester reports are released to
parents upon explicit request of the student. Grade reports may be withheld for students whose financial obligations to the
College have not been met.
In graded courses: Marks are ordinarily posted as A, B, C, D, and F, with + or – appended to grades A through D. A mark
below D- means failure. (For points earned, see Quality Requirement in the Academic Requirements section.)
A Excellent work in meeting the goals of the course, in mastering the course material, in critical analysis, in written and
oral communication, or in other forms of creative expression, within the context of the course expectations. (The grade of A+ is
awarded only in very rare instances when a student exceeds the highest reasonable expectations for undergraduates.)
B Very Good to Good work in meeting the goals of the course, in mastering the course material, in critical analysis, in
written and oral communication, or in other forms of creative expression, within the context of the course expectations.
C Satisfactory work in meeting the goals of the course, in mastering the course material, in critical analysis, in written and
oral communication, or in other forms of creative expression, within the context of the course expectations.
D Minimally acceptable work in meeting the goals of the course, in mastering the course material, in critical analysis, in
written and oral communication, or in other forms of creative expression, within the context of the course expectations. (While
the grade of D counts as a passing grade for any individual course, a student receiving D grades in multiple classes may be at
risk of falling below the minimum 2.0 GPA required for graduation.)
F Seriously deficient work that is not acceptable. No credit is awarded. F may also indicate abandonment of a course
without formal withdrawal.
In nongraded courses: For semester courses, CR indicates credit is earned; NC is recorded if credit is not earned. For January
courses, CR indicates credit for program; F is recorded if no credit is earned.
Courses offered for January Program credit only (i.e., which fulfill the January Program requirement but carry no credit hours
toward graduation) are graded credit (CR) or fail (F).
Incomplete Grades: A mark of I indicates a course not finished for some reason, generally for cases of significant illness or
critical emergency. Students must request an I grade by submitting an Incomplete Request Form to the Office of the Registrar
before the end of classes. Submitting the form does not guarantee that the request will be granted. The Incomplete request will
be considered by the course instructor, in consultation with the class dean and academic advisor. Work to make up a grade of
I must be submitted within limits set by the instructor, but no later than the second Monday of Jan Plan for the first semester,
February 28 for January courses, or June 10 for the second semester. Grades are due within one week of the work deadline.
After these dates, any remaining marks of I will be changed to F. The registrar will send reminder notices one week prior to the
deadline to all students whose I marks have not yet been converted. The dean of the college may give limited extensions for
the completion of work without penalty, but only for excuses similar to those acceptable for missing a final examination. A
student with any mark of I (except in the case of illness or critical emergency as noted by the Dean of Studies Office) is not
eligible for Dean’s List.
Changes in Grades: An instructor who wishes to change a semester grade (except I) after the grade reporting deadline must
secure approval of such change from the provost/dean of faculty. Any change must be demonstrated to be necessitated by
discovery of an error in recording or reporting or must result from a bona fide medical problem as verified by the dean of
studies.
Marks of W and WF, indicate withdrawal from a course and represent the student’s standing at the time of withdrawal. W
indicates either passing or no basis for judgment. WF indicates failing. These marks are excluded from computation of all
averages.
Transcripts
Transcripts are available from the Registrar’s Office upon receipt of a signed request from the student or former student. For
current students, a web-based request form is available. There is no charge for the transcript itself, whether delivered by post
or electronically; a fee is assessed for expedited, non-electronic delivery. Transcripts will not be issued for anyone whose
financial obligations to the College have not been met.
Academic Review and Standing
The opportunity to continue at Colby is a privilege earned by satisfactory academic achievement. The Committee on Academic
Standing reviews the academic records of all enrolled students at the end of each semester to verify satisfactory progress
toward the degree. The Office of the Dean of Studies informs students of changes in their academic standing.
Semester GPA
Good Standing
≥ 2.0
and
Academic Probation
1.70-1.99
and/or
Academic Dismissal
< 1.70 or < 2.0 while on probation
Academic Probation
Students who earn fewer than 12 credits or a grade point average between 1.70 and 1.99 in any semester will be placed on
academic probation. A student will be placed on probation in the major if the major average falls below 2.0 or if there is
inadequate progress toward completion of the major. Only when there are compelling extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness,
unusual personal problems) is it advisable for a student to carry fewer than 12 credits; such a reduced program must be
approved by the dean of studies and may still result in academic probation.
A student who is on probation must earn 12 credits and a C (2.00) average in the subsequent semester to avoid dismissal.
The January term will be considered part of the full year’s performance in evaluations made by the committee at the end of the
second semester. A student placed on probation in the major must regain or change that major in the subsequent semester.
(See Major Requirement in the Academic Requirements section).
Any student on academic probation is required to consult with his/her academic advisor, class dean, and any extracurricular
advisor, such as a coach, to discuss whether the student should continue participation in extracurricular activities.
Academic Dismissal
Students who earn less than a 1.70 grade point average in any semester or who do not earn at least 12 credits and a 2.00
grade point average while on probation will be dismissed from the College for one academic year. Students may appeal the
decision by submitting a written statement to the Committee on Academic Standing prior to its meetings in mid-January and
mid-June (held approximately two weeks after semester grades have been posted). This is the only opportunity to appeal the
dismissal.
Students who have been dismissed may, after one year, apply to the committee for reinstatement. Before requesting
readmission, the student must earn a B or better in at least two preapproved courses taken at an accredited institution. It is the
responsibility of the student to initiate the readmission process by submitting to their class dean a written request, by Dec. 1 for
spring semester and by May 1 for a fall semester return. The committee will take favorable action on readmission applications
only when satisfied that the factors that led to failure have been adequately addressed and that the student has ample
motivation and capacity to earn the degree. Readmission is a privilege, not a right.
Upon a student’s return to the College, his or her records from study elsewhere are subject to review and action by the
Committee on Academic Standing. A readmitted student will be on academic probation during the first semester back. A
second dismissal is final.
Class Standing
A student’s class standing is determined primarily by the number of full-time semesters completed, but also by credit hours
earned.
First-year standing: fewer than two semesters or fewer than 28 credit hours.
Sophomore standing: two or three semesters and 28 to 60 credit hours.
Junior standing: four or five semesters and 61 to 89 credit hours.
Senior standing: six or more semesters and 90 or more credit hours.
Class standing is not automatically changed to a higher level upon the posting of additional credits; students who believe
themselves eligible for a change of class year should consult the registrar. Students will be warned if they are not making
adequate progress toward the 128 credits needed to graduate.
Transfer Credits
Transferred Credits for Newly Admitted Students
Courses taken at other accredited institutions, not including online courses, in which grades of C or higher have been earned
(the courses may not be taken with pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading), may be credited toward the Colby degree
under the conditions and circumstances listed below and those specified in Residence Requirement and Quantity
Requirement in the Academic Requirements section. All credits presented for transfer toward a Colby degree must be
supported by official transcripts issued by the college or university where the credits were earned. Course descriptions and
syllabi are helpful and may be required. Transferred grades are not used in computing the grade point average.
1. When students are admitted by transfer, their records are tentatively evaluated by the registrar to determine the
transferable equivalent in Colby courses. These courses are credited subject to confirmation through satisfactory progress at
Colby.
2. College-level courses taken on college campuses with college students prior to matriculation as first-year students
are evaluated on the same basis as courses presented by new transfer students, unless the courses were part of a dual
enrollment or early college high school program or were used to fulfill high school graduation requirements (in which case the
courses may still fulfill distribution requirements and/or serve as prerequisites to higher-level courses).
3. Refer to Advanced Standing in the Admission section of this catalogue for additional programs in which credit or
advanced course placement may be earned.
Transferred Credits for Currently Enrolled (Matriculated) Students
Courses taken at other accredited institutions, in which grades of C or higher have been earned (the courses may not be taken
with pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading), may be credited toward the Colby degree under the conditions and
circumstances listed below and those specified in Residence Requirement and Quantity Requirement in the Academic
Requirements section. All credits presented for transfer toward a Colby degree must be supported by official transcripts issued
by the college or university where the credits were earned. Course descriptions and, in some cases, syllabi are required.
Transferred grades are not used in computing the grade point average.
1. Students seeking to transfer credits for full-time study away from Colby must file application forms by the established
deadlines with the Office of Off-Campus Study. Approval must be obtained prior to beginning such study. The Office of
Off-Campus Study must be notified immediately of any subsequent change in the approved program.
2. Graded credits earned at an accredited degree-granting institution may be transferred toward a Colby degree by
matriculated students, including students dismissed for academic reasons by the Committee on Standing, if approved in
writing, prior to enrollment in specific courses at the other institution, by the appropriate College authorities. Forms on which to
seek approval can be obtained from the Office of the Registrar. The Registrar’s Office must be notified immediately of any
subsequent change in the approved courses.
3. No student may receive transfer credit for more than nine credit hours taken for the purpose of completing degree
requirements after leaving Colby. Credits earned at summer school will not constitute a semester to apply to those required for
the Colby degree.
4. Students in the Classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026 may request to transfer credit for online courses from accredited
institutions.
5. Departments and programs will approve courses in their areas.
Leave of Absence
Withdrawal from College, Leave of Absence
Students who leave Colby while a semester is in progress are required to withdraw formally, as are students who leave at the
end of a semester with no definite plans for return. Students who withdraw are not permitted to return without approval of the
dean of studies. Students who withdraw for medical reasons must have the permission of the College physician in order to
apply for readmission. Eligibility for initial or continued financial assistance from the College will be subject to review and action
by the College’s Office of Student Financial Services.
Students taking a leave of absence must notify the College by the date when course preregistrations are due for the following
term.
Students who leave to participate in College-approved student programs elsewhere, or who leave at the end of a semester for
a specified period, may take a leave of absence and are not required to obtain special permission in order to return. Courses
intended to transfer must be pre-approved (see Transfer Credits).
Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence to serve in the United States military may return without obtaining special
permission and without change of academic status, assuming the absence does not exceed five years. Exceptions include
veterans who receive a dishonorable discharge, bad conduct charge, or who were court-martialed.
All withdrawals and leaves of absence must be effected officially by filing a form with the dean of studies. The proper exit
procedure, which includes the surrendering of residence hall and post office keys, must be followed to be eligible for any
refunds that may be due. (See Refunds in the Fees and Charges section). A student who leaves without official notification is
not eligible for refunds, which are calculated from the date the withdrawal is approved by the dean of studies.
Students intending to return from a withdrawal or leave of absence must notify the dean of studies of their intent to return by
June 1 for a fall return and by November 1 for a January or spring return.
Academic Requirements
Satisfactory Academic Progress
As required by federal law, and as a condition of the institution’s Program Participation Agreement with the U.S. Department of
Education, and to maintain the College’s participation in Title IV, Higher Education Act (HEA) programs, Colby College has
established this Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy to determine whether a student is making satisfactory academic
progress toward graduation in his or her educational program and may receive assistance under Title IV of the HEA. This
policy follows the federal guidelines that became effective July 1, 2011. Colby’s SAP policy is maintained by the SFS Office,
coordinated with the Admissions and Financial Aid office, and guidelines are published annually in the Colby College
Catalogue.
To be eligible to receive federal financial aid, a student is required to maintain satisfactory academic progress in his or her
course of study according to these standards.
SAP standards are based on cumulative measures of a student’s qualitative (grade-based), and quantitative (time-based)
progress toward degree completion. The SFS Office is responsible for evaluating students’ SAP before authorizing
disbursement of federal financial assistance to each student’s account. Satisfactory Academic Progress is evaluated at the
end of each semester.
New or conflicting information that may have an impact on SAP reviews will be taken into consideration when evaluating SAP,
even if the information is provided after SAP has been calculated. For example, if after SAP has been calculated at the end of
a term, and the SFS Office receives late notification of a grade change from the previous fall or spring term, SAP will be
rechecked using the new information.
Application of Standards
Colby’s SAP policy applies to all students receiving federal financial assistance, regardless of enrollment status or degree
major. SAP standards apply to all federal financial assistance programs, including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study,
Federal Supplemental Educational Assistance Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loans,
including Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Parent PLUS Loans, and financial assistance from the state. Students receiving aid
from outside scholarships may be subject to different SAP standards as established by the agency granting the scholarship.
Academic Standards
The academic standards established by the faculty of the College apply to all students, but Colby’s SAP standards are
separate from, and in addition to, the academic standards. The College’s SAP policy is stricter than the institution’s standards
for a student enrolled in the same educational program who is not receiving assistance under a Title IV, HEA program as
required by federal regulations. Students who fail to meet these academic standards may be subject to academic probation or
dismissal from the College.
Students whose semester GPA falls below a 2.0 in a semester will be placed on academic probation. Students whose
semester GPA falls below 1.7 or 2.0 while on probation may be academically dismissed from the College.
Good Standing =/>2.0 Semester GPA and =/> 12 Semester Credits
Academic Probation 1.70 – 1.99 and/or <12 Semester Credits
Academic Dismissal <1.70 or 2.0 while on probation
Graduation Requirements
To be considered a candidate for graduation, students must successfully complete 128 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or
better.
Qualitative Progress Standards
The following qualitative standards were designed to assess the quality of coursework completed by students as they progress
toward degree completion. The College measures a student’s progression toward degree completion using a fixed grade point
standard on a 4.0 grade point average scale. For qualitative purposes, satisfactory academic progress requires a cumulative
GPA of 2.00 or better at each evaluation point. By the end of a student’s second academic year, students must have a
cumulative GPA of at least a “C” (2.0) or have an academic standing consistent with Colby’s graduation requirements.
Minimum GPA = 2.0
Colby College does not offer remedial coursework; thus, such coursework is not included in the qualitative assessment of SAP.
Similarly, audited classes are not included.
Transfer credits accepted by Colby College which count toward a student’s program count as both credits attempted and
credits completed when calculating qualitative progress. Non-accepted credits are not included in the qualitative calculation.
Course incompletes will be converted to failing grades after the end of the semester and will count as credits attempted but not
earned when qualitative progress is assessed.
Course withdrawals will count as credits attempted but not earned.
Students may receive financial aid to retake coursework in previously passed or failed courses, however, aid eligibility is
limited to one retake per course. If a student repeats a course where credit has not been earned such as a failed course, the
higher grade will be used to calculate the student’s cumulative GPA. If a student repeats a previously passed course, the
higher grade will be used to calculate the student’s cumulative GPA.
The director of SFS measures a student’s qualitative progress by reviewing students’ cumulative GPA at each evaluation point.
Quantitative Progress Standards
The following quantitative standards were designed to measure student’s progress toward program completion relative to the
normal pace students are expected to maintain at Colby. Thus, the quantitative standards specify the pace at which students
must progress through their program to ensure they will graduate within the maximum timeframe and students who receive
financial aid must meet the quantitative requirements to retain their eligibility for financial aid. The policy also specifies the
maximum timeframe in which a student must complete his or her educational programs.
Maximum Timeframe
Colby College defines maximum timeframe as 110 percent of the published length of the program in attempted credits. 128 x
1.10 = 140 credits max timeframe
Pace
Students receiving financial assistance are expected to complete their educational program within eight semesters.
Occasionally, a student may be permitted to attend a ninth semester when unusual circumstances exist, provided the student
has obtained permission from the Dean of Studies. 128/8 = 16, 16×9 = 140 credits attempted.
Students must successfully complete at least 90 percent of their cumulative attempted credits to maintain satisfactory
academic progress. Attempted credit hours are totaled and multiplied by 0.90 to determine the number of credit hours a
student must have earned to be considered making progress. Pace is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credits
successfully completed by the cumulative number of credits attempted.
For example: a student who has taken six semesters and attempted 96 credits must have successfully completed at least 87
credits to be considered making satisfactory pace toward completion.
Colby College does not offer remedial coursework; thus, such coursework is not included in the quantitative assessment of
SAP. Similarly, audited classes are not included.
Transfer credits accepted by Colby College which count toward a student’s program count as both credits attempted and
credits completed when calculating pace for SAP. Non-accepted credits are not included in the pace calculation.
Course Incompletes will be converted to failing grades after the end of the semester and will count as credits attempted but not
earned when Pace is calculated.
Course withdrawals will count as credits attempted but not earned.
If a student repeats a course, both the original course and the retaken course will be counted as attempted credits when
calculating pace.
The director of SFS measures a student’s quantitative progress by reviewing completed credits as a percentage of attempted
credits after each semester.
Failure to Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
At the time of each evaluation, a student who has not achieved the required GPA, or who is not successfully completing his or
her educational program at the required pace, will be notified in writing of the results of an evaluation that impacts their
eligibility for federal, state, and institutional financial assistance.
SAP Statuses
Students’ SAP reviews will result in a student being placed on one of the following statuses:
Making SAP
Not Making SAP – Financial Aid Warning
Not Making SAP – Financial Aid Suspension
Not Making SAP – Financial Aid Probation
Making SAP
A student who has met the SAP qualitative and quantitative standards of this policy is making satisfactory academic progress
toward degree completion. This student is in good financial aid standing with the College and is eligible to receive assistance
under federal Title IV, state, and institutional financial aid programs during the next semester of enrollment, providing the
student remains in good academic standing with the College and meets all other program requirements.
Not Making SAP – Financial Aid Warning
The first time a student fails to meet either the qualitative or quantitative standards of this policy at any evaluation point they
will be automatically placed on financial aid warning for one semester. Students on warning will remain eligible for financial aid
for the remainder of the semester in which they are placed on warning. Students cannot be placed on financial aid warning for
more than one semester back-to-back, thus it is imperative that students engage with the appropriate resources on campus to
ensure their success. A student who has returned to good financial aid standing for at least one term but later does not meet
SAP standards can be placed on a second term of financial aid warning.
Not Making SAP – Financial Aid Suspension
Students who do not meet the SAP benchmarks for a second consecutive evaluation will be placed in a status called financial
aid suspension. Students in this status are ineligible for financial assistance unless the student has appealed and has been
placed on financial aid probation. Students may continue at Colby without financial assistance provided the student remains in
good academic standing with the College and meets all other program requirements.
Not Making SAP – Financial Aid Probation
Students in a Financial Aid Suspension status will be notified in writing and given the opportunity to appeal. If the student’s
appeal is successful, their status will be changed to financial aid probation and they will regain Title IV eligibility for one
semester.
All SAP appeals must be submitted to the director of SFS according to the process outlined in the appeals section of this
policy. If the director of SFS after consultation with the student’s advising dean, approves an appeal, the student will be placed
on financial aid probation. A student on financial aid probation temporarily regains their eligibility to receive assistance under
federal Title IV, state, and institutional financial aid programs for one semester of enrollment.
Regaining Eligibility
A student not making SAP may re-establish eligibility for aid and SAP by meeting qualitative and quantitative components of
the SAP policy.
Appeals
Students may appeal a determination that they are not making SAP to the director of SFS to account for mitigating
circumstances (i.e. family member’s death, injury, illness, or other special circumstances). To be eligible for an appeal, the
director of SFS must determine that the student will be able to meet SAP standards by the next evaluation point. If it is not
possible for the student to meet SAP standards by the end of the semester but it is determined that his/her deficiencies may
be cured with more time, students may be placed on an academic plan at the discretion of the director of SFS. An academic
plan must ensure that, if followed, a student will be making SAP by a specified point in time. Students who successfully appeal
an SAP determination will be placed on financial aid probation and will remain eligible for aid for one semester or until the end
of the semester specified in their academic plan. Students who do not successfully appeal remain ineligible for aid until they
meet the minimum SAP criteria.
Students must submit a written appeal to the director of SFS within seven calendar days after the beginning of the term. The
director of SFS, in coordination with the director of New Student Financial Aid, will respond to all appeals within seven days of
receipt of a request for SAP appeal. As with any professional judgment decision, appeals are only considered on a
case-by-case basis, to account for unusual circumstances.
To submit an appeal, students must follow these guidelines:
1. Submit the following to the SFS Office:
● Formal appeal letter describing extenuating circumstances. You must describe why progress was not made
and what has changed that will allow for progress to be made at the next evaluation.
● If necessary, a copy of your academic plan created with your academic advisor demonstrating how you will
achieve SAP.
2. The SFS Office, in coordination with the Admissions and Financial Aid Office, will review all required documentation
once submitted. If your appeal is approved, you must sign an SAP contract for the probationary period.
The SFS Office will review all submitted SAP appeal forms within seven business days of receipt of the appeal. Decisions are
made after a careful evaluation of the student’s unique circumstances, federal Title IV requirements, and College policy.
Notification will be sent in writing to the student as to the outcome of the appeal review. SAP appeal reviews will result in one
of the following outcomes:
Not Approved
A student whose SAP appeal is not approved will remain on financial aid suspension and will not be eligible to receive financial
aid until all SAP deficiencies have been repaired.
Approved with Probation
A student whose SAP appeal is approved will be placed on financial aid probation and is eligible to receive financial aid during
the next semester of enrollment, provided the student remains in good academic standing with the College and meets all other
program requirements.
Approved with an Academic Plan
A student on financial aid probation may be required to fulfill specific terms and conditions, such as taking a reduced course
load or enrolling in specific courses. In some cases, it may be mathematically impossible for a student to repair his or her SAP
deficiencies with one term of enrollment. In such cases, a student’s SAP appeal may be approved with an academic plan to
cure SAP deficiencies over more than one term.
Students who successfully appeal a determination that he or she is not meeting SAP standards and who require more than
one semester to meet the SAP standards must develop an academic plan with their advising dean to improve their academic
progress. Academic plans are developed on a student-by-student basis and designed in such a way that, if followed, the
student meet SAP standards by the specified evaluation point included in the scope of the plan. Plans may be as simple as a
mathematical calculation that specifies the percentage of coursework the student must complete or as detailed as a
course-by-course plan toward certificate completion.
A student on an approved academic plan will be placed on financial aid probation and temporarily regains their eligibility to
receive financial aid provided the student meets the SAP standards outlined in the student’s academic plan. The student must
also remain in good academic standing with the College and meet all other program requirements.
Notices
Updates to the Title IV Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy will be published in updates to the Financial Aid Policy and
Procedures Manual, Colby Catalogue, and the Colby website as applicable.
Summary of Requirements for Graduation
● Residence: At least 64 credit hours in four full-time semesters, including the last semester.
● Quantity: A minimum of 128 credit hours in at least seven full-time semesters.
● Quality: A minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA
● Distribution (number of courses):
○ First-Year Writing (1)
○ Foreign Language (up to 3)
○ Arts (1)
○ Historical Studies (1)
○ Literature (1)
○ Quantitative Reasoning (1)
○ Natural Sciences (2)
○ Social Sciences (1)
○ Diversity (2)
○ Wellness
● Major: Satisfy requirements of a major
● January Program: Complete three January programs (two for students in residence six semesters or fewer)
Graduation Requirements
To qualify for the degree of bachelor of arts, a candidate must meet specific requirements in residence, quantity, quality,
distribution, major, and January Program. Only those seniors who have met all graduation requirements are eligible to
participate in commencement exercises. Students are expected to complete all degree requirements to be eligible to
participate in commencement.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, students in the graduating Class of 2024, with no more than nine credits left to
complete degree requirements and who expect to complete all requirements by the end of September, may participate in
commencement with the approval of the Registrar’s Office. Students will receive an empty diploma case at commencement,
and degrees will be conferred in October upon review of the completion of degree requirements. Students receiving their
degrees in October will be considered members of the preceding class, and Latin honors will be awarded accordingly.
Students who do not meet the above criteria, but because of extreme extenuating circumstances find themselves unable to
graduate with their class, may appeal to the Administrative Committee for permission to march with their class and receive an
empty diploma cover. Students may take part in only one commencement.
Residence Requirement
Candidates for the degree must earn in residence at least 64 credit hours. They must be resident students at Colby for at least
four semesters, including the last semester. A resident student is defined as a full-time student taking at least 12 credit hours
and paying tuition charges at the semester rate.
Unless taken as part of an established institutional exchange program, credits earned at another institution while a student is
registered concurrently at Colby may not be applied toward graduation requirements.
Quantity Requirement (Credits)
A minimum of 128 credit hours earned in at least seven semesters of full-time college-level study. Among the 128 credit hours,
up to 16 may be earned in courses taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.
Quality Requirement
At least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average. For each credit hour, a mark of:
● A (Excellent) earns four points
● B (Very Good to Good) earns three points
● C (Satisfactory) earns two points
● D (Minimally acceptable) earns one point
● F (Seriously deficient, not acceptable) earns zero points
● Each plus mark (after A, B, C, or D) earned adds .3 quality point per credit hour
● Each minus mark (after A, B, C, or D) deducts .3 quality point per credit hour
Distribution Requirement
No part of any requirement can be satisfied with the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option.
First-Year Writing
All students, with the exception of incoming transfer students who have completed an equivalent course before entering Colby,
must take a first-year writing course (designated W1) during their first year. W1 courses, offered in a variety of subject areas
and topics, share a strong emphasis on drafting, argument development, and revision; close focus on individual writing skills
and needs; required writing in a variety of forms; frequent professor and peer feedback; and exploration of the ethical, critical,
and formal expectations for written work in college.
Foreign Language
This requirement may be met in one of four ways:
1. By attaining before entrance a score of 640 or higher on the SAT Subject Test in a foreign language or in a Colby
language placement test, a score of 4 or 5 in Advanced Placement language or literature, a 6 or 7 in an International
Baccalaureate higher-level exam, or 7 on a standard-level exam. Refer to the section on placement in foreign languages in the
Academic Advising and Placement section for information concerning Colby language placement tests.
2. By successfully completing Colby’s intensive language program in Salamanca, Spain, or Dijon, France. The
Salamanca language program is available either fall or spring semester; the Dijon program is available in the fall semester
only. These programs are open to first-year students, sophomores, and juniors.
3. By successfully completing the equivalent of three semesters of a single modern language (must be the same
language course usually numbered 127 or higher), or of a single classical language (must be the same language, course
usually numbered 131 or higher). Students will be placed according to ability.
4. By successfully completing a previously approved intermediate-level language course at an approved college or
university (see Transferred Credits in the Academic Procedures section).
Students whose native language is not English or who have studied a foreign language not taught at Colby may fulfill the
requirement by demonstrating proficiency at an intermediate level of that language. For a language taught at Colby,
confirmation from the chair of the appropriate department must be filed with the Office of the Registrar. For languages not
taught at Colby, confirmation must be obtained from the Office of the Provost. Testing may be required.
Distribution Areas
Students are required to pass one three- or four-credit-hour course in each of Areas I, II, III, IV, and VI, and two courses in
Area V. Normally, students will be expected to complete these requirements during their first two years. Course descriptions
use the letter designations A, H, L, Q, N (and sometimes Lb or OptLb), and S to indicate the area requirement met, if any. (See
Key to Course Descriptions.)
● Area I Arts: Courses in the history, theory, and/or practice of the creative arts. (A)
● Area II Historical Studies: Courses that investigate human experience by focusing on the development of cultures and
societies as they evolve through time. (H)
● Area III Literature: Courses that focus on literary works of the imagination and/or written texts in which ideas and |
creative or aesthetic considerations play a crucial role. (L)
● Area IV Quantitative Reasoning: Courses that focus on quantitative or analytic reasoning about formally defined
abstract structures. (Q)
● Area V Natural Sciences: Courses that focus on the understanding of natural phenomena through observation,
systematic study, and/or theoretical analysis. (N) At least one course taken to satisfy Area V must contain a
substantial laboratory component (Lb for required lab; OptLb for optional lab).
● Area VI Social Sciences: Courses that focus on theoretically and methodologically directed inquiry into various
aspects of human behavior and interaction. (S)
Diversity
Students are required to pass two three- or four-credit-hour courses that are centrally concerned with:
● the structures, workings, and consequences of; and/or
● efforts at political and cultural change directed against; and/or
● progress in overcoming prejudice, privilege, oppression, inequality, and injustice.
One of these courses must deal with these issues as they concern the United States (U designation in course description),
and one must deal with these issues in a context other than the United States (I).
Wellness Program/Requirement
The purpose of the wellness program is to encourage and assist in the development of responsibility for one’s own lifestyle
through programs centered on mental, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual fitness. Meeting the wellness requirement,
which is certified by the Health Center, does not earn academic credit hours.
To fulfill the wellness requirement, all new students must complete the Web-based AlcoholEdu and a two-session sexual
violence prevention training program and must attend evening wellness seminars, which cover a variety of topics that the
College has identified as fundamental health concerns.
In order to select their second-semester classes in November, students must have completed AlcoholEdu and sexual violence
prevention training.
In order to select their third-semester classes in April, first-year students must have attended four wellness seminars (in
addition to having completed AlcoholEdu and sexual violence prevention training); midyear entrants must have attended three
wellness seminars and have completed AlcoholEdu and sexual violence prevention training.
Transfer students must complete AlcoholEdu and sexual violence prevention training in the semester they arrive on campus to
be eligible to select the next semester’s classes. In order to select their third semester of Colby classes, they must also have
attended four wellness seminars.
In order to select their fourth-semester classes in November, students in their second year at Colby must attend a single
sexual violence prevention training session focused on advanced bystander intervention strategies.
Major Requirement
Each student must satisfy requirements of one a major. First-year students may declare a major or minor during their second
semester before electing courses for their sophomore year. A major may be chosen in a single subject, in one of a number of
designated combinations, or in an individually designed independent major. Students are required to declare a major prior to
selecting courses for their junior year. Students who elect a major during their first year are encouraged to reexamine their
choices during their sophomore year. The respective academic departments and programs specify the courses constituting a
major; requirements are detailed in the Departments, Programs, and Courses of Study section.
Students are expected to graduate with at least one major within eight semesters. Ninth semesters are not granted. Students
who are unable to meet these expectations should meet with their class dean. There is an exception to this rule for students
qualifying for the ninth-semester program in the Department of Education.
First-year students receiving VA benefits should refer to their Colby Memorandum of Understanding for information regarding
major declarations.
With the consent of the departments or programs concerned, a student may change majors. Forms for officially effecting such
change can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office. A student may change majors at the end of the junior year if the
equivalent of at least 12 credit hours with a 2.00 average has been earned in the new major. If in the senior year the average
in courses completed toward the major falls below 2.00, the major requirement is not fulfilled and the degree cannot be
awarded.
Any student whose major average falls below 2.00 will be placed on probation by the Committee on Academic Standing. A
student who fails to regain a 2.00 major average in the subsequent semester has lost the right to continue with that major.
Each department or program designates the courses to be calculated toward retaining the major.
Majors Offered
Students may select majors in the following disciplines:
● African-American Studies
● American Studies
● Anthropology
● Art History
● Biology
● Chemistry
● Classical Civilization
● Classical
Civilization-Anthropology
● Classical
Civilization-English
● Classics
● Classics-English
● Computational Biology
● Computational
Psychology
● Computer Science
● Data Science
● East Asian Studies
● Economics
● Educational Studies
● English
● Environmental
Computation
● Environmental Policy
● Environmental Science
● French Studies
● Geology
● German Studies
● Global Studies
● Government
● History
● Latin American Studies
● Mathematics
● Music
● Music-Interdisciplinary
Computation
● Performance, Theater,
and Dance
● Philosophy
● Physics
● Psychology
● Religious Studies
● Russian Language and
Culture
● Science, Technology, and
Society
● Sociology
● Spanish
● Statistics
● Studio Art
● Theater and
Dance-Interdisciplinary
Computation
● Women’s, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies
Options
These specific options are available within majors:
● Biology: Cell and Molecular
Biology/Biochemistry
● Biology: Ecology and Evolution
● Biology: Neuroscience
● Chemistry: Biochemistry
● Chemistry: Cell and Molecular
Biology/Biochemistry
● Chemistry: Environmental Science
● Economics: Financial Markets
● English: Creative Writing
● English: Literature and the Environment
● Mathematical Sciences
● Physics: Astrophysics
● Psychology: Neuroscience
Minors
In addition to a major, students may also elect a minor. A minor normally consists of five to seven courses and involves a
coherent progression of courses including both introductory exposure to a field of knowledge and advanced work. A minor
must include at least four courses in addition to courses taken to satisfy requirements for any major or other minor. Students
must maintain a 2.00 average in the minor. Current minors are as follows:
● African-American
Studies
● American Studies
● Anthropology
● Art
● Astronomy
● Chemistry
● Chinese
● Cinema Studies
● Classical Civilization
● Classics
● Computer Science
● Creative Writing
● Data Science
● East Asian Studies
● Economics
● Education
● Education: Professional
Certification
● English
● Environmental Studies
● French Studies
● Geology
● German
● Human Development
● Italian Studies
● Japanese
● Jewish Studies
● Mathematics
● Music
● Performance, Theater,
and Dance
● Philosophy
● Physics
● Religious Studies
● Russian Language and
Literature
● Science, Technology,
and Society
● Sociology
● Statistics
● Women’s, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies
Major/Minor Limits
A student may declare up to two majors and one minor or one major and two minors. All declarations must be properly
approved and filed with the Registrar’s Office. Requirements for majors, minors, and options are outlined in the section
Courses of Study. It is expected that students will complete all courses of study within eight semesters; additional semesters to
complete a second major or a minor are not permitted.
Independent Majors
The option of an independent major is available to students whose academic interests do not match existing majors. A student
may design an independent major and submit a detailed written proposal, prepared with the aid of one or two advisors who
accept responsibility for the program throughout its course. Many such majors are interdisciplinary; in these cases, two
advisors, from different departments, are required. The program must include a balance of lower- and upper-level courses
normally totaling one-third or more of the total credit hours required for graduation. Implementation requires the written
approval of the Independent Major Committee; this approval must be obtained by the end of a student’s sixth semester at
Colby. Students pursuing independent majors must keep in touch with the committee, which must be notified about any
changes in their program; substantial changes must be approved by the committee. The target dates for independent major
proposals are Oct. 15 for the fall semester and March 15 for the spring semester. Inquiries about independent majors should
be directed to the chair of the Independent Major Committee.
January Program Requirement
To be eligible for graduation, each student must complete three January Programs if in residence for seven or more
semesters, or two if in residence for six or fewer semesters. First-year students must take a January Program and are given
preference in 100-level programs. All students have the option of courses, independent study, or internships. Except under
unusual circumstances, no more than one January Program may be taken each year.
January Program Mission Statement
The fundamental purpose of the January Program (also known as Jan Plan) is to broaden and extend the learning experience
at Colby by offering students distinctive opportunities not ordinarily available during the traditional academic semesters. By
definition, January experiences are intensely focused, emphasizing engagement by faculty and students with a single subject
matter or experience. While January experiences share the broader learning goals of Colby’s curriculum, they are especially
concerned with strengthening capacities for innovative thinking, independent work, creativity, intellectual exploration, and
experimentation.
January Program Core Elements and Dimensions
Jan Plan experiences typically fall into one of three central areas of content and purpose:
1. Undergraduate Research and Independent Study: Offers students opportunities to work closely with Colby faculty on
original research or in courses of student-designed independent study under the guidance and supervision of a
member of Colby’s faculty.
2. Cross-disciplinary Exploration: Encourages Colby students and faculty to explore nontraditional subjects and
innovative pedagogies and to push the boundaries of the academic disciplines and the traditional classroom.
3. Career Explorations: Provides opportunities for students to explore various professional fields and career paths,
primarily through funded and unfunded internships and other work experiences both on and off the Colby campus.
Selected courses, designated in the catalogue with “j,” are offered during January. January courses are offered for zero, two,
or three credit hours. As a rule, no more than three credit hours may be earned in any January.
Because the January Program assures most students considerable flexibility in the use of their time, it permits them to
participate more fully in extracurricular activities in athletics, drama, music, and other fields. While students are encouraged to
attend the lectures, seminars, concerts, and art exhibitions scheduled by the College, they are expected to spend 30 to 40
hours a week on their January Program topics.
January Program options are
● Courses Offered for Credit. Some are created specifically for January; others, originally designed to be offered during
semesters, may be modified for January. Such courses are graded in the same manner as semester courses, except
that nongraded January courses will be marked credit or fail.
● Independent Study. An academic project under the direct supervision of a member of the teaching faculty. Projects
ordinarily involve the preparation of an extensive paper or other suitable indication of the student’s independent
research or artistic efforts. Two options exist for electing January independent study: (a) for course credit that can be
applied toward graduation requirements, to be graded as in the first item above; and (b) for January Program credit
only, to be graded honors, pass, or fail.
● Internships. A meaningful and appropriately challenging work experience that provides insight into an industry and
career path of interest, most frequently at an off-campus job site and monitored by an onsite work supervisor. An
internship during January for Jan Plan credit requires completion of an online application and approval in advance by
a faculty sponsor and DavisConnects. A successful Jan Plan internship will receive transcript notation and may earn,
with the approval of the faculty sponsor, one academic credit. Complete internship policies can be found at the
DavisConnects website, colby.edu/davisconnects/internships.
● Noncredit Courses. These courses fulfill the January Program requirement, but students do not earn course credit
that can be applied toward the credit hours required for graduation. These courses may be offered by experts in fields
not included in the regular curriculum and will be graded credit or fail.
A full description of January courses is available on the Web in October, and students select for January at that time. Changes
in preregistration may be filed subsequently; however, students failing to register by the third day of the January Program will
be considered to have failed the program for that year, with the failure to be noted on official transcripts. A student choosing
not to do a January Program in any year must signify this decision during Web registration. (This is not an option for first-year
students).
Requirements for Returning Students
A student returning to college after an absence must meet any new requirements for graduation if fewer than 65 Colby credit
hours had been earned prior to the absence. If more than 64 credits had been earned, the student may elect to meet either the
new requirements or those in effect at the time of initial enrollment.
Advising and Placement
For their first year, students are assigned to faculty advisors through the Office of the Dean of Studies. Advisors and advisees
establish contact with one another in early summer to help guide course selection for the fall. Advisors meet with students
during the orientation period and assist students during the period when courses may be added or dropped from the students’
schedules. During the second, third, or fourth semester, when students may elect a major, they will move under direct
advisorship of a major department. Department chairs designate academic advisors for their majors. Students must select a
major before choosing courses for their junior year.
Faculty advisors are urged to use Colby’s 10 educational precepts as a framework for conversations with their advisees.
Faculty advisors, class deans, coaches of athletic teams in which a student participates, and the student’s parent(s)* are
notified when students receive academic alerts from instructors or are placed on academic probation. [* Parents are notified
after a student receives two academic alerts in a semester.]
Placement in Mathematics
Any first-year student intending to take mathematics at Colby must fill out the Calculus placement questionnaire available on
the Mathematics Department website. Additionally, any first-year student intending to take a 200-level mathematics course in
their first semester must consult with the chair of the Mathematics Department.
Placement in Foreign Languages
Students wishing to continue the study of a foreign language at Colby are encouraged to take the College Board SAT Subject
Test in that language. The results are used to place the student at the appropriate level. Guidelines for placement in foreign
language study are included in the course selection information available to members of the incoming first-year class.
If a student has not taken the SAT Subject Test and wishes to continue studying a language, he or she will be placed on the
basis of a required placement exam given online in early summer (for French and Spanish) or during the orientation period for
new students (for other languages). Students who have earned a grade of 4 or 5 on an Advanced Placement examination, a 6
or 7 in an International Baccalaureate higher-level exam, or a 7 on an International Baccalaureate standard-level exam may be
eligible for placement in upper-level language courses.
Students who have had two or more years of language study may enroll in the first semester of the elementary course of that
language only if the appropriate department determines that their preparation is not adequate for a more advanced level.
Placement for students in languages for which no College Board test is available is determined by consultation with the
appropriate department.
Academic Honors
Dean’s List
Eligibility for the Dean’s List is limited to the top 30 percent of students, based on semester grade point average as calculated
by February 1 for the fall semester Dean’s List and by July 1 for the spring semester Dean’s List. To be named to the Dean’s
List, a student with a qualifying average must have earned 15 or more credits in the semester, 12 or more of which are graded
credits; must have no mark of I (unless for medical reason or critical emergency), U, or WF; and must have no instance of
academic dishonesty in that semester.
Distinction in the Major
This honor is awarded on the specific recommendation of the department. To be considered for the award, a student must
have an average of at least 3.25 in the major; most departments stipulate a higher average.
Honors in [Department or Program]
Honors programs are offered in American studies; anthropology; biology; chemistry; computer science; East Asian studies;
economics; education; English; environmental studies; French studies; geology; global studies; government; history;
independent major; Latin American studies; mathematics; music; performance, theater, and dance; philosophy; physics;
psychology; religious studies; science, technology, and society; sociology; Spanish; statistics; and women’s, gender, and
sexuality studies. Successful completion of an honors program, as determined by the department or program, will enable a
student to graduate with “Honors in [Department or Program].” Independent majors may apply for honors to the chair of the
Independent Study Committee.
Latin Honors
The degree of bachelor of arts with honors is awarded in three grades: summa cum laude to those whose grade point
averages are within the top 5 percent of the graduating class; magna cum laude to those within the top 6-10 percent; and cum
laude to those within the
top 11-20 percent.
Named Scholarships
Academic excellence is recognized for the Julius Seelye Bixler, Ralph Bunche, Charles A. Dana, and Strider scholars. Bixler
Scholars are the top-ranking students as determined by the cumulative academic record at the end of the preceding year.
Dana Scholars are selected on the basis of strong academic performance and potential leadership. The first-year student with
the best academic record at the end of the first year is named a Strider Scholar for his or her sophomore year.
Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most respected undergraduate honor society. The Colby College chapter—Beta of
Maine—was chartered in 1896 and has, every year since, elected to membership in the society many of Colby’s most
engaged and outstanding students. For more information, visit colby.edu/phibetakappa.
Senior Scholars
This honors program permits a limited number of seniors to devote eight credit hours per semester to a project approved by
the Independent Major Committee and pursued under the guidance of a faculty member. Students applying to the Senior
Scholars Program will normally be expected to have a grade point average of at least 3.3 in their major. Students submit a
midyear report on the project; their final report is judged by three faculty readers. Upon successful completion of the program
with a minimum grade of B+, the senior scholar’s report is deposited in the College library. Application must be made during
the student’s junior year. Inquiries should be directed to the committee chair.
Other Honors
Academic departments may recognize students’ achievements, according to departmental guidelines, with certificates or other
awards.
The names of students who graduate with Latin honors, honors or distinction in the major, Senior Scholars status, election to
Phi Beta Kappa, or status as Bixler, Dana, or Bunche scholars are printed in the annual commencement program.
Divisions and Departments
Academic departments are classified into the following divisions:
Division of Humanities, Professor Tanya Sheehan, chair, includes the departments of Art; Classics; East Asian Studies;
English, including Creative Writing; French and Italian; German and Russian; Music; Performance, Theater, and Dance;
Philosophy; Religious Studies; and Spanish.
Division of Social Sciences, Professor Neil Gross, chair, includes the departments of Anthropology, Economics,
Government, History, Psychology, and Sociology.
Division of Natural Sciences, Associate Professor Kevin Rice, chair, includes the departments of Biology, Chemistry,
Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, and Statistics.
Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, Professor Adam Howard, chair, includes the departments of African-American Studies;
American Studies; Cinema Studies; Education; Environmental Studies; Global Studies; Jewish Studies; Latin American
Studies; Science, Technology, and Society; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and Writing.
Integrated Studies: Integrated Studies, first offered in the spring of 1997, is a pioneering program in liberal arts education
designed to explore an era or topic from the converging perspectives of several disciplines. The Integrated Studies semester
brings together students with similar interests and provides them an opportunity to learn about a subject in depth and to make
broad connections between disciplines that will help reveal the essential unity of human knowledge and experience. Structured
around clusters of courses, the program is primarily for first-year students. The program and the individual courses are
described under Integrated Studies in the Courses of Study section of this catalogue.
Key to Course Descriptions
Course Designations
Each course is identified by a title, subject, and number: e.g., Introduction to Sociology is Sociology 131 and would appear in
the curriculum as SO131.
The first digit indicates the course level and the class or classes generally eligible to take the course:
000: noncredit January programs; priority to first-year students unless otherwise noted
100: priority to first-year students
200: open to sophomores and classes above
300: open to juniors and seniors
400: restricted to seniors
Permission of the instructor may be required to confirm enrollment in a course of a level normally not open to the student’s
class.
Course Number Conventions
Certain course numbers or ranges are reserved for specific uses:
090 Internship
091, 291 Independent Study (January)
_97,_98 Special topic or one-time offering. The first digit identifies the level at which the course is offered.
483, 484 Honors Project
491, 492 Independent Study (fall or spring)
Prerequisites
Course descriptions include specific prerequisites when these are required. Permission of the instructor is required to enroll in
any course for which the student has not satisfied a stated prerequisite.
Curriculum
Departments have the option to offer particular courses in either one or both semesters and/or January. Catalogue
descriptions provide this information with bold-faced letters immediately following course numbers:
F: course is offered in fall semester
j: course is offered in January term
s: course is offered in spring semester
[ ]: course is not offered in current academic year
The curriculum for each semester, available on the Web, provides information about the time and place of classes as well as
their final examination group numbers. Course enrollment limits and priorities for admission to courses are set by departments;
this information is also included in the curriculum from which courses are selected.
Courses listed in the catalogue, as well as the curriculum, are subject to withdrawal at the discretion of the College
administration. Departments reserve the right to limit enrollment in any course and to establish priorities for courses that might
be over-enrolled.
Faculty on leave are listed at the end of the faculty list in this catalogue.
Area Requirements
Catalogue descriptions of courses that fulfill distribution area requirements include a bold-faced capital letter following the
number of credit hours:
A: Arts
H: Historical Studies
L: Literature
N: Natural Science [for these courses designations of Lb (lab) and OptLb (optional lab) may also appear]
Q: Quantitative Reasoning
S: Social Sciences
First-Year Writing (W1)
Courses that fulfill the first-year writing requirement are designated by a boldfaced W1.
Upper-Level Writing (W2, W3)
Certain upper-level, writing-intensive courses are designated with a boldfaced W2 or W3, although there is not an upper-level
writing distribution requirement. W2 courses build on the W1 student learning outcomes and teach writing and research
practices appropriate to a particular discipline or field of study. W3 courses provide practice in advanced writing and research
and build on the goals and understandings for W1 and, normally, W2 courses.
Diversity (I,U)
Courses that fulfill the requirement in Diversity are designated by a bold-faced U or I. Courses designated with a U fulfill the
requirement dealing with diversity issues within the United States; courses designated with an I fulfill the requirement dealing
with diversity issues in a context other than the United States.
Credit Hours
Credit hours published are per term (semester or Jan Plan) and are indicated in each course description as well as in the
curriculum. Some courses, listed for variable credit, provide an opportunity for students to earn additional credit by completing
extra work as agreed upon with the instructor and when registered appropriately by the specified deadline.
With the exception of “topics” courses, seminars in which subject matter varies, applied music, and independent studies,
courses may not be repeated for additional credit.
Critical Dates
Critical dates, a schedule for each academic year, is issued by the registrar and includes deadlines for adding, dropping, and
withdrawing from courses; for increasing or decreasing credit in variable-credit courses; and for declaration and revocation of
the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option. It is available online.
Two-Letter Abbreviations for Course Subject Areas
AA
African-American
Studies
ES
Environmental
Studies
ML
Modern Languages (Arabic)
AM
American Studies
FR
French
MU
Music
AN
Ancient History
GE
Geology
PL
Philosophy
AY
Anthropology
GM
German
PH
Physics
AR
Art
GS
Global Studies
PS
Psychology
AS
Astronomy
GO
Government
RE
Religious Studies
BC
Biochemistry
GK
Greek
RU
Russian
BI
Biology
HI
History
ST
Science, Technology, and
Society
CH
Chemistry
IM
Independent Major
SR
Senior Scholar
CN
Chinese
IS
Integrated Studies
SO
Sociology
CI
Cinema Studies
IT
Italian
SP
Spanish
CL
Classics
JP
January Courses
SC
Statistics
CS
Computer Science
JA
Japanese
TD
Performance, Theater, and
Dance
EA
East Asian Studies
JS
Jewish Studies
WG
Women’s, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies
EC
Economics
LT
Latin
WD
Writing Department
ED
Education
LA
Latin American
Studies
EN
English
MA
Mathematics
Research and Creative Scholarship
Research and other forms of creative scholarship are integral parts of undergraduate education in all of Colby’s academic
divisions. Major grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and other sources have expanded opportunities for students to engage in
research in Colby’s laboratories and classrooms as well as in the field. Students in the natural sciences are encouraged to
participate and present their research at national meetings of science organizations such as the American Chemical Society,
American Physical Society, and the Geological Society of America. Students in the social sciences have worked on national
and international projects supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Ford Foundation and presented their research at
the Society for Neuroscience, among others. Colby’s innovative Humanistic Laboratory courses provide a springboard for
longer-term individual or collaborative projects, which often result in museum exhibitions, performances, and publications.
Colby Liberal Arts Symposium
The Colby Liberal Arts Symposium is held each spring for students to present their work to a broad audience. Begun in 2000
under a grant from the National Science Foundation, the symposium now encompasses departments and programs from
across the curriculum. The symposium and associated sessions have grown steadily since their inception and most recently
included more than 700 student authors.
INBRE
Colby is one of 13 partner institutions in the Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). Since 2004
Maine INBRE has received ongoing funding of more than $40 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences
and the National Institutes of Health to advance biomedical research in Maine. These funds provide extraordinary research
and training opportunities for Colby students and faculty members on campus and at locations such as the Jackson Laboratory
and the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, INBRE’s host institution.
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Established in 2010, a strategic partnership with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences offers expanded educational and
research opportunities in marine sciences for students and faculty. The partnership includes curricular innovations that
combine scientific research with economic and social policy analysis, a fall semester-in-residence program, January Program
courses taught by Bigelow’s senior research scientists, and dedicated summer research opportunities.
Senior Scholars
In the 1950s the Colby faculty created the Senior Scholars Program to give students an opportunity to devote significant time
to a major project in their senior year. Students who want to explore a single topic in depth can earn eight credit hours for
independent research under the guidance of a faculty tutor. Each senior scholar makes a presentation in the spring, and
successful project reports become part of the Colby library’s permanent collection.
CAPS (Colby Achievement Program in the Sciences)
A summer program originally supported by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute helps students from diverse
backgrounds develop leadership skills in the sciences. Participants spend six weeks on campus prior to the start of their first
year at Colby participating in a science-focused curriculum that combines course work with research in the laboratories of
participating faculty mentors.
Research Assistants
During the school year and in the summer, students may be retained as research assistants to work collaboratively with faculty
members on projects. Opportunities include laboratory experiences, social science research, artistic production and
performance, and academic research for publications or scholarly presentations in any discipline. The College has numerous
endowed research fellowships for students, and members of the faculty receive competitive grants that include funding for
research aides.
Summer Research Retreat
Each summer scores of students remain on campus as summer research assistants working with faculty members in many
disciplines. The Colby Undergraduate Summer Research Retreat, begun in 2008, is a two-day retreat in The Forks, Maine,
held in July and dedicated to student research. A prominent Colby graduate gives a keynote address, and participating
students give short talks or present posters on the first day. The second day is dedicated to whitewater rafting or hiking.
Colby Writing Requirements
At Colby College, writing is a crucial component of a liberal arts education. Accordingly, the mission of Colby’s Writing
Department is to support a culture of writing that ensures Colby students can write effectively in multiple genres; choose the
right style, medium, and evidence for the situation; and participate successfully in professional environments after college. We
view writing not as a simple skill but rather as a complex practice that requires an understanding of audience, context,
purpose, research, and genres to be effective. Writing is both a way of learning and a means of communication.
At Colby, faculty, staff, and peer tutors help students to develop this rhetorical flexibility, adaptability, and analytical ability. In
addition, through their major studies, students will become accomplished in the particular types of writing and research most
important to their majors.
Writing Across the Curriculum and in the Disciplines
The Writing Department (WD) offers writing courses (designated WD in the catalogue), and our faculty supports the
development of writing-intensive courses and pedagogy in all departments and programs to give students multiple
opportunities to improve their writing across all four years.
The Writing Department’s development began with the creation of first-year, writing-intensive courses guided by common
understandings and student learning outcomes written by Colby faculty. These courses fulfill the first-year writing requirement
(W1).
At the upper level, the Writing Department works with faculty in all four academic divisions to develop upper-level,
writing-intensive courses (designated W2 and W3 in the catalogue). The WD also works with whole departments/programs to
develop writing plans for infusing writing throughout the majors. The writing forms, skills, and practices in these courses and
plans reflect the departments and programs in which they are offered.
The Writing Department also links writing fellows, peer writing tutors trained by the Farnham Writers’ Center, to
writing-intensive classes.
Opportunities to Study Off Campus
The opportunity to study in another country is an integral part of Colby’s educational philosophy. Colby’s precepts maintain that
students should “become acquainted with other cultures by learning a foreign language and by living and studying in another
country or by closely examining a culture other than one’s own.” Consistent with that precept, off-campus study should
● be part of the student’s overall academic plan and should enhance the program of study following the student’s return
to Colby;
● provide a substantially different cultural experience;
● involve, when appropriate, a language different from the student’s own.
The Office of Off-Campus Study, located at DavisConnects in Grossman Hall, ensures that Colby’s programs abroad, as well
as other programs approved by the College,
● provide an educational experience consistent in quality with the educational experience at Colby and that can
reinforce, complement, and broaden a student’s educational program;
● contain a substantial, high-quality academic component; and
● provide a cultural experience and, when appropriate, a linguistic experience consistent with the goals stated above.
To promote cultural integration, at least one full semester must normally be spent in a single host country.
Colby’s financial aid is applicable to Colby programs and portable to other approved programs. The Office of Off-Campus
Study works closely with faculty liaisons and an Advisory Committee on Off-Campus Study, which includes faculty, staff, and
student members.
The Office of Off-Campus Study helps students make appropriate study plans, preparing students for departure, evaluating
programs abroad, administering Colby’s programs (see below), assisting with students’ reintegration to Colby, and monitoring
the program selection and application processes. The office facilitates study abroad as well as participation in a few domestic
off-campus programs that are integrated into each major and academic program.
Applications and requests for program approval are processed in advance of the student’s enrollment in a program of study
away from Colby. Students who transfer credits for full-time study in a non-Colby program are subject to a fee of $1,500 per
semester. Colby tuition applies for Colby programs in Salamanca, Dijon, and Bigelow. For approved non-Colby programs,
there is no Colby tuition charge; tuition is paid directly to the provider. Financial aid may be applied, for qualified students only,
to Colby programs and approved non-Colby programs.
Students are required to consult their major advisor and the off-campus faculty liaison in their major department while making
plans for study abroad. Sophomores will participate in a mandatory information session in mid-September and have access to
online information detailing procedures and listing of approved Colby and non-Colby programs early in the fall semester.
Advising from Off-Campus Study is encouraged. Applications for off-campus study during the year 2024-25 are due by Feb.
20, 2024, regardless of the semester for which the student is applying. Colby students normally study abroad for one
semester. A 2.7 GPA is required to study abroad, and students on probation of any kind may not study abroad. There is a
petition process for students who do not meet the GPA requirement.
Colby-Sponsored Foreign-Language Semesters
Colby offers an opportunity for students to satisfy the College’s language requirement and earn a semester’s credit by living
abroad and studying the language intensively.
Colby in Salamanca: This program provides the opportunity for students to learn Spanish at the University of Salamanca, one
of the oldest universities in Europe. Students reside with families, attend intensive language courses, and have a full schedule
of excursions to enrich their knowledge of Spanish life and culture. The program is under the supervision of a resident Colby
director and is offered in the fall and spring semesters. Students must have completed Spanish 125 or at least two years of
high school Spanish.
Colby in Dijon: This program offers students the opportunity to study French language, history, and art in Dijon, France, at the
University of Burgundy. Cultural activities and excursions are included. Students live with French families. To qualify, students
normally should have completed French 125 at Colby or have completed two years of high school French. The program is
offered in the fall semester only.
Colby-Sponsored Global Entry Semester Programs
The College offers the following programs abroad designed specifically for entering first-year students:
Colby in Salamanca Global Entry Semester: Colby offers some first-semester first-year students the opportunity to satisfy the
College’s language requirement and earn a semester’s credit in a Colby program at the University of Salamanca in Spain.
Participants study Spanish intensively in a group of about 20 other Colby students before arriving on campus in Maine in
January. The program is described in more detail at Colby in Salamanca above.
Colby in Dijon Global Entry Semester: Colby offers some first-semester first-year students the opportunity to satisfy the
College’s language requirement and earn a semester’s credit in a Colby program at the University of Burgundy in Dijon,
France. Participants study French intensively in a group of about 20 other Colby students before arriving on campus in
January. The program is described in more detail at Colby in Dijon above.
Colby-Sponsored Off-Campus Programs for Juniors
While courses needed for most liberal arts majors are offered at the College, many students are attracted by the opportunity to
study abroad for a comparative examination of their major field or a different perspective on their studies. Such programs are
generally undertaken during the junior year. Colby offers study programs in France and Spain.
Colby in Salamanca: This program offers complete integration into the Universidad de Salamanca, where students can take
courses in any division alongside Spanish students. Students of any major may be accepted provided they have taken at least
Spanish 135 and Spanish 231. Participants choose to live with Spanish families or in apartments with Spanish students and
agree to speak only Spanish for the duration of the program. The program is offered for the academic year or the fall or spring
semester.
Colby in Dijon: For students who have satisfied the language requirement, Colby in Dijon offers advanced French language
courses as well as courses in literature and history. Students live with French families and participate in a rich program of
cultural excursions. This program is offered during the fall semester only.
Colby at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences: This semester-in-residence program at Bigelow Laboratory in East
Boothbay, Maine, is for Colby students interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of oceanography and hands-on
research experience through immersion in a professional laboratory environment. Available in the fall only, the intensive
research experience is focused on ocean science within a changing global climate and covers topics such as microbial
oceanography, marine biogeochemistry, the ocean’s role in the global carbon cycle, molecular approaches to biological
oceanography, and pelagic ecology. Implications for public policy are explored within each of these topics. This program offers
a unique opportunity for any student interested in becoming a marine scientist.
Other Study-Abroad Programs
In addition to its own programs, the College approves study away at a number of institutions and programs throughout the
world that meet Colby’s standards for academic rigor. A handbook of opportunities that lists all approved programs is available
on the Off-Campus Study website and is distributed to all sophomores at the beginning of the fall semester. For programs not
administered by Colby, the College requires that students obtain approval for their course of study before the stated deadline;
without prior approval, credit cannot be transferred to Colby. Approval forms are available from the Office of Off-Campus
Study. For study abroad during the academic year 2024-25, a statement of intent must be filed with the Office of Off-Campus
Study by Nov. 15, 2023, and a final application or request for program approval must be submitted by Feb. 20, 2024. Students
receiving financial aid continue to receive that aid if they attend a Colby-approved program.
With the exception of students in Colby’s language acquisition programs in Salamanca and Dijon, students who wish to study
in a country whose language is taught at Colby must have taken the equivalent of at least three semesters of the language
before departure (some programs and majors require more advanced preparation). Students are advised to keep this in mind
while selecting courses during their first two years. For study in countries where the host language is other than English,
students are required to take at least one course in the host country’s language for the duration of their program. Students
should be aware that, due to enrollment constraints, they may not be able to study abroad in the semester of their choice and
that opportunities to study abroad for the full year may be restricted. Colby students must petition for study abroad undertaken
in any country for which a U.S. State Department Travel Advisory Level 3 has been issued.
Approved Domestic ProgramsStudents wishing to participate in approved domestic programs must meet the same
deadlines for preliminary and final applications as students who wish to study abroad. These programs are listed in the
Handbook of Off-Campus Study Opportunities, available each fall on the Off-Campus Study website. Opportunities include:
Exchange programs: Colby participates in a student exchange program with Howard University in Washington, D.C..
Ordinarily, exchanges are arranged for a single semester of the junior year and are only available if the receiving institution
approves. Each student pays tuition, board, and room charges at the home institution; travel is at the student’s expense.
Participation is not guaranteed and dependent on housing at the chosen institution.
Opportunities to Study and Intern in Washington: Colby students may study and intern in Washington, D.C., for a semester.
Students from a variety of majors take advantage of this opportunity. More information is available through the Office of
Off-Campus Study.
Engineering Programs: Colby has a coordinated dual-degree engineering program with Dartmouth College, in which both a
bachelor of arts and a bachelor of engineering can be earned. Students spend their first two years and their senior year at
Colby and their junior year and a fifth year at Dartmouth. The usual Colby graduation requirements must be met in addition to
engineering prerequisites, so careful course planning is important. Colby also offers a dual-degree program with Columbia
University in New York. Students have two options: They can complete four years and earn a bachelor of arts degree at Colby
and then transfer to Columbia’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science for two years to obtain a
discipline-specific bachelor of science degree in engineering; or they can spend three years at Colby and two at Columbia, in
which case they receive both Colby’s bachelor of arts degree and the Columbia bachelor of science degree after the fifth year.
See more on engineering dual-degree programs.
Course Exchange: A course exchange program is in effect with Thomas College. Students may obtain information from the
registrar.
African American Studies Department
The African American Studies Department is a cross-cultural, cross-temporal, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary program of
courses organized to provide an introduction to, overview of, and multiple disciplinary perspectives on the experiences of peoples of
African descent in the United States and to connect those experiences to the literatures, histories, and cultures of Africa and of Latin
America and the Caribbean. The department offers students the opportunity to explore the human experience of persons and peoples
through the multiple perspectives offered by diverse social science and humanistic disciplines. Courses in the department expose
students to classical and contemporary literature, to issues of public policy, to critical debates in history and social science, and to
main currents of historical analysis and contemporary cultural expression. Students may elect a major or a minor in African American
studies built on courses in other departments and programs such as American studies, anthropology, art, history, literature,
economics, government, music, philosophy, religious studies, sociology, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies.
The department not only exposes students to the history, literature, and cultures of African Americans and people of African descent
throughout the Americas, but it also requires exploration of African history, cultures, and artistic expressions. While the African
American Studies Department’s use of the phrase African American includes persons and peoples of African descent throughout the
Americas, the department’s primary focus is on the literature, history, and culture of people of African descent in the United States and
the Caribbean.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Chandra Bhimull
Department Faculty: Associate Professor Chandra Bhimull (African American Studies and Anthropology); Assistant Professor Sonya
Donaldson (African American Studies)
Affiliated Faculty: Professors , Cedric Gael Bryant (English), Bénédicte Mauguière (French), Tanya Sheehan (Art), and Robert
Weisbrot (History); Associate Professors Alicia Ellis (German), Annie Kloppenburg (Performance, Theater, and Dance) Mouhamédoul
Niang (French), Laura Saltz (American Studies), Jay Sibara (Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), and Sonja Thomas
(Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies); Assistant Professors Sarah E. Duff (History), Sam Plasencia (English), Nicolas Ramos
Flores (Spanish), and Carrie A. LeVan (Government)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in African American Studies
Eleven courses selected from courses specifically focused on African Americans and on peoples and cultures of Africa and the
Caribbean. Six required courses: American Studies 276, English 343 or an equivalent, History 247; at least one course focused
specifically on Africa; at least one course focused specifically on the Caribbean or African-derived cultures in Latin America or the
African diaspora (e.g., Anthropology 231); and at least one course focused on art, music, theater, dance, or other aspects of
expressive culture. Four or more electives from among the relevant courses in the social sciences, humanities, and relevant
interdisciplinary studies programs and departments (e.g., American Studies; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies;
English/Creative Writing; Latin American Studies; Education); at least one of the courses should be taken at the 300 or 400 level.
Courses not specifically listed may be counted toward the major with permission of the advisor if substantial relevance can be
established during a particular semester or in an off-campus program. At least one seminar at the 300 or 400 level with a member of
the African-American Studies Department faculty or with affiliated faculty where a substantial final paper or equivalent project explores
in depth and engages significant debates about an aspect or aspects of African-American life and culture in the United States or in the
African diaspora. Such courses could include, when the subject material is appropriate and with the permission of the advisor,
American Studies 493, English 413 and 493, and Music 493. Course substitutions and exchanges may be made in consultation with
the African-American Studies Department advisor.
Requirements for the Minor in African American Studies
Seven courses including American Studies 276; History 247; American Studies 493; at least one course focused on Africa or the
Caribbean; and two courses selected from American Studies 493, Anthropology 231, English 343, 346, 413 (when appropriate),
Government 255, 336, 455, Philosophy 213, Religious Studies 256, or Sociology 252, 355, 357, 358. Course substitutions and
exchanges may be made in consultation with the African American Studies Department advisor and chair.
Interested students also may consider an independent major in Africana studies (a selection of courses combining study of the
Caribbean, the Americas, and Africa) or an independent major that combines African American studies with another relevant discipline
or program, especially American studies, anthropology, art, government, Latin American studies, music, religious studies, or sociology.
Majors and minors are instructed to inform faculty in various programs and departments that they are African American studies majors
or minors when seeking the permission of an instructor to register for courses restricted to majors in other disciplines or when asking
that prerequisites be waived.
Other Applicable Courses
Courses that Apply to the African American Studies Major and Minor
African American Studies
● 125 Introduction to African American Culture
● 218 African American Stories of Migration
● 231 Caribbean Cultures
● 244 Black Digital Cultures
● 263 Black Joy
● 341 Culture, Mobility, Identity: Encounters in the African Diaspora
● 344 Black Radical Imaginations
American Studies
● 171 Introduction to American Studies
● 254 Surveillance Culture
● 337 Gentrification
● 393 Junior Seminar: Theories of Culture
Anthropology
● 231 Caribbean Cultures
● 258 Anthropology, History, Memory
● 263 Black Joy
● 333 Contemporary Theory
● 341 Culture, Mobility, Identity: Encounters in the African Diaspora
● 344 Black Radical Imaginations
● 421 Anthropology of Creativity
Art
● 157 American Art: Identity and Belonging Since 1619
● 256 African-American Art
English
● 343 African-American Literature: Speaking in Tongues
● 346 Culture and Literature of the American South
● 354 Slavery and the American Literary Imagination
● 413A Author Course: Toni Morrison
● 457 American Gothic Literature
French
● 236 Introduction to the Francophone World: The Americas
● 237 Francophone African Cinema
● 351 Minority Issues and Social Change in the Americas
● 361 Creolization, Culture, and Society in the Indian Ocean Islands
Global Studies
● 316 Religion and Social Change in Contemporary Africa
Government
● 228 Introduction to Race, Ethnicity, and Politics
● 255 Introduction to African Politics
● 312 Suburban Culture
● 336 Politics of Development in Africa
● 338 Field Study in African Development
● 455 Seminar: Conflict and Crisis in Africa
History
● 138 America Between the World Wars, 1919-1939
● 235 South Africa: A History in Five Epidemics
● 247 African-American History, from Slavery to Freedom
● 297J Freedom Now and Then: The Black Freedom Struggle and Its Legacies
● 3XX Global Histories of Food
● 3XX Race, Labor, and Gender in 19th-Century United States
● 3XX Africa in New England, New England in Africa
● 334 The Great Depression: America in the 1930s
● 342 Crisis and Reform: American Society and Politics in the 1960s
Music
● 114 Jazz Improvisation
● 118 African Music
Performance, Theater, and Dance
● 118 Dance Technique Lab: Dance Forms of the African Diaspora
● 124 Performance, Politics, and Practice
Philosophy
● 213 Philosophical Inquiries into Race
Religious Studies
● 256 The African-American Religious Experience
Sociology
● 214 African-American Elites and Middle Classes
● 252 Race, Ethnicity, and Society
● 355 African-American Women and Social Change
● 357 Civil Rights, Black Power, and Social Change
● 358 The Sociology of W.E.B. Du Bois
● 359 Sociologies of Slavery and Slave Communities in the United States
Spanish
● 346 Race, Rights, and Land in the Americas
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
● 120B Critical Inquiries in Medical Ethics
● 223 Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance
● 349 Queer of Color Critique
Note: Additional courses, often taught by visiting faculty, may be available from time to time as temporary offerings, and such courses
may be counted toward the major or the minor with permission of the African American Studies Department advisor and chair.
Course Offerings
[AA118] Dance Technique Lab: Dance Forms of the African Diaspora: Hip-hop Listed as Theater and Dance 118. Two credit
hours.
[AA118A] Technique Lab: Contemporary Dance & Movement of the African Diaspora Listed as Theater and Dance
118A. Two credit hours.
[AA118B] Dance Technique Lab: Intermediate Hip-hop Listed as Theater and Dance 118B. One credit hour.
[AA120] Race, Gender, and Sport Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 120A. Four credit hours. W1, U.
AA120Bf Critical Inquiries in Medical Ethics Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 120B. Four credit
hours. W1. SIBARA
AA124f Performance, Politics, and Practice Listed as Theater and Dance 124. Four credit hours. A, I. SHANKS
AA125f Introduction to African American Cultures Offers a critical introduction to the cultural, political, and social forces that
have shaped the identity of people of African descent in the United States. We will focus on the experiences of African Americans
from the Transatlantic Slave trade through contemporary social movements such as Black Lives Matter. Through readings, viewing,
listening, and creating, we will examine the major movements, people, and ideas that have shaped African American identity and
culture and gain an understanding of how African Americans have informed the broader national and global cultural and political
landscapes. Four credit hours. L, U. DONALDSON
AA132s Survey of U.S. History, 1865 to Present Listed as History 132. Four credit hours. H. WEISBROT
AA157f American Art: Identity and Belonging Since 1619 Listed as Art 157. Four credit hours. A, U. SHEEHAN
[AA162] History of the Atlantic World Listed as History 162. Four credit hours. H, I.
[AA164] Africans and the Making of the Atlantic World Listed as History 164. Four credit hours. H, I.
AA171fs Introduction to American Studies Listed as American Studies 171. Four credit hours. U. FUGIKAWA, SALTZ
[AA213J] Philosophical Inquiries into Race Listed as Philosophy 213J. Three credit hours. S, U.
[AA216] Deconstructing Daughters of the Dust: African American Origins Intensive exploration and analysis of Julie Dash's
film Daughters of the Dust in order to examine Gullah/Geechee culture and its vital role in the origins of African-American culture in
the United States and its connection to the African Diaspora. In addition to an introductory historical overview of the African-American
experience, the film and readings invite examination of African ethnicities, family, foodways, religion, music, political activism,
migration, gender, spirituality, political economy, slavery, and social change. Three credit hours. S, U.
AA218f African American Stories of Migration Expats, Exiles, Travelers. Josephine Baker, Richard Wright, W.E.B. Du Bois, and
Kehinde Wiley, are part of a long history of African American artists, writers, and thinkers who left the U.S.A. to make art and home
elsewhere. Students will explore the social and historical forces in the U.S.A. that create the conditions of departure, read literary
works, and engage in conversations with African American writers and artists to understand why they leave home, the possibility of
return, and how they create art and find their place in the world. Prerequisite: African-American Studies 125. Four credit
hours. U. DONALDSON
[AA223] Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 223. Four credit hours. A,
U.
AA223Jj Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 223J. Three credit
hours. A, U. THOMAS
[AA225] Race and Democracy in the Nation's Capital Listed as History 225. Three credit hours. H, U.
[AA227] Visual Ways of Knowing: Transcultural Documentary Filmmaking Listed as Global Studies 227. Four credit hours.
AA228fs Introduction to Race, Ethnicity, and Politics Listed as Government 228. Four credit hours. S, U. LEVAN
AA231s Caribbean Cultures Listed as Anthropology 231. Four credit hours. I. BHIMULL
[AA232] Early African American Literature Listed as English 232. Four credit hours.
L, U.
AA233s Black Germany Listed as German 233. Four credit hours. L, I. ELLIS
AA235f South Africa: A History in Five Epidemics Listed as History 237. Four credit hours. H, I. DUFF
[AA236] Introduction to the Francophone World: The Americas Listed as French 236. Four credit hours. I.
[AA237] Francophone African Cinema Listed as French 237. Four credit hours.
[AA238] Introduction to the Francophone World: Africa Listed as French 238. Four credit hours. I.
[AA239] Making Modern Science Listed as American Studies 238. Four credit hours.
H, U.
[AA241] Foundations of Disability Studies Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 241. Four credit hours. L, U.
AA242s Acts of Activism Listed as Theater and Dance 242. Four credit hours. A. BROWN, AB
AA244f Black Digital Cultures We will engage topics around Black digital cultures and the digital humanities, including digital
blackness, ethics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the "queering" of technologies. This is a workshop and "critical making" course, which
emphasizes skill-building, analysis, and the creation of public-facing digital works. We will attend to some of the central debates in
digital humanities, such as: How do Africana worldviews inform the development of digital cultures and digital work? To what extent do
discourses that center around "access," inclusion, and "the digital divide" structure engagement, critique, and production? What does
ethical work, in the context of civic engagement and public service, look like? No prior digital humanities or programming
skills/expertise are required. Prerequisite: African-American Studies 125 or permission of instructor. Four credit
hours. I. DONALDSON
AA247f African-American History, from Slavery to Freedom Listed as History 247. Four credit hours. H, U. WEISBROT
[AA248] Performing the Museum Listed as Theater and Dance 247. Four credit hours. A.
[AA251] Tomorrow Will Be Bigger! Performing Protest in Brazil Listed as Theater and Dance 251. Four credit hours. A, I.
[AA252] Race, Ethnicity, and Society Listed as Sociology 252. Four credit hours. U.
AA254f Surveillance Culture Listed as American Studies 254. Four credit hours. U. SALTZ
[AA255] Introduction to African Politics Listed as Government 255. Four credit hours.
S, I.
[AA256] African-American Art Listed as Art 256. Four credit hours. A, U.
[AA258] Anthropology, History, Memory Listed as Anthropology 258. Four credit hours.
[AA262] Topics in Dance: Collaborative Company Listed as Theater and Dance 262. Four credit hours.
[AA263] Black Joy Listed as Anthropology 263. Four credit hours. S, I.
AA264s Africans and the Making of the Atlantic World Listed as History 264. Four credit hours. H, I. BRIGNAC
[AA266] Introduction to African History,1800-1994: Cultural Artefacts in Museums Listed as History 266. Four credit
hours. H, I.
[AA266J] Introduction to African History,1800-1994: Cultural Artefacts in Museums Listed as History 266J. Three credit
hours. H, I.
[AA276] African-American Culture in the United States Listed as American Studies 276. Four credit hours. S, U.
AA312f Suburban Politics Listed as Government 312. Four credit hours. U. LEVAN
[AA315] Minority Representation Listed as Government 315. Four credit hours. S, U.
[AA319] Art, Medicine, and Race Listed as Art 319. Four credit hours. U.
[AA324] Ideologies of Africans: Negritude, Pan-Africanism, and Afroisms Listed as French 324. Four credit hours. L.
[AA326] Slavery and Freedom in American Art Listed as Art 326. Four credit hours.
A, U.
AA328s African American Girlhood This course focuses on African American girlhood and the ways that African American girls
have been constructed and imagined and how they define themselves. We will concentrate on topics such as race and the inner lives
of Black girls, centering on the transformative possibilities of African American girlhood. We will engage critical questions such as:
What does African American girlhood look like? Sound like? How is African American girlhood defined and what defines it? How do
black girls understand themselves and construct spaces of liberation, resistance, and joy? Prerequisite: African-American Studies 125
or permission of instructor. Four credit hours. U. DONALDSON
[AA330] Global Histories of Food Listed as History 330. Four credit hours. H, I.
[AA331] Slavery and Capitalism Listed as History 331. Four credit hours. H, I.
AA333f Contemporary Theory Listed as Anthropology 333. Four credit hours. BHIMULL
AA334f The Great Depression: America in the 1930s Listed as History 334. Four credit hours. H, U. WEISBROT
[AA336] Politics of Development in Africa Listed as Government 336. Four credit hours. I.
AA337f Gentrification Listed as American Studies 337. Four credit hours. U. LISLE
[AA338] Field Study in African Development Listed as Government 338. Three credit hours.
AA341f Culture, Mobility, Identity: Encounters in the African Diaspora Listed as Anthropology 341. Four credit hours. S,
I. BHIMULL
AA342s Crisis and Reform: American Society and Politics in the 1960s Listed as History 342. Four credit
hours. H. WEISBROT
[AA343] African-American Literature: Speaking in Tongues Listed as English 343. Four credit hours. L, U.
[AA344] Black Radical Imaginations Listed as Anthropology 344. Four credit hours.
AA346f Race, Rights, and Land in the Americas Listed as Spanish 346. Four credit hours. I. RAMOS FLORES
[AA348] The Afro-Americas: Race, Power, and Subjectivity Listed as Spanish 348. Four credit hours. L, I.
AA349f Queer of Color Critique Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 349. Four credit hours. U. SIBARA
AA351s Minority Issues and Social Change in the Americas Listed as French 351. Four credit hours. L, I. MAUGUIERE
[AA352] Hang and Rattle: The West in the American Imaginary Listed as English 352. Four credit hours. L, U.
AA353s Gender, Sexuality, and Power in Atlantic Slavery Listed as History 353. Four credit hours. H, I. BRIGNAC
[AA355] African-American Women and Social Change Listed as Sociology 355. Four credit hours. U.
[AA356] Donning the Mask IN THE WAKE: The Persona Poem Listed as English 358. Four credit hours. L, U.
[AA357] Civil Rights, Black Power, and Social Change Listed as Sociology 357. Four credit hours. S, U.
[AA358] The Sociology of W.E.B. Du Bois Listed as Sociology 358. Four credit hours.
S, U.
[AA359] Sociologies of Slavery and Slave Communities in the United States Listed as Sociology 359. Four credit hours. S,
U.
[AA361] Creolization, Culture, and Society in the Indian Ocean Islands Listed as French 361. Four credit hours. I.
[AA370] Corps, Espace, et Genre: Postcolonial Space in Francophone Africa Listed as French 370. Four credit hours. I.
AA372s Black and Native Protest Literatures to 1900 Listed as English 372. Four credit hours. L, U. PLASENCIA
[AA375] Narratives of Identities in Francophone African Literature Listed as French 375. Four credit hours.
AA393f Junior Seminar: Theories of Culture Listed as American Studies 393. Four credit hours. U. SALTZ
[AA413] Author Course: Toni Morrison Listed as English 413A. Four credit hours. L.
[AA421] Anthropology of Creativity Listed as Anthropology 421. Four credit hours.
[AA455] Seminar: Conflict and Crisis in Africa Listed as Government 455. Four credit hours. I.
AA491f, AA492s Independent Study Individual study of special problems in African-American studies in areas where the student
has demonstrated the interest and competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and of the
program director. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
[AA493] Seminar: American Gothicism in the Neo-Slave Narrative Tradition Listed as English 493Q. Four credit hours. L.
American Studies Department
American studies offers innovative courses focusing on social justice in the areas of cultural geography, environmental humanities,
visual and popular culture, race and ethnicity, Indigeneity, gender and sexuality, and histories of science and surveillance. It offers an
interdisciplinary and transnationally oriented course of study that provides students with the tools to examine critically the stories
about America that drove its history—from early beliefs in Manifest Destiny and imperial expansion, to the contemporary elevation of
capitalist competition as the central model of social and economic interaction. Alongside these stories, the department emphasizes
alternative narratives and voices that have historically been marginalized.
The major and minor offer students strong foundations in the theories and methods of American studies as well as an exciting array of
electives that include experiential learning and civic engagement.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Laura Saltz
Professor Margaret McFadden; Associate Professor Laura Saltz; Assistant Professors Laura Fugikawa and Benjamin Lisle; Visiting
Assistant Professor Natalie Michelle;
Advisory Committee: Professor Tanya Sheehan (Art); Associate Professors Chandra Bhimull (African-American Studies and
Anthropology), Damon Mayrl (Sociology), Maple Rasza (Anthropology and Global Studies), Jay Sibara (Women’s, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies), Katherine Stubbs (English), Steve Wurtzler (Cinema Studies), and Natalie Zelensky (Music); Assistant Professors
Gail Carlson (Environmental Studies) and Gwyneth Shanks (Performance, Theater, and Dance)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in American Studies
The American studies major requires 11 courses in the following categories:
1. Core courses: 171, 293, and 393.
2. Electives: two American Studies courses and five additional courses selected from an approved list provided by the
department advisor and posted to the department website. At least three electives are taken at the 300 level or above. No more than
two can be taken outside the department at the 100 level. Electives are used to cover the following areas relevant to American
studies: pre-20th century; the U.S. in a global or transnational context; praxis (broadly defined as political or civic engagement, digital
humanities, public humanities, creative writing, multimedia storytelling, or other relevant experience-based learning). Where
appropriate, each elective can fulfill more than one of these required areas. Additionally, electives must include two courses focused
on social justice that investigate the ways that social inequities have been produced, maintained, and/or challenged. These courses
often examine how power works—historically, spatially, and differentially—across axes of race, Indigeneity, ethnicity, gender, sexuality,
ability, religion, and economic class.
3. Senior seminar: 493.
Of the required courses, 171 is normally taken before the end of the second year.
All majors develop a concentration, which is a thematic or conceptual focus. After declaring the major, students submit a short
narrative to their advisor. It names and describes the concentration, articulates a rationale for it, and explains how specific courses will
support it. The department provides example concentrations, although students should tailor these to their individual interests through
extensive consultation with their advisor. Electives are generally selected to support the concentration.
To encourage a greater sense of intentionality and reflection in the choice of concentration and path through the major, students work
complete an online portfolio. The portfolio begins with the narrative description of the concentration described above. Students
complete the other components of the portfolio as part of their work in the core courses of the major. Students are asked to identify
emerging areas of interest, draw connections among courses, draw connections between courses and the concentration, refine the
description of the concentration, and pose unresolved questions.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses offered toward the major. No requirement for the major may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory. No more than three courses taken off campus may be counted toward the major.
Honors Program
Students majoring in American studies may apply at the end of their junior year for admission to the honors program. Permission is
required. Students must have a 3.5 GPA in the major to be eligible to apply. Successful completion of an honors thesis and the major
requirements enables the student to graduate with “Honors in American Studies.”
Requirements for the Minor in American Studies
The minor requires at least seven courses: 171; either 293 or 393; and five electives selected from an approved list available on the
department website. Two of those electives must fulfill the social justice area described above. At least one elective should be taken at
the 300 level or above. No more than two electives outside the department can be taken at the 100 level. No more than two courses
taken off campus may be counted toward the minor.
Course Offerings
AM117j Fundamentals of Screenwriting An introduction to the craft of writing film scripts, with a strong emphasis on screenplay
format and the three-act structure. Besides studying films and screenplays, students will complete exercises in character
development, scene construction, dialogue, and description. The final project will be a complete script for a short (no longer than 30
pages) three-act feature film. Two credit hours. WILSON
[AM120C] Social Justice and the City In this writing intensive course, we examine ways that cultural, economic, and political
power is expressed and resisted through urban social and spatial relations. Why do cities exist? Whose interests do they serve? How
might they work differently? We explore topics that include gentrification, homelessness, the "right to the city," social activism,
immigration, and environmental justice. Students learn how to interpret the city through various methods--including textual analysis,
geographical fieldwork, and digital storytelling and mapping. Four credit hours. W1, U.
AM125f Introduction to African American Cultures Listed as African-American Studies 125. Four credit hours. L,
U. DONALDSON
AM128f Land, Sovereignty, and Cultural Identity Beginning with a historical overview of first contact and colonial occupation in
the Northeast, the course offers a comparative examination of the cultural identities, traditional values, and decision-making
processes of indigenous peoples that tie them to the greater ecology. The course explores the historical and legal impediments to
Indigenous people's access to culturally significant resources, as well as Natives traditional and non-traditional strategies of
resistance. Focusing on the Wabanaki of Maine, the course features an in-depth study of the histories and treaties that shaped
coastal fisheries both before and after Maine’s statehood. Four credit hours. U. MICHELLE
AM157f American Art: Identity and Belonging Since 1619 Listed as Art 157. Four credit hours. A, U. SHEEHAN
AM171fs Introduction to American Studies Through a social justice perspective, this discussion-based course asks how social,
political, and cultural inequalities in the US have been produced, maintained, and challenged. Examining a wide selection of texts, the
course draws on sociological, literary, visual, legal, and geographical methods of analysis to explore US history. We examine the
forms and legacies of settler colonialism, enslavement, and the rise of capitalism; formations of race, gender, class, and sexuality;
histories of immigration, gentrification, and resistance; and more. Prerequisite: First-year or sophomore standing. Four credit
hours. U. FUGIKAWA, SALTZ
[AM216] Deconstructing Daughters of the Dust: African American Origins Listed as African-American Studies 216. Three
credit hours. S, U.
AM218f African American Stories of Migration Listed as African-American Studies 218. Four credit hours. U. DONALDSON
[AM221] Mapping Waterville This interdisciplinary humanities lab combines geographical and architectural fieldwork, historical
research, digital mapping, and storytelling. Waterville is our learning space. Students work collaboratively to analyze the town's
material and spatial character, track and explain changes across time, locate Waterville in broader contexts of urban and social
change, and publish interpretations online using a range of digital tools and platforms. Four credit hours. H.
AM223Jj Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 223J. Four credit
hours. A, U. THOMAS
[AM224] Practice of Digital Scholarship A humanities lab that explores the concepts, methods, and tools of digital scholarship.
Students learn how to create and manage digital archives, map cultural artifacts and landscapes, data-mine textual sources, and
produce media-rich online projects. We combine archival investigation (in Colby's Special Collections), ethnographic fieldwork, and
technical skill building with interdisciplinary modes of analysis drawn from history, geography, and cultural studies. Students will
collaboratively develop research projects, which will contribute to Digital Maine, an online platform for public scholarship
(http://web.colby.edu/digitalmaine/). Four credit hours.
[AM227] Archiving Our Lives: Theory and Method An introduction to archival practices at the intersections of race, indigeneity,
gender, sexuality, and class. Using interdisciplinary methods students will engage with the materiality of archives through theory and
analysis, hands-on experience, and by creating one's own archival projects. The course examines intersections of race, indigeneity,
gender, sexuality, and class meeting the US diversity designation (2) Students will examine Colby's special collections and archival
practices, employ interdisciplinary analysis of archival methods, and have hands-on experiences in archival
practices. Prerequisite: American Studies 171 or Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 101. Three credit hours. H, U.
AM228f Nature and the Built Environment Built environments order human experience and action, shaping people's sense of
themselves and the world. We examine how the built environment has influenced and expressed Americans' relationships with nature.
We track how ideas about the natural environment emerge in different historical and geographical settings and consider the material
and environmental consequences of these beliefs. Topics include park design, suburban development, environmental justice
campaigns, and green building. In this reading-intensive discussion course, students develop abilities to interpret material, spatial,
visual, and historical evidence. Four credit hours. H. LISLE
[AM229] Art, Community, and Ethical Urban Development We explore how buildings and neighborhoods can be platforms for
art, culture, and community. How might we ethically redevelop urban spaces, constructing sustainable places that value beauty and
resident rights over narrow profit logics? In this interdisciplinary humanities lab that foregrounds experiential and community-oriented
learning, we will examine artistic, political, and community-based organizations in other cities as models to help us develop our own
projects for a more just and equitable Waterville. Four credit hours.
[AM232] Queer Identities and Politics Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 232. Four credit hours. U.
[AM235] Made in Maine We examine how Mainers make meaning through the lens of craft beer cultures, exploring beer as a
food, a commodity, an expression of cultural history and artisanal production, a builder of community, an expression of status, and a
shaper of the built environment. This is a humanities lab course, combines reading, writing, and discussion with fieldwork, archival
research, and digital storytelling. Four credit hours. S.
AM237f Queer Youth Cultures Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 234. Four credit hours. L, U. BREAU
[AM238] Making Modern Science This introduction to the global history of science examines formations of scientific knowledge
from the 17th century to the present. What historical narratives have been told about scientific progress? What forms of knowledge do
these stories privilege? Who counts as a scientist? How has science been influenced by religion, literature, and art? By
professionalization, industrialization, and politics? Focusing on the US, we will read, discuss, and write about topics such as evolution
and racial science, physics and the atomic bomb, and the discovery of DNA and genomics, considering today's controversies -
including masking and vaccination - in light of the past. Four credit hours. H, U.
AM239s Reproductive Justice Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 236. Four credit hours. U. BREAU
AM242f Sexuality, Gender, Feminism Listed as Government 244. Four credit hours. S, U. KONYA
AM244s Introduction to Asian American Studies Using an interdisciplinary approach, we ask who is Asian American, what
does it mean to be Asian American and what are the diverse experiences of Asian Americans in contemporary society? We look at
these questions through history, literature, culture, social movements, and the lens of genders and sexualities. Students will discuss
the significance of key historical, cultural, social and political moments in Asian American history and experiences; have a deeper
understanding of how ethnicity, region, and religion in confluence with the co-construction of race, class, gender, sexuality, &
citizenship impact Asian American experiences. Four credit hours. U. FUGIKAWA
[AM245] Land, Sovereignty, and Art Examines how Indigenous artists and activists respond visually to issues related to land,
power, and social justice. We look at a broad range of media used by Indigenous peoples, including documentary filmmaking,
printmaking, photography, and performance. While we focus on case studies in North America, the issues explored are relevant
across the globe. We discuss Indigenous epistemologies related to land and mapping, and the ways in which these knowledge
systems are mobilized in resistance to settler colonialism. Students leave equipped with theories and methods used to challenge the
legacies of colonial research and representation. They complete several creative assignments and write a final essay. Counts as an
elective toward the ES major and minor. Previously offered as American Studies 298B (Spring 2020). Four credit hours. U.
[AM246] Archiving Our Lives: Theory and Method An introduction to archival practices at the intersections of race, indigeneity,
gender, sexuality, and class. Using interdisciplinary methods students will engage with the materiality of archives through theory and
analysis, hands-on experience, and by creating one's own archival projects. The course examines intersections of race, indigeneity,
gender, sexuality, and class meeting the US diversity designation. Students will examine Colby's special collections and archival
practices, employ interdisciplinary analysis of archival methods, and have hands-on experiences in archival
practices. Prerequisite: American Studies 171 or Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 101. Three credit hours.
[AM247] History of U.S. Political Violence Focuses on the complex history and representation of "revolutionary" American
political behavior with emphasis on practices of political violence alongside representations of these practices. The course draws
together case studies of radical and militant political movements and actors from across the twentieth century in order to engage the
following questions. What is political violence? How and why do different periods and political visions produce different forms of
political violence? How have "violent" activists and organizations been represented within the broader context of U.S. political cultures
and mythologies about American democracy? Examples include union violence, armed feminist resistant, black militancy and radical
environmental movements. Four credit hours. U.
[AM248] Activist Art Focuses on the role of art in social movements from the 18th century to the present. We look at different
activist tactics and forms each week, such as protest walks, grassroots counter-surveillance, and political printmaking. Students will
create a final activist art project. This is a Colby Across the Walls course, and students will travel to Mountain View Correctional
Facility several times during the semester. Previously offered as American Studies 297 (Fall 2019). Four credit hours. U.
AM253s Aquí estamos: U.S. Latinx in the20th and 21st Centuries CATW course Listed as Spanish 254. Four credit hours. L,
U. RAMOS FLORES
AM254f Surveillance Culture Introduction to the history and contemporary manifestations of surveillance culture in the United
States and its global implications. We ask, what is the role of surveillance in American culture, and how does it shape our bodies,
behaviors, relationships, communities, and political possibilities? We look at how surveillance unevenly affects marginalized
communities and consider how artists and activists have responded to surveillance culture through re-purposing these technologies
into tools of resistance. Students will familiarize themselves with surveillance technologies, such as iris scanning and drone imaging.
Previously offered as American Studies 298 (Spring 2020). Four credit hours. U. SALTZ
[AM254J] Surveillance Culture Introduction to the history and contemporary manifestations of surveillance culture in the United
States and its global implications. We ask, what is the role of surveillance in American culture, and how does it shape our bodies,
behaviors, relationships, communities, and political possibilities? We look at how surveillance unevenly affects marginalized
communities and consider how artists and activists have responded to surveillance culture through re-purposing these technologies
into tools of resistance. Students will familiarize themselves with surveillance technologies, such as iris scanning and drone
imaging. Three credit hours. U.
[AM285] History of Photography Listed as Art 285. Four credit hours. A.
AM293s Methods in American Studies Provides an overview of key methods in American Studies. Students put methods into
practice through their analysis of archives, textual and visual artifacts, music, maps, the built environment, oral narratives, and more.
Students analyze their own research practices through discussions of research ethics, the impact of research beyond academia, and
the politics of consent. They complete a series of short essays, creative exercises, and a final research project proposal in which they
discuss the ways their proposed methods illuminate a topic relevant to the emphases of the American Studies major (race, gender,
ethnicity, Indigeneity, sexuality, ability, economic class). Four credit hours. LISLE
AM333s Space, Culture, and Neoliberalism The spaces we live in are meaningful, shaping our behaviors, experiences, and our
senses of ourselves and others. We will examine how ideas, practices, and structures of power are written on our landscapes,
focusing particularly on how neoliberalism, as a political, economic, and ideological project, has produced our spaces and culture over
the last fifty years. Students learn different approaches to theorizing neoliberalism and interpreting space and culture, then research
and write a major paper analyzing neoliberal cultural geographies. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Four credit
hours. H. LISLE
AM337f Gentrification Gentrification is a process of class "upgrading" that leads to the marginalization or displacement of
residents or businesses. In this reading- and writing-intensive course, we examine gentrification's historical roots and evolution over
time, from a small-scale, middle-class process built on "sweat equity" to a mass-produced global one endemic to neoliberal
governance. Participants will familiarize themselves with major debates in gentrification scholarship, gentrification's different
manifestations (e.g. tourist, rural, and "studentification"), and how people resist it, before completing a significant independent
research project. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Four credit hours. U. LISLE
[AM348] Race, Sex, and Violence in Popular Culture Draws together work on histories of racialization, sexual representation,
and visual narrative analysis in order to consider how popular culture teaches us to see and understand bodies. With support from
Academic Information Technology, we will focus centrally on the production of critical viewing guides (video essays) and the
development of a website. Prerequisite: American Studies 171 or WG 201. Four credit hours. U.
AM349f Queer of Color Critique Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 349. Four credit hours. U. SIBARA
[AM366] Race, Gender, and the Graphic Novel Engage the lenses of race, gender, and sexuality in an analysis of graphic
novels. In the United States visual representations have long played a role in creating meanings associated with racialized bodies.
How have writers used this visual and literary genre to address social inequalities and explore gendered experiences of racialization?
How have people of color, queer, and trans writers transformed the canon of graphic novels? What knowledge, ideas and effects
emerge from reading graphic novels, and what makes the form unique? Four credit hours. L, U.
AM372s Black and Native Protest Literatures to 1900 Listed as English 372. Four credit hours. L, U. PLASENCIA
[AM375] Race, Gender, and Visual Culture Examine constructions and contestations of racial identity in U.S. visual cultures of
the 19th and early 20th centuries. Draws on scholarship on scientific racism, intersectionality, trauma and racial time, and memory and
memorials. Visual media include photographs, films, sculptures and monuments, and illustrated books. Emphasizes skills of visual
analysis, written argument, and independent research. Prerequisite: American Studies 171 or Art 101, and sophomore or higher
standing. Four credit hours. U.
AM393f Junior Seminar: Theories of Culture Introduces students to major currents in cultural theory, including Marxist,
structuralist, poststructuralist, and critical race and gender theory. Emphasizes their application to contemporary cultural objects and
events. Analytical and interpretive skills will be demonstrated in frequent writing assignments and a final independent research
project. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing as an American Studies major or a women's, gender, and sexuality studies major or
minor. Four credit hours. U. SALTZ
AM483f, AM484s Senior Honors Project Research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member and focused on an
approved interdisciplinary topic leading to the writing of a thesis. Prerequisite: A 3.5 major average and permission of the program
director. Three or four credit hours.
AM491f, AM492s Independent Study Individual study of special problems in American studies in areas where the student has
demonstrated the interest and competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and the
program director. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
AM493s Senior Seminar: Capstone Project Students design and execute an advanced, original research project in this
capstone course for senior majors in American studies. Working closely with the instructor, participants work through a series of steps,
including a research proposal, consultations with librarians, multiple drafts, and collaborative workshopping, resulting in a
twenty-five-page final paper. Prerequisite: senior major or minor in American studies. Prerequisite: Senior standing as an American
Studies major or minor. Four credit hours. LISLE
[AM493C] Capstone Project and Neoliberalism Students design and execute an advanced, original research project in this
capstone course for senior majors in American studies. Working closely with the instructor, participants work through a series of steps
— including a research proposal, consultations with librarians, multiple drafts, and collaborative workshopping — resulting in a
twenty-five-page final paper. Prerequisite: senior major or minor in American studies. Prerequisite: Senior standing as an American
studies major. Four credit hours.
[AM493D] Senior Seminar: Interrogating Whiteness This capstone guides students through the process of designing,
researching, and writing a major paper on a topic that interrogates whiteness. "White" is a constructed racial category, but it often
remains invisible in American discourses on race. Students will analyze the histories, structures, and representations of whiteness in
the US. Why, despite US disavowals of racism, does racial injustice persist? How does white privilege intersect with gender and class
to produce social, spatial, legal, political, environmental, and economic inequalities? What is white supremacy? What forms does
antiracism take? Students present their research at CLAS. Prerequisite: American Studies 393. Four credit hours.
Anthropology Department
Anthropology pursues empirically grounded, critical analysis in order to understand cultural systems, illuminate social worlds, and
lovingly question how these shape and are shaped by lived experience. As such, anthropology is a critique for the purpose of building
knowledge, enacting kindness, pursuing mutuality, stretching our imaginations, and creating a better future. The program at Colby
offers an introduction to cultural anthropology’s field methods, scope, and critical comparative analysis. Students receive training in
anthropological theory and methodology and in the discipline’s engagement in solving social problems. The department offers a major
and a minor in anthropology.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Winifred Tate
Professors Catherine Besteman and Mary Beth Mills; Associate Professors Chandra Bhimull, Britt Halvorson, and Winifred Tate;
Assistant Professor Farah Qureshi, Assistant Professor Suzanne Menair
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Anthropology
Ten courses, including: Anthropology 112, 313, 333, and one advanced seminar at the 400 level taken in the second semester of the
senior year; and six elective courses, including at least two at the 300 or 400 level. In addition to Anthropology 112, a maximum of one
other anthropology course taught at the 100 level may be counted toward the major.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses offered toward the major. No courses for the major may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Honors in Anthropology
Seniors majoring in anthropology may apply for the honors program during the first week of the fall semester. In addition to receiving
department approval, the student must have a 3.25 overall grade point average and a 3.60 grade point average in the major. The
program involves independent research conducted in Anthropology 483, 484. Honors normally will be taken for six to eight credits
over two semesters, and the final product will be a thesis of 50 to 70 pages of superior quality.
Requirements for the Minor in Anthropology
Six courses, including Anthropology 112, and five additional courses in anthropology, two of which must be at the 300 or 400 level. In
addition to Anthropology 112, a maximum of one other anthropology course taught at the 100 level may be counted toward the minor.
The point scale for retention of the minor applies to all courses offered toward the minor. No courses for the minor may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Attention is called to the major in classical civilization-anthropology (requirements are listed in the “Classics” section of the catalogue).
Note: Anthropology 112 fulfills both the social sciences area (S) and the diversity (I) requirements. Subsequent courses, requiring 112
as prerequisite, do not carry those designations.
Course Offerings
AY112fs Cultural Anthropology Introduction to the study of human societies and cultures through the concepts and methods of
anthropology. Course material will (a) explore the great diversity of human social and cultural arrangements through the investigation
of cultural communities around the world and the distinct ways their members experience and understand their lives and (b)
investigate the larger historical, political, economic, and symbolic frameworks that shape contemporary human societies and
cross-cultural interactions worldwide. Assignments emphasize clarity, concision, and coherence of written and oral arguments, as well
as control over and understanding of course content. Four credit hours. S, I. FACULTY
[AY119] The Anthropology of Utopias Examines classic utopic and dystopic literature, philosophy, anthropology, art, and film
from Plato to the present. Utopian literature involves anthropological reflection about the range of possibilities for human community
and related anthropological themes of human social and cultural variability, conflict, and cooperation. Critically explores different
utopian and dystopian discourses as vehicles for thinking about a world in crisis and its possible futures, as well as the effects these
have on contemporary debates about politics and governance, citizenship, new technologies, media, family, and more. Three credit
hours. S.
[AY125] Design Thinking and Product Innovation All great products, whether digital or physical, start with an idea. But to be
really great they must also meet a need or solve a problem. Design Thinking uses creativity and real-world learning to collaboratively
solve big problems. We'll learn how to design and define digital products for a fictional client in the Healthcare or Environmental
Sustainability domain. Working in small groups, we'll conduct Discovery, including "minimum viable ethnography," as well as
competitive and comparative benchmarking. During Design & Definition, we'll go beyond the research, translating insights into
tangible digital products. Coursework requires each student to have access to a personal laptop computer for use during the course
(please contact the Dean of Studies office if you need assistance in obtaining a computer). Three credit hours.
[AY133] Legal Culture of Guantanamo Bay Prison Explores the legal dissembling by the U.S. government allowing for the
imprisoning and torturing of prisoners at the Guantánamo Bay prison. Using primary sources and first-hand accounts, we study the
culture (e.g., conditions, expectations, behavior) such dissembling produced among the prisoners, guards, interrogators, and
government agents working at the prison. Special emphasis is placed on analyzing the culture from the prisoners' experience,
including their art, poetry, and writings. The course aims for a critical understanding of how legal dissembling operated, how it
influenced the conduct of guards and other government agents at Guantánamo, and the ensuing reality of the prisoners'
experiences. Three credit hours.
[AY136] Criminal Justice Reform in Maine An exploration of Maine's "criminal justice" system, and efforts to reform and
reimagine justice. The focus is on current criminal justice reform "hot topics." Rooted in experiential learning, the course includes live
classes within Maine's criminal legal system locations, tours of the Maine State Legislature, courts, county jail, prison, and roundtable
discussions with Maine judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, state lawmakers, and allied groups leading reform efforts. Students
enrolled in the course can focus their reform project on, and earn civic engagement hours, with Court Watch Maine. Three credit
hours.
[AY192] Independent Study One credit hour.
[AY211] Human Rights and Social Justice in Global Perspective Listed as Global Studies 211. Four credit hours. W2.
AY216f The World at Play Explores imaginative play by people around the world and considers its social and cultural uses.
Ranging from Balinese cockfights to Charlie Chaplin films, we investigate the relevance of joking, parody, and other acts of creative
improvisation to people's lives and worldviews. Students will analyze a form of play of their choice, employing discourse analysis and
selected theories in sociocultural anthropology. Far from being inconsequential, acts of play are revealed as patterned interactions
that index and refract cultural values. Four credit hours. S. MENAIR
AY221s Of Beasts, Pets, and Wildlife: What Animals Mean to Humans Explores human-animal relations in cross-cultural and
historical perspective to view the centrality of animals to human existence. Considers the social, symbolic, and economic uses of
animals in a variety of contexts, from cockfighting in Bali to the corporate culture of Sea World to central Maine farms. Examines the
history and philosophies of the animal rights movement from the anti-vivisection campaigns of 19th-century England to contemporary
animal rights protests in the United States. Concludes with an analysis of human animality and animal subjectivity to arrive at a
deeper understanding of both human and non-human animals. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 or Philosophy 113 or 114. Four credit
hours. MENAIR
AY223f Ethnographies of Latin America: Rights and Resistance Examines the ideologies, imaginaries, and practices of
resistance that have developed over the past five centuries in Latin America, with a particular focus on indigenous and Black
communities' efforts to claim political space and rights in contemporary nation-states. We will explore the origins, achievements,
failures, and legacies of these efforts, as we consider what is lost and what is gained in attempts to resist oppression and radically
remake social relations and political power structures. Students will develop an understanding of political anthropology concepts, and
build research and analysis skills. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. TATE
[AY225] China in Transition Explores the cultural, historical, and social elements that were China in the past and their
transformation and the search for modernity in the present. Drawing on ethnographic materials and case studies over the traditional,
revolutionary, and reform periods, the course examines a number of topics in the anthropological study of China, including family and
kinship, marriage and gender relations, rural/urban divide, religion, ethnic minorities, stratification and mobility, continuity and change,
and modernity and globalization. Four credit hours. S, I.
[AY226] Cultural Accounting of Business and Work An intellectual opportunity to examine business and work as part of
culture. We focus on the motives and methods of business, with readings from Veblen, Marx, and Graeber as well as contemporary
ethnographers of business. Students will reflect on people's lived experiences of markets and work, the culture of modern
individualism, and the precarity of work in the 21st century. Previously offered as Anthropology 298 (Spring
2019). Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours.
AY227f Visual Ways of Knowing: Incarceration and Abolition Listed as Global Studies 227. Four credit hours. RAZSA
[AY228] Language, Gender, and Sexuality: East Asian Languages Listed as East Asian Studies 228. Four credit hours. S, I.
AY229s Reading Ethnographies of Climate Change and the Crisis of Capitalism The ethnographic genre is unique to
anthropology. Through focused reading and discussion of ethnographies on the theme of climate change, students will develop
analytic and critical reading skills in this genre. The texts approach climate change from a wide variety of anthropological
perspectives, from the impact of fossil fuel extraction on host communities to disaster relief efforts to community-based initiatives of
ecological sustainability. We will focus on the form and genre of the assigned ethnographies, engage in close textual analysis, and
read comparatively. The class will be run as an open discussion seminar. The course will also include a consideration of art about
climate change in relation to our assigned ethnographies. Environmental humanities lab. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four
credit hours. BESTEMAN
AY231s Caribbean Cultures Considers Caribbean people, places, products, and the webs of domination and resistance that
formed and transformed the region and its diasporas. Ethnographies, films, food, music, memoir, and other texts tackle topics like
empire building and dismantling; colonialism and postcolonialism; decolonization and displacement; development and
underdevelopment; commodification and consumption; labor, revolution, and liberation. Cross-cultural and cross-temporal navigations
develop an anthro-historical sensibility about the Caribbean's pivotal place in the world. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 or American
Studies 276. Four credit hours. I. BHIMULL
[AY236] Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State Drawing on legal and political anthropology, we will examine the legal regimes and
cultures of control that target the commerce and consumption of illegal drugs. We will consider the evolution of these policies, their
role in the construction of the state, and their impact in a variety of historical moments and social worlds. Case studies will include
Prohibition, cocaine, medical and recreational use of marijuana, and alternative forms of political power facilitated by the drug trade,
with a special focus on Latin America. Students will gain critical reading and presentation skills and will refine their writing and
research skills through the production of an original case-study research project. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours.
AY240s Drug Wars in the Americas What social worlds emerge in the wake of prohibitionist drug regimes? How do popular
cultural representations of these issues shape particular our political imaginaries and possibilities? In this course, we use the tools of
political anthropology to trace the range of governance strategies pursued by powerful actors including the state, policing agencies,
social movements, and organized crime in the Americas. Students will build an understanding of the central concepts of political
anthropology, and develop their anthropological analysis and research skills. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit
hours. TATE
[AY241] A World in Motion: Cultures of Transnationalism Today, societies and cultures around the world are shaped by the
complex movements of people, goods, ideas, images, and more. This course examines these patterns of transnational mobility and
their effects in different cultural contexts. How do forms of transnational mobility shape the everyday desires, aspirations, and
struggles of people from Asia and Africa to the Americas and beyond? How do people generate new ways of understanding, valuing,
and contesting transnationalism? Using diverse ethnographic case studies, this course explores transnationalism, its promises and
challenges, as a pervasive dynamic of contemporary cultural life. Four credit hours. S, I.
[AY244] Spirits, Specters, and Global Divinities: Contemporary Religion Introduces students to the anthropological study of
religion, focusing on the lived experience of religion in a variety of historical, social, and cultural contexts. Examines religious symbols,
ritual, possession, magic, and the relationship between religion and modernity. Cross-cultural investigation of diverse religious
phenomena through ethnographic case studies, including ethno-religious violence in Sri Lanka, Buddhist spirit possession, and
women's participation in the mosque movement in Egypt. Students will use concepts learned in class to design and carry out an
independent research project on a relevant topic of their choosing. Four credit hours. I.
[AY245] Development and Environmental Issues in China See East Asian Studies 242. Four credit hours. S, I.
[AY246] Religion and Everyday Life in Muslim Societies Introduces students to the anthropology of religious practice in Muslim
societies. We will examine the roles of a diverse set of religious values, beliefs, and rituals in the daily lives of Muslim men and women
around the world. We will also investigate how social processes like the Islamic revival, the war on terror, migration, and globalization
shape, and are shaped by, ordinary Muslims' religiosity. Students will read work by ethnographers, journalists, novelists, and activists
to examine these issues in places like Lebanon, Pakistan, Indonesia, France, and the United States. Prerequisite: Anthropology
112. Four credit hours. I.
[AY249] Courts, Trials, and the Pursuit of Justice Interrogates what it means to pursue justice through the courts with a
particular focus on trials. We begin with contemporary US legal system, asking, what is a trial? What is evidence? How do popular
culture trials as spectacles shape assumptions about justice? We consider international trials, examining terrorism cases, the 2016
Guatemala genocide trials, and the International Criminal Court in Africa. We conclude with alternative visions of justice. Weekly
workshops feature a range of experts, including a criminal defense lawyer, counsel for Guantánamo Bay detainees and human rights
trial observers. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours.
AY251f Global Displacement Listed as Global Studies 251. Four credit hours. S, I. EL-SHAARAWI
[AY252] Language, Culture, Discourse Examines language as a form of social action. Through a variety of cultural and historical
examples, ranging from linguistic nationalism in Singapore to Anglo-American middle-class ideologies of language use, the course
introduces students to the structural diversity and cultural politics of language. Topics include the relationship of language and race,
gender, and class; code-switching; linguistic nationalism; and language socialization. Students will apply conceptual tools from
linguistic anthropology to develop a research project on a relevant topic of their choosing. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit
hours.
AY253f Cultural Perspectives on Global Economies Explores the global cultural diversity and social embeddedness of
economic practice. Students gain analytical tools to critically examine global capitalism, consumption/consumerism, markets and their
myriad social dimensions through a focus on transactions, exchange, social obligation, class distinction, and labor activities. In-depth
case studies apply these insights to debates on topics such as debt, economic inequality, class, and the limits of commodification.
Readings, films, and other materials highlight the rich diversity of anthropological perspectives on economic practice, from
ethnographies of Wall Street to Malaysian factory work to middle-class formation in Nepal. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit
hours. W2. HALVORSON
[AY254] Global-Local Asia In recent decades, dramatic changes have transformed social and cultural expectations throughout
Asia. In communities across the region, the meanings and practices of everyday life are intricately linked to processes of globalization.
Where a person lives, when and why she travels, who they aspire to be all are profoundly shaped by the intersection between global
flows of value and localized opportunities, desires, and constraints. Using case studies and independent research projects, we will
explore the dynamic social and cultural terrain of these regional patterns, with particular emphasis on East and Southeast Asia. Credit
cannot be earned for both this course and Anthropology 339. Four credit hours. S, I.
AY255s Global Health: Critical Perspectives on Health, Care, and Policy Listed as Global Studies 255. Four credit hours. S,
W2. EL-SHAARAWI
AY256f Land, Food, Culture, and Power An examination of cultural and political aspects of land and other resource use, using
the lens of political ecology and, a variety of ethnographic examples in different parts of the world. Case studies focus on ongoing
conflicts over contested resources and related efforts to challenge experiences of environmental and food injustices. Students will
apply conceptual tools from political ecology and environmental anthropology to develop a research project on a relevant topic of their
choosing. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. MILLS
[AY258] Anthropology, History, Memory Anthropologists have depicted cultural systems as timeless, paying limited attention to
how historical experiences produce, and how they are shaped by, everyday beliefs and actions. Examines the significance of history
for anthropological understanding and vice versa. Investigates how different cultures construct the past and how the past shapes
everyday lives, our own and others. Explores sites such as myths, monuments, bodies, and archives. Questions what is the past?
How is it present? How do societies remember? How do they forget? Topics include technology, time, travel, commemoration, war.
Formerly offered as Anthropology 298B. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 or American Studies 276 or a 100-level history course. Four
credit hours.
[AY259] Reading Ethnography The ethnographic genre is unique to anthropology. Through focused reading and discussion of
four to five ethnographies grouped around a particular theme, students will develop analytic and critical reading skills. Each semester
will offer a different theme, such as biotechnology, mobility, and auto-ethnography. We will focus on the form and genre of the
assigned ethnographies, engage in close textual analysis, and read comparatively. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Two credit
hours.
[AY261] Japanese Language and Culture Listed as East Asian Studies 261. Four credit hours. S.
AY262s Music in Life, Music as Culture: Introduction to Ethnomusicology Listed as Music 262. Four credit hours. A,
I. ZELENSKY
[AY263] Black Joy A discussion-based course on joy as resistance. From a critical race and social justice perspective, explores
how Black people have used joy to deal with oppression and racial terror, to build and nourish community, and to live life. Particular
attention given to rest as power and revelry as a political act. Topics and experiences include love, time, creative expression, carnival,
pleasure, patience, and speculative world making. Places and realms encountered include the Caribbean, Britain, the United States,
the multiverse, and the imagination. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 or American Studies 276. Four credit hours. S, I.
AY265s AI and Inequality This course looks at discussions in anthropology to explore AI technologies and their social impact. In
particular, we consider how the application of technology cultures through algorithmic implementation and artificial intelligence both
create or exacerbate social inequalities along racial, gendered, and class contexts in a global arena. Students will explore classic and
new debates which will reposition their perspectives of technology cultures and the machine learning, artificial intelligence, and
algorithmic appropriations increasingly seen on a global level. Digital humanities course. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit
hours. S, I. QURESHI
[AY268] Politics of Satire and Humor in Modern China Listed as East Asian Studies 268. Four credit hours. S, I.
[AY276] African-American Culture in the United States Listed as American Studies 276. Four credit hours. S, U.
AY297f Anthropology of Slowness Speed is the language, praxis, and expectation of our era. In contrast, this course will play
with slowness, exploring and deconstructing the space/time compression associated with capitalism and learning about alternative
modes of being and living that engage slowness, close observation, and the art of detailed engagement and reflection. Each week will
include one class devoted to a slowness practice and one class devoted to an analysis and reflection of that experience. We will work
toward gaining Anthropological perspectives on speed, time/space compression, time, and the temporal rigors of capitalism. Four
credit hours. S. BESTEMAN
AY313s Researching Cultural Diversity Focus on ethnography as both the central research strategy of anthropologists and the
written text produced by such research. Examines anthropological methods of data collection and ethnographic writing as these
encompass not only the discipline's historical focus on localized communities but also contemporary understandings of connections to
global processes, the analysis of complex inequalities, and a reflexive and engaged relationship with the human world. Explores
practical strategies for conducting ethnographic research, including interviewing, observation, and other modes of qualitative data
collection; the ethical issues presented by such research; and the application of analytical and theoretical
models. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112, a 200-level anthropology course or global studies 251, a W1 course, and sophomore
standing. Four credit hours. QURESHI
[AY316] African World-Making: Religion and Social Change in Contemporary Africa Participants will build awareness of the
religious diversity of contemporary African societies using selected studies from Madagascar, Tanzania, Mali, Mozambique, and other
sites. Students will learn to identify the relationship of African religions with diverse, transforming views on biomedicine and healing,
urbanization, gender relations, modern subjectivities, development and humanitarianism, and the colonial legacy. Ongoing written and
oral discussion will enable students to gain facility with key theoretical models to analyze the role of African religions in dynamic
processes of political, economic, and cultural transformation. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours.
AY323s Anthropological Approaches to Science and Religion Examines religion and science as cultural bodies of knowledge
and practice known in varying ways across global sites. Uses cross-cultural research--from contemporary ethnographies of in vitro
fertilization in Ecuador to religious healing in Madagascar to vaccination debates in the United States--to posit new perspectives of the
science-religion relationship. Special emphasis will be placed on contemporary moral debates surrounding the application of science
and technology, from gamete donation to vaccines to organ transplantation. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit
hours. HALVORSON
[AY326] Comparing Inequalities: Caste and Race Introduces students to the history of anthropological theorizing about caste in
South Asia and race in the United States. We will also look at a critical body of texts written by scholar-activists comparing the
institutions of Jim Crow to caste discrimination in post-Independence India. Topics may vary according to student interest, but include:
inequality and hierarchy, gender, inter-caste and inter-racial romance, affirmative action, social movements, violence, and purity and
pollution. In addition to examining the ethnographic record of caste and race, students will read critical texts about the use of the
comparative method in anthropology. Students will complete a research project comparing caste and race in a specific social and
historical context of their choosing. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. S.
AY328f Anthropology of Money Investigates money forms and financial systems from non-economic perspectives. Students will
explore discussions in the anthropology of money to consider the role of money in social organization, governance, global inequalities,
and production in global financial networks. By discussing classic debates in the anthropology of money, students will reflect more
critically on contemporary uses and applications of money, while also considering how new and alternative digital technology can
re-organize pre-existing issues in social systems. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. I. QURESHI
AY333f Contemporary Theory An analysis of the contemporary state of cultural anthropology through the investigation of
contemporary theoretical approaches of central importance to the discipline. Examination of key theoretical concepts and their
relevance for designing research questions, generating ethnographic perspectives, and building anthropological knowledge. Special
attention to political economy, symbolic anthropology, poststructuralism, reflexive anthropology, postmodernism, and feminist and
postcolonial anthropology. Assignments include both written and oral modes of analysis; strong emphasis on discussion and
collaborative debate. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112, a 200- or 300-level anthropology course, a W1 course, and junior or senior
standing. Four credit hours. BHIMULL
[AY339] Asian Pacific Modernities Dramatic changes, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century, have transformed social
and cultural expectations throughout the Asia Pacific region. Across Asia, everyday life is profoundly shaped by processes of
globalization and powerful discourses of modernity. What does it require to make oneself a modern citizen in Thailand, Japan, China,
or the Philippines? How do people live, shop, and entertain themselves on a daily basis? Through case studies and independent
research, students explore the region's dynamic social and cultural transformations, with particular emphasis on East and Southeast
Asia. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours.
AY341f Culture, Mobility, Identity: Encounters in the African Diaspora Use of text, film, food, and music to examine how
African and African-descended people made and remade the modern world. Surveys how past and present cultural practices
dialogically shaped the formation, transformation, and flows of the diaspora. Attention to the dynamics of circulation, contact,
exchange, and estrangement facilitates travels through the Afro-Atlantic world. Inquiry into archives and other sites of memory
enables consideration of the scale, scope, and impact of black action and imagination. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112, American
Studies 276 or at least one History course. Four credit hours. S, I. BHIMULL
[AY344] Black Radical Imaginations A seminar about the complex history of black radical imagination. Explores how black
people have long used imagination as a strategy for survival, resistance, emancipation, liberation, and to create worlds of joy and
love. It is concerned with black intellectual activism in the African diaspora and examines a range of cultural movements against
racialized forms of oppression, including black surrealism and Afrofuturism. Prerequisite: American Studies 276 or Anthropology
112. Four credit hours.
AY346s Carcerality and Abolition CATW Course Carcerality is the term of our age. From mass incarceration to mass
surveillance, forms of captivity and confinement are proliferating and spreading. The course explores confinement practices across
different domains, eras, and locations, ranging from the surveillance practices to which enslaved and formerly enslaved people in the
US were subject, to the use of reservations and camps to contain people excluded from nationalist belonging and citizenship, to the
bordering practices used by contemporary states to regulate migration and mobility, to forms of policing that designate entire
neighborhoods as marginal and potentially criminal, to the use of incarceration to confine those designated by as criminal or outlaws.
The course concludes by studying abolitionist alternatives to carcerality. The course will be co-taught by Catherine Besteman and Leo
Hylton, a Maine-based incarcerated graduate student at George Mason University's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace
and Conflict Resolution, whose education and work are focused on Social Justice Advocacy and Activism, with a vision toward an
abolitionist future. This is a Colby Across the Walls course (CATW). CATW courses enroll students on campus and students who are
currently/recently incarcerated to build learning communities in the classroom and beyond. Classes will take place on campus and
inside Maine prisons, which will require extra travel time. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. I. BESTEMAN
AY352f Liberation Struggles Listed as Global Studies 352. Four credit hours. S. RAZSA
[AY353] Globalization and Human Rights in China Listed as East Asian Studies 353. Four credit hours. S.
[AY355] Aging and Public Policy in East Asia Listed as East Asian Studies 355. Four credit hours. S, I.
AY356s Traveling Cultures: The Anthropology of Tourism Tourism is both a global industry and a deeply personal experience.
Whether viewed as a means of economic growth and heritage preservation; a source of cultural, environmental, or social degradation;
a font of neo-colonial inequalities and racial/gender hierarchies; or a way to connect with nature and to share cross-cultural
differences, tourism is often a subject of controversy. This course explores anthropological studies of global tourism with attention to
its many variations, such as ecotourism, sex tourism, heritage and cultural tourism, among others. An independent research project
enables students to apply course concepts and to analyze the cultural dynamics of tourism in a specific
location. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. MILLS
[AY357] Decolonizing Europe Listed as Global Studies 357. Four credit hours. W2.
[AY361] Militaries, Militarization, and War Examines the ways in which military conflict and institutions shape and are shaped by
cultural, economic, and political forces in contemporary societies, especially in the Americas. Topics include the role of military service
in creating and reinforcing gender norms, citizenship, and national identities; the ways in which war and militarized violence are
experienced and commemorated; and ongoing controversy over counterinsurgency, internal defense, and modern forms of warfare.
Students will develop their ethnographic skills through research and presentations. Formerly offered as Anthropology
398B. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. S.
[AY363] Secrecy and Power This seminar examines the use of secrecy in political, religious, and social contexts. Students will
engage with theoretical, ethnographic, and historical texts to trace the development of key analytical, methodological, and ethical
issues concerning the anthropological study of concealment. Topics will vary according to student interest but may include
transparency, surveillance, publicity, privacy, passing, argots, codes and ciphers, dissimulation, esotericism, and epistemology.
Students will complete an independent research project on the use of secrecy in a historical or social context of their
choosing. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. I.
AY364f Toxicity, Health, and the Pharmaceutical Self Toxicity is ubiquitous but elusive, a defining feature of contemporary life.
In this course, we will examine how toxicity as an analytic can illuminate the materialities of social difference, the politics of evidence,
the nature of health, and the nature of nature. Much of contemporary toxicity results from attempts to improve human lives, with often
devastating impacts on human and non-human. We will examine how toxicity is differentially distributed, and how it is debated and
represented with a particular focus on visual forms. We conclude examining efforts to engineer human capacities and health through
pharmaceutical intervention. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. TATE
[AY365] Space, Place, and Belonging Examines the origins of human claims to belonging in particular places and landscapes.
We consider embodied space, as well as how place produces and is produced by gender, race, and other social identities. Our
analysis spans spatial scales, with a particular focus on the Americas. We examine the social processes of community formation,
enabling connection even as they generate exclusions and boundaries; the infrastructures of place and community, their material
deployment and how they enable particular forms of belonging; and how mobility in the contemporary moment contributes to the
emergence of new identities as well vulnerabilities. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours.
[AY366] Technocultures How have recent technological innovations shaped personhood and social life? How have infrastructural
technologies like hydraulics and electrical grids shaped citizenship and democracy? How have biotechnologies altered
understandings of the body? How have algorithmic technologies changed food production, public education, the financial sector, and
border security? How have recent technological innovations impacted inequality, racism, and other forms of social difference? And
how have techno-fantasies offered novel visions of social organization? Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 and one other anthropology
course. Four credit hours. S.
AY373f The Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality Gender and sexuality represent fundamental categories of human social
and cultural experience; in every human society, understandings about gender and sexuality constitute powerful aspects of individual
identity that shape and are shaped by key aspects of social relations and cultural belief. Yet specific beliefs and social structures vary
tremendously across cultures. An investigation of the varied ethnography of gender and sexuality as well as important theoretical
concerns: how meanings are attached to the human body, production and reproduction of gender hierarchies, and processes by which
gender and sexual meanings (and associated social forms) may be transformed or contested in societies. Prerequisite: Anthropology
112. Four credit hours. U. MILLS
[AY374] Public Anthropology An exploration of innovative ways in which anthropology is used for proactive, public engagement
in policy implementation and transformative social action. We review the history of disciplinary efforts at public engagement and
experiment with our own approaches to engagement using ethnography, cultural critique, and collaborative methodologies. Students
will develop oral and written communication skills through individual and collaborative projects, experiment with different ethnographic
genres, and assess the effectiveness of different approaches to public engagement. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit
hours.
[AY421] Anthropology of Creativity Creativity is a vital part of cultural life and social transformation. Anthropologists have long
traced its meanings and manifestations across different historical and cultural contexts, from ethnographies of the extraordinary and
collective to the study of the ordinary and individual. We will explore a range of topics relevant to the critical investigation of human
capacities for and responses to possibility, destruction, spontaneity, empathy, radical imagination, structural oppression, and social
emancipation. Creative expressions considered include poetry, dance, music, social media, experimental ethnography, Afrofuturism,
and other aesthetic realms. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112, and 313 or 333 (either may be taken concurrently), and junior or higher
standing. Four credit hours.
AY455f Intervention: The Ethics and Politics of Humanitarianism Listed as Global Studies 455. Four credit
hours. S. EL-SHAARAWI
AY457s Insurgent Mobility Lab: Migrants, Activists, the Balkan Route Listed as Global Studies 457. Four credit hours. S,
I. RAZSA
[AY464] Anthropology of Food Food is essential to human life. Yet the significance of food for human being extends far beyond
calories and nutrition. What counts as food is deeply shaped by cultural meanings and associations. Food can signify distinctive
cultural identities; it can mark proud or shameful histories and global connections; it can point to (or obscure) deeply embedded
structures of power and relations of inequality and privilege, both within and across diverse societies. Food offers rich fields for
anthropological theorizing and fruitful avenues for extending critical research skills. Course work culminates in an independent,
original research project and oral presentation. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112, and 313 or 333 (either may be taken concurrently),
and junior or higher standing. Four credit hours.
[AY466] Technocultures Through intensive ethnographic reading and discussion, we will address a set of questions: How have
recent technological innovations shaped personhood and social life? How have infrastructural technologies like hydraulics and
electrical grids shaped citizenship and democracy? How have reproductive technologies altered understandings of the body and the
family? How have algorithmic technologies changed food production, public education, the financial sector, and border security? How
have recent technological innovations impacted inequality, racism, and other forms of social difference? And how have
techno-fantasies offered novel visions of social organization? Prerequisite: Senior standing as an anthropology major or minor. Four
credit hours.
AY483f, AY484s Honors in Anthropology Prerequisite: Senior standing, admission to the honors program, and permission of
the supervising faculty member. Three or four credit hours.
[AY483J] Honors in Anthropology Noncredit.
AY491f, AY492s Independent Study Individual topics in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence
necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
Arabic
Courses in Arabic are offered through Modern Languages and use the ML prefix before the course number.
Course Offerings
ML121f Elementary Modern Standard Arabic I-A An introduction to Modern Standard Arabic for students with no previous
knowledge of the language. Designed to develop all four skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--through a proficiency-based,
student-centered approach. Students will develop accuracy and fluency in pronouncing and writing Arabic script, gain basic
knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, and explore the ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity of Arabic culture.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Completion or concurrent completion of the college language requirement and permission of Professor John
Turner. Three credit hours. INSTRUCTOR
ML122s Elementary Modern Standard Arabic I-B A continuing introduction to Modern Standard Arabic for students with
previous exposure to the language. Designed to further develop all four skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--through a
proficiency-based, student-centered approach. Students will hone accuracy and fluency in pronouncing and writing Arabic script,
expand knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, and explore the ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity of Arabic culture.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Modern Language 121, completion or concurrent completion of the college language requirement, and
permission of Professor John Turner. Three credit hours. INSTRUCTOR
ML123f Elementary Modern Standard Arabic II-A An introduction to Modern Standard Arabic for students with previous
exposure to the language. Designed to expand all four skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--through a proficiency-based,
student-centered approach. Students will hone accuracy and fluency in pronouncing and writing Arabic script, expand knowledge of
vocabulary and grammar, and explore the ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity of Arabic culture.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Completion or concurrent completion of the college language requirement and permission of Professor John
Turner. Three credit hours. INSTRUCTOR
ML124s Elementary Modern Standard Arabic II-B Continues Modern Standard Arabic instruction for students with previous
exposure to the language. Designed to further develop all four skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing-- through a
proficiency-based, student-centered approach. Students will hone accuracy and fluency in pronouncing and writing Arabic script,
expand knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, comprehend simple texts, and explore the ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity of
Arabic culture. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Modern Language 123, completion or concurrent completion of the college language
requirement, and permission of Professor John Turner. Three credit hours. INSTRUCTOR
Art Department
The Department of Art offers an integrated curriculum of studio and art history courses that teach students how to engage in creative
artistic practices and think critically about images in the world. All art courses assume that images are embedded in artistic, social,
political, and cultural contexts. Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on experiential learning.
In studio courses, students express ideas and experiences through the creation of original artworks. They acquire a thorough
knowledge of the processes and vocabulary associated with the mediums of painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and
sculpture. Students also develop problem-solving skills and the capacity for aesthetic judgment in order to express themselves in a
creative visual language.
In art history, students translate visual experience into written and oral expression. Students gain familiarity with historical traditions,
research and curatorial skills, and art historical literature while engaging with images and ideas in the classroom and interacting with
objects in the Colby College Museum of Art and in collections on and off campus.
In addition, the Department of Art supports students across the College interested in pursuing courses of study and future careers in
the fields of design and architecture. The department offers instruction in 2D and 3D design, architectural history, and a variety of
topics related to art and the environment.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Véronique Plesch
Professors Bevin Engman, Gary Green, Véronique Plesch, and Tanya Sheehan; Associate Professors Marta Ameri, Bradley
Borthwick, and Daniel Harkett; Assistant Professor Amanda Lilleston; Visiting Assistant Professor Audrey Shakespear.
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Studio Art
I. Studio Concentration: Four courses in a single medium (digital media, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture)
II. Studio Electives: Two additional courses in or outside of the area of concentration. Students may count only one 100-level studio
course toward the major.
III. Art History: One 100-level course,* one course focused on modern/contemporary (ca. 1850 to the present) art history at the 100 or
200 level, and one additional course at the 200 level or above.
IV. Senior Capstone: 401 and 402 in the fall and spring of a student’s senior year. Each must be taken in conjunction with a studio
course in the area of concentration.
Students must seek the approval of the department to count courses taken off campus toward the studio art major. A maximum of
three courses may be taken off campus or outside the department for credit in the major.
* Note that AR110 and AR117 do not fulfill this major requirement.
Requirements for the Major in Art History
I. Historical Breadth: Three 100-level courses,* two 200-level courses
II. Historical/Research Depth: Three courses at the 300 and 400 levels, with at least one course at each level
III. Studio Foundations: Any 100- or 200-level studio art course
IV. Theories and Methods: 411
V. Capstone (in the fall of the senior year): 494
Art history majors must work with their advisors to develop a course of study that covers diverse historical, geographical, and cultural
content.
* Note that AR110 and AR117 do not fulfill this major requirement.
Students double-majoring in studio art and art history may count a maximum of four courses toward both majors.
Students planning to continue the study of studio art, architecture, or art history in graduate school should confer with their advisors to
plan an appropriate course of study.
For both the art history and studio art majors, the point scale for retention of the major applies to courses taken in the department. No
requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Students must receive a grade of C- or better for a course to count
toward the major. Distinction in the major will be awarded to graduates with a grade point average of 3.5 or above in the major.
Requirements for the Minor in Art
An art minor should be constructed according to the student’s interests and with the advice of an Art Department faculty member. The
minor requires at least seven courses: either a 100-level or a 200-level studio art course, one 100-level art history course,* one 200-
or 300-level art history course, and four additional graded courses in studio and/or art history at the 200 level or above. Students must
receive a grade of C- or better for a course to count toward the minor. A maximum of two courses may be taken off campus or outside
the department for credit in the minor.
* Note that AR110 and AR117 do not fulfill this minor requirement.
Course Offerings
[AR101J] Reading Images An introduction to art-historical inquiry in which students acquire the basic skills needed to read
images and interpret them within socio-historical contexts. How do we translate a visual experience into a verbal description? How
does art generate meaning through form, technique, and content? How do systems of power, tradition, and belief shape the
production and meanings of art? Through close looking, structured research, and frequent writing assignments, students learn to
analyze objects in the Colby College Museum of Art. Art majors and minors are encouraged to take this course early in their
studies. Three credit hours.
AR101Ws Reading Images A writing-intensive introduction to art-historical inquiry in which students acquire the basic skills
needed to read images and interpret them within socio-historical contexts. How do we translate a visual experience into a verbal
description? How does art generate meaning through form, technique, and content? How do systems of power, tradition, and belief
shape the production and meanings of art? Through close looking, structured research, and frequent writing assignments, students
learn to analyze objects in the Colby College Museum of Art. Four credit hours. A, W1. AMERI
[AR111] Introduction to Western Art: Prehistory through the Middle Ages An examination of the history of the Western
tradition of visual arts from cave painting through the end of the Middle Ages. Through lectures, class discussion, museum visits,
provides an introduction to the descriptive and critical analysis of works of art in both their formal and material makeup as well as their
dependency upon and/or interrelationship with cultural, religious, economic, and historical trends. Previously listed as Art 201. Four
credit hours. A.
AR112s Introduction to Western Art: Renaissance to Today An examination of the history of the Western tradition of visual arts
from the late Middle Ages to the present. Through lectures, class discussion, museum visits, and intensive writing, provides an
introduction to the descriptive and critical analysis of works of art in both their formal and material makeup as well as their dependency
upon and/or interrelationship with cultural, religious, economic, and historical trends. Previously listed as Art 202. Four credit
hours. A. PLESCH
AR117j Introduction to Art Conservation and Preservation An exploration of the issues and practices of the conservation and
restoration of works of art. Theoretical discussions will be balanced by practical examples. The role of conservators, the systems they
employ, and the relationship between art and science will be explored. Students will be responsible for case studies, many of which
will involve examination of original works of art in the galleries and storage areas of the Colby College Museum of Art. Also includes
visits to local museums and Colby chemistry labs. No prerequisite, but interest in art history or studio art is advantageous. Does not
count toward an art major or minor. Three credit hours. ROTH-WELLS
[AR125] Art and Architecture of the Islamic World, 622-1258 Examines the history, art, architecture, and archaeology of the
Islamic world from the time of Muhammad's flight to Medina in 622 A.D. to the Mongol Invasion of 1258. Explores this pivotal period
by surveying the history and material remains of the Umayyad and Abbasid empires in the Middle East, South Asia, and Spain.
Familiarizes students with the basic development of Islamic art as well as with the cultural and historical circumstances that led to
particular styles and movements. Previously listed as Art 321 and 225. Four credit hours. A, I.
AR126f Art and Architecture of the Islamic World, 1258-1914 Examines the history, art, and architecture of the Islamic world
from the time of the Mongol Invasion of 1258 through the end of the Ottoman Period. Explores this pivotal period by surveying the
history and material remains of the Mongol Empires (Ilkhanid and Timurid) and the so-called Gunpowder Empires (Safavid, Mughal
and Ottoman) in the Middle East and Central and South Asia. The course familiarizes students with the basic development of later
Islamic art as well as with the cultural and historical circumstances that led to particular styles and movements. Previously listed as Art
226. Four credit hours. A. AMERI
[AR131] Introduction to Studio Art Provides a thorough understanding of the organizational and visual components of
two-dimensional art and introduces a working relationship with the characteristics of color. Projects, completed in a range of media,
emphasize discovery through experimentation and problem solving. Students develop a variety of observational and expressive
capabilities that enable them to creatively perceive, formulate, analyze, and solve visual challenges. Four credit hours. A.
AR131Jj Introduction to Studio Art Provides a thorough understanding of the organizational and visual components of
two-dimensional art, and introduces a working relationship with the characteristics of color. Projects, completed in a range of media,
emphasize discovery through experimentation and problem solving. Students develop a variety of observational and expressive
capabilities that enable them to creatively perceive, formulate, analyze, and solve visual challenges. Extra fees for this course. Three
credit hours. A. BOURNE
[AR133] 2D Design with Photoshop The principles of 2D design and visual organization are presented specifically with
instruction in Adobe Photoshop. Project-based content introduces students to the vocabulary and concepts of design. Students
develop the capacity for visual problem-solving and sound aesthetic judgement. Assessment will include individual and group
critiques, and portfolio reviews. Assignments provide foundation for more advanced work in studio electives and other design
applications. Four credit hours. A.
[AR135] Visual Thinking Through ideas-oriented projects, students develop visual vocabulary, design skills, and critical
perception - the foundations of visual thinking and creative expression in the arts. Emphasis is placed on imagination and
experimentation with a wide range of materials, techniques, and experiences. Four credit hours. A.
AR136j Introduction to Digital Media Design Students will explore the computer as a tool for visual communication. Using the
Adobe Creative Cloud 18, students will have introductions to Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and After Effects. An exploration
of art history & design principles will also enable students to become critical of visual media. Students will acquire basic digital media
skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and After Effects and gain an overall understanding of the software interface &
function; produce/present compositions created digitally; establish an understanding of the basic digital file types, image resolution,
digital output, file management & vector/raster graphics; develop an awareness of Fair Use, Copyright & Creative Commons
Licensing; understand the Principles of Design, Gestalt in design. Does not count toward an art major or minor. Three credit
hours. A. JACOBSON
AR157f American Art: Identity and Belonging Since 1619 This introductory survey addresses the racial biases and foundations
of American art history as a field and exposes, to undermine, the enduring power of Whiteness. It centers the experiences of people of
color and their contributions to the story of American art, beginning with the arrival of enslaved people from Africa to Jamestown,
Virginia in 1619. The course focuses on the role that artistic production and consumption have played in constructing American social
identities and notions of cultural belonging. Students attend lectures and participate actively in class discussions. Writing projects
engage with artworks at the Colby College Museum of Art and research resources at the Colby Libraries. Critical Race - Indigeneity,
race, and identity course. Four credit hours. A, U. SHEEHAN
[AR158] American Art, 1619-1876 Surveys arts of the United States, from the arrival of enslaved people in colonial Virginia
through the Centennial. Situates the images, visual practices, and artistic movements within their social, historical, and cultural
contexts. Topics include the visual culture of slavery and freedom, art and (inter)nationalism, portraiture and the self, images of war,
the American landscape, and art and popular culture. Particular attention is paid to the role of artistic production and consumption in
constructing American social identities and cultures. Students write essays that incorporate artworks in the Colby College Museum of
Art and take an essay-based exam. Four credit hours. A.
[AR159] American Art since 1877 Surveys arts of the United States, from the end of Reconstruction to the turn of the 21st
century. Situates images, visual practices, and artistic movements of the period within their social, historical, and cultural contexts.
Major topics include American art's relation to urbanism, modern technology, regional life and identity, political struggles, social justice,
popular culture, modernism, and postmodernism. Students write essays that incorporate artworks in the Colby College Museum of Art
and take an essay-based exam. Four credit hours. A.
[AR173] Survey of East Asian Art, to 1300 Listed as East Asian Studies 273. Four credit hours. A.
[AR174] East Asian Art and Architecture, 1300 to the Present Listed as East Asian Studies 274. Four credit hours. A.
[AR215] Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East and Egypt Surveys the art and archaeology of Ancient Egypt and
Mesopotamia from the origins of urbanism through the Persian period by examining both the art and architecture of these ancient
civilizations and the general cultural frameworks that led to their development. Through class discussion, readings, and individual and
group projects students become conversant in the history and visual culture of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as with the
archaeological techniques used to collect and analyze much of this material. Previously listed as Art 315. Four credit hours. A.
[AR217] Figure Drawing and Anatomy Introduces all aspects of drawing the figure using graphite, charcoal, ink, and mixed
media. Covers the hands-on applications of fundamental drawing issues, while encompassing the various historical iterations of
drawing the human form. In addition to daily technical instruction pertaining to drawing the figure, image presentations give students
comparative understandings of the legacy of the figure in art and help them to find their place as 21st-century visual thinkers. Three
credit hours.
AR218j Architectural Design Workshop In this intensive introduction to architectural design, students work on a conceptual
design project. Students will explore introductory tools, techniques, and craft used in the practice of architecture. Extra fees for this
course. Three credit hours. SHAW
AR219j Introduction to Bookbinding: Techniques and Intangibles The ancient craft of bookbinding has been practiced in
Eastern and Western cultures for centuries. This course provides a practical, hands-on introduction to a variety of bookbinding tools,
materials, and techniques. Students learn to design and produce a selection of finished bindings. Culminates with an independent
project that incorporates the techniques and principles learned. Does not count toward an art major or minor. Extra fees for this
course. Three credit hours. EDDY
[AR221] Drawing I Lays the foundation for visual thinking and perceptual understanding. Through a sequence of projects,
students acquire a working understanding of single and two-point perspective, composition, the use of tonal contrast, and the editing
process necessary for clear visual communication. Students will experience drawing both as an analytical tool and an expressive
language. Media used include graphite, vine and compressed charcoal, and ink. Outside work is essential. Evaluation includes group
critiques, midterm, and final portfolio reviews. Previously listed as Art 141. Four credit hours. A.
[AR221J] Drawing I Lays the foundation for visual thinking and perceptual understanding. Through a sequence of projects,
students acquire a working understanding of single and two-point perspective, composition, the use of tonal contrast, and the editing
process necessary for clear visual communication. Students will experience drawing both as an analytical tool and an expressive
language. Media used include graphite, vine and compressed charcoal, and ink. Outside work is essential. Evaluation includes group
critiques, midterm, and final portfolio reviews. Extra fees for this course. Three credit hours. A.
[AR222] Contemporary Drawing Focus is on developing an understanding of shape, line, value, and linear perspective and how
these elements relate to drawing as a tool for creative thinking. Beginning with basic concepts and processes involved in responding
objectively to observed subject matter, projects progress to cover compositional and subjective issues. Contemporary approaches to
drawing are explored through a variety of materials and methods to develop core skills and techniques. Previously listed as Art
142. Prerequisite: Art 217, 221, or permission of instructor. Four credit hours.
[AR223] Modern Exhibition Culture Introduction to the history of exhibitions in Europe and the United States from the
Renaissance to the present. Considers a broad range of exhibition types, including the cabinet of curiosities, the art museum, the
natural history museum, the wax museum, the morgue, the panorama, the department store, the world's fair, and the contemporary art
fair. Compares rhetorics of display and asks how the viewing of objects in space might contribute to the formation of class, national,
racial, and gender identities. Class discussions will be supplemented by visits to local museums. Four credit hours. A.
[AR224] Contemporary Art and Performance Listed as Theater and Dance 226. Four credit hours. A.
AR227s History of Architecture I: From Pyramids to Cathedrals Introduces students to the history of architecture and
examines key aspects of human relationships with the built environment. Topics include religious architecture, city planning, and the
expression of political power in architectural design, from antiquity through the Gothic period. Among the important structures covered
are the Parthenon, Roman military garrisons, early royal palaces, and cathedrals. Through lectures, discussions, exams, and
individual research projects, students learn to analyze these forms of the built environment in relation to cultural, religious, economic,
political, and historical trends. Four credit hours. A. AMERI
AR228f Printmaking I Introduction to the materials, techniques, and concepts associated with the medium of printmaking in its
traditional and 21st-century forms. Students learn basic print shop and digital image manipulation skills, including use of hand and
power tools, paper handling and registration, hand and press printing, Photoshop, and digital laser cutting. Printmaking techniques
include relief, monotype, and intaglio. Demonstrations, studio work, and critique form the foundation of this project-based course. Four
credit hours. LILLESTON
[AR229] Print and Digital Media II Continued introduction to the medium of printmaking in its traditional and 21st-century forms.
Covers a variety of intaglio techniques, lithography methods, and intermediate digital image manipulation skills. Demonstrations,
studio work, and critique form the foundation of this project-based course. Students develop a thematic body of work that culminates
in a final portfolio. Prerequisite: Art 228, 234, or 235. Four credit hours.
[AR232] Contemporary Chinese Art Listed as East Asian Studies 220. Three credit hours. A.
[AR233] Mannerism and Baroque Art in Southern Europe Painting, sculpture, and architecture from the late works of
Michelangelo in the 16th century through the late 17th century in Italy and Spain. Examines the meanings and functions of works of
art and their relationship to and dependence upon historical, theological, cultural, scientific, economic, social, and artistic
contexts. Four credit hours. A.
AR236f Vienna 1900 In-depth exploration of the Viennese Secession (1898-1905), a pivotal moment in European avant-garde art.
Considers artworks, creators (artists, architects, designers), collectors, and the historical and cultural context of Belle Epoque, Vienna.
The course also addresses issues related to collecting this material in the post-World War II context and crucial issues of provenance
research and restitution of Nazi-looted art. Four credit hours. A. PLESCH
[AR238] Surrealism Surveys the 20th-century artistic movement known as surrealism, from post-World War I Paris to its influence
in continental Europe, Britain, the Americas, and in popular culture today. To gain insight into the complexities of one of the most
influential avant-garde movements, we consider its relationship to Dada and the influences that were critical to the formation of the
movement (in particular the work of Sigmund Freud). As we consider the major contributing artists, we study works in a range of
media: painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, literature, film, fashion, and more. Previously listed as Art 338. Four credit
hours. A.
AR240f Digital Media I: From Screen to Prints This class explores the various ways in which two-dimensional still works can be
created as files that will live and be exhibited on the web as well as in high quality printed forms. Students will also learn the technical
skills of file types and compression, and the essentials of digital file management and protocols. Four credit hours. SUZUKI
AR241f Painting I A project-based introduction to oil painting as both a process and medium. Students acquire an understanding
of advanced color theory and its perceived behavior in invented compositions and observed still lifes. They gain an understanding of
how formal analysis drives the creative process and allows for clear, personal expression. Individual and group critiques provide
feedback for growth. Outside work is essential. Evaluation process includes midterm portfolio and final interview and portfolio
reviews. Four credit hours. B. ENGMAN
AR242s Painting II Continues the project-based involvement with oil painting as both a process and medium. Students explore
figure study through self-portraiture, an introduction to abstraction through tempera collage, and a period engaged with "Special
Topics," offering wider a choice of focus. Students deepen their understanding of how formal analysis drives the creative process and
allows for clear, personal expression. Individual and group critiques provide feedback for growth. Outside work is essential.
Assessment includes midterm portfolio and final interview and portfolio reviews. Prerequisite: Art 241. Four credit hours. B.
ENGMAN
[AR243] Introduction to Greek and Roman Archaeology Listed as Classics 143. Three credit hours. H.
[AR245] Performance Art: The Body Politic Listed as Theater and Dance 245. Four credit hours. A.
AR246s Art, Money, Labor: The Crisis of Capitalism Listed as Theater and Dance 246. Four credit hours. A, I. SHANKS
AR247s Performing the Museum Listed as Theater and Dance 247. Four credit hours. A. SHANKS
AR248s Printmaking II: The Digital Matrix Continued exploration of printmaking with an emphasis on how digital applications
can expand and enhance printmaking processes. Covers digital image manipulation and a variety of digital approaches to creating a
matrix for printing. Demonstrations, studio work, and critique form the foundation of this project-based course. Students develop a
thematic body of work that culminates in a final portfolio. Previously offered as Art 298 (Spring 2020). Prerequisite: Art 228, 234 or
235. Four credit hours. LILLESTON
AR250s Digital Media II: Sequencing the Frames In this course, students will continue to hone their skills using Adobe Creative
Suite software and other digital tools as needed. They will begin by sequencing still images to create moving images, and finally to
capturing live video by camera. Editing, both a skill and an art, will be a primary driving factor in the semesters work. Four credit
hours. SUZUKI
AR252s Medicine and Visual Culture Explores the relationship between medicine and Western visual culture, from the
anatomical art of Leonardo da Vinci to media representations of the coronavirus pandemic. Topics include the development of
scientific illustration, medical themes in the fine arts, the arts in clinical practices, and visual technologies of medicine. The course is
designed to introduce students in the humanities and social sciences to the culture of science, while offering pre-health students an
important opportunity to think critically about images in relation to human health and disease. Assignments involve close study of
primary sources in the Colby Libraries and artworks at the Colby College Museum of Art as well as group research on issues in
contemporary medicine. Four credit hours. A. SHEEHAN
[AR253] Late Antique Art: The Death and Afterlife of the Roman Empire The period after the fall of Rome was long referred to
as the Dark Ages. More recent scholarship views it as a lively period of renewals and beginnings. New religious traditions brought
change to spiritual life while incorporating existing artistic and architectural traditions. This course introduces the art and archaeology
of the Late Antique period from the end of the Roman Empire through the first Islamic Caliphate by examining the art, architecture,
and general cultural frameworks that led to their creation. Through class discussion, readings, and individual and group projects
students become conversant in the history and visual culture of the Late Antique world as well as with the archaeological techniques
used to collect and analyze much of this material. Four credit hours. A, I.
[AR255] Contemporary Art Surveys the global production and reception of art since 1980. Considers the relationship between
contemporary art and politics, international networks, popular culture, social activism, and new media. Students complete several
writing assignments and engage with artworks at the Colby College Museum of Art. Four credit hours. A.
[AR256] African American Art Surveys the work of African-American artists, from 1619 to the present. Covers a variety of visual
media, including painting, sculpture, prints, photography, installation, and contemporary performances. Considers the ways in which
artists and scholars have worked to define "African-American art" in relation to Euro-American and African cultural production as well
as to the evolving social and political history of African diasporic communities across the Americas. Students complete writing
assignments that engage with artworks at the Colby College Museum of Art and take an essay-based final exam. Four credit
hours. A, U.
[AR257] Renaissance Art Examines art created north and south of the Alps from the 14th through 16th century in relation to
historical, theological, cultural, scientific, economic, social, and artistic contexts. Explores patrons' values and motives, the meanings
and functions of artworks in a variety of media (painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative arts, and prints), and the interactions
between European artistic centers and artists. Themes include the importance of mathematical perspective, the impact of ancient art,
and the development of art's power to create a compelling illusion of reality. Students take two exams and write a research-based
paper. Four credit hours. A.
AR265f Sculpture I: Dynamic Wood This introductory sculpture studio presents wood as a primary medium with which to fashion
sculptural form. Students learn about the dynamic behavior of wood grain as it applies to concept building and 3D design. This course
teaches students the fundamentals of wood milling and fabrication, adhering to both safety and etiquette as defined by the culture of a
working studio. Two major projects are supported by sketchbook entries and the creation of models and maquettes. Four credit
hours. SHAKESPEAR
AR266f Sculpture II: The Artifact This intermediate sculpture studio engages with concepts and research defined by the 'artifact.'
Students create original objects that reference existing or past cultural form, building upon specific material choices and design tenets
used by others. Two major projects are supported by research, sketchbook entries, and time to model preliminary
concepts. Prerequisite: Art 265. Four credit hours. SHAKESPEAR
AR267f Advanced Topics in Design: Architectural Imaging Listed as Theater and Dance 365. Four credit
hours. A. THURSTON
[AR268] Site-Specific Installation: Transforming Place This studio course is developed upon a core consideration of place.
Site-specific study informs the creation of a sculptural installation that will transform the viewer experience of a particular place.
Students will research the land use history of the Colby College campus, utilize principles of architectural design, and engage with
sculpture studio fabrication to explore material intervention specific to a chosen site. This course represents an opportunity to consider
the impact of art placed in the public domain, where precedents in installation art, environments, and land art provide historical and
contemporary context. Prerequisite: Art 265. Four credit hours.
[AR269J] Advanced Topics in Performance: Presence/Past Listed as Theater and Dance 361J. Three credit hours.
AR276s Zen and the Arts in Asia Listed as East Asian Studies 276. Four credit hours. A. WEITZ
[AR278] 19th-Century European Art Introduction to European art of the long 19th century, from the French Revolution to the
dawn of modernism. Situates objects in their social context, with particular attention paid to the institutions that regulated art
production and reception, and the roles played by artworks in forming national, gender, racial, and class identities. Topics include
European art's relationship to political conflict, imperialism, urbanization, industrialization, and technological change. Class
discussions are supplemented by visits to museums. Students take two essay-based exams and write a paper. Four credit
hours. A.
[AR279] 20th-Century Art Introduction to 20th-century European and American art, focusing on the years 1900-1980. Covers
major movements such as cubism, futurism, Dada, surrealism, abstract expressionism, pop art, and conceptual art, situating them in
their social contexts. Topics include 20th-century art's relationship to imperialism, war, capitalism, and conceptions of nation, race, and
gender. Class discussions will be supplemented by visits to museums. Students take two essay-based exams and write a paper. Four
credit hours. A.
AR81f Photography I Introduction to the tools, materials, and techniques for making wet-process, black-and-white photographs.
Coverage of camera operation, use of a light meter in determining proper exposure, film processing, and printing. In addition to
technique, and at the core of this course, will be a series of assignments, slide lectures, video presentations, and class discussions
involving the theories and processes inherent in the comprehension and practice of using photography as a language of personal
creative expression. Four credit hours. GREEN
AR282s Photography II Provides further exploration of the materials, techniques, and ideas covered in Photography I, while
introducing more advanced methods, materials, and equipment. In addition, each student will complete assignments that result in
further defining his or her own particular photographic process and personal vision. Through class lectures and discussion, critiques of
student work, and the viewing of images and videos, we will continue to investigate photography's potential as an expressive artistic
medium. Prerequisite: Art 281. Four credit hours. GREEN
[AR285] History of Photography Introduction to the major aesthetic and cultural debates surrounding photography, from the
announcement of its invention in 1839 to the present. Situates Anglo-American histories of photography in transnational and global
contexts. Topics include the idea of photographic "truth"; documentary, ethnographic, and colonialist uses of the medium; social
reform and activism; technology and materiality; and photography's relationship to other artistic movements and media. We will
engage with photographs firsthand through visits to the Colby College Museum of Art and Special Collections and in-class object
study. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions, write essays, and complete a final research project. Four
credit hours. A.
[AR288] Global Photographies Surveys photography's role in shaping world histories, cultures, and identities, and examines the
impact of globalization on photographic practices since 1980. Topics include the worldwide production and dissemination of
photographic images; the local and global character of specific genres, such as portraiture and photojournalism; the photographic
representation of human movement and migration; and (post)colonial photographies. Presented thematically, lectures and discussions
focus on photography of the Americas, Europe, Africa, East Asia, Australasia, and the Middle East. Writing assignments and oral
presentations incorporate original artworks and a variety of research sources. Three credit hours. A, I.
[AR319] Art, Medicine, and Race This humanities lab explores the relations among art, medicine, and ideas about race from the
18th century to present. Focusing on the Atlantic world and African diaspora, we consider how chattel slavery, colonialism, and racial
inequality have shaped constructions of medical knowledge, while medicine has informed conceptions of race as it intersects with
gender, sexuality, and class. In spring 2022, students will conduct independent research and contribute to a digital database that
presents histories of medicine and race through visual sources. We will also engage with contemporary artists and scholars reflecting
on race and visual culture in the coronavirus pandemic and other public health crises. Freedom and Captivity humanities
lab. Prerequisite: Course in Art History, African-American Studies, American Studies, or Science, Technology, and Society. Four credit
hours. U.
[AR323] Destroying Culture: Iconoclasm from Antiquity to Today Students work together to create a digital map and timeline
that traces the history of iconoclasm and cultural destruction from antiquity to the present. They explore the religious and political
contexts linked to the production, protection, and destruction of material culture by examining specific case studies over a wide
geographic and historic span. Students are encouraged to question the forces behind different instances of destruction as well as the
meaning they hold for us today. Assessment consists of reading responses, short writing assignments, and a group project. Four
credit hours. I.
[AR326] Slavery and Freedom in American Art This humanities lab engages with the work of historical and contemporary visual
artists who have pictured the enslavement and/or freedom of people of African descent in the Atlantic world. Students consider
images that Americans used as arguments for or against chattel slavery; representations of Black freedom and citizenship; and
African American artists' efforts to reimagine the violence of slavery, make visible its modern afterlife, and celebrate Black resistance
and agency. Students reinterpret artworks at the Colby Museum through writing and oral presentations. Freedom and Captivity
humanities lab. Prerequisite: One course in Art History, African-American Studies, American Studies, or History 247. Four credit
hours. A, U.
AR328f Printmaking III Continuation of Art 229 that expands students' knowledge of printmaking in its traditional and
21st-century forms. Covers modular printing, collagraph printing, and advanced methods like paper joining and chine collé.
Demonstrations, studio work, and critique form the foundation of this project-based course. Students develop a thematic body of work
that culminates in a midterm and final portfolio. Prerequisite: Art 228 or AR248. Four credit hours. LILLESTON
AR329s Printmaking IV Continuation of Art 328 that expands students' knowledge of printmaking in its traditional and
21st-century forms. This advanced course focuses on refining technique and developing a thematic portfolio. Students engage in
group critique and discussions of their work in the context of contemporary printmaking. They develop a thematic body of work that
culminates in a midterm and final portfolio. Prerequisite: Art 328. Four credit hours. LILLESTON
AR341fs Painting III Serves as a bridge course between the project-based format of Painting I and II and the independent
structure of advanced painting. Students undertake invented abstraction, increased scale, the use of limited palettes, and an
independent direction in their studio practice. Particular importance is placed on the ability to develop and maintain a work process
with the goal of producing a related body of self-directed work. Students are required to express their intent visually in their work,
orally in critiques, and in a written statement. Evaluation includes midterm and final portfolio reviews. Prerequisite: Art 242. Four credit
hours. B. ENGMAN
AR342fs Painting IV Based on the discoveries made in Painting III, students continue to define and express their personal goals
and begin their fully independent studio practice. Particular importance is placed on the ability to develop and maintain creative
momentum with the goal of producing a cohesive body of self-directed work. Students are required to express their intent visually in
their work, orally in critiques, and in a written statement. Evaluation includes midterm and final portfolio reviews. Fulfills the minimum
requirement for the studio capstone Senior Art Exhibition. Prerequisite: Art 341. Four credit hours. B. ENGMAN
[AR345] Land, Sovereignty, and Art Listed as American Studies 245. Four credit hours. U.
[AR347] Art and Maine This humanities lab explores Maine's important role in American art. Themes include Maine's
representation as a natural resource, as an embodiment of local, national, and international values, and as an artistic origin or refuge.
Research and writing assignments incorporate firsthand study of objects in the Colby College Museum of Art, Portland Museum of Art,
and Farnsworth Art Museum as well as fieldwork at Prout's Neck and Allen Island. For their final project, students contribute to the
regeneration of the Archives of Maine Art, first established at Colby in 1963 and now housed in Special Collections. Humanities lab
course. Prerequisite: Any art or American studies course. Four credit hours.
[AR348] Performing the Museum Listed as Theater and Dance 247. Four credit hours. A.
AR356s Writing Art Criticism This humanities lab familiarizes students with the forms, techniques, and aims of art criticism.
Designed around artworks and exhibitions that students can experience firsthand, assignments prepare them to write critically and
creatively for museums, galleries, and websites. The class will conduct interviews with studio art majors, write critical analyses of their
artwork, and coauthor the catalogue for the annual Senior Art Exhibition at the Colby College Museum of Art. May be repeated for
credit. Prerequisite: W1 course and any art history course. Four credit hours. W2. SHEEHAN
AR365s Sculpture III: The Nobility of Stone In this intermediate sculpture studio students learn to carve marble, with an
emphasis placed upon historical premise. This course explores the historical and the current values placed upon the medium of stone
and the conventions of display, including the pedestal itself. One major project and two complementary studies are supported by
sketchbook entries, research, and independent time to hone one's studio practice. Prerequisite: Art 266. Four credit
hours. SHAKESPEAR
AR366s Sculpture IV: Measure, Material, and Process This advanced sculpture studio allows students to explore concepts and
material concerns of interest to them while engaging in independent research and cultivating individual expression. Work undertaken
in previous studios may be expanded materially or conceptually to reflect on material traditions and the wonder of the handmade.
Typically involves two major projects supported by substantial research and independent work in the studio. Prerequisite: Art
365. Four credit hours. SHAKESPEAR
[AR375] Race, Gender, and Visual Culture Listed as American Studies 375. Four credit hours. U.
AR377f The Floating World: Japanese Print Culture Listed as East Asian Studies 377. Four credit hours. WEITZ
[AR378] Chinese Visual Culture Listed as East Asian Studies 378. Four credit hours.
AR381fs Photography III: Color and Digital Photography Allows students to master the basics--creatively and technically--of
digital photographic techniques and materials. Provides a primer for Adobe Photoshop, the appropriate hardware (scanners and
printers), and digital cameras. Introduces and explores color photography, its history, methods, and materials and a survey of
contemporary work in the medium. Although the curriculum introduces many aspects of digital craft, assignments and projects will
include the use of traditional techniques as well. Critical to the course is the continued exploration of photography as a language of
visual expression within the fine arts. Students will be using digital and traditional cameras. Prerequisite: Art 282. Four credit
hours. GREEN
AR382fs Photography IV Provides further exploration of the materials, techniques, and ideas covered in Art 381. Students may
choose to work using traditional darkroom techniques and/or digital media according to what is most appropriate for their work. Allows
students to improve their skills using advanced methods, materials, and equipment including medium- and large-format cameras.
Each student will take on a self-conceived and self-directed semester-long project and take part in regular critiques. They will be
expected to express their intentions and results verbally and through a final written statement. Prerequisite: Art 381. Four credit
hours. GREEN
[AR393] Museum Practicum: The L.C. Bates Museum: History and Collections Students work closely with faculty to develop
an original, museum-based project. Work will include researching museum collections and creating a website. Combines hands-on,
practical training with creative and critical interventions. Humanities lab course. Four credit hours.
AR397j Heritage, Museums, and the Arts in the Arab States of the Gulf This course explores questions of culture, commerce,
and identity as they are embodied in the fast-growing Arab States of the Gulf. Students will visit a number of sites throughout the
region-- from active archeological excavations, to the museums that exhibit the finds of these explorations, to newly founded art
museums and cultural institutions-- in order to understand how these institutions function both to define the heritage of these new
nations and to put these countries on the map of "global culture." Discussions will also highlight the competing interests of parties that
range from Western archaeologists and the art market to local museum workers and tourism officials while exploring the lasting
legacies of colonial rule in the region. Three credit hours. A, I. AMERI
AR401f Studio Art Capstone In this culminating studio art experience, students engage in cross-media discussions and critique
with all studio faculty while preparing a body of work for the Senior Art Exhibition. The capstone also focuses on professional
development, including résumé writing, creation of a portfolio and artist statement, introduction to graduate programs, and research on
employment opportunities. Students meet with guest critics, visit galleries and museums, and participate in a trip to a major arts
destination to meet with professionals in the field, funded by the Mirken Family Endowment for Fine Art Practicum and Museum
Practice at Colby. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a studio art major. Two credit hours. B. ENGMAN
AR402s Studio Art Capstone Continuation of 401, culminating in the Senior Art Exhibition. Prerequisite: Art 401 and senior
standing as a studio art major. Two credit hours. B. ENGMAN
AR411s Theories and Methods of Art History This seminar offers an opportunity to reflect on a variety of approaches to the
study of art history and visual culture. Students will think about how art historians select their objects of study, frame their questions,
and voice their arguments. We consider how the discipline of art history has been constituted as well as its relationship to the field of
visual culture studies and other modes of interdisciplinary inquiry. Students produce reading responses, oral presentations, and a final
research paper. Designed for junior and senior art history majors. Four credit hours. PLESCH
[AR425] Intimate Things Focusing on 18th- and 19th-century Europe and America, explores the relationships between objects,
intimate experience, and memory. How did everyday practices of keeping, wearing, touching, and viewing things shape personal
identities, connect people, and enact stories about the past and the present? How did miniature paintings mediate relationships
between lovers and among friends and family? How did albums and private museums collect and represent the past? How did death
masks and hair jewelry help people come to terms with loss? Students will address such questions by reading relevant texts and
developing a semester-long research project. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours.
AR428f Printmaking V Continuation of Art 428 that expands students' knowledge of printmaking in its traditional and 21st-century
forms. This advanced course focuses on mastering techniques, developing individual expression, and creating a body of
work. Prerequisite: Art 329. Four credit hours. LILLESTON
AR429s Printmaking VI Continuation of Art 428 that expands students' knowledge of printmaking in its traditional and
21st-century forms. This advanced course focuses on mastering techniques, developing individual expression, and creating a body of
work for the Senior Art Exhibition Prerequisite: Art 428. Four credit hours. LILLESTON
AR438f Printmaking VII Expands student's knowledge of printmaking in its traditional and 21st-century forms. Focuses on
mastering techniques, developing individual expression, and creating a body of self-directed work. Students will learn to develop an
independent art practice in the Colby print studio. Students will also present their work orally and produce written artist statements.
Evaluation includes five critiques throughout the semester. Prerequisite: Art 429. Four credit hours. LILLESTON
AR439s Printmaking VIII Expands student's knowledge of printmaking in its traditional and 21st-century forms. Print VIII focuses
on mastering techniques, developing individual expression, and creating a body of self-directed work. Students will learn to develop
an independent art practice in the Colby print studio. Students will also present their work orally and produce written artist statements.
Evaluation includes five critiques throughout the semester. Prerequisite: Art 438. Four credit hours. LILLESTON
AR441fs Painting V Further extends students' ability to develop a mature direction in their work. Expands on the goals and
expectations as expressed in Painting IV, including the ability to develop and maintain creative momentum with the goal of producing
a cohesive body of self-directed work. Provides stronger preparation for the studio capstone Senior Art Exhibition and for application
to graduate school. Students are required to express their intent visually in their work, orally in critiques, and in a written statement.
Evaluation includes midterm and final portfolio reviews. Prerequisite: Art 342. Four credit hours. B. ENGMAN
AR442fs Painting VI Allows students the benefit of the full painting program. Students expand the depth and breadth of their
independent process, whether working from still life, figure, landscape, or invented abstraction. Offers the strongest preparation for the
studio capstone Senior Art Exhibition and for application to graduate school. Students are required to express their intent visually in
their work, orally in critiques, and in a written statement. Evaluation includes midterm and final portfolio reviews. Prerequisite: Art
441. Four credit hours. B. ENGMAN
AR443fs Painting VII Further exploration of materials, techniques, and ideas developed in Painting VI. Out-of-class work is
essential. Prerequisite: Art 442. Four credit hours. B. ENGMAN
AR444fs Painting VIII Further exploration of materials, techniques, and ideas developed in Painting VII. Out-of-class work is
essential. Prerequisite: Art 443. Four credit hours. B. ENGMAN
[AR452] Art of the Book in the Islamic World Despite a doctrinal prohibition on figural imagery, illuminated manuscripts became
increasingly popular in the Islamic world after the Mongol Invasion of 1258. This seminar focuses on the tradition of book production
and miniature painting in Islamic art. Students explore various aspects of book production, from manufacture to illumination and
painting, and consider the role that book art and miniature painting continue to play in contemporary Islamic art. Students will work
closely with book facsimiles as have the opportunity to research and write on works intended for a spring 2020 exhibition Islamic art at
the Colby Museum of Art. Four credit hours.
[AR456] Art and Fashion Focusing on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe and America, explores the emergence of
fashion as an idea and a practice, and the ways in which it was represented in art and other forms of visual culture. Considers
relationships linking fashion to revolution, democracy, the modern city, industrialization, and imperialism, and discourses of gender,
sexuality, race, and class. Investigates how fashion, fashionable performances of identity, and fashionable viewing were staged in
painted portraits and illustrations in the popular press. Students are expected to participate in discussions and complete an
independent research project. Previously offered ss Art 497 (Fall 2020). Four credit hours.
[AR458] American Art in a Global Context What does it mean to study American art in a global context? This question has
reframed the field of American art history in the 21st century, stimulating studies of artists abroad, (inter)national styles and subject
matter, and the global construction, circulation, and interpretation of images. Students have a unique opportunity to witness and
contribute to this scholarly shift at three sites: the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and
Colby College Museum of Art. At each site, students will meet with curators and conduct original research that will inform oral
presentations and writing assignments. Prerequisite: Art 158, 159, 181, 182, American Studies 171, or other modern art history or
American visual culture course. Four credit hours. U.
AR465f Sculpture V This advanced studio cultivates individual research skills and creative expression. Students identify a core
interest - social, political, ecological, historical, or personal narrative - to which they can respond through a materials-based practice.
To cultivate student ownership of their sculptural works, the studio is structured around individual projects. Prerequisite: Art 366. Four
credit hours. SHAKESPEAR
AR466s Sculpture VI This advanced studio cultivates individual research skills and creative expression. Students identify a core
interest - social, political, ecological, historical, or personal narrative - to which they can respond through a materials-based practice.
To cultivate student ownership of their sculptural works, the studio is structured around individual projects. Prerequisite: Art 465. Four
credit hours. SHAKESPEAR
[AR471] Picasso's Suite Vollard and Its Contexts This humanities lab is an in-depth exploration of Picasso's Suite
Vollard (named after the Parisian art dealer who commissioned it), a collection of 100 etchings created between 1930 and 1937, and
of the contexts of its production: technical, iconographic, stylistic, historical, cultural, and biographical. Includes frequent trips to the
Colby College Museum of Art to study firsthand the suite and other examples of intaglio prints. Students are expected to participate in
the creation of an online exhibit dedicated to the suite and its contexts and present their research at a small
conference. Prerequisite: Art 101, 202, or another 200-level art history course; or, for French studies majors, French 231 or
equivalent. Four credit hours.
[AR472] Food in Art, Food as Art In this seminar, students learn about the history of food, look at art from prehistoric times to the
present, and address a wide variety of issues. In addition to still-life painting, art featuring food includes depictions of figures eating,
preparing, and serving food. Examines the aesthetics of feasts and banquets, the architecture of eating spaces, the symbolic
functions ascribed to food, and how food presentation follows the artistic styles of the period. Prerequisite: Any art history course. Four
credit hours.
AR473f Visual Culture of Tattooing An exploration of the practice of tattooing across history along with a survey of scholarship
on the subject and of pertinent theoretical models. This seminar sharpens visual literacy and research skills and develops the ability to
analyze and critically assess visual and verbal materials. Weekly oral presentations in class, final research paper, and research
diary. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. PLESCH
[AR474] Graffiti, Past and Present An exploration of the practice of graffiti across history along with a survey of the scholarship
on the subject and of pertinent theoretical models. Aimed at sharpening visual literacy and research skills and developing the ability to
analyze and critically assess visual and verbal materials. Weekly oral presentations in class and final research
paper. Prerequisite: Any art history course. Four credit hours.
AR481fs Photography V Provides further exploration of the materials, techniques, and ideas covered in Art 382. Students may
choose to work using traditional darkroom techniques and/or digital media according to what is most appropriate for their work.
Students will improve their skills using advanced methods, materials, and equipment including medium- and large-format cameras.
Each student will take on a self-conceived and self-directed semester-long project and take part in regular critiques. They will be
expected to express their intentions and results verbally and through a final written statement. Prerequisite: Art 382. Four credit
hours. GREEN
AR482fs Photography VI Provides further exploration of the materials, techniques, and ideas covered in Art 481. Students may
choose to work using traditional darkroom techniques and/or digital media according to what is most appropriate for their work.
Students will improve their skills using advanced methods, materials, and equipment including medium- and large-format cameras.
Each student will take on a self-conceived and self-directed semester-long project and take part in regular critiques. They will be
expected to express their intentions and results verbally and through a final written statement. Prerequisite: Art 481. Four credit
hours. GREEN
AR485fs Photography VII Provides further exploration of the materials, techniques, and ideas covered in Art 482. Students may
choose to work using traditional darkroom techniques and/or digital media according to what is most appropriate for their work.
Students will improve their skills using advanced methods, materials, and equipment including medium- and large-format cameras.
Each student will take on a self-conceived and self-directed semester-long project and take part in regular critiques. They will be
expected to express their intentions and results verbally and through a final written statement. Prerequisite: Art 482. Four credit
hours. GREEN
AR491f, AR492s Independent Study Art History: Individual study of special problems in the history or theory of the visual
arts. Studio: Individual upper-level work in studio areas, intended to build upon course work or to explore new areas in studio art. Not
meant to take the place of existing courses. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. For art history majors, Art 101 or a 200-level
course is required. For studio art majors, a year of studio course work is required. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
AR494f Senior Research Seminar in Art History In this capstone seminar designed for senior art history majors, students learn
to conduct advanced research in the discipline. Students design their own research topics and plans, create annotated bibliographies
and abstracts for their projects, and produce a final paper of 25 or more pages, the equivalent of an academic journal article. They are
expected to work closely with the instructor as well as consult other professors with expertise in their area(s) of
interest. Prerequisite: Senior major in art history. Four credit hours. W3. AMERI
[AR494A] Seminar: Sex in Art A research seminar intended to investigate the different ways in which sexuality is represented
throughout the history of art. Prerequisite: Any W1 course or permission of instructor. Four credit hours.
Astronomy
In the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences and deals primarily with developing an understanding of our origins on a cosmic scale.
Students interested in graduate study in astronomy should complete the physics major with a concentration in astrophysics and
should strongly consider doing an honors project and thesis. They are also encouraged to pursue summer research with faculty
before the start of their senior year. Colby physics majors who have taken Astronomy 231 and 342 and completed a research project
in astronomy have always been admitted into graduate programs in astronomy or astrophysics. Students in any major discipline who
are interested in a more general exposure to astronomy should consider the astronomy minor.
The physics major with a concentration in astrophysics is described in the “Physics” section of the catalogue.
Faculty
Associate Professors Dale Kocevski and Elizabeth McGrath; Visiting Assistant Professor Brian DiGiorgio; Laboratory Instructor I
Michaela Allen
Requirements for the Minor in Astronomy
No requirements for the astronomy minor may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. The grade point average for the astronomy minor
is calculated using all courses that can satisfy the requirements listed below.
Students must take either Astronomy 151 or 172 and the following required courses:
Astronomy
● 231 Introduction to Astrophysics
● 342 Galaxies and Cosmology
Physics
● 141 Foundations of Mechanics (or 143 Honors Physics)
● 145 Foundations of Electromagnetism and Optics
Mathematics
● 120, 121, 125, or 130 Single-Variable Calculus (or Honors Calculus I, 135 or 161)
Note: Students cannot fulfill the astronomy minor if electing to major or minor in physics. Physics majors interested in astronomy
should consider the astrophysics concentration.
Course Offerings
AS151s Stars, Stellar Systems, and Cosmology An introductory survey of modern astronomy—covering the solar system, stars
and stellar evolution; galaxies; and cosmology—for students of both science and non-science backgrounds. The physical processes
at work in the universe and the methods we use to learn about the universe will be emphasized. The use of mathematics at the level
of first-year algebra is required. Fulfills the non-lab science requirement unless optional (one-credit) lab selected. Three or four credit
hours. N, Opt. Lb. ZANGER
AS172f Extraterrestrial Life Is Earth home to the only living organisms in the universe or should we expect life elsewhere? If
extraterrestrial civilizations do exist, can we expect to make contact with them? We will focus on the clues to understanding the origins
of life on Earth and its possible distribution throughout the cosmos. By the end of the course, you should be able to answer the
following questions: How did Earth and the solar system form? Why is Earth habitable, but Venus and Mars are not? Are there other
worlds that might support life? How many advanced civilizations might exist in our galaxy? Three credit hours. N. ZANGER
AS231f Introduction to Astrophysics A general introduction based on topics needed for astrophysical research, accessible to all
who are comfortable with calculus and computer analysis of data. Topics include celestial mechanics, thermal radiation, spectral line
creation, radiative transfer, star formation, nucleosynthesis, stellar evolution, galaxy structure, and cosmology. Weekly labs alternate
between afternoon and night. Students must be available Monday through Thursday evenings for five required observing labs
held on clear nights to be selected by the instructor. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: A working knowledge of introductory
college-level physics and calculus, or concurrent enrollment in Physics 141 or 143. Four credit hours. N, Lb. ZANGER
[AS262] Data Science in Astrophysics Focuses on the mathematical and statistical analysis of large astronomical datasets
using the tools of data science and data analytics. Emphasis will be placed on data mining, machine learning, big data analytics, and
knowledge discovery techniques in astrophysics. Students will learn about statistical uncertainty, model fitting, machine learning
algorithms, and data visualization. Prerequisite: Astronomy 231. Four credit hours.
AS335f General Relativity and Cosmology Listed as Physics 335. Four credit hours. BLUHM
AS342s Galaxies and Cosmology How did the universe as we observe it today come into existence? The physics behind the
birth of the universe and its evolution over cosmic time, and an introduction to modern extragalactic astronomy and cosmology, i.e.,
the part of astrophysics that deals with the structure and evolution of the universe as a whole and its major constituents: dark matter,
dark energy, galaxies, black holes, and large-scale structures. Topics include the Big Bang theory, composition of the universe, dark
matter and dark energy, cosmic nucleosynthesis, and the formation and evolution of galaxies. Prerequisite: Physics 141 (or 143) and
145. Four credit hours. ZANGER
AS491f, AS492s Independent Study Individual topics or research in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Biochemistry
Courses described in this section are cross-listed in “Biology” and “Chemistry.” Each department offers a concentration in cell and
molecular biology/biochemistry.
Course Offerings
BC362f Medical Biochemistry Introduction to the fundamental principles of biochemistry. Course content and format are
designed for students intending to proceed to health professional school. Lecture topics include amino acids and proteins; enzyme
kinetics, mechanisms, and inhibition; lipid and carbohydrate structure and function; and the organization and functions of the major
human metabolic pathways. Discussions include clinical case studies and other applications of biochemistry on human health.
Students may not receive credit for both this course and Biochemistry 367 or 368. Lecture only. Prerequisite: Biology 163 or Biology
164 and Chemistry 241. Three credit hours. MILLARD
BC367f Biochemistry of the Cell I Introduction to biochemical processes. Topics include the structure and function of the major
classes of biological molecules (proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids). Lectures, homework, and discussion focus on
content-related problem-solving, critical-thinking, and communication skills. The optional laboratory introduces the fundamental
biochemical techniques such as PCR, enzyme and protein assays, and gel electrophoresis. Students may not receive credit for both
Biochemistry 362 and 367. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing, Chemistry 242, and Biology 163. Four or five credit
hours. AUGUSTINE
BC368s Biochemistry of the Cell II Advanced study of biochemical processes. Topics include the generation and use of
metabolic energy, the integrated control of cellular functions, mechanisms of transport, and cellular communication. Lectures,
homework, and discussion focus on content-related problem-solving, critical-thinking, and communication skills. The optional
laboratory expands student expertise in fundamental biochemical techniques such as protein purification, enzyme and protein assays,
gel electrophoresis, and computer modeling. Students may not receive credit for both Biochemistry 362 and
368. Prerequisite: Biochemistry 367. Biochemistry 367 laboratory is prerequisite to Biochemistry 368 laboratory. Four or five credit
hours. MILLARD
BC378s Molecular Biology An examination of how organisms maintain and express genetic information. Emphasis on
well-characterized model systems in plants and animals. Topics include nuclear and organellar genomes, regulation of gene
expression by developmental and environmental stimuli, and production of transgenic organisms. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing, Biology 279 with lab, and Chemistry 122, 142, or 147. Four credit hours. THU
BC491f, BC492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Biology Department
The Biology Department ensures that students gain exposure to the breadth of biological science and become proficient in the
methods of scientific inquiry. The curriculum emphasizes the study of plants, animals, and microorganisms from the molecular to the
ecosystem level. Through laboratory and field experiences and the opportunity to carry out original research, students gain proficiency
in gathering, interpreting, and communicating scientific knowledge. Department graduates continue their education in all fields of
biology and in professional schools, and they pursue careers in scientific research, biotechnology, education, agriculture, medicine,
and public health.
To promote interdisciplinary education, the Biology Department maintains close ties (often including cross-listed courses) with other
departments and programs including Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Studies, Geology, and Psychology, and with
external partners including the Jackson Laboratory, the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean
Sciences, and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass.
Three optional concentrations and an interdisciplinary option are offered in addition to the basic major.
The concentration in ecology and evolution is designed to prepare students for graduate study or employment in ecology, evolutionary
biology, or related disciplines. Recent graduates in this area have enrolled in masters’ and doctoral programs in ecology, evolution,
marine biology, and natural resource management. Others are employed by federal and state agencies, private and public
organizations, and consulting firms.
The concentration in cell and molecular biology/biochemistry focuses on the interdisciplinary field at the interface between biology and
chemistry and also prepares students for graduate study or employment in the biomedical fields. Recent graduates have pursued
interests in biomedical research, genomics, and molecular biology; others have attended medical school or graduate school in various
disciplines.
The concentration in neuroscience allows students to explore the interdisciplinary field at the interface between biology and
psychology. This program prepares students for graduate study or employment in neuroscience or biomedical fields. Recent
graduates have pursued research in neurodegenerative diseases, molecular neuroscience, and neuroimmunology.
The major in computational biology allows students to develop a coherent plan for the integration of computer science with biology.
Students completing this major will be well prepared to obtain employment or pursue research in fields such as computational biology
and bioinformatics.
Students interested in teaching are urged to read the “Education” section of the catalogue and to contact a member of the Education
Program. Students majoring in biology and preparing for dental, medical, veterinary, or other health professions must carefully plan
how to fit prerequisite courses in other disciplines into their course of study. Students interested in health professions should, in
addition to working closely with their major advisor, consult regularly with the health professions advisor in the Career Center.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor David R. Angelini
Associate Chair, Associate Professor Ronald Peck
Professors S. Tariq Ahmad, Catherine Bevier, Russell Johnson, and Judy Stone; Associate Professors David Angelini, Lynn Hannum,
Ronald Peck, and Andrea Tilden; Assistant Professors Robert Augustine, Allison Barner, Christina Cota, Anna Forsman, Joshua
Martin, Christopher Moore, Suegene Noh, and Yee Mon Thu; Visiting Assistant Professors Johanna van Oers and Zach Wood; Senior
Laboratory Instructors Tina Beachy, Scott Guay, and Sarah Staffiere; Laboratory Instructors II Susan Childers, April Chiriboga, and
Serena Graham; Laboratory Instructors I Lyndell Bade; Research Scientists Paul Berkner, Bets Brown, Susan Childers, Phillip de
Maynadier, William Feero, Josh Kavaler, Dana Morton, and Ross Zafonte; Research Associates Louis Bevier and Brenda Fekete
Requirements
General Requirements for All Major Programs
For all major programs offered by the department, the point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses required for the
major and all elected biology courses. Courses required for the biology and computational biology majors may not be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory. A maximum of four credit hours of independent study and two credit hours of seminar may be counted
toward the major. No more than eight credit hours in a semester or 12 credit hours in total from off-campus study programs may be
counted toward the major requirements. The academic honor of “Distinction in the Major” will be awarded to students who have an
average of at least 3.5 in the biology or computational biology majors.
Requirements for the Major in Biology
Thirty-one hours of coursework in biology (excluding Advanced Placement credit), including Biology 163, 164, one course with
laboratory in field biology (Biology 211, 237, 257j, 259j, 271, 277, 334,358j), and one course with laboratory in cellular biology (Biology
215, 225, 227, 248, 274, 279, 332, 367, 397). Seniors must enroll in Biology 401 or 402. In addition, Chemistry 141, 142 or Chemistry
121, 122 or Chemistry 147; Mathematics 119 and 120 or 125 or 130 or 135 or equivalent; and one of the following courses: Computer
Science 15X, Mathematics 160, 165, 253, Statistics 212, Economics 293, Psychology 214, Sociology 271.
Requirements for the Concentration in Ecology and Evolution
Thirty-one hours of coursework in biology (excluding Advanced Placement credit), including Biology 163, 164, 271, 320, and 328 or
382; one organismal or taxonomy-based biology course with lab (Biology 211, 237, 241, 248, 276, 277, 334); and one course with
laboratory in cellular biology (Biology 215, 225, 227, 248, 274, 279, 332, 367, 397). Seniors must enroll in Biology 401 or 402. In
addition, Chemistry 141, 142 or Chemistry 121, 122 or Chemistry 147; Mathematics 119 and 120 or 125 or 130 or 135 or equivalent,
and Statistics 212.
Requirements for the Concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology/Biochemistry
Thirty-one hours of coursework in biology (excluding Advanced Placement credit), including Biology 163, 164, 279, 367 (with
laboratory), 368 (with laboratory), 378; one course with laboratory in field biology (Biology 211, 237, 257j, 259j, 271, 277, 334,358j);
and one cell or molecular-level biology course (Biology 215, 225, 227, 246, 247, 248, 278, 329, 332, 351, 371, 397). Seniors must
enroll in Biology 401 or 402. In addition, Chemistry 141, 142 (or 121, 122 or 147), 241, 242; Physics 141 and 145; Mathematics 119
and 120 or 125 or 130 or 135 or equivalent; and one of the following courses: Computer Science 15X, Mathematics 160, 165, 253,
Statistics 212, Economics 293, Psychology 214, Sociology 271.
Requirements for the Concentration in Neuroscience
Thirty-one hours of coursework in biology (excluding Advanced Placement credit), including Biology 163, 164, 274; one course with
laboratory in field biology (Biology 211, 237, 257j, 259j, 271, 277, 334,358j); and at least two of the following courses: 215, 225, 227,
265, 275, 276, 277, 279, 325, 332, 334, 373, 374, 376, 392, 397. Seniors must enroll in Biology 401 or 402. In addition, Chemistry
141, 142, or Chemistry 121,122 or Chemistry 147; Mathematics 119 and 120 or 125 or 130 or 135 or equivalent; and one of the
following courses: Computer Science 15X, Mathematics 160, 165, 253, Statistics 212, Economics 293, Psychology 214, Sociology
271; Psychology 111; one course from the following: Psychology 232, 233, 234, 241, 242, 244, 272, 298, 349, 352F, 374 (this list is
frequently updated as new courses are introduced; please contact your advisor if you have questions about a specific course); and
one elective course in psychology (200-level or above).
Requirements for the Major in Computational Biology
Students will design an integrative course of study in consultation with an academic advisor(s). Foundational courses (may be
satisfied by AP or other placement exams): Biology 163 and 164; Computer Science 151, 152 or 153; and Mathematics 125 or 130
and 160. Required core courses: Biology 278 and 279; Computer Science 231 and 251 or 252; and Mathematics 253 or 262 and
Statistics 212. Four elective courses at the 300-level or above should be chosen in consultation with an advisor (two each from
Biology and Computer Science; two courses from the following: Biology 320, 345, 371J, 376, 378, 382; and two courses from the
following: Computer Science 341, 441, 343, 443, 346, 446).
Honors Program in Biology
Biology majors with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 at the end of the January term of the junior year or with
permission of the department are eligible to apply for the Biology Honors Research Program during spring registration of the junior
year. Honors research projects will earn a total of seven to nine credits (typically eight) and will be conducted during each semester of
the senior year (and may include Jan Plan). Completion of the honors program will include a written thesis, an oral presentation at the
Colby Liberal Arts Symposium, and successful completion of an oral examination given by the student’s honors committee.
Successful completion of the honors program will result in the degree being awarded with “Honors in Biology.”
Course Offerings
BI100fs Navigating the World of STEM Research This course will focus on understanding how STEM researchers use scholarly
literature to understand the nature of a field of inquiry, design and conduct their own research and how researchers then communicate
their findings and make an argument from their data. Students will go through all of these steps in an abbreviated way throughout the
course. Students will also prepare to apply for summer research opportunities by creating a resume and profiles on Handshake and
Linked IN, and research the various career fields that align with their personal values and interests. Prerequisite: First-year standing
and permission of instructors. One credit hour. ALCOTT, TILDEN
BI111j Emergency Medical Technician Training This course prepares students to provide prehospital assessment and care for
patients of all ages with a variety of medical conditions and traumatic injuries. Includes simulated clinical experience using
programmed patient scenarios. Meets requirements outlined in the National Highway Transportation Administration EMT Education
Standards and Maine EMS EMT Curriculum. Provides eligibility to sit for the National Registry of EMT and State of Maine licensure
examination. Course materials and textbook costs are $1,156; National Registry fee is $80. BLS CPR is required to take the course,
approximate cost is $55 for a total course cost of $1,291. Nongraded. Cannot be counted toward the biology majors. Three credit
hours. MEJIA, D
[BI117] Introduction to Marine Organisms and Habitats An introduction to the principles of marine science with a focus on
biology. Students will research life histories and evolutionary aspects of marine organisms. Together we will discuss the physical
properties of the marine environment and take an academic tour of marine habitats. Three credit hours. N.
BI118fj Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Agriculture is a fundamental way in which humans interact with their
environment and is at the nexus of ecological, social, and economic systems. An introduction to the ecological bases, practicalities,
and philosophies of food and agricultural systems. Provides a foundation in such concepts as agroecology, sustainable soil
management, pest and weed control, and organic farming. Also considers social, economic, and public-policy issues. Field trips to
local farms and other agricultural institutions. Cannot be counted toward the biology major. Three credit hours. N. MARSHALL
BI125j Science and History of Fermentation For millennia humans have harnessed the activity of microorganisms for the
preparation and preservation of food. This course seeks to explore the practice of fermentation through a combination of historical,
scientific, and practical approaches. We will discuss the cultural significance of fermented foods and beverages in various societies
over the span of human civilization, while also examining the biological and chemical processes that provide the basis for these foods.
Practical demonstrations will include the development of a sourdough culture from the ambient yeast and bacteria in the classroom,
and the preparation of soy sauce with the use of Aspergillus oryzae spores. Three credit hours. N. ANDERSON
[BI127] Extinction on a Human-dominated Planet: Examining Biodiversity Loss Delves into the science and stories of losses
of species at a time when humans prevail on Earth. We will examine the science of biological diversity, the intricacies of measuring
populations, and the function of ecosystems to address why some species thrive and others dwindle in light of human domination.
What should citizens know about endangered species, and how could they apply deeper knowledge of the non-human world to strive
for a future where fewer extinctions happen? We will gain scientific grounding in conservation through reading, discussion, lecture and
research. Through observations of nature and structured imagining, we will envision a future world allowing for coexistence of us and
all other species. Cannot be counted towards the biology major. Previously offered as BI197C (Fall 2022). Three credit hours. N.
BI128f Human Genetics: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly How has the discovery of the genetic basis of human life shaped
society over the past 150 years? And what does modern genetics have to say about our identity, history, and future? By discussing
recent advances in genome analysis and its contribution to forensic science, gene therapy, and the study of human evolution, we will
discover what genetics can (and can't) tell us about ancestry, sexuality, race and disease. Three credit hours. N. VAN OERS
[BI133] Microorganisms and Society An introduction to the importance of microorganisms to human health and the functioning
of planet Earth. The diversity of the microbial world presented with relevant examples of how microorganisms affect our daily lives.
Discussions and lectures based on the roles microorganisms and viruses play in disease, the food industry, ecological relationships,
and biotechnology. Cannot be counted toward the biology majors. Lecture and laboratory. Four credit hours. N, Lb.
[BI135] Biochemistry of Food Explores the biochemistry of food, including an introduction to the biomolecular families of food,
the basic physiology of the gastrointestinal system, fundamental nutritional metabolism, biochemical transformations in raw, cooked,
and otherwise processed foods, an overview of modern biotechnology as it relates to food production, and a survey of the biochemical
connections between human diet, health, and disease. Students will produce podcasts on a relevant topic of their choice. Lecture and
laboratory. Significant civic engagement component built into lecture and lab activities. Cannot be counted towards the biology major.
Lecture and laboratory. Previously offered as BI198 (Spring 2019). Four credit hours. N, Lb.
[BI136] Plants and People From rice to rye, from chocolate and vanilla to red-hot chili peppers, plants have sustained us and
improved our lives in countless ways. This introduction to the world of plants will focus on the relationship between the diversity of
plants on the planet and their impact on the human existence and culture. We will examine how people have domesticated, cultivated,
and harvested them for their own use, and how the movement of plants around the planet have shaped human history. In the course
of exploring the cultural importance of plants, we will learn about how plants grow and function, reproduce, and defend
themselves. Four credit hours. N, Lb.
[BI147] Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga and Mindful Practice A practical study of the anatomy and physiology underpinning
mindful practices such as yoga and meditation, explores the mind-body connection fostered by mindful practice from a biological
perspective. Topics include a survey of the musculoskeletal anatomy of yoga, and the physiological effects of mindful practice on the
cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems. With particular emphasis on helping students make their health and well-being a
priority, we will explore the effects of stress on the body, strategies for mitigating this stress, and physiological aspects of nutrition,
rest, and sleep. Satisfies the Natural Science with Lab (N, Lb) requirement. May only be taken as part of the Integrated Studies
147 cluster. Four credit hours. N, Lb.
BI163f The Cellular Basis of Life An examination of cells as the fundamental unit of life. Aspects of evolutionary biology, cell
biology, molecular biology, and genetics are discussed. A major objective is development of the intellectual tools to be able to ask and
answer interesting biological questions. The objectives of the laboratory are to allow each student to design and conduct experiments,
to analyze and present data, to write accurate scientific papers, and to critically evaluate the scientific literature. Lecture and
laboratory. Four credit hours. N, Lb. AHMAD, COTA, HANNUM, MARTIN
BI164s Evolution and Diversity An introduction to the theory of evolution and to the diversity of organisms. Topics will include the
theory of natural selection, transmission genetics, speciation, and the adaptive radiation of all domains and kingdoms of organisms.
Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 163. Four credit hours. N, Lb. BARNER, MOORE, NOH
[BI176] Exercise Physiology Listed as Biochemistry 176. Three credit hours. N, Lb.
BI197f Unraveling the Answers to Beautiful Biological Questions Explores the wonders of biology from the lens of current
events, addressing some of the great biological questions and theories. Students will dissect complex scientific issues, renew
childhood fascinations with the natural world, and bring a more informed perspective of how science generates knowledge to issues
that impact their families, communities, and society. Students will experience a collaborative, team-based learning environment that
stimulates questions and actively involves students in the process of constructing and analyzing knowledge by answering beautiful
biological questions. Cannot be counted toward the biology major. Four credit hours. N. HURNEY
BI201f Biology Accelerator Workshop-style course developing skills in designing, analyzing and presenting results of biological
studies, while reviewing fundamental concepts in biology. This course fills the gap between content knowledge mastered in AP or IB
courses and the analytical and writing skills required for success at higher levels. Students may not receive credit for both this course
and Biology 163 or 164. Three credit hours. STONE
BI211f Taxonomy of Flowering Plants An overview of evolutionary relationships among flowering plants and their nearest living
relatives, and the study of evolutionary processes leading to those relationships. Students will prepare a collection of plant specimens
from the local flora, learn to recognize important plant families, use technical keys to identify plants, and become familiar with
analytical methods for constructing and evaluating phylogenetic hypotheses. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or
201. Four credit hours. STONE
BI215s Plant Physiology Exploration of the fundamental mechanisms of plant function. Topics will include understanding how
plants support growth and development, respond to their environment, and protect themselves from herbivores and pathogens while
promoting symbiotic relationships. These topics will be further considered in relation to plant domestication, agriculture,
pharmaceutical products, and biotechnology. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. AUGUSTINE
BI218f Evolutionary Cell Biology The cell is the smallest structural and functional unit of life. This course will explore the
evolution of cells through the lens of eukaryotic diversity, which is mostly microbial. Eukaryotic cells first appeared on Earth around 2
billion years ago with features from the two other domains of life. We will study concepts like the origin and evolution of eukaryotic
cells, endosymbiotic theory, eukaryotic cell organization, eukaryotic genomes, and the ecology of eukaryotes. In the course we will
discuss how we learn about new microeukaryotes using microscopy and molecular methods and will introduce basic bioinformatic
concepts and techniques. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Three credit hours. N. BURNS
[BI221] Infectious Diseases, Climate Change, and Health Explores health effects of climate change on Earths inhabitants. The
biology of climate sensitive vector borne and zoonotic diseases and their transmission will be examined. Consequences of rising
temperatures such as increases in waterborne pathogens and exposure to molds are discussed, as well as health challenges relative
to food resources and antibiotic resistance stemming from changes in soil microbial communities. Broader climate change aspects,
such as fossil fuel extraction, atmospheric emissions and soil and water pollution, are studied in context of human and animal health.
Learning strategies will include lecture, discussion, and small group work. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201 (prerequisite), Chemistry
121 or 141 (may be taken concurrently). Three credit hours.
[BI224] Biology of Vaccines Infectious disease has decimated populations throughout human history. The success of
pathogen-specific vaccines evolved commensurate with our understanding of the mammalian protective immune responses. This
course focuses on the science of vaccinology and the development of safe and efficacious vaccines. Goals are to understand how
vaccines work, to gain a practical understanding of the human immune response, and to learn the issues involved in developing new
vaccines against known and emerging pathogens. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Three credit hours.
BI225fs Immunology An introduction to the cellular and molecular components of immune recognition and effector responses
against pathogens, with emphasis on the human immune system. Topics will include immune deficiency, allergy, and
autoimmunity. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. FORSMAN, HANNUM
BI227s Cell Biology A comprehensive overview of fundamentals of eukaryotic cell biology. Topics include cell structure and
function, energy production and metabolism, cell division, protein transport and cell communication. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. COTA
BI228f Human Anatomy and Physiology from a Historical Perspective Listed as Science, Technology, and Society 228. Four
credit hours. N, Lb. KLEPACH
[BI229] Consciousness from the Biomolecular to the Artificial Explores potential biomolecular and quantum mechanical
underpinnings of first-person conscious experience and the implications in artificial quantum computing systems. The hard problem of
consciousness is discussed along with phenomenological and physical models accounting for the requirements of consciousness, in
particular the Orchestrated Objective Reduction (OrchOR) model and the proposed neural correlates of consciousness in the
Penrose-Hameroff model. The course will introduce the concept of artificial sentience and the qualitative basics of quantum
computation. In addition to lectures and weekly readings, there will be a debate over the merits of the OrchOR model and ethical
implications related to the potential for artificial sentience. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201 and Physics 145, or alternatively you can
take either Biology 274 or Physics 241 concurrently or previously to this class. Three credit hours. N.
[BI237] Woody Plants Exploration of the processes that determine forest structure and species composition. Students will learn
about the abiotic and biotic features of forest sites and the ways in which physiology and life history of individual tree species predict
their responses to climate, soil, and land use history. In field-based laboratories, students will learn how to interpret forests and to
describe how human actions interact with other factors to shape our forested environment. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours.
BI241f Entomology This course will introduce students to the biology of insects, through a broad survey of their ecology and
evolution by means of collection and taxonomic identification, examination and illustration, observation and experimentation, and
discussion. Students will prepare a curated specimen collection over the course of several field trips, including one required overnight
field trip on a weekend. Exams, quizzes, and writing assignments will be used to evaluate a student's ability to synthesize insect
biology at different scales. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. N, Lb. MOORE, NOH
[BI242] Comparative Biomechanics An exploration of the physical properties of the natural world to understand how they
influence fundamental biological processes. Students will study the basics of animal movement through air and water, identify
common biomaterials, describe their composition and how they constrain ecology and organismal growth, and dissect and reconstruct
biological structures. The primary objective of this course is for students to understand each of these biomechanical principles in
detail, understand when and how they vary across the tree of life, and understand how this variation influences ecology, physiology,
behavior, and evolution. Previously offered as BI297E (Jan Plan 2019). Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Three credit hours.
BI243s Ecological Adaptations The natural world is an unyieldingly challenging place, requiring species to adapt or perish. In
this course, we will investigate the adaptations allowing survival and reproduction in harsh environments. We will also consider the
ultimate ecological consequences of these adaptations. Example topics include phenology, thermal adaptation, antipredator defenses,
adaptation to human environments, and more. We will have weekly labs alternating between field data collection and statistical
analysis. Course readings will include popular science books and papers from the primary literature. Previously offered as BI298
(Spring 2023). Prerequisite: Biology 164. Four credit hours. N, Lb. WOOD
BI244s Marine Communities Listed as Environmental Studies 244. Four credit hours. CLEAVER
[BI246] Parasitology A study of parasitic organisms with a focus on eukaryotic parasites of animals. General principles including
advantages and challenges of the parasitic life strategy will be introduced, then applied to parasites from a variety of phylogenetic
backgrounds with a particular emphasis on medically relevant organisms. Current research in the field will be discussed, highlighting
articles that address possible preventive and therapeutic approaches to parasites that cause human disease. Prerequisite: Biology
164 or 201. Three credit hours.
[BI247] Virology A study of viruses with a focus on the molecular aspects of how they reproduce and spread. General strategies
of viruses to allow cell entry, information replication, and protein production, and cell exit will be examined. These strategies will then
be examined in greater detail for specific viruses with a particular emphasis on those that cause human diseases. Current research in
the field will be discussed, highlighting articles that address possible vaccines, therapies, and potential medical uses of
viruses. Prerequisite: Biology 163 or 201. Three credit hours. N.
BI248f Microbiology Provides an understanding of the nature and diversity of microorganisms and viruses and the roles they play
in the biosphere. Emphasis will be on the microbe itself--its functional, ecological, and evolutionary relationships--as well as the
activities it carries out that are of interest to humans. The approach will be fundamental, stressing principles, but with considerable
emphasis on how these principles are applied to practical problems in medicine, industry, and the environment. Lecture and
laboratory. Credit cannot be earned for both this course and Biology 238. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. PECK
BI253f Ecological Communities of the Northeast In this course, we will explore the major ecological communities of
northeastern North America through the lenses of ecology, evolution, and natural history. Weekly labs will include field visits and data
collection in each studied ecological community. Class and lab work will build skills in experimental design, data collection, and
science communication. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. N, Lb. INSTRUCTOR
[BI265] Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology Designed for students interested in health professions (e.g.,
physician, nurse, dentist, allied health) and for anyone who wishes to learn more about how the human body works. Students will
understand how physiological functions are performed by specific anatomical structures and that these functions follow physical and
chemical principles. They will also learn anatomical terms used to describe body sections, regions, and relative positions and about
the organ systems in the human body and how these systems work together. Lecture and laboratory. Significant civic engagement
component built into lecture and lab activities. Students cannot earn credit for this course if they have previously taken Biology
275. Prerequisite: Biology 131, 163, or 201 or equivalent. Three credit hours. N.
BI271f Ecology Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms and their environment. Studying these interactions provides
us with the theoretical foundation for understanding many of the most pressing environmental problems. This course will examine
ecological interactions at a wide range of scales from individuals, through populations and communities, to ecosystems. We will study
how these interactions produce the patterns and processes we observe in biomes around the world. In the field-based laboratory, we
will generate hypotheses, develop experimental designs, and apply statistical analyses to ecological data, while gaining first-hand
familiarity with local ecological communities. Lecture and laboratory. Previously listed as Environmental Studies
271. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. N, Lb. BARNER, GALLINAT
BI273s Global Change Ecology Listed as Environmental Science 276. Four credit hours. GALLINAT
BI274fs Neurobiology Exploration of the molecular and cellular fundamentals of neurophysiology and neuroanatomy. Topics
include structure and function of neurons, molecular basis of signaling and communication within and between neurons, sensory and
motor systems, and mechanisms of learning and memory. The lab portion involves acquiring skills in electrophysiology (including
electrode construction and testing on animal models), effects of modulators and anesthetics on electrophysiology of cardiac activity,
and an independent research project. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. AHMAD, MARTIN
BI275s Human Physiology A study of human homeostasis, organ system function, and mechanisms of disease. Topics include
tissue types, endocrine function, central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal
systems, and renal physiology. Students cannot earn credit for this course if they have previously taken Biology 265 or Biochemistry
362 or 368. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. TILDEN
[BI276] Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy Comparative studies of basic vertebrate anatomical systems and their structural,
functional, and evolutionary relationships among the major vertebrate groups. Laboratories emphasize comparisons of anatomical
structure across different vertebrate species through dissection. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit
hours.
[BI277] Vertebrate Natural History A study of the vertebrates with emphasis on natural history, evolutionary relationships,
adaptations, functional anatomy, and conservation. Features species found in New England, and addresses specific questions about
the distribution and abundance of vertebrates across a range of habitat types. In the primarily field-based laboratory, we will learn and
use wildlife techniques to identify and study local vertebrates in their natural environments. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Three or four credit hours.
BI278f Genomics The genomics era is producing vast quantities of data that are revolutionizing our understanding of evolution,
disease, and variation. Publicly accessible and rapidly expanding databases now hold entire genomes and transcriptomes for
numerous species. We will take a computational bioinformatics approach to exploring this data, from single genes and proteins to
entire genomes. We will explore the technologies used to produce the data, as well as other current, emerging, and controversial
genomic technologies. While the laboratory is computer based, no prior computational experience is necessary. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four credit hours. NOH
BI279fs Genetics The mechanisms of inheritance, with emphasis on experimental findings. The physical and chemical bases for
the behavior of genes, and applications of genetic principles to society. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Four
credit hours. ANGELINI, THU
[BI282] Extreme Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine The Gulf of Maine has undergone extreme climate-related changes,
resulting in changes to marine population structure and instances of harmful, toxic, or otherwise undesirable species. We will explore
the causes of, impacts of, and potential adaptations to climate change in the Gulf of Maine. Includes a weeklong experiment at
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences using indoor seawater mesocosms to simulate rapid ecosystem change and to investigate the
biological response of marine microbes. Students will be introduced to traditional and modern oceanographic data collection
techniques for estimating the impacts of climate change. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201. Three credit hours.
[BI286] Global Change Ecology Listed as Environmental Studies 276. Four credit hours.
BI306s Topics in Epidemiology Listed as Statistics 306. Four credit hours. SCOTT
BI319f Conservation Biology Listed as Environmental Studies 319. Four credit hours. NYHUS
BI320s Evolutionary Analysis Focuses on the mechanisms that drive evolutionary change and on the long-term consequences
of these mechanisms. We develop analytical techniques to infer the causes and consequences of genetic variation within species.
These techniques can be applied to any species, including those of particular relevance to humans such as agricultural species,
introduced invasive species, species of conservation concern, and parasites. Students will develop a grant proposal in the form of a
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201 and junior or higher standing. Three
credit hours. STONE
BI325s Advanced Immunology In-depth exploration of topics in immunology through reading and discussion of primary
literature. Focuses on several main topics per semester, with an emphasis on the human immune system and human health. Students
will learn to communicate their understanding of basic and clinical immunology research to others through class discussions and a
formal presentation. The optional laboratory, when offered, earns a fourth credit and focuses on enhancing students' laboratory skills
through a semester-long research project. Prerequisite: Biology 225. Three credit hours. HANNUM
BI328s Community Ecology Explores the interactions between organisms that drive the diversity and dynamics of the natural
world. We'll use published case studies of terrestrial, marine, aquatic, and microbial ecosystems to learn the fundamental principles of
community ecology. Students will learn to evaluate and critique the scientific literature by working through multiple historical and
contemporary debates that are central to the field. Further, we'll use openly-accessible ecological data to develop quantitative analysis
skills and derive new insights to these debated theories. Prerequisite: Biology 271 or Environmental Studies 271. Four credit
hours. BARNER
[BI329] Synthetic Biology Synthetic biology has moved from being a scientific dream to impacting the lives of the public. Driven
by advances in genome sequencing and gene editing tools, we can now interrogate the biology of organisms and develop applications
that benefit society. This course will introduce students to advances in synthetic biology, genome editing, and genetic engineering.
The basics of biotechnology will be explained through diverse examples in biology, ecology, and medicine. We will also discuss the
role that genetic engineering is playing and ought to play to benefit society. Prerequisite: Biology 279. Three credit hours.
BI332f Developmental Biology The study of the formation and growth of individual organisms focusing on experimental evidence
from several model species. Examines developmental processes as they relate to animal structure, physiology, biochemistry and cell
processes, classical and molecular genetics, and evolution. Students learn the history and methods of developmental biology, from
descriptive embryology to current molecular genetic tools, and gain experience using primary literature sources for writing in scientific
format. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 227, 279, 327 or 347, or Biochemistry 362 or 367. Three credit
hours. ANGELINI
BI334s Ornithology A broad survey of the biology of birds including their evolutionary history, morphology, physiology, flight
adaptations, behavior, vocalizations, nesting, life history, conservation, and phylogeny. Students will engage with primary literature
and hone skills of critical thinking. The laboratory portion will focus on skills important to observing, identifying and studying birds, and
documenting natural history. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or 201, and junior standing. Four credit hours. FORSMAN
BI338s Forest Ecosystems Listed as Environmental Science 338. Four credit hours. N. BECKNELL
[BI344] Microbiomes in Health and Disease Provides an overview on the role of host-associated microbial communities in host
health and disease (specifically human and animal hosts). We will explore the interactions between host and microbes and will focus
heavily on gut microbiomes and their impact on host health. Previously offered as Biology 398 (Spring 2022). Prerequisite: Biology
248. Three credit hours.
[BI345] Advanced Genomics Designed to enable students to become familiar with the various types of genomic data used to
examine biological phenomena. Students will become proficient at critically examining the application and interpretation of genomic
data, including closely and distantly related genomes, populations of genomes, and metagenomes from environmental
samples. Prerequisite: Biology 278. Four credit hours.
BI347j Comparative Developmental Cell Biology Our current understanding of biology is built on studies of numerous model
species, using a shared set of investigative approaches and experimental methods. In this course, students will practice many of
these methods using several invertebrate animal models. We will examine the synthesis and regulation of melanic pigmentation,
applying techniques from microscopy, cell and developmental biology, genomics and genetics. Students will design, execute and
present the results of their own experiments. The course will be conducted at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA,
which presents unparalleled technical resources and expertise. Cost: $2,444. Prerequisite: Biology 227 and 279. Three credit
hours. COTA
[BI348] Pathogenic Bacteriology Objectives are to provide an understanding of 1) the nature and diversity of pathogenic
bacteria, 2) the roles they play as infectious agents of disease, and 3) the mechanisms of the mammalian defense against infectious
disease. The approach will be fundamental, stressing principles, but with considerable emphasis on how these principles are applied
to practical problems in medicine and public health. Credit cannot be earned for both this course and Biology
238. Prerequisite: Biology 248, and Chemistry 122, 147, or 141 and 142 (may be taken concurrently). Three credit hours.
BI351s Applied and Environmental Microbiology Students will develop and conduct an independent research project to explore
microbes and how they affect, and are affected by, their environments. A particular focus will be learning about and employing modern
biochemical and genetic techniques to analyze microbes in extreme environments. Students will analyze scientific literature, conduct
experiments, and interpret data. Results and data analysis will be disseminated in the form of oral and written reports. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 246, 248, or 279. Four credit hours. PECK
[BI354] Marine Ecology A study of the biological, physical, and chemical interactions that determine the structure and function of
marine ecosystems, with an emphasis on North Atlantic communities. The laboratory will consist of a field component, with the goal of
developing field and independent research skills. One day trip on a weekend to the coast for all students. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 164, and either Biology 263 or 271 or Environmental Studies 271. Four credit hours.
[BI356] Aquatic Ecosystems Listed as Environmental Studies 356. Four credit hours.
[BI358] Ecological Field Study: St Johns, US Virgin Islands Listed as Environmental Studies 358. Three credit hours.
BI362f Medical Biochemistry Listed as Biochemistry 362. Three credit hours. MILLARD
BI367f Biochemistry of the Cell I Listed as Biochemistry 367. Four or five credit hours. AUGUSTINE
BI368s Biochemistry of the Cell II Listed as Biochemistry 368. Prerequisite: Biochemistry 367. Biochemistry 367 laboratory is
prerequisite to Biology 368 laboratory. Four or five credit hours. MILLARD
BI371j Applied Biomedical Genomics A computation-intensive course designed to familiarize students with modern molecular,
genomic, and bioinformatic approaches to biomedical research. Students will use next-generation sequencing platforms to investigate
biomedical questions in collaboration with MDI Biological Lab and Jackson Lab (must be able to travel off campus to these labs Jan
9-21). No prior computation experience necessary. Prerequisite: A 200-level biology course. Three credit hours. TILDEN
[BI372] Current Topics in Environmental Science: Corals Listed as Environmental Studies 371. Four credit hours.
[BI373] Animal Behavior An examination of animal behavior from a biological perspective. Topics include the control,
development, function, and evolution of behavior. Prerequisite: Biology 164 and junior or higher standing. Three credit hours.
BI374fs Advanced Neurobiology An in-depth discussion of the principles and current research in various fields of neurobiology
at the molecular and cellular level through extensive review of primary literature. Topics include neurodevelopment (axon guidance),
regeneration (stem cells), disorders (neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric), and behavior. Students will discuss and present a topic
of their choice and interest. Prerequisite: Biology 274. Three or four credit hours. AHMAD, MARTIN
[BI375] Animal Physiology: Environment and Adaptation A study of the diversity of animal function, from organisms to
molecules, with an emphasis on adaptations to the environment. Physical and chemical principles and their application to
physiological processes will be emphasized. The optional laboratory, when offered, earns a fourth credit and is an in silico exploration
of quantitative concepts, genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. Prerequisite: A 200-level biology course. Three credit hours.
[BI376] Development, Genes, and Evolution Evolutionary developmental biology investigates the intersections of development,
genetics, and evolution. We will present an overview of these subjects, followed by ideas and methodologies that emerge from their
synthesis. Topics include plasticity, polyphenism, gene networks, constraint, parallel evolution, evolvability, among others. Students
will (1) become familiar with the history and evidence of these concepts, (2) understand the arguments for and criticisms of their roles
in evolution, (3) practice discussion, peer review, and presentation of these and related topics. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Biology 279. Four credit hours.
[BI377] Morphometry: The Study of Form Measurement is central to the practice of science. In many fields, such as biology,
objects of study are often dimensionally complex. This course will explore and practice methods for the characterization and
comparison of complex forms, which are increasingly applied in graphical rendering, anthropology, medicine, biology and other areas.
We will begin with consideration of sampling strategies and simple linear measurements, progressing to topics such as color and
shape. This course will present an overview of statistical modeling and its history as applied to the study of shape in biology, develop
skills in coding and problem solving, reading primary literature, group discussion, presentation and writing. Prerequisite: Statistics
212. Three credit hours.
BI378s Molecular Biology Listed as Biochemistry 378. Four credit hours. THU
BI382f Population Modeling Population Modeling (formerly Ecological Modeling) is a course focused on theory and methods in
mathematical and computational population ecology. These quantitative approaches are central to the science of ecology for
understanding, predicting, and making inferences about ecological patterns and processes. Both classic and contemporary topics will
be covered, with an emphasis on using modern tools to analyze and present theory and data. Mathematical aspects of the course will
cover traditional theory of simple analytical models. Computational aspects of the course will cover implementation and analysis of
more complex models, using R. Prerequisite: Biology 263 or 271 or Environmental Studies 271 and Statistics 212. Four credit
hours. MOORE
[BI392] Cell Biology of Cancer Explores the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underly the development of cancer. In
addition, the complexities associated with diagnosing and treating cancer will be considered. Prerequisite: Biology 164 and 227. Three
credit hours.
BI401f, BI402s Biology Seminar Participation in selected department seminars during the fall or spring semester. Seminars will
focus on student-led discussions of readings from the primary literature and will also include playing host to several outside speakers.
Required of all senior biology majors. Prerequisite: Senior standing. One credit hour. MARTIN, PECK, THU
BI402Sf Biology Seminar Noncredit. AHMAD, MOORE, STONE
BI483f, BI484js Honors Research in Biology Research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member and focused on an
approved topic leading to the writing of an honors thesis and an oral presentation of the research results. Prerequisite: Senior
standing as a biology major and permission of the department chair. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
[BI483J] Honors Research in Biology Noncredit.
BI491f, BI492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence
necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of a faculty sponsor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
BI494f Environmental Science Research Experience Listed as Environmental Studies 494. Five credit hours. BECKNELL,
COUNTWAY, GEIGER-ORTIZ
Chemistry Department
Students in the Chemistry Department are provided a firm foundation in the fundamental principles of the discipline. Majors have
access to a wide range of instruments for coursework and research projects under supervision of a faculty that includes teaching
specialists in analytical, environmental, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, and biochemistry. Many students go on to graduate
school in chemistry or biochemistry or to careers in medicine, dentistry, health-related fields, or the chemical industry. Other career
choices in recent years have included patent law, chemical engineering, environmental science, computer science, and molecular
biology.
The department offers several programs: (1) the chemistry major, (2) the chemistry-biochemistry major, (3) the chemistry major with a
concentration in cell and molecular biology/biochemistry, (4) the chemistry-environmental sciences concentration, and (5) the
chemistry minor. Additionally, each type of chemistry major can earn accreditation by the American Chemical Society (ACS) with
additional courses selected in consultation with the advisor and with approval of the chair. More information about ACS certification
can be found on the Chemistry Department website. Chemistry majors who intend to apply for admission to medical, dental, or
veterinary schools should also take a biology course with a laboratory. For maximum flexibility, students are encouraged to take
Chemistry 141 and 142 (or Chemistry 147 or Chemistry 121 and 122) in their first year.
Students interested in a teaching career are urged to read the “Education” section of the catalogue and to contact a member of the
Education Program.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Dasan Thamattoor
Associate Chair, Associate Professor Kevin Rice
Professors Jeffrey Katz, Whitney King, Julie Millard, and Dasan Thamattoor; Associate Professors Rebecca Conry, Karena McKinney,
and Kevin Rice; Assistant Professors Greg Drozd and Lindsey Madison; Senior Laboratory Instructors Lisa Miller and Edmund
Klinkerch; Laboratory Instructor II Victoria Hepburn
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Chemistry
Chemistry 141 and 142 (or 121 and 122, or 147), 241, 242, 341, 342, 493, 494, and two courses from Chemistry 261 or 263, 362 or
367, 411; two laboratory courses from Chemistry 351, 367L, 413, 442, 452 (452 can serve as both required laboratory courses);
Mathematics 160 (or 165); Physics 141 (or 143) and 145.
Requirements for the Major in Chemistry-Biochemistry
Chemistry 141 and 142 (or 121 and 122, or 147), 241, 242, 341, 367 (with laboratory), 368 (with laboratory), 493 and 494, and one
course from Chemistry 261, 263, 342, 378, 411, 444, 452; Mathematics 160 (or 165); Physics 141 (or 143) and 145; Biology 163 and
279 (with laboratory). Biology 279 and/or biochemistry courses used to fulfill a biology major cannot count toward the major in
chemistry-biochemistry.
Requirements for the Major in Chemistry with a Concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology/Biochemistry
Chemistry 141 and 142 (or 121 and 122, or 147), 241, 242, 341, 367 (with laboratory), 368 (with laboratory), 378, 493, and 494;
Biology 163 and 279 (with laboratory); Mathematics 160 (or 165); Physics 141 (or 143) and 145. Biochemistry 367, 368, 378, and
Biology 279 cannot be double-counted toward both a biology major and the major in chemistry with a concentration in cell and
molecular biology/biochemistry.
Requirements for the Concentration in Chemistry-Environmental Science
Chemistry 121 and 122 (or 141 and 142, or 147), 241, 242, 261 and 263, 341, 351, 493, 494, one course from Chemistry, 342, 362,
367, or 411; and one laboratory course from Chemistry 367L, 413, 442, or 452; Mathematics 160 (or 165); and Physics 141 (or 143)
and 145.
Additional Requirements for All Majors in the Chemistry Department
Each major must complete a chemistry-related independent study project equivalent to two (or preferably three) credit hours. This
requirement may be satisfied through independent study, internship, or summer research, and it forms the basis of the seminar
presentations in Chemistry 493 and 494. An off-campus research experience must have prior approval of the chair of the Chemistry
Department to satisfy this requirement.
The seminar program (Chemistry 493 and 494) is an opportunity for students to interact with professionals in the field from other
institutions and the chemical industry. All senior chemistry majors are required to enroll in Chemistry 493 and 494. Junior chemistry
majors are strongly encouraged to attend and may enroll in either Chemistry 493 or 494.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all required courses and all elected chemistry courses. No requirement for the
major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Honors Project in Chemistry
Majors in chemistry are encouraged to elect an honors research project with approval of a faculty sponsor in the department. Honors
research normally entails eight to 10 credits across the senior year. Successful completion of the work of the honors research project,
and of the major, will enable the student to graduate with “Honors in Chemistry.” Attention is also called to the Senior Scholars
Program.
Requirements for the Minor in Chemistry
Chemistry 141 and 142 (or 147, or 121 and 122), 241; at least two courses from Chemistry 261 or 263, 341 or 342, 362 or 367, and
411; and one laboratory course from Chemistry 367L, 341L, 351, 413, 442, and 452. Courses selected to fulfill the minor may not be
used to satisfy requirements for any major or other minor (e.g., biochemistry courses cannot be double-counted toward another major
and the chemistry minor). Students are strongly advised to consult with a member of the chemistry faculty to select a logical grouping
of courses for the minor.
Course Offerings
CH115f The Science of Crime Over the last century, science has changed how crime has been committed, investigated, and
written about. We study crime, including violent crime, while cultivating writing, critical analysis, and research skills. Frequent short
essays explore topics surrounding both true and fictional crimes, including characterization of trace evidence, mechanisms of
toxicology, DNA profiling, and ethical responsibilities in the forensic laboratory. Four credit hours. N, W1. MILLARD
CH121f Earth Systems Chemistry I The Earth is a dynamic chemical reactor that changes on timescales of seconds to millions
of years through natural and anthropogenic forcings. This two-semester sequence explores fundamental chemistry principles,
including the structure of the atom, chemical bonding and reactivity, chemical equilibria, and thermodynamics through the lens of
Earth's 4.56-billion-year history. By constructing quantitative models of Earth systems, students also learn how Earth processes
operate over time and space, how they shape the environments in which we live, and the theoretical and practical limits of resource
utilization. Students with prior credit for Chemistry 141, 142, or 147 cannot receive credit for this course. Prerequisite: Students with
prior credit for Chemistry 141, 142, or 147 cannot receive credit for this course. Four credit hours. N, Lb. KING, KOFFMAN
CH122s Earth Systems Chemistry II The Earth is a dynamic chemical reactor that changes on timescales of seconds to millions
of years through natural and anthropogenic forcing. This two-semester sequence explores fundamental chemistry principles, including
the structure of the atom, chemical bonding and reactivity, chemical equilibria, and thermodynamics through the lens of Earth's
4.56-billion-year history. By constructing quantitative models of Earth systems, students also learn how Earth processes operate over
time and space, how they shape the environments in which we live, and the theoretical and practical limits of resource
utilization. Prerequisite: Chemistry 121. Four credit hours. N, Lb. DROZD, KOFFMAN
CH141f General Chemistry I Fundamental principles of chemistry including atomic theory, stoichiometry, solution chemistry, gas
laws, thermochemistry, chemical bonding, and intermolecular forces. Does not assume prior knowledge in chemistry. Students will
become proficient at using pre-calculus-level quantitative skills in a scientific context and will master the interface between narrative
and mathematical problem solving. The laboratory will familiarize students with experimental techniques and the accumulation and
analysis of experimental data. Students with prior credit for Chemistry 121 or 147 cannot receive credit for this course. Lecture,
discussion, and laboratory. Prerequisite: Students with prior credit for Chemistry 121 or 147 cannot receive credit for this course. Four
credit hours. N, Lb. MADISON, RICE
CH142s General Chemistry II Explores the fundamental principles of chemistry including chemical equilibria, thermodynamics,
kinetics, electrochemistry, and radioactivity. Students will become proficient at using pre-calculus-level quantitative skills in a scientific
context and will master the interface between narrative and mathematical problem solving. The laboratory will familiarize students with
experimental techniques and the accumulation and analysis of experimental data. Students with prior credit for Chemistry 122 or 147
cannot receive credit for this course. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Chemistry 141. Students with prior credit for Chemistry 122
or 147 cannot receive credit for this course. Four credit hours. N, Lb. RICE, THAMATTOOR
CH143f Turbo Chemistry A recitation section designed to amplify the material covered in General Chemistry lecture with extra
challenging homework, practice exams, and required group problem sets. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One credit
hour. RICE
[CH144] Turbo Chemistry A recitation section designed to amplify the material covered in General Chemistry lecture with extra
challenging homework, practice exams, and required group problem sets. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One credit
hour.
CH147fs Comprehensive General Chemistry Introductory chemistry course with content similar to Chemistry 141 and 142 but in
a single semester. Suitable for students with strong high school chemistry preparation. Students will become proficient at using
pre-calculus-level quantitative skills in a scientific context and mastering the interface between narrative and mathematical problem
solving. The laboratory will familiarize students with experimental techniques and the accumulation and analysis of experimental data.
Structured to fulfill the general chemistry requirement for medical school and counts as both Chemistry 141 and 142 for course
prerequisites. Prerequisite: Students with prior credit for Chemistry 121, 122, 141 or 142 cannot receive credit for this course.
Previously listed as Chemistry 131. Four credit hours. N, Lb. CONRY
[CH151] K-8 Chemistry Outreach Activities Development of hands-on activities to fulfill physical science goals required by the
Maine Learning Results. Students create age-appropriate science experiments that illustrate the relevance of chemistry to society and
implement these activities in area classrooms and on campus. Communication skills are enhanced through the development of
teacher kits (written) and interaction with schoolchildren (oral). Lecture only. Prerequisite: Chemistry 141 or 147. Three credit
hours. N.
CH241f Organic Chemistry I Exploration of the relationships among structure, reactivity, and synthesis of organic compounds.
The lecture portion introduces atoms and molecules, orbitals and bonding, the chemistry of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and other
functional groups, stereochemistry, ring systems, substitution and elimination reactions, and kinetics and equilibria. The laboratory
involves the use of common techniques used by chemists, instrumentation, and molecular modeling. The goals are to help students
think critically, solve problems, and write effectively. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122, 142, or 147. Four credit hours. THAMATTOOR
CH242s Organic Chemistry II Theories encountered in Chemistry 141, 142 are used as the basis for a detailed study of the
relationships among structure, reactivity, and synthesis of organic compounds. Lecture, discussion, and laboratory. The laboratory
explores the use of separation techniques, synthesis, and spectral techniques in organic chemistry. Prerequisite: Chemistry 241. Four
credit hours. KATZ
CH261s Chemistry of Aqueous Environments Students explore how the Earth's marine and freshwater aqueous environments
are shaped by physical, chemical, and biological processes and interactions with the atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. We
investigate the fundamental equilibrium and kinetic processes that control a variety of aqueous chemical phenomena relevant for
environmental systems at a range of spatial and temporal scales, including acid base chemistry, redox reactions, solid and gas
solubility, and reaction rates and mechanisms. Concepts of mass and charge balance are used to calculate chemical speciation in
complex systems. Issues such as acid deposition, ocean acidification, eutrophication, water purification, and the fate and toxicity of
heavy metals are discussed in the context of natural environmental processes. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122, 142, or 147. Four credit
hours. KING
CH263f Atmospheric Chemistry An investigation of Earth's atmosphere and the chemical and physical principles that shape it.
Fundamental processes that determine atmospheric composition and climate, including multistep reaction mechanisms, chemical
kinetics, molecular spectroscopy, photolysis, and heterogeneous chemistry, are introduced. Specific topics treated will include
atmospheric composition, structure, and motion; element cycling; the transfer of solar and longwave radiation; stratospheric
composition and chemistry; tropospheric oxidation processes; air pollution; and the role of human activity in global
change. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122, 142 or 147. Four credit hours. DROZD
[CH278] Joules to Dollars Listed as Economics 278. Four credit hours. N.
CH341f Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics and Kinetics The laws and theories of chemical reactivity and the physical
properties of matter. Emphasis is placed on chemical equilibrium, molecular bonding, and the rates of chemical reactions. Major
topics: thermodynamics, solutions, and reaction kinetics. Gaining facility with abstraction through building mathematical models,
working through the implications of those models, and assessing the validity and inherent errors in the ability of the models to predict
and explain physical phenomena are the primary goals. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122, 142, or 147;
Mathematics 122, 160, 162 or 165; and Physics 145. Chemistry 342 may be taken before 341 with permission of the instructor. Five
credit hours. DROZD
CH342s Physical Chemistry: Quantum and Statistical Mechanics The laws and theories of chemical reactivity and the
physical properties of matter. Emphasis is placed on chemical equilibrium, molecular bonding, and the rates of chemical reactions.
Major topics: quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, and statistical mechanics. Gaining facility with abstraction through building
mathematical models, working through the implications of those models, and assessing the validity and inherent errors in the ability of
the models to predict and explain physical phenomena are the primary goals. Lecture only. Prerequisite: Chemistry 341. 342 may be
taken before 341 with permission of instructor. Four credit hours. MADISON
CH351f Environmental Chemical Analysis Observational methods are used to measure and understand environmental
chemical concentrations and processes and to interpret the results in the context of a changing global environment. Students conduct
field, laboratory, and computational experiments and build on prior knowledge of aquatic and atmospheric chemistry to analyze water,
air, and soil samples. Experiments probe the chemical underpinnings of critical current environmental problems such as ocean
acidification, heavy metal contamination, eutrophication, air pollution, and the greenhouse effect. Wet chemistry methods and
instrumental methods are used to characterize samples and illuminate key processes. Assignments emphasize written and oral
presentation of scientific data and reinforce technical communication skills. Prerequisite: Chemistry 261 or 263. Two credit
hours. KING
CH362f Medical Biochemistry Listed as Biochemistry 362. Three credit hours. MILLARD
CH367f Biochemistry of the Cell I Listed as Biochemistry 367. Four or five credit hours. AUGUSTINE
CH368s Biochemistry of the Cell II Listed as Biochemistry 368. Four or five credit hours. MILLARD
CH378s Molecular Biology Listed as Biochemistry 378. Four credit hours. THU
CH411f Inorganic Chemistry Current models and concepts in inorganic chemistry are discussed, with an emphasis on general
trends and periodic properties of the chemical elements and their compounds. Topics include bonding and structure, acid-base
theories, redox properties, molecular symmetry, and coordination compounds. Students will expand their knowledge of fundamental
chemical principles as well as their ability to critically think about, communicate, and apply this knowledge in problem solving. Lecture
only. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122, 142, or 147 and junior or higher standing. Chemistry 342 is recommended. Four credit
hours. CONRY
[CH413] Inorganic Laboratory Studies Synthesis and characterization of inorganic and organometallic compounds of both the
representative and transition elements. Discussion and laboratory. Co-requisite: Chemistry 411. Two credit hours.
[CH431] Mechanistic Organic Chemistry Based on original research articles and designed to teach students to think critically
about published material. The readings cover topics such as chemical bonding, molecular orbital theory, and aromaticity, the use of
isotopes in determining reaction mechanisms, reactions of atomic carbon, matrix isolation spectroscopy, laser flash photolysis, the
influence of structure on reactivity, the role of thermodynamics and kinetics in reactions, linear free energy relationships, and unusual
molecules. Students are instructed on computational modeling of chemical reactions, structures, and spectroscopic properties and are
taught to retrieve information from the chemical literature. Prerequisite: Lecture only. Chemistry 242 or equivalent. Four credit
hours.
CH432f Advanced Organic Chemistry The logic and methods of organic synthesis are explored. The elementary organic
reactions studied in Chemistry 241, 242 are augmented and used in the synthesis of biologically and chemically important molecules.
Lecture only. Prerequisite: Chemistry 242 or equivalent. Four credit hours. KATZ
CH434s Symmetry and Spectroscopy Use of principles of symmetry and group theory as an aid in understanding chemical
bonding, interpreting molecular vibrational and electronic spectroscopy, and rationalizing symmetry control of reactions. Lecture
only. Prerequisite: Chemistry 411. Four credit hours. CONRY
[CH442] Computational Chemistry Exploring the fundamental physical forces acting on electrons and atoms in molecules to
better understand chemical properties and reactivity. Students will build on foundational knowledge of quantum mechanics and
thermodynamics to understand how and why computer simulations can offer such chemical insights, deepening their own
understanding of reaction mechanisms, condensed phase behavior, and aspects of spectroscopy. After learning the principles of
molecular dynamics and electronic structure calculations, students will design and propose a computational experiment to address a
research question. Co-requisite: Chemistry 342. Two credit hours.
CH444s Advanced Methods in Biochemistry A detailed look at current trends in experimental research at the interface of
chemistry and biology. Critical analyses of recent literature, identification of important problems in the field, and development of
proposals to address these problems will be of primary focus. Problem-solving assessments will include both written and oral
communication skills. Topics will include proteomics, chemical biology, and advanced enzymology. Prerequisite: Biochemistry 367
(with laboratory) and 368 (the latter may be taken concurrently), and a W1 course. Four credit hours. W3. RICE
CH452s Problems in Chemical Analysis An exploration of how physical principles and analytical techniques are used to
address research questions by engaging in a semester long, team-based project in which students design, construct, and evaluate a
solution to a current chemical analysis problem. In developing a solution, students will draw on fundamental physical chemical
concepts, principles, and techniques learned in prior chemistry courses along with independent literature research, and apply
advanced quantitative methods, such as potentiometric, spectroscopic, and computational techniques for chemical analysis. Students
also gain experience with experimental design, team-based problem solving, and project management, and written and oral
communication of scientific results. Prerequisite: Chemistry 341. Four credit hours. DROZD, KING
CH481f, CH482s Special Topics in Environmental Chemistry One to three credit hours.
CH483f, CH484js Honors in Research in Chemistry Laboratory and library work involving a senior and one or more chemistry
faculty members on a clearly defined project that results in an honors thesis. Prerequisite: Permission of the department and
recommendation of the faculty sponsor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
CH491f, CH492s Independent Study Laboratory work of a research nature may be arranged with the instructor. One to four
credit hours. FACULTY
CH493f, CH494s Senior Seminar Discussion of topics of current interest in all areas of chemistry. Presentations by invited
speakers from other colleges, universities, and industry. Seniors give a presentation on their research each
semester. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing as a chemistry major. One credit hour. KATZ
Chinese
In the Department of East Asian Studies
A minor in Chinese is offered for students who have a substantial interest in Chinese language and culture.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Ankeney Weitz (Art)
Professor Kimberly Besio; Professor Hong Zhang (on leave 2023-24); Assistant Professor Andie Wang; Visiting Instructor HuiChing
Lu; Language Assistant Jia-Shan Tsai
Requirements
Six courses are required to fulfill the minor in Chinese. They include five language courses of at least three credits each at the level of
Chinese 126 or above, and one more course chosen from either a 400-level course in Chinese or a course on Chinese
literature/culture (needs to be approved by the advisor for Chinese) at the 200 level or higher.
Course Offerings
CN115f Conversation and Pronunciation A conversation class designed for first-year students learning Chinese as a second
language. There are two course learning goals: developing students' understanding of the Pinyin system and guiding their practices of
pronunciation. Students will enhance their awareness of the Pinyin system and learn a variety of strategies to improve their
pronunciation. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Chinese 125 or 126. One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
CN125f Elementary Chinese I An introduction to the essential building blocks of the Mandarin Chinese language. Students will
learn the pinyin Romanization system, basic strokes and radicals of the writing system, as well as approximately 200 characters.
Basic sentence structures will be introduced within the context of social situations encountered in daily student life. By the end of the
course students will be able to employ all four language modalities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) to exchange basic
information about themselves and their studies. Five credit hours. WANG
[CN125J] Elementary Chinese I An introduction to the essential building blocks of the Mandarin Chinese language. Students will
learn the pinyin Romanization system, basic strokes and radicals of the writing system, as well as approximately 200 characters.
Basic sentence structures will be introduced within the context of social situations encountered in daily student life. By the end of the
course students will be able to employ all four language modalities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) to exchange basic
information about themselves and their studies. Three credit hours.
CN126s Elementary Chinese II A continuation of Chinese 125. Basic sentence structures of Mandarin Chinese will be
introduced within the context of social situations encountered in daily student life. Students will be able to employ all four language
modalities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) to discuss past actions and future plans. They will begin to learn strategies for
constructing complex sentences and coherent paragraphs and will learn an additional 150 Chinese characters. Prerequisite: Chinese
125. Five credit hours. LU
CN127f Intermediate Chinese I A continuation of CN126, designed for students who have completed two semesters of Chinese
language courses at Colby, or its equivalent. Students will continue development of interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational
skills in Mandarin with a specific focus on predictable, familiar topics related to daily activities and personal environment. By the end of
the semester, students will be able to handle short social interactions and interact at a functional level in some familiar contexts.
Students will also develop the ability to reflect on language learning. Prerequisite: Chinese 126. Four credit hours. LU
CN128s Intermediate Chinese II A continuation of CN127, designed for students who have completed three semesters of
Chinese language courses at Colby, or its equivalent. Students will continue exploring use of Mandarin in complex social interactions
and a variety of everyday topics. By the end of the semester, students will be able to maneuver connected sentences for
communicative purposes related to everyday life and personal interests and studies. Students will also advance the ability to reflect on
language learning. Prerequisite: Chinese 127. Four credit hours. WANG
CN135fs Chinese Conversation I Practice using basic sentence patterns in conversational situations. Emphasis on oral/aural
practice of patterns and phrases related to such daily situations as going to the post office, talking on the telephone, shopping,
ordering in a restaurant, etc. Supplemental vocabulary/phrase lists are supplied. Prerequisite: Chinese 126 (may be taken
concurrently). One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
CN235fs Chinese Conversation II Intermediate level conversation class with a focus on building language fluency and
vocabulary for daily life situations. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Chinese 127. One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
CN321f Third-Year Chinese A continuation of CN128, designed for students who have completed four semesters of Chinese
language courses at Colby, or its equivalent. It is a bridge course between Intermediate and Advanced Chinese language courses.
Students will begin to explore sociocultural issues in Chinese. By the end of the semester, students will be able to handle complex
social interactions with ease and confidence, and communicate about events and experiences in an organized way. Students will also
develop a complex understanding of cultural perspectives and acquire the skills to become an autonomous language
learner. Prerequisite: Chinese 128. Four credit hours. LU
CN322s Third-Year Chinese II This course is designed for students who have completed 5 semesters of Chinese courses or its
equivalent. As a bridge course between Intermediate and Advanced Chinese courses, it aims to solidify foundation in speaking and
listening, in particular to strengthen abilities of conducting sustained conversations and structured presentations in Chinese with
adequate details and from multiple perspectives. Chinese art will serve as the authentic material and content for learning. Mandarin
Chinese is the primary medium of communication in this course. Prerequisite: Chinese 321. Four credit hours. LU
CN335s Chinese Conversation III Conversation class for advanced students on various contemporary social and cultural
issues. Prerequisite: Chinese 321. One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
[CN430] Contemporary Chinese Society Advanced Chinese language with a focus on current affairs and topical social issues in
contemporary China. Students will be immersed in a Chinese-language environment and should be prepared to discuss issues in
Chinese such as China's market reform, commercialization, changing family patterns, migrant labor, popular culture, tradition, and
Confucian thought. Prerequisite: Chinese 321 or a 400-level Chinese course. Four credit hours.
[CN431] Business Chinese Advanced Chinese language with a focus on vocabulary and sentence patterns that will facilitate
research and discussion of, as well as participation in, China's vibrant business scene. Students will be immersed in a Chinese
language environment and should be prepared to discuss issues related to business in China in Chinese. Formerly offered as
Chinese 497. Prerequisite: Chinese 322 or a 400-level Chinese course. Four credit hours.
[CN434] Docu-China: Advanced Readings in Chinese Uses documentaries to further consolidate and strengthen Chinese
proficiency through interactive audiovisual means as well as via the traditional text-analysis and pattern-practice approach. By
incorporation of online TV programs, news clips, and other learning tools, students not only enrich their learning experience but also
learn to use the target language to understand and discuss concurrent social, cultural, political, and economic
issues. Prerequisite: Chinese 321 or a 400-level course. Four credit hours.
[CN435] Chinese Women from Mao to Market Explores the shifting political discourses and visual representations of Chinese
women from Mao's socialist China (1949-1978) to post-Mao market-reform China (1978 to present). Drawing on primary sources such
as propaganda posters, cover images and selected texts from Women of China, the official magazine of All-China Federation of
Women (ACFW), students gain linguistic, visual, and historical knowledge on state feminism, gender equality, birth control policy, and
impact of market reform and consumer culture on women in China from 1949 to the present. Boundaries and Margins humanities
lab. Prerequisite: Chinese 322. Four credit hours. I.
[CN436] Ethnicity and Representation in China In this advanced Chinese course, we explore ethnic cultures and
representation, the ethnic policy, and multiethnic history from Mao's socialist China to post-Mao reform era. Using cover images and
selected texts from Nationality Pictorial - Chinas official magazine on ethnic minorities as the primary source, students gain linguistic,
visual, and cultural knowledge about multiethnic history, the evolvement of the ethnic policy, discourses, ethnic relations, and tensions
in China. Prerequisite: Chinese 322. Four credit hours.
[CN450] Chinese Short Stories Close readings and analysis of selected contemporary Chinese short stories. We will use, and
thereby improve facility with, all four language modalities (reading, writing, speaking, listening) as we place these stories in their
social, historical, linguistic, and literary contexts. Two particular goals are 1) to master the vocabulary of literary analysis, and 2) to
learn to manipulate different registers of linguistic formality--the colloquial language of the characters in the texts, as well as the formal
language of scholarship--through a variety of written exercises and classroom activities. Prerequisite: Chinese 322 and another
400-level course. Four credit hours.
CN453f Chinese Food Culture and Its Changing Landscape An advanced Chinese language course that contextualizes
learning through authentic materials focusing on the fascinating and constantly evolving topic of Chinese food culture. A
multidisciplinary approach to understanding Chinese food culture in an immersion environment will advance language proficiency
levels in all four language modalities--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--by promoting effective cross-cultural communication
and fostering an in-depth understanding of the historical, ever-changing, complex Chinese culture. Humanities lab
course. Prerequisite: Chinese 322 or another 400-level course. Four credit hours. WANG
[CN455] Talking about Contemporary China An advanced Chinese language course that contextualizes learning through
authentic materials focusing on public speeches and talks. These videotaped public speeches and talks touch on a variety of key
social and cultural issues in Chinese culture. Students will be guided to develop linguistic and cultural competence as well as content
knowledge to understand the social and cultural issues covered, to participate in an active and interactive exploration of the issues, to
engage in culture-rich and content-based language learning, and to ultimately develop a deeper understanding of these
issues. Prerequisite: Chinese 322 or a 400-level Chinese course. Four credit hours.
CN491f, CN492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
Cinema Studies Department
Few art forms have had a greater impact on modern culture than cinema. Over the course of cinema’s relatively brief history, film
criticism and theory have grappled with some of the issues most central to the humanities, including how to represent and transform
the world and how technological changes have affected the production and consumption of images. As an academic discipline,
cinema studies explores moving images circulating in a variety of media platforms and formats.
The minor in cinema studies focuses on the history, theory, and practice of film and related media. It makes coherent both the
historical and aesthetic dimensions of cinema, including the mutual influence of cinema with its cultural, technological, national, and
transnational contexts. As a distinct field of study influenced by a range of disciplines—among them art history, English, and the
sciences—the minor draws on connections among departments, while at the same time providing a core of courses foundational to
the discipline of cinema studies itself.
Faculty
Acting Chair, Associate Professor Maple Razsa
Advisory Committee and Faculty: Associate Professors Dean Allbritton (Spanish), Audrey Brunetaux (French Studies), and Elena
Monastireva-Ansdell (Russian); Assistant Professor Se Young Kim (Cinema Studies); Instructor Erin Murphy (Cinema Studies); and
Visiting Assistant Professor Amrutha Kunapulli. On Sabbatical: Associate Professor Steve J. Wurtzler (Cinema Studies)
Program Affiliated Faculty: Associate Professors Arne Koch (German), Mouhamédoul Niang (French Studies), and Maple Razsa
(Global Studies); Assistant Professor Ana Almeyda-Cohen (Spanish)
Requirements
Requirements for the Minor in Cinema Studies
Six courses, including Cinema Studies 142, 251 or 252, 321, one non-U.S. cinema studies course, and two electives selected from
the list of courses approved for the minor or approved by the department chair. All courses besides CI 142 must be numbered 200
and above. All courses must be four credit hours (three if taken in Jan Plan). No more than two courses can count toward both the
cinema studies minor and another minor or major.
Other Applicable Courses
Cinema Studies
● 210 Contemporary Documentary Filmmaking
● 225 Video Games and Game Studies
● 227 (GS 227) Visual Ways of Knowing: Transcultural Documentary Filmmaking
● 247 Visual Storytelling: Found Materials and the Archive
● 248 Digital Storytelling: Telling Stories Online
● 256 (FR 256) Film for Thought: The Art of French Cinema
● 280 Topics in Global Cinema
● 285 Experimental Cinema
● 287 Postwar US Cinema and Culture
● 289 Streaming Media: Moving Images in the 21st Century
● 297 Cinemas of India
● 298A Global Black Comedies
● 298B Self-Reflexive Documentary
English
● 298B Telling Stories Through Film: Intro to Screenwriting
● 368 Literary and Visual Narratives of Postcoloniality
● 386C Special Topics: Documentary Radio
● 411 Shakespeare on Screen
● 412 Global Shakespeare
● 493A Seminar: Literature and Film Adaptation
French Studies
● 237 Francophone African Cinema
● 323 Holocaust in French Cinema
● 397 Queering the Maghreb in Francophone Cinema
German Studies
● 234 German Culture through Film
● 297B German Cinema: Past and Present
Italian
248 Feminist and Queer Narratives in Italian Cinema
Music
● 298B Film Music
Religious Studies
● 319 Bollywood and Beyond: South Asian Religions through Film
Russian Language and Culture
● 242 Celluloid Ethnicities: How the USSR was (De)Constructed
Spanish
● 239 Latin America at the Movies
● 266 Language of Spanish Cinema
● 344 Bad Women and B Films in Contemporary Latin America
● 357 Borderlands Cinema
● 362 All about Almodóvar
Course Offerings
[CI138] Film and Media: 1919-1939 From the aftermath of World War I to the outbreak of WWII, film and mass media took on
increasing importance in American life. Filmmakers, writers, musicians, photographers, and artists grappled with first a period of
prosperity and media invention, then the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929, and finally the prospect of war in Europe and
elsewhere. Mass media not only entertained, but they also became tools to document and to shape the realities faced by US citizens,
functioning at the service of various movements for social change. We will focus on different types of film in relation to nonfiction
writing, theater, radio, photography and recorded sound. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in English 138 and History 138. Elect
Integrated Studies 138. Four credit hours. A.
CI142fs Introduction to Cinema Studies An introduction to the discipline of cinema studies, its history, and dominant
approaches. Functions as a gateway to the minor and serves as a prerequisite for the required film theory course. Four credit
hours. A. KIM, KUNAPULLI
CI210f Contemporary Documentary Filmmaking: A Creative Practice Students will attend a mandatory weekend-long field trip
to the Camden International Film Festival, which will be the catalyst for the class. You will take inspiration from the films you watch
and the filmmakers you meet to conceive of your own documentary idea. You will spend the semester developing your idea into a
feasible project. Students will learn how to research, shoot, and edit, while building relationships with their subjects. The course
culminates in pitching your documentary idea to the Waterville and Colby Communities. Students leave with a fully developed project
idea, to be implemented in the spring semester or in the future. Humanities lab course. Four credit hours. MURPHY
CI225f Video Games and Game Studies A survey of the history of the medium of video games, focusing on the major modes
and genres in relation to the production and consumption of games. In addition, the course considers how media scholars have
attended to emergent media, paying close attention to the genealogy of the field and its origins in film studies and media studies.
Students will learn how to critically analyze video games within the medium's historical context, while also gaining understanding
regarding game studies, including its historical development and current directions. Four credit hours. KIM
[CI227] Visual Ways of Knowing: Transcultural Documentary Filmmaking Listed as Global Studies 227. Four credit hours.
[CI242] Make Russia Great Again: Post-Communist Cinema (in English) Listed as Russian 242. Four credit hours. A, I.
[CI245] Documentary Video Production: An Editor's Perspective Introduces students to the basics of documentary video
production. Students will learn how to conceive, plan, shoot, and edit a documentary short subject located in Central Maine. Students
will actively engage with the ethics of documentary filmmaking while developing relationships with their subjects. Students will also
learn how to use a camera, shoot a scene, interview a subject, and edit a compelling narrative. Attention will also be paid to
developing a working knowledge of the history of documentary filmmaking. Four credit hours.
CI247s Visual Storytelling: Found Materials and the Archive In the past century, humans have created (and lost) so many
visual objects -- from 16mm films of vacations, to snapshots of graduations and birthdays, to scrapbooks from childhood, to postcards
from abroad. More recently we have created and forgotten about Snapchats, Facebook posts, and digital videos. We will take these
ephemeral materials and bring them back to life through the art of visual storytelling. We will use materials from our own lives, from
the Colby archive in Special Collections, and from the Northeast Historic Film archive to tell new and compelling stories. Students will
also learn how to shoot and edit digital video. Four credit hours. MURPHY
[CI248] Digital Publishing: Telling Stories Online Explores the many methods and tools available for creating digital online
stories. Students learn the basic skills of multimedia production and develop strategies for conceiving original and creative projects.
We will explore the multitude of options for publishing these stories online. Students will learn how to create audio stories,
photographic essays, and short-form videos. Students will also become fluent in a variety of programs, including Photoshop, Audacity,
and DaVinci Resolve, and engage with a variety of publishing platforms including Vimeo, WordPress, Flickr, and StoryMaps. Four
credit hours. A.
CI251f History of International Cinema I The first of a two-semester survey of the history of global cinema, providing a broad
overview of the development of cinema as an art form from the beginning of cinema (c. 1890) to 1945. Students will develop an
understanding of the historical, national, economic, aesthetic, and cultural contexts of films produced and received by international
audiences in the first half of cinema history. Four credit hours. A. KUNAPULLI
[CI252] History of International Cinema II The second of a two-semester survey of the history of global cinema. Provides
students with a broad overview of the development of cinema as an art form from the midpoint of cinema's history (1945) to the
present. Students will develop an understanding of the historical, national, economic, aesthetic, and cultural contexts of films
produced and received by international audiences in the second half of cinema history. Four credit hours. A.
[CI256] Film for Thought: The Art of French Cinema Listed as French 256. Four credit hours. A.
[CI280] Topics in Global Cinema: Global New Waves The New Wave, in cinema studies, is often theorised as a rupture, a
fracture, or a renaissance in a filmmaking culture. While the European new waves are popularly studied, this course focuses on the
underrepresented new waves of the global south. Students will survey new wave cinema from Latin America, India, West Asia, and
East Asia across a period ranging from the 1960s to the present. The course will expose students to art and popular cinema from the
global south and have them study and understand the ruptures and shifts in cinema as a reflection and product of specific cultural,
social, and political contexts. Four credit hours.
[CI285] Experimental Cinema Explores the international history of experimental cinema from the European modernists of the
1920s to contemporary practices. We focus on cinema's relationship to the other arts (poetry, painting, photography, dance) and the
aesthetic approaches of a variety of films that are more comfortable in an art gallery than in a multiplex. Through writing assignments
(both short informal writing and longer argumentative papers) and class discussions, students will critically and creatively engage with
this important category of global cinema. Prerequisite: Cinema Studies 142. Four credit hours.
[CI287] Postwar U.S. Cinema and Culture, 1946-1964 We examine postwar US culture by focusing on a variety of types of film
and moving image production, including Hollywood, the avant-garde, and television in the context of cultural, political, and
socioeconomic developments, including the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, and the Baby Boom. Discussion topics including
the red scare, the rise of youth culture, suburbanization, shifting concepts of gender and sexuality, and the anxiety surrounding
nuclear weapons as we consider the political implications of representation within a historical moment in which the competition
between prominent ideologies manifested in popular culture. Three credit hours.
CI289s Streaming Media: Moving Images in the 21st Century Estimates show that more than half of the media content
consumed by adults in the US today is on streaming platforms. This course investigates this seismic shift in media history, focusing on
the dominant platforms such as Netflix and YouTube and key texts such as House of Cards (2013-2018). In addition, the course will
trace the major historical shifts -- technologically, industrially, and socioculturally -- that coincided the rise of streaming such as the
decline of physical home video formats and the proliferation of smartphones and tablets. Through the course, students will gain
understanding of twenty-first-century media history while developing critical thinking skills to better navigate contemporary moving
image culture. Four credit hours. KIM
CI297f Cinemas of India: Media and Nationhood Students will gain an understanding of cinemas of India: a country that is often
more embarrassed, rather than gratified, at having inherited the world's largest, and most diverse, film production base. The course
decentres Bollywood as a catch-all for cinemas of India, while centring popular cinema as a site of critical inquiry. As such, the texts
will compel an inquiry into questions of nationhood, religion, caste, and gender as they manifest in and as cinema. Students will watch
and analyse cinema from various parts of India, and gain a holistic comprehension of its varied film industries and cinematic
languages. Four credit hours. I. KUNAPULLI
CI310s Advanced Contemporary Documentary Filmmaking: A Creative Practice Students will shoot and edit their
documentary film idea developed in Cinema Studies 210 and continue to develop their cinematography and editing skills. This course
also emphasizes collaboration -- it is expected that each student will crew on another student's project. We will engage with the ethics
of documentary filmmaking and the politics of representation through regular screenings and filmmaker visits. Students will leave the
course with a 15-minute film to submit to festivals and/or publish online. Prerequisite: Cinema Studies 210. Four credit
hours. MURPHY
CI321s Topics in Film Theory: Theories of Film and Media A survey of the major developments in classical and contemporary
film and media theory. The course will trace the efforts made to understand film and media, from questions of medium specificity, to
their role in the history of art, and to their social, cultural, and political impact. Prerequisite: Cinema Studies 142 or equivalent. Four
credit hours. KIM
[CI321A] Topics in Film Theory: Cinema/Landscape Explores the relationship between cinema and the landscape, understood
as both the natural and the built environment. We often experience landscapes and nature through the mediation of cinema, but rarely
consider how such mediation also shapes our encounters with nature itself. While film is our primary focus, we will engage with
screens of various types and modes of representation that both preceded cinema and intersected with its later development (including
painting, the panorama, photography, post cards, tourist photography and home movies). Prerequisite: Cinema Studies 142 or
equivalent. Four credit hours.
CI491f, CI492s Independent Study Individual topics in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence
necessary for independent work. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Classics Department
The Classics Department offers courses listed in this catalogue under “Classics,” “Greek,” and “Latin.”
The Department of Classics encourages the study of the civilizations of Greece and Rome. The study of classics and classical
civilization is an interdisciplinary endeavor based on courses in languages, literature, history, archaeology, philosophy, political
science, religion, and art. As fields that examine the humanistic values of the ancient world and their impact on the premodern and
modern ages, classics and classical civilization hold an important place at the heart of a liberal education. Students find the study of
the classics beneficial in developing methodological and analytical thinking and most advantageous in pursuing careers in medicine,
law, higher education, management, government, publishing, art, teaching, and other fields. We are committed to enhancing our
students’ abilities to think analytically, speak persuasively, and write convincingly.
The department offers majors and minors in classics and classical civilization, as well as majors in classics-English, classical
civilization-English, and classical civilization-anthropology.
Students majoring in classics may concentrate in Greek literature, Latin literature, or a combination of both.
Students majoring in classical civilization do not have to take the ancient languages. Rather they focus on Greek and Roman literature
(in English), drama, myth, ancient history, and courses in archaeology, classical art, religion, philosophy, politics, ancient science, and
ancient medicine.
Our joint majors are designed for students whose interests range from the classical world to English literature and anthropology.
All of our majors may spend a semester in Greece or Italy in programs specially designed for Americans. They can also experience
field archaeology through summer programs offered by other institutions. Courses taken outside the department may count for the
major only when pre-approved by the department advisor.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor James Barrett
Professor Kerill O’Neill; Associate Professor James Barrett; Assistant Professors Kassandra Miller and James Taylor; Visiting
Assistant Professors Rebecca Frank and Hannah Sorscher
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Classics
A student majoring in classics may concentrate in either Greek or Latin. It is recommended, however, that students planning to pursue
the study of classics in graduate school study both Greek and Latin, selecting courses in consultation with their Classics Department
advisor.
The major consists of at least 10 courses, at least six courses in language, including three courses numbered 200 or higher in Greek
and/or Latin and four additional courses offered by the department or approved by the student’s Classics Department advisor.
Requirements for the Major in Classical Civilization
(No knowledge of Latin or Greek is required.)
The major in Classical Civilization consists of at least 10 courses offered by the department or approved by the student’s Classics
Department advisor. At least one course must be among those offered by the department at the 300-level.
Requirements for the Major in Classics-English
In classics: six semester courses of Greek or Latin approved by the student’s Classics Department advisor, three of which are
numbered 200 or higher.
In English: 172 or 200, 271, two period or survey courses, and two electives.
Requirements for the Major in Classical Civilization-English
In classics: six semester courses approved by the student’s Classics Department advisor.
In English: 172 or 200, 271, two period or survey courses, and two electives.
Requirements for the Major in Classical Civilization-Anthropology
In classics: six semester courses approved by the student’s Classics Department advisor.
In anthropology: Anthropology 112, 313, 333, and three elective seminars selected in consultation with the anthropology advisor, at
least two of which should be at the 300 or 400 level.
The point scale for retention of each of the above majors applies to all courses that may be credited toward the major. No requirement
for a major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Requirements for the Minor in Classics
The minor consists of six courses (with at least five in Greek, Latin, or a combination of both, including two courses in Ancient Greek
or Latin numbered 200 or higher. Additional courses to be chosen in consultation with the student’s Classics Department advisor.
Requirements for the Minor in Classical Civilization
The minor consists of six courses chosen in consultation with the student’s Classics Department advisor, one of which must be among
those offered by the department at the 300-level. No knowledge of Ancient Greek or Latin is required.
The point scale for retention of each of the above minors applies to all courses that may be credited toward the minor. No requirement
for a minor may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Course Offerings
[CL133] Greek Myth and Literature Greek myth has shaped how we understand ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
We will explore the answers that the myths of ancient Greece offer to life's biggest questions by reading texts that form the foundation
of western culture. Four credit hours. L.
[CL136] Myth and Magic Popular culture is fixated on magic, from Harry Potter to Game of Thrones, but the roots of this interest
can be found in the myths and magical practices of antiquity. Love and hate, hope and fear, ambition and greed - powerful emotions
drove Circe, Medea, and Hekate in myth as well as ordinary mortals in the ancient world. The focus will be on the role of magic in the
contested realm of antiquity’s social and gender hierarchies. We will examine the function and fascinating allure of witchcraft by
analyzing extracts from literary texts (e.g. Homer, Theocritus, Pindar, Vergil, Horace, and Lucan), protective amulets, and ancient
spells designed to seduce the beloved, ward off rivals, silence legal foes, rig sports events, reveal the future, and summon
demons. Four credit hours. L, I.
[CL138] Heroes of the World The Greeks, the Romans, the Irish: peoples around the globe have produced their own unique
heroes appropriate to the needs and desires of their particular cultures. Nevertheless, these heroes share a variety of traits and
experiences. We will examine the similarities and differences of the heroes of Ireland, Greece, Rome, and other cultures and explore
why we crave heroes and how that craving has shaped us all. Four credit hours. L.
[CL143] Introduction to Greek and Roman Archaeology The material remains of the ancient Greeks and Romans--pottery,
sculpture, monuments, temples, and other artifacts. Our inquiry will focus on construction of identity, development of religion and
myth, organization of social and political structures, and components of everyday life. Our exploration of the remains of Greek and
Roman civilizations from the Trojan War through the fall of Rome will take us from temples in the mountains of Greece to Roman
shipwrecks in the deepest trenches of the Mediterranean Sea. The broad range of evidence will also highlight the diverse
archaeological methodologies used to uncover and interpret these remains. Three credit hours. H.
CL144f Women and Warfare in the Ancient Mediterranean In the Iliad, Hector asserts that “war is the business of men,” but
combat in the ancient Mediterranean was often about women, who were prized as captives in the aftermath of battle. This class will
focus on ancient literature about women and war, from Greek epic, tragedy, and comedy, to Roman epic and historiography. We will
consider women as victims and combatants, and how post-war violence against women persists to the present day. We will also study
modern reception of women's experience after war, as ancient literature has long provided inspiration for post-classical artistic
expression of women's experiences of war and its consequences. Four credit hours. L, I. SORSCHER
[CL146] Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece The material culture of the ancient Greeks--their pottery, sculpture,
monuments, temples, and other artifacts--has long gripped the imaginations of the societies that came after. But what can these often
fragmentary remains really tell us about how people lived? This course will introduce students to the types of evidence and methods
that art historians and archaeologists use to reconstruct the ancient Greek world, tracing its development from the end of the Bronze
Age up to Late Antiquity. Our inquiry will focus on the construction of identity, development of religion and myth, organization of social
and political structures, economy, and components of everyday life. Additionally, we will also consider the "afterlife" of Greek antiquity
and the politics of archaeology and cultural heritage. Three credit hours. A.
CL148f Myth in the City: Greek Tragedy Ancient Greek tragedy presents myth from a 5th-century BCE Athenian perspective,
joining ancient and modern, heroic and urban in a single moment. We will read selected plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and
Euripides, with attention to the historical moments in which these plays were written, the contexts of their performance, and matters of
staging and interpretation. Four credit hours. L. BARRETT
[CL149] Gladiators and Ghosts: Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Rome Offers an introduction to death - and life - in ancient
Rome. Come explore Roman culture, history, philosophy, art, and literature (from love poetry to ghost stories) as we investigate
Roman attitudes toward death and the afterlife. We will consider questions like how death was linked to spectacles, how the dead
were memorialized, and how famous death scenes in literature served as rubrics for judging an individual's virtue. Special emphasis
will be placed on Roman attitudes as compared to what is found in other ancient and modern societies. Previously offered as Classics
197B (Jan Plan 2020). Three credit hours. L.
[CL153] Environmental Approaches to Antiquity The unparalleled speed and intensity of humanity's effects upon the earth
make the environment seem like a uniquely modern concern, but the ancient Greeks and Romans asked many of the same questions
as us. How long will the earth support life? How will environmental change influence human migration and history? What duties do
humans have to other species? In this course we will not only analyze their answers to such questions but consider topics as diverse
as environmental determinism and its legacy in modern racism; the unsustainability of ancient imperialism; the fall of the Roman
Empire; and the impact of monotheism upon classical conceptions of nature. Four credit hours. H.
[CL154] Ancient Medicine We explore the beliefs, practices, and cultural frameworks that shaped ancient Greek, Roman,
Egyptian, and Babylonian healing practices. By examining texts, objects, and architecture, we investigate how different healers
understood concepts like physical and mental 'health' and 'disease'. We also ask questions like: Who could be healers? What tools
and techniques did they use? How was medical knowledge developed and tested? What social and ethical systems informed medical
decision-making? How did patients' genders, ethnicities, ages, and abilities affect their medical experiences? And how can reflecting
on these questions help us to better understand modern medical systems, practices, and beliefs? Four credit hours. H.
CL156j Underworlds and Afterlives What happens to us after we die? Who or what determines our fate in the afterlife? Is the
afterlife an equalizer, or does it replicate power disparities present in the world of the living? We will explore different conceptions
about what happens after death from both ancient and contemporary cultures across the world. We will investigate the diversity of
beliefs about an afterlife and how these views reflect, reinforce, or undermine existing societal hierarchies. In the process, we will
probe the ways in which marginalized groups have used the afterlife to challenge and deconstruct complex systems of
discrimination. Three credit hours. S, I. FRANK
CL158f History of Ancient Greece and the Near East Offers an overview of ancient Greek history and culture from the
Mycenaean society of the Bronze Age to the formation of the Hellenistic kingdoms, and situates this historical survey within the
broader context of the histories and cultures of the Near East. We will begin with the foundation of the first cities in the fourth
millennium BCE and end with the fall of Ptolemaic Egypt to the Roman Empire. Over the course of the semester, we will read texts
ranging from the poems of the priestess Enheduanna to the dialogues of the philosopher Plato. Particular attention will be paid to
political, social, and cultural history. Four credit hours. H. TAYLOR
[CL161] Reading Greek Philosophy Listed as Philosophy 161. One credit hour.
CL162f Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece Who were the ancient Greeks, and what material remains did they leave
behind? Offers an introduction to the material culture of Ancient Greece. Surveys the different types of evidence available, the
methods used to analyze it, and what it can tell us about life in the Ancient Greek world. Explores questions such as: What can we
learn from the surviving material culture about the non-elite? How did material culture reflect social stratification? And, What role did
material culture play in reinforcing, or undermining, structures of power? Four credit hours. A. FRANK
[CL177] The Trojan War in the Context of the Collapse of Late Bronze Age This course will be taught on campus for the first
two weeks of January and in Egypt and Turkey for the second half of the course. Estimated cost of the travel component is $4,300.
Davis Connect grants may be available for those who qualify. We will study the legend of the Trojan War in the complex political and
economic systems of the Late Bronze Age, utilizing archaeological evidence, primary historical sources, and the Homeric poems. This
course is an alternative to Classics 244 Myth and Archaeology. Three credit hours. H, I.
CL211s World of Ancient Egypt Listed as History 211. Four credit hours. H. TAYLOR
CL227s History of Architecture I: From Pyramids to Cathedrals Listed as Art 227. Four credit hours. A. AMERI
CL231f History of Ancient Greek Philosophy Listed as Philosophy 231. Four credit hours. H. HILL
[CL235] The Stoic Way of Life Listed as Philosophy 235. Four credit hours. H.
[CL236] Roman Legends and Literature Through reading the works of selected Roman authors in translation, an examination of
major concepts in mythology: cosmogony, the hero, the interplay of legend and history, etc. Analyze the great stories of classical myth
in Roman epic, tragedy, comedy, elegy and lyric. Open to first-year students. Four credit hours. L.
[CL242] Italian Ecopoetics: Beauty, Loss, and Desire Listed as Italian 242. Four credit hours. L.
[CL244] Myth and Archaeology Is myth fiction or does it have some basis in fact? Since the 19th century, there have been
numerous claims that archaeological evidence has been discovered to prove the veracity of myths from the Trojan War to episodes in
the Bible. An exploration of the often explosive and controversial intersection between myth and archaeology. Four credit hours. L.
CL245j Festival, Competition, and Performance in Ancient Greece The Olympics are the most famous of the festivals held by
the ancient Greeks to honor their gods with competitions -- athletic contests, as well as musical, poetic, and dramatic performances.
We will explore these fascinating festivals and the myths that gave them meaning with special attention to the games at Olympia and
Delphi, and to the festivals of Athena and Dionysus at Athens. We will ask questions such as: What can these competitions tell us
about ancient Greek understandings of the body? How did the festivals contribute to the shaping of identities? What political purposes
did they serve? What do they tell us about life in the ancient city? What can they say about the world in which these ancient people
lived? Three credit hours. H. BARRETT
[CL247] Myth, Art, and Life's Big Questions Who am I? What is the meaning of life? What am I prepared to fight or die for?
How do I prepare myself to make good decisions in tough situations? What happens when we die? Is there a god? Does fate, free
will, or some other force govern my life? Different cultures have explored these questions through myth since antiquity, and artists
have creatively engaged with them ever since. We will read and interrogate myths and think about the answers different cultures
provide to these and other big questions through art. The analysis of art and literature we do together will equip you to answer these
questions for yourself. Four credit hours. A.
[CL248] Digging up the Dead and Other Problems in Archaeology How should archaeology be practiced? What objects are
acceptable to excavate or to display, and who gets to decide? What responsibility do archaeologists have to the people or
communities the objects came from? When and why do archaeologists exhume human bodies, and what should be done with them
once excavated? We will explore ethical questions about the practice of archaeology, and what to do when digging up the past
impacts those still living. We will reflect on what choices have been made in the past, debate the ethical justifications of these
decisions, and deliberate over what actions could and should be made in the future. Four credit hours. S, I.
[CL253] Late Antique Art: The Death and Afterlife of the Roman Empire Listed as Art 253. Four credit hours. A, I.
[CL254] Natural Disasters in Antiquity and Beyond For many of us earthquakes, tsunamis, or volcanic eruptions are rare
moments in which nature reveals its full power and exposes the weak foundations upon which our daily lives are based. The
proliferation of recording equipment has allowed these moments to be vicariously witnessed like never before, and responses range
from relief campaigns to watching fictive re-imaginings at our local cinema. This Environmental Humanities course interrogates our
own cultural attitudes towards natural disasters by grappling with the equally complex responses to such events in antiquity and the
radically different cultural frameworks that underpinned them. Four credit hours. L.
[CL255] Greek and Roman Science and Technology How did ancient Greeks and Romans make sense of the world around
them? And how did they use technology to exert control over that world? This Humanities Lab offers an introduction to scientific and
technological developments in the ancient Mediterranean and their afterlives in Islamic, Enlightenment, and modern-day science. We
begin by exploring ancient scientific theories and practices relating to astronomy, physics, biology, medicine, geography, and
mathematics. Then, with the help of Colby's Museum of Art and the Mule Works Innovation Lab, we will research and create 3-D
printed models of technologies involved in constructing, outfitting, and enjoying a Roman bath complex. Humanities lab course. Four
credit hours. H.
[CL271] Classical Political Theory Listed as Government 271. Four credit hours.
[CL324] History of Gender and Sexuality in Antiquity Listed as History 324. Four credit hours. H, I.
[CL336] Pompeii The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE may well be the most infamous natural disaster ever. The persistent
fascination of this event derives not only from the destruction wrought upon Pompeii, but also from the incredible level of preservation
paradoxically bestowed upon this buried town. In this course, we explore the insights that the archaeological record in Pompeii,
ranging from graffiti in bars to paintings in mansions, gives us into what it was like to live in this Roman town. Topics covered include
the Roman construction of gender and sexuality; ethnicity in ancient Italy; Roman religion; slavery; and Pompeii in film and
television. Four credit hours. H.
[CL338] Myth, History, Memory Like Achilles who fought at Troy to gain undying fame, ancient Greeks of the historical period
were keenly aware of the power of public memory and the narratives that create and sustain it. We will explore various forms of
historical memory in ancient Greece - from sculpture, monuments, and coins to plays, public speeches, and historiography - as we
ask how these various ways of representing the past make sense of the world and how they serve to forge identities, shape and bind
communities, and justify or question power. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Four credit hours. H.
CL483f, CL484s Honors Thesis Four credit hours.
CL491f, CL492s Independent Study One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Colby-Bigelow Partnership
The complex scientific, policy, and economic challenges of our world require coordinated interdisciplinary solutions. The
Colby-Bigelow academic partnership brings this collaborative approach to life with a research and educational accelerator that creates
a centralized space for integrative ocean science research. Building on Colby’s strong, collaborative liberal arts tradition, the
partnership fosters research and educational curricula in ocean science and policy, molecular and computational biology,
biogeochemistry, environmental modeling, biotechnology, and data analytics, all integrated with robust training in environmental
communications and leadership. This holistic approach unites researchers, faculty, and students from across the academic spectrum
who will work together to define and resolve the ocean’s most pressing challenges.
Courses taught or co-taught by scientists from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (listed below) are accredited by Colby and
included on Colby student transcripts. These courses can be counted towards major credit in biology, chemistry, environmental
studies, and geology.
A primary opportunity for engagement is through participation in the fall Sea Change semester-in-residence program at Bigelow. The
program is intended primarily for juniors, although qualified sophomores and seniors have also participated. Graduates of the program
have gone on to masters and Ph.D. programs in marine and environmental fields, law school, masters of public health, as well as
careers with environmental nonprofits and government agencies.
There are also opportunities for students to engage in mentored research with Bigelow scientists during the summer and during
January Term. Students who conduct research in the summer or fall Sea Change semester typically have the opportunity to continue
this research during the academic year or subsequent summer, as well as for credit and as the basis for honors research.
The partnership provides an outcome-driven education and research experience for students at Colby engaging in work with and at
Bigelow. It embodies Colby’s and Bigelow’s shared commitment to provide real-world student research and engagement experiences
that are transformational for students.
Colby at Bigelow–Sea Change Semester
Ocean science is in the middle of a revolution. Climate change is rapidly reshaping life in the oceans, and new tools are being
developed to reveal what it means for our planet. Bigelow Laboratory offers a transformative, 14-week fall semester experience that
puts these cutting-edge tools in your hands and empowers you to answer critical questions about the future of the ocean.
Faculty
Directors, Whitney King (Colby Chemistry) and Ben Twining (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences); Denise Bruesewitz, Greg
Drozd, Bess Koffman, Karena McKinney, Alejandra Geiger Oritiz (Colby), and Christoph Aeppli, John Burns, Peter Countway, David
Emerson, David Fields, Catherine Mitchell, Nicole Poulton, Nichole Price, Douglas Rasher, Nick Record, Karen Stamieszkin (Bigelow)
Requirements
General Program Requirements
Juniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0 who have taken at least three lab science courses and one semester each of chemistry, biology,
and calculus are eligible to apply. Some exceptionally prepared sophomores may also be eligible on a case-by-case basis. Please see
additional biology requirements for the Marine Omics track.
Students in all academic disciplines who meet program requirements and are interested in hands-on lab work and ocean science or
policy are welcome to apply. Desirable applicants will have a genuine curiosity about how the ocean works and how scientists work to
understand complex ocean systems.
Colby at Bigelow Semester: Changing Oceans Track
Students in this track take three intensive, four-week courses in series and a research course that extends over the entire semester.
ES383: The Ocean Environment: A Cross-Disciplinary Foundation
BI384: Biological Oceanography: Diversity and Function of Life in Marine Ecosystems
CH385: Ocean Biogeochemistry on a Changing Planet
Research Course: ES/BI386: Oceanographic field methods and independent research
Colby at Bigelow Semester: Marine Omics Track
Students in the Bigelow Marine Omics semester take three, intensive, four-week courses in series and a molecular research course
that extends over the entire semester.
ES383: The Ocean Environment: A Cross-Disciplinary Foundation
BI384: Biological Oceanography: Diversity and Function of Life in Marine Ecosystems
BI385: Marine ’Omics: Deciphering the Genetic Code of the Ocean
Molecular Research Course: BI 387: Molecular Tools to Understand the Environment
Course Mappings to Other Colby Majors
Oceans Track
Biology: BI384 = field-based biology credits, ES/BI386 = counts as full lab course toward fulfilling major requirements when focused
on biology research topic
Chemistry: CH385 = CH261 (with lab)
Environmental Science: ES383, BI384 = two focus areas courses; ES386 = ES Capstone
Geology: ES383 and CH385 = two elective courses counted toward the major
Omics Track
Biology and Chemistry: BI385 and BI387 = BC378 requirement of the CMBB major
Environmental Science: ES383, BI384 = two focus areas courses; BI387 = ES Capstone
Geology: ES383 = one elective course counted toward the major
Partnership Courses at Colby College
In addition to the Sea Change semester, Bigelow scientists actively contribute to the Colby College curriculum on campus. These
courses give students an introduction to marine topics at multiple levels in the curriculum.
BI397j Synthetic Biology
BI2XX Evolutionary Cell Biology
ES239s Seafood Forensics: Uncovering Fraud in Ocean Food Systems
ES297B Climate Geoengineering: Evaluating Strategies to Sequester CO2
ES494f Problems in Environmental Science (ES Capstone)
GE161/ES161 Introduction to Ocean Science
ES297D/JP297D Ocean Forecasting: AI, Ecology, and Data Justice on the Seas
Computer Science Department
Computer science studies the design of computational processes, computing systems, and virtual objects. Our goal is to provide
students with a strong background in computer science, including the integration of knowledge from other disciplines. Our graduates
have the ability and experience to enable and to produce innovative discoveries.
Students with a variety of interests may want to explore computer science, as it affects and interacts with virtually every discipline.
Many advances in the natural and social sciences, engineering, and the humanities would not have been possible without the
exponential growth in computing power and the corresponding design of advanced algorithms by computer scientists. Students who
become majors or minors, or take just a few courses, will extend their potential by knowing more about how to effectively use
computers and computation.
Students in computer science courses learn primarily through programming projects that provide them with experience in design, the
application of computational thinking, and problem solving. Computational thinking is the ability to deconstruct a problem or process
and describe it at the level of computable operations. Computational thinking integrates abstraction, hierarchical design, information
management, and an understanding of complexity. The projects students undertake increase in scope and complexity both within a
single course and as students progress through the major.
The computer science major prepares students for graduate work in computer science and related areas and for a wide variety of
careers. The computer science minor provides students with the ability to effectively apply computational thinking to other disciplines.
The interdisciplinary CS+X majors in biology, environmental studies, psychology, music, or theater and dance give students the
opportunity to integrate computer science with a focus discipline. Students interested in any of these programs should enroll in one of
the Computer Science 15X courses in their first year.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Stephanie Taylor
Associate Chair, Associate Professor Ying Li
Professor Amanda Stent; Associate Professors Ying Li and Stephanie Taylor; Assistant Professors Eric Aaron, Maximillian Bender,
Naser Al Madi, Stacy Doore, Allen Harper, Isaac Lage, Oliver Layton, and Hannen Wolfe; Postdoctoral Fellow Tahiya Chowdhury
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Computer Science
Computer Science 15X or 16X, 231, 232, 251 or 252, 333, and a theory course (375, 376, or 378); one elective numbered 200 or
above; one elective numbered 300 or above; one two-semester sequence of courses with the first numbered at the 300 level and the
second at the 400 level; and one 200-level mathematics or statistics course. Students may count only Computer Science 15X or 16X,
231, and 251/2 toward both the computer science major or minor and any interdisciplinary computation major.
Requirements for the Major in Computer Science with a Concentration in Artificial Intelligence
Computer Science 15X or 16X, 231, 232, 251 or 252, 310, 333, 343, and a theory course (375, 376, or 378); Mathematics 253 (in
which case students should take CS 252) or Mathematics 274; and one two-semester sequence of AI-related courses with the first
numbered at the 300 level and the second at the 400 level. Students may count only Computer Science 15X or 16X, 231, and 251/2
toward both the computer science major or minor and any interdisciplinary computation major.
Requirements for the Honors Program in Computer Science
An honors program is available for students who wish to pursue a topic more deeply. Students must have a grade point average of at
least 3.6 in all computer science courses numbered 200 or higher and complete a yearlong, preapproved honors project (Computer
Science 483 and 484) of at least seven credits, culminating in both a written paper and a colloquium presentation. Four credits of the
honors project satisfy an elective in the major requirements. Students who successfully complete the requirements and receive the
recommendation of the department will graduate with “Honors in Computer Science.”
Requirements for the Minor in Computer Science
One Computer Science course numbered 150 or above, 231, 251 or 252, one course numbered 200 or above, one course numbered
300 or above, and a capstone experience. The capstone experience can be either (a) a course numbered 400 or above, (b) a four- (or
more) credit independent study with a significant computing component in the student’s major department, or (c) two 300-level
courses. Option (b) must be preapproved by a computer science advisor.
The point scale for retention of the major/minor applies to all courses in the major/minor. No requirement for the major/minor may be
taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
A minor in data science is described in the “Data Science” section of the catalogue.
Requirements for the Interdisciplinary CX+X Majors
Listed under “Biology” (as Computational Biology), “Environmental Studies (as Environmental Computation),” Psychology” (as
Computational Psychology), “Music,” and “Performance, Theater, and Dance.”
Course Offerings
[CS125] Introduction to R An introduction to the programming language R and how it can be used for statistical analysis and
visualization of data. Students will learn how to write basic R programs that can read, write, and manipulate data. They will make use
of R functions for executing common statistical analysis and learn how to display the results using graphs and charts. Through a
series of projects, students will get experience with writing their own functions, learn how to make use of R documentation and how to
extend their own knowledge of the language. One credit hour.
CS151fs Computational Thinking: Visual Media An introduction to computational thinking: how we can describe and solve
problems using a computer. Using the Python language, students will learn how to write algorithms, manipulate information, and
design programs. They will learn about abstraction, how to divide and organize a process into appropriate components, how to
describe processes in a computer language, and how to analyze and understand the behavior of their programs. The projects will
focus on manipulating images or generating complex and interesting scenes and animations each week through writing
well-constructed programs. Students may not receive credit for both this course and Computer Science 152 or 153. Four credit
hours. Q. WOLFE, HAN
CS152fs Computational Thinking: Science An introduction to computational thinking: how we can describe and solve problems
using a computer. Using the Python language, students will learn how to write algorithms, manipulate information, and design
programs. They will learn about abstraction, how to divide and organize a process into appropriate components, how to describe
processes in a computer language, and how to analyze and understand the behavior of their programs. The projects focus on: (1)
reading, writing, managing, and analyzing data; (2) modeling ecological systems using population and agent-based approaches; and
(3) simulating physical systems with gravity and collisions. Students may not receive credit for both this course and Computer Science
151 or 153. Four credit hours. Q. HARPER
[CS153] Computational Thinking: Smart Systems An introduction to computational thinking: how we can describe and solve
problems using a computer. Students will learn how to write algorithms, manipulate information, and design programs. They will learn
about abstraction, how to divide and organize a process into appropriate components, how to describe processes in a computer
language, and how to analyze and understand the behavior of their programs. The projects will make use of Arduino embedded
devices connected to sensors and motors to create smart systems that can sense and react to their environment. Students may not
receive credit for both this course and Computer Science 151 or 152. Four credit hours. Q.
CS154f Computational Thinking: Natural Language Processing An introduction to computational thinking: how we can
describe and solve problems using a computer. Using the Python language, students will learn how to write algorithms, manipulate
information, and design programs. They will learn about abstraction, how to divide and organize a process into appropriate
components, how to describe processes in a computer language, and how to analyze and understand the behavior of their programs.
The projects will focus on manipulating textual data using natural language processing. This course enables CS- and AI-related
student learning outcomes. Students may not receive credit for both this course and Computer Science 151, 152, 153, or 166. Four
credit hours. STENT, A
CS166f Computational Thinking: Computer Vision A course for students who have some experience programming, but who
are not ready for CS231. Using the Python language, students will learn how to write algorithms, manipulate information, and design
programs. They will learn about abstraction, how to divide and organize a process into appropriate components, how to describe
processes in a computer language, and how to analyze and understand the behavior of their programs. The projects will focus on
manipulating images and videos using computer vision. This course enables CS- and AI-related student learning outcomes. Students
may not receive credit for both this course and Computer Science 151, 152, 153, or 154. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Four
credit hours. CHOWDHURY
CS231fs Data Structures and Algorithms Focuses on the common structures used to store data and the standard algorithms for
manipulating them. Standard data structures include lists, stacks, queues, trees, heaps, hash tables, and graphs. Standard algorithms
include searching, sorting, and traversals. Along with implementation details, students will learn to analyze the time and space
efficiency of algorithms and how to select appropriate data structures and algorithms for a specific application. In homework, labs, and
programming projects, students will implement their own data structures and make use of existing libraries to solve a variety of
computational problems. Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in Computer Science 151, 152 or 153. Four credit
hours. Q. BENDER, HARPER
CS232f Computer Organization Computer organization focuses on how computers work. Students learn the fundamental
hardware components, including storage (RAM, hard disks), input/output mechanisms, and the central processing unit (CPU). They
learn how components are designed and built on several levels, including the design of electrical components, machine language, and
assembly language. They also learn to program in assembly language for one or more simple processors. Students learn primarily
through projects where they design digital circuits, design components of a CPU, or write programs in assembly
language. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231. Four credit hours. LI
CS251fs Data Analysis and Visualization Prepares students to apply computational data analysis and visualization approaches
to real information from a variety of disciplines and applications. Data visualization is the interactive visual exploration of 2-D and 3-D
graphic information using techniques that highlight patterns and relationships. Data analysis incorporates data management, data
transformations, statistical analysis, data mining, and machine learning. Through programming projects, students will gain hands-on
experience with the fundamentals of data analysis and visualization using data from active research projects at Colby and other
institutions. Students may not receive credit for both this course and Computer Science 252. Prerequisite: Computer Science
231. Four credit hours. LAYTON, TAYLOR
CS252s Mathematical Data Analysis and Visualization An introduction to the analysis and visualization of scientific data. Topics
include data management, basic statistical analysis, data mining techniques, and fundamental concepts of machine learning.
Emphasis is placed on the mathematical basis of algorithms, which are then applied to real datasets. As time allows, additional
techniques involving linear algebra and calculus are covered. Students also learn how to visualize different types of data, focusing on
dis- covering patterns and relationships. Through programming projects, students gain hands-on experience analyzing and selecting
appropriate visualizations for real datasets. Students may not receive credit for both this course and Computer Science
251. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231 and Mathematics 253. Four credit hours. LAYTON
[CS267] Interactive Digital Media Digital forms of text, sound, images, and video enable rapid communication and manipulation
of large amounts of information. Digital sensors provide easy access to information about the environment. Connecting sensors with
digital media enables the creation of artistic installations with dynamic narratives that respond to a user's actions. Students will learn
to manipulate digital media and collect sensor data using both applications and their own computer programs. By combining the two,
they will create their own artistic installation and demonstrate it at the end of the term. Prerequisite: Computer Science 151, 152, 153,
or 231. Three credit hours. A.
[CS269] Computer Game Design Focuses on the process of taking stories, situations, puzzles, or challenges and defining them
so a computer can execute the construct within which the game resides. Students will design a 2-D computer game using a standard
game engine. Topics include game design, artistic concepts, image manipulation, game scripting, and artificial intelligence. Students
will work in groups to design and develop a 2-D game to be distributed at the end of the term. Each group will make weekly
presentations to the class, demonstrating their progress in game design. Prerequisite: Computer Science 151, 152, 153, or 231. Three
credit hours.
CS310s Creating Future Worlds: Computing, Ethics, and Society Explores ethical and moral narratives associated with
advances in computing/AI technologies. Students will investigate issues in computing ethics highlighting the responsibility of
computing professionals to examine the impact of their work on individuals and society. Topics will include: AI bias, digital disparities,
autonomous systems, intellectual property law, cybercrime, information privacy and security, tech corporate culture, and professional
conduct in a diverse workplace. Students will critically evaluate and apply literature on responsible technology development and
professional codes of ethics with evolving technologies. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231. Four credit hours. YANKOSKI
[CS321] Software Engineering A comprehensive practical introduction to all phases of software development including life cycle
models, requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing and validation, maintenance, and evolution, focusing on agile software
development. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231. Four credit hours.
[CS325] Web Programming The art and science of building dynamic (interactive) websites. Students will learn the fundamentals
of the Internet and its HTTP/TCP/IP protocols, HTML and CSS, and how to use them to create well-designed web pages that follow
industry standards. They will learn to program in JavaScript to create client-side dynamic web pages, in PHP or another language to
create server-side dynamic web pages, and in SQL to create, access, and modify a relational database. Finally, they will learn about
XML, DOM, and AJAX, and how to use them to add Web 2.0 features to web pages. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231. Three
credit hours.
[CS330] Database Design, Development, and Deployment Approaches database systems from the perspective of database
designers, developers, and data analysts. The first course will provide a foundation in database design theory, database query
languages and reporting methods, accessible information system UX/UI requirements, database management best practices, and
new approaches to applying advances in AI to information modeling, storage, and retrieval. It will include both individual and group
programming assignments around data modeling and diagrams, current database design modeling (i.e., RDBS, NoSQL, Spatial,
Graph, and Hybrid) as well as evolving AI-driven database applications, information retrieval languages (i.e., SQL/NoSQL), data
reasoning/extraction approaches, with an emphasis on accessible information systems. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231, 251, or
252. Four credit hours.
CS331f Computer Networks An introduction to fundamental concepts of computer networks and widely used networking
technologies. Topics include application protocol design; principles of congestion and error control protocols; network routing; local,
wireless, and access networks; network security; and networking programming. The Internet suite of protocols will be discussed in
depth. Students will learn about conventional and state-of-the-art computer networks through problem sets and programming
projects. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231 and 232. Four credit hours. LI
CS333fs Programming Languages A survey of programming languages and paradigms focusing on the design of programming
languages and comparing and contrasting different language families, including imperative, object-oriented, functional, and logic
paradigms. Topics include syntax, context-free grammars, parsing, semantics, abstract representations of programming processes
and structures, memory management, and exceptions. Students will undertake small programming projects in various languages and
more extensive projects in two languages of their choice, presenting the characteristics of their chosen languages to their peers at the
end of the term. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231. Four credit hours. TAYLOR
[CS337] Operating Systems A comprehensive overview of the design and implementation of computer operating systems from
the early days of computing to modern day. The topics include process scheduling, threading and interprocess communication,
memory management, file systems, access control, and security. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231. Four credit hours.
[CS341] Systems Biology I An introduction to the field of molecular systems biology, which aims to understand the mechanisms
underlying complex biological processes. Key to this endeavor is the process of formulating and analyzing mathematical models.
Students will learn how to develop, simulate, and analyze ordinary differential equation models of biological systems as well as to read
and understand relevant journal articles and perform in-depth analysis of model dynamics. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231, and
Mathematics 122, 160 or equivalent, and one of the following: Biology 163 or 164; Statistics 212, Mathematics 253, or a 300-level
course; or any 300-level computer science course. Four credit hours.
[CS342] Embedded Systems Introduction to the design and use of embedded systems. Students will engage in hands-on
exploration of the real-time control of microcontroller platforms and sensorimotor devices by designing and implementing their own
electromechanical prototypes. Students will use C++ and basic circuit theory to interface with off-board sensors and actuators, giving
their prototypes the ability to sense and respond to the physical world. Prototyping projects will be accompanied by student-generated
technical documentation that supports the end user and ensures reproducibility. Students will become true makers and masters of any
device with a data sheet. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231, Mathematics 122 or equivalent (can be taken concurrently), and
Physics 141 or 143. Four credit hours.
CS343f Neural Networks An introduction to neural networks from biological and machine learning perspectives. Focuses on
neural networks for classification and regression involving large image and text datasets. Topics include fundamental design
principles; supervised and unsupervised learning; fully connected and convolutional networks; transfer learning. Students obtain
hands-on experience implementing and analyzing the neural networks covered each week in regular projects that explore different
application areas. Prerequisite: Computer Science 251 or 252 and Mathematics 121, 125, 130, 135, or 161; 122, 160, 162 or 165 are
recommended. Four credit hours. LAYTON
CS346f Computational Modeling Simulation I: Interdisciplinary Science A programming-oriented introduction to techniques in
computational modeling and simulation, motivated by applications to the natural and social sciences. Topics may include: dynamical
system simulation; finite difference equations; numerical error in simulation; numerical methods for integration; Monte Carlo
simulation; cellular automata; and agent-based modeling. Students complete projects in multiple application domains to develop
interdisciplinary breadth; to understand explanatory models and methods underlying computational science; and to develop
programming style and skills that support easily extended and maintained code. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231 and
Mathematics 122, 160 or equivalent. Four credit hours. AARON
[CS351] Computer Graphics An introduction to computer graphics covering 2-D graphic primitives, clipping graphic objects to
boundaries, linear transformations, creating and representing 3-D objects, converting 3-D models into 2-D images, and rendering
complex 3-D scenes made of thousands of polygons. Students will build a comprehensive 3-D rendering engine in sequential weekly
projects for which they generate images and develop portfolios of their own work. Prerequisite: Computer Science 251. Four credit
hours.
[CS353] Interactive Systems I: Interactive Agents, Environments, and Systems A hands-on introduction on designing and
building interactive systems. Topics include physical computing, multimodal interfaces, rapid prototyping, multimedia systems, design
methodologies, and more. The course incorporates examples of early and contemporary work in human computer interaction and new
media art. Prerequisite: Computer Science 251 or 252. Four credit hours.
[CS359] Finite Fields and Error Correcting Codes Listed as Mathematics 359. Four credit hours.
[CS361] Object-Oriented Design Object-oriented design focuses on the art and science of designing programs so that they are
reusable, readable, maintainable, extensible, and robust. Students will learn object-oriented design techniques for producing such
software, focusing on learning good programming style, object-oriented design principles, and design patterns. Students will also
examine case studies of moderately large programs, will learn to use tools such as CRC cards and the UML, and will undertake
significant programming projects. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231. Four credit hours.
[CS365] Computer Vision Investigates designing computer programs that extract information from digital images. Major topics
include image formation and acquisition, gray-scale and color image processing, image filters, feature detection, texture, object
segmentation, classification, recognition, and motion estimation. Students are introduced to classic and contemporary vision
techniques with examples for homework and programming assignments drawn from biological and medical imaging, robotics,
augmented reality, and digital photography. They will develop a medium-scale vision system using data from active research projects
at Colby. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231 and 251 (may be taken concurrently). Four credit hours.
CS375fs Analysis of Algorithms Focuses on classical algorithms in computer science and the analysis of the space and time
efficiency of such algorithms as those that sort arrays and lists and search various data structures, including lists, trees, graphs, and
strings. All major categories of algorithms are discussed, including iteration, divide and conquer, brute force, exhaustive search,
greedy, dynamic programming, and approximation. Unsolvable and intractable problems are also covered, as is the role of
NP-completeness. If time permits, some parallel and distributed algorithms will be discussed. Students will learn through problem sets
and short programming projects. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231 and one 200-level mathematics or statistics course. Four credit
hours. AARON
CS376s Algorithm Design and Analysis Focuses on rigorous algorithm design and analysis techniques, including asymptotic
complexity bounds, NP-Completeness, and correctness proofs for iterative and recursive algorithms. Motivating examples include
classic sorting, searching, and optimization algorithms, for problem solving with data structures including arrays, lists, trees, and
graphs. Emphasis is placed on concepts underlying general techniques, with applications to the design and analysis of correct and
efficient algorithms in the iterative, divide-and-conquer, dynamic programming, and greedy paradigms. Students may not receive
credit for both this course and Computer Science 375. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231 and Mathematics 274 (or
equivalent). Four credit hours. AARON
[CS378] Introduction to the Theory of Computation Focuses on formal languages, automata, computability, complexity
classes, and undecidability. Languages discussed include regular languages, context-free languages, and recursively enumerable
languages. Both deterministic and non-deterministic forms of the corresponding machines (finite automata, push-down automata, and
Turing machines) are also discussed. Unsolvable and intractable problems are addressed, as is the role of NP-completeness.
Students will learn through problem sets, possibly augmented by short programming projects. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231
and either Mathematics 274 or 275. Four credit hours.
CS381f Algorithmic Game Theory This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of algorithmic game theory,
canonically the intersection of CS Theory and Economics. The course introduces common definitions of and computing techniques of
solutions to a broad range of games. Students will learn techniques for analyzing games from a variety of perspectives, learning to
compute Nash equilibria, the price of anarchy, and others. Topics in network design, auctioning algorithms, social choice metrics,
algorithm mechanism design, and others will be visited. Prerequisite: Computer Science 231 or Math 274. Four credit
hours. BENDER
[CS421] Empirical Software Engineering Introduces students to the different approaches of performing empirical studies to
solve software engineering problems. The course will focus on quantitative and qualitative research methods including interviews and
surveys, design of human experiments, including crowdsourcing, and mining of software repositories. Prerequisite: Computer Science
321. Four credit hours.
[CS430] Advanced Database Design, Development, and Deployment The second course in the database sequence will center
around the design, development, and testing of an accessible real-world information system application through a semester-long
project applying foundational knowledge and skills from the first database course (Computer Science 330). The database provides
location information about the objects in a public space, the spatial relationships between objects, descriptions of the content objects,
and an accessible user interface to that communicates system information in a multimodal format. Prerequisite: Computer Science
330. Four credit hours.
CS431s Advanced Computer Networks Application of the principles of computer networks learned in CS331 to
computing-relevant projects and the study of system performance. Students will work in groups to complete a research project that
has some measurable and assessable networking features with the option of using mobile test-beds. Students will learn through
project design and implementation, experiment development and data analysis, weekly oral presentations and written summaries, a
public presentation, and an IEEE-format final report. Prerequisite: Computer Science 331. Four credit hours. LI
[CS436] Seminar: Artificial Intelligence Table Reads Seminars will feature presentations by internal and external speakers who
work on AI, especially interdisciplinary approaches to AI. One credit hour.
[CS441] Systems Biology II The application of principles learned in Systems Biology I to a particular biological system. Students
will work in interdisciplinary teams to complete a project focusing on one biological system and one or more mathematical models of
this system. Involves reading journal articles, designing and running numerical experiments, analyzing results, and presenting
challenges and results. Culminates in both a poster presentation and a comprehensive journal article-styled report and oral
presentation. Prerequisite: Computer Science 341. Four credit hours. N.
[CS442] Computational Physiology: Bioinspiration in Design and Control Application of principles learned in Computer
Science 342 to biologically inspired design and control, and the use of electromechanical prototypes as testbeds for hypotheses in the
biological sciences. Students will work in teams to complete a research project that tests a hypothesis from the physiology of
locomotion or bioinspired robotics using an electromechanical prototype of their own design. Involves writing weekly summaries and
critiques of published journal articles, designing and running physics-based simulations and electromechanical experiments, analyzing
results, and presenting original research. Culminates in a poster presentation, an IEEE-format conference paper, and an oral
presentation. Prerequisite: Computer Science 342, Mathematics 122, 160 or equivalent, and Physics 141 or equivalent. Four credit
hours.
CS443s Bio-Inspired Machine Learning Focuses on the simulation of human perception and behavior by implementing neural
networks that emulate different systems of the brain. Neural systems relating to autonomous navigation—how humans perceive and
plan movements through their environments—are a core theme of the course, but a range of human capabilities is considered, such
as learning, memory, and vision. Projects provide hands-on experience applying brain inspired algorithms to problems in machine
learning, computer vision, and artificial intelligence, such as motion estimation from video, supervised and unsupervised learning of
datasets, and agent navigation toward goals in environments with obstacles. Topics include spiking and rate-based networks, lateral
inhibition, recurrent networks, content addressable memory, plasticity, and neural competition. Prerequisite: Computer Science
343. Four credit hours. LAYTON
CS446s Computational Modeling Simulation II: Interdisciplinary Science A research-oriented continuation of Computational
Modeling and Simulation I. Students work in teams to complete a semester-long project in an interdisciplinary area, applying
computational modeling and simulation techniques to address a research question. This involves all of the following: reading
peer-reviewed articles; understanding the context of a research question in a research community; designing and implementing
experiments and analyzing their results. Each team will produce a journal-style article and an oral presentation describing their
project. Prerequisite: Computer Science 346. Four credit hours. AARON
[CS451] Advanced Computer Graphics Focuses on advanced algorithms for rendering both hyper-photorealistic and
non-photorealistic images of objects and scenes. Topics will include ray tracing, radiosity and other global illumination methods,
animation, motion capture and mapping, modeling unique materials, modeling painting and drawing techniques, and other topics
selected by students. Each week students will prepare written summaries and critiques of technical papers in computer graphics.
Programming projects will include OpenGL, a photorealistic project, a non-photorealistic project, and a final project of the student's
choice. Prerequisite: Computer Science 351. Four credit hours.
[CS453] Interactive Systems II: Special Topics in New Media and Interactive Systems Students in groups will work on a
semester-long project in which they design, build and run a human computer interaction study or interactive media arts installation.
Students will learn how to conduct a literature review, formulate a question, collect data, evaluate the results and present findings. The
course would culminate in a presentation and a report in the style of a conference paper or art installation
submission. Prerequisite: Computer Science 353. Four credit hours.
[CS461] Object-Oriented Software Systems Students will learn how to design and implement a significant software project that
is robust, maintainable, extensible, and modular, building on their experience in Computer Science 361. The focus will vary from year
to year. For example, students may gather specifications and then analyze, design, and implement a business application or dynamic
website following standard software engineering practices. Students will learn through creating, implementing, and refining their own
software designs in an iterative design process. Prerequisite: Computer Science 232 (may be taken concurrently) and 361. Four credit
hours.
CS481f, CS482s Minor Capstone Independent project and capstone experience for minors. Taken in tandem with a course in the
student's major to develop a computing project in consultation with his or her computer science advisor that relates to or extends a
topic from the related course. Two to four credit hours.
CS483f, CS484s Honors Research in Computer Science The independent study component of the honors program in computer
science. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and admission to the honors program. Three or four credit hours.
[CS483J] Honors Research in Computer Science Noncredit.
CS491f, CS492s Independent Study Independent study in an area of computer science of particular interest to the
student. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Creative Writing
In the Department of English
Colby students may study the craft of imaginative writing in one of two ways—through a concentration within an English major or by
electing a minor in creative writing if their major is a discipline other than English. A creative writing concentration within and in
addition to the English major is offered as another option to develop creative writing skills. The requirements for the concentration are
specified in the “English” section of this catalogue.
The minor is designed to enhance existing major programs, to add structure and a sense of purpose to those students already
committed to creative writing, and to prepare students who are considering graduate programs in creative writing.
Faculty
Director, Professor Adrian Blevins
Professors Adrian Blevins and Debra Spark; Associate Professors Sarah Braunstein and Arisa White; Assistant Professor Onnesha
Roychoudhrui.
Requirements for the Minor in Creative Writing
The minor consists of seven courses total: four writing workshops and three courses in literature.
The four writing workshops should include creative writing courses at the 200 level or above. These courses currently include English
278, 279, 280, 378, 379, 380, 382, and 386. Students may count Theater and Dance 141 (Beginning Playwriting) as one of their
creative writing workshops.
In addition, the creative writing minor requires the student, in consultation with the minor advisor, to complete three courses in English
and American literature. One of these courses may be at the 200 level. The other two must be at the 300 or 400 level. The program
does not count courses taken at other institutions toward the concentration or the minor.
Students should consider their writing interests when picking a literature course. For instance, a fiction writer might want to study the
American short story, the modern American novel, 18th-century novels, Victorian or African-American literature, or contemporary
fiction; a poetry writer might elect courses on Renaissance poetry, British Romantic poetry, 19th-century American poetry, Whitman
and Dickinson, modern American poetry, or contemporary American poetry.
First priority for admission to English 278, 279, and 280 is given to sophomores.
No requirement for the minor may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Data Science
In the Departments of Computer Science and of Mathematics and of Statistics
Data science is an interdisciplinary field, comprising a body of knowledge and skills for the collection, storage, integration, analysis,
inference, communication, and ethics of data in context. The data science major and minor equip students with the analytical tools
and capacities needed to interact with real-world data in a research environment that is changing and growing very quickly.
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Data Science
Completion of 12 courses, including Environmental Studies 218, Computer Science 151 or 152 or 153; 231, 251 or 252, and 310;
Mathematics 160 or 165, and 253; Statistics 212, 321, and 324; and a sequence of two closely related three- or four-credit courses
offered by any department. These courses must either incorporate significant data analysis using a variety of tools or be primarily
concerned with applied or theoretical ideas of direct relevance to data science. These courses, together with a description of how they
meet the requirements, must be approved by the Data Science Committee at least four months prior to enrolling in the first course of
the sequence. A student majoring in economics or psychology who has completed the second semester of the respective
statistics/methods sequence need not take Statistics 212. A student majoring in computer science or statistics may not major in data
science. While not required, both Mathematics 274 and 381 are recommended for students majoring in data science.
Requirements for the Minor in Data Science
Completion of seven courses, including Computer Science 151, 152, or 153; 231, and 251 or 252; Mathematics 122 or 160 or 165;
Statistics 212 and 321; and one of the following: Computer Science 341, 343, 346, Mathematics 253, or Statistics 3XX. A student
majoring in economics or psychology who has completed the second semester of the respective statistics/methods sequence need
not take Statistics 212. A student majoring in computer science, mathematical sciences with a concentration in statistics, or statistics
may not minor in data science. A student minoring in data science may not minor in computer science or in statistics.
East Asian Studies Department
Language courses offered by the department are listed separately under “Chinese” and “Japanese.”
The East Asian Studies Department offers students a multidisciplinary approach to understanding Japan, China, and Korea. Our
mission is to build language competency in Japanese or Chinese and provide in-depth exposure to traditional and contemporary East
Asia through a wide variety of course offerings across the humanistic and social science disciplines.
A major in East Asian studies will achieve an ability to communicate effectively in English and an East Asian language, to critically
interpret texts, to develop research skills using primary sources and data, and to acquire a comparative understanding of the region.
Students achieve these goals through an immersion experience in East Asia as well as their course work at Colby.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Ankeney Weitz (Asian Art History)
Professors James Behuniak (Philosophy), Kimberly Besio (Chinese), Mary Beth Mills (Anthroplogy), Nikky Singh (Religious Studies),
Ankeney Weitz (Asian Art History), and Hong Zhang (Chinese, on leave 2023-24); Associate Professors Daniel LaFave (Economics)
and Steven Nuss (Music); Assistant Professors Inga Kim Diederich (History), Jun Fang (Sociology), Seth Kim (Cinema Studies),
Deirdre Martin (Government), Laura Nuffer (Japanese), and Andie Wang (Chinese); Visiting Assistant Professors Hui-Ching Lu
(Chinese) and Jun Takashashi (Japanese); Language Assistants Jia-Shan Tsai (Chinese) and Maiko Kawano (Japanese)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in East Asian Studies
One introductory comparative course (East Asian Studies 150); a language concentration consisting of three language courses
beyond the all-college requirement (normally Japanese 128, 321, and 322 or one 400-level Japanese course; or Chinese 128, 321,
and 322 or one 400-level Chinese course); one capstone course, East Asian Studies 493, taken only in the fall semester of the senior
year; and an additional six courses chosen from those approved for the East Asian studies major. These six courses must conform to
the following distribution: one 200-level art, religion, philosophy, literature, or music course; one 200-level government, anthropology,
economics, education, history, or sociology course; one 300-level or 400-level course; and three additional electives. Fourth-year
language courses or three- or four-credit East Asian language courses outside the language concentration may constitute elective
courses. Students who start taking Chinese or Japanese at the 300-level or above are expected to take at least four language
courses, which may include three- or four-credit independent study Japanese 491, 492 or Chinese 491, 492. East Asian studies
majors are required to spend at least one semester of study in the country of their language concentration. Under extraordinary
circumstances students may petition to substitute an equivalent immersion experience in the country of the language concentration for
a semester of study.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses offered toward the major. No requirement for the major may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory. To achieve distinction in the East Asian studies major, the student will have to achieve a 3.5 grade point
average in the courses listed for the major and will have to take two additional language courses beyond those required for the major.
These courses may be a continuation of the language of concentration at the 400 level, or they may be introductory courses in a
second Asian language.
Honors in East Asian Studies
An honors program is available for senior majors who have earned a 3.5 major average. Normally, application to the program must be
submitted prior to the senior year. Some aspect of the culture of East Asia must be studied as the honors project in East Asian Studies
483 and 484.
Attention is called to the minor in Chinese and the minor in Japanese. Requirements for these minors are listed under “Chinese” and
“Japanese.”
Requirements for the Minor in East Asian Studies
The East Asian studies minor consists of six courses: one introductory comparative course (East Asian Studies 150); two language
courses at or above the 126 level in either Chinese or Japanese; three non-language courses, one at the 200 level, one at or above
the 200 level, and the third at the 300 level or above. Courses may be selected from offerings in anthropology, art, economics,
government, history, literature, music, philosophy, and religious studies courses on East Asia. With the exception of one introductory
comparative course, no content course at the 100 level will count toward the minor.
Other Applicable Courses
Courses Approved for the Major in East Asian Studies
Art
● 173 East Asian Art and Architecture to 1300
● 174 East Asian Art and Architecture, 1300 to the Present
● 276 Zen and the Arts in Asia
● 378 Chinese Visual Culture
● 398 Japanese Visual Culture
● 393 Museum Practicum (when appropriate)
Anthropology
● 339 Asian Pacific Modernities
● 254 Global Local Asia
Chinese
● All courses offered
Cinema Studies
● Topics in Global Cinema: Contemporary Japanese Cinema
East Asian Studies
● All courses offered
Economics
● 279 Economic Rise and Future of China
Government
● 256 Introduction to East Asian Politics
● 355 Winners and Losers in Chinese Politics
● 356 Winners and Losers in Japanese Politics
● 357 Political Economy of Regionalism
History
● 197 History of Modern East Asia
● 144 Patterns in East Asian History to 1600
● 146 Modern East Asian History 1600 to Present
● 297A Modern Japan
● 297 A History of Samurai
● 351 Desiring Asia Gender and Sexuality in East Asia
● 397 Minorities in East Asia
● 397C Special Topics in Premodern Chinese History
● 397 A Global History of Manga and Anime
● 398 Maine in Japan
Japanese
● All courses offered
Music
● 254 Music of Meditation
● 275 Cultured Tough Guys: Samurai Devotion, Music, Poetry, and Art
Philosophy
● 265 Chinese Philosophy
● 266 Buddhist Philosophy
Religious Studies
● 212 Religions of China, Japan, and Tibet
● 263: Buddhism Across East Asia
Course Offerings
EA120f Nature in East Asian Literature and Culture Combines readings of traditional literature with an exploration of the
perceived relationship between nature and man, as reflected in the literary, visual, and material culture of China, Japan, and Korea.
Students will improve writing skills through weekly writing reflections, two short essays, and one research paper. Other goals include,
hone analytical skills through close reading of East Asian texts; reflect critically on the relationship between the natural world and man
in East Asian culture, and how these views might enrich our own; and acquire an understanding of how literature and art can both
shape and reflect our world view. Four credit hours. L, W1. BESIO
EA144f Patterns in East Asian History, to 1600 Listed as History 144. Four credit hours. H. LIN
EA146s Modern East Asian History, 1600-Present Listed as History 146. Four credit hours. H. DIEDERICH
EA150s Foundations in East Asian Studies We explore the foundations of East Asian civilization, with a focus on reading the
classical texts of ancient China, Korea, and Japan. As an introduction to East Asian studies as an interdisciplinary field of study, this
course considers these foundational texts from a number of perspectives (philosophical, historical, artistic, political, etc.). Students will
work on improving writing and research skills. Designed for potential or actual EAS majors and minors; not intended for non-major
students with deep exposure to East Asian history and philosophy in primary and secondary school. Four credit hours. H, I. WEITZ
[EA212] Religions of China, Japan, and Tibet Listed as Religious Studies 212. Four credit hours. S.
[EA220] Contemporary Chinese Art Examines the artistic expressions of China, from the early 20th century to the present day.
We explore the roles played by artists and their art in defining and articulating change; consider both traditional and new forms of art
(woodcuts, film, fashion, performance); and learn about Chinese art's global identity today. Attending to the complex interactions
between art, history, politics, and culture, we investigate focused topics such as: environment issues, society, politics and the state,
and popular culture. Three credit hours. A.
EA221f Second Language Pedagogy An introduction to current research and theory in the area of second language acquisition
(SLA). Students will gain an understanding of theories of SLA; the similarities and differences across first and second language
acquisition; and the role of individual differences in language learning (including age, first language, and aptitude, among others).
Students will also become familiar with the implications for SLA of sociolinguistic differences for English across time and space in the
United States. A humanities lab intended for students who are interested in second language learning and teaching. Four credit
hours. WANG
[EA222] Contemporary US-Japan Relations The US-Japan relationship is one of the most intriguing in modern history. These
two disparate nation-states fought an extremely destructive war that left to a seven-year occupation by the US, and yet they have
developed one of the world's most stable and positive political, military, economic, and social relationships. This class will examine
how that relationship looks 68 years after the end of the occupation in the age of global communications. American isolationism, and
the increased power of China. Topics will include the military alliance in light of a strengthen China and the Japanese government's
attempt to change the Constitution, economic relations in a post-Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) world, the fate of cross-cultural
programs such as the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. Three credit hours.
[EA223] Asian Science and Society Listed as Science, Technology, and Society 223. Four credit hours.
[EA224] Music and Culture in Modern China Explores Chinese music in relation to China's modern history (1911-to-present)
and key cultural elements. Surveys a wide range of genres from traditional to modern, from colonial Shanghai to Mao's proletarian art,
and from folk to rock. Examines the unique role of music in Chinese society through wars, nation building, and ideological conflicts.
Knowledge of Chinese language is not required. Three credit hours. A.
[EA225] China in Transition Listed ae Anthropology 225. Four credit hours. S, I.
[EA228] Language, Gender, and Sexuality: East Asian Languages Explores the relationship between language and gender in
three East Asian cultural contexts (Japan, China, Korea). We examine: (1) the linguistic treatment of diverse genders; (2) the linguistic
performance by people with diverse gender identities; (3) the normative ideology of language and gender and its implications; (4) the
historical development of gendered speech norms and their associated ideology; and (5) the relation between the normative ideology
and the range of real speaking practices that constitute verbal lives. Previously offered as East Asian Studies 298 (Spring 2022). Four
credit hours. S, I.
[EA231] The Chinese Novel: Vignettes of Life in Imperial China A critical examination of the development of classical Chinese
literature of various genres such as poetry, popular songs, philosophical discourse, historical narrative, prose, fiction, tales of the
supernatural and the fantastic, romance, and drama. All readings are in English translation. Prerequisite: W1 course. Four credit
hours. L.
[EA232] Male Friendship in Chinese Literature A survey of Chinese literature through the prism of male friendship. Friendship,
particularly among men, was a theme that resonated powerfully in traditional Chinese literature. We will read and discuss a variety of
literary works on friendship and famous friends from philosophical and historical prose, poetry, fiction, and drama, as well as related
scholarship on these works. Among the issues explored: the search for a soul mate as a search for self, the primacy of male
homosocial relationships over other ties, and shifting definitions of masculinity. Students will hone critical reading and writing skills,
along with intercultural awareness. Four credit hours. L.
[EA235] A Shrimp Between Whales: The Making of Modern Korea, 1800-1945 Listed as History 235. Four credit hours. H,
I.
[EA242] Development and Environmental Issues in Contemporary China Although China is the second largest economy in
the world, it is still a developing country on the per capita basis. As China is undergoing rapid urbanization and industrialization in the
past four decades, it faces a diverse range of developmental and environmental challenges. This course adopts a multidisciplinary
approach to study the environmental governance and challenges in China. Students explore complex issues concerning
developmental rights and environmental protection, human costs of cheap labor and rapid urbanization, and of rising inequality,
environmental (in)justice, various forms of environmental activism, and environmental policy-making and implementation in
China. Four credit hours. S, I.
EA244f Brothers at War: The Two Koreas, 1945-Present Listed as History 244. Four credit hours. H, I. DIEDERICH
[EA250] History of Modern China: Everyday Life and Revolution Listed as History 250. Four credit hours. H, I.
EA252s Hell on Earth? Chinese Writers on Modern Chinese Society An examination of how Chinese writers used literature
and film to address the political and social crises their country faced during the 20th century. Through close readings of literary and
cinematic works, students will reflect critically on the experiences of the Chinese people as they struggled to modernize and reform
society. Students will reflect on what these experiences might teach us about our own society as well as contemporary China, and
they will develop their ability to express insights both orally and in writing. Four credit hours. L, I. BESIO
[EA253] Three Kingdoms in Chinese Literature China's Three Kingdoms Period (220-280 BCE) inspired thrilling stories that
were told and retold in the following centuries, in China and throughout Asia. By tracing the migration of the Three Kingdoms story
cycle over time and space, students will acquire an understanding of the continuing legacy of traditional Chinese culture up until the
present, and will become familiar with the defining characteristics and formal requirements of the major genres within Chinese
literature. Course goals include the development of critical thinking and research skills, as well as the ability to communicate insights
effectively, orally and in writing. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
[EA254] Global-Local Asia Listed as Anthropology 254. Four credit hours. S, I.
EA256f Introduction to East Asian Politics Listed as Government 256. Four credit hours. S. MARTIN
[EA261] Japanese Language and Culture An introductory course on Japan in which we explore a global perspective of how
Japanese people interact and see the world through knowledge of their own culture and language. Examines cultural patterns of
Japanese society by looking at various political, social, economic, and gender relations among people in current times. Analyzes the
variety of ways in which culture is consumed, reconstructed, reproduced, and manipulated in various local contexts. All readings are in
English, but students are expected to memorize Japanese terms that signify Japanese culture and language. Four credit hours. S.
[EA263] Buddhism across East Asia Introduces students to the histories, texts, material culture, and practices of Buddhism in
East Asian cultural settings. The spring 2021 offering will focus on Chan/Son/Zen traditions in China, Korea, and Japan. Is there really
such a thing as Zen? To answer this question, we will do intensive reading of key primary texts (such as the Platform Sutra) and
important historical and critical secondary works. Four credit hours. L.
EA265f Chinese Philosophy Listed as Philosophy 265. Four credit hours. BEHUNIAK
[EA266] Buddhist Philosophy Listed as Philosophy 266. Four credit hours. L.
[EA268] Politics of Satire and Humor in Modern China Explores the evolving role of satire, jokes, and comics in modern China
from the Republican Period (1912-48) to Maoist China (1949-78) and reform-era China (1978-present). Particular attention to new and
historical forms and targets of Chinese political humor as a way to understand changing state-society relations. Should the
proliferation of political humor on the Internet be seen as a sign of new political openness or a part of everyday forms of resistance
under authoritarian rule in contemporary China? Four credit hours. S, I.
[EA273] Survey of East Asian Art, to 1300 Introduces the arts and cultures of Asia from the prehistoric period to 1300 CE, with
due attention paid to basic art-historical methods and techniques. Lectures focus on critical analysis of artistic style, technique,
expression, subject matter, iconography, and patronage. Students learn about the history and beliefs of East Asia, including
Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto. At the same time, they enhance their visual literacy skills, including recognizing the
cultural forces underlying viewing expectations and experiences. Students develop and demonstrate these skills through weekly
quizzes, a paper, and two examinations. Four credit hours. A.
[EA274] East Asian Art and Architecture, 1300 to the Present Introduces the arts and cultures of East Asia from 1300 CE to
the present, with due attention paid to basic art-historical methods and techniques. Lectures focus on critical analysis of artistic style,
technique, expression, subject matter, iconography, and patronage. Students learn about the history and beliefs of East Asia,
including Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto. At the same time, they enhance their visual literacy skills, including
recognizing the cultural forces underlying viewing expectations and experiences. Students develop and demonstrate these skills
through weekly quizzes, a paper, and two examinations. Four credit hours. A.
EA275s Cultured Tough Guys: Samurai Devotion, Music, Poetry, and Art Listed as Music 275. Four credit hours. A,
I. NUSS
EA276s Zen and the Arts in Asia Introduction to Zen philosophy, history, and practice, with an emphasis on the ways in which
the religion has transformed the aesthetic outlook and artistic production in China, Japan, and the United States. Through class
discussions, group projects, and individual writing assignments, students hone their textual and visual analysis skills by actively
reading a variety of art forms through the lens of Zen concepts and practices. Students achieve a basic competency in East Asian
historical development and Buddhist religious thought, and learn about the aesthetic implications of belief, including an examination of
how their own cultures and belief systems color their experiences of the arts. Four credit hours. A. WEITZ
[EA277] Culture of Cuteness: Japanese Women (in English) Surveys the diverse experiences of Japanese womanhood. While
the stereotypical image of Japanese women being humble and reserved persists, we will challenge these images by examining how
Japanese women manipulate their gender roles to negotiate their power and status both within and outside the family system. We will
also examine the complex factors that frame the phenomena of "cuteness" in Japan. By exploring the diversity of Japanese women's
everyday lives, we will analyze how the notion of cuteness has been explored and/or rejected and how a broader band of girl culture
extends to adult women and their power as consumers. All readings are in English. Four credit hours. S, I.
[EA279] Economic Rise and Future of China Listed as Economics 279. Four credit hours. I.
[EA280] Topics in Global Cinema: Contemporary Japanese Cinema Listed as Cinema Studies 280. Four credit hours.
EA297f Gods, Ghosts, and Goblins: Japanese Mythology and Folklore This course is an invitation to more than a thousand
years of Japanese mythology and folklore, ranging from legends of ancient gods and heroes to modern horror movies. Over the
course of the semester, you will master the core conceptual tools that scholars use to analyze folktales from around the world. You will
also gain the foundational knowledge of Japanese history, religion, and culture necessary to contextualize the works that we
examine. Four credit hours. L. NUFFER
[EA339] Asian Pacific Modernities Listed as Anthropology 339. Four credit hours.
EA343f Sense and Sensibility: Gender and Sexuality in Confucian China Listed as History 343. Four credit hours. H, I. LIN
EA344s Buying Asian Bodies: Selling Peoples and Parts Across the Pacific Listed as History 344. Four credit hours. H,
I. DIEDERICH
[EA346] China and the World Listed as Sociology 346. Four credit hours. S, I.
EA349f Almost Asian: Race Mixing and Trans-Racialism Across Asia Listed as History 349. Four credit hours. H,
I. DIEDERICH
EA351s Desiring Asia: Gender and Sexuality in East Asia Listed as History 351. Four credit hours. H, I. DIEDERICH
[EA353] Globalization and the Rise of China Globalization refers to a variety of political, economic, cultural, and social changes
transforming our world. Countries are increasingly interconnected by flows of information and technology, capital and labor, ideas and
culture. We will use China as a case study to address some major issues concerning globalization: its problems and prospects; terms
of trade between and among nations; sweatshop labor; the role of states, markets, and global institutions; human rights and cultural
preservation. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 or East Asian Studies 150 or Government 131 or History 250. Four credit hours. S.
[EA355] Aging and Public Policy in East Asia Students will combine ethnographic studies with demographic data to compare
and analyze how East Asian countries cope with challenges of rapid population aging and to explore public policy shifts regarding
state and private responsibility for the wellbeing of the elderly. Utilizing interactive data from the United Nation Population Division to
compare and project aging trends including fertility rates, life expectancy, median age, and dependence ratio in East Asia. Students
will also make two field trips to local eldercare facilities to gain comparative insight on the challenges of aging and eldercare provision
in Maine, one of the grayest states in the United States. Four credit hours. S, I.
EA356s Winners and Losers in Japanese Politics Listed as Government 356. Four credit hours. I. MARTIN
[EA357] Winners and Losers in Chinese Politics Listed as Government 357. Four credit hours. S, I.
[EA358] Political Economy of Regionalism Listed as Government 357. Four credit hours.
[EA359] History of Chinese Feminism Listed as History 359. Four credit hours. H, I.
EA377f The Floating World: Japanese Print Culture This humanities-lab style course introduces students to conducting
art-historical research; our focus is on Japanese prints during the Edo Period (1615-1868). We consider the rich social and
commercial setting in which these prints originated, including: commercial workshop practices of Japanese publishers; materials and
techniques for prints; meanings and functions of diverse print imagery; governmental censorship of the imagery; representations of
gender and sexuality; and collection and display of prints. The culminating experience will be a research paper and oral presentation
based on prints in the Colby College Museum of Art. Prerequisite: One course in art history or East Asian Studies. Four credit
hours. WEITZ
[EA378] Chinese Visual Culture Introduces students to art-historical research on an aspect of Chinese visual culture. Students
learn about Chinese cultures of representation, visuality, and display; they identify and propose innovative research questions; and
they write a series of papers answering those questions. Topic for Fall 2018: Natural Science in Chinese Painting. A large segment of
Chinese paintings consists of carefully rendered botanical and avian subjects, often generically referred to as "bird and flower"
paintings. We will investigate the scientific and cultural context for these images and identify the specific birds and
plants. Prerequisite: Art 101, East Asian Studies 150, or any course on East Asian art history. Four credit hours.
EA483f, EA484s Honors Project An interdisciplinary analysis of an aspect of East Asian culture employing diverse sources and
methods. Independent study, extensive readings, consultations, and a thesis. Successful completion of the honors project and of the
major will result in the degree being awarded with "Honors in East Asian Studies." Prerequisite: Senior standing, a 3.5 major average,
and permission of a faculty mentor. Three or four credit hours.
[EA483J] Honors Project Noncredit.
EA491f, EA492s Independent Study Individual study of special problems in East Asian civilization, offered in the departments
that participate in the program. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
EA493f Seminar: Advanced Research in East Asia An examination of methods for researching East Asia. Introduces students
to the major debates that have come to define the field of East Asian studies, from John Fairbank's "response to the West" to Edward
Said's "orientalism," and prepares them with the skills necessary to engage Asian sources for independent research. Students will
develop an independent research project on East Asia in any area of the humanities or social sciences, which, with approval from the
student's major department, may be developed into a senior honors thesis. Prerequisite: East Asian Studies 150 or relevant course
work in East Asia, and permission of the instructor. Four credit hours. BESIO
Economics Department
The Economics Department provides a wide selection of courses analyzing market behavior and the interactions among consumers,
firms, and governments. Economic tools, which are applicable to a broad range of topics, are used to investigate how individuals and
firms make decisions in private and public spheres and the consequences of resulting resource allocations. As the following courses
illustrate, economics is central to the study of poverty, discrimination, growth, unemployment, the environment, international trade, and
development, encompassing everything from fertility rates and finance to the cyclical nature of a country’s aggregate production.
Economics classes emphasize theoretical modeling, empirical analysis, and critical thinking. After completing core courses in
microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, students choose from a wide variety of electives. Economics majors may elect a
concentration in financial markets. The economics major provides undergraduate students with an excellent background for
employment and graduate work in numerous fields, including economics, business, law, government, health care, and education.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Timothy Hubbard
Associate Chair, Associate Professor Daniel LaFave
Professors Michael Donihue, David Findlay, Patrice Franko, and Andreas Waldkirch; Associate Professors Samara Gunter, Timothy
Hubbard, Daniel LaFave, Robert Lester, and James Siodla; Assistant Professors Linwood Downs, Kathrin Ellieroth, Yang Fan, Erin
Giffin, Jennifer Meredith, Sanval Nasim, Stephanie Owen, Benjamin Scharadin, and Ekaterina Seregina; Visiting Professor James
Libby; Visiting Assistant Professors Jordan Bazak, Lackson Mudenda, Michael Solomon, and Yaojue Xu
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Economics
Economics 133*, 134*, 223**, 224**, 293**, and 393**; one economics senior seminar; three additional elective courses in economics
at the 200 or 300 level; at least two of these elective courses must be at the 300 level; Mathematics 120*, 125*, 130*, or 135*, or
equivalent.
Requirements for the Major in Economics with a Concentration in Financial Markets
Economics 121, 133*, 134*, 211, 212, 223**, 224**, 293**, and 393**; one economics senior seminar; two additional elective courses
in economics at the 300 level; Mathematics 120*, 125*, 130*, or 135*, or equivalent.
A student may elect only one of the majors offered by the Economics Department.
* Students who do not complete Economics 133 and 134, as well as one of the calculus courses required for the majors with a grade
of C- or above, may not enroll in Economics 223.
** To continue in the major, students must receive a grade of C- or better in Economics 223, Economics 224, and Economics 293 or
an approved two-course sequence in research methods and/or statistics offered by another department (e.g., PS214/215;
SC212/321). Economics 224 is a prerequisite for all senior seminars. Economics 393 is a prerequisite or concurrent requirement for
all senior seminars.
At least three of the four core courses (223, 224, 293, 393) must be taken at Colby. Students may receive credit at the 200-level or
above toward the economics or economics-financial markets major or the economics minor for a maximum of three courses taken off
campus. EC121, EC133, and EC134 do not count toward the three-course limit. Approval for courses taken elsewhere beyond the
three-course limit can be secured only by petitioning the Economics Department and having the petition approved by a majority vote
of the Economics Department faculty.
Students who wish to do graduate work in economics are encouraged to consider an honors thesis and take additional courses in
mathematics, especially Mathematics 253, 274, 311, 338, and Computer Science 151.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses offered toward the major. Independent studies, Economics 293, 393,
and 345 cannot be used to fulfill the elective course requirements for the majors.
No course that could fulfill a requirement for either major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. This includes all courses listed in
economics and any course used to fulfill the mathematics and statistics requirements.
Senior Thesis and Honors in Economics
Students wishing to further their economics training with a yearlong research project must register for Economics 451 (1 credit) and
491 (3 credits) during the fall of their senior year. At the end of the fall semester, students who are interested in pursuing honors
research and who have the Economics Department’s approval then complete a second semester of research by enrolling in
Economics 452 (1 credit) and 484 (3 credits). Those completing Economics 452 and 484 with at least an A-, and who have maintained
a GPA in the major of at least 3.50, are entitled to graduate with honors in the major. The point scale for determination of honors in the
major applies to all courses offered toward the major. Another option, the Senior Thesis, is available to students who want to do a
yearlong research project but do not meet the GPA requirement for honors. These students should enroll in Economics 451 and 491
in the fall followed by Economics 45s and 482 in the spring. Further details can be obtained from the department.
Requirements for the Minor in Economics
The department offers two tracks for a minor in economics. Track 1 includes courses in accounting and introductory finance. Track 2
enables students to select from a variety of policy areas to focus their study of economics in completing the minor.
Track 1. Economics 133, 134, 121, 211; and two Economics electives numbered 200 and above. Also Economics 293; or Statistics
212; or Psychology 214 and 215; or Sociology 271; or Government 281; or equivalent.
Track 2. Economics 133, 134; Mathematics 125, 130, or 135 (or equivalent); Economics 223; and two Economics electives numbered
200 and above. Also Economics 293; or Statistics 212; or Psychology 214 and 215; or Sociology 271; or Government 281; or
equivalent.
Independent studies, Economics 293, 393, and Economics 345 cannot be used to fulfill the elective course requirements for the minor.
No course that could fulfill a requirement for either track of the economics minor may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. This
includes all courses listed in economics and any course used to fulfill the mathematics and statistics requirements.
The economics minor may not be combined with either of the majors offered by the Economics Department.
A relevant internship experience is recommended for all majors and minors.
Course Offerings
EC117j Introduction to Financial Decision Making Five topical areas: (1) planning, including career planning, financial
budgeting, and personal federal taxes, (2) consumer credit, costs of credit, and identity theft, (3) major purchasing decisions including
housing and automobiles, (4) insurance such as property, health, disability, and life insurance, and (5) investing in stocks, bonds, and
mutual funds for now and retirement. Does not count toward the economics majors or minors. Prerequisite: Junior or senior
standing. Three credit hours. LARGAY
EC121fs Financial Accounting and Analysis Introduction to financial accounting and financial statement analysis from the
stakeholders' perspective. The statement preparation process is reviewed and analyzed. Accounting concepts, measurement
conventions, limitations of financial statements, and the substantive and ethical issues that influence statement preparation and
presentation are reviewed. Relates accounting and analysis to microeconomics, finance, and macroeconomic events and public
policy, with reference to overlapping concepts and topics. Previously offered as Administrative Science 221. Does not count toward
the Economics and Economics-Mathematics majors. Prerequisite: Economics 133 and sophomore standing or above. Four credit
hours. DOWNS
EC123j Art of the M&A Deal Executing a business acquisition may be the most high-stakes challenge any executive could face.
Featuring an experienced M&A professional and other special guest speakers who have spent their careers on the frontlines of major
deals, students will learn real-world insights about successful deal making, through the major stages of the process. Students will
evaluate a target company and its industry, understand the due diligence process (including data and analytics), price and structure a
deal, formulate a negotiating approach and analyze post acquisition considerations to create sustainable value in a transaction. Does
not count toward the economics majors or minors. Three credit hours. MCHALE
EC133fs Principles of Microeconomics Introduces the fundamental problem in economics: limited resources to satisfy unlimited
needs and wants. Concentration on how markets allocate these scarce resources and when they fail to operate efficiently. After
analyzing costs, students look at how firms in market structures ranging from perfectly competitive to monopolistic make decisions.
Key principles are illustrated by applying them to current economic issues. Students will use standard economic models to describe
market structures and the effects of policy interventions, solve problems using graphical or algebraic models of these markets, and
choose an appropriate model to analyze economic events described in news articles. Four credit hours. S. FACULTY
EC134fs Principles of Macroeconomics Introduces the measurement of macroeconomic variables and basic theoretical models
of aggregate economic behavior. Focuses on the study of fluctuations in economic activity, long-run economic growth, and the role of
monetary and fiscal policy in achieving macroeconomic goals. Students will develop their analytical problem-solving skills, hone their
ability to think critically, gain experience in building and understanding theoretical models, and sharpen their capacity to understand
and critique macroeconomic policy. Prerequisite: Economics 133. Four credit hours. S. FACULTY
EC171j Global Financial Markets Fast-paced and challenging investigation of global financial markets and their effect on the
world's domestic economies. We will define and explore the primary components of global financial markets, analyze the roles of the
public and private sectors in the markets, and develop recognition of the linkages between financial events in disparate markets to
underlying non-financial economies. We will also examine esoteric financial instruments and techniques such as credit default swaps,
securities lending, and markets related to the VIX index. Does not count toward the economics majors or minor. Three credit
hours. ATKINSON
EC211fs Corporate Finance I An introduction to financial markets, institutions, and instruments. The tools needed for discounted
cash-flow analysis, asset valuation, and capital budgeting are developed. The effects of diversification on risk and the relationship
between risk and return are considered. Prerequisite: Economics 121 and 134. Four credit hours. FAN, SEREGINA
EC212s Corporate Finance II An examination of (1) the issues firms face in obtaining long-term financing and establishing a
dividend policy, (2) the effects of capital structure on the cost of capital and the value of the firm, (3) international corporate finance,
and (4) the use of financial derivatives, including options, to manage financial risk Prerequisite: Economics 121 and 211. Four credit
hours. SEREGINA
EC214f Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America Analysis of macroeconomic stabilization policies
and microeconomic issues such as regional trade, agriculture, health, education, the environment, and labor markets in contemporary
Latin America. Prerequisite: Economics 134 and a W1 course. Four credit hours. W2, I. FRANKO
EC223fs Microeconomic Theory The theory of the pricing, distribution, and allocation of resources in a market economy.
Emphasis placed on the various meanings of economic efficiency. Prerequisite: Economics 133, and one of Mathematics 102, 120,
121, 122, 125, 130, 135, 160, 161, 162, 165, or equivalent; sophomore standing. Four credit hours. GIFFIN, GUNTER, HUBBARD,
SOLOMON
EC224fs Macroeconomic Theory Devoted to the development and examination of various theoretical frameworks to explain
fluctuations in output, interest rates, exchange rates, unemployment, inflation, and economic growth in a globally interdependent
economy. Continued study of the theoretical development of macroeconomic models and further refinement of understanding the
effectiveness and optimality of macroeconomic policy. Students gain an understanding of the importance of expectations, the
determination of asset prices (e.g., bond and stock prices), the relationship between financial markets and the macroeconomy, and
the implications and limitations of models and policies. Prerequisite: Economics 134 and 223. Four credit hours. DONIHUE,
LESTER
EC231s Environmental and Natural Resource Economics The objective is to develop and apply economic tools to current
environmental and resource-management issues. Causes of and remedies to environmental and resource-management problems are
analyzed through economic modeling. These models in turn serve as the theoretical foundation for designing and evaluating policy
instruments and practices. Students will learn to analyze current environmental problems and assess the effectiveness of
environmental and resource-management policies using economic tools. Prerequisite: Economics 133 and sophomore or higher
standing. Four credit hours. MEREDITH
EC235f Organizational Strategy and Economics An integrative introduction to the dynamic, strategic decision-making process
as applied in a variety of organizations, including businesses, nonprofits, and NGOs. Through readings, lecture, and case study
discussion we explore the process of evaluating organizations, value models, competition, and markets so as to develop strategies
that can be successful and adaptive over time. Supporting topics in organizational evolution, innovation effects, competitor response,
offensive and defensive tactics, and sources of strategic failure and success are also reviewed. The economic underpinnings of
strategy development are reinforced throughout. Prerequisite: Economics 134. Four credit hours. DOWNS
[EC237] Experimental Economics Explores the use of experiments to study individual and strategic decision making. Topics
may include choices over risky alternatives, altruism and reciprocity, cooperation, bidding in auctions, strategy in coordination games,
and gender differences. Prerequisite: Economics 134. Four credit hours.
[EC243] Economics of Development An introduction to the study of economics of developing countries and development
processes, with a focus on the labor markets. A brief introduction of how the labor market works will be given. Topics covered in detail
include poverty, inequality, mobility, economic well-being, education, health, and gender issues. For each topic, we seek to understand
theory and empirical evidence, how it is related to the labor market, what issues exist, what policies have been implemented to
address them, and what the outcomes have been. Students will also learn to read research papers, formulate research questions, and
find data sources. Prerequisite: Economics 134. Four credit hours.
EC245s The Firm and Valuation The application of valuation models and techniques used throughout all phases of the firm's life
cycle, including new ventures, growth and established firms, and firms under distress. Value enhancement methods, as well as
valuation issues for specific industries and situations, complex firms and alternative investments are investigated, as well as valuation
model limitations. The economic underpinnings of value are reinforced throughout the course. Students will perform valuations
throughout the course, including a capstone project to demonstrate their proficiency. Prerequisite: Economics 121 and 211.
Economics 293 or other statistics course recommended. Four credit hours. DOWNS
[EC252] Presidential Economics An analysis of key fiscal and monetary policies from the Hoover to the Clinton administrations.
Topics include macroeconomic policies of the Great Depression, the gold standard, wage and price controls, the Kennedy tax cuts,
and supply-side economics. The effects of economic events on political outcomes (e.g., presidential elections) and the effects of
political factors on economic policies (e.g., the political business cycle) will also be examined. Prerequisite: Economics 134. Four
credit hours. H.
[EC253] The American Dream and the American Worker Explores theories from labor economics including the supply and
demand of labor, human capital formation, discrimination, and mobility to examine trends in educational attainment, inequality,
intergenerational mobility, and the economic welfare of labor market participants in the United States. Special emphasis will be placed
on visualizing and analyzing labor market data. Prerequisite: Economics 134. Four credit hours.
[EC255] Public Policy and Economic Development Examines efficient economic models for the promotion of federal, state, and
local economic development. This case-based course analyzes frameworks for successful public/private partnerships that promote
entrepreneurial activity, small business expansion, and the recruitment of industry to a region through the application of policy-based
incentives. Investigates best-practice methods used by all levels of government to accomplish these tasks. Prerequisite: Economics
133. Four credit hours.
[EC256] Economics of Crime This course empirically analyzes the criminal justice system's impact on justice-involved persons.
This course focuses heavily on reading and discussing empirical research papers from the economics of crime literature. One goal of
the course is to help students learn to read research papers and formulate research questions. The course begins by examining
policing, then follows justice-involved persons through trial, sentencing, prison, and, finally, post-conviction release. Significant
projects include presentations on an economics of crime paper, or similar empirically focused academic paper, combined with a
proposal containing a unique research question and potential data sources. Prerequisite: Economics 134 and sophomore or higher
standing. Three credit hours.
[EC258] Economic History of the United States Traces the structure and performance of the American economy through time.
The focus is on applying the tools and methods of economics to the study of historical events from colonial times to World War II,
including the American Revolution, slavery, the westward movement, the Civil War, and the Great Depression. Topics include the roles
of agriculture, trade, migration, technology, banking, institutions, transportation, and labor in the development of the American
economy. Prerequisite: Economics 134. Four credit hours. H.
[EC278] Joules to Dollars Explores economic issues defined by energy science, focusing on tradeoffs that accompany both
renewable and nonrenewable energy systems. Students develop a capacity for the analysis of equivalent units of energy based on an
understanding of thermodynamics and fuel types. Armed with a foundational knowledge of energy science, students employ a
behavioral framework to evaluate the economics of alternative energy technologies and policy proposals for addressing environmental
tradeoffs associated with energy use. Includes fieldwork, project-based cooperative learning, oral and written presentations, in-class
homework assignments, quizzes, and exam. Lecture and laboratory. Prerequisite: Economics 133, and Chemistry 122, 141, or
147. Four credit hours. N.
[EC279] Economic Rise and Future of China Explores the historical path, current position, and future prospects of the Chinese
economy. Examines the dynamics of China's recent economic success, drawing on economic analysis and recent research to
understand current policy questions related to China and its role in the global economy. Students will engage with pressing issues
through readings, debates, written assignments, and in-class discussions. Specific topics include Chinese monetary and trade policy,
population change and the environment, science and technology policy, migration and the rural-urban divide, and the sustainability of
China's growth. Prerequisite: Economics 133. Four credit hours. I.
EC293fs Research Methods and Statistics for Economics Provides students with the fundamental ability to understand and
carry out research in economics. Covers the use of basic statistical methods, probability, and regression analysis in the description
and interpretation of economic data. Students practice the application of these techniques working with powerful statistical
software. Prerequisite: Economics 134 and Mathematics 120, 121, 122, 125, 130, 160, or equivalent & sophomore standing or
above. Four credit hours. MUDENDA, SCHARADIN, WALDKIRCH
EC297f International Finance International Finance is an advanced course examining economic theories and policies related to
global financial markets. Students will study foreign exchange markets, international capital flows, monetary systems, and the role of
financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank. The course aims to equip students with a thorough understanding of the
mechanisms and challenges in international finance. Goals include the development of analytical skills, an enhanced global
perspective, and improved research and critical thinking abilities. Prerequisite: Economics 134. Four credit hours. XU
EC313f Behavioral Economics Study of the economic models that combine standard economic rationality assumptions with
psychologically plausible assumptions. We examine whether these new models improve our ability to understand and predict
behavioral phenomena, including altruism, procrastination, self-control, errors in statistical reasoning, and
stereotypes. Prerequisite: Economics 223. Four credit hours. GIFFIN
[EC318] Economics of Health and Consumer Behavior Explores global healthcare and health insurance markets from a
consumer's perspective. Applies health insurance theory to systems across the globe. We will read and discuss current literature
about health phenomena in both developed and developing countries. Students will learn to analyze behaviors from an economic
perspective by, for example, evaluating how responsive demand for health inputs is to changes in the price of those inputs, exploring
how information affects health behaviors, and determining the value of health insurance. Students will apply their understanding to
in-class exams and to a final research paper. Prerequisite: Economics 223 and 293. Four credit hours.
EC334s Economics of Education An introduction to how economists think about education and the tools they use to study
education policy. We will cover economic models of educational investment and the production of knowledge. Students will become
familiar with the basics of the statistical methods economists use to answer questions about education policy, including randomized
experiments, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, and difference-in-difference approaches. Potential education policy
topics include: returns to education; effect of educational spending; school choice; and test-based accountability.
Prerequisite: Economics 223. Four credit hours. OWEN
[EC335] Topics in Economic Development An examination of current economic issues faced by developing countries and an
introduction to the study of development economics. Topics covered in detail include the concepts and measurement of economic
development, human capital over the life course, gender and household decision making, microcredit and insurance, inequality and
development, the role of institutions and the state, debates over the effectiveness of foreign aid, and international migration. For each
topic, we seek to understand the factors and constraints influencing economic decision making in developing
countries. Prerequisite: Economics 223 and 293. Four credit hours.
[EC336] Mathematical Economics Advanced economic theory designed to give students the fundamental mathematical tools
necessary to understand and analyze advanced economic models. Topics include constrained and unconstrained optimization,
differential and difference equations, and dynamic optimization. Emphasis will be placed on economic applications including producer
theory, consumer choice under certainty and uncertainty, and dynamic models. Prerequisite: Economics 224, Mathematics 253, and
either Mathematics 122, 160, 162, or 165. Four credit hours.
[EC338] Money, Banking, and Monetary Policy Students are introduced to the interpretation, role, and determination of interest
rates, as well as the theory of consumption/saving, the theory of risk aversion, portfolio theory, the risk structure of interest rates, and
the term structure of interest rates (i.e., the yield curve). We will then examine the behavior, structure, and regulation of the banking
industry. Finally, students will examine monetary theory and policy with particular emphasis on the implementation of policy by the
Federal Reserve. Emphasis on the theoretical, empirical, and policy-related aspects of these issues. Prerequisite: Economics 224 and
293. Four credit hours.
EC343f Environment and Development The link between economic development and the status of the environment is evident in
many of our world's most pressing problems: from climate change to overfishing, our understanding of poverty must intertwine with
our study of ecosystems. This applied economics course will introduce theoretical models of human decision-making about natural
resources and analyze their empirical applications within developing countries. Topics will include the resource curse, environmental
Kuznets curve, climate variability, natural disasters, fisheries, deforestation, conservation, and human health impacts. Throughout the
course, we will weigh the tradeoffs between policies designed to promote sustainable development and learn how economists assess
the impact of environmental interventions. Prerequisite: Economics 223 and 293. Four credit hours. MEREDITH
[EC347] Computational Macroeconomics Modern macroeconomic analysis is performed on computers. Economists use
computers to analyze large amounts of data, solve models with no analytic solution, and conduct experiments on simulated
economies. This course does not require any prior coding knowledge and provides an introduction to (i) the mathematical theory of
dynamic programming to analyze dynamic economic decision-making and (ii) practical general programming basics and numerical
methods to solve and simulate economies and conduct policy experiments. We will use MATLAB in this
course. Prerequisite: Economics 223 and 293. Four credit hours.
EC348f Economic Growth Introduces students to the theory of economic growth. We will primarily be concerned with how
economists measure differences in living standards across countries and over time and how they explain these differences in living
standards. Students will learn how to work with models of economic growth and evaluate these theories by using publicly available
data. An important part is devoted to obtaining, preparing, and presenting data on cross-country income
differences. Prerequisite: Economics 224. Four credit hours. LESTER
[EC351] Public Finance Public finance is the branch of economics concerned with government expenditure and taxation. On the
expenditure side, we will model externality and social insurance justifications for government intervention and examine several
government policies including Social Security and health-care reform. On the tax side, we will model tax incidence of consumption,
income, and wealth taxes and behavioral responses to them. Students will apply their understanding of the models in exams, policy
presentations, and writing assignments and will be expected to read and interpret empirical research papers that evaluate the impacts
of government policy. Prerequisite: Economics 223 and a W1 course. Four credit hours.
[EC353] Urban Economics Provides an in-depth perspective on the economic activity of cities. The focus is on the use of
economic theory to explain various urban phenomena with additional emphasis on the role cities play in greater economic
development. Specific topics include market forces in the development of cities, urban spatial structure and land use, housing,
residential segregation, and urban quality of life. Prerequisite: Economics 223 and 293. Four credit hours.
EC357s Poverty and Food Insecurity Household food insecurity has many determinants including, socioeconomic status, time,
the food environment, education, and culture. This course will explore the economic determinants of food insecurity and why it still
persists today. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we will conduct a detailed investigation of the four main contributors to food
insecurity: inadequate income, time, food environment, and nutrition education. Within each unit we will discuss the societal
occurrence, characterize formal econometric models, and use publicly available data to address simple research questions. In
addition to gaining a greater appreciation for how economics is applied, we will gain a better understanding of econometric and data
management tools. Prerequisite: Economics 223. Four credit hours. SCHARADIN
[EC364] Gender in the Macroeconomy Studies gender differences and their effect on macroeconomic outcomes (labor markets,
wealth, income). We will cover theoretical models and concepts which allow us to analyze economic behavior of men and women,
households, and families. We will learn about recent developments and current topics in gender economics and discuss their
consequences for the macro-economy. Examples of topics are: the decline in men's labor force participation, assortative mating, and
the differential impact of recessions on men and women. We will combine data with the theory to enhance our understanding of how
gender differences impact the aggregate. Prerequisite: Economics 223. Four credit hours.
EC375f Computational Finance This course applies econometric techniques to financial data. We will begin by learning how to
acquire and fit financial data into basic financial models in R. Along the way, we will diagnose and evaluate the fit of the models, with
special emphasis on computing risk measures and making statistical inferences about our underlying assets of interest. This course
will also introduce students to more advanced econometric techniques like Monte Carlo simulations and boot-strapping methods. The
second half of the course will feature an introduction to modern portfolio theory. No prior experience in R is
required. Prerequisite: Economics 293. Four credit hours. FAN
EC378f International Trade An introduction to international trade theory and policy. Topics include the determinants of
international trade patterns, the gains from trade, distributional effects, increasing returns and scale economies, outsourcing,
commercial policy, factor movements, trade agreements, and labor and environmental standards. Students will understand and be
able to manipulate the major international trade models and analyze current trade policy issues in the context of these models both
orally and in writing. Prerequisite: Economics 223. Four credit hours. WALDKIRCH
EC379f Game Theory Introduction to the concepts and applications of game theory, the behavior of rational, strategic agents:
“players” who must take into account how their opponents will respond to their own actions. It is a powerful tool for understanding
individual actions and social institutions in economics, business, and politics. Students will enhance their analytical thinking and
reasoning skills, develop their ability to engage in quantitative analysis and formal problem solving, and hone their ability to think and
write with precision and rigor. Specific topics include strategic dominance, Nash equilibrium, subgame perfection, and incomplete
information. Prerequisite: Economics 223. Four credit hours. SOLOMON
EC393fs Econometrics An introduction to quantitative methods used for the analysis of economic phenomenon, covering the
theoretical development of the ordinary least squares regression framework, tools for model specification and estimation, hypothesis
testing, methods for correcting errors in parameter estimation, and the analysis of econometric results in the context of a wide range
of empirical applications. Through lab exercises and a final empirical project, develops model-building skills, builds confidence in
applying econometric methods to real-world data, deepens the understanding of statistical inference, and improves the capacity for
communicating econometric results. Prerequisite: Economics 223, and either Economics 293 or a two semester Colby course
sequence in research methods and/or statistics (Psychology 214/215 or Statistics 212/321). Four credit hours. BAZAK, DONIHUE,
LAFAVE
EC451f Economics Research An intensive collaborative research experience for honors or senior thesis projects. Required for
all honors and senior thesis students. Prerequisite: Senior standing as an economics major and permission of the instructor. One
credit hour. HUBBARD
EC452s Economics Research An intensive collaborative research experience for honors or senior thesis projects. Required for
all honors and senior thesis students. Prerequisite: Senior standing as an economics major and permission of instructor. One credit
hour. HUBBARD
[EC468] Seminar: Challenges of the Anthropocene: Views from the Global South Developing countries face a range of
environmental issues, including poor air quality, mismanaged water resources, and unsustainable land use. Even countries with
progressive economic indicators often struggle to improve environmental outcomes. Why does environmental quality continue to
stagnate in developing countries? What policies can we implement to address environmental challenges? How can we leverage data
to inform policymaking? We explore these questions by surveying the empirical economic research on the environment in the Global
South. We will identify methodological trends, types and sources of data, and areas for policy intervention. Prerequisite: Economics
224, and senior standing as an economics major. Four credit hours.
[EC470] Seminar: The City in Economic History Since its founding, the United States has steadily become urbanized. What
economic forces have caused people to move to cities? Can history explain today's urban locations and spatial patterns? Focusing
primarily on U.S. urban growth since 1800, students will read, present, and discuss academic articles on topics such as
suburbanization, zoning, local infrastructure investment, urban quality of life, housing, and racial and economic inequality. Students
will build the economic models and tools necessary to complete an original empirical research paper in urban economic history.
Prerequisite: Economics 224, 393 (may be taken concurrently), and senior standing as an economics major. Four credit hours.
EC471f Seminar: Global Production Many goods and services include components that are produced in multiple countries.
Global production chains are organized within multinational enterprises or may take place through contractual arrangements. Studies
the determinants of cross-border investment and production and their implications for the welfare of people in all countries. Readings
are drawn largely from recent original research papers. An original empirical research project provides a deeper understanding of how
economic research is conducted and evolves. Oral communication skills are developed through class discussion, presentations, and
debates. Prerequisite: Economics 224, 393 (may be taken concurrently), and senior standing as an economics or global studies
major. Four credit hours. WALDKIRCH
EC472f Seminar: Stereotypes and Discrimination Stereotypes shape perceptions and actions. We will examine the causes of
stereotypes and their consequences on economic decisions, outcomes, and policy. Using insights from behavioral economics, we will
study how economists theoretically model stereotypes and why we cannot rely on markets to eliminate incorrect beliefs. We will draw
on recent experimental economic research to study how stereotypes affect economic decision-making and how stereotypes lead to
discrimination. Topics to be covered include: social norms, implicit bias, self-stereotyping, and inaccurate statistical discrimination.
This course relies heavily on applying concepts covered in intermediate microeconomics, statistics, and econometrics to reading and
discussing economic articles and conducting research. Prerequisite: Economics 224, 393 (may be taken concurrently), and senior
standing as an economics major. Four credit hours. U. GIFFIN
EC473f Seminar: Data Analytics and Forecasting An introduction to time series analysis focusing on exploratory data analysis,
data visualization and economic modeling for the purposes of policy analysis and forecasting. Analytical methods include exponential
smoothing, time series decomposition, cointegration, ARIMA and econometric regression modeling. Majors draw on previous
coursework to develop their communication and modeling skills by applying descriptive and diagnostic analytics to real-world data and
presenting their analysis in class and in written forecast reports and policy briefs. Prerequisite: Economics 224, 393 and senior
standing as an economics major. Four credit hours. DONIHUE
[EC474] Seminar: Growth and Work of Nations Why does it take less than a month for the world's richest countries to produce
what the world's poorest countries produce in a year? What mechanisms lead countries to allocate a smaller fraction of their
workforce to agriculture as they develop? How did the world transition from a state of ubiquitous poverty before the Industrial
Revolution to sustained growth thereafter? We will read and discuss scholarly research addressing all of these questions. Students
will acquire the tools of applied macroeconomic theory necessary to complete an original research project. Prerequisite: Economics
224, 393 (may be taken concurrently), and senior standing as an economics major. Four credit hours.
EC475s Seminar: Health and Global Development Exposes students to emerging issues in the economics of global health. By
integrating economic theory and recent empirical work using detailed survey data and experiments, we analyze problems facing
developing populations and policies aimed at their solutions. We consider extreme poverty and hunger, child mortality, health-care
delivery and provider quality, and the relationship between income, poverty, and health. Attention will also be given to global health
policy and empirical evidence of the success or failure of policies that target maternal and infant health, anemia, HIV, and malaria.
Relies heavily on applying concepts covered in statistics, econometrics, and intermediate microeconomics to reading, discussing, and
conducting empirical research. Prerequisite: Economics 224, 393 (may be taken concurrently), and senior standing as an economics
major. Four credit hours. LAFAVE
EC476s Seminar: Access, Affordability, and Equity in Higher Education A study of discrepancies in educational attainment by
income and race, their implications, and potential policy solutions to close gaps in educational access. We will focus on reading and
discussing empirical research using applied econometric techniques. Potential topics include: trends in college access and
affordability; credit constraints; financial aid policies (need- and merit-based grants, tax credits, loans, debt); financial aid reform
(simplification and information, free college, income-based repayment); the role of community colleges; admissions policies and
affirmative action; policies to improve persistence and completion; and the online and for-profit sectors. Prerequisite: Economics 224,
393 (may be taken concurrently), and senior standing as an economics major. Four credit hours. U. OWEN
EC477f Seminar: Financial Technology We examine how technological advances have reconfigured the current state of
financial industry and how they are set to shape the future of finance and business. The course examines the primary FinTech data
science methods and tools and their applications to real FinTech questions, such as algorithmic trading. Students will learn how to
extract and harness data with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning using open APIs and Python. We explore how blockchain
and cryptocurrency have transformed personal finance, banking, and payments industries. Attention will be given to the limits, risks,
and broader policy and social implications of FinTech. Prerequisite: Economics 224, 393 (may be taken concurrently), and senior
standing as an economics major. Four credit hours. SEREGINA
EC478f Seminar: U.S. Social Safety Net Many domestic spending programs have a goal of improving the well-being of
low-income citizens. What challenges does the government face when designing these programs and how do they alter behavior?
Students will read and discuss scholarly research on topics including welfare, Medicaid, education, Social Security, the earned income
tax credit, and personal income taxation. Students will also write an original empirical research paper. Emphasis on analyzing existing
research and developing new research ideas using differences-in-differences methodology. Prerequisite: Economics 224, 393 (may
be taken concurrently), and senior standing as an economics major. Four credit hours. GUNTER
EC479s Seminar: Auctions A successfully designed auction depends on the idiosyncrasies of the market being studied. While
this makes it difficult to achieve general results, it opens the door to endless applications in need of customized policy advice.
Students will learn the core auction formats and some classic theoretical results that provide a benchmark for even the most recent
auctions research. They will learn simple empirical strategies that allow these models (and the behavior they predict) to be married
with real-world data. Students will develop the tools needed for conducting, and will be required to produce, original auctions
research. Prerequisite: Economics 224, 393 (may be taken concurrently), and senior standing as an economics major. Four credit
hours. HUBBARD
[EC482] Senior Thesis A continuation of a year-long research project, beginning with Economics 491 in the fall semester. The
completed research is to be presented in written form and as part of the Colby Liberal Arts Symposium. Prerequisite: Economics 451
and 491, concurrent enrollment in EC452, senior standing as an economics major, and permission of the sponsor. Four credit
hours.
[EC483J] Senior Honors Thesis Noncredit.
EC484s Senior Honors Thesis A continuation of a year-long research project, beginning with Economics 491 in the fall semester.
The completed research is to be presented in written form before the department faculty. Prerequisite: Economics 451 and 491,
concurrent enrollment in EC452, senior standing as an economics major, permission of the sponsor, and successful proposal
defense. Three or four credit hours.
EC491f, EC492s Independent Study Independent study devoted to a topic chosen by the student with the approval of the
department. Prerequisite: Permission of the sponsor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Education Department
The mission of the Education Department is to enable students to develop expertise in conceptual and theoretical foundations,
research, and practice in the field of education. The knowledge, skills, dispositions, and habits of mind required for such expertise are
cultivated within the context of a rigorous liberal arts academic environment, informed by perspectives from a variety of disciplines,
enhanced by multiple opportunities to engage in service learning and civic engagement, and animated by a commitment to social
justice in schools and society.
A focus on social justice means that students in the Education Department explore the impact of cultural assumptions, societal norms,
and institutional policies and practices on individuals and groups and examine the operation of power as it relates to the construction
of knowledge and the preservation of privilege. In so doing, students are encouraged to analyze critically the intended and unintended
oppressions resulting from specific educational and institutional practices by (1) considering the values and politics that pervade
educational institutions, as well as the more pragmatic issues of teaching and organizing schools; (2) asking critical questions about
how taken-for-granted assumptions and conventions about theory and practice came to be, and who in society benefits from such
assumptions; (3) attending to differences in gender, race, social class, sexual orientation, and ability that result in political, social,
economic, and educational marginalization and inequality, particularly for children and youth; and (4) examining the connections
among different forms of privilege, particularly as these relate to and influence the development of children and youth. Students also
are encouraged to move beyond critique to create and implement educational and institutional practices that promote greater social
justice and equity in schools and society.
The Education Department offers a major in educational studies that encourages a broad liberal arts exploration of educational theory,
research, and practice, informed by a commitment to social justice. Students may also pursue minors in education, and in professional
certification under the auspices of the department.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Adam Howard
Professor Adam Howard; Assistant Professors of Education Pei Pei Liu and Lauren Yoshizawa; Lecturer in Education/Coordinator of
Teacher Education Sherry Brown; Visiting Assistant Professor of Education Tatiana Geron
Requirements
Professional Certification
Colby believes that the best preparation for a teaching career is twofold: (1) a strong background in the liberal arts, including intensive
study of the subject to be taught, and (2) appropriate coursework and practical experience in education.
There are two pathways for students pursuing professional certification: (1) complete the professional certification minor, (2) complete
a major in educational studies. Students must also complete a major in a department or program that corresponds to a field in which
Colby offers certification.
Students who complete Colby’s professional certification program are eligible to apply for teacher licensure in Maine for secondary
public school teaching (grades 7-12) in the following fields: English, social studies, life science, physical science, and mathematics. In
addition, licensure is available for grades K-12 in French, German, and Spanish.
Colby’s professional certification program is approved by the Maine State Board of Education. Maine also participates in the National
Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification and, through the NASDTEC Interstate Contract, Maine has
reciprocity for teacher licensure with 43 other states. An Education Department faculty member will prepare documentation to support
Colby graduates when they apply to transfer the Maine teaching certificate to another state.
Candidates for Maine teacher licensure must undergo a criminal background check and fingerprinting, and complete a portfolio
demonstrating competencies in Maine’s Initial Teaching Standards. Fees are required for the background check. Furthermore, the
Maine Department of Education charges an application fee. Students may consider applying directly to another state in lieu of
completing Maine’s requirements. Students who wish to apply directly to another state without first obtaining Maine licensure must
contact the department of education in the other state and should also consult with Colby Education Department faculty.
Students interested in professional certification must apply to the program in the spring of their junior year. Candidates must have at
least a 3.0 average in their major subject area and must have completed the appropriate prerequisites for the student-teaching
sequence. Note: Completion of the professional certification program requires that candidates teach full time (8 a.m.-2 p.m.,
Monday-Friday) during the spring semester of their senior year. Other Colby courses cannot conflict with this daily commitment.
A ninth-semester program is also available to qualified students. Students in the program return to Colby after graduation to complete
the senior student-teaching sequence by working full time in a local school. There is no charge for this program, but students are
responsible for finding their own housing off campus. Students interested in the ninth-semester program must apply to the program in
the spring of their senior year.
Additional information about the professional certification and ninth-semester options is available from the department faculty. Early
consultation with department faculty and careful planning of the student’s course of studies are essential for successful completion of
the minor. This is especially important for students studying abroad.
Colby College Pass Rates for Praxis I and Praxis II Exams
The Higher Education Act Reauthorization of 1998 requires that the pass rate of professional certification students on the
state-mandated teacher exams be reported each year. Pass rates for classes that have fewer than 10 students are not reported, and
thus the annual pass rates for Colby College are not available.
Requirements for the Major in Educational Studies
Ten courses are required: Education 101 (previously 201); 213, 215, or 217; a senior capstone (e.g., 493); one practicum (e.g., 351,
333, or 374) or internship; at least four electives in education (including at least two 300- or 400-level courses); and at least one but no
more than two electives in related departments (see list of approved electives below). Students may petition the director of education
for approval of a course not on the list. Students may take more than one practicum or internship, but after the requirement is fulfilled,
only one (351, 333, or 374) will count as an elective.
Honors in Educational Studies
Students majoring in educational studies may apply to participate in the honors program by submitting a formal statement of their
intention to the program faculty by April 15 of their junior year. After confirmation from the department faculty, a written proposal is due
in September and must include a description of the proposed work, a timeline, and the agreement of a faculty sponsor and a
secondary faculty reader from outside the Education Department. A 3.5 overall average and a 3.5 major average at the end of the
junior year is a condition for entry into the program. The program involves independent research conducted in education and related
fields and enrollment in Education 483 and 484. Honors is typically taken for eight credits over two semesters; honors course credits
may substitute for the senior seminar requirement, but they do not count toward other elective requirements in the major. A 3.5 major
average at the end of the senior year and a public oral presentation of the project are conditions for successful completion of this
program. The final project will typically consist of a thesis of 50-70 pages of superior quality.
Requirements for the Minor in Education
Seven courses are required: Education 101 (previously 201); 213, 215, or 217; 493A or 493B; one practicum (e.g., 351, 333, or 374)
or internship; and three electives in education. Students may take more than one practicum or internship, but after the requirement is
fulfilled, only one (351, 333, or 374) will count as an elective.
Requirements for the Minor in Professional Certification
Seven courses are required: Education 101 (previously 201); 215; 331; 374; 433; 494A; and 494B. In addition, students must
complete a major in a department or program that corresponds to a field in which Colby offers certification. Note: Education 433,
offered during the spring semester of the senior year, requires that professional certification candidates teach full time (8 a.m.-2 p.m.,
Monday-Friday). Other Colby courses cannot conflict with this daily commitment.
Requirements for Professional Certification for Double Majors
A major in educational studies and a major in a department or program that corresponds to a field in which Colby offers certification.
Courses in education must include 101 (previously 201); 215; 331; 374; 433; 494A; and 494B. For the major in educational studies,
the student teaching sequence counts as one course toward the major. Note: Education 433, offered during the spring semester of the
senior year, requires that professional certification candidates teach full time (8 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday). Other Colby courses
cannot conflict with this daily commitment.
Elective Courses in other departments
African American Studies
● 328 African American Girlhood
American Studies
● 154 Surveillance Culture
● 293 Methods in American Studies
● 337 Gentrification
● 393 Theories of Culture
Anthropology
● 252 Language, Culture, Discourse
● 313 Researching Cultural Diversity
● 333 Contemporary Theory
● 373 The Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality
Economics
● 334 Economics of Education
● 476 Seminar: Access, Affordability, and Equity in Higher Education
Government
● 227 Social Movements
● 228 Introduction to Race, Ethnicity, and Politics
● 241 Politics of Public Policy in the US
● 244 Sexuality, Gender, Feminism
● 293 American Political Geography
● 314 Civil Liberties in American Constitutional Law
● 315 Minority Representation
History
● 247 African-American History, from Slavery to Freedom
Performance, Theater, and Dance
● 254 People, Place, Practice: An Introduction to Community-Based Performance
Philosophy
● 243 Environmental Ethics
Psychology
● 223 Social Identities
● 232 Cognitive Psychology
● 352G Seminar: Clinical Interventions: Science and Practice
Sociology
● 227 Urban Sociology
● 248 Sociology of Culture
● 252 Race, Ethnicity, and Society
● 268 Social Policy and Inequality
● 276 Sociology of Gender
●
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
● 223 Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance
● 232 Queer Identities and Politics
● 234 Queer Youth Cultures
● 241 Foundations of Disability Studies
● 311 Feminist Theories and Methodologies
Course Offerings
ED101fs Education and Social Justice An introduction to the relationship between education (theory, research, and practice)
and social justice in U.S. schools. Goals include (1) understanding the concept of social justice, the dynamics of power, privilege, and
oppression, and how these dynamics shape the experience of students and teachers; (2) developing relationships with children and
youth in the greater Waterville area; (3) expanding moral capacities, including compassion, empathy, respect, responsibility, and
commitment to social justice; (4) honing key academic and intellectual skills. In addition, students are required to spend 20 hours in a
local educational setting. Previously offered as Education 201. Four credit hours. S, U. HOWARD
[ED192] Sexual Violence Prevention Peer Educator Training Under the direction of the Director of the Gender and Sexual
Diversity Program and Associate Director of the Pugh Center, preparation for holding student-led, mandatory Sexual Violence
Prevention Training sessions for sophomores next fall. Does not count toward the education majors or minors.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One credit hour.
[ED201] Education and Social Justice An introduction to the relationship between education (theory, research, and practice)
and social justice in U.S. schools. Goals include (1) understanding the concept of social justice, the dynamics of power, privilege, and
oppression, and how these dynamics shape the experience of students and teachers; (2) developing relationships with children and
youth in the greater Waterville area; (3) expanding ethical capacities, including compassion, empathy, respect, responsibility, and
commitment to social justice; (4) honing key academic and intellectual skills. In addition, students are required to spend a minimum of
50 civic engagement hours in a local classroom. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. S, U.
ED213s Schools and Society The complex relationships between schools and society will be examined by reviewing a variety of
theoretical perspectives and empirical studies. Topics include social mobility and stratification; social reproduction; the dynamics of
race, class, and gender in education; various forms of capital; teaching as a profession; and school choice. Particular attention will be
given to the ways that small interactions within educational settings have much larger implications within
society. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. U. HOWARD
ED215f Children and Adolescents in Schools and Society Explores the lives of contemporary children and adolescents. Goals
include (1) understanding how differences in gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and sexual orientation shape the experience of
young people; (2) understanding selected theoretical and empirical work in the field of child and youth studies; (3) developing
relationships with local young people; and (4) honing key academic and intellectual skills. In addition, students are required to spend a
minimum of 25 civic engagement hours working in a local after-school program. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four
credit hours. S, U. LIU
ED217s Education Policy and Reform Explores the fundamentals of how education policy is made and evaluated. Who
influences education policy and how? What are the implicit and explicit aims and values shaping education policy and reform? We will
focus on contemporary policy issues in American K-12 education, including standardized testing and accountability, school choice,
teacher turnover and evaluation, and school takeover. Particular attention will be given to exploring the challenges of using policy to
improve education and the implications of contemporary reforms for American democracy. Previously offered as Education
247. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. GERON
[ED221] Creating Media for Social Change Explores how to create entertaining and educationally effective digital media for
youth (preschool to high school), with an emphasis on socially charged curricular areas such as conflict resolution and cultural
tolerance. Through extensive screening of media from around the world, lecture, and discussion, students learn to create their own
goal-driven media projects. This will include working in small teams to 1) create a short film as part of a collaboration with an Iraqi
youth peace initiative, and 2) develop a multimedia, series treatment that addresses an issue that targets American youth. Three
credit hours.
ED222f Second Language Pedagogy Listed as East Asian Studies 221. Four credit hours. WANG
[ED223] Digital Storytelling, Literacy, Youth, the Future: A Combustion! This course will actively explore the continuously
evolving power of digital storytelling as one of the most relevant and impactful communicative structures. We will create numerous
digital stories -- from podcasts to videos, photo essays to infographics -- as a way to explore 1) why digital literacy needs to be a
normative practice for secondary school students; and 2) its current use and potential as a vehicle for social change. Students will
reflectively investigate the larger issues around how technology is shaping society and their own lives. Three credit hours.
[ED225] Teach Freedom Explores the role of education in a free and democratic society which is necessarily concerned with the
production of free people capable of developing minds of their own, even as they recognize the importance of learning to live together
in association with others. A central goal of education in a democracy is the creation of independent citizens, not "subjects." We will
examine how that lofty goal can be approached, and perhaps achieved. Previously offered as Education 297 (Jan Plan 2019). Three
credit hours.
[ED226] Examined Life: Teaching, Learning, and the Power of Story This class is focused on teaching and learning, and the
importance of self-knowledge in both professional and personal settings. Teachers, whatever else they teach, teach themselves –
self-understanding and awareness are fundamental and not peripheral matters. We will explore ancient as well as innovative
approaches to inquiry storytelling, auto-ethnography, narrative, portraiture, and we will discuss fundamental issues in writing: creating
a credible narrator; describing a scene in sufficient detail; shaping personal anecdotes into writing that matters; knowing when to
“show, don't tell” and how to “tell, don't show.” Three credit hours.
[ED228] Women, Children, Gender, and Human Rights Utilizing the arts and reading widely from fiction, legal cases, and
human rights reports to explore the boundaries of infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We will inquire about child survival,
children crossing borders, family separations, child protection, health care, education, adoption, and youth in conflict with the law. We
will discuss and debate the roles that race, class, gender, ethnicity and sexual identity play in disproportionate arrest, detention and
incarceration of young people, in hazardous labor, sexual violence, child marriage and polygamy, and in the pervasive nature of
harmful traditional practices. Previously offered as Education 297B (Jan Plan 2019). Three credit hours.
[ED236] Indigenous Knowledge(s), Education, And Schooling Takes a socio-cultural, philosophical, and historical approach to
Indigenous knowledge(s) along with federal and state policies affecting Indigenous peoples, particularly Native Americans, First
Nations, and peoples within other postcolonial contexts. Together, we will engage with indigenous knowledge(s) across time and
space, both inside and outside of the formal schooling environment. For example, we will consider how critical pedagogy and
culturally responsive curriculum aim to transform practices of schooling that continue to exclude Indigenous knowledge(s) and
peoples. This class will also consider how culture and knowledge systems of First Nations and Native Americans have been
represented in public spaces like museums. Previously offered as Education 297B (Jan Plan 2020). Three credit hours.
[ED237] Democracy and Education Serves as an introductory examination of the relationship between democracy and
education. Many citizens, teachers, and scholars have argued that schools play a central role in maintaining, enhancing, and
defending democracy. But are they right? What is democracy? What is the role of schools in a democratic society? What kind of
schooling can cultivate effective democratic citizenship? Should promoting democracy be the primary aim of schools? Does the
contemporary education system promote or undermine democracy? We will explore these questions and more, working
collaboratively to build a critical understanding of democracy, education, and the link between the two. Previously offered as
Education 298 (Spring 20-20). Four credit hours.
[ED242] History and Philosophy of Progressive Education A survey of the historical and philosophical foundations of
progressive education. Focuses on the principles of progressive education that have offered an alternative to conventional
assumptions about teaching, learning, and schooling for nearly a century. These progressive principles are examined against the
backdrop of standardization and mechanization that, more than ever, dominate schools in the United States. Prerequisite: Sophomore
or higher standing. Four credit hours.
[ED243] Schooling Around the World: Comparative Perspectives Introduces students to interdisciplinary approaches that aim
for comparing the emergence, function, and purposes of schooling in diverse national as well as sub-national contexts around the
world. Students critically examine global phenomena such as colonialism, modernization, and globalization and their impacts on
educational systems and practices. Students also examine contemporary issues such as role of nation state and civil society in
education, global education reform movements, dialectic relationship between development and education, and alternative methods of
teaching and learning. Previously offered as Education 297 (Fall 2019). Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit
hours. I.
[ED245] Dimensions of Educational Equity Explores the historical and societal roots of educational inequality and efforts to
build more equitable schooling systems. We will consider the challenges and tensions involved in defining and pursuing "fairness" and
"inclusion" in schools, such as how to acknowledge difference without reifying it, and whether differentiation or standardization of
schooling promises greater equity. Finally, we will analyze the potential promise and problems of various contemporary reforms aimed
at greater educational equity. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. U.
[ED247] Current Policy Issues in U.S. Education Provides an overview of contemporary policy issues in American K-12 and
higher education. Topics will include standardized testing and accountability policy, achievement gaps, school choice, Common Core
and curriculum reform, teacher turnover and evaluation, mayoral control, affirmative action, and college completion, among others.
Particular attention will be given to exploring the challenges of using policy to improve education and the implications of contemporary
reforms for American democracy. Four credit hours.
ED248s Emerging Adults: College, Career, and Postsecondary Development Explores how to support young people from
diverse backgrounds in envisioning, planning, and persisting in the pursuit of a personally meaningful future. We will examine the
implicit and explicit messages that shape young people's aspirations, expectations, goals, and behaviors after high school. Students
will collaborate with community partners to learn about multiple postsecondary pathways, critique existing educational approaches,
and design a project to advocate for the structures and supports necessary to help young people emerge as the adults of their
choosing. This class includes a minimum of 20 hours of civic engagement. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit
hours. U. LIU
ED297f Ethics and Education Educators and educational policymakers regularly face challenging decisions that pose deep
ethical dilemmas of justice, equity, autonomy, and recognition. This course explores the ethical nature of educational decision-making
by engaging with philosophical, theoretical, and empirical readings from a variety of disciplines. We will grapple with case studies of
dilemmas of educational ethics from classrooms, schools, districts, and organizations at both the K-12 and higher education levels.
Our goals will be to deepen our understandings of educational ethics, to engage with others about complex ethical judgments across
multiple lines of difference, and to learn how to enhance educators' and policymakers' capacities to make ethical decisions under
challenging conditions. Four credit hours. GERON
[ED317] Boys to Men Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 317. Four credit hours. U.
[ED322] Social Class and Schooling The significance of class as a critical dimension of inequality in the United States. Various
theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical perspectives on social class and schooling provide a basis for analyzing class stratification in
education. Unraveling the cultural dynamics of class distinctions to understand the social, economic, and cultural landscapes within
which young people come to understand the meaning of their schooling in a shifting global economy. Prerequisite: Introductory course
in education or sociology. Four credit hours. U.
[ED324] Elite Schooling in Global Context Elite schooling plays an important role in helping the most powerful and prestigious
social classes within nation states maintain and advance their social position. Particular attention will be given to how elite schools
outside the United States are altering curricula to meet demands of the global economy; what students in elite schools are taught
about their place and purpose in the global world; how future global and national leaders are being prepared; what links exist between
elite schools and changing intersections of class, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity; and how elite schools throughout the world unify
tradition and innovation. Prerequisite: Introductory course in education or sociology. Four credit hours. I.
[ED325] Gender and Education Provides an overview of contemporary and historical issues related to gender and formal
contexts of learning. The course will explore how different theories and ideologies define sex and gendered disparities in US schools
and classrooms. Particular attention will be given to how intersectional identities of race, class, ethnicity, and sexuality inform
gendered identities in educational contexts. Educational policy, pedagogy, and research will be analyzed for how gender inequity is
framed and debated as well as proposed solutions for reform. Four credit hours.
[ED326] Collaborative Research in Privilege An intensive reading and discussion course focusing on privilege, this course
explores how research is conducted, how data are theorized and analyzed, and how interpretive texts are written. Students will apply
theories and methods to collaborate, design, conduct, and present an original research project that contributes to the body of
scholarship on privilege. Prerequisite: A course in education or sociology. Four credit hours. I.
[ED327] Critical Technology for Learning Explores the roles different technologies play in learning contexts. Current and
historical technology trends will be examined from a critical perspective to understand whom technology benefits and harms, and the
learning theories used to justify its use. The class analyzes well-researched and cutting-edge technologies, from television to AI and
machine learning, to understand if technology improves educational outcomes or exacerbates existing inequities. The course models
different forms of engagement, instructional, and assessment strategies in order to showcase different approaches on how to design
for learning with the support of technology. Four credit hours.
ED328f Politics and Policy of Rural and Urban Education Educational opportunity is unequally distributed across geography.
This course will focus on the sociology, history, and politics of rural and urban schools. In doing so, we will critically examine and
challenge deficit-based discourses about "rural" and "urban" contexts, and we will consider why place and community are important
considerations for education policy. We will discuss policy issues that highlight both what is unique to, and common across, rural and
urban contexts, such as school closures, school choice, teacher recruitment and retention. Prerequisite: At least one 200-level
education course. Four credit hours. U. GERON
ED331f Curriculum and Methods A consideration of various teaching and assessment methods as well as curriculum design for
secondary classrooms. Students develop knowledge and skills to meet Maine Standards for Initial Teacher Certification. Students
write and present lesson plans, create assessment protocols, develop a coherent unit of study using a backward design model, and
complete a minimum of 30 hours working with a cooperating teacher in a secondary classroom. Previously listed as Education
431. Prerequisite: Senior standing in the professional certification program. Four credit hours. BROWN
ED333j International Practicum in Education The purpose of this practicum is to expose you to teaching and to provide you
with the opportunity to reflect on the relationship between educational theory and practice. This practicum provides opportunities to
serve as assistant teachers, tutor students, work with students individually, observe professional teachers, and prepare and present
lesson plans to whole classes in a middle or high school in a country outside the U.S. Placement will be arranged by the
professor. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Three credit hours. HOWARD
ED338f Motivation and Learning Explores when, how, and why individuals are motivated to learn and how practitioners and
researchers can use this knowledge to support student motivation and engagement and promote more equitable educational
outcomes. We will draw on theory and research from educational, developmental, social, and school psychology to build an
understanding of the key components of academic motivation and engagement and how they are affected by an individual's
environment at multiple ecological levels. Students will use these scholarly perspectives to analyze case studies, conduct motivation
research, and propose educational interventions to strengthen supports for student motivation and
engagement. Prerequisite: Previous course in Education or Psychology. Four credit hours. LIU
ED339j Learning to Read, Reading to Learn This course provides students with foundational knowledge of early literacy
development, with a focus on reading. We will draw from educational, developmental, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives to
examine the critical role of reading for children's school adjustment and success, sociocultural issues related to children's reading
experiences in school, and specific diagnostics and practices to promote reading skills like decoding, fluency, and comprehension, as
well as enjoyment of reading. Coursework includes a minimum of 15 hours of civic engagement at a local school or organization to
provide literacy tutoring and support. Prerequisite: Previous course offered by the Education Department. Three credit hours. LIU
[ED343] Collaborative Research on Trauma and Education Explores how research is conducted in the field of education,
focusing specifically on trauma-informed schooling. It will consider how data are collected and analyzed (both qualitatively and
quantitatively), and how results are presented to both scholarly and general audiences. Students will collaborate with each other and
with faculty to conduct original research on trauma and education. Prerequisite: At least one 200-level course in Education,
Psychology, or Sociology. Two credit hours.
[ED345] Reform and the Classroom Examines the school and the classroom as contexts for reform. Why does so much of
schooling appear to remain unchanged over time? How and when do external policies and pressures shape what teachers and
students do? This course draws on sociological studies of schools' and teachers' work as well as theories on organizational behavior
to build an understanding of the processes, structures, and beliefs that enable or constrain change. We will use this framework to
analyze reforms and policies aimed at improving classroom instruction, such as curriculum standards, school restructuring, and
teacher evaluation. Prerequisite: At least one 200-level education course. Four credit hours.
[ED351] Practicum in Education Provides opportunities to serve as assistant teachers, tutor students, work with students
individually, observe professional teachers, and prepare and present lesson plans to whole classes in an elementary, middle, or high
school. Placement in the Waterville area will be arranged by the professor; students will be responsible for arranging placements in
other areas. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to three credit hours.
ED351Jj Practicum in Education Provides opportunities to serve as assistant teachers, tutor students, work with students
individually, observe professional teachers, and prepare and present lesson plans to whole classes in an elementary, middle, or high
school. Placement in the Waterville area will be arranged by the professor; students will be responsible for arranging placements in
other areas. Nongraded. Prerequisite: At least one course in education and sophomore standing. Three credit hours. PROTO
[ED357] Equity and Higher Education Considers issues of social justice, equity, and inclusion as they impact students attending
US colleges and universities. The course will focus on theories of student development, critical perspectives on higher education, and
the intersection between theory, research, and practice. Prerequisite: At least one 200-level education course. Four credit hours.
[ED374] Educating All Learners in Inclusive Classrooms Four credit hours.
ED374Jj Educating All Learners in Inclusive Classrooms Considers rights of students and responsibilities of educators as they
relate both to teaching students who have disabilities as well as to teaching students with other individual learning characteristics.
Course topics explore psychological, philosophical, historical, and policy foundations of special education within a critical frame of
disability studies. Students are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of civic engagement in a classroom that provides
accommodations for students with disabilities or other challenges to learning. Prerequisite: At least one 200-level education
course. Three credit hours. BROWN
ED433s Student Teaching Practicum Students serve as student teachers in a local secondary school, working under the
supervision of a cooperating teacher. Students manage classrooms and complete professional tasks associated with secondary
teaching. Education Program faculty members make observations in the classroom and note ways in which the student teachers are
progressing toward meeting Maine's Standards for Initial Certification of Teachers as well as the ways in which they are applying the
framework of teaching for social justice. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Education 331 and senior standing. Four credit hours. BROWN
ED483f, ED484s Honors Project Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
ED491f, ED492s Independent Study Independent study of advanced topics and areas of individual
interest. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
[ED493] Senior Seminar in Educational Studies A critical examination of selected topics and issues in the contemporary study
of education and human development. The focus will vary from year to year but will typically entail in-depth consideration of the
psychological, philosophical, social, cultural, and/or historical dimensions of education and human development. Open only to senior
majors and minors in education. Four credit hours.
ED493Af Senior Seminar: Researching for Social Justice An intensive reading and discussion course focusing on
contemporary methodological theory related to educational research guided by social justice aims, this course examines how social
justice research is conducted, how data are theorized and analyzed, and how interpretive texts are written. The activity of the course
works from a social justice framework that seeks to engage in research for the purposes of creating a more just world, addressing
inequalities, questioning and challenging oppressive and privileging practices and systems, and advocating for change. Students work
collaboratively to apply theories and methods of social justice research. Prerequisite: Senior Education major or minor. Four credit
hours. HOWARD
ED493Bs Senior Seminar: Instructional Theory and Design Explores principles from research on cognition and learning and
applies them to questions of instructional design. How can we use our knowledge about how people learn to inform the learning
experiences we create for students? We will integrate key concepts from cognitive science (such as novice-expert shifts, conceptual
change, disciplinary knowledge, and transfer) with major instructional frameworks and approaches, such as problem-based learning
and Universal Design for Learning. The capstone project asks students to apply their understanding to design an instructional
experience using a topic and setting of their choice. Prerequisite: Senior Education major or minor. Four credit hours. LIU
ED494As Senior Seminar in Creating Equitable Learning Environments Explores theory and research to identify best
practices for creating equitable learning environments for all students at the middle and high school levels. Develops the knowledge
and skills to plan and execute lessons that address various learning styles and abilities, incorporate and respect cultural differences,
and meet the individual needs of students. Prerequisite: Senior standing in the professional certification program and concurrent
enrollment in Education 433 and 494B. Four credit hours. BROWN
ED494Bs Senior Seminar in Professional Certification Further introduces dimensions of the teaching profession and guides
students through the initial teaching certification process. Students will design and complete a professional portfolio that addresses
the standards for initial teaching certification. They will analyze and critique artifacts as evidence of competency in teaching. Provides
opportunities to further develop an understanding and appreciation of the nature and importance of a reflective approach to
teaching. Prerequisite: Senior standing in the professional certification program and concurrent enrollment in Education 433. Four
credit hours. BROWN
English Department
The English Department offers majors in English, in English with a concentration in literature and the environment, and in English with
a concentration in creative writing. It also offers minors in English and in creative writing.
The Colby English and Creative Writing department fosters engagement with multiple media as objects of study and making. We
encourage students to embrace contemporary writing while fostering critical engagement with past literatures and cultures. We
support the study of global Anglophone literatures and environmental /ecological understanding. Our courses represent wide-ranging,
diverse creative and critical practices.
The English Department offers a range of courses that emphasize the study of literature as an artistic tradition and the study of
language more generally as a crucial component of cultural production and civic engagement. Students develop skills directly
applicable to the further study of law, politics, journalism and publishing, leadership, and stewardship. In medical school admissions,
students in English and humanities do very well in comparison to students in other fields.
English courses emphasize diversity in historical periods, genres, authors, cultures, and themes. The majority of courses in the major
are seminar-style with limited enrollment emphasizing active student participation, critical thinking, analysis, and writing skills. The
Creative Writing Program offers fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry courses at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels.
The department offers special-topics courses and supervises numerous independent studies and honors projects. Our students
frequently pursue internships and study abroad.
English is one of the most useful majors for those who want to attend professional schools of law, medicine, and business, as well as
for those seeking jobs in nonprofits, business, and government. Some majors become teachers; some become writers; some go into
journalism, library science, or publishing. Students interested in teaching in private and public schools are urged to read the
“Education” section of the catalogue and to contact a member of the Education Program.
The department also encourages interdepartmental and interdisciplinary studies and supports the departments of American Studies;
Performance, Theater, and Dance; Cinema Studies; Environmental Studies; and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Katherine Stubbs;
Associate Chair, Associate Professor Sarah Braunstein
Professors Adrian Blevins, Cedric Gael Bryant, Mary Ellis Gibson, and Debra Spark; Associate Professors Sarah Braunstein, Megan
Cook, Aaron Hanlon, Elizabeth Sagaser, Matthew Schneider-Mayerson, Katherine Stubbs, and Arisa White; Assistant Professors
Samantha Plasencia, Onnesha Roychoudhuri, Mohammad Shabangu, Dyani Johns Taff, and Christopher Walker; Visiting Assistant
Professor Melissa Heide
Requirements
Learning Outcomes
Students and faculty in English and creative writing become active learners engaged in
● Sustaining a reshaped literary canon
● Reading and making across genres, platforms, and media
● Integrating making and analysis
● Building community and listening across differences
● Writing with others at Colby, in Waterville, and far beyond
● Understanding how representation shapes the world
● Bringing both analytical and creative skills to global histories and ecological challenges
● Finding pleasure and personal meaning in reading and writing together
Requirements for the Major in Literature Written in English
The English Department offers an 11-course major in English and a 12-course major in English in the two concentrations: literature
and the environment and creative writing. The 11 courses required for the core major consist of the following:
● English 200, 271, and one other 200-level course (including introductory creative writing courses: English 278, 279, and
280)
● Five English 300-level or 400-level courses (excluding creative writing courses—see electives)
● English 493, the senior seminar
● Two electives in these categories: English literature courses or creative writing workshops at the 200, 300, or 400 level;
approved courses in a foreign literature in that language or in translation, approved Performance, Theater, and Dance electives, or
selected Cinema Studies courses. All cross-listed courses count only in this category.
Our distribution field requirements within these 11 courses include:
● One poetry course at any level, either in literary study or creative writing (P)
● Two early literatures in English courses (E)
● Two diaspora/crossroads courses that explore the literatures of underrepresented groups, or courses that address
alternative literatures in ethnic American, diasporic works, world literatures, or postcolonial literatures; these courses might set these
literatures in dialogue with works across the curriculum (D)
● Two comparative literatures and media courses that cross national boundaries, cross historical periods, or intermix media
forms (C)
See course descriptions for P, E, D, and C designations. Please note that one course taken in the Colby English Department may
fulfill no more than two distribution requirements.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all English courses that may be used to fulfill major requirements. No requirement
for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Requirements for the English Major with a Concentration in Literature and the Environment (ENLE)
In addition to the requirements for the English major, students concentrating in ENLE will take EN283 Introduction to Environmental
Humanities and EN357 Literature and the Environment plus two courses drawn from the ENLE concentration list, one of which may
be EN493 Senior Seminar when the topic is approved. Students must take one approved course outside the department in
Environmental Studies (ES) or in the area of environmental humanities. Approved courses are listed on the department website.
Requirements for the Major with a Concentration in Creative Writing (ENCR)
The English major with a concentration in creative writing requires 12 courses. Four courses must be creative writing workshops at the
200 level or above (English 278, 279, 280, 378, 379, 380, 382, and 386). English majors wishing to pursue a concentration in creative
writing should declare the English major with a concentration in creative writing; the creative writing minor is only an option for
students whose declared major is not English. Students may count Performance, Theater, and Dance 141 (Beginning Playwriting) as
one of their creative writing courses. Students are encouraged to take at least one course in a genre other than their sequence genre.
Note: To complete the major with 12 courses, the 200 level course requirement must be met with a Creative Writing workshop (EN
278, 279 or 280).
Requirements for the Minor in Literature Written in English
The English minor requires a total of six courses. These must include:
● English 200 and 271
● Two English courses at the 300 or 400 level, excluding creative writing workshop courses
● English 493, a senior seminar
● One elective from these categories: English literature courses or creative writing workshops at the 200, 300, or 400 level,
literature at the 200 level or above in a foreign language or in translation chosen in consultation with the minor advisor.
Within these six courses, minors must meet the following distribution field requirements:
● One poetry course at any level, either literary study or creative writing (P)
● One early literature in English course at any level (E)
● One diaspora and crossroads course at any level (D)
Requirements for the Minor in Creative Writing
A minor in creative writing is described in the “Creative Writing” section of the catalogue.
Honors in English
Students who meet the prerequisite, define a project, and secure the support of an honors project advisor and a second reader may
elect to take English 482 (the two-credit Honors Proseminar), 483, 484, the Honors Thesis, and, upon successful completion,
graduate with “Honors in English.” Students seeking honors in English will complete 12 courses, and students seeking honors in
English with a creative writing concentration will complete 13 courses.
Preparation for Graduate School
Students planning to continue the study of English in graduate school should confer with their advisors to be sure that they have
planned an appropriate curriculum. They should be proficient in at least one foreign language. Most universities require two languages
for the Ph.D. Work in classical or foreign literature, history, philosophy, art, music, and some of the social sciences reinforces
preparation in the major and enhances one’s chances for success in graduate study.
Course Offerings
[EN120] Language, Thought, and Writing Four credit hours. W1.
EN120Af Language, Thought, and Writing: Styles of Persuasion This writing-intensive course focuses on the strategies
writers of both fiction and nonfiction use to persuade an audience. To evaluate such strategies, and to discover what they can teach
us about our own writing projects for college course work and beyond, we will read a range of political and personal essays, short
fiction, and poetry. We will focus on the relationship between attentive reading and persuasive writing, with the central goals of
developing skill sets and critical vocabularies for both, and of sharpening the analytical acumen that persuasion demands. Four credit
hours. W1. HANLON
[EN120B] Language, Thought, and Writing: Writing as a Reader In this writing-intensive seminar, we devote particular
attention to the ways that form, voice, and style shape textual meaning, both in literary works and in college-level academic writing.
We read poetry, prose, and drama from a variety of historical periods; develop a critical vocabulary for literary and rhetorical analysis;
and work to situate our own interpretations of texts in relation to those of other readers and scholars. Throughout, we explore how
writing about literature can make us better, more attentive readers, and how reading can make us more effective and thoughtful
writers. Four credit hours. W1.
[EN120C] Language, Thought, and Writing: Dynamic Reading, Empowered Writing Long before psychology and
neuroscience were disciplines, writers experimented with language and the mind, discovering ways to engage attention, influence
perception, provoke and test ideas, amplify memory, and collaborate with thinkers far away in space and time. We will study examples
of powerful writing from the 17th c. to the present (poems, speeches, letters, essays) while gaining strategies to make our own writing
more effective. Ideas from cognitive psychology, linguistics, philosophy and literary studies will enrich our inquiry into the nature and
power of language. Four credit hours. W1.
[EN120E] Language, Thought, and Writing: Playing in the Dark: Writing Race Before the insistent shouts that "Black Lives
Matter," philosopher Cornel West wrote Race Matters, the title of his 1994 book. And earlier still, in 1986, an intellectually diverse
group of contributors banded together to produce the essay collection, "Race," Writing, and Difference, that contended race was a
sign, a metaphor and not an irreducible, absolute "reality." Notwithstanding, race as ideology, custom, aesthetic, and law has shaped
virtually every dimension of American experience and preoccupied many of our most persuasive and provocative writers, including
James Baldwin, John Edgar Wideman, Toni Morrison, Stephen Jay Gould, Barack Obama, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. We will close read
these and other commanding voices as exemplary models of the persuasive essay and write about race as it shapes both a national
debate and our own multi-dimensional lives. Four credit hours. W1.
[EN120F] Language, Thought, and Writing: Queer Romantics/Queer Romanticisms This writing intensive course is intended
to introduce students to the practices of academic writing as well as to a queer reading of the literature of the Romantic era. We will do
this primarily through readings of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein and Jeanette Winterson's 2019 novel Frankkissstein.
Because a key objective of this class is preparing you for college writing, we will read slowly and deliberately, continually practicing
using writing as a tool for understanding. We will practice daily low-stakes writing, study the writing process from the beginnings of an
idea to its published articulation, and rely on each other for feedback. In the course of the semester you will produce a literary critical
essay, a reflective essay, and an essay for an internet audience. You will also refine and revise these assignments for a final portfolio
after receiving feedback. Four credit hours. W1.
EN120Gf Language, Thought, and Writing: Community Literacy and Migration Where are we? Why are we here and how did
we arrive? How do we know what we know? Who needs our stories? We'll use these questions to explore essays, literary texts,
images, and more as we gain literacy-reading and writing ability as well as cultural knowledge-about Colby, our communities, and
migration. We'll reflect on, analyze, narrate, and research our journeys and compare them to stories by Margaret Cavendish, bell
hooks, and Mohsin Hamid. Students will develop a college-level writing practice while asking why we migrate, what we carry with us,
and how we become creators of new knowledge. Four credit hours. W1. TAFF
[EN120H] Language, Thought, and Writing: Animal/Human/Machine What counts as "writing"? Can a bacteria or an algorithm
write poetry? Is "creativity" an exclusively human activity or an inherent property of all life? In this writing-intensive course we will
address these and other questions as we hone our critical thinking and reading, develop our research abilities, and refine our writing
and editing skills. Engaging philosophical essays, poetry, plays, and film, we will analyze how the categories of "human," "animal," and
"machine" are historically constructed, politically mobilized, and ethically fraught. Four credit hours. W1.
EN120Is Inventing Nature in New England Combines field trips around Maine with work in the Colby Museum and the rare book
room. We'll read some of the classics of New England nature writing, make our own "field journals" on Mayflower Hill, and think about
how our ideas of and relationships to the natural world are shaped by our knowledge, our technology, and our historical situation. We'll
read prose and poetry, from Emerson to Maine writer Sarah Orne Jewett's short stories, to modern poetry broadsides in our library's
collection. When spring finally comes we'll make a field trip to the Maine coast to see for ourselves the world described in Celia
Thaxter's The Isle of Shoals. We will keep journals and write and revise both research essays and journalistic essays. Four credit
hours. W1. GIBSON
EN120Jf Language, Thought, and Writing: Rhetoric of Environmentalism This writing-intensive course examines the roles
and rhetoric of environmental writing and art in the fight for a more sustainable planet while developing and practicing the skills
essential for a meaningful liberal arts education: information literacy, research best practices, critical analysis, rhetorical analysis,
revision, and peer review. Students will pursue one topic for the length of the term related to environmental activism and/or
environmental art to ask (and maybe answer) the following questions: How do works of environmental art, literature, and film
contribute to environmentalist activism? How do artists use diverse media to make arguments about consumption, environmental
degradation, and humans' effects on our ecosystems? How has art changed in the Anthropocene? Can art save the planet? Four
credit hours. W1. HEIDE
EN120Lf Language, Thought, and Writing: Language + Race + Power Thinks with scholars like James Baldwin, Geneva
Smitherman, bell hooks, Paulo Freire, Audre Lorde, and April Baker-Bell about 1) the racial and colonial conditions that produced
Standard Written English, 2) the social, political, economic, educational, psychological, and ethical stakes of normalizing the language
of white enslavers and colonizers, and 3) alternative forms of language arts instruction. Throughout, we'll meditate on how we've been
(mis)shaped in the image of the colonizer and work towards reimagining ourselves by reading and writing in a wide variety of genres
including op-eds, educational social media threads, academic articles, Ted Talks, spoken word, and critical autobiographies. Four
credit hours. W1. PLASENCIA
EN120Qs Language, Thought, and Writing: Scenes of Displacement, Migration, and Exile This writing intensive course
emphasizes the fundamentals of academic writing and evidence-based argumentation skills. Pursuant to that goal, we will look at
various ways that selected texts including novels, essays, film, poetry and photography respond to the subject of displacement,
migration and exile in the 20th and 21st Centuries. From voluntary migration in search of more habitable spaces, to politically exiled
intellectuals and writers, from narratives of asylum seekers to undocumented migrant laborers in the North Atlantic, we will examine
and analyze different forms of exile as represented in selected fiction and non-fiction work. We will train to read critically and write
compellingly, in relation to the aesthetic responses to forms of dispossession and exploitation. Four credit hours. W1. SHABANGU
[EN120R] Language, Thought, and Writing: How to Read a Beautiful Book In this writing intensive seminar we focus on
writing to read and reading to write. How can reading be a pleasure? What happens to your brain when you read on screens? How
can writing analytically and persuasively add to the pleasures of reading? We'll concentrate on three or four big books from
Shakespeare to the twenty-first century, dive deep, and emerge with new ideas and new reading and writing strategies. Four credit
hours. W1.
EN120Tf Language, Thought, and Writing: Why Write, Why Read? The succinct question that introduces this course has been
addressed, provocatively and poignantly, by writers as diverse as Dorothy Allison, who said "I write to save my life," and André
Bleikasten, who insisted that "to write is to blacken whiteness, to fill in gaps, to dress wounds." Writing, which can and must be a
serious kind of play, in a generous sense concerns what it means to be fully human-and what it does not. And writers, including James
Baldwin, Isabel Wilkerson, Toni Morrison, and Jean Paul Sartre join Allison and Bleikasten in practicing the art of the essay "to both
disclose the world and to offer it as a task to the generosity of the reader," as Sartre asserts. This semester we will explore the
persuasive, expository essay as writers and readers to do precisely what Sartre and the other writers collectively think about the
inextricable relationship between writing and being. Four credit hours. W1. BRYANT
EN120Uf Language, Thought, and Writing: Memoir and Social Justice How have writers used their life stories in the service of
movements for social justice? In this writing-intensive course, we will move across two hundred years in the United States, using the
tools of rhetorical analysis to learn how writers have framed the intersection of the personal and the political in order to fight for
change. Through scaffolded assignments, peer review, and revision, students will produce a series of analytical essays and will
translate their insights into a final research project: a memoir in which students use their own life experiences as a vehicle to engage
with a current political movement. Four credit hours. W1. STUBBS
EN125f Humanities at Play: Exploring the Annual Humanities theme Looking to delve into the nuances, challenges, and
delights of the arts and humanities? Join the Center for the Arts and Humanities in this course, you will engage with faculty from
across campus and beyond on the annual humanities theme. From 2023-2025, we will be exploring the theme of Play, allowing
students to dive deep into the world of play in all its forms. In this course, you will attend lectures and discussions with expert
speakers from a wide array of areas, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the annual theme. Through conversation and
debate, you will develop your own ideas and opinions on the topic while participating in humanities-centered modes of inquiry.
Nongraded. One credit hour. ALLBRITTON, FANG
[EN138] Fantasies of Modernity: American Literature between the Wars How did American literature respond to the dramatic
social and cultural transformations that shook the United States after the devastating Great War? Moving from the roaring twenties
through the Depression, we will study texts that emerged from the Lost Generation and the Harlem Renaissance, as well as the work
of immigrant and working-class writers. Students will engage in a series of writing-intensive exercises and workshops, producing and
revising four essays over the course of the semester. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Cinema Studies 138 and History 138.
Elect Integrated Studies 138. Four credit hours. L, W1.
EN141f Beginning Playwriting Listed as Theater and Dance 141. Four credit hours. A. WEINBLATT
EN142fs Introduction to Cinema Studies Listed as Cinema Studies 142. Four credit hours. A. KIM, KUNAPULLI
[EN174J] Public Speaking A foundation in public speaking, with an emphasis on oral presentation, rhetorical and expository
persuasion, argument and counter-argument. Students will write and orally present speeches to audiences, as well as read and watch
examples of effective public speaking. Especially appropriate for those considering careers involving public speaking, including
teaching, government, politics, law, etc., but all are welcome. In case of over-enrollment, confirmation of admission is by email
application. Prerequisite: W1 course. Two credit hours.
EN178fs Language, Thought, and Writing: Introduction to Creative Writing Process-centered exploration of the fundamentals
of writing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, and hybrid forms. Students bring questions about self to a rigorous writing practice.
Through reading and writing -- in both creative and critical modes -- we interrogate the many ways self is understood and expressed in
the literary arts. Students write in a variety of forms, with peer review and revision guiding their choices. Readings reflect a wide range
of backgrounds, traditions, and voices. Four credit hours. W1. BLEVINS, ROYCHOUDHURI, WHITE
[EN192] Independent Study One to four credit hours.
EN200fs Foundations of Literary Studies How and why do we read? How do we decide what counts as literature? What counts
as knowledge for readers of imaginative texts? We begin to answer these questions in this broad ranging course. Required for the
English major, the introduction to college-level literary studies incorporates poetry, drama, and fiction, explores canon formation with a
historical range of literary works, and emphasizes close reading, interpretive vocabulary, and critical writing skills. Also introduces
students to critical perspectives and scholarly research. Prerequisite: W1 course or equivalent (can be taken concurrently). Four credit
hours. L. HANLON, SAGASER, STUBBS
EN202s Topics in Writing: Communicating Across Difference Listed as Writing Department 202. Four credit
hours. U. SHERIFF
[EN213] Introduction to Shakespeare: Stage, Page, and Screen Introduces students to Shakespeare's works and their rich
material history and explores not just the texts themselves but how their changing material forms affect their meaning and influence.
We will address plays that explicitly engage staging, like Henry V, that have particularly rich textual histories, like King Lear, and that
have recent film versions, including Macbeth and Much Ado about Nothing. Fulfills English C and E requirements. Prerequisite: Any
W1 course (may be taken concurrently). Four credit hours. L.
EN214s Tutoring Writing in Theory and Practice A pedagogy and training course for writing tutors and writing fellows that
focuses on peer review and collaborative learning in both theory and practice. Readings include essays and articles on peer review,
learning styles and differences, multilingual student writing, strategies of revision, and writing center pedagogy. Assignments include
writing, readings, grammar review and practice, a reflective blog, mock tutorials, and supervised tutorials to prepare enrolled students
to help their peers improve as writers and to work with faculty as writing fellows. Students completing the course may apply for
work-study positions in the Writers' Center. Prerequisite: W1 course. Four credit hours. HARRINGTON
[EN219] Epidemics and Literature This course examines how epidemics have been narrated, studied, and imagined. Reading
literary, scientific, philosophical, and journalistic texts, we'll think about contagion, immunity, and public health alongside topics such as
environment, individualism, racism, inequality, and biopolitics. Assignments will include short essays and a brief analysis of news
relevant to Covid-19. Students will hone their analytical and writing skills as they analyze texts from different genres and periods.
English C credit. L credit. Three credit hours. L.
[EN221] Style and Substance: Writing Fiction by Imitation Plagiarism is stealing, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
In this class we will read short fiction from contemporary and classic writers, analyzing the style and substance of their stories. These
discussions will be followed by writing assignments which focus on specific elements of those stories, using them for inspiration and
guidance. Students will write four writing exercises, revising and expanding one into a complete story after feedback from the class
and the professor. Prerequisite: W1 course. Three credit hours. A.
[EN227] Visual Poetics Explores the various ways that poetry and the visual arts intersect, examining how visual elements have
shaped poems. We will trace the history of this intersection, including ekphrasis, illuminated books, erasures, "open field" poetry, and
hypertext poetry. How do white space, typography, and other graphic elements contribute to the effect of a poem? We'll read work by
a range of writers that includes George Herbert, E. E. Cummings, Larry Eigner, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Jen Bervin, Matthea Harvey, and
Tyehimba Jess. In response, students will compose close readings of poems, and produce their own creative hybrid texts. Fulfills
English C and P requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Three credit hours. L.
[EN232] Early African American Literature Introduces early African American literature as an inscription of fugitive existence--or
as Fred Moten calls it, stolen life. Our goal is to sketch this story of unruly writing from 1773 to 1900 by considering how black citizens
usurped and (re)-formed dominant literary genres and political institutions in order to carve out a space of freedom within a hostile
nation. We will read sermons, political tracts, spiritual autobiographies, testimonials of enslavement, and newspapers to ascertain how
people of African descent theorized anti-blackness as a way of life and, in response, fashioned other forms of being-in-the-world.
Fulfills English C, D, and E requirements. Four credit hours. L, U.
[EN233J] Enlightenment Data and Literature Examines the origins and history of data in its epistemological context, focusing on
the ways that literary texts contributed to Enlightenment notions of data and on how literary texts provide data. Combines histories,
imaginative literature, philosophy of science, and theories of data and data science to critically assess the relationship between data
and meaning. Fulfills English C and E requirements. Three credit hours. L.
[EN234] Introduction to Journalism An introduction to features of journalism, including news gathering, interviewing, feature
writing, rewriting and editing. Previously offered as English 298 (Spring 2020). Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Two credit hours.
[EN236] Writing the Empire, the Nineteenth Century and the Present By 1900, the British empire had extended its reach and
control over literally every time zone. This course explores how nineteenth-century British and Anglophone authors represented
imperial expansion and how their reflections on the empire have shaped the way we think about power and inequality today. Topics
include social (and racial) stratification and uplift, travel and migration, labor and the global marketplace, and aesthetics. Some
attention will be paid to twentieth- and twenty-first-century rewritings of nineteenth-century texts and databases on slave trade and
contemporary refugees. Fulfills English C requirement. Prerequisite: Any W1 course (may be taken concurrently). Four credit
hours. L.
EN237j Environmental Writing in the Himalayas: Practicing the Arts of Unmastery Taking place in Kalimpong, India, this
course works at the intersection of civic engagement, creative writing, and environmental humanities to explore the entanglements
between literature, ecology, and multispecies communities. Experiencing these entanglements in an unfamiliar setting, we develop
creative and critical methodologies for producing knowledge and art without the need to master or manage our connection to the
world. Along the way, we ask questions such as: How is place reflected and refracted in its literature? What is the relationship
between research, creativity, and activism, and how might these endeavors respond to environmental crises? What can we learn
about global environmental challenges by working with local activists? Approximate cost: $4,900. Fulfills English D and LE
requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Three credit hours. L, I. BRAUNSTEIN, WALKER
[EN245] Poems, Paintings, and Printing: Text Versus Image in the Lyric An exploration of the relationship between poetry and
the visual arts from creative, analytical, historical, and experiential perspectives. In the Colby College Museum of Art we will write
poems about paintings and photographs. In Special Collections we will examine a broad range of printed texts. At the Pickwick Press
in Portland, we will handset type for our own poetry broadside. Students will analyze and use appropriate technical terms for
understanding poetry, identify several poetic traditions in which poets encounter other arts, articulate ideas and insights in visual and
written media, and reflect upon their own work. Fulfills English C and P requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course (may be taken
concurrently). Four credit hours. L.
[EN248] History of the Book An introduction to the study of the book as an object and as technology, from the Middle Ages to the
18th century. Focuses on the manuscript cultures of the European Middle Ages and the development and rise of print culture during
the hand-press period. Also explores related histories of authorship, readership, and publishing. Students will work with primary
source materials in Colby Special Collections and a range of digital tools. Fulfills English C and E requirements. Four credit
hours. L.
[EN249] Black Liberation Theology: Kendrick Lamars Religious Rhetoric Posits contemporary Hip Hop artist Kendrick Lamar
as a Black Liberation Theologian whose albums are sermons in verse form. As such, he follows an exegetic tradition that began with
Jupiter Hammon and Phillis Wheatley in the late 18th century, but which coalesced in the 20th century with Martin Luther King and
Malcom X. Black Liberation Theology understands God as principally concerned with the dignity and lives of oppressed multitudes,
and interprets the Bible as a liberatory text. These strands of thought and interpretative practices come together in Lamar's four studio
albums. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Previously offered as English 297A (Jan Plan 2021). Four credit hours. L, U.
EN251f History of International Cinema I Listed as Cinema Studies 251. Four credit hours. A. KUNAPULLI
[EN252] History of International Cinema II Listed as Cinema Studies 252. Four credit hours. A.
[EN253] Literature and Medicine: Body, Addiction, and the World What can literature teach us about the modern self's
relationship with stimuli from the external world? Reading accounts of addiction from the nineteenth century through the present day,
we will also examine films, medical writing and visual representations, alongside topics such as liberalism, inequality, imperial
expansion, consumerism, "digital drugs," and the roles of gender, race, and class in the pathologization of addiction. In addition to
writing critical essays and informal posts, students will evaluate smartphone addiction treatment apps and devise an encyclopedia
entry to an addictive object. Fulfills English C requirement. Prerequisite: Any W1 course (may be taken concurrently). Four credit
hours. L.
EN254s Introduction to the Computational Study of Literature This course uses computational tools to analyze large textual
corpora (hundreds or thousands of novels, for example), design textual experiments, and interpret results. It emphasizes the
experimental affordances of computational methods of literary study, to be contrasted with the interpretive affordances of close
reading. Students will learn to use digital and computational tools to formulate testable hypotheses about literary texts, design
experiments to investigate their hypotheses, run experiments, and interpret results. However, this course will also provide students
with significant coverage of the theoretical aspects of computational approaches to text, including the latest debates and controversies
over what it means to "read" computationally. Prerequisite: Any W1 course and English 200. Four credit hours. L. HANLON
[EN255] Studies in American Literary History: Pre-1860 Introduces key movements in American literature and works written by
American writers of different cultural backgrounds. Attends to themes that run throughout American literature prior to 1865 and
considers how and why they are adapted and transformed. Explores the role of literature in shaping conceptions of the American self
and how it has been used as a form of social protest. Traces the development of the American literary tradition, with particular
attention to relationships between generic traditions, contexts surrounding the birth of certain genres, and how genre relates to a
work's cultural and historical context. Fulfills English D and E requirements. Prerequisite: W1 course (may be taken
concurrently). Four credit hours. L.
[EN256] Studies in American Literary History: Civil War to the Present In this introductory survey focusing on the theme of
justice, we will examine key movements, genres, and traditions in U.S. literature from the Civil War to the present, investigating their
relationship to the historical, political, and social contexts they both reflect and shaped. Through readings representing a diversity of
racial, ethnic, class, religious, gender, and sexual identities, and communities in and around the United States, we will explore how
literature has been used as a tool for social protest and has contributed to shaping and revising conceptions of "American" selfhood
and national identity. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Four credit hours. L, U.
[EN264] Comparative Studies: Emily Dickinson and English Poetry In this course, we compare poems by 19th-c. American
poet Emily Dickinson to poems by writers she read intensely, from Shakespeare to Keats, the Brontës and E. B. Browning. We
consider other contexts for Dickinson's work as well: the natural world, her family life, education, and the Civil War. And we compare
Dickinson poems to poems by 20th-21st-century writers who consider(ed) her an influence, including Audre Lorde and Evie Shockley.
Students gain analytical skills and creative strategies for engaging in poetry and literary history. Fulfills English C, E, and P
requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN265] Early British Literary History: from Beowulf to Blake We will encounter and enjoy great writing from an 800-year
period of literary invention, reading tales of love and lust, of severed arms and near-severed heads, of tragic heroes, saucy wives, and
valiant maids. We will trace the history of gender and consent, the invention of the 'self,' and the construction of the category of race.
Introduces a variety of literary works in multiple forms and genres, including epic battles, dirty jokes, and lyric poetry. We will think
about canon formation, and become attentive to the processes of literary inheritance, borrowing, stealing, and invention. Fulfills
English C and E requirements. Prerequisite: W1 course (may be taken concurrently). Four credit hours. L.
[EN266] British Literary History II from Wordsworth to Rushdie We will encounter and enjoy great British poems and novels
from the Romantic period to the present. Along the way we will discover how modern understandings of gender and class developed,
how the processes of empire building and industrialization shaped the literary world, how ideas about nature and the environment
were created in response to industrialization, and why modernist experimentation took shape in the aftermath of World War I. A final
unit will focus on contemporary and postcolonial literature. Fulfills English C and P requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course (may
be taken concurrently). Four credit hours. L.
[EN267] Introduction to Contemporary World Literature In Black Skin, White Masks, the French writer Frantz Fanon observes:
"To speak ... means above all to assume a culture, to support the weight of a civilization." The course on colonial and postcolonial
studies examines the different ways in which literature bears witness to the truth of Fanon's assertion. Our study will help identify the
effects of colonialism by raising questions about what constitutes "speaking"; about how, and by whom, "culture" is defined; and about
how the "weight" of a civilization, experienced by people belonging to different sides of the colonial divide, is legitimized or resisted.
Fulfills English C, and D requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course (may be taken concurrently). Four credit hours. L, I.
EN271fs Critical Theory Introduction to major ideas in critical theory that influence the study of language, literature, and culture.
Students gain mastery over an array of theoretical discourses and develop awareness of how underlying assumptions about
representation shape reading practices. Possible approaches include classical theory, cultural materialism, structuralism,
poststructuralism, psychoanalysis, Marxism, feminist theory, or postcolonial theory. Students learn to read complex arguments,
recognize assumptions about interpretation and language, and use theoretical approaches and tools for interpreting the systems of
representation that constitute culture. Prerequisite: English 120, 172, or 200 (may be taken concurrently.) Four credit
hours. L. PLASENCIA, SHABANGU
EN278fs Fiction Writing I Writing short literary fiction. No prior experience with fiction writing presumed, only interest. Class
sessions will be devoted to talking about fiction basics, analyzing short stories, and critiquing fellow students' fiction in workshops.
Outside of class, students will be writing fiction exercises and complete stories, as well as reading professional stories. By the end of
the semester, students should have insight into the creative process. They should have learned the basics of the craft of writing, and
they should have practiced what they have learned through writing and rewriting. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit
hours. A. BRAUNSTEIN, SPARK
EN279fs Poetry Writing I What distinguishes a poem from a story from an advertisement from a phone call home? How do
poems get written? And does it need to rhyme? In this workshop, students investigate these and many other questions about poetic
process and craft by reading and critically analyzing contemporary poetry, writing their own poems, and offering feedback on the work
of their peers. By semester's end, students will produce a portfolio of revised poems and a statement of what they have learned about
their creative process, aesthetic preferences, and their growing mastery of craft. No prior experience with poetry presumed. Fulfills
English P requirement. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. A. BLEVINS, WHITE
EN280fs Creative Nonfiction Writing I A creative writing workshop that introduces students to the forms and possibilities of
creative nonfiction, including essays of time and place, memoirs, profiles, and literary journalism. Progresses through a review of
models, writing exercises, drafts, and finished pieces, with an emphasis on the workshop process, in which students share work and
comment on each other's efforts. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. A. ROYCHOUDHURI
[EN280A] Creative Nonfiction Writing I: Coming-of-Age in the Anthropocene An introduction to the forms and possibilities of
creative nonfiction, with a particular emphasis on the theme of coming-of-age in the climate change era. Reading assignments will
come from the literature of the Anthropocene, as well as from classic creative nonfiction essays. Essays of time and place, memoirs,
profiles, and literary journalism will be discussed. The course progresses through a review of models, writing exercises, drafts, and
finished pieces, using the workshop process, in which students share work and comment on each other's efforts. Prerequisite: Any
W1 course. Four credit hours.
EN283fs Environmental Humanities: Stories of Crisis and Resilience What can literature teach us about nature and
environmental justice? Do the humanities and environmental studies share a vision of a sustainable future? Is it possible to
understand climate change without telling stories about its uneven global impacts? To address these and other questions, we will
examine how the environmental humanities implicitly respond to the "two cultures" debate. We will then investigate the relationship
between environmental justice and western societies' extractive logics, economies, and management of nature. From within this
theoretical framework we will analyze novels, poetry, and environmental films. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Four credit
hours. L. SCHNEIDER-MAYERSON, TAFF
EN297j Charting the Stars in Enlightenment Britain This study-abroad course in London will examine print, manuscript, and
scientific instrument archives at the Royal Society and Royal Observatory to understand the extent to which major developments in
Enlightenment science (natural philosophy) and technology relied on the literary imagination. In so doing, the course would bring
together the study of literature and science in a period that drew no hard boundary between the two. A second goal of the course –
and the rationale for orienting the study of literature and science around navigation and astronomy – is to understand more of the
physical and conceptual machinery of the British Empire and the application of the literary imagination for ill as well as
good. Prerequisite: Any W1 course and English 200. Three credit hours. L. HANLON
EN297Bj Gone Mad: A Book and Print Making Workshop In collaboration with the Center for Book & Print, students will design,
print, and bind 2-to-3 artists books to be used as props in the new production of Post Pardon: The Opera. Libretto by professor Arisa
White, music by Jessica Jones, the opera is inspired by poet Reetika Vazirani who fatally took the life of her two-year-old son and then
committed suicide. Vazirani left behind several journals, chronicling her psychological state and the effect that our society had on her
psyche. Through research on mental illness, climate justice, and incidents of violence against women and girls, students will generate
textual and visual content to imaginatively fill the pages of their artists books. Three credit hours. A. WHITE
[EN310] Professional Writing Listed as Writing Program 310. Four credit hours. W2, U.
[EN311] Global Middle Ages What did it mean to imagine a global world in the Middle Ages? We will answer this question by
reading accounts of travelers from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish traditions; meeting the fictional English knight John Mandeville, who
claimed to have ventured as far from home as China and Indonesia, and the very real 10th-century Muslim traveler Ibn Fadlan, who
trekked through what is now Russia and Scandinavia. We will study the history of map-making, compare fictional and historical
accounts of crusade, and consider how a multi-cultural medieval world is represented in medieval fantasy like Game of Thrones. The
only prerequisite is curiosity about the Middle Ages. Fulfills English C, D, and E requirements. Four credit hours. L, I.
[EN312] Death and Dying in the Middle Ages Medieval writers approached death in a variety of ways: as heroic sacrifice, tragic
loss, and inevitable transition. We will trace themes of death and dying through late medieval literature and explore topics including
heaven, hell, and the Last Judgment; grief and mourning; death by violence and accident; the Black Plague; and the idea of a good
death. Genres we will read include elegy, dream vision, and lyric, and study; authors include Chaucer and the Pearl Poet, as well as
anonymous works. Some readings will be in Middle English; no previous experience with medieval literature is required. Fulfills
English E and P requirements. Prerequisite: A W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN313] Poetry and Power in the English Renaissance In 16th-17th-century England, poetry and other rhetorical arts played
increasingly powerful roles in public and private life. Poetic language (in oratory, drama, lyric, epic) was integral to politics, intellectual
exchange, entertainment, and for many, personal reflection. Informed by both cognitive linguistic insights and inquiries into history, we
will study and experiment with a wide range of poetic texts by women and men. We will also consider the afterlives and influence of
Renaissance texts in ensuing centuries through the present day. Fulfills English E and P requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1
course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN314] 17th-Century Literature and the Natural World Explore literature written during the scientific revolution, from
Shakespeare's King Lear through works by Lanyer, Philips, Cavendish and other women, to Milton's Paradise Lost. How do these
texts imagine the natural world and the human within it? How do they challenge assumed boundaries between human and non-human
animals? What do these texts and their afterlives teach us about attitudes toward the environment from the 17th-century to the
present day? We seek answers through lively reading strategies and discussion, creative exercises, and research both online and in
Special Collections. Fulfills English E and P requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN315] Medieval Women's Mysticism Explores the spiritual writings of medieval women writers including Margery Kempe,
Julian of Norwich, and Hildegard von Bingen. Considers how their writings navigate gendered religious and social systems,
endeavoring to craft a cultural place for women's lived experience and spiritual authority. Also includes related works of spiritual,
didactic, and medical writing. No previous experience with Middle English is required. Fulfills English E and P
requirements. Prerequisite: W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
EN316f Medieval Gender and Sexuality This course will explore the role of women and queer people in the medieval literary
imagination across genres. We will read texts by medieval women and about medieval women, as well as examine the place of
transgressive bodies and same-sex desire over the course of the Middle Ages. Texts will be primarily poetry, with additional selections
from prose works. Some readings will be in Middle English, but no previous experience with medieval literature is required. Fulfills
English E and P requirements. Prerequisite: W1 course. Four credit hours. L, W2. HEIDE
EN317f Children's Literature How does reading shape childhood and how, in turn, do ideas about childhood shape writing and
publishing? We will read a wide range of children's literature, from the eighteenth century to the present. We will investigate the
changing history of childhood as we encounter school readers, moral tales and fairy tales, old and new poems, nineteenth-century
magazines for children, picture books, fantasy and young adult fiction, classics and comics. Students will develop historical research
skills and theoretical/analytic frameworks for the study of childhood and writing for children. Fulfills English C and P
requirements. Prerequisite: W1 course. Four credit hours. L. GIBSON
[EN318] Dating and Relationships in 18th-Century British Literature How 'modern' is the modern romantic relationship?
Explores how dating and courtship, marriage and divorce, and affairs and flings have long complicated politics and social relations in
Britain and early America. Focuses on relationships represented in the literature and cultural history of Britain from roughly 1740 to
1815, including narratives of 'British' relationships tested by the French and American revolutions. Topics include long-distance
relationships, gender roles and expectations in courtship, the impact of matrimonial law on social relations, and the implications of
inter-class and interracial relationships. Fulfills English D and E requirements. Freedom and Captivity humanities theme
course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN320] Introduction to Rhetoric and Writing Studies Listed as Writing Program 320. Four credit hours.
[EN323] Victorian Literature I The idea of "culture" in the mid-Victorian period and the social pressures of class, religion, gender,
and race that formed and transformed it. Readings include Victorian predecessors such as Walter Scott; novels by Charles Dickens,
Emily Brontë, and George Eliot; prose by Thomas Carlyle, J.S. Mill, and Matthew Arnold; and poems by Alfred Tennyson and the
Rossettis. Novels, essays, and poems considered as participants in Victorian debates that created "culture" as a political category and
helped shape modern literary and cultural criticism. Fulfills English D requirement. Four credit hours. L.
EN324f Creative Environmental Communication Can media play an important role in addressing the climate crisis? Are some
kinds of narratives more effective than others? We will answer these and related questions by considering select examples from
different mediums (from film to literature) and situating them within scholarship from both the humanities (ecocriticism) and the social
sciences (environmental communication). For their final project, students will be asked to create a work of art, craft a detailed
research design for an empirical study, or write a public-facing ecocritique of a contemporary text. Fulfills English C and LE
requirements. Prerequisite: Any one of the following: Anthropology 256, East Asian Studies 120, English 120H, 283, 350, 357, or 493;
Environmental Studies 118, Philosophy 126, 243, or 328; or Religious Studies 232, or Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
339. Four credit hours. SCHNEIDER-MAYERSON
EN328f Global Anglophone Poetry, 1780-1910: Colonial Encounters In the British colonies poetry emerged in the nexus of
language and power. What counted as a master language or vernacular? Persian, Sansrkit, English, Lowland Scots, Bangla, Maori,
French? Who counted as a native poet? Who controlled the media? How were worlds created and challenged? We will read poems
from India, Australia, New Zealand and Canada to see how new Anglospheres emerged and were challenged in the long nineteenth
century. We will make our own anthologies, trace the genealogies of our current moment, and think about how people continue to
write among languages and across cultures. Fulfills English C, D, and P requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit
hours. L. GIBSON
[EN329] 21st-Century Comparative Literature A consideration of contemporary literature of the first decade of the 21st century,
with an international focus. We will read some of the most innovative novels of the current moment in an effort to think more broadly
about issues of genre, narrative, modernity and postmodernity, the aesthetics of postindustrial capitalism, globalism, and the
resonance between current events and literary representation. Writers featured range from American authors such as Don DeLillo to
Polish author Magdalena Tulli and Norwegian writer Per Petterson. Non-majors are welcome. All works are read in English. Fulfills
English C requirement. Prerequisite: English 271 recommended, but not required. Four credit hours. L.
[EN330] Shakespeare and Injustice "Mercy seasons justice," Portia famously says to Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, but
what does she really mean by that? Taking this question as a starting point, students in this course will examine justice and injustice in
Shakespeare's plays as well as in/justice in the many adaptations of them. We will research, adapt, and write about a set of plays that
students select, asking what we ought to do with Shakespeare and his fraught legacies, and whether it is possible or desirable to use
Shakespeare's work to seek justice or to describe and uncover injustice in our own communities. Fulfills English E
requirement. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN333] Environmental Revolutions in American Literature and Culture Explores the role that literature and the arts have
played in representing environmental justice issues and envisioning possibilities for social transformation. Readings will include
theoretical works from critical race and ethnic studies and postcolonial studies; these works will inform our engagement with
contemporary works of multiethnic American literature and film that integrate environmental concerns with questions of social and
political justice. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN336] Early American Women Writers Is there a female literary tradition in America? Moving from the colonial era to the early
20th century, an exploration of many of the themes central to women's lives and an investigation of the literary genres traditionally
associated with women's writing, exploring the insights of feminist historians, and assessing the recent critical reclamations of
"female" genres such as domestic fiction and the sentimental. Fulfills English C, D, and E requirements. Four credit hours. L.
[EN337] Climate Fiction Investigates contemporary literature, film, and media in the developing genre known as "climate fiction."
We will situate these texts within the environmental humanities, an interdisciplinary field that combines scientific-cultural discourses
about the environment with humanistic concerns for justice. We will ask how cli-fi narrates disaster on a global scale, but also strives
to imagine more just futures that combine environmentalism and social equality. These texts will be paired with philosophical and
eco-critical writings that will aid our development of the humanistic methodologies needed to analyze this new genre. Fulfills English C
requirement. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN339] Disability Studies and the Environmental Humanities Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 339. Four
credit hours. L, U.
[EN340] U.S. Protest Writing: Revolutionary War to the Black Panthers Engages students in a transhistorical study of protest
traditions in the United States and the conditions that produced them. Through this 200-year jaunt, we'll discuss the disagreements
that led to a civil war between Britain and its American colonies, anti-slavery movements, factory labor and proletariat resistance, the
reconsolidation of white power through Jim Crow laws, and the women's movements. At each turn, well historically situate and
transhistoricize the rhetorics of protest, their movements organizational practices, and the apparatuses of dominance and power they
resist. Fulfills English D and E requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L.
EN342s Literature of the Rural The "rural" in the American imaginary depends on a relation between the city and country that
challenges systems of belief and value about the natural world and the possibility of human agency within it. Many of the myths of
place writers create are essentially rural and pastoral rather than urban and industrial spaces, including Stephen Crane's Whilomville,
William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, and William Carlos Williams's Paterson. Concentrating on novels, stories, essays, and
poetry, we will explore the dynamic play of margin and center, national and local identity, and the shifting sense of what it means to be,
and not be, "rural" and American in the long 20th century. Fulfills the English C and LE requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1
course. Four credit hours. L, U. BRYANT
[EN343] African-American Literature: Speaking in Tongues Beginning with Lucy Terry's poem, "Bars Fight," the earliest known
work of literature by an African American, Black Art in the United States has been inherently political and aesthetically complex. This
course is, diachronically, a survey of multiple, intertextual genres and periods including poetry, short and long fiction, and creative
nonfiction. Synchronically, it is a close reading of seminal writers--for example Rita Dove, Ralph Ellison, Sherley Anne Williams, and
John Edgar Wideman--whose thematic foci include (existential) identity, migration, race and racialism, art and propaganda, power and
privilege. A critical understanding and articulate sense of these interlocking issues are the specific learning goals. Fulfills English D
requirement. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L, U.
EN345f Modern American Fiction Major works of American fiction since 1920--by Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Bellow,
O'Connor, Alice Walker, and others--will be analyzed, emphasizing the pattern of experience of the protagonist in conflict with the
modern world. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L. BRYANT
[EN346] Culture and Literature of the American South In a cold, New England dormitory, a northern student asks his southern
roommate to "tell about the South." The effort to do so engenders not just one narrative about what it means to grow up amid the
palpable shadows of the Civil War and institutional slavery, but a whole tradition of imaginative fiction demarcated by elusive terms like
"regionalism," "grotesque," "realism," and "modernism." Because so many of our writers are Southerners by birth, experience, and
disposition, the South, as myth and reality, has become a trope for what is essentially and problematically "American"--and what
isn't--in our literature and cultural history. Fulfills English D requirement. Four credit hours. L.
[EN348] Truth in Fiction Truth and fiction can seem like opposing concepts, but they actually work together in novels and in
philosophy. Focused on 18th century British novels that made major contributions to Enlightenment philosophy as well as
contemporary philosophy of fiction and epistemology, this course examines not only the central role of facts and evidence in the rise of
the novel, but also the role of fiction in social and scientific knowledge production. Fulfills English C and E
requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course and at least one 200-level or above English or 100-level or above philosophy course. Four
credit hours. L.
EN350f Another World is Possible: Ecotopian Visions In this moment of climate emergency, it is imperative to develop
alternatives to fossil-fueled liberal capitalism. This course explores visions of positive environmental futures that can inspire
imaginations and movements by examining how various thinkers and communities have depicted better, more sustainable, and more
just worlds. With a diverse range of texts, we pair literature, language, film, video, architecture, and manifestos with critical scholarship
from relevant fields. Fulfills English C, D, and LE requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit
hours. SCHNEIDER-MAYERSON
[EN352] Hang and Rattle: The West in the American Imaginary How did the American West as a geography of the imagination
and of reality, as a "middle ground" located somewhere between the "actual and the apocryphal," engage the 19th- and 20th-century
national debate about American identity? Moreover, how did the cowboy, the signal figure of the "open range;" science and
technology's "machine[s] in the garden;" and transformative ideas about time, place, gender, race, and morality all contribute to the
making and unmaking of an American imaginary in literature, film, politics, and popular music? Fulfills English C, D, and LE
requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L, U.
EN353f The American Short Story A genre and cultural studies approach to the American short story that explores the shaping
ways narrartive form and cultural content are complexly intertwined with place—the South, New England, and the West, for
example—and time, particularly in the long-20th century. Major authors include John Edgar Wideman, Flannery O’Connor, Raymond
Carver, James Baldwin, Edwidge Danticat, Eudora Welty, and William Gay. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Prerequisite: W1
course. Four credit hours. L. BRYANT
EN355s Staging Pirates and Captives in Early Modern Romance Pirates, slaves, and shipwrecks are ever present in
romances from the 16th and 17th centuries. We will place representations of these figures from ballads, plays, and prose
fiction--including texts by William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Margaret Cavendish--alongside historical accounts of
captivity, forced migration, and environmental violence in both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic worlds. We'll examine early modern
discourses about race, class, gender, and ability and the ways that writers use romance, across genres, to reinforce and also to
challenge social prejudices. Fulfills English C, E, and LE requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L. TAFF
EN356s Staging Hawthorne and Melville How did the intense personal relationship between Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman
Melville shape their fiction and lives? How does revisiting social and erotic relations between men in the past enable us to better
understand our present moment? After analyzing central literary texts, letters and journal entries, students will translate their insights
into works of the imagination. At the end of the semester, students will present their interpretations in a series of performances. Fulfills
English C and D requirements. Four credit hours. L. STUBBS
EN357s Literature and Environment Introduces students to the history and diverse traditions of global environmental writing. By
analyzing this tradition, students will gain mastery over a range of methods for interpreting representations of nature,
human-environment relations, and nonhuman animals, with a focus on how these representations intersect with the history of
environmental racism and environmental justice movements. Topics may include the history of ecocriticism, ecopoetics, queer
ecologies, animal studies, posthumanism, and postcolonial ecocriticism. Fulfills English C requirement. Prerequisite: English 200 or
283. Four credit hours. L. TAFF
[EN358] Donning the Mask IN THE WAKE: The Persona Poem Brings new meaning to the popular phrase and hashtag "Stay
Woke." We will look at poetic works that use persona, personification, and/or dramatic monologue as the dominant literary device to
construct long poems and book-length narratives that re-imagine and reanimate historical figures and events that have had material
and sociopolitical consequences for the Black community. Christina Sharpe's wake theory will inform the reading of these poetry
collections. Through discussion, critical reflective writing, and poetic re-enactments we will examine how contemporary Black poets
don the "mask" to comment on our historical times and challenge us morally. Fulfills English D and P requirements. Freedom and
Captivity humanities theme course. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L, U.
[EN361] Victorian Outliers How did Victorians represent outlying humans, regions, and thoughts? And how did the outlier as
both an identity and an idea contribute to and even shape Victorian literature and culture? We will explore these questions through a
range of genres (including outlying genres): fiction, poetry, autobiography, travel narratives, journalism, and photography, as well as
contemporary rewritings of Victorian texts. Topics include, for example, anti-communitarian process, abnormality, the intersection of
racial categories, gender roles, and social stratification, and migration from and to the imperial periphery. Prerequisite: Any W1
course. Four credit hours. L.
[EN362] Energy and Utopia From the appearance of slavery in Thomas More's Utopia (1516) to the centrality of the alien energy
source "vibranium" in Nnedi Okorafor's Afro-futurist The Black Panther (2018), utopian narratives have been underwritten by the myth
of endless, free energy, and the elision of exhausted, disenfranchised labor. Considering this historical problem, we will ask what type
of political work is performed by the utopian genre today? To do so, this humanities lab will investigate literary, cinematic, and
theoretical examinations of our current climate, energy, and political crises. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Four credit
hours. L.
[EN363] The Enlightenment and the Anthropocene This seminar is guided by the question: Is the Anthropocene a product of
the Enlightenment? We will explore questions of what exactly "the Enlightenment" and "the Anthropocene" are, and when and where
slippages in our usage or understanding of these concepts cause confusion and error that can ripple across disciplines. Fulfills
English C and E requirements. Four credit hours. L.
[EN366] Writing the Crisis: Post-Apartheid Literature in Focus Ever wondered how the logic of racism operates in South
Africa? This course investigates postcolonial writing and aesthetic practices of South Africa after the legislative end of apartheid (1994
--). We examine the traumas of postcoloniality, paying attention to the aesthetic and ethical implications of these works. We'll also
explore the ethics and politics of witnessing; the impossibility and yet the absolute necessity of certain ethical gestures such as
hospitality, forgiveness, shame, and responsibility, all of which are at the core of the post-apartheid nation's self-image. Fulfills English
C and D requirements. Four credit hours. L, I.
EN368f Literary and Visual Narratives of Postcoloniality From a globally informed perspective, this class examines literary and
visual representations of the socio-political processes of colonialism. We explore the production and emergence of visual narratives
such as anti-colonial cinema in formerly colonized regions. We approach film and literature through a comparative lens as we analyze
counter-narratives to the ones established by "empire cinema." We trace the development of film as a critical mode of expression in
addressing notions of race, class, gender and nationhood. Reading both fiction and theoretical essays alongside one another, the
class introduces students to black experimental film and global contemporary visual vernaculars. Fulfills English C and D
requirements. Four credit hours. L, I. SHABANGU
[EN369] Reading Race Now in Theory and Contemporary Multiethnic American Literature An introduction to 21st-century
fiction, poetry, and drama by writers of color, providing opportunities to examine the innovative literary forms and styles through which
these writers represent racial and ethnic identity. Building an understanding of contemporary theories of racial formation, we will also
examine the ways in which literary representations of race and ethnicity intersect with gender and sexuality, class, ability, and nation in
the wake of major events, including the attack on the World Trade Center, the U.S. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Hurricane
Katrina. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L, U.
[EN370] Literature and Medicine: Voices from the Margins Explores what we can learn about the field of medicine from works
of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction that prioritize the perspectives of those most vulnerable and marginalized in mainstream
medicine. Thus, patient-centered narratives by people of color, people with disabilities, poor people, women, and queer and
genderqueer folks will be our focus, alongside theoretical readings from the fields of women of color feminism, critical disability
studies, and biopolitics. Our explorations in this Humanities Lab course will also include visits to the Art Museum and Special
Collections. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Boundaries and Margins humanities lab. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four
credit hours. L, U.
EN372s Black and Native Protest Literatures to 1900 Studies Black and Native protest traditions in North America, from
anti-colonial demands for emancipation and land sovereignty, through the organized battles against lynching, displacement,
segregation, boarding schools, and voter suppression. We'll learn how a range of textual forms, including speeches, petitions, short
stories, poems, and baskets protested anti-Black and anti-Native structures of power, and work closely with the Colby Museum's new
Pueblo-artist curated exhibit, 'Painted: Our Bodies, Hearts, and Village.' Throughout the semester, you'll be introduced to modes of
being-in-the-world that depose the hyper-individualist, extractive, and capitalist behaviors required to conquer, forcibly settle, and
enslave. Fulfills English C, D, and E requirements. Four credit hours. L, U. PLASENCIA
EN378f Fiction Writing II: Revision as Generation Advanced workshop on radical revision and adaptation. Students bring one
story through several iterations. Unit on 'micro' revision considers syntax as style and the art of subtext; unit on 'macro' revision asks
students to reimagine using new forms, genres, mediums. (What would this short story look like as flash? Poem? Podcast? Play?
Something else?) We notice how language, themes, areas of concerns, etc. change and grow as we experiment and adapt for
different audiences. Prerequisite: English 278. Four credit hours. BRAUNSTEIN
[EN378B] Fiction Writing II: Experiments in Perspective Focuses on narrative perspective and point of view. It asks: Why write
in the first-person versus the third? Why does one story call for an epic omniscient narration and another an immediate present tense?
Which comes first, the content or the form? We'll think/talk about POV in terms of craft and technique; we'll also discuss the
theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of our narrative devices. And we will find ourselves contending with critical corollary
questions: How do I write the not-me? The Other? Will I be believed? Am I allowed? Prerequisite: English 278. Four credit hours.
[EN378C] Fiction Writing II: Constrained Writing Course in constrained writing that looks at how work by the French Oulipo, Dr.
Seuss, present day New Yorker writers, and others play with and grow from restrictions. We'll read and write stories written around a
single phrase or assigned image, stories written with technological or linguistic constraints, borrowed form stories, and
more. Boundaries and Margins humanities theme course. Prerequisite: English 278. Four credit hours.
[EN378D] Fiction Writing II: Writing the Present Moment Climate change, the pandemic, MeToo, police brutality, Black Lives
Matter, toxic politics – how have fiction writers responded to the present moment in their fiction, and what obligation do you feel-if you
do feel it-to capture what is going on right now in your fiction? We'll look at writers who have taken on the challenge of writing about
the political and social realities of the moment, while also considering whether there are other ways to think about "the present
moment and writing," thanks to a meditation session with a guest teacher. We'll read the climate change issue of Guernica, the New
York Times Decameron series about the pandemic, and short work by Curtis Sittenfeld, Esme Wang, Te-Ping Chen, Jade Jones,
Susan Perabo, and others. Prerequisite: English 278. Four credit hours.
EN379s Poetry Writing II: Studies in Voice We will complicate the traditional workshop in this course with questions about what
we mean by "voice" in verse and by weekly interrogations of the voice(s) of a range of contemporary American poets working out of a
range of aesthetic sensibilities, aims, and ambitions. Who or what speaks in or through a poem? How do we know who or what that
"speaker" is? What makes the sound the speaker makes audible (or not)? Which speakers do we most want to listen to? Why? Fulfills
English P requirement. Prerequisite: English 279. Four credit hours. BLEVINS
[EN379A] Poetry Writing II: Poetry and Popular Music Our lives are infused with popular culture, so how do we use it for our
creative purposes? We will read full-length poetry collections that focus on the public and personal lives of music icons, their artistic
productions, and the ways in which their celebrated images invite us to interrogate our personal, social, and political realities. We will
examine how these published poets approach past and present icons in a manner that does not simply reiterate what we already
know but instead crafts a re-seeing of the popular subject with innovation and surprise. Creatively you will enact what these published
poets have done: use multiple poetic forms and techniques that incorporate research to write poems based on a popular music icon
whose artistry is impacting you and our times. Final project includes a portfolio of revised poems and a video
poem. Prerequisite: English 279. Four credit hours.
EN380s Creative Nonfiction Writing II Advanced course in creative nonfiction. Students will refine their knowledge of the types
and tropes of creative nonfiction, and will advance their ability to produce quality nonfiction, through the use of the workshop method.
Students will be urged to focus on memoir; personal, reflective, or juxtaposition essays; literary journalism; or adventure narratives.
Familiarity with particular examples of nonfiction, exercises, and intensive drafting and review of student work are
required. Prerequisite: English 280, other nonfiction or prose writing course. Four credit hours. A. ROYCHOUDHURI
[EN380A] Creative Nonfiction Writing: Flaneur: Actor/Witness Writers of Creative Nonfiction are sometimes participants,
sometimes witnesses, and often both. The literary figure of the flaneur (an idler or aimless stroller) represents the role of nonfiction
writers well, as writers wander back and forth from participating in the action, to being witnesses of it, documenters and interpreters of
what they encounter. Readings will illustrate how these roles function in published work, and exercises will allow students to practice
occupying them. Students will then draft complete pieces to be workshopped by the class, building towards a portfolio of polished
nonfiction by the end of the semester. Central to the course is each student's self-designed ambition and goal for the
semester. Prerequisite: English 280, other nonfiction or prose writing course. Four credit hours. A.
[EN382] Environmental Writing: Writing on Place: Special Topics Creative writing using the workshop method to teach
students about the principles, strategies, and achievements of writing about the relationship of human to nonhuman. Focus on the role
that place plays in that relationship. Students study professional models, draft exercises, workshop their peers' writings, and produce
finished essays and narratives for a final portfolio. Four credit hours. A.
EN386Cs Special Topics: Documentary Radio Do you like This American Life, You're Wrong About, Criminal, or any of the
classic or new podcasts out there? This is your chance to learn how to tell stories in sound. In this class, you will listen to and make a
variety of short documentary pieces. You'll learn how to use recording equipment, write radio scripts, interview on tape, edit. and mix
sound. You will get off campus, microphone in hand, and later produce radio essays, public service announcements, vox pops,
soundscapes, profiles, and/or features. Course includes readings about sound reporting and audio narrative. Humanities lab course.
Fulfills English C requirement. Four credit hours. SPARK
[EN386D] Special Topics: Prose Poem, Flash Fiction, Lyric Essay This part-imitation, part-workshop course explores the
potential for a greater and stranger range of expression by working at the border of the three major literary genres. Techniques from
theoretically opposing approaches--narrative, lyric, associative, persuasive, linear, fragmentary, and disjunctive--will be commingled in
an effort to renovate traditional definitions and constraints. Prerequisite: Any 200-level creative writing workshop course: English 278,
279, or 280. Four credit hours.
EN398s A Black American Opera Lab: The Poet's Libretto Historically, Black poets have been writing librettos for decades. In
this cultural moment, with a push to diversify operatic production, content, and accessibility, this course endeavors to collaboratively
consider the ways in which Black poets are reshaping and redefining the genre of opera. We will interrogate the aesthetics and
concerns of the Black American opera as well as the deep lyric tradition being reclaimed by Black poet-librettists. By critically
engaging the libretto as a poetic text, informed by guest lectures from scholars in the field, students will produce a course monograph
that serves to shed light on the ways Black poets are writing operas that keen and versify the American narrative. Fulfills English D
requirement. Prerequisite: English 200- or 300-level course. Four credit hours. L, U. WHITE
[EN411] Shakespeare on Screen An examination of Shakespeare's plays in the context of their lengthy film performance history
from the silent film era to postmodern adaptations. Testing Michael Andregg's assumption "that their relationship to language and to
what we characterize as 'the literary' may be the most notable characteristic of films derived from Shakespeare's plays," we will work
with several film adaptations and other screened versions. No prior knowledge of film necessary, but we will work with and analyze
film in the terminology of the field. Fulfills English C and E requirements. Four credit hours. L.
[EN413A] Author Course: Toni Morrison An intensive exploration of Toni Morrison's life, fiction, and nonfiction--eight novels,
collected essays/lectures, and short fiction--and their aesthetic and political location within the national discussion about race, class,
and gender, canonicity, and literary production. As a writer, teacher, and critic, Morrison positioned her work at the crossroads of
cultural criticism, insisting that we, her readers, look unflinchingly at issues that, in the African-American vernacular, "worry" all of her
writing--brutality, wholeness, love, community, cultural and political marginalization, and history. Like so many of her characters who
struggle to find a voice to speak the unspeakable, this course is predicated upon dialogue and critical inquiry. Fulfills English D
requirement. Four credit hours. L.
[EN413G] Author Course: Cormac McCarthy: Novels and Film Adaptations What Flannery O'Connor famously said in 1960
about the influence of William Faulkner's novels and stories on American writers may be said with equal force about the early
21st-century impact of Cormac McCarthy's fiction: "No one wants his mule and wagon stalled on the same track the Dixie Limited is
roaring down." O'Connor's paradoxically intimidating and inspiring caution is put to the test by close reading McCarthy's major novels
and their film adaptations, including All The Pretty Horses, The Road, and No Country For Old Men, that contribute to the ongoing
regional and national dialogue concerning violence and divinity, "being and nothingness," art and entropy. Fulfills English C
requirement. Four credit hours. L, U.
[EN413H] Author Course: Henry James and Edith Wharton Examines major works by two of the most famous writers of the
American literary tradition. The writers will be considered individually, in terms of how biographical information and critical responses
(both at the time of each text's publication and today) help us to understand key themes and literary projects, paying special attention
to gender and sexuality. We will also consider the fascinating close friendship between these two writers, and how this relationship
shaped their work. Fulfills English D requirement. Four credit hours. L.
EN413Is Author Course: Colson Whitehead "The unfettered imagination," a phrase Edward P. Jones coins to describe his own
creative process, applies with equal eloquence to Colson Whitehead's remarkable, eclectic fusion of fiction that hybridizes
speculative, historical, gothic, magical realism, noir drama into what Whitehead casually calls "experimental writing." Whitehead writes
first for an audience of one-as an act of self-discovery-then outward, centrifugally, to as many audiences of diverse readers as an
imagination unfettered by conventional narrative practices or topics allows. Nine novels, and one collection of essays, thus far, that
provocatively explore systemic racism; a zombie apocalypse; urban elevator inspectors who solve crimes; American slavery; games
and gaming; and the institutional exploitation, abuse, and murder of children both black and white. Our broad objective will be to read
Colson Whitehead both within and against modernist and postmodernist writers and practices he affirms and (willfully) revises. Fulfills
English C and D requirements. Four credit hours. L. BRYANT
[EN413S] Author Course: Two Early 19th-Century Novelists: Scott and Austen The origins of the Victorian novel, exploring
themes of race, class, and the narrative structure that would shape the social and literary structures of classic narratives. The
preconditions of the female-centered plot, ideological uses of raced identities, the Austen heroine, and the origins of feminism and
commodity culture will be considered through literary and film versions. Fulfills English C requirement. Three credit hours. L.
[EN422] Queer Theory and U.S. Literatures and Cultures Students will develop an advanced understanding of key concepts
and movements in queer theory, an interdisciplinary field of critical theory that has had wide-ranging effects. As we move through
major works, we will review their theoretical underpinnings: women of color feminism, poststructuralism, psychoanalysis, and historical
materialism. We will explore queer theory's relationship to and influence on American literary and cultural studies and will develop
sophisticated skills for engaging in original theoretical analyses of creative texts, influenced by new developments including queer of
color critique, queer ecology, crip theory, and trans studies. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Prerequisite: A course focusing on
critical theory or theories of gender/sexuality such as English 271, WGSS 201 or 232, or another with instructor approval. Four credit
hours. L, U.
[EN442] U.S. Orientalisms and Arab American Literature What assumptions do Americans make about the Middle East and
Arabs, and how have these beliefs been shaped by literary representations? What topics do 20th- and 21st-century Arab American
writers explore and how are these writers in dialogue with the history of Orientalist expression? Reading texts by writers such as Tyler,
Irving, Poe, Melville, and Twain depicting the Middle East and the Islamic regions of North Africa, we will be attentive to "the Arab" and
"the Arabesque" as unstable terms in relation to racial constructs of darkness and whiteness, and normative categories of gender and
sexuality. After examining paintings and films, we will turn to texts produced by Arab Americans themselves. Interested non-majors
are welcome. Fulfills English C and D requirements. Four credit hours. L, U.
[EN457] American Gothic Literature Horror, especially gothic horror of the American variety, always masquerades as something
else; it can usually be found "playing in the dark," in Toni Morrison's phrase, or beneath a monster-other mask. Surveying horror's
effects--the narrative strategies that make horror fiction so horrifying--is a focus, but emphasis is on learning to use various critical
tools, Jungian myth, psychoanalytical, feminist, and race criticism to explore the deeper, semiotic relation of signs and signifying that
codify the cultural meaning behind the monster masks--werewolves, shape-shifters, vampires, succubi, demons, and (extra)terrestrial
aliens--that conceal a humanity too terrifying to confront consciously. Prerequisite: W1 course. Four credit hours. L, U.
[EN482] Honors Proseminar Practicum for students undertaking senior honors theses in English. Prerequisite: Concurrent
enrollment in English 483 or 484. Two credit hours.
EN483f, EN484js Honors Thesis An independent, substantial project approved by the English Department or the Creative
Writing Program. The student will work in close consultation with a faculty member. Students are responsible for selecting their faculty
tutor and submitting their proposal by May of their junior year. Prerequisite: A 3.25 grade point average in the major and approval from
a faculty tutor. Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
[EN483J] Honors Thesis Noncredit.
EN491f, EN492s Independent Study Individual projects exploring topics for which the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of a project advisor and the chair of the department. One to
four credit hours. FACULTY
[EN493] Seminar Four credit hours.
EN493As Seminar: Literature and the 'Global South' Reading fiction, essays and mixed media from or concerning 'the global
south'-- Latin America, the Caribbean, South Asia and Africa -- we will examine how writers and thinkers take up the aesthetic and
political issues spawned by the concept of the global south. We examine the logic of hemispheric development and
underdevelopment and think historically and theoretically about the interventions made to terms such as 'local,' 'global', 'state' and
'nation.' Fulfills English C requirement. Four credit hours. L. SHABANGU
[EN493B] Seminar: Beyond Borders in American Literature and Culture We will explore the perils and possibilities of border
crossings, the dreams of those who traverse and thereby stretch the limits, and the rewards and repercussions of their journeys as
represented in American literature and film. Theoretical readings from border studies, comparative race and ethnic studies,
environmental humanities, and gender and queer studies will animate and inform our close analyses of literary works including Maxine
Hong Kingston's China Men, Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, and Karen Tei Yamashita's Tropic of Orange, and films including Sleep
Dealer (Alex Rivera), Maquilapolis (Vicky Funari and Sergio de la Torre), and The Aggressives (Daniel Peddle). Fulfills English C and
D requirements. Four credit hours. L.
[EN493E] Seminar: Digital Manuscript Studies Takes a critical digital humanities approach to manuscript studies and introduces
students to a variety of tools for the analysis of early books. Focuses both the contents and the material form of British Library MS
Additional 37049, a manuscript made in Yorkshire, England near the end of the fifteenth century. The collection brings together a wide
variety of late medieval texts, including both prose and verse, many accompanied by vivid--if somewhat unrefined--illustrations
depicting religious figures, decaying bodies, and the fate of souls in the afterlife. No prior knowledge of medieval literature is required.
Fulfills English C and E requirements. Four credit hours.
[EN493G] Seminar: Poetry and Cognition Long before psychology and neuroscience were fields of study, poets experimented
with language and the brain, discovering ways to engage attention and amplify memory. It makes sense therefore to ask what insights
poetry and cognitive science might offer each other now. We'll invite to our table poetry from the Renaissance to the present along
with readings from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics and philosophy of mind. We will focus in particular on poetry as a
non-electronic yet mighty (because cognition-savvy) technology for bringing together minds and voices not living in the same shares
of spacetime. Fulfills English C and P requirements. Four credit hours. L.
EN493Hs Seminar: How to Do Things With 18th Century Poetry In eighteenth-century Britain, poetry could be goading,
satirical, philosophical, and strategically pitched to achieve poignant, real-world effects. This course covers eighteenth-century poetry
with an emphasis on its rhetorical strategies and functions, providing an understanding of what it looks like for poetry to do. We will
read and discuss poetry's historical and political contexts and supplement our readings with work on rhetoric (persuasive writing and
speech) and speech act theory (the intersection of writing, speaking, and doing). Fulfills English E requirement. Four credit
hours. L. HANLON
[EN493I] Seminar: Narrating Deep Time Can we tell stories that span 1,000, 10,000, or a million years? Can lived experience be
contextualized not only by our social worlds but by unfolding geological and evolutionary temporalities? What formal techniques-time
lapse, montage, allegory-might be used to convey that our creaturely fragility is shared not only with species contemporaneous to us,
but with species extinct before we ever knew them? Guided by these and other questions, this Humanities Lab will analyze the central
role of narrative in apprehending environmental impacts that unfold across deep time. Utilizing contemporary ecofeminist and
environmental theories, we will consider the relationship between time, narrative, and character in novels by Hanya Yanagihara,
Octavia Butler, Virginia Woolf, and H.G. Wells. Fulfills C, D, and LE requirements. Four credit hours.
[EN493J] Seminar: Gender and Genre in Victorian Literature We will read Victorian novels and poems that will disrupt our
common sense of what Victorian culture is all about. Were the Victorians really prudish? How did they understand race and sexuality?
How and when were they wildly experimental as writers? As we think about these questions we will also learn to practice immersive
reading. We will begin with Tennyson's In Memoriam and engage with significant novels and long poems by Eliot, Gaskell or Dickens,
the Brownings, and George Meredith, ending with the poetry and prose of Oscar Wilde. We will also consider remakes in the form of
film and contemporary fiction. Fulfills English C requirement. Four credit hours. L.
[EN493K] Seminar: The Complications of Jonathan Swift Best known for his acerbic satires, "A Modest Proposal"
and Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift was a prolific writer across genres. In the 18th century he was well known for his wry and at
times profane poetry, his political pamphlets, and his dynamic prose fiction. He was also the subject of much gossip surrounding his
romantic affairs and much speculation about his complicated political and national allegiances. We'll examine the life and writings of
Swift--satire, poetry, pamphleteering, novelistic writing, science fiction--with emphasis on what reading the multifaceted Swift today
teaches us about contingency, identity, and the in/stability of meaning. Accordingly, we will ask and answer: to what extent are Swift's
complications also our own? Fulfills English C and E requirements. Four credit hours. L.
[EN493L] Seminar: Women, Science, and Politics in 17th C Literature Can a poet, or a poem, do science? Does gender
matter when we're talking about early modern science and politics in England? In this seminar, we will explore the poems and other
writings of three poets who might have said "yes" to both of these questions: Hester Pulter, Margaret Cavendish, and John Milton. We
will investigate the impacts of the English Civil Wars and Lucretius's De Rerum Natura on these poets' work, and examine their
unconventional theories about scientia, natural philosophy, erotic desire and marriage, monarchy and the gender of political
subjecthood, biblical and artistic creation, and humans and their relations to nonhumans. Fulfills P, E, and LE requirements. Four
credit hours.
EN493Mf Seminar: Phillis Wheatley and her Literary Afterlives Phillis Wheatley (Peters) was twenty and enslaved in 1773
when she published a book of poetry that challenged the racialized assumptions of her era. She has since become a literary
foremother who's influenced Black theologians, activists, creative writers, artists, and scholars. This course brings Wheatley's poetry
into conversation with the 230+ years of creative and scholarly work she inspired, including the contemporary poetry of Drea Brown,
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, and Tiana Clark. Students will read Wheatley's oeuvre, including her elegies, war poetry, and letters-and a
considerable body of scholarship that meditates on our methods of reading her. Fulfills English C, D, and P
requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course and English 200 or 271. Four credit hours. L, U. PLASENCIA
EN493Nf Seminar: 17th-century Literature and the Natural World Explores English literature written during the scientific
revolution, including Shakespeare's King Lear, poems and prose by 17th-c. women, and Milton's Paradise Lost. How do these texts
imagine the natural world and the human within it? How do they propose or challenge boundaries between human and non-human
animals? How do attitudes toward the environment emerge, change and persist in literary history and more broadly in the history of
ideas? We seek answers through lively reading strategies, creative exercises, and research both online and in Special Collections
archives. Fulfills English E, LE, and P requirements. Four credit hours. L. SAGASER
[EN493P] Seminar: Britain in India, India in Britain in the Long Nineteenth Century Reading fiction, essays and poems by
British and Indian writers written between 1780 and 1920, we'll examine how empire was both created and resisted. Texts include
poems by Indian and British writers, novels by a variety of writers from C. Bronte to Rabindranath Tagore, and as well as writing in the
periodical press in India and Britain. The course will raise broader questions about power, gender, race, and language. Fulfills English
C requirement. Four credit hours. L.
[EN493Q] Seminar: American Gothicism in the Neo-Slave Narrative Tradition The Neo-Slave Narratives of the long-20th
century repeat and revise the critical debate in the 19th century about humanity and monstrosity; self-reliance and national allegiance;
and domination and dominion that inform the relentlessly fraught, quintessentially "American" questions about "black matters" and the
politics of personal and collective identity. Using Edgar Allan Poe's provocative tropes of blackness and Emily Dickinson's miscellany
of "gothic" poems to historically ground and aesthetically frame this broad topic, our senior seminar will explore the crucial difference
four remarkable 20th century reconstructions of slavery (and 19th century) through the literary imagination have made to American
democracy in theory and practice: Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad; Edward P. Jones' The Known World; Gayle
Jones' Corregidora; and Toni Morrison's Beloved. Fulfills English D requirement. Four credit hours. L.
[EN493R] Seminar: Toni Morrison An intensive exploration of Toni Morrison's life, fiction, and non-fiction--seven novels,
collected essays/lectures, and short fiction--in terms of diverse Modern and Postmodern cultural issues. These concerns intersect
race, class, and gender, the debate about canonicity, literary tradition(s), and the politics of literary production. As a writer, teacher,
and critic, Toni Morrison has positioned her work at the crossroads of current cultural criticism, insisting that we, her readers, look
unflinchingly at issues that, in the African American vernacular, "worry" all of her writing--brutality, wholeness, love, community, cultural
and political marginalization, and history. Like so many of her characters, who struggle to find a voice to speak the unspeakable, this
course is predicated upon dialogue and critical inquiry. Fulfills English D requirement. Four credit hours. L.
Environmental Studies Department
The Environmental Studies Department offers interdisciplinary majors in environmental policy, environmental science, and
environmental computation as well as a minor that can be elected by majors in any discipline
The Environmental Studies Department at Colby was founded in 1971 and has received national recognition for its innovative,
research-based curriculum that engages students with complex environmental issues at Colby, in Maine, and around the world. The
department encourages and supports student environmental initiatives. Resources are available to support student internships,
research experiences, and initiatives. A majority of students study abroad.
We are committed to a curriculum that engages students in learning about environmental justice and environmental racism, as well as
listening, responding to, and amplifying perspectives from vulnerable and marginalized communities. We greatly value diversity
among our community, and we are committed to strengthening diversity in environmental studies.
A strategic partnership between Colby and the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences has expanded educational and research
opportunities in marine sciences for students. The partnership includes a semester of study in residence at Bigelow, on-campus
courses taught by Bigelow research scientists, student research opportunities, and curricular innovations that combine scientific
research with economic and social policy analysis.
The Environmental Studies Department curriculum emphasizes inquiry-based learning and original research. Each major provides a
broad-based course of study that combines interdisciplinary breadth and focus-area depth to prepare graduates to understand and to
address complex environmental challenges. Each major is flexible and enables students to pursue their individual academic goals and
interests. The interdisciplinary nature of our curriculum is enhanced by close ties to many departments and programs in the natural
sciences, social sciences, humanities, and other interdisciplinary programs. Our curriculum benefits from our Maine location, including
access to diverse natural areas and unique access to government, research, nonprofit, and business institutions. Our graduates are
prepared to take leadership positions in businesses, nonprofits, consulting firms, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Many of our graduates complete postgraduate or professional study in environmental sciences/studies/management, ecology,
limnology, international development, law, marine science and oceanography, medicine, natural resource conservation and
management, planning, public health, public policy, and other related areas.
A student may elect only one of the majors offered by the Environmental Studies Department. A student cannot elect both the
chemistry: environmental science concentration and an environmental science major with an environmental chemistry focus.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Justin Becknell
Program Faculty and Staff: Professors Whitney King (Chemistry) and Philip Nyhus, Associate Professors Justin Becknell, Denise
Bruesewitz, Karena McKinney (Chemistry), Stacy-ann Robinson; Assistant Professors Alison Bates, Gail Carlson, Caitlin Cleaver, and
Aleja Ortiz; Visiting Assistant Professors Amanda Gallinat; Laboratory Instructor II Abby Pearson; Program Coordinator Lindsey
Cotter; Research Scientist Manuel Gimond; Administrative Assistant Leslie Lima.
Affiliated Faculty and Staff: Professors Catherine Bevier (Biology), Michael Donihue (Economics), Mary Ellis Gibson (English), Mary
Beth Mills (Anthropology), Tanya Sheehan (Art), Judy Stone (Biology), and Hong Zhang (East Asian Studies); Associate Professors
Keith Peterson (Philosophy) and Matthew Schneider-Mayerson (English); Assistant Professors Allison Barner (Biology), Greg Drozd
(Chemistry), Bess Koffman (Geology), Benjamin D. Lisle (American Studies), Jennifer Meredith (Economics), Chris Moore (Biology),
and Chris Walker (English); Visiting Assistant Professor Bruce Rueger (Geology); Senior Lab Instructor in Biology Sarah Gibbs
Staffiere (Biology); Bigelow Senior Scientists Pete Countway, David Emerson, Nichole Price, Doug Rasher, and Benjamin Twining.
Requirements
The Environmental Studies Department adopted new requirements for the environmental policy and environmental science majors in
Spring 2023. Students who declared the major prior to this may continue with the previous major structure, as outlined on the
Environmental Studies website, or adopt the new structure.
Requirements for the Major in Environmental Policy
The interdisciplinary environmental policy major provides a broad exploration of the many facets of environmental challenges, with an
extensive introduction to the study of U.S. and international environmental policy. Students combine a foundation course in
environmental studies with core courses in environmental economics, U.S. environmental policy and law, international environmental
policy and politics, statistics, and ecology. Diverse electives allow students to explore topics such as conservation, climate change
adaptation, energy, environmental justice, marine and freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, public health, and the environmental
humanities. The senior capstone course provides a hands-on approach to environmental policy research.
No requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. AP credit can fulfill core course requirements based on exam
performance and coverage. Courses not listed below, such as those offered by some off-campus study programs, may count toward
the major pending prior approval by the department chair. Up to two courses may be counted toward the major from approved
semester-long off-campus study programs (one environmental science course and one elective, or two electives).
Foundation Courses:
● ES118 Environment and Society or ES126 Environmental Activism
● ES233 Environmental Policy
● ES234 International Environmental Policy
● EC133 Microeconomics
● EC231 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
● ES270 Applied Ecology or BI/ES271 Ecology
● One additional environmental science course: a 200 level or higher environmental science-focused courses that do not have
BI271 Ecology as a pre-requisite
o ES236 Agroecosystems; ES239 Seafood Forensics; ES244 Marine Communities; ES265 Global Public Health; ES276 Global
Change Ecology; ES297 Ocean Forecasting; ES319 Conservation Biology; ES323 Sustainability Science; ES358 Ecological Field
Study Jan Plans; ES364 Climate Change, Justice, & Health; ES365 Wildlife and Conservation in Namibia; ES366 Pollution and
Human Health; approved off-campus study course
Analytical Tools and Methods:
● SC212 Introduction to Statistics and Data Science
● One additional course that focus on quantitative or qualitative methods, or an analytical tool such as GIS
o ES212 Introduction to GIS & Remote Sensing; ES214 Introduction to GIS & Spatial Analysis; ES218 Exploratory Data Analysis in
R; GO281 Concepts and Methods of Political Science Research; EC293 Research Methods and Statistics for Economics; SO326
Historical Sociology; SO367 Art and Science of Data Analysis; SO372 Qualitative Research Methods; AY313 Researching Cultural
Diversity; SC306 Topics in Epidemiology; SC321 Statistical Modeling; SC326 Statistical Graphics and Principles of Visualization
Electives:
● Four 200 level or higher ES courses
o One must be 300 level
o May include up to two courses from off-campus study
Culminating Experiences:
● Research Capstone ES493 Environmental Policy Practicum
● ES401/402 Colloquium (1 credit across the year; engagement with ES seminar series)
Requirements for the Major in Environmental Science
The interdisciplinary environmental science major includes foundation courses and core courses in environmental studies, biology and
ecology, chemistry, and mathematics. Students gain interdisciplinary understanding in two courses that cover the human dimensions
of environmental challenges, including environmental policy, economics, and environmental humanities. Environmental science
majors may work with their advisor to develop a thematic framework for their upper-level elective courses (e.g. forest ecosystems,
marine ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems, biodiversity, conservation, climate change). See the Environmental Studies Department
website for details on suggested courses for themes. Students are welcome to develop thematic pathways unique to their interests.
The senior capstone course provides a hands-on approach to environmental science research in local freshwater, marine, or
terrestrial ecosystems.
No requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. AP credit can fulfill core course requirements based on exam
performance and coverage. Courses not listed below, such as those offered by some off-campus study programs, may count toward
the major pending prior approval by the department chair. Up to two courses may be counted toward the major from approved
semester-long off-campus study programs (one Human Dimensions course and one elective, or two electives).
Foundation Courses:
● ES118 Environment and Society or ES126 Environmental Activism
● BI163 Cellular Basis of Life
● BI164 Evolution and Diversity
● BI271 Ecology
● CH121 Earth Systems Chemistry I or CH141 General Chemistry I (or CH147 Comprehensive General Chemistry)
● CH122 Earth Systems Chemistry II or CH142 General Chemistry II
● MA120 or higher Calculus
Analytical Tools and Methods
● SC212 Introduction to Statistics and Data Science
● One additional course that focus on quantitative methods or an analytical tool such as GIS
o ES212 Introduction to GIS & Remote Sensing; ES214 Introduction to GIS & Spatial Analysis; ES218 Exploratory Data
Analysis in R; CS151 Computational Thinking: Visual Media or CS152 Computational Thinking: Science; BI382 Population
Modeling; SC306 Topics in Epidemiology; SC321 Statistical Modeling; SC326 Statistical Graphics and Principles of
Visualization
Human Dimensions
● Select two courses with a focus on environmental policy, environmental economics, or environmental humanities, 200 level
or higher
ES233 Environmental Policy; ES234 International Environmental Policy; ES238 Renewable Energy Systems;ES242 Marine
Conservation and Policy; ES265 Global Public Health; ES325 Environmental Justice; ES344 Marine Fisheries Management; ES345
Offshore Energy; ES364 Climate Change, Justice & Health; ES366 Pollution and Human Health; ES368 Global Climate Policy; EC231
Environmental & Natural Resource Economics; EN283 Stories of Crisis and Resilience; EN357 Literature and Environment; other
200-level or higher Environmental Humanities courses*; approved off-campus study course
*The environmental humanities course list is maintained by the Environmental Humanities Initiative
Electives
● Four environmental science courses that are 200 level or higher
o At least one must be 300 level
o At least one must have a laboratory component
o 2 must be ES courses. Others may be environmental science courses from other departments (i.e. Biology, Chemistry,
Geology), off-campus study, or Bigelow semester program courses
Culminating Experiences
● Research Capstone ES494 Environmental Science Research Experience or Bigelow Semester Independent Research
● ES401/402 Colloquium (one credit across the year; engagement with ES seminar series)
Requirements for the Major in Environmental Studies Computation
The interdisciplinary major in environmental computation provides an introduction to environmental studies as a discipline as well as
training in computational techniques used in environmental policy and science. Students become familiar with quantitative tools used
to investigate environmental problems. The major is designed to provide students with proficiency in computational thinking, the
analysis and understanding of environmental systems, challenges, and solutions, and in the design and implementation of algorithms
for modeling and analysis. Students gain experience applying computational thinking and statistical methods to a diverse spectrum of
topics in environmental studies and are introduced to the complexity of coupled human and natural systems and diverse
computational methods. Diverse electives allow students to explore environmental topics in depth, including agriculture and food,
conservation science, energy and climate, environmental humanities, marine and freshwater conservation, and public health.
Students interested in this major are encouraged to take Environmental Studies 118 (spring) in their first year, Computer Science 151
or 152 or 153, and 231 (fall or spring), and 251 or 252 (spring) in their first year, and one or more Environmental Studies electives in
their second year. No requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Advanced Placement credits can fulfill core
course requirements based on exam performance and coverage. Exemption from Environmental Studies 118 is granted with an AP
test score of 4 or 5, allowing advanced placement into other courses. Courses not listed below, such as those offered by some
off-campus study programs, may count toward the major pending approval of the department chair. Up to two courses may be
counted toward the major from approved off-campus study programs. Courses counted in one section cannot also be counted in
another section (e.g., a 200-level Environmental Studies courses used as a Foundational Course cannot also be counted as an
Application Course).
Students should consult with the Environmental Studies Department director or their Computer Science advisor when planning their
course of study, including capstone experience.
I. Required Foundational Courses (four courses)
Computer Science
● 151 Computational Thinking: Visual Media or
● 152 Computational Thinking: Science (recommended) or
● 153 Computational Thinking: Smart Systems and
● 231 Data Structures and Algorithms
Environmental Studies
● 118 Environment and Society and
● One 200-level course (e.g., 233, 234, 242, 244, 265, 271, 276, 283)
II. Required Modeling and Analysis Courses (four courses)
Computer Science
● 321 Software Engineering
● 251 Data Analysis and Visualization or 252 Mathematical Data Analysis and Visualization and one from the following:
● 330 Database Design, Development, and Deployment
● 341 Systems Biology or
● 343 Neural Networks or
● 346 Modeling and Simulation or
● 365 Computer Vision
● or other course approved by advisor
Environmental Studies
● 212 Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing or
● 214 Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis
Mathematics and Statistics
● Statistics 212 Introduction to Statistical Methods or
● Mathematics, any four-credit calculus class numbered MA 160 or above
III. Application Courses (five courses)
Five courses selected from the following:
Computer Science
At least one and up to two courses at the 300 level or above
Environmental Studies
At least three and up to four courses not also counted elsewhere to provide depth in an application area. Recommended application
groupings include: conservation and resources (e.g., 319, 338, 344), ecosystem ecology (e.g., 276, 366), energy and climate (e.g.,
217, 276, 3XX), environmental justice (e.g., 364, 325), public health (e.g., 265, 364, 366), and water resources (marine and
freshwater) (e.g., 242, 244, 356). Courses from the Bigelow Semester can count toward this requirement; up to two courses from
study abroad can be counted toward this requirement with prior approval from the director of the Environmental Studies Department.
At least one course must be at the 300 level.
Mathematics and Statistics
One course selected from the following
● Statistics
○ 321 Statistical Modeling
● Mathematics
○ 253 Linear Algebra
○ 262 Vector Calculus
○ 311 Ordinary Differential Equations
○ 332 Numerical Analysis
IV. Culminating Experience
Environmental Studies
● 401, 402 Environmental Studies Colloquium (one credit for the year)
One capstone selected from the following determined in consultation with the student’s advisor:
● Computer Science 4xx or
● Environmental Studies 493 Environmental Policy Practicum or
● Environmental Studies 494 Research Experience in Environmental Science
Environmental Studies 401 and 402 provide one credit for the senior year and typically are taken in addition to a normal four-course
semester.
Students are strongly encouraged to participate in relevant on- and off-campus opportunities, including research projects, civic
engagement, internships, field studies, and other opportunities to complement their academic work. Environmental Studies majors
may apply for Environmental Studies Department financial assistance to participate in relevant research or internship opportunities.
Requirements for Honors in Environmental Studies
Environmental Studies majors with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.7 at the end of the January Term of the junior year
or with special program approval are eligible to apply for the Environmental Studies Honors Research Program. Interested students
should contact a faculty sponsor during the spring semester of the junior year to discuss a project. Students who are studying abroad
in the spring should try to make initial contact with a potential sponsor in the spring via email but may complete their proposal in the
fall at the beginning of the academic year. If the faculty sponsor and the department chair approve a proposed project, students will
register for ES483 (Honors Project) in the fall semester and Jan Plan. During the fall, students must write a thesis proposal, have it
approved by the Environmental Studies faculty, and make progress on their research. Students approved by the Environmental
Studies Department will continue their research during the spring semester in Environmental Studies 484 (Honors Project). A
maximum of eight credits for honors research is allowed for the entire year. Additional details are provided on the Environmental
Studies Department website.
Students enrolled in Environmental Studies 493 or 494 may petition the program to expand their independent study for these courses
into an honors project to be conducted in January and the spring semester.
Successful completion of the honors program will include an approved thesis, an oral presentation at the Colby Liberal Arts
Symposium, a successful thesis defense, and the completion of the required coursework for the major. Students fulfilling these
requirements will graduate with “Honors in Environmental Studies.” In cases where requirements for honors have not been fulfilled at
the end of the spring semester, Environmental Studies 483 and 484 (Honors Research) will revert to a graded Environmental Studies
491/291/492 (Independent Study).
Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Studies
The Environmental Studies (ES) minor allows students from all areas of study to explore environmental issues. With the ES minor,
students engage in cross-disciplinary thinking and have the flexibility to choose courses that complement their interests. AP credit in a
relevant subject allows advanced placement but it does not reduce the number of courses required for the minor. Students who
receive an AP 4 or 5 for environmental science do not have to take Environmental Studies 118 but must take an additional ES course
at the 200-300 level.
Requirements are:
● ES118
● Four ES courses at the 200-300 level. At least one must be a 300-level course, and students may include one
environmentally focused course from another department, program, or from an approved study-abroad program by petition to the ES
minor advisor.
Course Offerings
ES118s Environment and Society An introduction to the multi study of the relationship between humans and the world around
us. Through an examination of the most pressing environmental problems--such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and
environmental racism--students will be introduced to methods and key concepts of Environmental Studies. Through lectures, case
studies, and collaborative work, students will assess the strengths and weaknesses of approaching environmental problems from the
sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and gain tools to work toward a more just environmental future. Four credit
hours. BECKNELL, ROBINSON, SCHNEIDER-MAYERSON
[ES120C] Ecology and Natural History in Maine: Thoreau to Rachel Carson Explores the ecology and natural history of Maine
through the writings of four well-known scientists and writers: Henry David Thoreau, Kate Furbish, Robert MacArthur, and Rachel
Carson. Their observations of Maine's plants, wildlife, and environment sparked ideas about environmental activism and ecological
theory that are still considered foundational. We will read their original Maine writing, consider the intended audiences, and place their
scientific work in the context of land use change, the professionalization of science, and the western conservation movement. We will
practice our own natural history observations. Finally, we will consider the role of writing in ecology: how does good writing contribute
to good science and vice versa? Four credit hours. W1.
[ES122] Environmental Impacts of Pandemics on Human and Natural Systems Investigates the environmental impacts of
pandemics, on scales ranging from the personal to global, and will place students' personal experiences with the recent coronoavirus
crisis into a larger perspective. This recent crisis has affected the entire planet, precipitating changes in mobility, resource use, and
government, with lasting impacts on human and natural environments for decades to come. Changes in fossil fuel use, personal
consumption of manufactured goods, the structure of government, and social integration across groups and nations could change the
way we live across the planet, with significant lasting impacts on the environment. This course will investigate the scope of those
changes. Three credit hours.
[ES126] Environmental Activism An introduction to the history, theory, and practice of environmental activism, incorporating both
global and local perspectives. We focus on individual activists, grassroots groups, indigenous people, and large environmental
organizations, analyze their motivations, strategies, and experiences, and determine how their actions have sparked effective social,
political, and environmental change. We explore the social phenomena that underlay environmental activism, taking an
interdisciplinary approach that encompasses history, environmental justice, social movement theory, political theory, public policy, and
communications. We make significant use of primary source narratives by activists and communities on the front-lines of
environmental struggles. We will place particular emphasis on climate and energy activism. Energy/Exhaustion humanities theme
course. Prerequisite: First-year standing. Four credit hours. S.
[ES143] Sustainable and Socially Responsible Business Provides a broad overview of sustainable and socially responsible
business principles and the ways in which companies incorporate them. Also introduces sustainable and socially responsible
investment strategies and reviews their potential impact and effectiveness. Through a series of readings, lectures, guest speakers,
and real-world case studies, students are exposed to the issues and opportunities facing green businesses. Includes small-group and
individual presentations. Three credit hours.
[ES151] Landscapes and Meaning: An Exploration of Environmental Writing An exploration of the works of selected
20th-century environmental writers and how their life experiences contribute to a sense of connection with and action on behalf of the
Earth. Through readings, film, writing assignments, group discussion, and journaling, students will develop critical thinking and
communication skills while reflecting on their own personal relationship with nature. Three credit hours. L.
[ES153] Environmental Approaches to Antiquity Listed as Classics 153. Four credit hours. H.
ES161f Introduction to Ocean Science Listed as Geology 161. Four credit hours. N. TWINING
ES211f Taxonomy of Flowering Plants Listed as Biology 211. Four credit hours. STONE
ES212s Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing A comprehensive theoretical and practical introduction to the fundamental
principles of geographic information systems and remote sensing digital image processing. Topics include data sources and models,
map scales and projections, spatial analysis, elementary satellite image interpretation and manipulation, and global positioning
systems. Current issues and applications of GIS, with emphasis on environmental topics. Students develop and carry out independent
projects using GIS. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Not open to students who have completed Environmental Studies
214 or 214J. Four credit hours. NYHUS
ES214f Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis An introduction to geographic information systems' (GIS) data management
and visualization capabilities as well as the theory and application of spatial analysis techniques. Topics covered include spatial data
representation in a GIS, effective map making, coordinate systems and projections, exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), and
spatial statistical analysis. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Not open to students who have completed Environmental
Studies 212 or 214J. Four credit hours. GIMOND
ES214Jj Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis An introduction to geographic information systems' (GIS) data management
and visualization capabilities as well as the theory and application of spatial analysis techniques. Topics covered include spatial data
representation in a GIS, effective map making, coordinate systems and projections, exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), and
spatial statistical analysis. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Not open to students who have completed Environmental
Studies 212 or 214. Three credit hours. GIMOND
[ES215] Weather, Climate, and Society Listed as Science, Technology, and Society 215. Four credit hours. N.
[ES216] Philosophy of Nature Listed as Philosophy 216. Four credit hours.
[ES217] Environmental Chemistry Listed as Chemistry 217. Three credit hours.
ES218s Exploratory Data Analysis in R Exploratory data analysis employs methods such as robust data summaries and data
visualization to isolate important patterns and features in the data to shed light on the phenomena being investigated. Students will
learn the building blocks of effective graphic design for data exploration and for publication using the R programming environment.
They will also learn how to manipulate and restructure complex data sets (including spatial data) for data analysis. Students will
use R and RStudio to generate dynamic reports that will integrate both analysis and presentation with a strong emphasis on
reproducible research. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Four credit hours. GIMOND
[ES219] Architectural Design Workshop Listed as Art 218. Three credit hours.
[ES224] Creative Environmental Storytelling Explores the roles of awe, mindfulness, and active imagination in environmental
writing. Students will be encouraged to access their "inner hermit" and explore how, as biological beings, we can create effective
storytelling to envision a future where all life thrives. Students will explore the writings of others and practice writing their own stories.
Introduces the idea of the evolutionary body and how it can relate to effective engagement for positive environmental change.
Previously offered as Environmental Studies 297C (Jan Plan 2019). Three credit hours.
ES228f Nature and the Built Environment Listed as American Studies 228. Four credit hours. H. LISLE
ES231s Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Listed as Economics 231. Four credit hours. MEREDITH
ES233f Environmental Policy A comprehensive and interdisciplinary introduction to the process and challenges of developing,
implementing, and evaluating environmental policy. The roles of costs and benefits, uncertainty and risks, science and technology,
and attitudes and ethics are explored. Historic and contemporary case studies are used to examine major institutions and actors, laws
and regulations, incentives and enforcement approaches, and their role in addressing our nation's most pressing environmental
problems. Students complete a semester-long research assignment. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118 or 126. Four credit
hours. NYHUS
ES234s International Environmental Policy The principles and rules relating to environmental protection are one of the fastest
growing areas of international law. Introducing students to key foundational principles, governance structures, and regulatory
techniques, this course will explore each of the major areas of international environmental regulation through case studies and
analyses of international environmental treaties relating to, for example, atmospheric protection, climate change, and freshwater and
marine resources. The ever-increasing overlap with other areas of international law such as human rights and trade will also be
explored. Special attention will be paid to the perspectives of countries in the Global South, and to the justice implications of
international environmental law and policy. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118 or 126. Four credit hours. I. ROBINSON
[ES236] Agroecosystems Agriculture in the 21st century must increase productivity to feed a growing human population and
reduce its environmental impact, all while the climate changes and available arable land declines. Agroecosystems will explore the
science behind the solutions to this problem with a survey of agroecology, soil science, meteorology, and hydrology. We will discuss
novel perspectives on agricultural ecosystems, the balance of global land use, and examine how traditional and high-tech approaches
to food production might be the key to feeding humanity with a smaller footprint. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118. Four credit
hours.
[ES237] Advocating for the Environment Listed as Jan Plan 237. Three credit hours.
[ES238] Renewable Energy Systems Introduces students to major themes of renewable energy systems. Students will analyze
alternative energy solutions for a sustainable future. Emphasis will be on the different forms of renewable energy, within the context of
the existing energy mix, energy policy, resource potential, and institutional opportunities and barriers. We will explore renewable
energy potential and solutions through textbook and supplemental readings, current event briefings, group work and
activities. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118. Four credit hours.
[ES239] Seafood Forensics: Uncovering Fraud in Ocean Food Systems Seafood is a critical component of the global food
system. However, the sustainability of ocean resources hinges on the veracity with which seafood is labeled, and mislabeling is on the
rise. We will explore the varied impacts of fraud in ocean food systems. Students will learn how mislabeling affects the management
and conservation of marine resources, supply chain economics, and risks to human health. Students will study how new molecular
tools are being used to combat fraud, and explore the broader policy implications of forensic science. Students will grow their scientific
literacy and enhance their writing and presentation skills. Previously offered as Environmental Sciences 298 (Spring
2019). Prerequisite: Biology 163. Four credit hours.
[ES240] Microbes in the Environment Listed as Biology 240. Three credit hours. N.
[ES241] Development and Environmental Issues in Contemporary China Listed as East Asian Studies 242. Four credit
hours. S, I.
[ES242] Marine Conservation and Policy Human activities and effects--including overfishing, water pollution, climate change,
and benthic habitat destruction--have all had major impacts on ocean ecosystems. Through lectures and discussions, we will
investigate global, regional, and local threats to marine biodiversity and ecosystem function. Potential conservation solutions will be
considered. Independent and group research projects will investigate the science and policy of marine conservation issues and will
evaluate and synthesize information from scientific literature, popular media, and online discussions. Prerequisite: Environmental
Studies 118 or 126. Four credit hours.
ES243s Environmental Ethics Listed as Philosophy 243. Four credit hours. PETERSON
ES244s Marine Communities Introduces students to key ecological interactions in marine communities around the world,
including kelp forests, coral reefs, sea grasses, and the open ocean. A key learning goal is improved scientific literacy through
in-depth reading and synthesis of scientific papers and the development of a research proposal. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies
118. Four credit hours. CLEAVER
[ES245] Land, Sovereignty, and Art Listed as American Studies 245. Noncredit. U.
[ES246] Ocean Forecasting: AI, Ecology, and Data Justice on the Seas Listed as Jan Plan 246. Three credit hours.
[ES247] Climate Geoengineering: Evaluating Strategies to Sequester CO2 Human emissions of CO2 are changing Earth's
climate. Increased attention is focusing on ways to actively remove and sequester atmospheric CO2. Such approaches carry ethical
and technical risks, as well as costs and benefits that must be carefully evaluated if we are to make informed decisions about their
potential use. We will review geoengineering approaches to atmosphere CO2 removal, including technical and biogeochemical bases
and potential financial costs. We will consider the risks of action and inaction, as well as governance structures that could regulate
geoengineering activities. Discussion and presentation of primary literature will be the focus of the course, culminating in a final paper
advocating for a specific course of climate action. Previously offered as Environmental Studies 297B (Jan Plan
2021). Prerequisite: Chemistry 121, 141 or 147 and a 100-level biology, environmental studies, or geology course. Three credit
hours.
[ES254] Earth Surface Processes: Introduction to Geomorphology Listed as Geology 254. Four credit hours. N.
[ES259] Plants of the Tropics Listed as Biology 259. Three credit hours.
ES261s Chemistry of Aqueous Environments Listed as Chemistry 261. Four credit hours. KING
ES262s Earth's Climate: Past, Present, and Future Listed as Geology 262. Four credit hours. N. KOFFMAN
ES263f Atmospheric Chemistry Listed as Chemistry 263. Four credit hours. DROZD
ES265f Global Public Health An introduction to the principles and measures of global health, disease burdens, and
environmental determinants of health, including poverty, climate change, pollution, population, violence, and lack of safe food, clean
water, and fuels. We will also study international health institutions, key actors, and environmental regimes for the regulation of
environmental health hazards. Through small-group presentations and discussion we will explore global case studies that highlight the
complex relationship between human health and the environment. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118, 126 or a course in the
natural sciences. Four credit hours. CARLSON
ES270s Applied Ecology Effective environmental policy and ecosystem management requires ecological knowledge. We will
consider the application of ecological concepts, methods and models to environmental problems. We will review the key concepts of
ecology using case studies to examine the role ecological science plays in areas such as ecosystem restoration, water quality
management, invasive species management, agriculture, and global climate change. The weekly laboratory component of the course
will include hands-on experiences in the field and the lab in observation and experimentation with an emphasis on data interpretation
and translation of ecological studies. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118. Four credit hours. N,Lb. GALLINAT, PEARSON
ES271f Ecology Listed as Biology 271. Four credit hours. N,Lb. BARNER, GALLINAT
ES276s Global Change Ecology Provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the principles of climate, ecosystems, and
biogeochemistry needed to understand human impacts on the natural environment. Students will study the impacts of climate
warming, our changing atmosphere, land-use change, altered hydrologic and nutrient cycles, and other global changes. We will
examine key elements of global ecosystem function and investigate how human activities have altered global ecosystems since the
Industrial Revolution. We will critically assess scientific evidence for anthropogenic changes, and consider both impacts and solutions
to the challenges of global changes. Relies heavily on reading of primary scientific literature and group participation and
discussion. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118 or 126, and one college-level science course. Four credit hours. GALLINAT
[ES277] Vertebrate Natural History Listed as Biology 277. Four credit hours.
ES279j Geology of Bermuda Listed as Geology 279. Three credit hours. N,Lb. RUEGER
[ES282] Extreme Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine Listed as Biology 282. Three credit hours.
ES283fs Environmental Humanities: Stories of Crisis and Resilience Listed as English 283. Four credit
hours. L. SCHNEIDER-MAYERSON, TAFF
ES319f Conservation Biology Concepts of conservation biology are examined in detail. Topics include patterns of diversity and
rarity, sensitive habitats, extinction, captive propagation, preserve design, and reclamation of degraded or destroyed ecosystems.
Interdisciplinary solutions to the challenges of protecting, maintaining, and restoring biological diversity are discussed. Offered in
alternate years. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118, 126 or 271 or Biology 263, and sophomore or higher standing. Four credit
hours. NYHUS
[ES323] Sustainability Science: From Theory to Practice Focuses on interdisciplinary aspects of the field of sustainability
science, drawing on multiple disciplines to address current societal challenges. The course provides a foundation in historical and
modern thinkers in the field; an introduction to sectors that are commonly pursued by sustainability professionals (food systems,
water, energy, urban environment, transportation, waste systems). The course will provide students with skills and tools to create
positive change in society. We will develop skills through several hands-on projects that build on one another throughout the
semester, using real world examples in various sectors as the basis for our learning. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118. Four
credit hours. S.
[ES324] Creative Environmental Communication Listed as English 324. Four credit hours.
[ES325] Environmental Justice An examination of the historical and contemporary roots of the unequal distribution of
environmental benefits and harms, focusing on the broad social and political processes that perpetuate inequity. Throughout this
course, we explore how issues like race, gender, and wealth influence the allocation of the world's natural resources and how those
inequities have resulted in the rampant environmental destruction and health disparities we see today. This course is designed to help
students foster a nuanced understanding of environmental conditions and, through the analysis and development of case studies,
encourage creative and impactful storytelling about the causes and consequences of environmental injustice. Previously offered as
Environmental Studies 397 (Fall 2020). Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118 or equivalent. Four credit hours.
[ES326] International Climate and Environmental Justice Through lectures and speakers, discussions, reflection on assigned
materials, and intensive work on a major project, students will learn about: environmental justice and accountability via international
environmental law; efforts to document and bear witness to environmental (in)justice; international environmental and climate justice
movements; justice implications of maladaptation/mitigation externalities; procedural justice in international environmental
policymaking; sovereignty and climate justice; gender and environmental justice; emerging topics in climate justice; the "global"; and,
philanthropy, partnership, and solidarity. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118. Four credit hours.
[ES327] Conservation Paleobiology Managing for a changing climate challenges conservation in the Anthropocene and requires
practitioners and ecologists to think beyond static historic baselines. Conservation paleobiology seeks to fill the gap between the
short-term nature of most ecological studies and the long-term goals of conservation to bring long temporal perspectives to
conservation practitioners. Students will explore primary literature from paleobiology, conservation, and their intersection. After
reading broadly in foundational to modern literature, we will focus on the place-based local case study of alpine plant communities in
the northeastern United States and the conservation challenges of managing small, disjunct populations with assumed high
vulnerability, but unknown paleo-histories. Previously offered as Environmental Studies 398A (Spring 2021). Prerequisite: Biology 271
or Environmental Studies 271. Four credit hours.
ES328s Community Ecology Listed as Biology 328. Four credit hours. BARNER
[ES331] Natural Resource Economics Listed as Economics 341. Prerequisite: Economics 223. Four credit hours.
[ES332] Chemical Methods of Analysis Listed as Chemistry 331. Four credit hours.
[ES333] Environmental Revolutions in American Literature and Culture Listed as English 333. Four credit hours. L.
ES335s Phenology: Ecology of the Seasons Phenology, the timing of seasonal events in nature, reflects organismal life cycles
and serves as a rapid, visible indicator of climate change. We will explore the environmental drivers, recent shifts, and ecological
consequences of phenology. By combining deep reading and discussions of primary literature with collaborative science
communication, students will gain familiarity with the phenology of New England and place local biological seasons into a global
context. We will reflect on the process of reading scientific literature and develop habits for finding, interpreting, discussing, and
synthesizing peer-reviewed papers. Students will also engage in original research by proposing and undertaking a project using public
phenology data. Prerequisite: Biology 271 or Environmental Studies 271. Four credit hours. GALLINAT
[ES337] Climate Fiction Listed as English 337. Four credit hours. L.
ES338s Forest Ecosystems Forest ecosystems regulate climate, store and filter water, provide food and fiber, and serve as
recreational areas and sacred spaces. These ecosystems are undergoing dramatic changes with important ecological, economic, and
social consequences. We will examine these changes through the lenses of terrestrial ecosystem ecology, forest ecology, and
ecosystem management. Using primary scientific literature as our guide, we will examine the status of forests around the world and
how forest composition drives forest ecosystem processes. We will discuss how forest management and restoration can be used to
increase the resilience of forest ecosystems and harness their productivity to mitigate carbon emissions and climate
change. Prerequisite: Biology 271 or Environmental Studies 271. Four credit hours. N. BECKNELL
[ES341] Community, Economics, and Conservation An interdisciplinary examination of sustainability through the intersection of
communities, economics, and conservation. Students will gain critical thinking and leadership skills by examining strategies, policy
frameworks, and decision support tools for evaluating trade-offs between economic interests and the environment. Case studies will
focus on providing tools in land conservation, finance, recreational planning, GIS, and ecosystem services, with an eye towards
application in a student project. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118, 126, or Economics 231. Four credit hours.
ES344s Marine Fisheries Management Managing marine fisheries represents one of the most significant challenges in the
conservation of global resources. We explore political, cultural, and ecological factors essential for successful management. Through
lectures, discussions, and readings, students become familiar with global fisheries issues, including high seas management, initiatives
to protect the food security and biodiversity of tropical island nations, and management of marine and anadromous fish in the United
States. Prerequisite: Biology 263 or Environmental Studies 118, 126, or 271, and sophomore or higher standing. Four credit
hours. CLEAVER
[ES345] Offshore Energy: Environmental Permits and Community Planning Building an offshore wind farm requires
environmental assessment of ecological and human impacts, obtaining permits, and community approval. This process is expensive,
lengthy, and vital to the success of an offshore wind farm, and the clean energy transition. Using a case study approach, this course
takes a hands-on approach to guide students through the process of renewable energy development from start to finish, open ocean
to operational wind farm. The course has an emphasis on protection of marine species, consideration of ocean users such as fishing
communities, and ways to work with local communities to improve equity and justice in decision-making. Students will develop the
necessary, and applied skills to enter the energy workforce. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118. Four credit hours.
[ES348] U.S. Environmental History Listed as History 348. Four credit hours. H, U.
ES350f Another World is Possible: Ecotopian Visions Listed as English 350. Four credit hours. SCHNEIDER-MAYERSON
ES351f Environmental Chemical Analysis Listed as Chemistry 351. Two credit hours. KING
[ES354] Marine Ecology Listed as Biology 354. Four credit hours.
[ES356] Aquatic Ecosystems Concern over the impact of human activities on aquatic communities and ecosystems has brought
aquatic ecology to the forefront of public attention. Through lecture, discussion, writing assignments, and laboratory work, students will
explore the major ecological principles that influence the physical, chemical, and biological organization of aquatic ecosystems.
Experimental approaches and sampling techniques used by limnologists will be employed in local lakes, streams, and rivers, as well
as in the laboratory to investigate topics of concern in freshwater ecosystems, including eutrophication, pollution, land use change,
invasive species, and the impact of climate change. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 271, a W1 course, and sophomore or higher
standing. Four credit hours. W2.
ES357s Literature and Environment Listed as English 357. Four credit hours. L. TAFF
[ES358] Ecological Field Study: St Johns, US Virgin Islands Students will explore ecology and conservation of the diverse
coastal, forest and freshwater ecosystems of St. John's. The Virgin Islands National Park occupies more than half of the area of the
island, and it showcases a diversity of ecosystems including mangroves, coral, forests and streams. This class involves qualitative
and quantitative field studies of the biological diversity and ecology of local ecosystems; field-based investigation of the environmental
challenges facing these ecosystems; discussions with conservation practitioners about innovative conservation solutions and the
efficacy of conservation activities; and exposure to regional culture and history. Lectures, field technique training, and student
research during the first week prior to departure followed by a 3-week off-campus field trip. Cost: $3,800. Financial aid available for
qualified students. Prerequisite: Biology 164 or Environmental Studies 118 or 126, and permission of the instructor. Three credit
hours.
[ES362] Energy and Utopia Listed as English 362. Four credit hours. L.
[ES363] Paleoceanography Listed as Geology GE363. Four credit hours.
ES364f Climate Change, Justice, and Health Examines the impacts of changing climate dynamics on human livelihoods, rights,
health, and well-being. Through interdisciplinary readings, class discussions, research projects, and innovative communications,
students will engage deeply with data from the natural and social sciences about human impacts, adaptations, and vulnerabilities, as
well as explore climate justice activism. Key learning goals include improved information literacy and written and oral communication
skills and increased understanding of the ways climate change is impacting the world in which we live. Prerequisite: Environmental
Studies 118 or 126. Four credit hours. CARLSON
[ES365] Wildlife and Conservation in Namibia An interdisciplinary field course introducing Namibia through the theme of rhinos,
cheetah, and community-based conservation. Students will gain experience with wildlife behavior, ecology, community-based natural
resource management, and the environment. Students will meet scientists and practitioners, study wildlife, engage with local
communities, and complete a field journal. Students will meet at Colby for preparatory activities followed by three weeks in Namibia.
Includes visits to centers of research and conservation, Etosha National Park, community conservancies, Skeleton Coast, and other
areas of cultural and ecological importance. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Three credit hours.
ES366s Pollution and Human Health How human health is affected by physical, chemical, biological, and social environments;
how we use science to measure effects of these determinants at the level of cell, tissue, individual, and population; how we assess
these determinants to make regulatory decisions. Topics include introductions to toxicology, epidemiology, and risk assessment;
health effects of pollution, synthetic chemicals, consumer products, climate change, and the built environment; the etiology of health
outcomes including cancer, obesity, endocrine disruption, and respiratory diseases. Students use primary scientific literature for
independent research and, when appropriate, engage in environmental health policy debates in Congress and/or the Maine
legislature. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118 or 126, and sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. N. CARLSON
ES368f Global Climate Policy Climate change is a global problem. How and whether a world of sovereign states can cooperate
to reduce climate change risks to manageable levels are critical questions, but there is no political or expert consensus around the
best way forward. This course will study global climate politics and policy in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change. Students will work individually and in groups to critically assess and propose international governance responses
relating to climate mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, and finance provision. Special attention will be paid to the vulnerabilities of
small island developing states, and to climate justice. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 118 or 126 or Government 131. Four credit
hours. S. ROBINSON
[ES371] Current Topics in Environmental Science: Corals Explores emerging and cutting-edge topics in the field of
environmental science, with a focus on the global crisis in coral reef systems. Students will focus on contemporary scientific literature
reviewing emerging topics from leading journals in environmental science and ecology journals, as well as engaging a variety of
experimental designs, laboratory methods, and statistical approaches to investigate and understand environmental processes and
human impacts in these ecosystems. An independent research assignment will enhance writing skills. Prerequisite: Biology 271 or
Environmental Studies 271. Four credit hours.
[ES371J] Current Topics in Environmental Science: Corals Explores emerging and cutting-edge topics in the field of
environmental science, with a focus on the global crisis in coral reef systems. Students will focus on contemporary scientific literature
reviewing emerging topics from leading journals in environmental science and ecology journals, as well as engaging a variety of
experimental designs, laboratory methods, and statistical approaches to investigate and understand environmental processes and
human impacts in these ecosystems. An independent research assignment will enhance writing skills. Prerequisite: Biology 271 or
Environmental Studies 271. Three credit hours.
[ES373] Life in Times of Extinction Listed as English 373. Four credit hours. L.
[ES378] Geologic Environments in the Marine Realm Listed as Geology 378. Three credit hours. N.
ES382f Population Modeling Listed as Biology 382. Four credit hours. MOORE
ES401f, ES402s Environmental Studies Colloquium Attendance at selected program colloquia during the fall and spring
semesters; written reflections to be submitted. Required of all senior environmental studies majors. Typically taken in addition to a
normal four-course semester. One credit hour for the year. Prerequisite: Senior standing in environmental studies. BECKNELL
[ES483J] Honors in Environmental Studies Noncredit.
ES484js Honors in Environmental Studies Intended for majors approved for admission into the Environmental Studies Honors
Program. Requires research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member and focused on an approved topic leading to the
writing of a thesis. A maximum of eight credits may be earned in honors work. Upon successful completion of the thesis, an oral
presentation, defense and all requirements for the major, the student will graduate with "Honors in Environmental
Studies." Prerequisite: Senior standing and a 3.70 grade point average in the major at the end of the junior year or permission of the
program. One to four credit hours.
ES491f, ES492s Independent Study Independent study devoted to a topic chosen by the student with the approval of the
program committee. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing as an environmental studies major or minor. One to four credit
hours. FACULTY
ES493f Environmental Policy Practicum An in-depth analysis of current issues and policies affecting the environment. Students
work individually and collaboratively on a project with a common theme and are assigned unique roles as researchers, editors, and
technical coordinators. Reading and discussion of primary literature is augmented with invited speakers, field trips, and student
presentations. Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 233 (for domestic emphasis) or 234 (for international emphasis), and senior
standing as an environmental studies policy major. Four credit hours. CLEAVER
ES494f Environmental Science Research Experience Causes of and solutions to selected environmental problems are
investigated through lectures, laboratory and field work, discussions, and guest presentations. Focuses on completion of a group
research project to investigate freshwater, forest or marine ecosystems. Research results are presented in a public forum at the end of
the semester. The civic engagement component provides useful information to the community and the state and gives students
experience interacting with interested stakeholders. Skill development includes research, communication (both oral and written), and
collaborative work skills. Prerequisite: Biology/ Environmental Studies 271, and senior standing as an environmental science
major. Five credit hours. BECKNELL, COUNTWAY, ERNST, GEIGER-ORTIZ
French Studies
Unless otherwise specified, all courses are conducted in French.
Achievement Test: Students seeking entrance credit in French and wishing to pursue French at Colby must have taken either the
College Board SAT Subject Test in French or the French Department’s online placement test.
The major in French studies promotes the acquisition of superior language skills along with an opportunity to explore, via a set of
multi-disciplinary approaches, the richness of French and Francophone cultures. Emphasis is placed on developing skills in critical
analysis that enhance appreciation of print and visual texts while also broadening and deepening students’ understanding of values
foreign to their own. Advanced competence in French and a heightened reflection about cultural differences offer students a fuller
grasp of the world in an era of globalization and the opportunity to secure employment that will allow them to develop further their
foreign language skills.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Mouhamédoul Niang (French)
Professors Valérie Dionne (on sabbatical 2023-24), Bénédicte Mauguière, and Adrianna Paliyenko; Associate Professors Audrey
Brunetaux and Mouhamédoul Niang; Assistant Professor Flavien Falantin; Visiting Assistant Professor Elham Karimi Balan; Language
Assistant Rosalie Ponnelle
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in French Studies
A minimum of 10 courses is required to complete the major for students starting at the 200 level. Students who begin their study of
French at Colby in the required 125-126-127 sequence need to take nine additional courses, including 128 or 131. Students who
begin in either 128 or 131 need to take nine additional courses. Students who enter the major from Colby in Dijon may count FR240D
toward the major. All 200-level courses must be taken prior to senior year.
The 10 (or nine) courses completed on campus or abroad must include
● one course focusing on early modern France, pre-1800 (such as French 232 and select 300- or 400-level courses)
● one course focusing on the Francophone world (such as French 236, 237, 238, 297, and select 300- or 400-level courses)
● one course focusing on the acquisition of critical tools and methods and/or the application of theory (such as French 233,
252, and select 300- or 400-level courses)
● one senior seminar (such as French 493). Majors fulfill the senior seminar (493) requirement by electing the seminar section
of a 300-level course, either in the fall or spring of their senior year, with supplementary work authorized by the instructor.
One course conducted in English in a department such as art, government, or history, in which the principal focus is France or
Francophone countries, may be counted toward the major; it must be approved in advance by the advisor in the major or department
chair.
Majors must take at least one course in the department each semester (that cannot be an independent study).
For students returning from foreign study, these courses must be numbered 300 or higher. Majors are required to spend at least one
semester studying in a French-speaking country and are strongly encouraged to spend a full academic year. Three semester courses
of transfer credit may be counted toward the major for a semester of study away from Colby, a maximum of five for a year.
The point scale for retention of the major is based on all French courses numbered above 127. No major requirement may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
An independent study cannot replace the requirement for majors to take a course in the department each semester.
Honors in French
French studies majors with a 3.5 average or higher in the major may apply to do a senior honors thesis. Grades in all French courses
taken in the major, either on campus or abroad (whether a Colby or a non-Colby program), will be included in determining the
average.
Formal application must be received by April 30 (in the spring of the junior year) or Sept. 7 (in the fall of the senior year).
Students who successfully complete the honors thesis, including the oral defense, will graduate with “Honors in French.”
Requirements for the Minor in French and Francophone Studies
The addition of a French and Francophone Studies minor creates the opportunity for students to continue their course of study beyond
the required language sequence (FR125, FR126, FR127). The minor in French and Francophone Studies promotes the acquisition of
superior language skills along with an opportunity to explore the richness of French and Francophone cultures via a set of
multidisciplinary approaches.
Minor Requirements
A minimum of six courses is required to complete the minor for students starting at the 200 level. Students who begin their study of
French at Colby in the required 125-126-127 sequence need to take five additional courses, including 128 or 131. Students who begin
in either 128 or 131 need to take five additional courses. Students who enter the minor from Colby in Dijon may count FR240D toward
the minor.
An independent study cannot take the place of a course selected to fulfill requirements for the minor.
Up to two courses from study abroad in a French-speaking country may be transferred toward the minor.
Five courses, after the completion of the language sequence (FR125-126-127):
● FR128 or FR131
● Two courses at the 200 level: FR 231, FR2XX (French or Francophone)
● One course at the 300 level: FR3XX (French or Francophone)
● Elective at the 200 or 300 level (in French or English*): an additional course completed on campus and focused on a field of
French and Francophone culture at an advanced level.
Six courses, beginning at the 200 level:
● FR231
● FR2XX: one ADDITIONAL course at the 200 level (French or Francophone)
● FR3XX: 3 courses at the 300 level (French or Francophone)
● Elective at the 200 or 300 level (in French or English*): an additional course completed on campus and focused on a field of
French and Francophone culture at an advanced level.
*Elective in English:
Students minoring in French and Francophone studies may select a course taught in English with a significant focus on France and/or
the Francophone world. This course can be completed in history, art, cinema studies, African-American studies, or global studies,
among other departments/programs. It must be approved in advance by the designated advisor in the department or the chair.
Overview of coursework for minor in French and Francophone studies:
● FR128 builds reading skills and broadens cultural background with a literary and media component. Students, who complete
this course, will have a good foundation for more advanced analysis of various print and visual texts in addition to stronger oral and
written skills.
● FR131 is a culture-based course with a strong oral and compositional component that fosters students’ abilities to debate
and write about major issues. By completing this course, students will be able to transition to any of our 200-level courses with
stronger language skills.
● FR231 is an advanced grammar and composition course that all our minors and majors must complete. By requiring this
course for the minor, we maintain a key component of our overall curriculum focused on the acquisition of advanced skills in oral and
written French.
● Additional course at the 200 level: our course offerings at the 200 level include: the history of French and Francophone
culture, advanced skills in critical and cultural analysis, film studies, theater, environmental studies, and hands-on learning.
● Coursework at the 300 level: our course offerings at the 300 level are principally cross-disciplinary and treat a broad range of
topics on the French-speaking world.
● Elective at the 200 or 300 level (in French or English): an additional course completed on campus and focused on a field of
French and Francophone culture at an advanced level will allow our minors to develop interest in a particular area they have
encountered in previous coursework or explore a new area by electing a course offering in our department or another department at
the College.
Course Offerings
FR125fs French I First in a sequence that develops communication skills in a careful progression over three semesters. In
addition to working on the four traditional skills of language acquisition--speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing--students will
be introduced to the cultural contexts of France and the Francophone world. Use of audio and videotaped material is an integral and
required part of class work. Students are placed in the appropriate level by their score on the College Board French SAT Subject test,
a placement test during fall orientation, or through consultation with a member of the faculty in French. Four credit hours. NIANG
FR126fs French II Strengthens and expands the skills introduced and practiced in French 125 by offering a learning environment
conducive to the practice and development of writing, reading, listening, and oral performance. Because language practice is closely
tied to cultural understanding, we use authentic texts and contexts that foster linguistic competence while highlighting the diversified
cultural contribution of the French and Francophone world. Four credit hours. FALANTIN, MAUGUIERE
FR127fs French III The last course in the required language sequence (French 125-127) that develops communication skills in a
careful progression over three semesters. In addition to working on the four traditional skills of speaking, comprehension, reading, and
writing, students are encouraged to develop critical thinking through reading and language learning. Four credit hours. PALIYENKO
FR127Jj French III (Paris) An intensive version of the last course in the required language sequence, held in Paris, France.
Students not only learn French (developing their speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing abilities), they use French to learn,
doing analytical work related to France's past (using Louis Malle's screenplay and film Au Revoir les enfants as a point of departure)
and France's present (through class excursions). Students also learn to adapt to a foreign culture while immersed in a
French-speaking environment. Estimated cost: $3,000. Prerequisite: French 126 or equivalent. Three credit hours. DAVIES
FR128fs Cultural Encounters: Engaging with Literature and Media Builds reading skills in French and broadens cultural
knowledge of the Francophone world through a wide variety of texts and media. Emphasis is on the texts and contexts of culture,
whether in France and/or in the Francophone world. Engages students in critical thinking and develops writing and oral
expression. Prerequisite: French 127. Four credit hours. L. MAUGUIERE, PALIYENKO
FR131s Debating Social Issues Designed specifically for students wishing to develop oral skills and to acquire an extensive
modern vocabulary to analyze and debate current societal issues pertaining to the French and Francophone world. This course will
also improve students reading and writing skills, while developing cross-cultural competency. Through a variety of media, films, and
texts students will develop analytical, critical and creative thinking. Prerequisite: French 127 or a score of 60 on the College Board
French SAT Subject Test or its equivalent on the placement test. Four credit hours. NIANG
[FR132] Boundaries and Margins: Speaker Series Listed as Theater and Dance 132. One credit hour.
FR223s French Theater Workshop Designed for students wishing to develop their French language skills in a less traditional
environment. Through close study of French plays, students acquire in-depth knowledge of contemporary French theater. As their final
project, they have the unique opportunity to select, direct, and perform a French play. This workshop engages students in
collaborative and experiential learning. Emphasis on analysis, drama performance, French oral practice, and creativity. No prior acting
experience required. May be repeated once for additional credit. Prerequisite: A 200-level French course. Four credit
hours. BRUNETAUX
FR224f French Studies Lab Project: Maine, Ecology, and Gender Students hone their skills in oral and written French through
"hands-on" learning. Projects focused on a specific issue or topic may include: arts initiative involving the community and Colby
museum, creative performance or exhibit, design project, Digital Humanities platforms, educational materials for local schools,
environmental initiatives, field work, non-profit work and engagement with local organizations, public podcast, social media, and
translation. This experiential course fosters intellectual curiosity, collaboration, learning by doing, problem solving, critical and creative
thinking along with skills in research and project management. Four credit hours. FALANTIN
FR231f Advanced Grammar and Composition Provides a comprehensive overview of French grammar through presentations of
the overall structure and frequent practice in writing. Required of majors and open to others wishing to improve their written
expression in French. Prerequisite: French 128, 131, or 240D. Four credit hours. INSTRUCTOR
[FR232] French Cultural History: The Rise and Fall of Versailles From the end of the Renaissance to the beginnings of
revolution: an introduction to the major figures, movements, and works of 17th- and 18th-century France. Continued development of
the ability to read, speak, and write in French, while also enhancing analytical skills. Prerequisite: French 128, 131, or 240D. Four
credit hours. H.
FR234fs Intensive Spoken French Exclusively for French majors or students preparing for study in a French-speaking country.
Weekly practice in oral French conducted by the French language assistant under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated
once for credit. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Acceptance in a study-abroad program in a French-speaking country. One credit
hour. PONNELLE
[FR236] Introduction to the Francophone World: The Americas A comprehensive introduction to the French colonial and
postcolonial cultural impact across the Americas. Students will examine issues of race, cultural and linguistic identity, cultural survival,
and the concept of emerging literature in a minority context. The cultural connection between Louisiana, Haiti, French Guiana, as well
as contemporary Francophone migrant literature will be examined. Prerequisite: French 128, 131, 231, or 240D. Four credit
hours. I.
FR237s Francophone African Cinema An introduction to major sub-Saharan Francophone filmmakers and their engagement
with certain aspects of African history and cultural practices. Students will discuss and write about the films and the issues they deal
with. Supplemental readings will be provided to contextualize the films. Prerequisite: French 128 or 131. Four credit hours. NIANG
[FR238] Introduction to the Francophone World: Africa What does the term "Francophone" mean? Is it free from polemics?
What is its history? Introduction to Africa from the 19th to the 21st century surveys many of the multifaceted cultural identities and
histories of the former French-speaking colonies on the continent. Topics include colonization, politics, gender, language, the fight for
independence, modernity and tradition, and the major literary movements in Francophone Africa. Course materials will include film,
music, art, folktales, poetry, maps, newspaper articles, literary works, excerpts from scholarly texts, and films. Prerequisite: French
128, 131, or 240D. Four credit hours. I.
[FR240] Surrealism Listed as Art 238. Four credit hours. A.
[FR243] French Pronunciation through Phonetics How do you know how to pronounce a word in French, without someone
pronouncing it for you first? How can you truly decide if some letters should be pronounced or not? One of the main objectives of the
French studies major is mastery of near-native pronunciation and the ability to continue to learn to speak French autonomously, as
you come in contact with French speakers. Through an exploration of French and Francophone music, this course will give you the
theoretical foundations to understand the logic behind the French pronunciation system, practice in the form of pronunciation labs, and
a hands-on speaking project. Prerequisite: French 128, 131, or 240D. Four credit hours.
FR252s Provocative Texts: A Critical Toolbox How does one approach print and/or visual culture critically? Students engage
with a range of "texts," such as poetry, works of art, theater, short stories, novels, and/or film, to acquire the tools and methods of
critical interpretation and analysis. Significant writing accompanies close reading of what a particular "text" does and thus how it
"speaks" or conveys meaning. Students apply genre-specific vocabulary and take interdisciplinary and analytical approaches to
response papers, interpretive essays, and/or multifaceted digital/video projects. Prerequisite: French 128, 131, or 240D. Four credit
hours. L, I. PALIYENKO
[FR256] Film for Thought: The Art of French Cinema A survey of directors, genres, movements, and aesthetics in French
cinema from early 20th Century to the present day. Emphasis on the analysis of film style and form: mise-en-scène, cinematography,
editing, sound, performance, etc. Students will approach film not only as a form of art, but also as a site of memory and/or a tool of
socio-political discourse. Film theory will frame our class discussions. Students will develop visual literacy, analytical skills, critical and
creative thinking through innovative visual projects, essays and class discussions. Course conducted in French. Prerequisite: French
128 or 131. Four credit hours. A.
[FR258] Provocative Texts: Fake News, Secrets, and Controversies In this course, we will approach Francophone culture
differently, by considering some of the most famous secrets, mysteries or "fake news" in French History, from the Renaissance era to
the present. We will ask, for instance, who really was Nostradamus? Who poisoned the court at Versailles in the 17th Century? Was
Marie-Antoinette responsible for the French Revolution? Is Bonaparte the creator of the FBI? Using a variety of media (short stories,
fairy tales, plays, movies, documentaries, and newspaper articles), we will explore critically how those questions came to exist and
circulate often based on economic, judicial or political decisions. The course will include discussions of cross-cultural differences or
similarities between the United States and French speaking countries on some of these questions. Prerequisite: French 128, 131, or
240D. Four credit hours. L, I.
[FR324] Ideologies of Africans: Negritude, Pan-Africanism, and Afroisms Engages with ideologies of Africans such as
negritude, pan-Africanism, Afropolitanism and Afropeanism. We will examine these characteristics of African modernity through a
critical study of literary, historical and theoretical works by Léopold Sédar Senghor, Cheikh Anta Diop, Abdourahman Waberi, Achille
Mbembe, Léonora Miano, Fatou Diome, etc. What do these ideologies/theories stipulate in terms of identity and space? In what ways
are they constructive of a postcolonial alternative modernity? How do they deconstruct epistemic violence, colonial balkanization, and
rethink the African's place in the local and the global? These questions will guide students' research, presentations, and
creative/analytical writing. Humanities lab course. Four credit hours. L.
[FR326] Sustainable Development in/of the French-Speaking World Will examine how cities from throughout the
French-speaking world are enacting solutions for sustainable living. Blending the environmental humanities with cultural studies, we
will seek to understand the challenges cities face--including legacies of imperialism, fraught relations with indigenous peoples, and
social inequalities--and the solutions these cities have introduced. Learning goals include examining how cities from throughout the
French-speaking world are responding to climate change; studying how responding to climate change dovetails with the fight for social
justice; and solidifying advanced-level proficiency in French. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level course. Four
credit hours.
[FR332] Voices of Dissent in Early Modern France or the Quest for Freedom An introduction to free-thinkers and libertines,
and an exploration of the concept of freedom. We shall consider great thinkers and provocative writers like Montaigne, Molière,
Diderot, and Sade, who challenged religious and social norms in search of a more just society. Through close reading of texts, and
discussion of the their historical and cultural context, from the wars of religion to the French revolution, we will study how the writers
dissimulate their controversial opinions, while advocating liberté de pensée in the face of fanaticism and dogmatic thinking. This
course will conclude with Laclos's great book Dangerous Liaisons. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level course,
preferably two. Four credit hours. L.
FR340f Trauma and Resilience in the Francophone World The concept of resilience is essential to navigating the diverse
challenges of the 21st century, which range from post-colonial trauma to ecological crisis and social pressure. This course invites
students to explore how the Francophone world approaches mental health and wellbeing in the face of such challenges. By examining
past and present remedies, they will learn how psychiatry addresses trauma and evaluate its relevance in contemporary contexts.
Through studying the concept of resilience from a Francophone perspective, students will explore how to navigate traumas, including
ecological, digital, post-colonial, sociological, and migratory. This course offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the art of navigating
traumas while preparing to face challenges of tomorrow. Prerequisite: FR231 and one upper-level course. Four credit hours. L, I.
FALANTIN
FR351s Minority Issues and Social Change in the Americas Examines issues of cultural representation, migration, diaspora,
and social change primarily in Quebec, Maine, and Louisiana. Postcolonial, transatlantic, and border theories will be used to better
understand the French experience in the Americas. Goals include developing critical reading, presentation, and writing skills. Students
will analyze print and visual texts, including films and oral stories, and they will contribute to a digital humanities project as part of an
on-going, interdisciplinary effort to remap America and American studies. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level
course, preferably two. Four credit hours. L, I. MAUGUIERE
[FR354] Parisian Encounters: Great Loves, Grand Passions The sexual and racial selection of genius exposes the weight of
prejudice against creative women in French cultural history. In studying the impact of "great" couples during the long 19th century
(1789-1914), we shall map and interrogate their legacies across a broad sweep of (colonial) history, the arts, letters, and sciences.
Learning goals emphasize interdisciplinary practice of critical analysis, close study of images and works of art in the Colby Museum,
and the development of advanced oral and written expression in French. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level
course, preferably two. Four credit hours. H, I.
[FR355] The Other French Empire, Then and Now The French trailed behind the British, not abolishing slave trade until 1815
and slavery in 1848. Yet, beginning in 1850, French colonial expansion was dramatic. By 1914, France possessed the second-largest
colonial empire in the world. How do different generations of thinkers and artists represent this past, which is ever present? Students
gain knowledge of French colonization and skills in cross-cultural analysis. They engage in critical thinking across disciplines not only
via the course material but also as they conduct archival research on a topic of their choice to produce an original website or other
creative project. Prerequisite: Senior or junior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours. L, I.
FR358s Un/gendering Disease Civil unrest and war along with rapid change that accompanied the industrial revolution spread
malaise throughout the French population, giving rise to the study of the human mind and its discontents. Figures of mental suffering
reveal how passionate discontent, traditionally associated with the genius of male Romantics, became a "female" malady and then a
sign of racial degeneration. Through the study of representative texts, drawn from medicine, art, and literature, students engage in
comparative cultural analysis of the development of psychology. Interdisciplinary approach also taken to independent research
conducted in the archives. Development of analytical writing and oral presentation skills emphasized. Prerequisite: French 231 and at
least one other 200-level course, preferably two. Four credit hours. L. PALIYENKO
[FR361] Creolization, Culture, and Society in the Indian Ocean Islands Explores issues of race, gender, identity, diversity,
cultural contact, and conflict in Indian Ocean island cultures and literatures written in French through selected writings from Mauritius,
Madagascar, Reunion, the Seychelles, and the Comoros. We will examine the complex social, cultural, and historical context of the
region with an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include slavery, "marronage," cultural hybridity, "métissage," "coolitude," and the
development of colonial and postcolonial identities and subjectivities. Students will develop their presentation and writing skills through
the production of critical essays and research projects. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level course, preferably
two. Four credit hours. I.
[FR370] Corps, Espace, et Genre: Postcolonial Space in Francophone Africa The transition from the colonial to the
postcolonial in Francophone Africa changed the way in which post-independence writers and filmmakers engage with space. These
writers and filmmakers treat family and collective anthropological spaces in conjunction with the body and/or self. Through analysis of
novels, short stories, essays, and films from the 20th and 21st centuries, along with postcolonial concepts of hybridity, resistance, and
the subaltern, we examine the politics and praxis of the body in space as it relates to gender, age, identity, ritualized performance, and
belief systems. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level course, preferably two. Four credit hours. I.
[FR371] L'écriture de soi Explores concepts of memory and self-fashioning in autobiographical writing, and questions the
(im)possibilities of writing the self. Through theoretical readings, students will acquire a better understanding of the processes by
which memoirs, autobiographies, and oral/written testimonies are produced. Particular attention will be paid to narratives that deal with
traumatic personal and historical events. Discussions and debates, informed by theoretical readings and supplementary material, will
develop critical and analytical skills. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level course, preferably two. Four credit
hours. L.
[FR374] Food for Thought: French Cuisine and Culinary Identities What is the state of French cuisine today? Has French
cuisine embraced a more inclusive, multifaceted mosaic of talents, culinary practices, flavors, and tastes, or is it still a monolithic,
elitist institution hermetic to change? This course seeks to re-evaluate and critique French cuisine and gastronomy through a
decolonial lens to decenter the narrative on food and culinary traditions in France – main focus on the culinary talents, histories,
identities, and traditions of communities of color. Humanities Lab designed around food labs, creative projects, and the analysis of
cooking shows, films, cookbooks, menus, food blogs and podcasts. Humanities lab course. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least
one other 200-level course. Four credit hours. I.
[FR375] Narratives of Identities in Francophone African Literature The quest for and celebration of identity are key thematic
and aesthetic components in contemporary Francophone African literature and cinema. We will engage with works of fiction and film
that provide a narrative of identity within the framework of African cultures such as sub-Saharan Africa or the Maghreb. Focus will be
on communal and individual identities within the framework of ethnicity and/or tribalism. Students will learn how and why these writers
and filmmakers narrate identity, and will engage with African identities through structured writing, oral presentations, captivating
readings of texts, and film screening. Prerequisite: A 200-level course in French. Four credit hours.
[FR376] Shadows of the Past: Remembering Vichy France and the Shoah How to represent the Holocaust through aesthetic
forms without trivializing its horrors? How to translate into words the excruciating void, silence, and pain felt after the return from the
camps? How has France grappled with its responsibility in the roundups and deportations of Jews during WWII and memorialized this
shameful past? This course will explore how French writers and filmmakers have found creative ways to work through past traumas
and convey the unthinkable through words and images. Emphasis on creative and critical thinking, literary and film
analysis. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level course. Four credit hours. L.
[FR377] Staging Justice: The Theater of Revolt In this course, we will question what tragedies can teach us today. Students will
look at rewritings of the myths of Iphigenia, Antigone and Medea through plays and films, and how their stories have been adapted to
reflect social, political, and cultural changes in France and the Francophone world, especially on the topics of justice, feminism, and
race. We will especially question the role of human sacrifice, witches, and the agency of women through time. Prerequisite: French
231 and at least one other 200-level course, preferably two. Four credit hours. L, I.
[FR378] French Revolution and Human Rights The French Revolution ushered in the modern world through the concepts of
freedom, equality, and fraternity. We will hone critical skills by analyzing the development of those concepts during the Enlightenment,
focusing especially on the questions of natural (human) rights and tolerance in Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Beaumarchais, and
Condorcet. We will hone communication skills while examining the consequences of those concepts, interrogating the justification for
revolutionary terror, discussing whether the French Revolution was a success or a failure, and considering controversial figures like
Marie-Antoinette, Robespierre, and Marat. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one other 200-level course, preferably two. Four
credit hours. H.
[FR379] Race and Gender in France From Josephine Baker to the blackface controversies of the recent years, France has
always had a fraught relationship with race, largely rooted in, and compounded by, its colonial history. Black/African, afro-descendant,
brown men and women continue to face racial exclusion, discrimination, and exoticization in color-blind France. This course
challenges the country's problematic discourse on race and gender, and its systemic racism, through a critical analysis of film,
performance, art, fashion, online media, advertising, podcasts, and social justice movements. Emphasis placed on black feminisms,
critical race theory, and intersectionality. Prerequisite: French 231 and at least one 300-level French course. Four credit hours. A, I.
FR483f, FR484js Senior Honors Thesis The senior honors thesis counts as one of the 10 courses required for the major. The
thesis, written in French, is to be a substantial study of a carefully defined topic, supported by critical sources. Prerequisite: A 3.5 or
higher major average at the end of the junior year and permission of the department. Three credit hours.
FR491f, FR492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
[FR493B] Seminar: Narratives of Identities in Francophone African Literature The quest for and celebration of identity are
key thematic and aesthetic components in contemporary Francophone-African literature and cinema. We will engage with works of
fiction and film that provide a narrative of identity within the framework of African cultures such as sub-Saharan Africa or the Maghreb.
Focus will be on communal and individual identities within the framework of ethnicity and/or tribalism. Students will learn how and why
these writers and filmmakers narrate identity and will engage with African identities through structured writing, oral presentations,
captivating readings of texts, and film screening. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours.
FR493Cs Seminar: Minority Issues and Social Change in the Americas Examines issues of cultural representation, migration,
diaspora, and social change primarily in Quebec, Maine, and Louisiana. Postcolonial, transatlantic, and border theories will be used to
better understand the French experience in the Americas. Goals include developing critical reading, presentation, and writing skills.
Students will analyze print and visual texts, including films and oral stories, and they will contribute to a digital humanities project as
part of an on-going, interdisciplinary effort to remap America and American studies. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies
major. Four credit hours. L, I. MAUGUIERE
FR493Ds Seminar: Un/gendering Disease Civil unrest and war along with rapid change that accompanied the industrial
revolution spread malaise throughout the French population, giving rise to the study of the human mind and its discontents. Figures of
mental suffering reveal how passionate discontent, traditionally associated with the genius of male Romantics, became a "female"
malady and then a sign of racial degeneration. Through the study of representative texts, drawn from medicine, art, and literature,
students engage in comparative cultural analysis of the development of psychology. Interdisciplinary approach also taken to
independent research conducted in the archives. Development of analytical writing and oral presentation skills
emphasized. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours. L. PALIYENKO
[FR493E] Seminar: Creolization, Culture, and Society in the Indian Ocean Islands Explores issues of race, gender, identity,
diversity, cultural contact, and conflict in Indian Ocean island cultures and literatures written in French through selected writings from
Mauritius, Madagascar, Reunion, the Seychelles, and the Comoros. We will examine the complex social, cultural, and historical
context of the region with an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include slavery, "marronage," cultural hybridity, "métissage,"
"coolitude," and the development of colonial and postcolonial identities and subjectivities. Students will develop their presentation and
writing skills through the production of critical essays and research projects. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies
major. Four credit hours. I.
[FR493F] Seminar: Ideologies of Africans: Negritude, Pan-Africanism, and Afroisms Engages with ideologies of Africans such
as negritude, pan-Africanism, Afropolitanism and Afropeanism. We will examine these characteristics of African modernity through a
critical study of literary, historical and theoretical works by Léopold Sédar Senghor, Cheikh Anta Diop, Abdourahman Waberi, Achille
Mbembe, Léonora Miano, Fatou Diome, etc. What do these ideologies/theories stipulate in terms of identity and space? In what ways
are they constructive of a postcolonial alternative modernity? How do they deconstruct epistemic violence, colonial balkanization, and
rethink the African's place in the local and the global? These questions will guide students' research, presentations, and
creative/analytical writing. Humanities lab course. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours. L.
[FR493G] Seminar: Sustainable Development in/of the French-Speaking World Will examine how cities from throughout the
French-speaking world are enacting solutions for sustainable living. Blending the environmental humanities with cultural studies, we
will seek to understand the challenges cities face--including legacies of imperialism, fraught relations with indigenous peoples, and
social inequalities--and the solutions these cities have introduced. Learning goals include examining how cities from throughout the
French-speaking world are responding to climate change; studying how responding to climate change dovetails with the fight for social
justice; and solidifying advanced-level proficiency in French. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit
hours. L, I.
[FR493H] Seminar: French Revolution and Human Rights The French Revolution ushered in the modern world through the
concepts of freedom, equality, and fraternity. We will hone critical skills by analyzing the development of those concepts during the
Enlightenment, focusing especially on the questions of natural (human) rights and tolerance in Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, and
Condorcet. We will hone communication skills while examining the consequences of those concepts, interrogating the justification for
revolutionary terror, discussing whether the French Revolution was a success or a failure, and considering controversial figures like
Marie-Antoinette, Robespierre, and Marat. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours. H.
[FR493I] Seminar: Voices of Dissent in Early Modern France or the Quest for Freedom An introduction to free-thinkers and
libertines, and an exploration of the concept of freedom. We shall consider great thinkers and provocative writers like Montaigne,
Molière, Diderot, and Sade, who challenged religious and social norms in search of a more just society. Through close reading of
texts, and discussion of the their historical and cultural context, from the wars of religion to the French revolution, we will study how
the writers dissimulate their controversial opinions, while advocating liberté de pensée in the face of fanaticism and dogmatic thinking.
This course will conclude with Laclos's great book Dangerous Liaisons. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four
credit hours.
[FR493K] Seminar: The Other French Empire: Then and Now The French trailed behind the British, not abolishing slave trade
until 1815 and slavery in 1848. Yet, beginning in 1850, French colonial expansion was dramatic. By 1914, France possessed the
second-largest colonial empire in the world. How do different generations of thinkers and artists represent this past, which is ever
present? Students gain knowledge of French colonization and skills in cross-cultural analysis. They engage in critical thinking across
disciplines not only via the course material but also as they conduct archival research on a topic of their choice to produce an original
website or other creative project. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours.
[FR493L] Seminar: Race and Gender in France From Josephine Baker to the blackface controversies of the recent years,
France has always had a fraught relationship with race, largely rooted in, and compounded by, its colonial history. Black/African,
afro-descendant, brown men and women continue to face racial exclusion, discrimination, and exoticization in color-blind France. This
course challenges the country’s problematic discourse on race and gender, and its systemic racism, through a critical analysis of film,
performance, art, fashion, online media, advertising, podcasts, and social justice movements. Emphasis placed on black feminisms,
critical race theory, and intersectionality. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours. A, I.
[FR493M] Seminar: Staging Justice: The Theater of Revolt In this course, we will question what tragedies can teach us today.
Students will look at rewritings of the myths of Iphigenia, Antigone and Medea through plays and films, and how their stories have
been adapted to reflect social, political, and cultural changes in France and the Francophone world, especially on the topics of justice,
feminism, and race. We will especially question the role of human sacrifice, witches, and the agency of women through
time. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours.
[FR493N] Seminar: L'ecriture de soi Explores concepts of memory and self-fashioning in autobiographical writing, and questions
the (im)possibilities of writing the self. Through theoretical readings, students will acquire a better understanding of the processes by
which memoirs, autobiographies, and oral/written testimonies are produced. Particular attention will be paid to narratives that deal with
traumatic personal and historical events. Discussions and debates, informed by theoretical readings and supplementary material, will
develop critical and analytical skills. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French Studies major. Four credit hours. L.
[FR493P] Seminar: Time for Outrage! Disenfranchised Subjects, Political Struggles Provides an overview of major political
struggles that shaped Frances understanding and commitment to social justice from 1960s to today. Whether about women, LGBTQ,
prisoners, immigrants, racial groups, working class, the movements will be analyzed independently and in relation with each other in
order to uncover convergences but also conflicting views on the ways to conduct collective actions and contribute to the
empowerment of minorities. The study of films, manifestos, novels, podcasts, and political discourses, will be the basis of debates on
citizenship, communitarianism, identity politics, and social privilege. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French Studies major. Four
credit hours. L, I.
[FR493Q] Seminar: Shadows of the Past: Remembering Vichy France and the Shoah How to represent the Holocaust
through aesthetic forms without trivializing its horrors? How to translate into words the excruciating void, silence, and pain felt after the
return from the camps? How has France grappled with its responsibility in the roundups and deportations of Jews during WWII and
memorialized this shameful past? This course will explore how French writers and filmmakers have found creative ways to work
through past traumas and convey the unthinkable through words and images. Emphasis on creative and critical thinking, literary and
film analysis. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a French studies major. Four credit hours. L.
[FR493R] Seminar: Breaking Free: Coming-of-Age Literature in the Francophone World Summer 1954: A scandal of
international magnitude arises in France. The 18-year-old novelist Françoise Sagan is censored by the Vatican and banned in South
Africa, Poland and Spain under penalty of fine and imprisonment for writing a novel deemed morally unacceptable. In 1957, the young
Assia Djebar suffers the same fate in Algeria, and this phenomenon spreads to Lebanon, Syria, Haiti, Vietnam and Iran where young
women turn to writing to express their need for sexual liberation and emancipation from patriarchy. This course explores this
revolutionary literature that challenged conservative societies, while engaging students in discussions on feminism, literary production,
civic rights, the concept of freedom, and equality, among others. A close study of pop culture (songs, fashion and lifestyle magazines)
will complement the analysis of these coming-of-age stories. This course will include various theoretical and sociological essays,
historical films and documentaries to help situate the context in which these texts were produced. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a
French studies major. Four credit hours.
[FR493S] Seminar: Food for Thought: French Cuisine and Culinary Identities What is the state of French cuisine today? Has
French cuisine embraced a more inclusive, multifaceted mosaic of talents, culinary practices, flavors, and tastes, or is it still a
monolithic, elitist institution hermetic to change? This course seeks to re-evaluate and critique French cuisine and gastronomy through
a decolonial lens to decenter the narrative on food and culinary traditions in France – main focus on the culinary talents, histories,
identities, and traditions of communities of color. Humanities Lab designed around food labs, creative projects, and the analysis of
cooking shows, films, cookbooks, menus, food blogs and podcasts. Humanities lab course. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a
French studies major. Four credit hours.
FR493Tf Seminar: Trauma and Resilience in the Francophone World The concept of resilience is essential to navigating the
diverse challenges of the 21st century, which range from post-colonial trauma to ecological crisis and social pressure. This course
invites students to explore how the Francophone world approaches mental health and wellbeing in the face of such challenges. By
examining past and present remedies, they will learn how psychiatry addresses trauma and evaluate its relevance in contemporary
contexts. Through studying the concept of resilience from a Francophone perspective, students will explore how to navigate traumas,
including ecological, digital, post-colonial, sociological, and migratory. This course offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the art of
navigating traumas while preparing to face challenges of tomorrow. Prerequisite: FR231 and one upper-level course. Senior standing
as a French studies major. Four credit hours. L, I. FALANTIN
Geology Department
If you are interested in Earth—how it formed and then evolved over 4.56-billion years, how it functions as a complex physical and
chemical system, how and why our planet supports us, and how our actions affect the world around us—a major in geology may be
right for you.
The Geology Department is deeply committed to undergraduate engagement in scientific research, and geology students routinely
use an array of cutting-edge instrumentation, including a powder X-ray diffractometer (powder-XRD) for determining mineral identities
and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray-fluorescence spectrometer (EDS) system, an
electron-backscatter-diffraction (EBSD) system, and a cathodoluminescence (CL) detector for complete characterization of solid
materials at the micrometer scale. The department also possesses ice and sediment core storage facilities, sediment coring
equipment, research-grade stereo and petrographic microscopes, and rock and sediment processing equipment. Additional
instrumentation and equipment shared with other departments in the Division of Natural Sciences includes a C,H,N,O,S elemental
analyzer, an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) for determining elemental compositions, a micro-CT
X-ray scanner for sub-mm-scale mapping of 3D sample volumes, and the Colby Compass, a research vessel equipped with an array
of instrumentation for real-time environmental analyses.
Colby’s setting provides an intriguing and exciting area for field study, enabling students to integrate field and laboratory experiences
in most geology courses. Students and faculty also enjoy extracurricular field trips within Maine and longer trips to visit special
geologic localities in nearby states and Canadian provinces. The Geology Department also provides off-campus international
experiences, including study in Bermuda.
The Geology Department offers both a major and a minor for students with different interests. The point scale for retention of the
major applies to all courses taken in the major; no requirement may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Students should consult
regularly with their advisor in selecting courses appropriate for meeting their goals for post-graduation employment and/or graduate
study. Importantly, the Geology Department is committed to an inclusive Earth science education for all students regardless of race,
ethnicity, gender, sexuality, learning differences, and differences in physical ability.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Tasha Dunn
Associate Professors Tasha Dunn and Walter “Bill” Sullivan; Assistant Professor Bess Koffman; Visiting Assistant Professors Bruce
Rueger and Tadesse Alemu
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Geology
Requirements for the geology major are:
● A 100-level gateway course (Geology 122, 123, 125, 127, or 129)
● Four core courses (Geology 228, 231, 254, and 262)
● Four geology elective courses numbered 200 or above
● Three credits of geology seminar (Geology 391)
● A capstone experience; and
● Two cognate courses from the following list: Biology 163, 164; Chemistry 121, 122, 141, 142, 147; Computer Science 151,
152, 153; Physics 141, 143, 145; Math 120j, 125, 130, 135, 160, 165; and Statistics 212.
Capstone experiences may include independent research projects earning at least four credits of Geology 491/492, significant
off-campus research experiences, or a geology honors thesis. Geology majors may substitute one course in biology, chemistry,
computer science, GIS, mathematics, physics, or statistics numbered 200 or above (excluding Statistics 212) for one of the four
geology elective courses. Additional coursework in chemistry, physics, and mathematics beyond the minimum requirements is
strongly encouraged to broaden students’ skill sets and maximize options after graduation. Students should consult one of the major
advisors in the first and second years regarding election of languages and other Colby-required courses. Students should consult with
their advisor about capstone experiences during their junior year.
Requirements for Honors in Geology
The Geology Department’s honors program involves a substantial research component in the student’s senior year, with no fewer than
six credit hours of Geology 483/484 and completion of a thesis detailing this work. Participation in the honors program requires a 3.5
GPA in the major by the end of the junior year before a faculty sponsor can consider the project. The honors program involves
presentation of a research proposal to a faculty committee early in the fall semester, drafting and approval of introductory sections
before January, submission of a full draft of the thesis for review by spring break, and approval of the final thesis by the faculty
committee. Satisfactory progress will result in credit for Geology 483 and 484. Successful completion of an honors research project,
and the major, will enable the student to graduate with “Honors in Geology.” Students who wish to pursue an even more intensive
research agenda should consider the Senior Scholars Program, an all-campus honors program in which half the student’s academic
credits in the senior year are devoted exclusively to a major research project.
Requirements for the Minor in Geology
A minor in geology is available to students majoring in other disciplines who also desire an introductory understanding of the Earth
sciences. Minor programs are tailored to the needs of individual students; courses should be elected in consultation with a Geology
Department faculty member. Requirements are:
● A 100-level gateway course (Geology 122, 123, 125, 127, or 129)
● Four geology courses selected from courses numbered 228 and above.
Course Offerings
[GE111] Geology of National Parks U.S. national parks and monuments will provide the focus for an introduction to basic
geologic processes, including plate tectonics, geologic time, weathering and erosion, volcanism, earthquakes, caverns, shorelines,
and the rock cycle. After an introduction to the regional geology of the United States, the focus will shift to the parks and monuments
within these regions. Students will become aware of aspects of physical and historical geology, regional geography, environmental
issues, the aesthetics of nature, and the interactive processes that have shaped the country. A Saturday or Sunday field trip to Acadia
National Park is required. Lecture only. Three credit hours. N.
GE121f Earth Systems Chemistry I Listed as Chemistry 121. Four credit hours. N,Lb. KING, KOFFMAN
GE122s Earth Systems Chemistry II Listed as Chemistry 122. Four credit hours. N,Lb. DROZD, KOFFMAN
[GE123] How to Build a Habitable Planet Examines fundamental chemical and physical Earth processes operating at timescales
from minutes to billions of years; how these processes evolved over Earth's 4.56-billion-year history and changed Earth into an ideal
environment for complex life; the methods scientists use to understand Earth processes and develop this deep-time record of global
change; and how human activity is currently altering global processes and impacting Earth's habitability. High-school-level chemistry is
recommended but not required to succeed in the course. Prerequisite: Credit cannot be earned for both this course and Geology 122,
125, 127, 129, or 141. Four credit hours. N,Lb.
GE125f From Stardust to Planets Explores the physical and chemical evolution of the Earth in the context of solar system
formation. By studying the development of the terrestrial (rocky) planets, students will be introduced to fundamental concepts in
geology. As students investigate geologic processes on other planetary bodies, they will develop a deeper understanding of our own
planet's evolution and geology. We will focus on important questions, such as "How did Earth become a habitable planet?" and "How
has humanity impacted the Earth's evolution?" High-school-level chemistry is recommended but not required to succeed in the
course. Prerequisite: Credit cannot be earned for both this course and Geology 122, 123, 127, 129 or 141. Four credit
hours. N,Lb. DUNN
GE127f Pale Blue Dot: Earth Through Time Carl Sagan referred to Earth as a Pale Blue Dot containing the entire history of our
species. Geologists understand that Earth also contains a history of its own. This course focuses on the evolution of Earth from its
origin 4.56-billion years ago to today. It will include study of the chemical, biological, physical, and geologic processes that have
shaped Earth since its inception. Concepts of deep time, the evolution of life on Earth, and the impacts of life on the atmosphere,
oceans, and climate will be major components of the course. High-school chemistry and biology will be useful, but students will be
able to succeed without them. Prerequisite: Credit cannot be earned for both this course and Geology 122, 123, 125, 129 or 141. Four
credit hours. N,Lb. RUEGER
GE129s The Water Planet Examines processes controlling the flow of energy and mass between the atmosphere, geosphere,
hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere through the framework of our planet's oceans. Geologic processes both rapid
(earthquakes) and slow (sea-floor spreading) are linked with sustaining the planet. Lab and field work develop the skills needed to
observe and model processes shaping our environment. Problem solving fosters critical thinking and classroom debates focus on
research and communications skills via current issues like coastal development. Credit cannot be earned for both this course and
Geology 122, 123, 125, 127 or 141. Four credit hours. N,Lb. GEIGER-ORTIZ
GE161f Introduction to Ocean Science Earth's ocean modulates the climate, produces protein for billions of people, and is
responsible for much of the oxygen we breathe. Ocean science is multidisciplinary, incorporating concepts from geology, physics,
chemistry, biology, and ecology. This course introduces each of these aspects, including ocean currents, controls on biological
productivity, interactions between the ocean and land, and human impacts. Ocean science relies on big data from many sources, and
students will learn to use a range of data analysis tools. Includes a mandatory weekend field trip to either Allen Island or Bigelow
Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Previously offered as Geology 197 (Fall 2021). Four credit hours. N. STAMIEZKIN
GE228s Earth Materials Highlights the properties, classification, and origin of rocks and minerals. Students will learn the basic
principles of crystallography and mineral chemistry, and how igneous and metamorphic rocks are used to interpret Earths history. In
the lab portion of the course, students will identify and classify minerals and rocks using both macroscopic and microscopic
techniques. Through regularly scheduled reading assignments, students will learn how fundamental principles of mineralogy and
petrology are applied to current research in Earth Science. Includes two required field trips extending into the athletic zone, and a
required weekend field trip. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122 or Geology 123, 125, 127, 129, or 141. Four credit hours. N. DUNN
GE231f Earth Structure and Tectonics Applies fundamental concepts of stress and strain to understand the different styles of
deformation at convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries; the physical and chemical mechanisms that control the
strength of plate-bounding fault zones; how these deformation mechanisms change with increasing depth in Earth; and how to read
the rock record of plate-tectonic deformation. Students also will develop fundamental field-observation skills, and practice written and
graphical communication skills as they are applied in the Earth sciences. Three required field trips extend into the athletic
zone. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122 or Geology 123, 125, 127, 129, or 141. Four credit hours. N, W2. ALEMU
GE235s Computational Earth Sciences An introduction to computational thinking for Earth science problems. Students will work
with a suite of data types, structures, and formats to address major questions in Earth science. Using Python language, students will
learn how to read in data, write algorithms, and visualize their results. They will learn common programing principles like loops,
functions, dividing, and organizing problems into smaller components, and how to comment their code. Students will code every day
and finish the course with proficiency in Python; no coding experience is required. Four credit hours. Q. GEIGER-ORTIZ
[GE242] Hydrogeology Examines the fundamental principles of hydrogeology and introduces geophysical techniques (surface
and borehole) used to investigate flow through the subsurface. Designed to provide the tools necessary to understand and
characterize groundwater systems. Topics include the hydraulic properties of rocks, aquifer storage and subsidence, flow potential,
analysis of pumping tests conducted in water wells, and interpretation of geophysical field data. Includes lecture, homework from
textbook, oral presentation, and analysis of a variety of geophysical logs. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122 or Geology 123, 125, 127, 129,
or 141 and a college level calculus course. Three credit hours.
[GE247] Climate Geoengineering: Evaluating Strategies to Sequester CO2 Listed as Environmental Studies 247. Three credit
hours.
[GE254] Earth Surface Processes: Introduction to Geomorphology An examination of the processes driving landscape
change over time with field-based study in Maine. Students will measure sediment-transport processes, analyze and interpret satellite
imagery using python, synthesize field measurements of stream flow and sediment size, and communicate their data and
interpretations in writing, orally, and graphically. A mix of lectures, discussions, student presentations, lab exercises, and field study.
Three required field trips will extend outside of normal class time. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122 or Geology 123, 125, 127, 129, or
141. Four credit hours. N.
GE262s Earth's Climate: Past, Present, and Future Takes a systems approach to studying Earth's climate by linking the primary
systems operating at Earth's surface, i.e., lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere. Explores the mechanisms
that shape environmental evolution across a range of time scales, including the role of humans, and uses past (paleo) records of
change to place modern climate change in geological context. Students will engage with material through problem sets, data analysis,
interactive lectures, primary literature synthesis, and writing. Laboratory projects will provide hands-on opportunities to develop local
records of past environmental change. Includes a required one-day weekend field trip. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122 or Geology 123,
125, 127, 129, or 141. Four credit hours. N. KOFFMAN
GE279j Geology of Bermuda Students will learn how the island of Bermuda, subjected to a variety of geologic processes, has
evolved over the past two million years. They will be exposed to the scientific method and how geologists study the Earth, its
materials, and its processes. During field and laboratory observations, students will investigate how organisms, including humans, and
sedimentary processes have shaped Bermuda; how sediment is formed, moved, consolidated, and lithified; and the interrelationships
between geology and biology. They will gain an appreciation of the complexities of living on an island and the anthropogenic impacts
on a fragile ecosystem. Cost in 2023: $3,700. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122, or Geology 123, 125, 127, 129, or 141. Three credit
hours. N,Lb. RUEGER
[GE331] Plate Tectonics Primary-literature-synthesis course that guides students through the topic of plate tectonics from the
development of the theory to our present understanding of processes at mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, and transform
boundaries. Students will be able to (1) piece together a broad-scale interpretation of the evolution of a plate boundary using data and
interpretations gleaned from the primary scientific literature and (2) use basic thermochronologic, geophysical, geological, and
geospatial data sets to interpret plate boundaries. Students will also improve verbal and written communication skills and gain
advanced experience reading and assimilating scientific literature. Prerequisite: Geology 231 or permission of the instructor. Four
credit hours.
[GE351] The Record of Life on Earth Examines the history of life on planet Earth. The course focuses on fossils and other
records of the flora and fauna through time. Students will learn about different periods of time in Earth's history and significant
developments and characteristics of the planet's evolution. These will include extinction events, perturbations, response to climate
change, paleoecology, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on fossil assemblages in the rocks. The course will also study
the uses of fossils in biostratigraphic interpretation of rocks where they occur. Prerequisite: Geology 225, 228, 231, 254, 262, or
Biology 271 and Chemistry 122 or Geology 123, 125, or 127. Four credit hours.
[GE361] Topics in Geochemistry Covers fundamental topics in geochemistry, including principles of equilibrium
thermodynamics, pH, alkalinity, weathering reactions, redox reactions, trace elements, and stable and radioactive isotopes. Through
lecture, problem sets, and primary literature, students explore the theory and application of a range of geochemical approaches used
to study Earth-system processes. Students develop critical thinking skills through the interpretation of primary datasets and literature,
and they improve their written and oral presentation skills by communicating scientific findings. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122, or
Geology 123, 125, or 141. Chemistry 142 and at least one of the following: Geology 225, 231, 254, 256, 262, Chemistry 217, or
Environmental Studies 276. Four credit hours.
[GE363] Paleoceanography This primary literature synthesis course examines past global change through the lens of the marine
sedimentary record. Students explore the major physical and geochemical proxies used in paleoceanographic research and focus on
understanding the major scientific questions addressed, methods and instrumentation used, and advantages and limitations of each
proxy tool. Students also develop critical thinking skills through the interpretation of primary datasets and literature, and improve their
written and oral presentation skills through communicating scientific findings. Prerequisite: Geology 262 or permission of the
instructor. Four credit hours.
GE381f Planetary Surface Processes This discussion-based course explores geologic processes that shape the surfaces of
planetary-scale bodies, from rocky planets to icy moons. Using Earth as an analogue, we will examine how tectonism, volcanism, and
surficial agents (such as water wind, and ice) transform the surfaces of solid bodies throughout geologic time. We will also explore the
link between atmospheres, geologic surface environments, and planetary habitability. Students will complete an independent research
project on the topic of terrestrial analogues, thus developing critical thinking, research, and communication
skills. Prerequisite: Geology 228, 231, 254, or 262. Four credit hours. DUNN
GE391fs Geology Seminar Paper discussions and presentations from invited guest lecturers on topics of current interest in all
areas of the geosciences. Majors must complete three seminars during their course of study. Nongraded. One credit hour. DUNN,
KOFFMAN
GE483f, GE484s Senior Honors Project A culminating, research-intensive experience in which students engage in an original
project with the expectation that results will be of significantly high enough quality to warrant publication after review by committee.
The final written report will be in a selected journal format, and project results will be presented formally in a professional context.
Students should consult with major advisors during their junior year to learn about on-campus and off-campus opportunities and
experiences that can be used in preparation for undertaking an honors program. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Three or
four credit hours.
[GE483J] Senior Honors Project Noncredit.
GE491f, GE492s Independent Study Independent research experience supervised by a faculty member. Research projects
earning three or more credit hours over one or more semesters require a final written report and a formal presentation in a
professional setting. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
[GE494] Topics in Geoscience A capstone experience in which students explore a cutting-edge scientific topic in great depth.
Students will hone skills introduced throughout the Geology major, including assimilating, analyzing, and interpreting the scientific
literature and communicating in writing, orally, and graphically. Students will also gain experience communicating specialized scientific
topics to a general audience. May be repeated for credit. May include up to three required weekend field trips. Prerequisite: Junior or
Senior standing. Four credit hours. W3.
German Studies
The German program emphasizes the acquisition of superior skills in the German language as the basis for the study of the literatures
and cultures of the German-speaking world. Unless otherwise noted, all courses are taught in German as students continue to hone
their skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Upper-level courses provide training in close reading and analysis of literary and
cultural texts in order to further students’ understanding of a culture different from their own. Students at all levels explore literature
and film alongside culture and politics as well as history and contemporary affairs.
Majors in German studies are encouraged to study their entire junior year in a German-speaking country; majors and minors are
encouraged to spend at least one semester abroad. Study-abroad options include approved programs in Berlin, Munich, Freiburg,
Tübingen, and Salzburg. The German faculty welcomes inquiries from students regarding the different programs and the
one-semester and full-year options.
The major in German studies and the German minor provide excellent preparation for students who wish to pursue German-related
grant opportunities, employment in international companies and organizations, or careers in government or academics.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Alicia E. Ellis
Associate Professors Alicia E. Ellis and Arne Koch; Visiting Assistant Professor Andrew Hamilton; Language Assistant Erik Lemke
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in German Studies
The major in German studies requires 10 semester courses: six courses taught in German numbered above 127 including a 200-, a
300-, and a 400-level course and four additional courses chosen from the German curriculum, taken abroad, or chosen from courses
with a substantial German component in departments such as Art, Government, History, Music, and Philosophy. Once declared, all
majors must take at least one course in the German program each semester they are on campus until graduation.
Requirements for the German Minor
The minor in German requires six courses in the German program beginning with German 126, including a 200- and a 300-level
course. Students who enter the program at the intermediate or advanced level should consult with their advisor in German regarding
course selection.
The following statements also apply:
● The point scale for retention of the major and the minor is based on all required and approved courses numbered above
German 127 for the major and German 126 for the minor.
● No major requirement may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
● Transfer of credits for courses from other institutions, including study abroad, will be evaluated by the advisor in German on
an individual basis.
● Teacher certification: Students desiring certification for teaching German should consult the faculty in German and in the
Education Program.
Courses Approved for the Major in German Studies
Art
● 238 Vienna 1900
Cinema Studies
● 142 Introduction to Cinema Studies
East Asian Studies
● 221 Second Language Pedagogy
English
● 200 Foundations of Literary Studies
● 271 Critical Theory
Government
● 259 Introduction to European Politics
● 266 German Politics
● 344 Post-Communist Transformations
● 457 Seminar: Germany and Europe
History
● 111 Europe from the Classical World to the Religious Wars
● 141 Genocide and Globalization: 20th-Century World History
Music
● 242 Music History II: Topics in Baroque and Classical Music
Philosophy
● 232 History of Modern Philosophy
● 314 Karl Marx and Marxist Philosophical Thought
● 337 Philosophy of Humor
● 353 Contemporary Analytic Philosophy
Religious Studies
● 181 Conceptions of Jews and Judaism
● 182 Jews, Judaism, and the Modern World
Sociology
● 131 Introduction to Sociology
● 215 Classical Sociological Theory
Course Offerings
GM125f Elementary German I Introductory course for students with little or no previous knowledge of German. Development of
all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Communicative and interactive acquisition of grammar and vocabulary via
study of contemporary life in the German-speaking countries. Audiovisual materials and integrated multimedia accompany textbook
instruction. Four credit hours. HAMILTON
[GM125J] Elementary German I Introductory course for students with little or no previous knowledge of German. Development of
all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Communicative and interactive acquisition of grammar and vocabulary via
study of contemporary life in the German-speaking countries. Audiovisual materials and integrated multimedia accompany textbook
instruction. Three credit hours.
GM126s Elementary German II Continuation of Elementary German I to further develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading,
and writing. Communicative and interactive acquisition of grammar and vocabulary via study of contemporary life in the
German-speaking countries. Audiovisual materials accompany textbook instruction and integrated multimedia. Prerequisite: German
125 or appropriate score on the German placement exam. Four credit hours. A. KOCH
GM127f Intermediate German I: Exploring German Studies An investigative and experiential course focused on
content/disciplinary practices in the field of German Studies and different forms of (non-)digital storytelling, GM127 is an introduction
to extended readings and writings in German via cultural contexts. Leads students toward understanding the intersections of the
German-speaking world and their studies at Colby via modular exploration of the field of German Studies (that is, by equipping
students with the tools for analysis of aesthetic and intellectual accomplishments representative of major periods in German, Austrian,
and Swiss history, the course will enable students to address the question What constitutes German Studies?) and through different
forms of storytelling. Humanities lab course. Prerequisite: German 126 or appropriate score on the German placement exam. Four
credit hours. A. KOCH
GM128s Intermediate German II: Readings in Cultural Contexts Continuation of Intermediate German I. Practice and review of
written and oral communication skills emphasizing formation of correct, idiomatic structures. Strives to build reading skills and to
introduce a variety of cultural ideas and contexts through selection of literary and cultural readings/viewings in German. Preparation
for transition to in-depth study in a variety of areas of German studies. Prerequisite: German 127 or appropriate score on the German
placement exam. Four credit hours. ELLIS
GM129f Conversation Group Review and practice for students at the intermediate level. A selection of written, visual, and audio
German language and culture sources will provide the basis for discussion and conversation. Does not count toward the language
requirement or the German major and minor. Conducted in German. May be repeated for credit. Nongraded. Prerequisite: German
125 or 126. One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
GM130s Conversation Group Review and practice for students at the intermediate level. A selection of written, visual, and audio
German language and culture sources will provide the basis for discussion and conversation. Conducted in German. Does not count
toward the language requirement or the German major and minor. Conducted in German. May be repeated for credit.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: German 125 or 126. One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
GM233s Black Germany This course explores the cultural, political, and literary production and development of Black Germans
from the 19th century to the present. Articulated through close readings of textual and visual materials, we will thematize issues
central to discourses of (national) identity, race, ethnicity, (in)equality, power, gender, sexuality, and place. Also addressed will be the
question of who determines which stories matter, and which stories are told about the presence of Black people in Germany. As we
develop an understanding of Black Germany, we will also acquire and practice the skills necessary for effective literary analysis that
will allow us to think critically and evaluate cultural constructs. Conducted in English. Critical Race course Four credit hours. L,
I. ELLIS
GM236s ConTexts in German Culture Introduction to critical analysis of select genres from German, Austrian, and Swiss
cultures. Topics vary but through deepening of close reading skills of written, performed, and visual texts, this course examines
socio-historical moments in their relationship to key notions and genres, including women writers, identity and crisis, comedy, fairy
tales, and the canon. Focus continues on composition and conversation with development of critical, written, and interpretive analysis,
and student presentations. Prerequisite: German 128 or equivalent. Four credit hours. A. KOCH
[GM237] The German Fairy Tale in Popular Culture (in English) Examines the role of the fairy tale (folktales, romantic
variations, and Disney versions alike) in the construction of culture along with their adaptations in the media, comics, liticism,
literature, art, and film. In analyzing the historical and social development of fairy tales as a genre, students are introduced to methods
of literary analysis and cultural criticism. Fairy tales permeate our culture on every level. Counts toward the German major or minor.
Open to first-year students. Conducted in English. Four credit hours. L.
GM238f Vienna 1900 Listed as Art 236. Four credit hours. A. PLESCH
[GM244] Reading the Short Story (in English) Short stories are difficult, consuming, and complex. This course is designed to
facilitate close and attentive readings, emphasizing textual interpretation and concise writing to a diverse selection of modern short
prose. Concerns will be: how to read and then write about short stories, and how to discuss multiple viewpoints as we examine
themes, narratives, and style. Students are asked to think about story elements, including plot, setting, and character, and the way
that grammatical features and figurative language shape the analysis of the text. Four credit hours. L.
GM246s Sports and Society in Germany An introduction and historical exploration of the relationship between sports and
society in German-speaking cultures through analysis of representative moments in sporting history from the Turner movement in the
19th century to the Nazi Olympics and East Germanys checkered doping history to the present day politicization of soccer Ultras.
Through popular and documentary films, historical sources, educational materials, propaganda and media accounts, a particular
emphasis will be on historical changes with regards to constructions of identity, race and gender within sports. Conducted in English.
Open to first year students. Previously listed as GM298 (Spring 2023). Four credit hours. H, I. A. KOCH
[GM252] Mission Impossible: Multicultural German Literature and Film (in English) Introduction to German-speaking literature
and film by writers and filmmakers of African (Ayim, Oguntoye), Japanese (Tawada), Jewish (Celan, Honigmann), Romanian (Müller,
Wagner), Russian (Kaminer), and Turkish (Özdamar, Zaimoglu, Akin) backgrounds. Emphasis on contemporary literature, with
background readings from the Enlightenment through the present. Examination of creative approaches to issues of migration, exile,
and globalization, with focus on language politics, identity formation, gender, history and memory, and the multicultural city. Counts
toward the German major or minor. Open to first-year students. Conducted in English. Four credit hours. L, I.
[GM263] Weird Fictions (in English) This reading- and writing-intensive seminar considers the construction of the genre of
science fiction (broadly defined). We will read short prose and novels from the 19th century to the present by authors such as E.T.A.
Hoffmann, Patrick Süskind, and Franz Kafka, Octavia Butler, and Bram Stoker. In addition, we will read texts that function as hybrid
and complementary permutations of science fiction such as magical realism, speculative fiction, and utopian/dystopian fictions.
Conducted in English. Four credit hours. L.
[GM264] Kafka and his Contexts (in English) Franz Kafka (1883-1924) plays a major role in the construction of the modern and
postmodern literary canon of the 20th century. We will read his short stories and parables, selected letters, and journal entries. We will
approach Kafka both as an author who made inventive incursions into the universes of Romantic inspirations, including Heinrich von
Kleist and E.T.A. Hoffmann, and as an influence on the narrative fictions of modernist and postmodernist authors who incorporated
elements of Kafka's writings, such as Jorge Luis Borges, Italo Calvino, Juan Rulfo, and Harukui Murakami. Conducted in
English. Three credit hours. L.
GM297f Film as Text By comparing film and literature in sociohistorical contexts, we look at how modes of representation are
used for particular purposes. We consider motivations (intended or unconscious) that stimulate shifts from a sign-system literature to
film. How are materials (re)/(ab)used and what are implications? What happens if the adaptation is reversed? Analysis of adaptation
methods and aesthetic stratagems help students reassess how they see/read films while considering intertextuality and intermediality.
Assignments include weekly reflective writings, short critical essays, student presentations, and a semester research paper/final
project. Prerequisite: German 128 or equivalent. Four credit hours. A. KOCH
GM329f Current Topics An informal weekly meeting for students at the advanced level for conversation practice. Source
materials include newspaper and magazine articles, contemporary German film, television broadcasts, and podcasts, along with other
media. Does not count toward the language requirement or the German major and minor. Conducted in German. May be repeated for
credit. Nongraded. Prerequisite: German 127 or 128. One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
GM330s Current Topics An informal weekly meeting for students at the advanced level for conversation practice. Source
materials include newspaper and magazine articles, contemporary German film, television broadcasts and podcasts, along with other
media. Does not count toward the language requirement or the German major and minor. Conducted in German. May be repeated for
credit. Nongraded. Prerequisite: German 127 or 128. One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
GM342f Contested Subjects in German Culture Introduction to critical analysis of contested subjects in German and
German-speaking cultures. While topics vary, this course will refine close reading skills of written and visual texts, including poetry,
works of art, drama, short stories, prose, and film that focus on culturally contested topics. Focus on critical, written and interpretive
analysis, student presentations, and exposure to relevant cultural, theoretical, and historical sources. Conducted in
German. Prerequisite: A 200-level German course. Four credit hours. A. KOCH
[GM346] Jews of Germany, Past and Present Listed as Religious Studies 346. Four credit hours. H, I.
GM491f, GM492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
GM493s Seminar: Ideologies and Identities Critically assesses ways German art and culture engage with ideologies and
questions of personal, cultural, and political concepts of identity. Among key ideas, the persistent "German question," along with
notions of Heimat, regional and transnational belonging, gender, language politics, class, race. Discussions based on representative
readings (poetry, prose, and drama), forms of artistic expression (music, visual art, and film), theory and secondary literature from the
Enlightenment through the present-day Berlin Republic. Students write weekly response papers and short critical essays, participate
in a writing workshop, complete a final research paper in German, and present research findings in a public
symposium. Prerequisite: A 300-level German course and senior standing. Four credit hours. L. ELLIS
[GM493B] Seminar: Literature and Literary History This seminar addresses the works of twentieth-century thinkers, who, in
very different ways, challenge the conventional ways in which Europe is identified and understood by its constituents. Particular
attention is paid to the theorization of political, cultural, and sexual spaces and the use of language as a radical negotiation of
traditional ways of knowledge production. We will also explore the relationship between historical legacies and memory, the margin
and the center, the layered structure of violence, and the representation of textual boundaries in flux. Focus will be on close readings
of texts, the use of secondary sources, regular writing responses, a final research paper in German, and a presentation of those
research findings in a public forum. Prerequisite: Senior standing. Four credit hours. L.
Global Studies Program
We are increasingly bound together with people living in diverse geographies, cultures, economies, and political systems. Global
studies majors focus on these multifaceted interconnections that shape our world and examine the ways people are linked across the
globe through international markets, state and non-governmental institutions, cultural practices, and shared histories.
Students in the program work closely with global studies professors as well as faculty members from other departments to examine
transnational issues through several different comparative lenses. The major crosses four disciplines—government, history,
economics, and anthropology—and includes extensive language study. With a diverse array of courses to choose from, global studies
is highly flexible, allowing students to tailor the program to match their interests. Students dissect varied global issues while focusing
on one geographic area and probing global themes, including international relations, economic policy, development, health, and
human rights.
Students deepen cultural knowledge and test classroom learning by studying abroad for one or two semesters during their junior year.
Working with professors and a representative from the Off-Campus Study Office, students are able to choose from more than 200
study-abroad programs. We encourage students to work through DavisConnects to participate in globally related Jan Plans and
internships.
Faculty
Director, Professor Patrice Franko
Associate Director, Associate Professor Nadia El-Shaarawi
Advisory Committee: Professors Ben Fallaw (Latin American Studies), Patrice Franko (Economics and Global Studies), Mary Beth
Mills (Anthropology), Kenneth Rodman (Government), Raffael Scheck (History), Andreas Waldkirch (Economics), Jennifer Yoder
(Government and Global Studies), and Hong Zhang (East Asian Studies); Associate Professors Maria Bollo-Panadero (Spanish),
Nadia El-Shaarawi (Global Studies), Britt Halvorson (Anthropology) Christel Kesler (Sociology), Daniel LaFave (Economics), Lindsay
Mayka (Government), Mouhamédoul Niang (French Studies), Maple Razsa (Global Studies), and Arnout van der Meer (History);
Assistant Professors Inga Kim Diederich (History), Sarah Duff (History), and Laura Nuffer (East Asian Studies)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Global Studies
Up to 14 courses, including the five courses that constitute the core curriculum; three courses focusing on cultures and places; three
courses related to themes in global studies; and one senior seminar or appropriate independent study (Global Studies 491 or 492).
Within the approved cultures/places and themes courses, students must complete one of the GS-approved courses with a W2
designation. The senior seminar or senior project must be completed during the senior year as the capstone experience. Majors must
complete a concentration within the major unless they have a double major or minor where elective coursework is international in
anthropology, Chinese, East Asian studies, economics, environmental studies, French studies, German studies, government, history,
Italian, Japanese, Latin American studies, Russian, or Spanish.
Majors also must complete the equivalent of two courses beyond the introductory level in a modern foreign language. Students are
encouraged to develop language skills relevant to their regional specialization. When appropriate to a major’s specialization, we will
consider petitions for the two classes beyond introductory to be taken off-campus if the language in question is not offered adequately
at Colby, for example Arabic or Quechua. At least one semester of foreign study is required, although under exceptional
circumstances students with extensive overseas experience can petition the director and the advisory committee to be exempted. A
student must receive a grade of C- or better for a course to count toward the major. No courses listed for the major may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Note: Students must have at least a 2.7 grade point average by the end of the sophomore year to be eligible for foreign study.
Students who do not meet this minimum requirement will not be able to retain their global studies major.
Note to junior transfer students: The College requires that all students spend at least four semesters in residence at Colby. Therefore,
to satisfy the semester-abroad requirement for the major, junior transfer students must either stay for a fifth semester or enroll in a
summer study-abroad program for at least nine credits (unless the study-abroad requirement has been met in some other way).
Courses Composing the Core Curriculum
Anthropology 112, Economics 133 and 134, Government 131, and History 276.
Courses Approved to Fulfill the Cultures and Places Component
Note that (a) at least two courses must be drawn from the same regional grouping and one course from a different region and that (b)
courses must be drawn from at least two disciplines.
Africa:
Anthropology
● 341 Culture, Mobility, Identity: Encounters in the African Diaspora
● 344 Black Radical Imaginations
English
● 366 Writing the Crisis: Post-Apartheid Literature in Focus
French Studies
● 237 Francophone African Cinema
● 238 Introduction to the Francophone World: Africa
● 324 Ideologies of Africans: Negritude, Pan-Africanism and Afroisms
● 361 Creolization, Culture, and Society in the Indian Ocean Islands
● 370 Corps, Espace, et Genre: Postcolonial Space in Francophone Africa
● 373 Writing of Place: Migration, Nationalism, and Memory
● 375 Narratives of Identities in Francophone African Literature
● 397 Francophone Ecocriticism and Postcolonial Theory in Dialogue
● 493B Writing of Place: Migration
● 493F Corps, Espace, et Genre: Postcolonial Space in Francophone Africa
Global Studies
● 316 Religion and Social Change in Contemporary Africa
Government
● 255 Introduction to African Politics
● 336 Politics of Development in Africa
● 338 Field Study in African Development
● 455 Conflict and Crisis in Africa
History
● 164 Africans and the Making of the Atlantic World
● 237: South Africa: A History in Five Epidemics
● 266 Introduction to African History, 1800 to 1994
● 297 Children and Youth in African History
● 298A South Africa, Ambivalent Nation
● 339 South African Women’s Memoir
● 397B Africa in New England, New England in Africa
● 398B South African Women’s Memoir
Asia:
Anthropology
● 254 Global-Local Asia
● 339 Asian Pacific Modernities
Art
● 174 East Asian Art and Architecture, 1300 to the Present
● 276 Zen and the Arts in Asia
● 377 Japanese Visual Culture
● 378 Chinese Visual Culture
Chinese
● 430 Contemporary Chinese Society
● 434 Docu-China: Advanced Readings in Chinese
● 435 Chinese Women from Mao to Market
● 453 Chinese Food and Culture and Its Changing Landscape
● 455 Talking About Contemporary China
East Asian Studies
● 120 Nature in East Asian Literature and Culture
● 143 Music and Culture in Modern China
● 150 Foundations in East Asian Studies
● 197C Contemporary US-Japan Relations
● 197C Contemporary Chinese Art
● 225 China in Transition
● 231 The Chinese Novel: Vignettes of Life in Imperial China
● 242 Development and Environmental in Contemporary China
● 252 Hell on Earth? Chinese Writers on Modern Chinese Society
● 253 Three Kingdoms in Chinese Literature
● 261 Japanese Language and Culture
● 263 Buddhism across East Asia
● 265 Chinese Philosophy
● 268 Politics of Satire and Humor in Modern China
● 277 Culture of Cuteness: Japanese Women
● 278 Language and Gender
● 280 Topics of Global Cinema: Korean
● 2XX Words from the Floating World: The Literature of Early Modern Japan
● 332 Masterpieces: Modern Japanese Novels
● 353 Globalization and the Rise of China
● 355 Aging and Public Policy in East Asia
● 397 Gods, Ghosts and Goblins: Japanese Mythology and Folklore
● 3XX History of Manga and Anime
● 437 Social Issues in Japan
Economics
● 279 Economic Rise and Future of China
French
● 361 Creolization, Culture, and Society in the Indian Ocean
English
● 237 Postcolonial Pastoral: Ecology, Travel, and Writing
Government
● 256 Introduction to East Asian Politics
● 355 Winners and Losers in Chinese Politics
● 356 Winners and Losers in Japanese Politics
History
● 143 Maritime History of the World
● 144 Patterns in East Asian History, to 1600
● 146 Modern East Asian History, 1600-Present
● 197 History of Modern East Asia
● 235 A Shrimp Between Whales: The Making of Modern Korea, 1800-1945
● 244 Brothers at War: The Two Koreas, 1945-Present
● 250 History of Modern China: Everyday Life and Revolution
● 255 Histories of Southeast Asia: Slavery, Diasporas, and Revolutions
● 297D Revolutionary Culture in Contemporary China
● 298C Taikun to Trump: A History of East Asia and the West
● 351 Desiring Asia: Gender and Sexuality in East Asia
● 359 History of Chinese Feminism
● 377 Imperialism, Decolonization, and Modernity in Southeast Asia
● 397 Global History of Manga and Anime
● 398A Minorities in East Asia
● 398B Maine in Japan
Music
● 275 Cultured Tough Guys: Samurai Devotion, Music, Poetry, and Art
Philosophy
● 265 Chinese Philosophy
● 266 Buddhist Philosophy
Religious Studies
● 111 Religions of India
● 117 A Passage to India: India and the Western Imagination
● 212 Religions of China, Japan, and Tibet
● 218 Global South Asia: Literature, Art, Environment
● 263 Buddhism across East Asia
● 265 Buddhism: An Introduction
● 319 Bollywood and Beyond: South Asian Religions through Film
Science, Technology, and Society
● 223 Asian Science and Society
● 242 Development and Environmental in Contemporary China (see EA 242)
Europe and Russia:
Art
● 257 Renaissance Art
● 278 19th-Century European Art
● 398 Vienna 1900: Works from a Major Private Collection
French Studies
● 223 French Theater Workshop
● 232 French Cultural History I
● 233 France in Transition: Current Issues and Debates
● 239 Paris: Literary and Historical Topographies
● 252 Provocative Texts: A Critical Toolbox
● 256 Film for Thought: The Art of French Cinema
● 323 Holocaust in French Cinema
● 354 Parisian Encounters: Great Loves, Grand Passions
● 357 Illuminating Turns to Science in 19th-Century France
● 358 Passionate Discontent: The 19th-Century Epidemic
● 371 L’écriture de Soi
● 374 Food for Thought: French Cuisine and Cultural Identities
● 376 Shadows of the Past: Remembering Vichy France and the Shoah
● 377 Staging Justice: The Theater of Revolt
● 378 French Revolution and Human Rights
● 379 Race and Gender in Contemporary French Cinema and New Media
● 392 French Intellectuals and the Struggle for Social Change
● 397 Post-World War II France
● 397 Queering the Maghreb in Francophone Cinema
● 398 Time for Outrage: Disenfranchised Subjects, Political Struggles
● 493 Parisian Encounters: Great Loves, Grand Passions
German Studies
● 198B Weimar Culture: Germany Between the World Wars (see HI398C)
● 231 Introduction to German Studies
● 234 German Culture through Film
● 236 ConTexts in German Culture
● 252 Mission Impossible: Multicultural German Literature and Film
● 263 Weird Fictions (in English)
● 297 Women’s Lit, Culture, Visual
● 297 Unheard of Events
● 297 Violence, Atrocity, and Trauma: Europe 1914-1945 (see HI397B)
● 297 Law and (Dis)Order
● 342 Contested Subjects in German Culture
● 493: Ideologies and Identities
Global Studies
● 245J Memory and Politics
● 398 Decolonizing Europe
Government
● 259 Introduction to European Politics
● 266 German Politics
● 297 Writers against the State: Reading the Political Novel in Prague
● 344 Post-Communist Transformations
● 354 The European Union
● 359 Political Ideologies and the New Illiberalism
● 362 Advanced International Relations in Salzburg
● GO457 Germany and Europe
History
● 112 Europe Since the Seventeenth Century
● 120 World Revolutions
● 120C Spotlight on History: Genocide in Modern Europe
● 224 Germany and Europe, 1871-1945
● 227 Russian History, 900-1905: Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality
● 228 The Russian Empire: Soviet History and 20th-Century Revolutions
● 297J Europe and the Second World War
● 298C A Shrinking Island? Britain Since 1900
● 314 Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Venice from Beginning to End
● 321 The First World War
● 322 Europe and the Second World War
● 327 Daily Life under Stalin
● 328 Daily Life under Putin
Italian
● 141 Introduction to Italian Literary Studies: Poets, Lovers, and Revolutionaries
● 153 Modern and Contemporary Italian Fiction in Translation in Verona
● 153 Modern and Contemporary Italian Fiction in Translation
● 242 Italian Ecopoetics: Beauty, Loss, Desire
● 255 Modern Classics Italian Style
● 262 Tales from the Margins: Topics in Italian Cultural Studies
● 297 Nature in Italian Literature and Film (in English)
● 346 Geographies of R/existence
● 356 Introduction to Dante’s Divine Comedy (in English)
● 373 Italian Food in Practice: A Hands-on Cultural History
● 375 Introduction to Italian Cinema
● 397 Zine! A Practical Introduction to Contemporary Poetry
Religious Studies
● 182 Jews, Judaism, and the Modern World
● 346 Jews of Germany, Past and Present
Russian Language and Culture
● 113 The Literature and Art of St. Petersburg
● 120 Reel Russian
● 222 Revolutionary Performances: Theater and the Energy of the Unspoken
● 231 Spectacle of Modernity: Russian Fiction before Cinema (in English)
● 232 Modern Russian Literature (in English)
● 237 Narrative and Self in the Russian Empire (in English)
● 237 Spectacle of Modernity: Russian Fiction before Cinema
● 237 Topics in 19th-Century Russian Literature (in English)
● 242 Ethnic Wars and Peace in (Post)-Soviet Cinema (in English)
● 242 Make Russia Great Again
● 242 Ethnic Wars and Peace in (Post-)Soviet Cinema (in English)
● 325 Conversation and Composition: Identity in 20th-Century Literature
● Conversation and Composition: Personal ID in 20th-Century Literature
● 346 Russian Poetry
● 427 Personal Identity in 20th-Century Russian Literature
● 428 20th-Century Russian Novel
Spanish
● 135 Introduction to Critical Analysis: Jews of Medieval Iberia
● 234 Diversity and Racism in Contemporary Spain
● 236 Medical Spanish: Health and Illness in Spain
● 266 Language of Spanish Cinema
● 269 Spanish Cultural Studies
● 362 All about Almodóvar
● 364 Gender, Sex, and the Spanish Body
● 366 Queer Spain
● 498 Convergence/Divergence in Medieval Iberian Cultures
Latin America:
Anthropology
● 231 Caribbean Cultures
● 236 Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State
● 242 Anthropology of Latin America: City Life
● 361 Militaries, Militarization, and War
● 365 Space, Place, and Belonging
Economics
● 214 Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America
● 297 Topics in Latin American Economic Policy (see GS397)
French Studies
● 236 Introduction to the Francophone World: The Americas
● 351 Minority Issues and Social Change in the Americas
Government
● 253 Introduction to Latin American Politics
● 264 Democracy and Human Rights in Latin America
Global Studies
● 214 Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America (see EC214)
Latin American Studies
● 173 History of Latin America, 1491 to 1900
● 174 Introduction to Latin American Studies
● 272 Mexican History: Justice, Rights, and Revolution
● 275 Strongmen and Populism in Modern Spain and Latin America
● 277 History of the Maya from 200 B.C.
● 298 Popular Culture in Latin America
● 373 Religion and Unbelief in Modern Latin American History
● 378 U.S. in Latin America: Intervention, Influence, Integration
Performance, Theater, and Dance
● 251 Tomorrow will be Bigger! Performing Protest in Brazil
Spanish
● 135A Intro to Critical Analysis: Eco-Fiction and Eco-Thought
● 135B Intro to Critical Analysis: Indigenous Latin America
● 135E Intro to Critical Analysis: Spanish in the USA
● 237 Conquest and Resistance in the Americas
● 239 Latin America at the Movies
● 244 Bad Women and B-Films in Contemporary Latin America
● 254 Aqui Estamos: U.S. Latinx in the 20th and 21st Centuries
● 297 Deep Ecology in Human Imagination
● 298 Latin American Theater
● SP 2xx Language Justice and Civic Engagement (Mayans, pending course description)
● 346 Race, Rights, and Land in the Americas
● 347 Latinx Indigeneities and Mesoamerican Borders
● 348 The Afro-Americans: Race, Power, and Subjectivity
● 357 Borderlands Cinema
● 376 Narratives, Artifacts, Monuments Pre-Columbian
● 3XX Mesoamerican Borders and LatinX Indigeneities
● 3XX Environmental Knowledge, Imperialism and Resistance (Millones, pending course description)
● 498 Abia Yala: Indigenous Resistance, Revolution and Decoloniality
The Middle East:
Art
● 126 Art and Architecture of the Islamic World, 1258-1914
French Studies
● 397/493J Queering the Maghreb in Francophone Cinema
Government
● 251 Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Accommodation
● 252 Introduction to Politics of the Middle East
● 278 United States and the Middle East
● 358 Comparative Arab Politics
History
● 184 History of the Modern Middle East
● 285 Foundations of Islam
● 362 History of Egypt
● 381 Women and Gender in Islam
● 389 History of Iran
Religious Studies
● 182 Jews, Judaism, and the Modern World
Courses Approved to Fulfill the Theme Component
Courses must be drawn from at least two different disciplines.
Art
● 288 Global Photographies
● 323 The Destruction of Culture
Anthropology
● 211 Of Beasts, Pets, and Wildlife: What Animals Mean to Humans
● 236 Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State
● 241 A World in Motion: Cultures of Transnationalism
● 244 Anthropology of Religion
● 246 Religion and Everyday Life in Muslim Societies
● 249 Courts, Trials, and the Pursuit of Justice
● 252 Language, Culture, Discourse
● 253 Goods, Gifts, and Globalizing Consumers
● 256 Land, Food, Culture, and Power
● 258 Anthropology, History, Memory326 Comparing Caste and Race
● 341 Culture, Mobility, Identity
● 344 Black Radical imaginations
● 361 Militaries, Militarization, and War
● 363 Secrecy and Power
● 365 Space, Place, and Belonging
● 366 Technocultures
● 373 The Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality
● 374 Public Anthropology
East Asian Studies
● 197C Contemporary US-Japan Relations
● 242 Development and Economic Issues in Contemporary China
● 278 Language and Gender
● 353 Globalization and Human Rights in China
● 355 Aging and Public Policy in East Asia
● 359 History of Chinese Feminism
Economics
● 171 Global Financial Markets
● 214 Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America
● 231 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
● 279 Economic Rise and Future of China
● 297 Topics in Latin American Economic Policy (see GS397)
● 298 Economics of Developing Countries
● 335 Topics in Economic Development
● 343 Environment and Development
● 378 International Trade
Education
● 228 Women, Children, Gender, and Human Rights
● 324 Elite Schooling in Global Context
● 398 Research Seminar on Global Citizenship Education
● 398A Education and Sustainable Development
● 398B Gender, Education, and Development
Environmental Studies
● 234 International Environmental Policy
● 265 Global Public Health
● 276 Global Change Ecology
● 346 Global Food Policy
● 364 Climate Change, Justice, and Health
● 366 The Environment and Human Health
● 368 Global Climate Policy
● 3XX International Environmental Justice
French Studies
● 297 Indigenous Resistance to Petrocapitalism (in English)
● 373 Writing of Place: Migration, Nationalism, and Memory
● 376 Shadows of the Past: Remembering Vichy France and the Shoah
● 379 Race and Gender in France
● 398 Time for Outrage: Disenfranchised Subject, Political Struggles
Global Studies
● 211 Human Rights and Social Justice in Global Perspective
● 227 Visual Ways of Knowing
● 245 Memory and Politics
● 245J Memory and Politics
● 251 Global Displacement: Understanding Refugees and Refugee Policy
● 252 Language, Culture, Discourse
● 253 Goods, Gifts, and Globalizing Consumers
● 255 Global Health: Critical Perspectives on Health, Care, and Policy
● 297J Contemporary Immigration in the U.S.
● 298B Oak Activist Research Lab on Mobility and Mutual Aid
● 316 Religion and Social Change in Contemporary Africa
● 352 Global Activism: From Socialist Internationalism to Today
● 298B Global Inequality Internship and Research Group
● 398C Decolonizing Europe
Government
● 223 America and the World
● 231 U.S. Foreign Policy: The Cold War
● 236 International Law and Politics of Human Rights
● 238 Politics of War Crime Tribunals
● 251 Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Accommodation
● 252 Introduction to Politics of the Middle East
● 253 Intro Latin American Politics
● 255 Intro African Politics
● 256 Introduction to East Asian Politics
● 260 9-11: Origins, Event, Aftermath
● 263 Global Crisis of Democracy and Democracy Assistance
● 264 Democracy and Human Rights in Latin America
● 278 United States and the Middle East
● 332 International Organization
● 336 Politics of Development in Africa
● 338 Field Study in African Development
● 344 Post-Communist Transformations
● 354 The European Union
● 356 Winners and Losers in Japanese Politics
● 357 Political Economy of Regionalism
● 359 Political Ideologies and the New Illiberalism
● 361 Advanced International Relations Theory
● 362 Advanced International Relations in Salzburg
● 425 Political Leadership
History
● 120 World Revolutions
● 120C Spotlight on History: Genocide in Modern Europe
● 141 Genocide and Globalization: 20th-Century World History
● 143 Maritime History of the World
● 162 History of the Atlantic World
● 226J Cities from Scratch: A Global History of New Towns
● 229 America’s Whitest State? Immigration in Maine, Yesterday and Today
● 235 A Shrimp Between Whales: The Making of Modern Korea, 1800-1945
● 237: South Africa: A History in Five Epidemics
● 245 Science, Race, and Gender
● 248 Nuclear Vision, Environmental Realities
● 297J Europe and the Second World War
● 298C Taikun to Trump: A History of East Asia and the West
● 321 The First World War
● 322 Europe and the Second World War
● 330 Global Histories of Food
● 331 Slavery and Capitalism
● 341 US as an Empire
● 353 Gender, Sexuality, and Power in Atlantic Slavery
● 356 Cultures and Identities of the British Empire
● 357 Culture Wars: The Global Cold War
● 359 History of Chinese Feminism
● 381 Women and Gender in Islam
● 394 Ecological History
● 398 Atlantic World and Beyond: New England in Global History
● 398C United States as Empire
● 497 Brave New World: Histories of Assisted Reproductive Technology
Jan Plan
● 151 Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries
● 231 Economic Development in Conflict Zones
Latin American Studies
● 221 Crime, Violence, and Security in Latin America
● 272 Mexico: The History of Justice, Rights, and Revolution
● 378 U.S. in Latin America: Intervention, Influence, Integration
● 398 Cold War in Latin America
Music
● 252 Intro to World Music
Performance, Theater, and Dance
● 246 Art, Money, Labor: The Crisis of Capitalism
Philosophy
● 311 Approaches to Global Justice
Science, Technology, and Society
● 223 Asian Science and Society
● 242 Development and Environmental in Contemporary China
● 297 Global Food, Health, and Society
Sociology
● 224 Sociology of Globalization
● 244 Urban Sociology in a Global Context
● 262 Comparative Perspective on Inequality
● 268 Social Policy and Inequality
● 297 Sociology of Immigration
● 298C Urban Sociology
Spanish
● 135B Intro to Critical Analysis: Indigenous Latin America
● 236 Medical Spanish
● 346 Race, Rights, and Land in the Americas
● 348 The Afro-Americas: Race, Power, and Subjectivity
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
● 225 Gender and Politicized Religion
● 343 Decolonize this Place
● 397 South Asian Feminisms
Courses Approved to Fulfill the Seminar Requirement
Anthropology
● 421 Anthropology of Creativity
● 464 Anthropology of Food
Chinese
● 435 Chinese Women from Mao to Market
East Asian Studies
● 437 Social Issues in Japan
● 493 Seminar: Advanced Research in East Asia
Economics
● 471 Seminar: Global Production
● 468 Seminar: Challenges of the Anthropocene
● 474 Growth and Work of Nations
Environmental Studies
● 493 Environmental Policy Practicum (if topic is appropriate*)
French Studies
● 493A Post-World War II France
● 493B Writing of Place: Migration
● 493C Minority Issues and Social Change in the Americas
● 493D Passionate Discontent: The 19th Century Epidemic
● 493D Parisian Encounters: Great Loves, Grand Passions
● 493E Creolization, Culture, and Society in the Indian Ocean
● 493G Ecocritism and Postcolonial Theory in Dialogue
● 493H French Revolution and Human Rights
● 493L Race and Gender in France
● 493M Staging Justice: Theater of Revolt
● 493N L’ecriture de soi
German Studies
● 493 Ideologies and Identities
Global Studies
● 455 Intervention: The Ethics and Politics of Humanitarianism
● 457 Insurgent Mobility Lab: Migrants, Activists, the Balkan Route
Government
● 423 National Security Decision Making
● 425 Political Leadership
● 432 Seminar: U.S. Foreign Policy
● 451 Seminar: Political Violence
● 455 Seminar: Conflict and Crisis in Africa
● 456 Civil Society and Social Change in Latin America
● 457 Seminar: Germany and Europe
History
● 414 History of Fear in Europe, 1300-1900
● 421 Research Seminar: Debating the Nazi Past
● 438 Global Commodities: Trade, Networks, and Cultural Exchange
● 497 Brave New World: Histories of Assisted Reproductive Technology
Latin American Studies
● 473 Historical Roots of Violence in Modern Latin America
Russian Language and Culture
● 425 Russian Literary and Artistic Works
● 425 Russian Short Prose
● 425 Culture and Politics
● 428 The 20th-Century Russian Novel
Spanish
● 493 Seminar: Queer Spain
● 497 Seminar: Inca Garcilaso de la Vega
● 498 Seminar: The Afro-Americas: Race, Power, and Subjectivity
● 498 Abia Yala: Indigenous Resistance, Revolution, and Decoloniality
Note: Students can petition the director of the program to count a seminar-style 200- or 300-level course toward the seminar
requirement. In such cases, students also will be expected to enroll in Global Studies 491 or 492 (for two credits) to complete an
original research paper. Approval of this option is at the discretion of the instructor and the advisory committee. Students may also
pursue an approved four-credit independent research project (Global Studies 491 or 492) to fulfill the senior requirement.
Note: Some courses are listed under two or three categories; with the exception of counting courses toward the concentration or a
second major (if students have a relevant double major or minor [see above]), no single course can be used to satisfy more than one
requirement. A minor must have four freestanding courses not required for the major. Students may petition to include other courses if
the course has a substantial international component and is approved by the director and advisory committee.
Honors in Global Studies
An honors program is available in which the student can pursue a yearlong independent research project that also fulfills the seminar
requirement; successful completion of this project may entitle the student to graduate with “Honors in Global Studies.” To be eligible, a
student must have a grade point average of 3.5 or better in the major at the time of graduation and should submit a statement of intent
to the program director by May 1 of the junior year. Students will register for GS483 in the fall; the final deadline for submission of a
completed honors thesis proposal is the first Friday in October. See the Global Studies Handbook (online) for further information about
procedures, including midyear evaluation and deadline for completion of the thesis.
Requirements for Concentrations
Majors are required to complete a concentration unless they have a double major or minor in anthropology, Chinese, East Asian
studies, economics, French studies, German studies, government, history, Italian, Japanese, Latin American studies, Russian, or
Spanish. (Note that managerial economics may not substitute for a concentration.) Students may propose an independent
concentration. Concentrations should be declared by the spring of the sophomore year. Students may elect more than one
concentration.
Concentrations Focusing on Cultures and Places
A concentration focusing on cultures and places requires completion of the following:
● Four courses dealing with a specific region or cultural grouping such as Francophone Africa. Courses appropriate to each
region are listed above under the cultures and places component. At least two of those courses should be taken at Colby. At least one
of the four courses must be drawn from the social sciences and at least one other from the humanities.
● A coordination of cultural specialization with study abroad.
● A coordination of the language requirement with foreign study where Colby offers an appropriate program.
● A seminar project or independent study in the senior year that addresses issues in the chosen area.
Thematic Concentrations
Five tracks have been established for thematic concentrations:
● International Relations/Foreign Policy
● International Economic Policy
● Development Studies
● Human Rights/Social Justice
● Global Health
Each track requires at least four courses designated as relevant to the respective field plus a seminar or an independent senior
project relevant to the chosen specialization. Note that some of the courses appropriate for these concentrations are not designated
as global studies courses. While they are relevant to their respective specialization, they do not count toward the requirements for the
major or the grade point average in the major. These courses are designated by an asterisk (*).
International Relations/Foreign Policy
Students must take a relevant senior seminar (or senior paper) in addition to four of the courses listed below, in at least two different
programs/departments. Introduction to American Government is strongly encouraged as an additional course.
Anthropology
● 236 Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State
● 361 Militaries, Militarization, and War
East Asian Studies
● 197C Contemporary U.S.-Japan Relations
Environmental Studies
● 234 International Environmental Policy
● 368 Global Climate Policy
Global Studies
● 245(J) Memory and Politics
● 297 Contemporary Immigration in the U.S.
Government
● 223 America and the World
● 231 U.S. Foreign Policy: The Cold War
● 236 International Law and Politics of Human Rights
● 238 Politics of International War Crime Tribunals
● 251 Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Accommodation
● 256 Introduction to East Asian Politics
● 260 9-11: Origins, Event, Aftermath
● 263 Global Crisis of Democracy and Democracy Assistance
● 278 United States and the Middle East
● 332 International Organization
● 354 The European Union
● 357 Political Economy of Regionalism
● 361 Advanced International Relations Theory
● 362 Advanced International Relations in Salzburg
History
● 120C Spotlight on History: Genocide in Modern Europe
● 141 Genocide and Globalization: 20th-Century World History
● 143 Maritime History of the World
● 162 History of the Atlantic World
● 248 Nuclear Visions, Environmental Realities
● 297J Europe and the Second World War
● 298C Taikun to Trump: A History of East Asia and the West
● 321 First World War
● 322 Europe and the Second World War
● 331 Slavery and Capitalism
● 341 The United States as Empire
● 356 Cultures and Identities of British Empire
● 397 Culture Wars: The Global Cold War
● 398C United States as an Empire
Jan Plan
● 231 Economic Development in Conflict Zones
Latin American Studies
● 378 U.S. in Latin America: Intervention, Influence, Integration
● 398 Cold War in Latin America
International Economic Policy
Students must take a relevant senior seminar (or senior paper) and take four of the courses listed below; one must be outside of
economics and two must be in economics.
Anthropology
● 254 Global-Local Asia
● 256 Land, Food, Culture, and Power
● 328 Anthropology of Money
Economics
● 171 Global Financial Markets
● 214 Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America
● 279 Economic Rise and Future of China
● 297 Topics in Latin American Economic Policy
● 318 Economics of Global Health
● 335 Topics in Economic Development
● 343 Environment and Development
● 348 Economic Growth
● 378 International Trade
Global Studies
● 253 Goods, Gifts, and Globalizing Consumers
Government
● 253 Introduction to Latin American Politics
● 332 International Organization
● 344 Post-Communist Transformations
● 354 The European Union
● 357 Political Economy of Regionalism
History
● 162 History of the Atlantic World
● 330 Global Histories of Food
● 331 Slavery and Capitalism
● 397 Culture Wars: The Global Cold War
● 398 Global Histories of Food
● 398 Atlantic World and Beyond: New England in Global History
Jan Plan
● 231 Economic Development in Conflict Zones
Sociology
● 224 Sociology of Globalization
Development Studies
Students must take a relevant senior seminar (or senior paper) and take four of the courses listed below, in at least two different
departments/programs.
Anthropology
● 236 Illegal Drugs, Law, and State
● 256 Land, Food, Culture, and Power
● 241 A World in Motion: Cultures of Transnationalism
● 254 Global-Local Asia
East Asian Studies
● 242 Development and Economic Issues in Contemporary China
Economics
● 214 Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America
● 279 Economic Rise and Future of China
● 297 Topics in Latin American Economic Policy
● 298 Economics of Developing Countries
● 318 Economics of Global Health
● 335 Topics in Economic Development
● 343 Environment and Development
● 378 International Trade
Education
● 228J Women, Children, Gender, and Human Rights
● 398A Education and Sustainable Development
● 398B Gender, Education, and Development
Environmental Studies
● 265 Global Public Health
● 276 Global Change Ecology
Global Studies
● 251 Global Displacement: Understanding Refugees and Refugee Policy
● 255 Global Health: Critical Perspectives on Health, Care, and Policy
● 352 Global Activism: From Socialist Internationalism to Today
● 398B Global Inequality Internship and Research Group
Government
● 252 Introduction to Politics of the Middle East
● 253 Introduction to Latin American Politics
● 255 Introduction to African Politics
● 263 Global Crisis of Democracy and Democracy Assistance
● 332 International Organization
● 336 Politics of Development in Africa
● 338 Field Study in African Development
History
● 330 Global Histories of Food
● 346 Global Health History
● 394 Ecological History
Jan Plan
● 151 Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries
● 231 Economic Development in Conflict Zones
Science, Technology, and Society
● 242 Development and Environmental in Contemporary China
Sociology
● 298B Sociology of Globalization
● 298C Urban Sociology
Spanish
● 135B Intro to Critical Analysis: Indigenous Latin America
Human Rights/Social Justice
Students must take a relevant senior seminar (or senior paper) and take four of the courses listed below, in at least two different
programs/departments.
Anthropology
● 211 Of Beasts, Pets, and Wildlife: What Animals Mean to Humans
● 236 Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State
● 249 Courts, Trials, and the Pursuit of Justice
● 256 Land, Food, Culture, and Power
● 326 Comparing Inequalities: Caste and Race
● 341 Culture, Mobility, Identity: Encounters in the African Diaspora
● 344 Black Radical Imaginations
● 361 Militaries, Militarization, and War
● 365 Space, Place, and Belonging
● 366 Technoculture
● 373 Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality
Art
● 323 The Destruction of Culture
East Asian Studies
● 353 Globalization and Human Rights in China
Education
● 228 Women, Children, Gender, and Human Rights
● 398B Gender, Education, and Development
Environmental Studies
● 234 International Environmental Policy
● 265 Global Public Health
● 364 Climate Change, Justice, and Health
● 366 The Environment and Human Health
French Studies
● 297 Indigenous Resistance to Petrocapitalism (in English)
● 376 Shadows of the Past: Remembering Vichy France and the Shoah
● 379 Race and Gender in France
● 398 Time for Outrage! Disenfranchised Subjects, Political Struggles
Global Studies
● 211 Human Rights and Social Justice in Global Perspective
● 227 Visual Ways of Knowing
● 251 Global Displacement: Understanding Refugees and Refugee Policy
● 252 Language, Culture, Discourse
● 253 Cultural Perspectives on Global Economies
● 255 Global Health: Critical Perspectives on Health, Care, and Policy
● 297 Contemporary Immigration in the U.S.
● 316 Religion and Social Change in Contemporary Africa
● 352 Global Activism: From Socialist Internationalism to Today
● 397 Colonialism, Poet-colonialism, Settler Colonialism
Government
● 236 International Law and Politics of Human Rights
● 238 Politics of International War Crimes Tribunals
● 251 Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Accommodation
● 263 Global Crisis of Democracy and Democracy Assistance
● 264 Democracy and Human Rights in Latin America
● 332 International Organization (if papers written on human rights)
● 356 Winners and Losers in Japanese Politics
History
● 120C Spotlight on History: Genocide in Modern Europe
● 141 Genocide and Globalization: 20th-Century World History
● 229 America’s Whitest State? Immigration in Maine, Yesterday and Today
● 245 Science, Race and Gender
● 356 Cultures and Identities of British Empire
● 359 History of Chinese Feminism
Latin American Studies
● 221 Crime, Violence, and Security in Latin America
● 272 Mexican History: Justice, Rights, and Revolution
● 378 U.S. in Latin America: Intervention, Influence, Integration
Philosophy
● 311 Philosophical Approaches to Global Justice
Sociology
● 262 Comparative Perspectives on Inequality
● 268 Social Policy and Inequality
● 297 Sociology of Immigration
Spanish
● 135B Intro to Critical Analysis: Indigenous Latin America
● 236 Medical Spanish
● 2XX Race and Identity in Contemporary Latin America
● 346 Race, Rights, and Land in the Americas
● 348 The Afro-Americas: Race, Power, and Subjectivity
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
● 225 Gender and Politicized Religion
● 341 Gender and Human Rights
● 343 Decolonize This Place
● 397 South Asian Feminisms
Global Health
Students must take a relevant senior seminar (or senior paper) and take four of the courses listed below, in at least two different
programs/departments.
Anthropology
● 236 Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State
● 323 Anthropological Approaches to Science and Religion
● 364 Toxicity, Health, and the Pharmaceutical Self
● 373 Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality
● 464 Anthropology of Food
East Asian Studies
● EA355 Aging and Public Policy in East Asia
Economics
● Seminar: Health and Global Development
Environmental Studies
● 265 Global Public Health
● 364 Climate Change, Justice, and Health
● 366 Pollution and Human Health
French Studies
● Gender, Body and Space in Francophone Africa
Global Studies
● 255 Global Health: Critical Perspectives on Health, Care, and Policy
● 455 Intervention: The Ethics and Politics of Humanitarianism
History
● 237: South Africa: A History in Five Epidemics
● 497: Brave New World: Histories of Assisted Reproductive Technology
Jan Plan
● 151 Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries
Sociology
● 262 Comparative Perspectives on Inequality (partial credit)
Spanish
● 236 Medical Spanish: Health and Illness in Spain
Students can count one course from across the campus that is relevant to the global health concentration but is not formally
designated as a global studies course. While they are relevant to their respective specialization, and would count for the
concentration, these courses do not count toward the general requirements for the GS major or the grade point average in the major.
Example courses might include:
AR319: Art, Medicine, and Race*
CL154: Ancient Medicine*
PS214: Health Psychology*
SC306: Topics in Epidemiology*
ST114: Introduction to Medicine and Society*
WG120B: Critical Inquiries in Medical Ethics*
WG241: Foundations of Disability Studies*
WG3XXA: Medical Humanities and Critical Studies*
Course Offerings
GS111f Human Rights in the Global Perspective Although it can be hard to define, health is not, as the World Health
Organization (WHO) reminds us, simply the absence of disease. Instead, health should be understood as a holistic and affirmative
way of existing in the world. We can think of health at many different, interconnected scales: individual, family, community, society, and
planetary. After all, the preamble of the 1946 Constitution of the World Health Organization states that "the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief,
economic or social condition." But reality falls far short of this declaration because of ever-changing climate and environmental
factors, pandemics, politicization of health-related issues, lack of access to the social and structural factors that make health possible
such as safe drinking water and adequate sanitation; nourishing and nutritious food and housing; healthy working and environmental
conditions; health-related education and information; access to health care; and racial and gender equality. Nongraded. One credit
hour. MILLER
[GS113] Indigenous Rights: A Reading Group A Reading Group sponsored by the Oak Institute for Human Rights, whose
primary mission is to host a human rights advocate and practitioner every fall in association with an annual theme. In preparation for
the 2022-2023 theme on Indigenous Rights, we will come together as a group once a week to discuss what we have read. Various
faculty and writers from different fields and disciplines will be leading each session. Nongraded. One credit hour.
GS121j Costa Rica: Language and Engaged Learning Improve your Spanish, stay with families in 3 different regions
(Heredia/San Jose, Monteverde Cloud Forest, and Playa Flamingo and engage in service opportunities at three different Costa Rican
NGOs. Optional third credit requiring submittal of a research project to one of the three organizations. Two or three credit
hours. FRANKO
GS125s Health and Human Rights: A Reading Group This is a Reading Group sponsored by the Oak Institute for Human
Rights, whose primary mission is to host a human rights advocate and practitioner every fall in association with an annual theme. In
preparation for the 2023-2024 theme on Health and Human Rights, we will come together as a group once a week to discuss what we
have read. Various Faculty and writers from different fields and disciplines will be leading each session. Nongraded. One credit
hour. INSTRUCTOR
GS201j Remembering Germany's Past: Field Study in Berlin Germany is often held up as a model for reckoning with the
difficult past. Using the city of Berlin as our classroom, this course explores the ways that World War II was remembered in the West
and East during the period of Cold War division. We then turn our attention to the memory debates that erupted after German
unification in 1990 and reflect on their relevance for the current memory landscape. Students will research, visit and reflect on sites of
remembrance throughout Berlin as well as in Potsdam and at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Three credit hours. S,
I. YODER
[GS211] Human Rights and Social Justice in Global Perspective Human rights have become one of the primary frameworks
for understanding justice and injustice globally. Drawing especially on anthropology, with its longstanding commitment to exploring the
diversity of human experience, we first examine critically the contradictory consequences of this new human rights universalism.
Moving beyond simplistic arguments of relativism and anti-relativism, we scrutinize human rights claims in the face of concrete
contexts of cultural difference and inequality. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. W2.
[GS211J] Human Rights and Social Justice in Global Perspective Human rights have become one of the primary frameworks
for understanding justice and injustice globally. Drawing especially on anthropology, with its longstanding commitment to exploring the
diversity of human experience, we first examine critically the contradictory consequences of this new human rights universalism.
Moving beyond simplistic arguments of relativism and anti-relativism, we scrutinize human rights claims in the face of concrete
contexts of cultural difference and inequality. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Three credit hours. W2.
GS214f Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America Listed as Economics 214. Four credit hours. W2,
I. FRANKO
[GS226] Arab Spring The Middle East, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula witnessed a series of revolutions that began in
December of 2010. These revolts were long expected by observers of the region, yet paradoxically came as a surprise. This course
will explore the reasons for this surprise, the wide range of explanations that scholars have proposed for the revolts, why the revolts
happened in some countries but not others and, where they did occur, why some resulted in political reform and others in renewed
authoritarian rule. The role of outside powers, such as the United States and Russia, as well as the cross-border intraregional
dynamics, will be explored as well. Finally, the course will explore the experiences of the participants as expressed in personal
narratives, art and literature. Four credit hours. S, I.
GS227f Visual Ways of Knowing Incarceration and Abolition This course teaches audio and video recording methods,
research practice, documentary filmmaking ethics, and multimedia and interactive storytelling conventions and platforms. Special
emphasis is placed on learning to understand and collaborate across a variety of socioeconomic, racialized, and cultural differences.
Students will produce audio, video, and text documentaries on human rights struggles in Maine and beyond. Requires significant
student initiative in identifying film topics, research, production, and postproduction. The course also requires the embrace of a
collectively authored set of antiracist principles. Four credit hours. RAZSA
[GS245] Memory and Politics This writing-intensive course invites students to consider how governments and other actors frame
the past, for what purposes, and with what effects. The focus is on post-1945 Europe, however students are welcome to examine
non-European cases in their own work. Through a variety of writing exercises, students will engage with discipline- and
culture-specific debates about whether and how a society should address its past, particularly after periods of violence and
authoritarian or totalitarian rule. Four credit hours. S, W2.
[GS245J] Memory and Politics This off-campus course invites students to consider how governments and other actors frame the
past, for what purposes, and with what effects. The focus is on post-1945 Europe, with special attention to Austria. Through a variety
of writing exercises, students will engage with social science and Austria-specific debates about whether and how a society should
address its past, particularly after periods of violence and authoritarian or totalitarian rule. This Jan Plan in Salzburg, Austria features
excursions, including to Vienna. Three credit hours. S, W2.
GS251f Global Displacement When people are forced to flee their homes because of persecution, what happens to them? What
should happen? In our transnational world, cross-border conflict and displacement challenge our ideas about governance, identity,
and justice. This course provides a framework to understand displacement in global perspective. We will trace the evolution of
international refugee law and policy dealing with this growing population and consider the implications of displacement for individuals,
communities, and states. Through case studies, we will also grapple with the social, cultural, political, and ethical challenges posed by
refugee aid. Boundaries and Margins humanities theme course. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. S,
I. EL-SHAARAWI
[GS252] Language, Culture, Discourse Listed as Anthropology 252. Four credit hours.
GS253f Cultural Perspectives on Global Economies Listed as Anthropology 253. Four credit hours. W2. HALVORSON
GS255s Global Health: Critical Perspectives on Health, Care, and Policy This writing-intensive course introduces students to
central global issues of disease and disability and the interventions that aim to address them. We will discuss the central actors,
institutions, and practices that make up the global health landscape. Using an interdisciplinary perspective, we will analyze the value
systems and modes of knowledge production that underlie global health research, policy, and practice. Students will engage critically
and creatively with topics such as the global burden of disease; the social determinants of health; health, development and human
rights; post-disaster health; and global health policy and practice. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. S,
W2. EL-SHAARAWI
[GS273] Economics of Globalization Listed as Economics 273. Prerequisite: Economics 133 and 134. Four credit hours. W2.
[GS278] United States and the Middle East Listed as GO278. Four credit hours.
[GS303] Topics in Global Affairs Affords the Colby community an opportunity to interact with a combination of outside speakers
and Colby faculty on a range of topics relevant to global studies, from climate change and food and water security to human rights and
gender equality, to International health and cybersecurity as well as the more traditional security issues raised by shifts in the
interstate arena. Two credit hours.
[GS316] African World-Making: Religion and Social Change in Contemporary Africa Participants will build awareness of the
religious diversity of contemporary African societies using selected studies from Madagascar, Tanzania, Mali, Mozambique, and other
sites. Students will learn to identify the relationship of African religions with diverse, transforming views on biomedicine and healing,
urbanization, gender relations, modern subjectivities, development and humanitarianism, and the colonial legacy. Ongoing written and
oral discussion will enable students to gain facility with key theoretical models to analyze the role of African religions in dynamic
processes of political, economic, and cultural transformation. Previously listed as Anthropology 316. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112
and junior or senior standing. Four credit hours.
GS344f Post-Communist Transformations Listed as Government 344. Four credit hours. YODER
GS352f Liberation Struggles Is revolutionary change possible today? Explores the promises and failures of radical movements
from the First International in 1864 to the "global uprisings" of recent years. Considers the historical genealogy of today's transnational
movements and their complex relationships to the modern nation-state. To what extent do labor, anarchist, anticolonial, indigenous
struggles, as well as the World Social Forum, Arab Spring, and Black Lives Matter, offer ways to understand the world today and to
imagine alternative political futures? Strong emphasis on discussion and collaborative debate. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four
credit hours. S. RAZSA
[GS354] The European Union Listed as Government 354. Four credit hours.
[GS357] Decolonizing Europe Europe dominates political, cultural, and intellectual hierarchies. We learn from Europe's most
perceptive critics, often from the very communities whose material and symbolic exclusion was central to the formation of Europe:
How do the racialized and colonized challenge Europe's amnesia about colonialism and racial capitalism? How do Muslim diasporas
across Western Europe – and Muslim peoples in the Balkans – expose the Islamophobic foundations of Europe? How do queer
women of color in Berlin or Paris challenge heteronormative ideas of belonging? How do Romani activists interrogate nation states'
colonial form? Learning goals: to critically interrogate racial and colonial hierarchies through cultivating discussion, research, and
writing skills. Four credit hours. W2.
GS368f Global Climate Policy Listed as Environmental Studies 368. Four credit hours. S. ROBINSON
[GS451] Decolonizing Europe Whether continent or idea, Europe dominates political, cultural, and intellectual hierarchies. What
can we learn from the most perceptive critics of Europe, often from the very communities whose material and symbolic exclusion was
central to the formation of Europe? How do those racialized and colonized by Europe challenge Europeans' amnesia about
colonialism and racial capitalism? How do Muslim diasporas across Western Europe-and Muslim peoples in the Balkans-expose the
Islamophobic foundations of European identity? How do queer women of color in Berlin or Paris challenge heteronormative ideas of
belonging? How do Romani and anti-nationalist activists interrogate the nature of the state's colonial
power? Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 and junior or senior standing. Four credit hours.
GS455f Intervention: The Ethics and Politics of Humanitarianism What does it mean to seek to relieve suffering on a global
scale? How could such an impulse be political? Students will have the opportunity to critically analyze and understand humanitarian
action in global perspective. We will investigate the principles and history of humanitarianism and consider their application on a
global scale by a range of humanitarian actors, such as NGOs and states. We will investigate the politics and ethics of philanthropy,
volunteerism, and humanitarian-military intervention and will discuss and debate the intersections and divergences between
humanitarianism, human rights, and development. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112. Four credit hours. S. EL-SHAARAWI
GS457s Insurgent Mobility Lab: Migrants, Activists, the Balkan Route Studies the dynamics of global migration—specifically,
the tension between state and regional efforts to control migration and the efforts of migrants and activists to advocate for open
borders and freedom of movement. Students join instructor's research team for an ongoing multi-sited project on the Balkan route that
hundreds of thousands have traveled to seek a better life in Northern Europe. Students learn about the causes and consequences of
the European migrant crisis and the ways that migrants and activists worked together to build the Balkan route despite restrictive
European policies. Involves reading the latest research, analyzing primary data, and creating original research
products. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 or other relevant experience, and permission of instructor. Four credit hours. S, I. RAZSA
GS483f, GS484s Honors in Global Studies A year-long research project for senior majors, resulting in a written thesis to be
publicly presented and defended. Prerequisite: A 3.50 grade point average and permission of the advisory committee. Two to four
credit hours.
[GS483J] Honors in Global Studies Noncredit.
GS491f, GS492s Independent Study An independent study project devoted to a topic chosen by the student with the approval of
an advisor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Government Department
The Department of Government is a community of teachers and students dedicated to the study of politics, defined as the contest for
and exercise of power.
At the conclusion of their course of study, majors in government should know (a) the major theoretical arguments about the nature and
purpose of political communities, (b) the salient features and the strengths and weaknesses of various political systems and the
reasons for those strengths and weaknesses, (c) the principal theoretical frameworks for understanding the causes of international
cooperation and conflict, and (d) the basic research methods used by political scientists.
Our graduates will demonstrate the ability (a) to think critically and creatively, (b) to conduct political science research systematically,
identifying and evaluating different sources of information and evidence, and (c) to communicate effectively the results of that
research.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Joseph Reisert
Professors Guilain Denoeux, Joseph Reisert, Kenneth Rodman, Daniel Shea, and Jennifer Yoder; Associate Professor Lindsay
Mayka; Assistant Professors Nicholas Jacobs, Nazli Konya, and Carrie LeVan; Visiting Assistant Professors Tizoc Chavez and
Deirdre Martin
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Government
Fulfillment of the government major requires successful completion of 10 courses in government, including Government 111 (or 115),
131, 171, and 281 (approved substitutes for 281 are Psychology 214 and 215, or Sociology 271); at least one introductory
comparative course (Government 252, 253, 255, 256, or 259); and a 400-level senior seminar. A writing project meeting the
department’s guidelines is also required.
Government majors should complete all of the required 100-level courses by the end of their sophomore year. Note that the only
100-level courses that may be counted for the major are the required introductory courses. Exception: when an Integrated Studies
Program course cluster includes two 100-level courses taught by government faculty, the whole Integrated Study can count as one
elective course toward the major. Students with a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement examination in U.S. Government and Politics
may elect to substitute a 200- or 300-level course in American politics taken at Colby for Government 111. Normally the introductory
comparative course should be taken before the end of sophomore year, especially for those students contemplating study abroad.
Government 281 should be completed in either the sophomore or junior year. All of the required courses must be taken at Colby,
including the 100-level courses, research methods (281), the introductory comparative course (252, 253, 255, 256, or 259), and the
400-level seminar.
Courses transferred from other institutions can count (up to a maximum of two) in the 10-course requirement. For transfer students,
the department will count up to five courses from the previous institution with the permission of the department chair, excluding the
seminar and writing assignment. Students taking government courses abroad must secure provisional approval for each course prior
to leaving; upon return to Colby, brief descriptions of work completed must be submitted to the department for final approval.
To satisfy the departmental writing requirement, students must complete a major analytical research project. The project can be a
major paper assigned as part of a course or the product of a freestanding independent study. It must be submitted to and approved by
a member of the Government Department faculty.
No government major may take any government course satisfactory/unsatisfactory; only courses in which a grade of C- or better is
received may be counted as part of the major. No requirement for the government major may be waived without written permission of
the department chair. As of the Class of 2021, independent study projects will not count toward the required 10 courses. Jan Plan
independent study shall be limited to two credits, unless an exception has been granted by the department chair.
The Senior Thesis and Honors in Government
For those students who intend to pursue the study of government in more depth, the department offers a senior thesis program that
emphasizes substantial independent research under the close guidance of one or two members of the faculty. Students seeking
admission to the senior thesis program are expected to seek approval of a sponsor and the department chair before the conclusion of
their junior year. Students whose theses are judged worthy of honors by the department faculty will graduate with “Honors in
Government.” Further information is available from the department chair and on the department’s website.
Introductory courses at the 100 level, as well as the 200-level comparative politics courses, are normally limited to 40 students, other
200- and 300-level courses to 25 students, and 400-level courses to 16 students.
Internships are encouraged so that students can experience the practical as well as the more theoretical aspects of the field. The
department offers two fellowships to support government majors who undertake either an internship or a significant research project.
Course Offerings
GO111fs Introduction to American Government and Politics How does the American government work? An examination of the
relationships among American values, politics, government institutions, and public policy. Focus on the methodologies of political
science as tools for expanding understanding of political phenomena and behavior. Credit toward the major cannot be earned for both
Government 111 and 115. Four credit hours. S. CHAVEZ, JACOBS, LEVAN
GO131fs Introduction to International Relations An introduction to the basic concepts and theories of international relations,
focusing primarily on the core issues of war and peace as they have evolved in the international system, as well as the prospects for
cooperation through international institutions to address issues such as human rights, nuclear proliferation, the world economy, and
the global environment. Four credit hours. S. MARTIN, RODMAN
[GO140A] Introduction to U.S. Law What are the fundamental concepts, principles, and procedures at the heart of the U.S. legal
system? Topics include: the anthropological basis of law; courts and legislatures as sources of law; the structure and functioning of
different courts; the adversarial principle; the common law method of legal reasoning; and an overview of criminal and civil law.
Coursework will include mock trials and debates, and attendance at court. Four credit hours. S.
[GO140B] Writing and Thinking about Law Philosophy typically examines law in the abstract, offering theories of what law is,
where it comes from, and what its content should or must be. Literature is more concrete, dramatizing those moments of crisis when
the law becomes real for them--when a will is read, or a divorce finalized; when someone has been wronged and seeks
compensation, or after a crime has been committed; when reformers seek to establish "the rule of law" or when an abusive
government uses law to crack down on its critics. In this writing-intensive course, we will study literary treatments of the law,
including Antigone, Crito, The Merchant of Venice, The Trial, and others, in parallel with philosophical theories about law. Four credit
hours. L, W1.
GO145Af Leadership in the Ancient World To understand leadership in both ancient and contemporary times, the course will be
informed by theoretical approaches to leadership (e.g. trait theory, situational theories, behavioral theories), as well as theories related
to issues such as power, authority, and influence. Additionally, the course will utilize case studies, historical and textual analysis, and
cross-cultural comparisons. By exploring the roots of leadership, the course seeks to provide students a deeper understanding of the
evolution of leadership practices, and how these practices have shaped contemporary leadership theories and practices. Four credit
hours. S. CHAVEZ
GO145Bf The Ancient Mind: Literature and Philosophy of the Ancient World A writing-intensive introduction to, and a literary
and thematic exploration of, major works of literature and philosophy from the Ancient Near East and classical Greece. Readings will
include Gilgamesh, the Iliad and Odyssey, the Oresteia, Antigone, and dialogues of Plato. Instruction in developing theses and
drafting, revising, and editing academic essays will be provided. Assignments include regular reading responses and three
essays. Four credit hours. W1, I. REISERT
[GO149A] Utopia in Fiction: Happy Tomorrows or Hells on Earth? The 20th century, famously described by Eric Hobsbawm
as the "Age of Extremes," spawned not just the most violent wars and revolutions in human history but also, in curious contrast, some
of the most memorable novelistic visions of perfection. Are these visions meant to merely entertain us or teach us important lessons?
Do their authors seek to inspire or warn us? What message do they convey about the possibility and desirability of progress? We will
look for answers to these and related questions in novels such as Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, We by Yevgeny
Zamyatin, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, and The Joke by Milan Kundera. Satisfies the Literature (L) and First-Year Writing
(W1) requirements. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Government 149B and History 149; elect IS149. Four credit hours. L,
W1.
[GO149B] Political Theory of Utopia What does a perfect society look like? Would it be egalitarian or hierarchical? Democratic
or ruled by an enlightened despot? Religious or secular? Communist or capitalist? Is it perhaps dangerous to dream of perfection for
human societies? But then, can we have reform without a vision of perfection? Readings include Plato's Republic, Thomas
More's Utopia, works by Karl Marx, including the Communist Manifesto, Edmund Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France, and
others. Satisfies the Social Sciences (S) requirement. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Government 149A and History 149;
elect IS149. Four credit hours. S.
GO171f Introduction to Political Theory What are the nature and purpose of the modern state or of any political community?
What is freedom? What is justice? How do such ideals relate to the design and functioning of political institutions? Political theory is
the subfield within political science that addresses these and related normative and methodologically foundational questions.
Introduction to classic works of political theory by Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Marx, and Mill. Students will demonstrate their
understanding of the primary texts and their ability to formulate original arguments in political theory by means of papers and exams;
class sessions are conducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Four credit hours. S, I. KONYA
GO201j Remembering Germany's Past: Field Study in Berlin Listed as Global Studies 201. Three credit hours. S, I. YODER
[GO210] Interest-Group Politics Examines the role and behavior of organized interest groups in American politics. Provides
students with opportunities to develop their substantive knowledge of group behavior and their writing skills through the completion of
an independent research paper. Four credit hours.
GO211s The American Presidency The organization, powers, and actions of the executive branch of the American government
examined in historical and contemporary perspective. Students will use the tools and methodologies of political science to assess the
modern presidency and its incumbents. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115, and sophomore or higher standing. Four credit
hours. CHAVEZ
GO214f Parties and the Electoral Process An exploration of the electoral process in the United States, emphasizing the
historical development of American parties and elections, the legal and constitutional contexts in which they exist, the practical
aspects of modern campaigns, and the democratic values inherent in our electoral system and those of other nations. Has the
electoral process in the United States been so warped that it no longer reflects the will of the people? Has it ever reflected the
common good? Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115, and sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. SHEA
[GO216] Political Rhetoric An introduction to the theory and practice of political rhetoric through the study of historically
significant political speeches and the composition and delivery of original addresses, including intensive practice in persuasive writing
and public speaking. Topics include the moral status of rhetoric and the identification and use of rhetorical figures and modes of
persuasion. Works studied include the funeral oration of Pericles, speeches from Shakespeare such as Antony's subversive "Friends,
Romans, countrymen," Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and King's "I Have a Dream." For the culminating exercise, students will
compose and deliver their own political speeches. Three credit hours.
[GO223] America and the World How have Americans comprehended the world beyond their borders and their role in it? Can we
detect any recurring ideas and presuppositions? If so, what are their origins, recent U.S. foreign policy manifestations, and
implications? This course looks for answers in a broad historical perspective spanning America's colonial beginnings and today. It
identifies several traditional "master" tropes, traces their genealogy in American societal culture, and reveals their presence in U.S.
statecraft at key junctures such as the two World Wars, the Cold War, the fall of communism in Europe, and the "War on Terror." Most
importantly, it discusses their consequences and critically reflects on their suitability to guide future American foreign relations. Four
credit hours. H.
[GO225] Writers against the State: Reading the Political Novel in Prague Reveals the role of literature as a form of political
protest in a city with a rich tradition of writers against the state: Prague, Czech Republic. Students will read, discuss, and write about
major Czech literary artists such as Milan Kundera and Vaclav Havel, the dissident playwright who led the 1989 Velvet Revolution
against communism. Classes will be combined with excursions to local sites relevant to the course material, such as the Vaclav Havel
Library, Café Slavia, and Pankrac Prison. Prerequisite: Sophomore or above. Three credit hours. L, I.
GO226s Media and Politics An assessment of the role of the media in American politics. Examines the media as an institution
and how it is both influenced by and reflects our system of government. What functions, for example, do contemporary news outlets
afford the democratic process? Is there a connection between the way news is transmitted and the way citizens interact with
government? Throughout much of American history the press has been considered a watchdog and the "fourth branch" of
government. The challenge in this course is to explore the nexus of the theoretical role assigned to the mass media and its present
character. Four credit hours. S. SHEA
GO227f Social Movements From the U.S. civil rights movement to the Tea Party to indigenous movements in Bolivia, social
movements can bring lasting political change to countries that upend the status quo. In this course, we will address questions central
to social movement activists and researchers: How does a social movement start? Why do some campaigns become social
movements while others do not? What strategies, tactics, and messages can social movements deploy? What sustains a social
movement? Why do some social movements reach their goals while others do not? This course will explore these questions by
analyzing contemporary and historical social movements from the United States and Latin America. Four credit hours. U. MAYKA
GO228fs Introduction to Race, Ethnicity, and Politics Examines broadly the ways in which racial and ethnic minorities
influence and are influenced by American politics and public policy. The course is organized in three parts. Part I will explore the
theoretical and historical contexts of race in American politics. Part II will focus on race and political behavior, paying close attention to
public opinion, participation, and representation. Part III will examine particular policy-related case studies: minority education,
housing, employment, and criminal justice. Four credit hours. S, U. LEVAN
[GO231] U.S. Foreign Policy: The Cold War An analysis of the major events facing the United States during the Cold War and
the controversies surrounding them. Academic and policy debates over national security doctrines, the proper place of ideology in
foreign policy, the role of economic factors, and domestic political institutions. Topics include the origin of the Cold War, nuclear
weapons strategy, the Vietnam War, containment and detente, and the end of the Cold War. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four
credit hours.
GO233s Economic Statecraft This class examines how states and other political actors use economics as an instrument of
foreign policy. Among the topics to be covered are trade conflicts with Japan and China, the use of economic sanctions to promote
national security and human rights, controversies surrounding the World Trade Organization's role in resolving trade conflicts between
states, and the impact of transnational activist networks on corporate social responsibility. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit
hours. S. RODMAN
GO236s International Law and Politics of Human Rights An introduction to the international laws and institutions established
after the Second World War to promote, protect, and enforce human rights, and the political forces which either empower or constrain
their influence. Areas of application include civil and political rights; economic, social, and cultural rights; the right to asylum;
accountability for war crimes and genocide; humanitarian intervention; corporate social responsibility; and the tensions between
counter-terrorism and human rights. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit hours. S. RODMAN
[GO238] Politics of War Crime Tribunals Examines the politics of establishing tribunals to hold individuals criminally accountable
for genocide and other atrocity crimes, from the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials after World War II through the International Criminal
Court. Central questions involve the nature of post-conflict justice, the degree to which international legal bodies are insulated from or
influenced by politics, and the impact of prosecution on transitions from war and dictatorship to peace and democracy. Academic and
legal analysis combined with simulated court proceedings. Areas of application include South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, the Milosevic trial, the Pinochet extradition hearing, and issues surrounding Guantanamo and Abu
Ghraib. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit hours. S.
GO241s Politics of Public Policy in the United States Introduction to the process and institutions of public policy making in the
United States. Students consider the political process by which policies are made, and consider the institutions that are responsible
for designing, implementing, and evaluating policy at the federal, state, and local levels; these include the bureaucracy, Congress,
think tanks, and private corporations. Students will consider the role of cost-benefit evaluation, nudging, quasi-market competition,
and privatization in recent debates. Topics include, government finance, education policy, income maintenance programs, and health
policy. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115. Four credit hours. S. JACOBS
GO242j American Politics and Film More than just entertainment, films offer insight into America's history, politics, and culture.
Using film, this course will explore selected themes in American politics. Watching two films per week, it will explore the relationship
on-screen depictions of politicians and the political process has with off-screen realities. By the end of the course, students will have a
deeper understanding of how film provides a lens to track changes in American politics and society and gain the ability to analyze the
political messages, symbols, and values in film. Previously offered as Government 297B (Jan Plan 2022). Three credit
hours. CHAVEZ
GO244f Sexuality, Gender, Feminism This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary feminist study of gender and
sexuality. We will study these concepts through theoretical frameworks within and outside of "Women's, Gender, and Sexuality
Studies," as well as through histories of feminist and queer struggles and literary narratives. Our collaborative task will be to
understand the material, historical, and theoretical approaches to body, gender, and sexuality, and investigate how those approaches
are complicated by questions of race, capitalism, coloniality, and power. Throughout the course, we will connect theoretical texts to life
experiences and personal anecdotes to institutional legacies. Four credit hours. S, U. KONYA
[GO245] Memory and Politics Listed as Global Studies 245. Four credit hours. S, W2.
[GO245J] Memory and Politics Listed as Global Studies 245J. Three credit hours. S, W2.
[GO247] Intelligence and US National Security Policymaking Overview of the role and effectiveness of intelligence in forming
and executing U.S. national security policy. Surveys and assesses the organization and function of intelligence, examines the impact
of intelligence on the policy community, and reviews real world examples. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 131. Four credit hours.
GO248s In the Streets: Politics of Protest and Refusal This course surveys contemporary theories of resistance and asks: How
do we understand and learn from the world-wide protests of the 21st century? At a time that collective action ever more effectively
mediates political experience, we will revisit some seminal works on political action and civil disobedience, and look at how mass
mobilization and protest are reconstructed in contemporary political theory. Upon successful completion of the course, students will
have a strong understanding of course texts' philosophical arguments and political concerns, developing theoretical insights on protest
movements in the U.S. and across the world. Four credit hours. S. KONYA
GO251s Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Accommodation Examines the origins, evolution, and current state of the
conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Explores the forces that have sustained the dispute, the main reasons behind failed
attempts at peacemaking, and the factors that account for the current stalemate. Focuses on key historical junctures, including the
British mandate over Palestine, the creation of Israel and dispossession of the Palestinians, the "Oslo Process" and its collapse, the
failed 2000 Camp David Summit and second intifada, as well as the new situation created by the events of the past decade. Attention
also is paid to media coverage of, and U.S. policy toward, the conflict. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit
hours. S. DENOEUX
GO252f Introduction to Politics of the Middle East Provides the analytical and historical background for making sense of
politics in the Arab world today. Highlights the main drivers of politics in the region, with particular emphasis paid to the intersection of
political and economic forces, domestic and regional or international factors, and Islam and politics. Explores the roots of
authoritarianism in the region, the dynamics that sustain it, and key impediments to substantive (as opposed to cosmetic)
democratization. Examines the combination of forces that produced both the Arab Spring of 2011 and the turmoil that followed it.
Open to first-years. Fulfills the introductory comparative politics requirement. Four credit hours. S. DENOEUX
GO253s Introduction to Latin American Politics An overview of important political and economic phenomena in Latin America
over the past century. How can Latin America escape its persistent problems with underdevelopment, poverty, and inequality, and
what is the role of a democratic government in tackling these problems? Topics covered include state-directed development models,
populism, democratic breakdown and democratization, free market economic models, and contemporary leftist alternatives. Open to
first-years. Fulfills the introductory comparative politics requirement. Four credit hours. MAYKA
[GO255] Introduction to African Politics An overview of political processes and institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. The
development of institutions and norms of political behavior across the continent will be traced from precolonial times to the present,
with particular focus on the development of modern states, challenges to the legitimacy of governing authorities, and factors affecting
state stability. Students will learn to identify, define, and apply theoretical concepts to the empirical study of African politics. Open to
first-years. Fulfills the introductory comparative politics requirement. Four credit hours. S, I.
GO256f Introduction to East Asian Politics Both a primer on the domestic politics and foreign policies of states/territories in
East Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan, the two Koreas), and an exploration of specific cases of interstate conflict in the region, including
competing memories of World War II and confrontation over North Korea's nuclear weapons. Surveys comparative politics in the
region; then applies that knowledge to international relations in East Asia. Students acquire basic knowledge about nations in this
region, and about the volatile mix of fears and aspirations there. They also learn how to think more deeply about politics, communicate
more effectively, and collaborate more successfully. Fulfills the introductory comparative politics requirement. Prerequisite: Sophomore
or higher standing. Four credit hours. S. MARTIN
GO259s Introduction to European Politics Examines the post-1945 development of European political cultures and systems
with special attention to varieties of parliamentarism, electoral systems, party systems, interest group representation, and welfare
states. Explores how European societies view the role of the state in the economy, why many of them ceded some policymaking to
the European Union, and how Europeans strike the balance between the exclusion and inclusion of different groups, between
representative and participatory democracy, and between national and European interests. Open to first-years. Fulfills the introductory
comparative politics requirement. Four credit hours. S. YODER
[GO260] 9/11: Origins, Event, Aftermath Actions undertaken by al-Qaeda against targets on U.S. soil on Sept. 12, 2001,
shocked the American public and the world at large. Why did 9/11 happen in the first place? What prompted al-Qaeda to target the
United States? How was the event portrayed, explained, and interpreted? Is it possible to come up with alternative representations,
explanations, and interpretations? If yes, what are they, and why were they obscured at the time? Our purpose is to reflect on these
questions and controversies in order to cultivate a critical perspective on the origins, nature, and consequences of 9/11. Four credit
hours. S.
GO263f Global Crisis of Democracy and Democracy Assistance Explores the manifestations and roots of the current crisis of
democratic politics and their implications for democracy assistance. Examines ongoing populist, illiberal, anti-democratic, and nativist
challenges to democracy worldwide, and considers competing arguments regarding the value and feasibility of democracy aid in this
new context. Reflects on the needed rethinking of democracy assistance to fit both a different global landscape and what development
professionals have learned from three decades of experience with supporting democracy abroad. Taught from a practitioner's
perspective. Four credit hours. S. DENOEUX
GO264f Democracy and Human Rights in Latin America What have been the challenges associated with the establishment
and consolidation of democracy that protects human rights in Latin America? This course examines democracies and authoritarian
regimes in Latin America over the past 50 years, with a particular emphasis on the quality of democracy and protection of human
rights in the current period. Topics discussed include the breakdown of democracy; democratization; social movements; citizenship;
state violence; and the rights of marginalized groups, including the poor, racial and ethnic minorities, women, and LGBTQI
individuals. Four credit hours. S, W2, I. MAYKA
GO266f German Politics In addition to introducing the main institutions and actors in German politics, the course critically
examines the following topics: demographic change and the country's adaptation to various forms of diversity; whether Germany's
widely admired culture of reckoning with the Nazi past has expanded to address colonialism and its legacies; how the increase of
far-right protests and even violence can be explained and how German policymakers have responded; how the promised energy
transformation is going, particularly whether consumers and industry are willing to change their behavior; and with Russia's war
against Ukraine, Germany's response to demands that it assume more responsibility for its own (and Europe's) defense. Four credit
hours. S. YODER
[GO271] Classical Political Theory An introduction to the political thought of classical antiquity, including the works of
Thucydides, Xenophon, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. Topics include the nature of justice, the merits of direct democracy and other
institutional forms, and the attributes of the ideal leader. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the primary texts and their
ability to formulate original arguments in political theory by means of papers and exams. Class sessions are conducted as a mixture of
lecture and discussion. Prerequisite: Government 171 or Philosophy 211. Four credit hours.
[GO273] American Political Thought A survey of fundamental principles of American political thought as presented in the
writings of such authors as Hamilton, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. General themes include the notion of republican government,
concepts of liberty and equality, and the role of property in democratic society. Designed to provide students with an opportunity to
develop critical-thinking and writing skills. Four credit hours.
[GO278] United States and the Middle East Explores US policy toward the Middle East from the founding of republic to the
present. We will think through the way the US has defined strategic interest both globally and in a Middle Eastern context, and trace
the overlap of security policy and broader diplomatic, economic and cultural dimensions of the US involvement in the region. We will
examine regional perceptions of the US and the attitudes of US policy makers toward the peoples of the region. This course will
enable students to think critically about US policy and acquire the background for advanced coursework in International relations
and/or Middle Eastern studies. Prerequisite: Government 131 or 223. Four credit hours.
GO281fs Concepts and Methods of Political Science Research An introduction to a variety of approaches to the study of
political phenomena, intended to prepare students to craft and complete more sophisticated research projects in political science.
After discussion of the nature and aims of scientific inquiry and the general features of effective research design, focus is on two
broad methodological perspectives: explanation and interpretation. Topics include hypothesis testing and statistical analysis, the
problem of historical truth, symbolic representation, and discourse analysis. Students will complete a number of different types of
assignments and will apply course ideas to develop their own original research design. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing in
the government major. Four credit hours. Q. JACOBS, LEVAN, SHEA
GO312f Suburban Politics An examination of the political, social, economic, and cultural evolution of American suburbs. Pays
close attention to the post-World War II era, looking at historical patterns of suburban development, exclusionary housing policies,
racial/ethnic, class, and gender conflicts, demographic shifts, and contemporary theories of suburban politics and
governance. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115. Four credit hours. U. LEVAN
GO313f National Powers in American Constitutional Law An examination of constitutional debates that have defined the
structure and powers of the modern national government. Topics include constitutional interpretation; the operation and desirability (or
not) of judicial review; the scope of the states' police powers in relation to congressional power; the conflict between economic rights
and the modern regulatory state; and powers of the president, especially in times of terrorism, emergency, and war. Readings include
U.S. Supreme Court decisions and related documents as well as secondary works in political science and law. Assignments include
case briefs, class participation, papers, simulations (e.g., moot courts), and exams. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115. Four credit
hours. REISERT
[GO314] Civil Liberties in American Constitutional Law An examination of legal, moral, and philosophical controversies
involving rights and liberties arising under the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment. Topics include the nature of rights and theories
of constitutional interpretation; the right to the free exercise of religion and the establishment clause; freedom of expression; the "right
of privacy" and protections for contraception, abortion, and homosexuality; and affirmative action and the status of women and
minorities under the law. Readings include U.S. Supreme Court cases and related works of moral and political philosophy.
Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115. Four credit hours. U.
[GO315] Minority Representation Inequalities persist throughout everyday life and remain apparent within American political
institutions. We will examine how these inequalities manifest in American political institutions and why they matter. Part I will explore
the multifaceted nature of representation. Part II will explore the conditions that affect minority representation, specifically: population
size, public opinion/support, interest group support, and group access to resources. Part III will focus on the future of representation,
paying close attention to changing demographics. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115. Four credit hours. S, U.
[GO318] Money and Politics The role of money in the political process and the policy debates on various campaign finance
reform alternatives. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115. Four credit hours.
[GO328] Constitutional Choice and its Consequences: American Political Development Course about change and continuity
in American politics. Topics include the development of various political institutions in the United States (presidency, Congress, state
and local government), but also the creation of the welfare state, the administrative state, the carceral state, and other mediating
institutions such as the press and public schools. Key themes include the role of the State in shaping citizens, the success and failure
of various reform movements, and the role of cultural prejudices in Americas exceptional development. Prerequisite: Government 111
or 115. Four credit hours. S.
[GO330] Law and Lawlessness in the United States About the law and its limits in contemporary American politics. Topics
include impeachment of public officials, the delegation of governing authority, the legal violation of citizen rights, and government
policies that delegitimize political opposition. Students will gain practical experience in casework and legal theory by applying their
understanding of lawlessness to timely and relevant cases. By the end of this course, students will have a deeper appreciation of the
law's social foundations, including the conditions under which the law improves or intensifies pre-existing social, political, and
economic inequities. Previously offered as GO397 (Jan Plan 2020). Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115. Three credit hours. S, U.
[GO332] International Organization The structure, politics, and current operation of international organizations within the
nation-state system. Topics include conflict resolution, nonproliferation, human rights, and international economic cooperation.
Prerequisite: Government 131 and sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours.
[GO336] Politics of Development in Africa Explores the politics and practice of economic development and humanitarian aid in
sub-Saharan Africa. Using readings, lectures, class discussions, and an independent student research project, examines the major
theories of development in comparative politics; compares international, top-down models to localized, bottom-up approaches toward
development in Africa; raises possibilities of partnership-based models; and critiques the history of colonial and postcolonial
development and humanitarian aid in Africa. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit hours. I.
[GO338] Field Study in African Development Students will spend approximately three weeks of this global innovation course in
Uganda comparing international, local, and diaspora-driven approaches to economic and social development. Through discussions
with local, international, and development practitioners, observation of development projects, a rural home stay, and meetings with
local and international policymakers, students will learn to identify, compare, and contrast varying theoretical and practical approaches
to development in Africa, assess the effectiveness of international, diaspora-driven, and local approaches to development and its
promotion in Uganda. Cost is $3,750. Three credit hours.
GO343s Diplomat in Chief: Presidential Leadership on the Global Stage Examines the American president's international
leadership. It will cover topics including how the president's role as world leader developed, how and why the president interacts with
foreign leaders, summitry, the role of commander in chief, and how domestic politics affect a president's international leadership. Four
credit hours. CHAVEZ
GO344f Post-Communist Transformations Examines the rise and fall of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe, then
explores patterns of post-communist political reforms and outcomes. Focuses on the Putin presidency, its impacts on Russian politics
and society, and the consequences for stability in the region. Prerequisite: At least one government course. Four credit
hours. YODER
GO346s Incarceration/Decarceration Despite making up less than 5% of the global population, the U.S. has nearly 25% of the
worlds prison population. This course investigates the American phenomenon of "mass incarceration" in conversation with its feminist,
anti-racist, decolonial, and abolitionist critiques. We study how the "carceral state" functions and reproduces itself, and how we are
socialized within, resistant to, and/or complicit with its regimes of policing, surveillance, and punishment. Engaging with scholarly
works, community-based resources, and activist scholarship, we explore decarceral practices around accountability, harm reduction
and transformative justice. Four credit hours. S, U. KONYA
[GO354] The European Union How should we understand the European Union? Is it a regional trade bloc, an international
organization, or even a state--and, if so, what kind? Is it, as some have suggested, a superpower on par with the United States? If it is
as significant as many attest, what are the implications for the primacy of nation-states and national sovereignty? A detailed and
critical understanding of what the EU is and how it works. Through a variety of assignments, students analyze the design,
construction, and operation of the new institutions of governance in Europe. Prerequisite: Government 131 or 259. Four credit
hours.
[GO355] Winners and Losers in Chinese Politics An exploration of contemporary Chinese politics, especially the political and
social fallout from post-Mao economic reforms. Students will learn how to write an analytical paper using social science methods.
Counts toward the comparative politics requirement. Four credit hours. S, W2, I.
GO356s Winners and Losers in Japanese Politics An exploration of Japanese politics, with a focus on the evolving struggle
between traditional insiders (such as government bureaucrats and corporate executives) and traditional outsiders (such as labor
unions and housewives). Four credit hours. I. MARTIN
[GO357] Political Economy of Regionalism Comparative analysis of economic and political integration in three regions: Europe
(the EU), North America (NAFTA), and Asia. Why do states agree to give up some sovereignty by cooperating on regional projects?
Why do these projects vary so much from region to region? Global lab. Four credit hours.
[GO358] Comparative Arab Politics Builds on knowledge acquired in Government 252 to provide an in-depth understanding of
the political dynamics of selected Arab countries. Highlights both similarities and differences in political processes across countries,
evaluates the political changes taking place in each of them, and delves into the nature of the specific challenges they
confront. Prerequisite: Government 252 Four credit hours.
[GO359] Political Ideologies and the New Illiberalism An exploration of important political developments in Europe in the last
century, such as the Bolshevik Revolution, the rise of fascism and Nazism, the emergence of domestic terrorism, and the collapse of
Soviet-style communism. The course then turns to the recent explosion of nationalism and populism in Europe, the United States and
elsewhere. Prerequisite: Government 131, 171, or 259. Four credit hours.
[GO361] Dissident Approaches to International Political Thought Presents the achievements of Realism as the traditional
perspective on international relations while simultaneously cultivating a critical awareness of its limits and biases. Pursues this dual
objective by first surveying the thought of key 20th-century Realist scholars and subsequently turning to a number of alternative
approaches that have come to challenge the Realist paradigm since the early 1980s under the rubric of critical international theory.
Examples include the Frankfurt School, feminism, and postmodern deconstruction. Prerequisite: Government 131. Four credit
hours. S, W2, I.
[GO362] Advanced International Relations at Salzburg Global Seminar A unique opportunity to study key international
relations theories, both mainstream and non-traditional, at Salzburg Global Seminar, a non-profit organization founded in Austria after
WWII to challenge current and future leaders to shape a better world. Intensive coursework will be combined with field trips to local
historic sites such as Eagle's Nest, Hitler's mountain retreat. Three credit hours. S, I.
[GO397] Politics of (De)colonization This course examines the roots and nature of colonial domination, the struggle for
decolonization, and the emergence of independent nation-states following World War II. With comparative examination of cases from
Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, we will explore three main questions. How and why did European states develop and maintain
sprawling empires? How did political leaders and anticolonial intellectuals theorize about and fight for a change in the relationship
between their nations and colonial powers? And how have post-colonial politicians, intellectuals and communities continued to fight to
redress the legacies of empire? An exciting, dynamic class! Four credit hours. S.
[GO414] Seminar: Ethics in Politics A discussion of critical ethical issues faced by American and other national leaders. Case
studies of 20th-century decisions, including those involved with violence (e.g., Truman's decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki), deception in government (e.g., Oliver North's decision to lie to Congress about Iran-Contra), disobedience of those in
authority (e.g., Daniel Ellsberg's release of the Pentagon Papers), policies regarding life and death (e.g., abortion and euthanasia
laws), and others. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115 and senior standing as a government major. Four credit hours.
[GO414A] Seminar: Ethics in Politics A discussion of critical ethical issues faced by American and other national leaders. Case
studies of 20th-century decisions, including those involved with violence (e.g., Truman's decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki), deception in government (e.g., Oliver North's decision to lie to Congress about Iran-Contra), disobedience of those in
authority (e.g., Daniel Ellsberg's release of the Pentagon Papers), policies regarding life and death (e.g., abortion and euthanasia
laws), and others. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115 and senior standing as a government major. Four credit hours.
[GO414B] Seminar: Ethics in Politics A discussion of critical ethical issues faced by American and other national leaders. Case
studies of 20th-century decisions, including those involved with violence (e.g., Truman's decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki), deception in government (e.g., Oliver North's decision to lie to Congress about Iran-Contra), disobedience of those in
authority (e.g., Daniel Ellsberg's release of the Pentagon Papers), policies regarding life and death (e.g., abortion and euthanasia
laws), and others. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115 and junior standing as a government major. Four credit hours.
GO417f Seminar: Reinventing America: A Constitution for the 21st Century The American Constitution was written in 1787
and has changed little since then. This seminar will examine the strengths and weaknesses of that document in the contemporary
context. What no longer fits the needs of the United States in the 21st century? What is worth preserving? Participants will review the
creation of the current Constitution, participate in a detailed analysis of the contemporary operation of the institutions and processes it
created, identify areas in need of reform, and offer and justify specific reform proposals. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115. Four
credit hours. JACOBS
GO420s Seminar: The Rise and Implications of the "Rural Voter" This seminar will explore one of the most dramatic changes
in contemporary American politics: the rise and implications of the rural voter. Over the last three decades, rural politics has become
nearly synonymous with hardcore conservative politics. But it did not used to be that way. The transformation is unprecedented and
has upended our system of government. How did this happen, and what will be the consequences? Topics will include a look at
historical rural-urban dynamics; changing economic forces; the centrality of race and ethnic factors; the shifting nature of civic life in
rural communities; the weight of culture; the portrayal of rural America in the popular press and news media; electoral consequences
at the federal and state levels; and the long-term stability of our government given the widening chasm between urban and rural
Americans. Prerequisite: Government 111 or 115 and senior standing as a government major. Four credit hours. S. SHEA
[GO421] Seminar: Prospects for Political Reform Examines proposals for improving the electoral process and democratic
accountability in the United States. Topics to be explored include recent controversies associated with developments in election law,
voting rights and methods of voting, and campaign finance. Participants will examine recent proposals for democratic political reform,
as well as innovations adopted in the states and other countries, to address the central question of how best to improve the quality of
American democracy. Prerequisite: Senior standing. Four credit hours.
[GO423] Seminar: National Security Decision Making Affords students the opportunity to experience the process of national
security policy-making through role-play and intensive interaction mediated by faculty and visitors with extensive White House
experience and direct involvement in significant strategic decisions. The course will consist of two parts: The first introduces
participants to the national security decision-making process; the second part will consist of two-week modules that focus on events or
challenges that necessitate National Security Council meetings in the "real world." These issues will range from acute crises to
chronic problems that might develop into a crisis in some plausible future. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a government major. Four
credit hours.
[GO425] Seminar Political Leadership Leadership in politics is essential, but political leadership as a concept can be elusive.
This seminar explores the nature of political leadership and the various forms it can take. Approaching the topic from historical and
contemporary perspectives, it explores questions such as: What is leadership? Why does it matter? What makes a successful leader?
What is the role of followers in leadership? How do issues of race, gender, sexuality, and class affect perceptions of leaders? By the
end of the course, students will have a deeper appreciation for the complexities of political leadership and how we study and think
about it. Prerequisite: Senior standing. Four credit hours.
GO427s Seminar: Asian Security The Asian region is the home of some of the most influential states in the international system,
including three nuclear powers and two of the worlds three largest economies. This course examines the historical and present
security regime in Asia, with particular focus on the political, military, and social challenges facing Asian countries. We will discuss the
historical context within which modern security relationships developed in Asia, examine debates around traditional security concerns
within the region, and grapple with non-traditional security challenges, including piracy, human security, and historical
memory. Prerequisite: Government 131 or 256. Four credit hours. MARTIN
GO432f Seminar: U.S. Foreign Policy Examines debates surrounding U.S. foreign policy and multilateral institutions with a
principal focus on national security issues in the post-Cold War world. Central questions focus on when the United States should
define its security in terms of acting within or strengthening international laws and institutions or whether it should maintain its freedom
to engage in unilateral actions in a dangerous world. Areas of application include the use of force, counterterrorism, nuclear
nonproliferation, and arms control. Prerequisite: Government 131 and senior standing. Four credit hours. RODMAN
GO451f Seminar: Political Violence Explores a variety of theoretical perspectives on, and case studies of, political violence, with
particular emphasis on terrorism (both secular and religious) and ethnic conflict. Examines drivers of radicalization and violent
extremism, the factors that lead to the rise, decline, and/or demise of terrorist organizations, and the nexus between transnational
organized crime and international terrorism. Introduces key concepts and analytical frameworks and provides students with an
opportunity to apply them to a case study of their choice. Students present the preliminary results of their research projects to the
class. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a government major. Four credit hours. DENOEUX
[GO454] Seminar: Politics of Development: State, Society, and Markets An inquiry into why some developing nations have
managed to achieve industrialization and rising standards of living while others have not, with special attention to the relationship
between state and society as one of the key factors in the development process. Cases include South Korea, Nigeria, Brazil, and
India. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a government or global studies major. Four credit hours. I.
[GO455] Seminar: Conflict and Crisis in Africa Focuses on political violence in Africa from the precolonial period to the present
day. Students will be able to identify, compare, and contrast major theories of conflict and conflict resolution as they apply in
sub-Saharan Africa. Students will also be able to describe the history of political violence in Africa, including precolonial conflicts,
conflict related to colonization, wars of liberation, and post-colonization civil and intrastate wars. Prerequisite: Government 251, 252,
253, 255, 256, or 259. Four credit hours. I.
GO456s Seminar: Civil Society and Social Change in Latin America What are civil society organizations and what is their
place in politics? This research seminar examines the evolution of civil society in contemporary Latin American democracies and their
roles in effecting social and political change. Over the past 30 years, civil society organizations in Latin America have become
vehicles for poor and otherwise marginalized communities to access the political system. Topics include the collective action problem,
the role of civil society organizations in interest representation and service provision, relationships with political parties and
international donors, and participatory governance. Prerequisite: 200-level government course or a Latin American studies
course. Four credit hours. S, I. MAYKA
[GO457] Seminar: Germany and Europe Investigates to what extent Germany has become the 'indispensable power' in Europe,
focusing on key events in the postwar period, most recently the Eurozone crisis, the Ukraine crisis, and the migration crisis. Though
focused on German foreign and security policy, necessarily examines the European integration process and the politics of the
Transatlantic Alliance. Prerequisite: Government 131, 259, 266, 354, or 359. Four credit hours. S.
GO483f, GO484s Honors Workshop Individual and group meetings of seniors and faculty members participating in the
government honors program. Prerequisite: Admission to the honors program. Four credit hours. FACULTY
[GO483J] Honors Workshop Noncredit.
GO491f, GO492s Independent Study A study of government through individual projects. Prerequisite: Government major and
permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
[GO498] Populism and Public Emotions In this seminar, students will explore the role of public emotions and affects in politics
of populism, protest, and insurgency by studying different cases across the world, including Turkey, Hungary, Brazil, and India, in
addition to the US. Throughout the semester, we will investigate global ecosystems of rituals, mass gatherings, and public debates,
which conjugate unique popular support for racial/ethnic-supremacist, expansionist/militarist, and nativist constructions of popular
identity while mediating transindividual affects like anger, fear, frustration, and hatred, as well as senses of pride, elation, love, and
belongingness. Four credit hours.
Greek
In the Department of Classics
The Classics Department offers courses listed in this catalogue under “Classics,” “Greek,” and “Latin.”
Course Offerings
GK111s Introductory Greek An introduction to the ancient Greek language as spoken and written at Athens during the 5th and
4th centuries BCE. The first of a two-semester sequence in which students learn to read authors such as Homer, Sophocles, and
Plato. Careful attention to grammar, syntax, and vocabulary forms the foundation of the course. Four credit hours. TAYLOR
[GK111J] Introductory Greek An introduction to the ancient Greek language as spoken and written at Athens during the 5th and
4th centuries BCE. The first of a two-semester sequence in which students learn to read authors such as Homer, Sophocles, and
Plato. Careful attention to grammar, syntax, and vocabulary forms the foundation of the course. Three credit hours.
GK112f Intermediate Greek The second of a two-semester sequence in which students learn to read the ancient Greek of
classical Athens. Careful attention to grammar, syntax, and vocabulary forms the foundation of the course. Prerequisite: Greek 111 or
permission of instructor. Four credit hours. TAYLOR
[GK131] Introduction to Greek Literature Introduction to reading original ancient Greek texts, coupled with a review of grammar
and syntax. Texts vary from year to year and may include poetry and/or prose. Prerequisite: Greek 112. Four credit hours. L.
GK234f Plato This course will explore a dialogue by the famous ancient Greek philosopher Plato. We will consider Plato's
language, style, arguments, and the dialogue's historical context. Attention to reading secondary, critical literature will give students
the opportunity to practice essential scholarly tasks. Prerequisite: Greek 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L. FRANK
[GK235] Plato: Apology of Socrates In 399 BCE, Socrates was charged with impiety and put on trial. Plato's Apology presents
Socrates' defense speech in which he explains himself and his unusual way of life as a lover of wisdom. Attention to philosophical,
rhetorical, mythological, and historical contexts. Prerequisite: Greek 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours.
[GK237] Classical Rhetoric Selected readings from the great speech-writers of ancient Athens such as Demosthenes, Lysias,
Isocrates, and Aeschines. Prerequisite: Greek 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
[GK241] Lucian Lucian's detailed account of a journey to the moon in his True Story has given this witty and intelligent author an
entirely new claim to fame as the first writer of science fiction. In this course we will study Lucian's True Story as a parodic critique of
classical ethnography and fantastical travel literature, consider whether it qualifies as the first work of science fiction, and analyze the
complex cultural dynamics at play within this work of ancient Greek literature produced by a Syrian author living under the Roman
Empire in the second century CE. Prerequisite: Greek 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
GK263s Euripides Euripides has been acknowledged as a master of Greek tragic poetry since his own time and is one of only
three tragic poets to survive from antiquity. Tragedy is a complex literary form that incorporates a wide range of discourse models and
literary borrowings, and any study of these plays will exercise students' literary sensitivities and sensibilities. With the core focus on
the text of a single Greek play, this course prioritizes the study of the linguist and literary qualities, while carefully locating the play in
its historical contexts. Prerequisite: Greek 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L. BARRETT
[GK362] Sophocles Reading of a selected play from the works of the great Athenian tragic playwright Sophocles. Attention to
language, style, staging, use of myth, and historical context, as well as secondary literature. Prerequisite: Greek 131 or
equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
[GK363] Euripides Reading of a selected play of Euripides, the ever-controversial provocateur of ancient Greek tragedy.
Attention to language, style, staging, use of myth, and historical context, as well as secondary literature. Students will carry out an
independent research project. Prerequisite: Greek 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
[GK364] Homer Selected readings from Homer's Iliad or Odyssey, with an eye to grammatical, literary, and historical concerns.
Attention to language, meter, use of myth, and historical contexts, as well as secondary literature. Prerequisite: Greek 131 or
equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
History Department
Of all the disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, none is more oriented to understanding the present and considering the
potential future than history. In a time of profound uncertainty—of accelerating climate change, increasing political polarization,
economic instability, and ongoing social change—history provides the tools for making sense of an often-troubling present. Historians
are acutely aware that the present could have turned out differently, and that the future is, thus, always available for change. This
awareness of radical contingency means that historians are particularly well-positioned to show that the familiar patterns of world
events, current systems of power, and social configurations, for instance, were all caused by many complex and intersecting forces,
ranging from the actions of individuals to shifts in regional economies, and from the spread of disease to natural disasters.
In other words, history defamiliarizes the present. History demands that we understand that present institutions, norms, and systems
are all still caught in the process of change. Even more important, history provides us the tools with which to make sense of the
relationship between the past and the present. Historical thinking draws attention to the categories we use to understand society in the
present, and thus, to understand the past without imposing contemporary norms or categories of identity; it emphasizes that the past
is accessible through a range of sources—written and oral, official and personal—but which are fragments, and which need to be read
critically; and that there are a range of ways of reconstructing the past. Every group of people across time has told its own history
differently, and although guild historians are trained to make sense of the fragmentary, contested status of the archive, their research
is informed by the understanding that they are constantly in conversation with other scholars.
Our research, as professional historians and thus as creators of new knowledge, is at the core of our pedagogy. Much as physicians
learn, improve, and hone their craft by practicing medicine, historians learn through the practice of writing history. We engage in
searching out new questions and digging for new answers; piecing together the puzzle provided by our sources as we creatively look
for new ways to build new vistas for exploration. Doing this work enlivens our classrooms and puts our students on the cutting edges
of our fields. But, we do much more than train future historians. We are inculcating a way of creative problem solving, sifting through
mounds of data, discerning the right questions to ask of it, and articulating a compelling argument as to the meaning of it, that is a
core component of participating in the modern knowledge economy. At the center of this is learning to read effectively, deeply, and
critically and then synthesizing/distilling it to its essence. Our students emerge better equipped to process the world around them, ask
questions that are steeped in context, with depth and nuance, leading to better identification of problems and thus more useful
solutions.
History, then, provides students with three sets of skills, all of which are vital for navigating a present that is saturated with an
apparently never-ending flow of information. Understanding history helps with navigating complexity and uncertainty. First, it teaches
students to identify and recognize the categories and structures that they use to understand their own contexts, and how, then, to
suspend these while understanding societies and pasts different from their own. They develop a deeper capacity for empathetic
understanding of difference. By this we mean not historical relativism, but the ability to provide context for the actions, decisions, and
experiences of people in different ages and circumstances. Second, it requires that students learn to read a variety of texts and
sources—some very difficult to comprehend at first glance—critically. We help students to build informational literacy, how to read
closely, and how to ensure critical consumption of information by working with primary sources, archives, maps, material objects, and
books so as to foster creativity and originality in thinking about the past. Thus, they come to recognize that history can be mined from
a wide diversity of sources that do not fit one mold. And third, it teaches students how to argue: how to put to use fragmentary and
occasionally contradictory evidence to produce nuanced and complex arguments that demonstrate how the past shapes the present,
and how, nonetheless, the present remains contingent.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Arnout van der Meer
Professors Raffael Scheck, Larissa Taylor, and Robert Weisbrot; Associate Professors John Turner and Arnout van der Meer;
Assistant Professors Kelly Brignac, Inga Diederich, Sarah Duff, Danae Jacobson, and Zoe Shan Lin; Visiting Assistant Professors
Jesse Meredith and Henry Snow
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in History
For the Class of 2025 and above: Eleven semester courses in history (of at least three credits each), to include History 276 (Patterns
and Processes in World History); two 300-level courses; a senior research seminar at the 400 level; and at least one course in each of
three areas: Category I (Africa, Asia, and world history), Category II (Europe, Russia, and the USSR), and Category III (Colonial and
Native America/United States). At least two courses must be in premodern history, as designated by the department. Please consult
with your advisor about the distribution of courses within the major.
Of the 11 courses for the major, no more than three may be at the 100 level. The two 300-level courses must be taken at Colby. All
majors must also take a designated senior seminar (400-level) taught by a departmental faculty member in which they write a major
research paper. The two 300-level courses and the senior seminar may also count toward fulfilling an area requirement. Students who
choose to do an honors thesis during their senior year are still required to complete the senior seminar requirement. Many of these
students choose to do the senior seminar in their junior year.
Up to three semester courses in history may be taken from historians at other colleges and universities in the United States and
abroad. Please consult with the department chair if you have questions about nondepartmental courses that are approved for the
major.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses in history. No requirement for the major may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory. No course will count for the history major if the grade is lower than C-. Seniors with a GPA of 3.75 or higher
in history courses will graduate with “Distinction in the Major.”
For the Class of 2026 and on: Eleven semester courses in history (of at least three credits each), to include History 276 (Patterns and
Processes in World History) and HI 3xx (What is Past? The Historian’s Craft); two 300-level courses (HI 3xx does not count toward
this requirement); a research seminar at the 400-level; and at least one course each in four of the following fields: African history,
Atlantic World history, East Asian history, European history, U.S./American history, Middle Eastern history, Russian/USSR history,
Southeast Asian history. At least two courses must be in premodern history, as designated by the department (please consult with
your advisor or the department chair). Students are required, in consultation with their advisor, to articulate a concentration in the fall
of their sophomore year or upon declaring as a history major (e.g., comparative history of religion, power and racial inequality, nations
and nationalism, etc.). This concentration is explored in at least four courses. The presumption is that the two 300-level courses will
likely be, but are not required to be, in this concentration. All majors are required to participate in a one-credit colloquium series in
their senior year.
Of the 11 courses for the major, no more than three may be at the 100-level. The two 300-level courses must be taken at Colby. All
majors must also take a designated 400-level research seminar taught by a departmental faculty member in which they write a major
research paper. The two 300-level courses and the 400-level seminar may also count toward fulfilling an area requirement. Students
who choose to do an honors thesis during their senior year are still required to complete the 400-level seminar requirement. Although
it is not required, many of these students choose to do the 400-level seminar in their junior year. The honors thesis courses (HI 483,
484) count toward the 11-course total.
Up to three semester courses in history may be taken from historians at other colleges and universities in the United States and
abroad. Please consult with the department chair if you have questions about non-departmental courses that are approved for the
major.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses in history. No requirement for the major may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory. No course will count for the history major if the grade is lower than C-. Seniors with a GPA of 3.75 or higher
in history courses will graduate with “Distinction in the Major.”
Honors in History
Admission to the yearlong honors program requires at least a 3.5 grade point average in the history major and approval by the
department. Honors projects signify a serious engagement with independent scholarship; interested students should plan to devote a
large portion of their academic time to the project during their senior year. Students should begin planning for the honors project by
the end of the spring semester of their junior year and, at the discretion of the history professor who agrees to act as honors advisor
and following approval of a detailed research proposal by the department faculty as a whole, may be admitted in the first semester of
the senior year to the honors program. A total of up to eight credits may be given for the year, including January Program credit. The
honors thesis must receive at least an A- grade for the student to graduate with “Honors in History.” For specifics on the procedures
and expectations for Honors in History, as well as guidelines for writing the research proposal, please refer to the History
Department’s website.
Course Offerings
[HI106] Greek History Listed as Ancient History 158. Three or four credit hours. H.
HI111f Europe from the Classical World to the Religious Wars An interdisciplinary survey of European history from
pre-classical Greece to 1618. We will examine changing attitudes toward gender and sexuality; concepts of persecution, repression,
and tolerance; religious conflict; reactions to disease; and economic disparity and slavery. Larger themes include the classical legacy;
development of law codes; church and state; revival of cities; Crusades; the New World; and the Renaissance, Reformation, and
religious wars. Focus is on the critical analysis of primary sources, class discussion, and development of writing skills. Four credit
hours. H, I. TAYLOR
HI112s Europe Since the Seventeenth Century Does modern European history advance toward specific goals (such as
democracy, freedom, rationalization, social equality, secularization, mass consumerism, integration)? How have mentalities, state
forms, ways of living changed? What has set Europe apart from the wider world? An introduction to four centuries of an eventful and
exciting history that has shaped not only Europe but the world of today. Seeks to promote understanding for, and appreciation of,
different mindsets and social circumstances in an ethnically and culturally diverse, evolving environment. Four credit hours. H,
I. MEREDITH
[HI120C] Spotlight on History: Genocide in Modern Europe What do the Armenian genocide, mass violence in the Stalinist
Soviet Union, the Holocaust, and "ethnic cleansing" in Yugoslavia have in common? What differentiates them? How do we distinguish
between genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and other atrocities? Focus on survivor testimony and
historians' debates on the motives of the perpetrators, the experience of victims, and ways of coming to terms with the past. Four
credit hours. H, W1, I.
[HI120D] Spotlight on History: Becoming Chinese American In mines and factories, on plantations and railroads, Chinese
immigrants helped build the United States. Driven abroad by turmoil in China, but often intending to return home, they found
themselves caught between competing nations, their stories often wrapped in and erased by Orientalist discourses of exoticism, peril
and deviancy. This process-oriented writing course explores the contested spaces of Chinese American history, with particular focus
on the relationship between writing and the production of historical knowledge. Student research and daily writing will focus on
archival and primary source materials including newspapers, congressional hearings, photographs, memoirs, and Chinese American
literature. Four credit hours. H, W1, U.
[HI120E] Spotlight on History: World Revolutions World revolutions in the 20th century transmitted the energy of ideological
fervor, violent iconoclasm and radical justice beyond the bounds of Europe. The great socialist revolutions in Asia, Eastern Europe
and Latin America can be viewed as the diffusion through ideological and artistic forms of a utopian tradition that sought to change the
world by reinterpreting it. Revolutionary activism was made accessible to the masses as visual art, political pamphlet, literary
narrative, film and slogan. This process-oriented, archive and object-centered course foregrounds research with these primary
sources, enabling student engagement with methodological questions of how we understand, historicize, and curate revolution as a
global phenomenon. Global lab. Four credit hours. H, W1.
[HI120F] Spotlight on History: Mao's Red Guards China, 1966: Chairman Mao's Red Guards, student activists turned
paramilitaries, spearheaded the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Sanctioned by Mao and protected by the People's Liberation
Army, they embroiled the country in mob violence, political purges, iconoclastic destruction, and mass executions. Defined by loyalty
to Mao, their ideological crusade saturated daily life, violently enforcing an orthodox interpretation of Mao's writings as the sole
criterion of historical truth -- before the Red Guards themselves faced reeducation as "sent down youth" in the countryside. This
writing-intensive course explores these students' experiences, foregrounding the role of language, rhetoric, and genre in the Red
Guards' formation, power, and identity. Four credit hours. H, W1.
[HI120G] What is Nature? Histories of Colonialism, Slavery, and Capitalism In this class, we pay attention to who is telling the
story and how they define nature. We seek out interdisciplinary sources that allow for more voices to define nature. We learn about
the historical processes and beliefs about the land that led to most Indigenous peoples being removed from their lands. We learn
about how these white supremacist views shaped not only colonization, but also the system of chattel slavery, and even the
development of the National Parks System at the end of the nineteenth century. This course engages deeply in interdisciplinary
thinking and learning. This is necessary not only to understand the past and correct a white-washed version of history, but also to ask
good questions and live and learn within the climate crisis. Four credit hours. H, W1, U.
HI131f Survey of U.S. History, to 1865 This course surveys U.S. history through Reconstruction. We give special consideration
to the central paradox of slavery and freedom in the U.S., as well as to conflicts between Indigenous and European peoples. It is
impossible to “cover” all of U.S. history in this period. Instead, we follow a chronological trajectory and explore a theme each week.
Themes include colonization, slavery, religion, labor, gender, and war. Throughout, we listen empathetically to voices from the past,
and center marginalized voices who have not been the writers of historical narratives. Four credit hours. H, U. SNOW, H
HI132s Survey of U.S. History, 1865 to the Present The rise of national power and its implications for American democratic
values. Four credit hours. H. WEISBROT
[HI138] America from the Roaring 20s to the Great Depression Why did racial, religious, cultural, and regional tensions tear at
American society in the years after World War I, a time of soaring production, consumption, and living standards? Why did the nation's
vaunted prosperity give way in 1929 to the greatest economic collapse in American history? How did people cope with hard times over
the next decade? How did their responses transform American values, culture, and politics? Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in
Cinema Studies 138 and English 138. Elect Integrated Studies 138. Four credit hours. H.
[HI140] Sharia (Islamic) Law An introduction to how Islamic law functions and why it takes the shape that it does. We will explore
the nature of religious, as opposed to secular, law. How is sharia formulated? Who has control over it? How is it applied and how have
its applications changed over time? To answer those questions, we will consider different philosophies of law, explore a variety of
approaches to the interpretation of law, and examine different institutional embodiments of law. We will see that the Islamic legal
systems are pluralistic and see how they differ from the U.S. legal system. Four credit hours. H.
HI141f Genocide and Globalization: 20th-Century World History The terms genocide and globalization aptly describe the long
20th century in world history, which begins in the 19th century with the "opening" of China and Japan, German unification, and the
onset of imperialism. By focusing on the roots and the context, the history of the 20th century as well as present tensions in the Middle
East, Ukraine, South China Sea, etc. are easier to understand. The focus will shift from national (Germany, United States, China) to
regional (Europe, Africa, Americas, Asia) to global perspectives. Introduces the major relevant ideologies and systems, such as
nationalism, National-Socialism, fascism, communism, capitalism, social democracy, imperialism, decolonization, total war, genocide,
and globalization. Four credit hours. H, I. VAN DER MEER
[HI143] Maritime History of the World Although humans may be terrestrial mammals, humanity as a whole is amphibian. This
course explores the role of the sea in shaping the material and intangible aspects of human culture. Topics covered include the sea as
a source of sustenance and resources, a means of communication and transportation, a site of spiritual devotion and artistic
inspiration, and as a battlefield. Students will also analyze the gendered aspects of human interactions with the sea, the impact of
pollution and climate change, and will examine especially closely the lives of littoral and maritime communities. Students will attend
lectures, engage in class discussions, complete reading assignments and essays, and work with primary sources to put together a
final research presentation. Previously offered as History 198 (Spring 2020). Four credit hours. H.
HI144f Patterns in East Asian History, to 1600 This survey of early East Asian history covers China, Korea, and Japan from
antiquity to the early seventeenth century, examining their independent trajectories and interrelationships. The course gives students a
solid grasp of the significant figures, events, ideas, and social developments that have shaped each civilization. The thematic focus in
each chronological unit introduces students to key factors that have set the common ground for an East Asian community, such as
Confucianism, Buddhism, commercial networks, and diplomatic exchanges. This course also examines how each civilization
"localized" these elements as part of "native" culture with independent dynamics. The focus, therefore, alternates between national
(China, Japan, Korea) and regional (East Asia, Asia) perspectives. Four credit hours. H, I. LIN
HI146s Modern East Asian History, 1600-Present A survey of East Asian history from around 1600 to the present, concentrating
on the drastic changes that transformed the regional order and meaning of "East Asia" during the modern era. From the Manchu
conquest in the seventeenth century through the Western "opening" of Asia in the nineteenth century to the violent conflicts and rapid
development of the twentieth century, historical contingency and local contexts have shaped a distinct form of East Asian modernity. It
will to provide students with basic literacy in modern East Asian history and cultures with a substantive emphasis on the interaction
between global and local systems in East Asia. Through it, students will gain the ability to assess and reevaluate the meaning of
modernity in East Asia on an informed historical basis. Four credit hours. H. DIEDERICH
HI149f Modern Utopias: From the Satanic Mills to Silicon Valley Looking at England's "dark Satanic Mills" in the early 1800s,
the poet William Blake proclaimed that he would not sleep "till we have built Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land." We will
examine attempts to reshape states, economies, urban space, and individuals during the last two centuries. Topics will include early
forms of "utopian" socialism, the modernization of 19th-century Paris, the New Town movement in Britain, Hitler's plans for Berlin,
Soviet cities, industrial and agrarian utopias in post-colonial Africa, and Silicon Valley's techno-utopianism. Four credit
hours. H. MEREDITH
[HI154] Roman History Listed as Ancient History 154. Three or four credit hours. H.
[HI158] History of Ancient Greece and the Near East Listed as Classics 158. Four credit hours. H.
[HI162] History of the Atlantic World Explores the interconnected histories of Europe, North America, Latin America, and Africa
through the lens of trade, migration, and the exchange of ideas, including revolutionary ideals. It begins with the reasons why
Europeans sought out increasing trading connections with Africa and Asia, and how this drive impacted the so-called "discovery" and
subsequent colonization of the Americas. Covered topics include genocide against Native Americans and land dispossession; the
importation of African slaves; the growth of the plantation economy, especially in the Caribbean; and slavery. Also covers the Age of
Revolutions, including the American, French, Haitian, and Spanish-American revolutions. The course ends with abolitionism and the
rise of the mass indenture of South Asians in the 19th century. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI164] Africans and the Making of the Atlantic World Voodoo. Gumbo. Revolutionaries. The banjo. How did Africans shape
the societies, cultures, and religions of the Atlantic World in the era of the trans-Atlantic slave trade? To what extent did Africans bring
their cultures with them to plantations in the Americas, and how did these practices shape life in these societies? Can we see these
legacies today? Students will gain an understanding of the brutality of Atlantic slavery and the ways that Africans sought to survive it.
Societies covered include Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and the U.S. Four credit hours. H, I.
HI173f History of Latin America, 1491 to 1900 Listed as Latin American Studies 173. Four credit hours. H, I. FALLAW
HI183f History of the Premodern Middle East The history of the Middle East from the rise of Muhammad to the rise of the
Ottomans and Safavids. The spread of Islam, the development and application of religious and political authority, the Umayyad and
Abbasid dynasties and their successors, the development of Islam in both its formal and more folk forms, the development of
literature, art, science, and society. Gives a broad and deep understanding of the Middle East that will allow for more nuanced
interpretations of current events grounded in an understanding of the long historical context. Four credit hours. H, I. TURNER
HI184s History of the Modern Middle East The history of the Middle East from the post-Suleimanic Ottoman Empire to the
present. Examines the fall of the Ottoman and Safavid empires, the rise of Western dominance, the struggle for independence,
attempts at reform, the Arab-Israeli conflict, oil, the Iranian revolution, the Gulf War, the rise of Islamist movements, and ongoing
repercussions. Particular focus on the interplay between religion and politics and the nature of power and authority. Designed to give
the historical background necessary for understanding current events in the Middle East in their proper context. Four credit hours. H,
I. TURNER
HI211s World of Ancient Egypt The history of ancient Egypt from the Old Kingdom (2700BCE) to Cleopatra, with an emphasis
on mythology, the concept of death and the afterlife, political power, popular and wisdom literature, art and architecture, the role of the
environment, and warfare and conquest. Focus will include the roles of women, skilled workers, and slaves. Four credit
hours. H. TAYLOR
[HI212] Games of Thrones: Medieval England and France Thematic study of medieval England and France from 1000-1500,
with topics including the Norman Conquest; the Anarchy; the Becket controversy; Marital and Familial Conflict; wars within Britain;
Regicide and Revolt; Hundred Years War; and the Wars of the Roses. Four credit hours. H.
HI217s Tudor England, 1485-1603 Focuses on the social, religious, political, economic, and nationalistic changes after the fall of
the Plantagenet dynasty in 1485. After reading numerous biographies and primary sources, it will culminate in a research paper
studying the history of one year based on primary sources from the period. Numerous out-of-class films will supplement class
discussion and lectures. Previously listed as History 316. Four credit hours. H. TAYLOR
[HI222] Europe and the Second World War An exploration of the origins of World War II, its military, civilian, and diplomatic
aspects, and its effects. With a special focus on foreign occupations during the war and on the bloody aftermath of the conflict. Goal is
to understand history in its dramatic and unsettling open-endedness - important, as the outcome of the war was initially hard to
predict, leading many Europeans to make decisions based on expectations that turned out to be false. Although the focus of the class
is on Europe, the global dimensions of the war receive ample consideration. Focus on critical reading skills and on understanding
historical patterns of oppression, violence, and resistance. Previously offered as History 297J (Jan Plan 2021). Three credit hours. H,
I.
[HI224] Germany and Europe, 1871-1945 What went wrong with Germany from the first unification to the catastrophe of
Nazism? Examining the question of German peculiarities within the European context and the debate on continuities in recent
German history. Focus on critical reading and writing skills and on understanding historical processes including patterns of exclusion
and intolerance. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI225] Race and Democracy in the Nation's Capital Explores how race has shaped the history and present of Washington,
D.C., the city that best captures America's expansive democratic hopes and our enduring realities of racial inequality. We will examine
how racial issues from slavery, Reconstruction, and civil rights to urban violence, the drug war, and education reform have shaped the
nation's first black-majority city. Students will analyze and interpret primary and secondary historical sources, and they will learn to
write and speak more confidently, clearly, and concisely. Three credit hours. H, U.
[HI226] Cities from Scratch: A Global History of New Towns What does an ideal city look like? During the twentieth century,
urban reformers believed that they could answer that question. They created holistic new towns that countered the sprawling, squalid,
unjust, and polluted conditions of the metropolis. This course will explore the planners' goals for their cities and the messier realities,
as well as how planned cities often became vehicles for political propaganda. Students will acquire a grasp of modern urban history,
methods of analyzing both written and visual sources, and conduct a historical research project on a new town. Previously offered as
HI297C (Jan Plan 2019). Three credit hours. H.
[HI227] Russian History, 900-1905: Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality The cultural and social history of Russia. Topics
include Kievan Rus', the rise of Moscovy, the westernizing influence of Peter the Great, and the development of serfdom and
autocracy. Focus on Russia's self-identity as Western or Eastern and on the challenges of building civil society. Four credit hours. H,
I.
[HI228] The Russian Empire: Soviet History and 20th-Century Revolutions The people of the Soviet Union lived through
three revolutions (1905, 1917, 1991) and two world wars. Their leaders forced the pace of modernization and subjected their own
citizens to class war, arrest, and execution. An exploration of the last days of Tsarism, of Leninism and Stalinism, and of the forces
leading to the Gorbachev revolution and breakup of the Soviet empire. Four credit hours. H, I.
HI229j America's Whitest State? Immigration in Maine, Yesterday and Today Maine is often called "America's whitest state," a
term that obscures the state's rich history of immigration. In this interactive, discussion-based course, students will explore how the
state and its residents have responded to and been shaped by various waves of immigration to the state, from English and French
farmers in the early 19th century to Irish and French-Canadian mill workers and Lebanese Christians in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries to Somali, Iraqi, and Syrian immigrants today. In addition to studying books, articles, and films, students will deliver an oral,
multimedia presentation. They also will have the opportunity to meet many "New Mainers" as guest speakers and explore the diverse
cultures of Waterville, Augusta, Lewiston, and Portland. Previously offered as HI297J (Jan Plan 2020). Three credit hours. H,
U. ASCH
[HI232] American Women's History, 1870 to the Present An exploration of critical topics in the history of women in America
from Reconstruction to the present, including the struggle for suffrage, black women in the aftermath of slavery, women and the labor
movement, the impact on women of two world wars, birth control and reproductive freedom, women's liberation, the feminization of
poverty, and the backlash against feminism. Four credit hours. H, U.
[HI233] Native Americans to 1850 Through readings, discussions, and films, students will examine how native peoples actively
sought to preserve their lands, cultures, and identities and will consider their social and cultural contributions to American life. Topics
may include pre-contact Indian societies; contact and conflict with explorers, traders, missionaries, and settlers; warfare and society;
the struggle against early American expansion; Indian removal in the East; and the Trail of Tears. Four credit hours. H, U.
[HI234] Native Americans since 1850 Through reading, discussion, and film, students will examine how native peoples actively
sought to preserve their lands, cultures, and identities and will consider their social and cultural contributions to American life. Topics
may include warfare and removal in the West, cultural repression, boarding schools, Indian soldiers and code talkers, urban migration,
termination, Indian activism and revival in the 1960s and 70s, and the ongoing struggle for sovereignty, recognition, and
prosperity. Four credit hours. H, U.
[HI235] A Shrimp Between Whales: The Making of Modern Korea, 1800-1945 A survey of transformations of life on the Korean
peninsula through waves of foreign intervention in the 19th-20th centuries. From foreclosed internal reforms through the trauma of
colonization, Korean society, politics, and culture changed in fundamental ways that persist today. This course rethinks the
relationship between modernity, colonialism, and the formation of national identity, by examining how Koreans within and beyond the
peninsula rejected, deflected, and even embraced various manifestations of modernity (missionary Christianity, Qing imperialism,
Japanese colonialism, and American militarism) on the path to Korean modernity. Four credit hours. H, I.
HI237f South Africa: A History in Five Epidemics This course traces South Africa's modern history through five epidemics.
Epidemics have played a crucial role in the making of modern South Africa. They were mobilized to entrench and justify racial
segregation; they were used to build the infrastructure of the relatively new South African state. Put another way, we can use
epidemics to make sense of South Africa's long history of fraught racial politics, as well as resistance to these forms of
oppression. Four credit hours. H, I. DUFF
[HI239] The Era of the Civil War A social, political, and cultural survey of the Civil War, its origins, and its aftermath. Was the war
a watershed in American history, as historians have commonly suggested? And if so, what kind of watershed? Four credit hours. H,
U.
[HI243] History of the U.S. West This class considers how the West is a mythic place that has created many American icons and
narratives, including the frontier, Hollywood, and the so-called Wild West. We will also investigate how the West is a historic place
where conquest, violence, and convergences of unlikely people have all unfolded. This course will examine the historic and mythic
West over the course of several centuries. Using novels, histories, first-hand accounts, visual art, and film, we will explore thematic
topics that illumine how the West has changed over time, the diverse people who have called it home. Previously offered as HI297
(Fall 2019). Four credit hours. H, U.
HI244f Brothers at War: The Two Koreas, 1945-Present Nukes in the north and K-Pop idols in the south. The two Koreas could
not seem more different today, but their division is barely a generation old. Why was Korea split and how did the two halves come to
diverge so drastically? To answer these questions, this survey explores inter-Korean relations and their global contexts from division
through experiences of civil war, rapid development, and geopolitical rivalry through a range of readings and media. Throughout,
North and South Korea have vied for peninsular primacy and global prestige on the one hand, while upholding a shared narrative of
common but sundered Korean identity on the other. Four credit hours. H, I. DIEDERICH
[HI245] Science, Race, and Gender Historical analysis of the concepts of race and gender in four different ways: their
institutional basis, their scientific content, epistemological issues that surround notions of race and gender, and the cultural and social
background of the scientists and science that developed from 1800 to the present. Consideration of importance of historical issues for
contemporary society. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. N, U.
[HI246] Luddite Rantings: A Historical Critique of Big Technology Adopting a technologically determinist argument, the
instructor will subject to withering criticism the way in which Westerners, and in particular Americans, have embraced such
technologies as automobiles, computers, reproductive devices, rockets, and reactors, with nary a thought about their ethical, moral,
political, or environmental consequences. Students will be encouraged to argue. Four credit hours. H, U.
HI247f African-American History, from Slavery to Freedom Explores the experience of blacks in American society from
colonial times through the present. Subjects focus on racism, slavery, the role of African Americans in shaping the nation's history, and
the ongoing struggle for equality. In exploring these historical developments, the course aims to expose students to a range of primary
and scholarly sources; to hone critical thinking and interpretive skills; to help students write clearly, concisely, and precisely; and to
foster clear, logical, and informed exchanges of ideas. Four credit hours. H, U. WEISBROT
[HI248] Nuclear Visions, Environmental Realities Examines the environmental history of nuclear power, peaceful and military.
Using a variety of materials from a variety of disciplines and genres of human expression, students will consider the impact of military
and civilian nuclear technologies on the environment, including human, machine (nuclear technology), and nature interactions. In a
strongly interactive approach, using such primary sources as films, maps, archival documents, political cartoons, letters to the editor,
beauty pageants ("Miss Atom!"), and photographs, they will engage questions of energy, nature, and landscape. Environmental
humanities course. Four credit hours. H, I.
HI249f A Shrinking Island? Britain since 1900 At the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, Britain was a superpower. It was
the hub of a global empire that included nearly a quarter of the world's population. A century later, Britain's formal empire had
evaporated and its financial and political primacy had long since been ceded to the United States. This course explores the political,
social, and cultural history behind this transformation. Topics will include Britain's role in germinating ideologies like liberalism, social
democracy, and neoliberalism; how colonial and postcolonial migration shaped British identity; and the experience, impact, and
memory of the two World Wars. Four credit hours. H. MEREDITH
[HI250] History of Modern China: Everyday Life and Revolution Introduces students to the history of modern China from the
Qing Dynasty to the present day, focusing on the changing relationship between revolution and everyday life. Lectures and
discussions will introduce a big picture survey of Chinese history, as well as opportunities for in-depth investigation into select case
studies that illuminate the everyday lives of Chinese people on the ground. Students will master the chronology of modern Chinese
history and develop skills in critical historical analysis. Four credit hours. H, I.
HI255s Histories of Southeast Asia: Slavery, Diasporas, and Revolutions Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic
economic and cultural regions in the world and central to Obama's pivot to Asia. Consisting of the modern states of Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, the region has been a crossroads for people,
cultures, flora, and fauna for millennia, making it one of the most diverse in the world. We trace its long history from the
Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms that produced Angkor Wat and the Borobudur to the present by focusing on three cohesive themes: slavery,
diasporas, and revolutions. Four credit hours. H, I. VAN DER MEER
HI264s Africans and the Making of the Atlantic World Voodoo. Gumbo. Revolutionaries. The banjo. How did Africans shape
the societies, cultures, and religions of the Atlantic World in the era of the trans-Atlantic slave trade? To what extent did Africans bring
their cultures with them to plantations in the Americas, and how did these practices shape life in these societies? Can we see these
legacies today? Students will gain an understanding of the brutality of Atlantic slavery and the ways that Africans sought to survive it.
Societies covered include Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and the U.S. Course redesigned for 200-level. Previously offered as History
164. Four credit hours. H, I. BRIGNAC
[HI266] Introduction to African History, 1800-1994: Cultural Artefacts in Museums Traces themes of African history between
the 19th and 20th centuries through the examination of cultural artefacts in museums, such as early European intervention, the spread
of Islam, migration, intellectual property, and independence movements to reveal the dynamic nature of the continent. Analyzes issues
of social, economic, and political development as a critical examination of historical events. Approaching via artefacts provides tools to
understand current debates of restitution and exoticization of artwork and to reveal power dynamics established between Africa,
Europe, and Asia. By analyzing artefacts and other sources, students problematize historical developments to challenge preconceived
notions of the continent and to understand a range of different histories of societies. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI266J] Introduction to African History, 1800-1994: Cultural Artefacts in Museum Traces themes of African history between
the 19th and 20th centuries through the examination of cultural artefacts in museums, such as early European intervention, the spread
of Islam, migration, intellectual property, and independence movements to reveal the dynamic nature of the continent. Analyzes issues
of social, economic, and political development as a critical examination of historical events. Approaching via artefacts provides tools to
understand current debates of restitution and exoticization of artwork and to reveal power dynamics established between Africa,
Europe, and Asia. By analyzing artefacts and other sources, students problematize historical developments to challenge preconceived
notions of the continent and to understand a range of different histories of societies. Three credit hours. H, I.
HI272f Mexican History: Justice, Rights, and Revolution Listed as Latin American Studies 272. Four credit hours. H,
I. FALLAW
HI276fs Patterns and Processes in World History An introduction to patterns and processes in world history. Themes include
the evolution of trade and empire, global balances in military and political power, impacts of disease, the evolution of capitalism,
slavery and its abolition, global migrations, industrialization, imperialism, and decolonization. Students read essays and study maps of
historical patterns and processes and write essays to hone their critical-thinking and writing skills. Critical Race - Indigeneity, race,
and identity course. Four credit hours. H. BRIGNAC, DUFF, VAN DER MEER
[HI277] The Maya Listed as Latin American Studies 277. Four credit hours. H, I.
HI285f Foundations of Islam A comprehensive introduction to the Islamic religious tradition focusing on the formative early
period (seventh-11th centuries CE) and to contemporary interpretations and adaptations. Explores the nature of religion, religious
knowledge, practice, identity, law, gender, and the nature of the divine. Analyzes the foundational beliefs, diversity, and social
constructions within Islam by examining the early texts (the Qur'an, hadith/sunnah), their interpretations, and their application through
time. No prior knowledge expected. Four credit hours. H, I. TURNER
HI297f Black Atlantic Revolutions Examines the roots of Atlantic racial capitalism through the diverse collectives that resisted. It
focuses on the African diaspora, and emphasizes cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity within the Black Atlantic as well. Within the
complex geographies of the Atlantic World, the course will highlight alliances against oppression between different racial and ethnic
communities, such as indigenous South Americans and enslaved Africans. In addition to emphasizing a diverse array of actors, the
course will cover the construction of racial categories and hierarchies, and powerful transhistorical challenges to them. Four credit
hours. H, I. SNOW, H
[HI313] Healers, Martyrs, Intellectuals, Revolutionaries: Women in Premodern Europe The history of women from late antiquity
to the early modern period, challenging the traditional view that the centuries before 1800 in Europe constituted a 'dark age' for
women. Focus will be on the power women wielded in many different spheres: as healers, martyrs, empresses/queens, soldiers,
saints, lovers, intellectuals, writers, and revolutionaries. Four credit hours. H.
HI314f Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Venice from Beginning to End From its beginnings as a republic, Venice faced the
challenges posed in the Book of Revelation: Pestilence, War, Famine and Death. A major political, economic and cultural power from
the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, its marginalization began in the 17th century with the Ottoman Wars and its inability to
compete with other European colonial powers. With the fall of the republic after the Napoleonic invasion, Venice's cultural influence
continued unabated, but because of its unique geography it now faces a lethal crisis caused by environmental issues, corruption, and
over-tourism that has decimated its population. Four credit hours. H. TAYLOR
[HI319] Sexuality in Premodern Europe An exploration of the attitudes toward the body from late antiquity to the end of the 19th
century. We will focus on the attitudes of church, state, and ordinary people toward sexuality. How were men and women judged
differently? How did medieval and early modern people conceive of their bodies in relation to others and to God? What were attitudes
toward homosexuality, prostitution, and non-marital relations? How did law treat what they saw as sexual offenses? We will also study
the growth of medical faculties at universities, diseases, gynecology, contraception/abortion, and childbirth. Four credit hours.
H, I.
[HI320] Joan of Arc: History, Legend, and Film A critical examination of one of the most famous figures in history within the
context of 15th-century French history and particularly the Hundred Years War with England. Focus will be on the role of narrative and
interpretation in the understanding of history from the time of Joan of Arc to our own through extensive reading of primary
sources. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI321] The First World War Covers the origins of the war, its impact on European societies, the experience of soldiers and of
civilians on the home front, and the war's long-term legacy in Europe and the wider world. Focus on the meaning of total war, patterns
of intolerance and persecution, the crusading spirit, and the sheer scale of violence. Includes an individual research
component. Prerequisite: A W1 course. Four credit hours. H, W2, I.
[HI322] Europe and the Second World War Seeks a deeper understanding of the origins of the war, its military, civilian, and
diplomatic aspects, and its effects. Focuses on Nazi-dominated Europe and the dynamics of repression, resistance, collaboration, and
accommodation. Includes debates on crucial aspects of the war and a strong research component. Goal is to understand historical
processes in their dramatic and unsettling openness--important, as the outcome of the war was initially hard to predict, leading many
Europeans to make decisions based on false expectations. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. H, W2,
I.
[HI324] History of Gender and Sexuality in Antiquity This seminar will focus on ideals and realities of gender and sexual roles
in the classical tradition of Greece and Rome and the impact of Christianity in its first four centuries. In the classical world, how were
masculine and feminine roles defined? How did society deal with transgression of gender norms? How did philosophers, playwrights,
satirists and commentators address pederasty, same-sex relations, and heterosexual behavior? In the first two centuries of
Christianity, women had a prominent role that became circumscribed as the Church Fathers delineated the 'proper' roles of men and
women and increasingly emphasized virginity and chastity as the desirable goal for Christians. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI326] Constantinople: 330-1453 Discussion based seminar that will focus on the foundation and development of
Constantinople in 330 to its fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Specific topics will include the idea of the New Rome, exchanges
between East and West, religious controversies, the achievements and failures of Justinian and Theodora, conflict between Eastern
Christians and Muslims, the Crusades, colonization by Italian city-states, and the fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Four credit
hours. H.
[HI327] Daily Life under Stalin Many workers and peasants, and of course political elites, supported the Stalinist system,
overlooking, discounting, or even justifying the great human costs of collectivization, industrialization, and the Great Terror as needed
to create a great socialist fortress. An examination of the nature of regime loyalty under Stalin, making extensive use of primary
sources. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. H.
[HI328] Daily Life Under Putin Most students know of Vladimir Putin through American mass media and consider him to be
undemocratic. Yet they know little of his domestic and foreign policy, or the sources and rationale behind them. Based on close
reading and discussion of primary and secondary sources, we shall examine the importance of the Soviet cultural and political
heritage for Putin and Putinism, Putin's efforts to recreate a new Russian superpower, and the sources of public approval for his rule.
We will examine continuity and change in economic programs, institutions, political culture, and Russian values and beliefs. Four
credit hours. H.
[HI330] Global Histories of Food How do we write the history of food? Not only does food encompass a range of activities and
ideas, but it is also intertwined with how we construct identities, formulate relationships, and organize societies. This course focuses
on how food is implicated in the making of gendered, racial, and ethnic identities, and particularly in the contexts of imperialism and
nationalism, slavery, nineteenth- and twentieth-century migration, and industrialization. Provides students with an overview of some
themes in food history, and will teach them how to think with food. Students will also learn how historians conduct research. Four
credit hours. H, I.
[HI331] Slavery and Capitalism Grapples with the debate begun by E. Williams in his 1944 book Slavery and Capitalism: what is
the relationship between slavery/abolition and capitalism/industrialization? Introduces the economics of slavery in the Atlantic world,
inclusive of the N. Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the S. Atlantic. Examines the European merchant houses that funded the trans-Atlantic
slave trade; the commodities and profits generated by enslaved labor; the extent to which this capital filtered back to Europe, including
British industrialists; and the relationship between economics and morality in the push to abolish the slave trade and slavery.
Underlines the extent to which slavery and the slave trade helped form contemporary business practices and banks, including life
insurance, and management practices. Four credit hours. H, I.
HI334f The Great Depression: America in the 1930s The Depression of the 1930s was the most devastating economic collapse
of modern times. How did it happen? The 1920s had been the most prosperous time in American history, and many forecast
ever-higher living standards. Instead the economy went into a tailspin that affected every group and region and posed a crisis of faith
in capitalism. How did Americans cope and how did the experience shape their values and behavior? In what ways did the federal
government respond, to what ends, and with what consequences? In exploring these questions, the course will also help students to
read critically and to write clearly, concisely, and precisely. Four credit hours. H, U. WEISBROT
[HI338] History in Reverse: Backwards through the Records from Now to Then Professional historians are often drawn to the
field by their interest in or concern about current affairs, whose historical roots they seek to understand. Similarly, we will begin by
focusing collectively on a contemporary issue, problem, or development (such as the presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton or the
collapse of the paper industry in central Maine), and then trace backwards through the relevant historical records for evidence of
causation and contingency. Students will then choose a topic of interest and repeat the process, developing skills in effective
research, clear and precise writing, critical source analysis, and oral presentation. Four credit hours. H.
[HI339] South African Women's Memoir We trace South African women's involvement in the struggles against segregation and
apartheid, paying attention to women's use of memoir as a powerful tool not only for inserting themselves into histories of national
liberation, but also for challenging nationalist visions of the state and nation. The course has two goals: first, students will be
introduced to South African women's history; second, they will be introduced to the genre of memoir as a primary source available to
historians, which has the potential to open up histories of people often marginalized in mainstream accounts of the nation and
liberation movement. Four credit hours. H, I.
HI340f Culture, Mobility, Identity: Encounters in the African Diaspora Listed as Anthropology 341. Four credit hours. S,
I. BHIMULL
[HI341] U.S. Empire Thomas Jefferson famously described the U.S. as an "Empire of Liberty," to distinguish the U.S. from
negative examples of imperial power. Yet, scholars have shown how the U.S. was and is an empire -- and not just Jefferson's
exceptionalist version. This course will interrogate and explore the U.S. as an empire, in both its continental expansions in the
nineteenth century and its global expansions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will explore interpretations of the U.S. as
empire through multiple case studies, including what is now the U.S. West, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Special attention
will be paid to the central role of culture, religious and humanitarian impulses, the environment and public health, and traditional
political concerns. Previously offered as History 398C (Spring 2020). Four credit hours. H, U.
HI342s Crisis and Reform: American Society and Politics in the 1960s The utopian hopes for government during the Kennedy
and Johnson years, both in solving social problems and in containing communism around the world. Readings focus on the shaping of
federal policies, their domestic and global impact, and the cultural and political legacy of this era. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher
standing. Four credit hours. H. WEISBROT
HI343f Sense and Sensibility: Gender and Sexuality in Confucian China Focuses on gender and sexuality to examine
premodern Chinese society, which was deeply, but not solely, influenced by Confucian values and norms. Gender and sexuality are
related to issues including the social construction of the appropriate roles for and relationships between men and women, social
control and individuals' subjectivities, marriage and family dynamics, as well as sex and emotions. In contrast to images of imperial
China that imagine a static, unchanging gender regime in which men controlled women and women were universally devalued and
miserable, this course shows how gender relations were mutually constituted and how the gender system evolved over time, affected
and affecting philosophical ideals, religious values, political agendas, economic developments. Four credit hours. H, I. LIN
HI344s Buying Asian Bodies: Selling Peoples and Parts Across the Pacific What is the value of an Asian body? Who buys
and sells Asian bodies and their parts, and how has their value been set by histories of colonization, war, and globalization? In this
Medical Humanities course, we explore the role of race and science in shaping human markets centered on Asian bodies from the
colonial coolie trade and human experimentation through black markets for sex and organs. "Buying Asian Bodies" interrogates how
Asian people have been bought and sold – in whole and in parts – to highlight how historical contexts like colonialism, racism, sexism
and scientism have shaped enduring trans-Pacific human markets. Four credit hours. H, I. DIEDERICH
[HI345] Weapons of the Weak? Everyday Resistance to Colonialism in Asia Explores the numerous forms of everyday
resistance that contested colonial hierarchies of race, class, and gender in Asia and beyond. These so-called Weapons of the Weak
were extremely impactful as colonial power was continually contested and subverted. Students learn to read everyday resistance by
studying how etiquette, clothing, consumerism, language, architecture, and lifestyle, to name a few, shaped colonial encounters.
Employing the concept of the "contact zone" students explore how these encounters took place within the civil service, on plantations,
in the streets, in hotels and mountain resorts and in households, trains, stores, and offices. These histories give agency to the many
people--from farmers to nationalist leaders of all gender--who resisted their colonization. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI348] U.S. Environmental History We will consider nature's role in shaping history. How do our stories change when we
include microbes, pigs, and the climate, alongside subjects like presidents, wars, and ideas? We will also ask what nature has meant
to a range of people including the Comanche on the Great Plains, settler-farmers in New England, and coal miners in Colorado. The
aim is that you begin to think about nature differently: how ideas about nature have changed, how nature surrounds & nourishes us
and has been used to justify violence & racism, and how nature impedes on our lives. Four credit hours. H, U.
HI349f Almost Asian: Race Mixing and Trans-Racialism Across Asia What makes someone Asian? Is Asianness an absolute
category, or a matter of degree? What does it mean to be "Almost Asian?" This Digital Humanities course explores these questions
through the rich historical formations of Asian-adjacent identities and communities. From "war babies" to "love children," Eurasian to
Amerasian, hapa to whole, we deconstruct Asian identity from the outside in by examining how those at the borders of
Asianness-migrant, mixed-race, and transracial Asians have elaborated diverse identities in excess of the imagined limits of
monoracial ethnicity that reassess the perils, promises, and possibilities of being "almost Asian." Four credit hours. H,
I. DIEDERICH
HI351s Desiring Asia: Gender and Sexuality in East Asia Explores comparative formations of gender, sexuality, and race in
East Asia and Asian diasporas from the early modern era to the present. Examines the development of gender identity and cultures of
sexuality at the intersection of patriarchy, colonialism, Orientalism, and nationalism, and military imperialism. Topics include
"traditional" female entertainers (Japanese geisha and Korean kisaeng), the Janus-faced figures of the "new woman" and "modern
girl," the Good Wife, Wise Mother paradigm in the modern nation-state, sex work and military imperialism, Orientalism and Asian
fetish, and Queer cultures. Students will consider how Asian bodies have been shaped by gender narratives, practices, and cultures
of sexuality, and critically analyze the co-production of gender, sexuality, and race. Four credit hours. H, I. DIEDERICH
HI353s Gender, Sexuality, and Power in Atlantic Slavery How did women shape the history of slavery and freedom in the
Atlantic world? We often imagine that enslaved men did the bulk of the labor on plantations and that white men, not women, enslaved
people. Recent research suggests that Black women were disproportionately represented in field labor, and they performed the
reproductive labor of having and caring for children. In this Critical Race course, students will learn about the ways Black women used
to survive slavery, white women's roles in perpetuating slavery, and how Black women defined freedom after slavery's end. Places
covered include Haiti, Brazil, Senegal, Barbados, and the United States. Critical Race Collaborative course. Four credit hours. H,
I. BRIGNAC
HI356s Cultures and Identities of the British Empire Asks students to examine the construction, maintenance, and blurring of
the boundaries of culture and identity within the British Empire over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Explores
how empire not only produced new, allegedly stable ethnic and racial identities, but also how these were constantly undermined and
challenged, and were subject to change over both time and space. The course will do this by reading and discussing a series of
novels written over the course of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries--both during empire, in other words, and in its
wake. Boundaries and Margins humanities theme course. Four credit hours. H, I. DUFF
[HI357] Culture Wars: The Global Cold War During the Cold War, Soviet and American leadership waged a culture war that
paralleled nuclear proliferation, the space race, and proxy wars. This course will highlight Soviet and American competition in other
countries, including the Eastern bloc, Cuba, India, and the DR Congo. We'll explore how television, music, books, advertisements, and
consumer goods had a profound impact on culture worldwide and the ways in which acceptance of, and resistance against,
international hegemons shaped the twentieth-century world. Previously offered as History 397 (Fall 2021). Four credit hours. H.
[HI358] Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Russia Traces the evolution of gender roles and sexual identities in Russia from the
early modern period to the present. Through monographs, novels, images, and film, we will explore Russian understandings of the
gender roles of men and women in the context of Orthodoxy, autocracy, serfdom, revolution, World War II, and the Cold War. We will
address topics such as witchcraft, female seclusion, feminism, free love, the new "Soviet man and woman", and the contemporary
LGBT movement. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI359] History of Chinese Feminism Investigates the history of Chinese feminism through the interconnected histories of
female sexuality, family and cultural politics from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) through the late empire (Ming and Qing
1368-1911) and into the modern nation state. Studying sex and gender as historical categories, we explore the political power and
cultural authority of the Chinese female body as it shifted over time, emerging at the turn of the 20th century as a site for working out
the modernist discourses of individualism, citizenship and revolution. Using case studies of famous Chinese women, we illuminate
how China's engagement with a purportedly global discourse of female empowerment and equality emerged from and developed in
radically divergent forms from its western counterparts. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI362] History of Egypt Focus on the cultural, social, and political development of Egypt from the seventh-century conquest to
the fall of Mubarak. Particular points of focus are state formation, development of nationalism, definition of religious and political
identities, power relations, the struggles for control over resources and for independence, and Egypt's place in the power matrix of the
Middle East. Through reading primary sources and secondary scholarship, students will come to a deeper understanding of the nature
of history and historical processes. They will learn how to critically assess the arguments of history and the deployment of historical
memory and how to articulate their assessments through writing papers and sitting exams. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI377] Imperialism, Decolonization, and Modernity in Southeast Asia Explores the fascinating multicultural history of
Southeast Asia—crossroads of the world and one of the fastest growing economic and cultural regions in the world today—from the
18th century to the present. By studying the processes of exchange beginning in the period of colonialism and imperialism, students
will trace the emergence of Southeast Asian states—foremost Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, and Vietnam—and their hybrid national cultures through decolonization into our contemporary era. Four credit hours. H, I.
[HI378] U.S. in Latin America: Intervention, Influence, Integration Listed as Latin American Studies 378. Four credit hours. H,
I.
[HI381] Women and Gender in Islam A comprehensive introduction to the construction of gender in the Islamic Middle East. Puts
the lives of contemporary Muslim women and men into a deeper historical perspective, examining the issues that influence definitions
of gender in the Islamic world. Through monographs, essays, novels, stories, and film, examines the changing status and images of
women and men in the Qur'an, hadith/sunnah, theology, philosophy, and literature. Traces changes and developments in those
constructions of identity beginning with the rise of Islam and continuing through contemporary understandings. Four credit hours. H,
I.
[HI389] History of Iran Focus on the cultural, social, and political development of Iran from the rise of the Safavid dynasty to the
election of Muhammad Khatami in 1997. Particular points of focus: state formation, the influence of the West on 19th-century
economic and intellectual development, 20th-century internal struggles between the religious and political elite, the effects of oil and
great power intervention, the rise of activist Islam and the revolution, the war with Iraq, and life after Khomeini. Four credit hours. H,
I.
[HI414] Research Seminar: History of Fear in Europe, 1300-1900 An exploration of how fear and different forms of
communication or rumor influenced the course of European history in the medieval and early modern period. Case studies involve
instances of anti-Judaism and anti-Islam, reactions to leprosy and syphilis, misogyny and demonology, xenophobia, and fear of death
in all its forms from 1321 to 1888. Explores how changing communications from oral to semiliterate to journalistic culture influenced
and changed history, marginalizing those outside the religious, gendered, ethnic, medical, and socioeconomic norms of society at a
given time and place. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing; prior course in ancient, medieval, or early modern history
recommended. Four credit hours. H.
HI415f Plague: Death and Disease in Premodern Europe Discussion-based seminar on the historical responses to the plague
in ancient and premodern Europe. We will focus on the plagues of later Rome, the Black Death, and later incarnations of Y. pestis. We
will focus on medical knowledge/treatments, attitudes to death and dying, scapegoating/pogroms, and civic and religious responses to
the unknown that ranged from quarantines to isolation to attitudes of "eat, drink and be merry." We will then study societies in the
aftermath of catastrophic outbreaks of contagious diseases. The course will begin with a study of how contemporaries have dealt with
COVID-19. Prerequisite: Junior or senior status. Four credit hours. H. TAYLOR
[HI421] Research Seminar: Debating the Nazi Past Explores the political and social dynamics of the Third Reich, the charisma
and importance of Hitler, the choices of ordinary Germans, the genesis and execution of the Holocaust, and the problems of postwar
Germans in dealing with the Nazi past. Focus on critical research, reading, and writing skills, and on understanding historical
processes including patterns of exclusion and intolerance and charismatically underpinned violence. Includes major individual writing
project. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Four credit hours. H, W3, I.
[HI424] Research Seminar: Death in the West: A History This seminar will explore historical attitudes to death, burial and the
afterlife from ancient Egypt to early modern Europe, comparing and contrasting beliefs about the body after death, folklore about the
undead and ghosts, ideas of rebirth and resurrection, heaven, hell and purgatory [in Christianity] and rituals associated with the dead,
including relatives, saints and sinners. We will examine changing attitudes toward dissection, preservation of the body, and capital
punishment. As science "progressed" in the early modern period, we will look at the practice of body snatching for medical purposes
and the popularity of anatomical theatres. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours.
[HI435] Research Seminar: The American Civil War An in-depth study of the Civil War in America, with a series of common
readings on the war, including its causes, its aftermath, significant military and political leaders (e.g., Grant, Lee, Longstreet, Sherman,
Lincoln, Davis), the experiences and impact of the war for women and African Americans, the impact of defeat on the South, and the
ways in which Americans remember and reenact the war. Four credit hours. H, U.
HI438s Research Seminar: Global Commodities The history of mundane commodities as coffee and spices offers an insightful
prism for the study of world history. Commodity histories illustrate the increased interconnectedness of the human experience by
stressing interactions across and between societies. Global commodity histories illustrate the importance of trade, empires,
technology, the exchange of flora, fauna, and diseases, and consumerism. These histories also demonstrate the constructed nature of
identities--racial, gender, and national--and their transformation over time. These histories are not about regions or states, but
interconnections and shared experiences. Seminarians will create a digital interactive map or timeline that captures the intricacies of a
commodity history. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Four credit hours. H. VAN DER MEER
HI483f, HI484s History Honors Program Majors should begin to plan late in their junior year for admission into the History
Honors Program. A detailed research proposal must be completed by the third week of the fall semester of the senior year. Requires
research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member and focused on an approved topic leading to the writing of a thesis. Upon
successful completion of the thesis and the major, the student will graduate with "Honors in History." Prerequisite: Senior standing, a
3.5 grade point average in the history major at the end of the junior year, and permission of the instructor. Please see History
Department website for complete information and research proposal guidelines. Four credit hours. FACULTY
[HI483J] History Honors Program Noncredit.
HI491f, HI492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence
necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
HI497f Brave New World: Histories of Assisted Reproductive Technology This seminar traces the fraught and complex
histories--and contested and often unequal present status--of assisted reproductive technology (ART). While we may be familiar with
the first use of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in 1978, humans have long used technology to address infertility and to shape the kinds of
children and families they wish to raise. Technology is never neutral, though, and these reproductive projects have been--and have
the potential to be --used to create and entrench racial and gendered inequalities. While grounded in historical scholarship, this is an
interdisciplinary seminar which takes a closer look at the histories, use, and implications of ART around the globe. Four credit
hours. DUFF
Integrated Studies Program
Coordinator, Visiting Assistant Professor Jesse Meredith
The Integrated Studies Program introduces methods of interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation and encourages students to use
these methods to explore important questions about varied aspects of human experience. The goal is to enable students to “connect
the dots”—to see connections and relationships that other people miss in order to achieve a deep understanding of central elements
of the human experience. Taken together, integrated studies courses provide a strong foundation in the liberal arts, on which students
can build during their four years at Colby. The program is supported by grants from the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation of
New York.
Each year the program organizes several offerings of two or three linked courses that focus on a single topic or brief historical period.
Students must sign up for all courses in the integrated study. All of the component courses have been designed to complement one
another; each brings a distinct, disciplinary focus to the complex phenomena that the integrated study, as a whole, aims to explore.
This intensive experience fosters the growth of an intellectual community among the students and faculty and cultivates multiple
intellectual capacities, including both disciplinary and interdisciplinary critical thinking and problem solving, critical writing, and
meaningful participation in small-group discussions. Most integrated studies also fulfill several all-College area distribution
requirements, providing a broad, interdisciplinary liberal arts foundation for students’ subsequent work at Colby.
The individual courses, which have no prerequisites, are described in the list of courses and are cross-listed in their respective
departmental sections of this catalogue. Each course is offered for four credit hours. Enrollment in first-year integrated studies is
limited to 16 students.
Course Offerings
[IS138] New World Disorder: America between the Wars, 1919-1939 The crises of 2020 - global pandemic, widespread
economic inequality, state-sponsored racist violence, the backlash against immigrants - also faced Americans one hundred years ago.
The United States emerged from World War I as the world's richest and most powerful nation, but Americans found this no guarantee
of individual happiness, social peace, economic security, or political stability. This integrated study looks through the lenses of history,
literature, and cinema at Americans' soaring hopes and profound discontents during the late teens, the "roaring twenties," and the
Depression decade that followed. How did people seek to better their lives and their society, and find meaning in an age when nothing
seemed assured? See Cinema Studies 138, English 138, and History 138 course descriptions. Satisfies the First-Year Writing (W1),
Fine Arts (A), Historical Studies (H), and Literature (L) requirements. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Cinema Studies 138,
English 138, and History 138. Twelve credit hours.
[IS140] Understanding Law The "rule of law" has often been contrasted with the "rule of men;" the basic idea is that it is better to
be governed by impartial principles, fairly applied, than to be subject to the arbitrary decisions of some individual ruler -- whoever that
may be. But what is law? Different societies have adopted a variety of different legal systems with distinctive institutions and divergent
principles. Are Islamic law and U.S. law fundamentally incompatible, or do they share important commonalities? We will explore these
two quite different systems of law while also looking at philosophical reflections and literary narratives. See Government 140A and
140B, and History 140 for course descriptions. Satisfies the First-Year Writing (W1), Historical Studies (H), Literature (L), and
Social Sciences (S) requirements. Twelve credit hours.
IS145f The Ancient World When does history begin? This integrated study answers that question by tracing the invention of
many technologies and institutions taken for granted today, such as writing, cities, and democracy, to the ancient Near East and
Greece. Students will be introduced to the history, politics, and culture of the peoples of the ancient Near East and Greece, from the
establishment of the first cities in Mesopotamia to the conquests of Alexander the Great. Through an exploration of this period,
students will gain valuable insights into the complexities of contemporary societies and develop a nuanced perspective on the world
we inhabit today. Satisfies the First-Year Writing (W1), Historical Studies (H), International Diversity (I), and Social Sciences
(S) requirements. See Classics 158, Government 145A, and Government 145B for course descriptions. Prerequisite: Concurrent
enrollment in CL158, GO145A, and GO145B. Twelve credit hours. CHAVEZ, REISERT, TAYLOR
[IS147] Body, Mind, Human Kind What does your body know? How does your body know? Where does our human experience
truly dwell—in the body, the mind, or some combination? This integrated study explores the overlap of the realms of the mental and of
the physical in and through the practice of yoga. It aims to help you gain the skills and self-awareness needed to manage the
transition to college, its mental and physical challenges, and to help you make your health and well-being a priority. See Biology 147,
Theater and Dance 147A and 147B for course descriptions. Satisfies the First-Year Writing (W1), Arts (A), and Natural Science
with Lab (N,Lb) requirements. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in BI147 and TD147A. Eight credit hours.
[IS149] Utopia and Dystopia Since classical antiquity, writers and philosophers have dreamed of perfect societies to which we,
today, give the general name "utopias" after the title of Thomas More's celebrated book about one such perfect society. In the modern
world, economic growth and the expansion of human knowledge have contributed to the sense that we should be able to succeed in
creating a perfect society. Too often, the attempts to build a perfect world have produced brutality and tyranny. In the contemporary
period, dreams of utopia seem to have given way to dystopian visions of oppressive futures. What might that say about us? This
cluster will explore the theory and practice of "utopia" through the lenses of political science, literature, and history. See Government
149A, 149B, and History 149 for course descriptions. Satisfies the History (H), Literature (L), Social Science (S), and W1
requirements. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Government 149A, 149B, and History 149. Twelve credit hours.
IS152f 360 degrees of AI An introduction to working with AI, from a wide range of approaches, with the goal of developing
students as AI tool builders. Students will receive hands-on training in AI that will prepare them to perform academic research with
Colby faculty, as well as equip them to understand the ethical perspectives of AI's social impacts. They will also explore the science
and meaning of human consciousness and cognition. See Computer Science 154, Science, Technology, and Society 120D and 134
for course descriptions. Satisfies the First-Year Writing (W1) and Natural Science non-lab requirements. Prerequisite: Concurrent
enrollment in CS154, ST120D, and ST134. Twelve credit hours. KLEPACH, KUGELMEYER
Internships
090 Internship: A meaningful and appropriately challenging work experience that provides insight into an industry and career path of
interest, most frequently at an off-campus job site and monitored by an onsite work supervisor. An internship must involve a minimum
of 100 hours of completed work and must have a sponsor who is a member of the Colby teaching faculty. An online application is
required, with final approval granted by DavisConnects. A successful internship will receive a transcript notation. At the discretion of
the faculty sponsor and DavisConnects, and with the completion of a final project above and beyond typical intern duties, it may also
earn one (optional) academic credit per internship, up to a maximum of three credits toward the 128 credits required for graduation.
Internships completed in January may also count toward the Jan Plan requirement. Complete internship policies and application
deadlines are on the DavisConnects website.
Italian Studies
All courses are conducted in Italian unless otherwise noted.
Achievement Test: Students seeking entrance credit in Italian and wishing to pursue Italian at Colby must have taken either the
College Board SAT Subject Test in Italian or a placement test during orientation.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Mouhamédoul Niang (French)
Associate Professor Gianluca Rizzo (on sabbatical) and Assistant Professor Danila Cannamela; Visiting Assistant Professor Alyssa
Granacki; Language Assistant Dalila D'Aniello.
Requirements
Requirements for the Minor in Italian Studies
The minor in Italian studies seeks to acquaint students with the breadth of Italian language and civilization and to introduce them to
the life and culture of Italy, from the Middle Ages to the modern and contemporary unified Italian state. Minors are strongly
encouraged to spend at least one semester studying in Italy. The minor requires six courses: a minimum of five in the Italian Studies
program, on campus, beginning with Italian 127 and including 128, 141, a 200-level course, and a 300-level course; plus one
additional course in Italian literature or culture that may be taken outside the department and may be taught in English. All courses
taken outside of the department must be approved by the Italian Studies program director or department chair. Students should plan
on taking 127 and 128 consecutively, preferably before going abroad. Students planning to take fifth-semester Italian while abroad
should see Assistant Professor Cannamela or the department chair.
Course Offerings
IT125f Italian I Basic comprehensive course for students with little or no previous knowledge of Italian. Focus is on developing the
reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills needed to gain fluency in Italian and on familiarizing students with basic aspects of
Italian culture and geography. Learning in the classroom takes place entirely in Italian and is task based, involving group activities,
interviews with fellow students, and role-playing exercises. Four credit hours. GRANACKI
IT125Tj Italian I in Genoa Basic comprehensive course for students with little or no previous knowledge of Italian. Focus is on
developing the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills needed to gain fluency in Italian and on familiarizing students with basic
aspects of Italian culture and geography. Learning in the classroom takes place entirely in Italian and is task based, involving group
activities, interviews with fellow students, and role-playing exercises. A full immersion environment allows students to continually
practice what they learn, while enjoying the beauty of Italy. Estimated cost: $3,500. Three credit hours. BRANCIFORT
IT126s Italian II Continued basic comprehensive course for students with elementary knowledge (Italian 125 or equivalent) of
Italian. Focus is on continuing development of the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills gained in Italian I and on increasing
students' familiarity with aspects of Italian culture and geography. Learning in the classroom takes place entirely in Italian and is task
based, involving group activities, interviews with fellow students, and role-playing exercises. Prerequisite: Italian 125 or
equivalent. Four credit hours. CANNAMELA
IT127f Italian III Continued practice in listening and speaking skills; grammar review, with greater emphasis on writing. Reading
and conversation topics taken from contemporary Italian literature; course materials convey a sense and understanding of
contemporary Italian society. Prerequisite: Italian 126 or equivalent. Four credit hours. CANNAMELA
IT128s Italian through Film and Visual Culture Through an in-depth study of film and visual media, students will improve their
understanding of Italian language and culture as well as master increasingly complex grammatical structures. Study of different
aspects of Italian society and history as depicted in film, television, and the visual arts. Oral and written work will allow students to
improve linguistic skills and expand cultural knowledge creatively. Prerequisite: Italian 127 or equivalent. Four credit
hours. GRANACKI
IT141f Introduction to Italian Literary Studies: Poets, Lovers, Revolutionaries In this discussion-intensive course, we will
explore the most enduring topics of Italian culture: the nature of love, the role of the artist in society, and the experience of time and
death. Students will learn about different artistic genres (lyric poetry, short story, novel, film, contemporary song) and hone analytic
skills and writing (rhetorical figures, form-content, stylistics). Students will become familiar with key periods of Italian culture and
famous authors (Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Leopardi, Montale, Moravia, Maraini, Deledda, Calvino). In Italian. Prerequisite: Italian
128 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L. CANNAMELA
[IT153] Modern and Contemporary Italian Fiction in Translation in Verona This course in Italian fiction, held in Verona, Italy,
will offer a close study of four authors whose work spans the 20th century. Readings will include Lia Levi, The Jewish Husband; Ennio
Flaiano, A Time to Kill; Elena Ferrante, My Brilliant Friend; and Antonio Tabucchi, Pereira Declares. Includes field trips to Rome and
Italian cultural centers around Verona. Prerequisite: For more information, contact Patrick Brancaccio (pbranca@colby.edu). Three
credit hours. L.
[IT233] Mannerism and Baroque Art in Southern Europe Listed as Art 233. Four credit hours. A.
IT235fs Italian Conversation An informal, weekly, small-group meeting for conversation practice, led by the Italian language
assistant. Topics will vary, to include everyday life experience, contemporary culture and media, and literature. Conducted in Italian.
May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Italian 127 (may be taken concurrently) or prior study-abroad experience in Italy. One credit
hour. INSTRUCTOR
[IT242] Italian Ecopoetics: Beauty, Loss, Desire In the last few decades, literature and the arts have addressed the
environmental crisis through creative representations. Yet, are these ecopoetics exclusively environmentalist works? Or can more
traditional nature writing foster an ecocritical discourse? This course explores these key questions by investigating how in the 20th
and 21st centuries Italian poets, artists, and directors have reworked the classical motif of the beautiful place--a place where beauty,
loss, and desire intermingle. Beauty surprisingly becomes a lens to represent and interpret the complex interconnection of
environmental and sociocultural issues. Taught in English. Four credit hours. L.
[IT244] Pastoral Cookbook: Classic Recipes and New Cooking Techniques Investigates the idea of the pastoral as a "comfort
food recipe" rooted in the classical tradition, whose simple ingredients have inspired sophisticated "cooking techniques" and
contemporary reinventions. Students will explore four ingredients--milk, root vegetables, meat, and honey--through literary and visual
texts, and theories in the environmental humanities. They will also engage in experiential learning by visiting local organic farms.
Students will share their findings in a digital pastoral cookbook in which recipes and stories from the farms are connected with ancient
and contemporary narratives of pastoral landscapes. Taught in English. Freedom and Captivity humanities lab. Four credit hours.
[IT246] Wild Writing: A Comparative Experiential Approach to Ecopoetics (in English) Explores how the notion of
"wilderness" has shifted across epochs and cultures. Students will conduct textual analysis of contemporary poetry and lyrical prose,
compare and contrast Italian and English literature, and engage in experiential activities, including hands-on projects and a writing
retreat on Colby Island Campus, led by British ecopoet Helen Moore. Conducted in English. Four credit hours. L.
[IT248] Feminist and Queer Narratives in Italian Cinema (in English) Explores how Italian cinema has engaged with gender
and sexuality to challenge constructs of heteronormativity while developing broader discourses about family, social relationships, and
national politics. Students will learn about Italian feminist activism and the sexual liberation movement, and use these frameworks for
film analysis. They will watch recent successful films such as Call Me By Your Name and The Ignorant Fairies, independent
documentary films featuring key figures of the trans movement, as well as Italian classics such as La Dolce Vita. Conducted in
English. Four credit hours. I.
[IT255] Modern Classics, Italian Style An overview of some of the most relevant and interesting texts (visual, cinematic, literary,
and musical) of the 20th century, while strengthening the linguistic skills acquired so far. We will begin with Futurismo, the first of the
historical avant-gardes, an artistic movement that originated in Italy and set out to change everything: music, theater, literature,
painting, sculpture, and food. Every week students will engage a different text, from pop music to cinema and literature, learning how
to appreciate its history and to enjoy its beauty. Prerequisite: Italian 128. Four credit hours. L.
[IT257] Renaissance Art Listed as Art 257. Four credit hours. A.
[IT346] Geographies of R/existence: 70s Liberation Movements in Italy Explores three Italian liberation movements of the
1970s-early 1980s: the femminismo della differenza (feminism of sexual difference), the gay liberation front (in particular, the radical
thought of Mario Mieli), and the trans* movement. The goal is to investigate how these interrelated movements trace new embodied
and political geographies. The Italian 1970s debate about gender and sexuality becomes a platform that can spur dialogue across
cultures while suggesting new modes of thinking, doing, and being. Taught in English. Boundaries and Margins humanities
lab. Four credit hours. I.
[IT356] Introduction to Dante's Divine Comedy (in English) An introduction to Dante, his times, and his cultural milieu through
a critical reading of The Divine Comedy and other selected works. We will investigate Dante's relationship with authority, tradition, and
faith, and explore his particular understanding of love as a path to knowledge and of literature as a way to salvation. Students will be
challenged to find Dante's lasting influence on contemporary culture in the works of modern authors, both in the Italian-speaking and
English-speaking worlds. All lectures and class materials will be in English. One additional weekly hour of discussion in Italian will be
open to Italian minors and all who are interested. Four credit hours. L.
[IT357] F for Fake: Forgery, Fiction, Art of Lying (in English) Traces the evolution and explores the meaning of fakes, fiction,
and hoaxes in Western art and literature in order to call into question conventional ideas of authorship, readership, and text. The
seminar will begin by defining core terms such as forgery, parody, hoax, and fiction. We will see how each of these terms is defined by
a particular author/audience relation. Subsequently, we will be looking at a series of "case studies" containing historical examples from
each of the terms, supplemented with a selection of critical readings that will enhance students' appreciation of the aesthetic and
epistemological implications of the texts at issue. Taught in English. Four credit hours. L.
[IT373] Italian Food in Practice: A Hands-on Cultural History We will trace the historical evolution of Italian food culture in the
geographical and cultural context of the Mediterranean since classical times. The focus will be on understanding the extraordinary
significance of food for Italian national identity by exploring its evolution through various historical, cross-cultural, and theoretical
perspectives, drawing from history, anthropology, sociology, art, and literature. During the weekly lab we will familiarize ourselves with
ingredients, practice basic cooking techniques, learn fundamental preparations, and recreate classic Italian
recipes. Prerequisite: Italian 141. Four credit hours.
[IT375] Introduction to Italian Cinema (in English) Offers an introduction to Italian film from the 1950s to the present day, with
special emphasis on commedia all'italiana (Italian-style comedy, 1950s-1970s). Beyond their ability to entertain, these popular films
also served as a crucial means for exploring via humor the social and political upheaval unfolding throughout Italy during the last
several decades. Skills of critical analysis will be honed through readings on the history and theory of cinema and screenings of films
by such celebrated directors as Fellini, De Sica, Monicelli, Germi, Wertmüller, and others. Four credit hours. A.
IT397f Medieval to Modern: Feminist Thought in Italy What is feminism? Can "feminism" exist before the word itself? This
course delves into cultural production from 14th century Italy to today, pairing texts from the medieval and contemporary worlds to
consider what kinds of expression have been considered "feminist" and why. We will analyze themes in feminist thought, such as
gender and the body, sex and sexuality, the woman writer, and art and politics. Learning goals: 1) Identify and explain trends in
feminist and proto-feminist thought in Italy 2) Distinguish between competing definitions of "feminism" and synthesize them to develop
your own definition of the term 3) Analyze literature, art, and media according to historical and cultural context 4) Compare and
contrast concepts of gender in various genres Four credit hours. L. GRANACKI
IT491f, IT492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence
necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
January Program
January Program (Jan Plan) options include courses for credit, independent study, internships, noncredit courses, and faculty-led
courses abroad.
Selected courses offered in January may be used to fulfill the January Program requirement, which is described in the Academic
Requirements section. A complete list of offerings is available through the Curriculum Search link on the registrar’s website in
October, when students elect a course for the January term. Some Jan Plans, such as those that involve travel or other special
arrangements have early information sessions and application deadlines or may require a deposit. Enrollment is limited to 30 or fewer
students in nearly all courses. First-year students have priority in all noncredit and 100-level courses unless otherwise indicated.
A more complete description of the January Program with information about previous Jan Plan activities is maintained at
colby.edu/janplan. An online list of Jan Plans there is updated each year during the fall semester.
Most courses to be offered in January are described under the sponsoring academic department or program in this catalogue along
with the regular semester offerings (a “j” following the course number indicates a January Program course). Some courses, however,
are independent of any specific department and can be found by searching for “JP” courses in Curriculum Search on the registrar’s
website.
Examples of such Jan Plans offered in recent years include Mindfulness; Furniture Making; Blacksmithing; Sheep to Shawl; “Dare
Skyward” Flying: Ingenuity, Practicality, and Adventures in Life; Meteorology; Pre-health Academy; and Make Advertising that Doesn’t
Suck.
Course Offerings
AA223Jj Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 223J. Three credit
hours. A, U. THOMAS
AM117j Fundamentals of Screenwriting An introduction to the craft of writing film scripts, with a strong emphasis on screenplay
format and the three-act structure. Besides studying films and screenplays, students will complete exercises in character
development, scene construction, dialogue, and description. The final project will be a complete script for a short (no longer than 30
pages) three-act feature film. Two credit hours. WILSON
AM223Jj Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 223J. Four credit
hours. A, U. THOMAS
AR117j Introduction to Art Conservation and Preservation An exploration of the issues and practices of the conservation and
restoration of works of art. Theoretical discussions will be balanced by practical examples. The role of conservators, the systems they
employ, and the relationship between art and science will be explored. Students will be responsible for case studies, many of which
will involve examination of original works of art in the galleries and storage areas of the Colby College Museum of Art. Also includes
visits to local museums and Colby chemistry labs. No prerequisite, but interest in art history or studio art is advantageous. Does not
count toward an art major or minor. Three credit hours. ROTH-WELLS
AR131Jj Introduction to Studio Art Provides a thorough understanding of the organizational and visual components of
two-dimensional art, and introduces a working relationship with the characteristics of color. Projects, completed in a range of media,
emphasize discovery through experimentation and problem solving. Students develop a variety of observational and expressive
capabilities that enable them to creatively perceive, formulate, analyze, and solve visual challenges. Extra fees for this course. Three
credit hours. A. BOURNE
AR136j Introduction to Digital Media Design Students will explore the computer as a tool for visual communication. Using the
Adobe Creative Cloud 18, students will have introductions to Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and After Effects. An exploration
of art history & design principles will also enable students to become critical of visual media. Students will acquire basic digital media
skills in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and After Effects and gain an overall understanding of the software interface &
function; produce/present compositions created digitally; establish an understanding of the basic digital file types, image resolution,
digital output, file management & vector/raster graphics; develop an awareness of Fair Use, Copyright & Creative Commons
Licensing; understand the Principles of Design, Gestalt in design. Does not count toward an art major or minor. Three credit
hours. A. JACOBSON
AR218j Architectural Design Workshop In this intensive introduction to architectural design, students work on a conceptual
design project. Students will explore introductory tools, techniques, and craft used in the practice of architecture. Extra fees for this
course. Three credit hours. SHAW
AR219j Introduction to Bookbinding: Techniques and Intangibles The ancient craft of bookbinding has been practiced in
Eastern and Western cultures for centuries. This course provides a practical, hands-on introduction to a variety of bookbinding tools,
materials, and techniques. Students learn to design and produce a selection of finished bindings. Culminates with an independent
project that incorporates the techniques and principles learned. Does not count toward an art major or minor. Extra fees for this
course. Three credit hours. EDDY
AR397j Heritage, Museums, and the Arts in the Arab States of the Gulf This course explores questions of culture, commerce,
and identity as they are embodied in the fast-growing Arab States of the Gulf. Students will visit a number of sites throughout the
region-- from active archeological excavations, to the museums that exhibit the finds of these explorations, to newly founded art
museums and cultural institutions-- in order to understand how these institutions function both to define the heritage of these new
nations and to put these countries on the map of "global culture." Discussions will also highlight the competing interests of parties that
range from Western archaeologists and the art market to local museum workers and tourism officials while exploring the lasting
legacies of colonial rule in the region. Three credit hours. A, I. AMERI
BI111j Emergency Medical Technician Training This course prepares students to provide prehospital assessment and care for
patients of all ages with a variety of medical conditions and traumatic injuries. Includes simulated clinical experience using
programmed patient scenarios. Meets requirements outlined in the National Highway Transportation Administration EMT Education
Standards and Maine EMS EMT Curriculum. Provides eligibility to sit for the National Registry of EMT and State of Maine licensure
examination. Course materials and textbook costs are $1,156; National Registry fee is $80. BLS CPR is required to take the course,
approximate cost is $55 for a total course cost of $1,291. Nongraded. Cannot be counted toward the biology majors. Three credit
hours. MEJIA, D
BI118fj Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Agriculture is a fundamental way in which humans interact with their
environment and is at the nexus of ecological, social, and economic systems. An introduction to the ecological bases, practicalities,
and philosophies of food and agricultural systems. Provides a foundation in such concepts as agroecology, sustainable soil
management, pest and weed control, and organic farming. Also considers social, economic, and public-policy issues. Field trips to
local farms and other agricultural institutions. Cannot be counted toward the biology major. Three credit hours. N. MARSHALL
BI125j Science and History of Fermentation For millennia humans have harnessed the activity of microorganisms for the
preparation and preservation of food. This course seeks to explore the practice of fermentation through a combination of historical,
scientific, and practical approaches. We will discuss the cultural significance of fermented foods and beverages in various societies
over the span of human civilization, while also examining the biological and chemical processes that provide the basis for these foods.
Practical demonstrations will include the development of a sourdough culture from the ambient yeast and bacteria in the classroom,
and the preparation of soy sauce with the use of Aspergillus oryzae spores. Three credit hours. N. ANDERSON
BI347j Comparative Developmental Cell Biology Our current understanding of biology is built on studies of numerous model
species, using a shared set of investigative approaches and experimental methods. In this course, students will practice many of
these methods using several invertebrate animal models. We will examine the synthesis and regulation of melanic pigmentation,
applying techniques from microscopy, cell and developmental biology, genomics and genetics. Students will design, execute and
present the results of their own experiments. The course will be conducted at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA,
which presents unparalleled technical resources and expertise. Cost: $2,444. Prerequisite: Biology 227 and 279. Three credit
hours. COTA
BI371j Applied Biomedical Genomics A computation-intensive course designed to familiarize students with modern molecular,
genomic, and bioinformatic approaches to biomedical research. Students will use next-generation sequencing platforms to investigate
biomedical questions in collaboration with MDI Biological Lab and Jackson Lab (must be able to travel off campus to these labs Jan
9-21). No prior computation experience necessary. Prerequisite: A 200-level biology course. Three credit hours. TILDEN
CL156j Underworlds and Afterlives What happens to us after we die? Who or what determines our fate in the afterlife? Is the
afterlife an equalizer, or does it replicate power disparities present in the world of the living? We will explore different conceptions
about what happens after death from both ancient and contemporary cultures across the world. We will investigate the diversity of
beliefs about an afterlife and how these views reflect, reinforce, or undermine existing societal hierarchies. In the process, we will
probe the ways in which marginalized groups have used the afterlife to challenge and deconstruct complex systems of
discrimination. Three credit hours. S, I. FRANK
CL245j Festival, Competition, and Performance in Ancient Greece The Olympics are the most famous of the festivals held by
the ancient Greeks to honor their gods with competitions -- athletic contests, as well as musical, poetic, and dramatic performances.
We will explore these fascinating festivals and the myths that gave them meaning with special attention to the games at Olympia and
Delphi, and to the festivals of Athena and Dionysus at Athens. We will ask questions such as: What can these competitions tell us
about ancient Greek understandings of the body? How did the festivals contribute to the shaping of identities? What political purposes
did they serve? What do they tell us about life in the ancient city? What can they say about the world in which these ancient people
lived? Three credit hours. H. BARRETT
EC117j Introduction to Financial Decision Making Five topical areas: (1) planning, including career planning, financial
budgeting, and personal federal taxes, (2) consumer credit, costs of credit, and identity theft, (3) major purchasing decisions including
housing and automobiles, (4) insurance such as property, health, disability, and life insurance, and (5) investing in stocks, bonds, and
mutual funds for now and retirement. Does not count toward the economics majors or minors. Prerequisite: Junior or senior
standing. Three credit hours. LARGAY
EC123j Art of the M&A Deal Executing a business acquisition may be the most high-stakes challenge any executive could face.
Featuring an experienced M&A professional and other special guest speakers who have spent their careers on the frontlines of major
deals, students will learn real-world insights about successful deal making, through the major stages of the process. Students will
evaluate a target company and its industry, understand the due diligence process (including data and analytics), price and structure a
deal, formulate a negotiating approach and analyze post acquisition considerations to create sustainable value in a transaction. Does
not count toward the economics majors or minors. Three credit hours. MCHALE
EC171j Global Financial Markets Fast-paced and challenging investigation of global financial markets and their effect on the
world's domestic economies. We will define and explore the primary components of global financial markets, analyze the roles of the
public and private sectors in the markets, and develop recognition of the linkages between financial events in disparate markets to
underlying non-financial economies. We will also examine esoteric financial instruments and techniques such as credit default swaps,
securities lending, and markets related to the VIX index. Does not count toward the economics majors or minor. Three credit
hours. ATKINSON
ED333j International Practicum in Education The purpose of this practicum is to expose you to teaching and to provide you
with the opportunity to reflect on the relationship between educational theory and practice. This practicum provides opportunities to
serve as assistant teachers, tutor students, work with students individually, observe professional teachers, and prepare and present
lesson plans to whole classes in a middle or high school in a country outside the U.S. Placement will be arranged by the
professor. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Three credit hours. HOWARD
ED351Jj Practicum in Education Provides opportunities to serve as assistant teachers, tutor students, work with students
individually, observe professional teachers, and prepare and present lesson plans to whole classes in an elementary, middle, or high
school. Placement in the Waterville area will be arranged by the professor; students will be responsible for arranging placements in
other areas. Nongraded. Prerequisite: At least one course in education and sophomore standing. Three credit hours. PROTO
ED374Jj Educating All Learners in Inclusive Classrooms Considers rights of students and responsibilities of educators as they
relate both to teaching students who have disabilities as well as to teaching students with other individual learning characteristics.
Course topics explore psychological, philosophical, historical, and policy foundations of special education within a critical frame of
disability studies. Students are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of civic engagement in a classroom that provides
accommodations for students with disabilities or other challenges to learning. Prerequisite: At least one 200-level education
course. Three credit hours. BROWN
EN237j Environmental Writing in the Himalayas: Practicing the Arts of Unmastery Taking place in Kalimpong, India, this
course works at the intersection of civic engagement, creative writing, and environmental humanities to explore the entanglements
between literature, ecology, and multispecies communities. Experiencing these entanglements in an unfamiliar setting, we develop
creative and critical methodologies for producing knowledge and art without the need to master or manage our connection to the
world. Along the way, we ask questions such as: How is place reflected and refracted in its literature? What is the relationship
between research, creativity, and activism, and how might these endeavors respond to environmental crises? What can we learn
about global environmental challenges by working with local activists? Approximate cost: $4,900. Fulfills English D and LE
requirements. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Three credit hours. L, I. BRAUNSTEIN, WALKER
EN297j Charting the Stars in Enlightenment Britain This study-abroad course in London will examine print, manuscript, and
scientific instrument archives at the Royal Society and Royal Observatory to understand the extent to which major developments in
Enlightenment science (natural philosophy) and technology relied on the literary imagination. In so doing, the course would bring
together the study of literature and science in a period that drew no hard boundary between the two. A second goal of the course --
and the rationale for orienting the study of literature and science around navigation and astronomy -- is to understand more of the
physical and conceptual machinery of the British Empire and the application of the literary imagination for ill as well as
good. Prerequisite: Any W1 course and English 200. Three credit hours. L. HANLON
EN297Bj Gone Mad: A Book and Print Making Workshop In collaboration with the Center for Book & Print, students will design,
print, and bind 2-to-3 artists books to be used as props in the new production of Post Pardon: The Opera. Libretto by professor Arisa
White, music by Jessica Jones, the opera is inspired by poet Reetika Vazirani who fatally took the life of her two-year-old son and then
committed suicide. Vazirani left behind several journals, chronicling her psychological state and the effect that our society had on her
psyche. Through research on mental illness, climate justice, and incidents of violence against women and girls, students will generate
textual and visual content to imaginatively fill the pages of their artists books. Three credit hours. A. WHITE
ES214Jj Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis An introduction to geographic information systems' (GIS) data management
and visualization capabilities as well as the theory and application of spatial analysis techniques. Topics covered include spatial data
representation in a GIS, effective map making, coordinate systems and projections, exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), and
spatial statistical analysis. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Not open to students who have completed Environmental
Studies 212 or 214. Three credit hours. GIMOND
ES279j Geology of Bermuda Listed as Geology 279. Three credit hours. N,Lb. RUEGER
FR127Jj French III (Paris) An intensive version of the last course in the required language sequence, held in Paris, France.
Students not only learn French (developing their speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing abilities), they use French to learn,
doing analytical work related to France's past (using Louis Malle's screenplay and film Au Revoir les enfants as a point of departure)
and France's present (through class excursions). Students also learn to adapt to a foreign culture while immersed in a
French-speaking environment. Estimated cost: $3,000. Prerequisite: French 126 or equivalent. Three credit hours. DAVIES
GE279j Geology of Bermuda Students will learn how the island of Bermuda, subjected to a variety of geologic processes, has
evolved over the past two million years. They will be exposed to the scientific method and how geologists study the Earth, its
materials, and its processes. During field and laboratory observations, students will investigate how organisms, including humans, and
sedimentary processes have shaped Bermuda; how sediment is formed, moved, consolidated, and lithified; and the interrelationships
between geology and biology. They will gain an appreciation of the complexities of living on an island and the anthropogenic impacts
on a fragile ecosystem. Cost in 2023: $3,700. Prerequisite: Chemistry 122, or Geology 123, 125, 127, 129, or 141. Three credit
hours. N,Lb. RUEGER
GS121j Costa Rica: Language and Engaged Learning Improve your Spanish, stay with families in 3 different regions
(Heredia/San Jose, Monteverde Cloud Forest, and Playa Flamingo and engage in service opportunities at three different Costa Rican
NGOs. Optional third credit requiring submittal of a research project to one of the three organizations. Two or three credit
hours. FRANKO
GS201j Remembering Germany's Past: Field Study in Berlin Germany is often held up as a model for reckoning with the
difficult past. Using the city of Berlin as our classroom, this course explores the ways that World War II was remembered in the West
and East during the period of Cold War division. We then turn our attention to the memory debates that erupted after German
unification in 1990 and reflect on their relevance for the current memory landscape. Students will research, visit and reflect on sites of
remembrance throughout Berlin as well as in Potsdam and at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Three credit hours. S,
I. YODER
GO201j Remembering Germany's Past: Field Study in Berlin Listed as Global Studies 201. Three credit hours. S, I. YODER
GO242j American Politics and Film More than just entertainment, films offer insight into America's history, politics, and culture.
Using film, this course will explore selected themes in American politics. Watching two films per week, it will explore the relationship
on-screen depictions of politicians and the political process has with off-screen realities. By the end of the course, students will have a
deeper understanding of how film provides a lens to track changes in American politics and society and gain the ability to analyze the
political messages, symbols, and values in film. Previously offered as Government 297B (Jan Plan 2022). Three credit
hours. CHAVEZ
HI229j America's Whitest State? Immigration in Maine, Yesterday and Today Maine is often called "America's whitest state," a
term that obscures the state's rich history of immigration. In this interactive, discussion-based course, students will explore how the
state and its residents have responded to and been shaped by various waves of immigration to the state, from English and French
farmers in the early 19th century to Irish and French-Canadian mill workers and Lebanese Christians in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries to Somali, Iraqi, and Syrian immigrants today. In addition to studying books, articles, and films, students will deliver an oral,
multimedia presentation. They also will have the opportunity to meet many "New Mainers" as guest speakers and explore the diverse
cultures of Waterville, Augusta, Lewiston, and Portland. Previously offered as HI297J (Jan Plan 2020). Three credit hours. H,
U. ASCH
IT125Tj Italian I in Genoa Basic comprehensive course for students with little or no previous knowledge of Italian. Focus is on
developing the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills needed to gain fluency in Italian and on familiarizing students with basic
aspects of Italian culture and geography. Learning in the classroom takes place entirely in Italian and is task based, involving group
activities, interviews with fellow students, and role-playing exercises. A full immersion environment allows students to continually
practice what they learn, while enjoying the beauty of Italy. Estimated cost: $3,500. Three credit hours. BRANCIFORT
JP003 Pre-Health Academy Students will be paired with MaineGeneral-affiliated physicians in the Waterville area for intensive
job shadowing and clinical observation. They will also develop and complete a project of benefit to the practice of the supervising
physician and spend time reflecting on their experiences through group discussions centered on relevant readings.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Biology 163 and 164, or Chemistry 141 and 142, or 145; sophomore or higher standing; and significant
interest in medicine as demonstrated through previous volunteer work or job shadowing. Application required. Noncredit.
JP006 Furniture Making An introduction to the basic techniques and design skills that will enable students to create fine furniture.
Hand- and power-tool techniques taught in a well-equipped shop at the Colby-Hume Center. $100 lab fee.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Contact Daniel Camann at djcamann@colby.edu Noncredit.
JP007 Blacksmithing An intensive introduction to the fundamental processes involved in forging and forming iron (steel), taught
in a well-equipped shop at the Colby-Hume Center. Primary focus will be the development of the skills and understanding necessary
to complete assigned exercises using fire, hammer, and anvil. Students will also work individually with the instructor to design and
execute a final project. Materials fee: $100. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Prospective students should submit a brief essay outlining their
interest in the course to the instructor, Steve Murdock, at [email protected]. Final selection will be by personal
interview. Noncredit.
JP021 Integrating Mindfulness into Work, Health, Play, Relationship Mindfulness is the study and practice of paying attention
to what is happening right here, right now, before judgment, and responding to the situation from the place of balance and center
rather than reacting from old patterns. We will study the history and neuroscience research of mindfulness with emphasis on
techniques for everyday life. With lightheartedness we will study the mind/body connection. Our study and practice comes from the
work of Nancy Hathaway, founder of the Center for Studying Mindfulness, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder and director of the
Mindfulness Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Nongraded. Noncredit.
JP024 The Art of the (Spinning) Wheel A hands-on class that explores fiber and color with an emphasis on surface design.
Learn to dye, card, and spin sheep's wool on both spinning wheels and drop-spindles, producing both traditional and art yarns. We will
be using several breeds of wool and types of silk to learn how the characteristics of different fibers influence the creative process as
well as the final products, which could include hats, rugs, vessels, or fabric, either knit, crocheted, coiled or small-loom woven. We will
also be using watercolors for color and value exercises to complement learning about design. Classes will include demonstrations,
technical exercises, workshops, and independent work time. You will keep a portfolio and design and complete two fiber pieces. No
previous fiber experience is needed. Nongraded. Noncredit.
JP025 Engaging the World - The Liberal Arts in Practice Liberal arts education prepares students to engage and contribute to
a complex world. In this course (which is designed for students in isolation/quarantine), students will examine the foundations of liberal
arts education and will then apply those liberal arts skills to a contemporary issue. Students will both discuss current events and then
construct a compelling analysis of a timely issue. Noncredit.
JP116 Firefighting Conducted in partnership with the Waterville Fire Department, this course will prepare students to operate as
a firefighter. Students will learn skills including fire suppression, ropes, ladders, search and rescue, forcible entry, hazardous material
management, vehicle extracation, ventilation, and firefighter safety. The course will consist of both classroom and hands-on skills
work. Students must be medically cleared prior to beginning the class, and participate in a weekend of live fire sessions. After
completion of the course students will have the opportunity to obtain Pro Board Fire Fighter I certification and to volunteer for the
Waterville Fire Department. Nongraded. Two credit hours.
JP118 Handbell Choir Handbells are an old and unique instrument where each person is vital to the performance. We will be
looking at the notation, techniques, and terminology specific to handbells. As the music requires, we will also use handchimes. Prior
experience with handbells is not required, but a basic understanding of music notation is suggested. The performance at the end of
the session will be the final exam. Nongraded. Three credit hours.
JP121 "Dare Skyward" Flying: Ingenuity, Practicality, and Adventures in Life Students will explore greater heights of
imagination and life-goals using aviation as a medium. By studying real-life innovators in aviation who went far beyond the
conventional thinking of their day (such as the Wright Brothers for example), they will be guided to extend their own boundaries of
thought. Aviation ground-school curriculum will give students the tools to understand flight and the importance of good training and
personal discipline required of pilots. The exploration of air and space, and adventures of those they will read about, will inspire the
genius within each student and lead to life-changing experiences. Nongraded. Section B course fee $300. ~ Three credit hours.
JP122 Form and Function: Pottery on the Wheel Designed to develop basic skills needed to create functional forms. The
making - from wedging to trimming and finishing, decorating, glazing and firing will be covered. A mug, a cup, a bowl and more
become your own once the skill is mastered and you are free to find your own voice. Dedication is necessary; play is encouraged.
Nongraded. Three credit hours.
JP123 Art of the M&A Deal Executing a business acquisition may be the most high-stakes challenge any executive could face.
Featuring an experienced M&A professional and other special guest speakers who have spent their careers on the frontlines of major
deals, students will learn real-world insights about successful deal making, through the major stages of the process. Students will
evaluate a target company and its industry, understand the due diligence process (including data and analytics), price and structure a
deal, formulate a negotiating approach and analyze post acquisition considerations to create sustainable value in a transaction. Three
credit hours.
JP124 Sound Reporting: Journalism in Action and Theory Offers both a theoretical and hands-on approach to journalism, with
an emphasis on radio reporting. Students are expected to do real leg work for stories, from initial research to sourcing,
interviewing/audio recording, fact-checking and structuring final pieces. Alongside the pavement-pounding students will study the
fundamentals of sound reporting and its purpose in society, and debate and complete written assignments on issues pertaining to
ethics, fairness, truth, objectivity and bias. The course will use at least 4 nonfiction books by journalists and myriad sample
articles/radio pieces to improve understanding of what constitutes proper journalism. Three credit hours.
JP126 Consciousness, Creativity, and Identity: A Journey into the Self This innovative course will offer students an
opportunity to dive within discovering and exploring their own boundless creative potential. Consider this course an experimental
incubator for the creation of ideas, reflections, and a renewed sense of self. Emphasis will be placed on process with student’s
journaling, discussing, and meditating together. This unique course offering hopes to investigate new methods of inquiry, pushing
students to re-integrate their own creativity and imagination. During the first week of class students will be trained in Primordial Sound
Meditation (PSM). In class, we work to address several key questions: - What is the relationship between objective, subjective, and
transcendent ways of knowing? How might we begin the practice of liberation in our daily life? Three credit hours.
JP128 Experiential Entrepreneurship Why do most start-ups fail? Because they fail to start. New Enterprises, taught by a Colby
College Alumni and successful entrepreneur and investor, aims to demystify the process of starting and growing a new enterprise.
Students will learn many aspects of entrepreneurship, both in theory, and in practice, as they generate new business ideas, pitch
ideas to fellow students, and work in teams to write business plans, investor pitch decks, and to ultimately make their pitches to actual
angel investors and venture capitalists. With their new ventures as their backdrop, students will learn by doing, and in their actions,
they will take the most important step to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Three credit hours.
JP132 Film Production from Script to Screen
Students will learn all aspects of filmmaking through hands-on digital film production. The syllabus will include screenwriting, casting,
producing, directing, location scouting, production design, cinematography, costume design, editing, scoring and sound design.
Several days will be spent outside of classroom hours shooting short films written by each crew. The course will also feature guest
talks by working professionals in the entertainment industry. Students will leave the term with a new understanding and appreciation
for everything that goes into making a movie. Expected cost of course materials $250. Three credit hours.
JP133 Jan Plan Institute: Design Your Future(s) The world is changing faster than ever, and no one can accurately predict
everything that's coming next. How can you land an exciting internship today while also preparing for jobs that don't yet exist? (Twenty
years ago, being a professional YouTube sensation or a cloud architect just weren't possibilities...) While at the same time staying true
to your core values and priorities? And having as much fun as you possibly can?! In this collaborative, hands-on course, students will
combine the practices of design thinking and foresight to gain clarity about their interests, explore a range of possible futures, and
identify concrete action-steps that position them for meaningful lives and dream careers. The final project will be a personal
sourcebook that includes self-assessment and personality inventories, networking interviews with alumni and other experts,
"wind-tunnel tests" that highlight key drivers of global change, and a collection of imaginative, research-based future scenarios. This
course is meant for any student interested in innovative approaches to professional development and life design, whether they're still
committed to broad exploration or already confident about their post-graduate goals. Three credit hours.
JP135 Multicultural Literacy Introduces students to the knowledge and skills that constitute multicultural literacy, including 1)
understanding and respecting differences based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, social class, religion, and ability; 2) being aware
of one's own culture/background and biases and how these may shape one's interaction with those who are different; 3) mastering
key theoretical concepts that shape and inform contemporary approaches to diversity and social justice; and 4) communicating
effectively across differences, managing conflict in positive ways, and intervening in negative situations. Prerequisite: First-year
standing. Three credit hours. U.
JP136 Shakespeare for Actors: Text, Movement, Voice What do you do when you're handed a script by William Shakespeare?
How do you navigate the 400 years of criticism and cultural weight of Shakespeare's works? This course aims to give you the tools to
analyze text with the eyes of the actor, to become a text detective and find the clues Shakespeare gives you to help you with
character building, and then how to take that critical analysis out of your head and into an embodied performance on stage. The first
part of the class will focus on developing critical thinking rooted in the textual analysis of rhythm, antitheses, repetition, and sound
patterns. The second half of the class will take this critical analysis and put it into practice through voice and movement work,
culminating in a final workshop performance. Three credit hours. A.
JP137 AIDS and the Meaning of Life This class will stimulate personal emotional growth and self-empowerment; it might even
change your life. The HIV/AIDS issue is not over, nor is our obligation to address it. Together, we will consider this important topic
using a variety of disciplines, from the epidemiology of the disease to the cinematic/theatrical portrayals and everything in between,
including the history, sociology, biology, spirituality and poetry of AIDS. Along the way, students will have the opportunity to apply their
own interests so that others can benefit from their perspective and expertise. One important "textbook" for this course will be the
professor's personal experiences living with HIV from its emergence in the '80s. Three credit hours.
JP139 Art and Challenge of Servant Leadership Leading through power or leading through influence? In these challenging
times, it is imperative that emphasis and development be placed far more on the latter rather than the former. Students will learn,
analyze and reflect upon the eight critical Servant Leadership behaviors identified in James Hunter's book The Servant with the goal
of developing a personal action plan to utilize the skills required of true Servant Leaders. Other topics will be the review, analysis and
application of the three critical communication skills required of all great leaders as well as use of the DISC Behavioral Assessment in
everyday interactions. Previously offered as JP197B (Jan Plan 2021). Three credit hours.
JP146 Values Education: Understanding and Teaching Values in Everyday Life Provides an in-depth exploration of key
concepts and a history of values in the United States, different approaches to values education, how values systems are formed and
function within groups, and the relationship of values and leadership. Course material includes readings from the literature about
values, examples from current media, and use of films, literature, and other material from the arts. Participants in this course will come
away with a better understanding both of their own values and those of the society in which they live. Previously offered as JP197C
(Jan Plan 2019). Three credit hours. S.
JP148 From Idea to IPO: Business Strategy Basics for Next Gen Titans This course poses a key question: why do some
organizations succeed and others fail? Through the lens of recent and historic initial public offerings (IPOs) including Airbnb, Allbirds,
Lyft, Netflix, PayPal, Rivian Automotive, Robinhood, Snap, Uber and others, students will focus on the concept of sustainable
competitive advantage. Beginning with the basics of strategy, students will assess how entrepreneurs take an organization from an
idea to an IPO. The class will ponder the decisions made along the way and ask why some firms choose to complete an IPO, while
others remain private. Through the use of case studies, students will work in teams and will analyze companies that have succeeded
and failed in complex and dynamic environments. The course will conclude with student-led mock board presentations. Three credit
hours.
JP151 Water and Sanitation in Developing Communities An introduction to water supply, quality, and treatment in rural and
urban developing communities; sanitation practices and technologies; other interventions for improvement of public health; and the
social and political issues surrounding water and sanitation in such communities. These topics will be explored through lectures, case
studies, readings, and guest speakers who work in international development. Students will critically assess a water or sanitation
solution and present their findings to the class. Three credit hours.
JP153 Meteorology Using text and real-time data, students discover how the basic principles of meteorology are used to
understand weather systems and will learn how to forecast weather patterns using these principles. The changing climate and it's
impacts on global weather will be explored. Students will have the opportunity to interact with working meteorologists and discuss how
forecasts are made for the public and private sectors. Students present their own meteorological research efforts, demonstrating their
understanding of the principles and practices presented during Jan Plan. (Does not earn lab science credit.) Three credit hours. N.
JP154 Legal Culture of Guantanamo Bay Prison Explores the legal dissembling by the U.S. government allowing for the
imprisoning and torturing of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay prison. Using primary sources and first-hand accounts, we study the
culture (e.g., conditions, expectations, behavior) such dissembling produced among the prisoners, guards, interrogators, and
government agents working at the prison. Special emphasis is placed on analyzing the culture from the prisoners’ experience,
including their art, poetry, and writings. The course aims for a critical understanding of how legal dissembling operated, how it
influenced the conduct of guards and other government agents at Guantanamo, and the ensuing reality of the prisoners'
experiences. Three credit hours.
JP156 Jan Plan Institute: Career Accelerator Jan Plan Institute is a career acceleration program for students who haven't had
time to deal with career exploration or preparation or aren’t sure how to get started. In just four weeks, students will dazzle employers
with their new resume, chock filled with job-ready skills and relevant work experiences, and gain the confidence, know-how and
professional networks to chart their path to career success. In addition to self-discovery and career discovery activities, students will
complete a series of digital skill training modules and apply new skills to employer-sponsored team projects, yielding impressive
resumes and plenty to talk about in interviews. Previously offered as JP197D (Jan Plan 2021). Three credit hours.
JP158 Criminal Justice Reform in Maine An exploration of Maine's "criminal justice" system, and efforts to reform and reimagine
justice. The focus is on current criminal justice reform "hot topics." Rooted in experiential learning, the course includes live classes
within Maine's criminal legal system locations, tours of the Maine State Legislature, courts, county jail, prison, and roundtable
discussions with Maine judges, defense attorneys, and prosecutors, state lawmakers, and allied groups leading reform efforts.
Students enrolled in the course can focus their reform project on, and earn civic engagement hours, with Court Watch Maine.
Previously offered as AY197B (Jan Plan 2022). Three credit hours.
JP215 Philanthropy at Work An academically-grounded, community-based exploration of the role philanthropy plays in powering
nonprofit organizations. Through real-life case studies, guest speakers, readings, and discussion, students will consider deeply how
nonprofit organizations of various sizes in our community (and beyond) leverage philanthropy to fuel their mission. Working in small
teams, students will apply the strategies and tools they learn to create a resource development plan for a non-profit
organization. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing. Three credit hours.
JP227 Story Sense and Structure: The Art of Narrative Non-Fiction Spend Jan Plan reading, talking and writing about exciting
nonfiction stories. This course is taught by a magazine journalist who has reported on everything from insurrections to wrongful
convictions in more than a dozen countries across five continents. The course is designed to enable you to comprehend the
foundations of non-fiction feature writing as practiced in newspapers, magazines, online publications and other non-fiction outlets. We
will analyze stories to better comprehend organizational principles, story structure, narrative flow, and character, all within the
constraints and ethics of journalism. Students will be exposed to the rigorous fact-checking process non-fiction stories undergo at
major outlets. This is not primarily a writing course, but it will help you understand the writing world of working journalists. Your work in
this class will be assessed on the accuracy, clarity, professionalism and creativity of three papers analyzing the stories assigned,
along with smaller assignments. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Three credit hours.
JP235 Psychology of Creativity and Innovation Business leaders and scholars cite the importance of creativity and innovation
for profit and organizational success. Based on Industrial and Organizational Psychology, this course explores creativity and
innovation in the workplace. Students will learn about theories, predictors, consequences, measurement and critiques of creativity and
innovation at work. As part of an applied project, students will work individually or in pairs on an innovative business idea. In this
seminar-style course, meetings will focus on class discussions of assigned readings, lectures and in-class activities. Please note that
this course focuses on understanding the psychology of creativity and innovation rather than training students to be creative and
innovative. Previously offered as JP297 (Jan Plan 2021). Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Three credit hours.
JP237 Advocating for the Environment This is a communications and advocacy course for environmental studies,
environmental policy and government majors, as well other interested students. It covers both conceptual and practical advocacy
skills required to create change in the environmental field. It presents the practical side of how to effectively communicate and
advocate in the current political climate. It coincides with the beginning of the 131st Maine Legislature, and students will have a
chance to observe policy making in action with a visit to Maine's Legislature. Students will do a team project on an environmental
issue of their choice, including research, political strategy, crafting a compelling message, and giving testimony. These skills are
essential for those who would like to pursue social change, public policy, government, and/or environmental issues as part of their
career path. Prerequisite: Any Environmental Studies course. Three credit hours.
JP241 Imagining Alternate Histories Futures in Board Game Media In this course, you will study board games as cultural
artifacts, then design and produce your own game. We will discover what tabletop gaming has offered humanity from the Ur-game
(literally, The Royal Game of Ur, played in ancient Mesopotamia 4500 years ago) to the "new golden age of board games" happening
right now. We will discuss how games produce alternate histories and futures and how we make meaning of the narratives we create
playing them. We will also study the diversification of board game culture and consider, invent, and incorporate decolonizing
strategies, exploring the medium's potential to imagine a more just and equitable world. Previously offered as Jan Plan 297B (Jan
Plan 2022). Three credit hours. A.
JP242 Psychology of Creativity and Innovation Business leaders and scholars cite the importance of creativity and innovation
for profit and organizational success. Based on industrial and organizational psychology, this course explores how we can apply
creativity and innovation to the workplace. Students will learn about theories, predictors, consequences, and measurement of
creativity and innovation. As part of an applied project, students will work individually or in pairs or small groups on an innovative
business idea, which they have the option of entering into a pitch competition. In this seminar-style course, meetings will focus on
class discussions of assigned readings, and will also include in-class activities and some lectures. Prerequisite: Psychology
111. Three credit hours.
JP243 Artificial Intelligence: What Lies Beneath Artificial intelligence (AI) touches each of our lives every day. It is
simultaneously easier to use than ever before, and harder to understand. So let's become informed AI users! We will examine AI you
have used, including speech recognition, machine translation, and computer vision. We will trace back from the application all the way
to the data and original research, asking about the who, how and why of AI advances. In the process, we will learn how AI
developments occur, how AI moves from research to application, and how to see through AI hype. Programming experience is not
required. Three credit hours.
JP246 Ocean Forecasting: AI, Ecology, and Data Justice on the Seas There is an increasing demand for real-time forecasts of
the world around us. With the proliferation of big data sources and learning algorithms, it is possible to produce forecasts on wide
ranging phenomenon, from the migrations of endangered species to outbreaks of toxic plankton. Such forecasts have the potential to
improve health, quality of life, and economic activity. However, the algorithms and data on which forecasts are based can also carry
hidden biases and lead to unintended consequences. This course will take a broad look at ocean forecasting, from stakeholder
engagement, to coding and analyzing forecasts, to understanding the complexities of forecasts' impacts. Three credit hours.
JP247 Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Experience Selected students eligible for the program will spend the
semester at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey. Accepted students will be on campus there and involved in
hospital activities daily from approximately 8:00 am until 3:00 pm, Monday-Friday. Reading and writing assignments and an end of
term project will center on social determinants of health. Students will attend gross anatomy sessions, hospital shadowing, learn about
clinical skills, standardized patients and the Human Dimension program at the school and tailored mentoring opportunities.
Prerequisite: First- or second-year student and permission of instructor. Three credit hours.
JS228j Arab Jews in Israel: Navigating Oppositional Identities Explores how Arab Jews (Mizrachim) are both "insiders" and
"outsiders" in Israeli society, marginalized for their Arabness and privileged for their Jewishness. Students will study how Mizrachim
navigate their Jewish and Arab identities, respond to structural erasure and oppression by Israels Ashkenazi (European) power
holders, and work to redefine the Israeli narrative today. This course combines in-class work, meetings with Mizrachi politicians and
community leaders, and field site visits. Students will engage in conversations about power, identity, inclusion, and representation
more broadly. This Global Engagement course takes place in Israel. Critical Race course Three credit hours. S, I. COHEN FISHER
JS232j Envisioning the Song of Songs The Song of Songs is an erotic biblical poem whose rich visual imagery explores nature
and sexuality. Students will analyze the poem itself and explore its multifaceted history of literary and visual interpretation. The class
includes supervised studio hours in which students will develop their own artistic interpretations of the Song. No prior familiarity with
visual arts or Hebrew required; first-year students welcome. Previously offered as JS297 (Jan Plan 2023). Three credit
hours. A. STEIN
MA120j Calculus with Pre-Calculus II A continuation of Mathematics 119. Successful completion of both Mathematics 119 and
120 is equivalent to completion of Mathematics 125. ~ Prerequisite: Mathematics 119. Three credit hours. Q. NAMOIJAM
MU114j Jazz Improvisation Basic jazz theory and improvisation, including melody-, scalar-, modal-, and chord-based
improvisation. Introduction to arranging for jazz groups and interactions between soloists and background musicians; jazz style and
performance practices. Includes semiprivate instruction and performances in large groups and smaller combos. Listening assignments
include jazz greats. Instrumentalists and vocalists welcome. Prerequisite: Ability to sing or play major scales. Three credit
hours. A. WILKINS
MU118j African Music An introduction to the music of Africa, an integral and defining aspect of the culture of Africa. Hands-on
experience with various instruments (e.g., drums, rattles, bells), as well as singing and dancing, to provide important insights into the
cultures of Africa. Various African music themes will be explored through films and recordings. Culminates in a final performance by
the class. Nongraded. Three credit hours. A. BENISSAN
MU218j Seeing, Then Hearing: Graphic Design for the Music Industry While it may seem counterintuitive, visual attraction is a
central concern in the business of music. Getting music to the attention of the widest possible audience demands an increasingly
refined, international visual fluency. We will look at and listen to well-known releases with an eye to the differences in the visual
publicity and packaging in the European, Asian, and American markets. Students will use readings and hands-on work with Adobe
Creative Suite to formulate and debate answers to a number of complex multicultural design problems. Three credit hours. A. JEE
MU223j Perception of Music An inter-disciplinary exploration of music and psychology. Our discussion will focus on the
fundamental aspects of music theory and musical structure. Using these ideas as a foundation, we will consider some of the
predominant theories of how we perceive music, including ideas about memory and music. We will draw upon concepts central to
cognitive psychology, melodic and rhythmic grouping, schematic frameworks, and hierarchical structures in music. Students will
actively experience and create music and relate what they are hearing to the theoretical models. Central to the class is discussion of
each student's individual responses to music and exploration and development of ways to map their experiences. Intended for
students with little or no background in music theory. Three credit hours. A. HELM
PL253j Skepticism East and West For as long as there have been philosophers engaged in passionate pursuit of knowledge,
there have been skeptics critical of the entire enterprise. Can we really know the Truth about anything? For that matter, how important
is it for us to know the Truth? Skeptical thinkers have appeared in all times and cultures. We will engage with three venerable texts:
the Zhuangzi from ancient China, Nagarjuna's writings on the Middle Way from ancient India, and the Outline of Skepticism by Sextus
Empiricus from ancient Greece. Our goal is to put these authors into dialogue and then join in that dialogue. Prerequisite: A prior
course in philosophy. Three credit hours. COHEN
RE242j The Good Life What does the good life look like? What does it mean to live life well? In the desire to achieve good
grades, to get a good job, and to succeed, we often fail to take a step back. This course is a chance to take a breath and think about
how we are using the time that we have. We will explore questions of what makes life 'good' through engagement with a number of
diverse traditions and practices that have helped human beings live a good life over centuries. We will also look at research on
happiness and participate in projects designed to boost our happiness. This class will include visits from individuals who will share
how they lead a good life. The hope is that you will leave this class with a better idea of what it means for you to live life well and tools
to enact your vision at Colby and beyond. Three credit hours. S. INSTRUCTOR
ST297j Charting the Stars in Enlightenment England Listed as English 297. Three credit hours. L. HANLON
SO212Jj Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis Listed as Environmental Studies 214J. Three credit hours. GIMOND
SP127Jj Intermediate Spanish in Salamanca
This course is the third semester of the Spanish language sequence and takes place in Salamanca, Spain. Immersing themselves in
day-to-day Spanish life by living with local families, students will take part in activities in the city, and explore other historic sites in
Spain. Students will refine speaking, listening, reading and writing skills for realistic and culturally appropriate communication in the
target language, and will be expected to speak only in Spanish during their stay in order to strengthen their language production and
to increase cultural competency through a communicative, task-based approach. Estimated cost: $3000. Prerequisite: Spanish
126. Three credit hours. WHITE
TD262Jj Colby Collaborative Company: Gordon Center Project Colby Collaborative Company is a forum for developing,
devising, and sharing creative tools and practices for community-centered performances. Over the course of this Jan Plan, Company
members will have opportunities to connect with on-going community-based research through a creative process that culminates in
performance for the new Gordon Center for the Creative and Performing Arts; explore, excavate, and exchange stories about the
communities we're a part of, especially here at Colby College and in Waterville; and use performance as a way to celebrate and
complicate notions of home and belonging. Our collaborations will engage people of all ages outside of our course, including local
community members and professional artists, and will have us working in and around campus and Waterville. Students must attend all
classes during the Jan Plan through February 1, then shift to evening rehearsals, performances, and strikes from Monday, February 5,
through Saturday, February 10. This course can be repeated once. Three credit hours. CUMBIE
WG223Jj Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance An introduction to critical race theory and the art of tap dance. Students will
learn about the history of tap dance in the United States and abroad, the concept of intersectionality, and the systemic and
institutionalized nature of racism. Students will learn to perform and name basic tap skills and the "shim sham shimmy," a dance
historically performed by African-American female tap dancers in Harlem; to perform a visual cultural analysis; to understand and think
critically about critical race theory, black feminist thought; and to know the history of tap dance and its significance to racial politics in
the United States. Three credit hours. A, U. THOMAS
WD114j Writing for Academic Purposes This course will help students improve their practical competence in writing and
speaking for academic audiences at an American college. Students will work individually and collaboratively to develop advanced
academic discussion, presentation, writing, and digital publishing skills. Assignments and discussion will also help students navigate
issues in written communication that multilingual students may confront in a transcultural academic context at Colby. International,
dual citizen, and multilingual students who want to focus on advancing their academic writing and speaking skills during Jan Plan are
especially welcome. Three credit hours. WANG
WD228j Fundamentals of Public Speaking Most people are terrified by the prospect of speaking in public, mainly because they
are afraid of being judged, a fear exacerbated by the mistaken belief that the ability to communicate is innate. This course focuses on
helping students appreciate the complex rhetorical work of communication, recognizing that communication is both context and
audience dependent. By practicing the many skills involved in effective public speaking, including research, argument construction,
and presentation preparation and delivery, this course will help students to become more confident public speakers in ways that will
benefit them in subsequent courses as well as in their careers and civic lives. Three credit hours. LEGG
Japanese
In the Department of East Asian Studies
A minor in Japanese is offered for students who have a substantial interest in Japanese language and culture.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Ankeney Weitz (Art)
Assistant Professor Laura Nuffer; Visiting Assistant Professor Jun Takahashi; Language Assistant Maiko Kawano
Requirements for the Minor in Japanese
Six courses are required to fulfill the minor in Japanese. They include five language courses of at least three credits each at the level
of Japanese 126 or above and one more course chosen from either a 400-level course in Japanese or a course on Japanese
literature/culture (needs to be approved by the advisor for Japanese) at the 200 level or higher.
Course Offerings
JA125f Elementary Japanese I This course introduces the fundamentals of the Japanese language, with an equal emphasis on
all four domains of language usage: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will master basic sentence patterns and core
vocabulary necessary for everyday conversation. They will also gain command of the two phonetic writing systems used in
Japanese, hiragana and katakana, and learn 60 of the most commonly used ideographic characters, or kanji. Five credit
hours. TAKAHASHI
[JA125J] Elementary Japanese This course introduces the fundamentals of the Japanese language, with an equal emphasis on
all four domains of language usage: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students will master basic sentence patterns and core
vocabulary necessary for everyday conversation. They will also gain command of the two phonetic writing systems used in
Japanese, hiragana and katakana, and learn 60 of the most commonly used ideographic characters, or kanji. Three credit hours.
JA126s Elementary Japanese II This course builds on the foundations of the previous semester to expand students' abilities of
comprehension and self-expression. Students will continue to acquire essential grammar and vocabulary and will learn an additional
85 kanji. Prerequisite: Japanese 125 or equivalent. Five credit hours. TAKAHASHI
JA127f Intermediate Japanese I Designed for students who have taken two semesters of Japanese, provides the intermediate
level of competency in speaking, writing, reading, and listening. The four skills are simultaneously introduced and practiced in every
class with emphasis on balancing accuracy, fluency, and complexity. Also helps students understand how linguistic practice is strongly
connected to culture. Prerequisite: Japanese 126. Four credit hours. NUFFER
JA128s Intermediate Japanese II Designed for students who have taken three semesters of Japanese. Students continue to
advance their linguistic skills in speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Enables students to function in various social contexts using
culturally appropriate linguistic skills and knowledge, including honorifics and speech levels. Prerequisite: Japanese 127. Four credit
hours. NUFFER
JA135fs Conversational Japanese I In a small group setting, students practice speaking. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Concurrent
enrollment in Japanese 125 or 126. One credit hour. KAWANO
JA235fs Conversational Japanese II In a small group setting, students practice speaking. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Concurrent
enrollment in Japanese 127 or 128. One credit hour. KAWANO
JA321f Third-Year Japanese This course offers an entry point to advanced Japanese. Students will master complex grammatical
constructions and acquire vocabulary necessary to express their thoughts on a variety of social issues. Emphasis is placed on
developing natural communication strategies appropriate in a range of situations, from casual to formal. Readings and audiovisual
materials will incorporate authentic Japanese aimed at native speakers. Prerequisite: Japanese 128. Four credit hours. TAKAHASHI
JA322s Third-Year Japanese Following the first semester of third-year Japanese, this course continues to cultivate students'
capacity for complex, nuanced communication in all four domains of language usage (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).
Students will acquire further grammar, vocabulary, and kanji, and gain increasing confidence with authentic Japanese texts such as
newspaper articles and short stories. Prerequisite: Japanese 321 or 341. Four credit hours. NUFFER
JA335fs Conversational Japanese III In a small group setting, students practice speaking. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Concurrent
enrollment in Japanese 321, 322, 421, 422, and 437. One credit hour. KAWANO
[JA421] Fourth Year Japanese Further reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Japanese, using current newspaper articles,
short stories, and audiovisual materials. Prerequisite: Japanese 322. Four credit hours.
JA422s Fourth-Year Japanese A continuation of Japanese 421 for students who have taken seven semesters of Japanese.
Language practice includes reading short stories and newspaper articles, giving oral presentations on topics related to Japanese
culture, learning another 150 Chinese characters, mastering the use of various types of dictionaries and online supports, and learning
the structure of kanji radicals. All class activities are conducted only in Japanese. Prerequisite: Japanese 421. Four credit
hours. TAKAHASHI
JA437f Social Issues in Japan A continuation of Japanese 322 or equivalent. This course aims to improve students' overall
language proficiency to a level where students can discuss social issues in Japanese (Intermediate-High or Advanced-Low on the
ACTFL proficiency standards). Language practice includes reading, writing, and discussing social issues. Students are expected to
master advanced vocabulary, grammar, and kanji as well as exchange ideas in a coherent and cohesive manner. At the end of the
semester, students will be able to conduct research and give a presentation on a topic of their interest in Japanese. All class activities
will be conducted in Japanese. Prerequisite: Japanese 322 or equivalent.
Four credit hours. TAKAHASHI
JA491f, JA492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
Jewish Studies Department
Jewish Studies explores experiences, expressions, and conceptions of Jewishness past and present in their diversity and complexity.
Students of all backgrounds learn how to critically assess competing ideas and how to analyze intersecting identities within their social
contexts. They develop leadership and social entrepreneurship skills, along with an appreciation for communal engagement, through
hands-on collaboration. Jewish Studies courses foster the values of intellectual rigor, mutual respect, ongoing self-reflection, and
concern for marginalized voices. The department’s faculty members devote particular attention to personal mentorship.
Faculty
Chair, Professor David Freidenreich
Professor David Freidenreich; Assistant Professors Rachel Isaacs and Kerry Sonia; Lecturer Lauren Cohen Fisher
Advisory Board: Professors Véronique Plesch (Art), Raffael Scheck (History), and Robert Weisbrot (History); Associate Professors
Damon Mayrl (Sociology) and John Turner (History)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Jewish Studies
A minimum of nine three- or four-credit courses to include JS181 and JS182, at least one course on each of the department’s primary
themes (Ideas & Texts, Lived Jewishness, and Community Impact), at least two research seminars (300-level courses), and JS423
(“Capstone: Designing the Jewish Ideas Lab”) for the entire senior year (two credits per term, graded credit/no credit). In addition,
majors must take at least one semester of JS123, “Beit Midrash—Jewish Ideas Lab,” a one-credit course graded credit/no credit, prior
to their senior year.
A single course may count simultaneously toward the thematic requirement and the research seminar requirement. Majors may count
up to three approved off-campus study courses as electives or, when appropriate, toward fulfillment of a thematic requirement. Majors
may count as electives up to three Hebrew language courses and may count two two-credit courses or independent studies as the
equivalent of a single elective course. The year-long capstone likewise counts as a single course toward the nine-course requirement.
Successful completion of the major requires a 2.00 grade point average for all requirements above.
Honors Program in Jewish Studies
Majors who enter their senior year with a GPA of 3.65 or higher within the major are eligible to enroll in a four-credit independent study
(either in a single term or spread over both fall and spring) in addition to the capstone sequence. Upon satisfactory completion of an
honors thesis with retention of the required GPA within the major, students will graduate with “Honors in Jewish Studies.”
Requirements for the Minor in Jewish Studies
A minimum of six three- or four-credit courses, to include JS181, JS182, and at least one research seminar (300-level course). In
addition, minors must take at least one semester of JS123, “Beit Midrash—Jewish Ideas Lab,” a one-credit course graded credit/no
credit.
Minors may count as electives up to two approved off-campus study courses and up to two Hebrew language courses. Minors may
count two two-credit courses or independent studies as the equivalent of a single elective course. Successful completion of the minor
requires a 2.00 grade point average for all requirements above.
Courses by Primary Theme
Ideas and Texts: ולאולאו — Elu v'elu, “Both these [ideas] and these”
Courses that critically examine competing responses to core Jewish questions and divergent interpretations of canonical sources
● 143: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
● 144: Introduction to the New Testament
● 248: Gender, Sexuality, and the Bible
● 387: Anti-Judaism and Islamophobia in Christian/Western Thought
Lived Jewishness: גהנמםוקמה — Minhag hamakom, “Local customary practices”
Courses that explore how members of specific communities past and present adapt and express their Jewish identities, with particular
attention to the influence of the surrounding culture
● 148: Inclusion and Exclusion: Dilemmas in Israeli Society
● 221: Jews of Maine
● 283: Golden Diaspora: Modern American Jewish History
● 228: Arab Jews (Mizrachim) in Israel: Navigating Oppositional Identities
● 322: Food and Religious Identity
● 344: Power, Politics, and Identity in the West Bank
● 346: Jews of Germany, Past and Present
Community Impact: ןוקיתםלוע — Tikkun olam, “Improving the world”
Courses that provide hands-on training in leadership and social entrepreneurship
● 131: Purpose and Practice in Nonprofit Organizations
● 226: Community Organizing and Social Justice
● 285: Faith, Class, and Community
Course Offerings
[JS121] Entartete (Degenerate) Musik Listed as Music 121. Three credit hours. A, I.
JS123fs Beit Midrash - Jewish Ideas Lab The Hebrew term "beit midrash" refers to a communal setting in which learners
discover and co-construct meaning through conversation with one another about texts that address significant ideas and raise
essential questions. At Colby, these texts include classic and contemporary sources from the Jewish tradition and beyond.
Participants of all backgrounds and perspectives learn to assess competing ideas critically, to read closely, and to present their ideas
effectively within the context of a supportive community. They become sophisticated thinkers and empowered partners in the
collaborative creation of knowledge. Nongraded. One credit hour. FREIDENREICH
JS125f Hebrew I The first of three consecutive courses designed to develop fluency and accuracy in Modern Hebrew. Through an
interactive approach to language learning, students gain communicative proficiency and a greater understanding of Israeli society.
Videos, audio, and web materials introduce students to the nuanced and rich connections between Hebrew and Jewish culture in
Israel and around the world. Four credit hours. ISAACS
JS126s Hebrew II The second of three consecutive courses designed to develop fluency and accuracy in Modern Hebrew.
Students will deepen their knowledge of Hebrew grammar and further develop the facilities for written and oral communication in
Hebrew. Delves more deeply into Israeli culture through media and literature. Prerequisite: Jewish Studies 125 or equivalent. Four
credit hours. ISAACS
JS127f Hebrew III The third of three consecutive courses designed to develop fluency and accuracy in Modern Hebrew. Students
will deepen their knowledge of Hebrew grammar and further develop the facilities for written and oral communication in Hebrew.
Delves more deeply into Israeli culture through media and literature. Prerequisite: Jewish Studies 126 or equivalent. Four credit
hours. ISAACS
JS131f Purpose and Practice in Nonprofit Organizations Examines the internal and external factors that enable nonprofit
organizations to play vital roles in American society, with particular attention to the American Jewish community. Through the study of
diverse organizations, students learn to analyze and assess missions, visions, and values; leadership styles; financial resources;
messaging; and human resources. Students develop knowledge, skills, and values crucial to effective organizational leadership,
whether as a professional or a volunteer. Previously offered as JS198 (Spring 2023). Four credit hours. MERSON
JS143f Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Listed as Religious Studies 143. Four credit hours. L. SONIA
JS144s Introduction to the New Testament Listed as Religious Studies 144. Four credit hours. L. SONIA
JS148f Inclusion and Exclusion: Dilemmas in Israeli Society Explores who is included and who is excluded from
contemporary Israeli society by engaging with three major dilemmas that have emerged in Israel's pursuit of joining a democratic
world order while promoting Jewish self-determination: (1) Zionism and the role of Palestinian citizens within a Jewish State; (2) the
desire to create a Jewish public sphere in a state that balances freedom of, and freedom from, religion, and (3) Jewish ethnic diversity
in the creation of a new, Israeli identity. In excavating these dilemmas, students will explore disagreeing worldviews and identify how
tensions between competing values underpin conflict more broadly. This course focuses on Israel's internal landscape, within the
boundaries of its internationally-recognized borders. Four credit hours. S, I. COHEN FISHER
JS181f Conceptions of Jews and Judaism Listed as Religious Studies 181. Four credit hours. H, I. FREIDENREICH
JS182s Jews, Judaism, and the Modern World Listed as Religious Studies 182. Four credit hours. H, I. FREIDENREICH
[JS219] Violence and Religion through the Centuries Listed as Religious Studies 219. Four credit hours.
[JS221] The Jews of Maine Listed as Religious Studies 221. Four credit hours. H.
[JS223] Religion in the Modern State of Israel Listed as Religious Studies 223. Two credit hours.
[JS226] Community Organizing and Social Justice For decades, ordinary citizens have exercised their power on a local and
state level using the principles of congregation-based community organizing (CBCO). In this hands-on introduction to the principles of
CBCO, students will learn how to organize to build power and create political change. With special attention to the Jewish texts that
underlie this work, we will focus on the history of Jewish involvement in social justice movements as a case study for making change.
Guest speakers from across the country will share their experiences. Three credit hours.
JS228j Arab Jews in Israel: Navigating Oppositional Identities Explores how Arab Jews (Mizrachim) are both "insiders" and
"outsiders" in Israeli society, marginalized for their Arabness and privileged for their Jewishness. Students will study how Mizrachim
navigate their Jewish and Arab identities, respond to structural erasure and oppression by Israel's Ashkenazi (European) power
holders, and work to redefine the Israeli narrative today. This course combines in-class work, meetings with Mizrachi politicians and
community leaders, and field site visits. Students will engage in conversations about power, identity, inclusion, and representation
more broadly. This Global Engagement course takes place in Israel. Critical Race course Three credit hours. S, I. COHEN
FISHER
[JS231] Israeli and Palestinian Literature Explores lived experiences in Israel/Palestine through memoir, fiction, poetry, and
cookbooks. Students will unpack and compare how various authors engage with ideas of landscape, history, identity, and home
across both time and genre. Students will gain deeper understandings of how Palestinian and Israeli authors relate to their identities
and environments as they grapple with classical and contemporary writing emanating from the region. Four credit hours. L, I.
JS232j Envisioning the Song of Songs The Song of Songs is an erotic biblical poem whose rich visual imagery explores nature
and sexuality. Students will analyze the poem itself and explore its multifaceted history of literary and visual interpretation. The class
includes supervised studio hours in which students will develop their own artistic interpretations of the Song. No prior familiarity with
visual arts or Hebrew required; first-year students welcome. Previously offered as JS297 (Jan Plan 2023). Three credit
hours. A. STEIN
JS236f Vienna 1900 Listed as Art 236. Four credit hours. A. PLESCH
JS251s Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Accommodation Listed as Government 251. Four credit
hours. S. DENOEUX
JS252f Introduction to Politics of the Middle East Listed as Government 252. Four credit hours. S. DENOEUX
[JS283] Golden Diaspora: Modern American Jewish History Listed as History 283. Four credit hours. H, U.
[JS285] Faith, Class, and Community Listed as Religious Studies 285. Four credit hours. U.
[JS322] Food and Religious Identity Listed as Religious Studies 322. Four credit hours. S.
[JS323] Holocaust in French Cinema Listed as French 323. Four credit hours.
JS344s The West Bank: Power, Politics, and Identity Explores the settlement enterprise and its impact on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Students will analyze competing claims of indigeneity and settler colonialism, unpack how conceptions of
power and powerlessness inform Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian narratives, and examine how the settlements create tension within
Jewish-Israeli society. Students will conduct independent research that contributes to the discourse about power, politics, and identity
in the West Bank. This course includes optional travel to Israel/Palestine during spring break, where students will meet with major
stakeholders in Israeli and Palestinian society. Previously offered as JS398 (Spring 2022). Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Four
credit hours. COHEN FISHER
[JS346] Jews of Germany, Past and Present Listed as Religious Studies 346. Four credit hours. H, I.
JS387f Anti-Judaism and Islamophobia in Christian/Western Thought Listed as Religious Studies 387. Four credit
hours. I. FREIDENREICH
[JS421] Research Seminar: Debating the Nazi Past Listed as History 421. Four credit hours. H, W3, I.
JS423fs Jewish Studies Capstone: Designing the Jewish Studies Lab Design and implement the Beit Midrash--Jewish Ideas
Lab, a communal setting in which learners of all backgrounds and perspectives discover and co-construct meaning through
conversation with one another about texts that address significant ideas and raise essential questions. Capstone participants develop
leadership and pedagogical skills while deepening their ability to critically assess competing ideas. Required for senior Jewish Studies
majors; open by permission of instructor to all seniors who have attended at least one previous Beit Midrash session.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Senior standing and completion of Jewish Studies 123. Two credit hours. FREIDENREICH
JS491f, JS492s Independent Study One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Latin
In the Department of Classics
The Classics Department offers courses listed in this catalogue under “Classics,” “Greek,” and “Latin.”
Course Offerings
LT111f Introductory Latin Latin was the language of Virgil, Ovid, Cicero, and Tacitus, giants in the Western literary tradition, and,
for centuries Latin remained the lingua franca of the educated. It also gave rise to the Romance languages and to a vast proportion of
English vocabulary. Combines lucid explanations of grammar with cultural information and readings in simplified Latin of major
classical texts. Four credit hours. SORSCHER
LT112s Intermediate Latin The history, literature, and culture of the Western tradition can be traced through Rome, and many of
the great ideas and texts of the ancient and premodern world were formulated in Latin. Builds on the foundations laid in Latin 111.
Learning goals include continuing the assimilation of Latin grammar and syntax, equipping students with the tools to read Rome's
greatest authors in their original tongue, and fostering greater familiarity with broader Roman culture. Prerequisite: Latin 111. Four
credit hours. SORSCHER
LT131f Introduction to Latin Literature Having mastered Latin grammar and syntax, students now take on the challenges and
rewards of reading an unsimplified Latin text. They will learn to translate most Latin texts with the aid of a dictionary; to accomplish a
literary, historical, and cultural analysis of any complex text; and to satisfy the rigorous requirements of a demanding work
schedule. Prerequisite: Latin 112, or appropriate score on the College Board Latin SAT Subject Test, AP Latin exam, or placement test
administered during new student orientation. Four credit hours. BARRETT
[LT242] Roman Satire The only literary genre claimed by the Romans as their own invention, Satire targets everyone in its
scathing and humorous attacks, as it paints a vivid picture of the urban landscape of ancient Rome. Selected readings in Latin from
the works of Lucilius, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal. Prerequisite: Latin 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
LT244s Seneca the Younger Seneca the Younger is one of the most paradoxical figures of Latin literature. As an advisor to the
Emperor Nero, he lived at the center of power, enjoying tremendous influence and wealth, yet his literary works frequently speak of
the worthlessness of such worldly pursuits. Many in both antiquity and modernity have found a ready name for Seneca: hypocrite. In
many ways, however, Seneca is the quintessential Roman author whose paradoxical corpus displays the wider tensions that
characterized the Roman world. In this course we will acquaint ourselves with the various genres in which this paradoxical author
wrote while improving our Latin. Four credit hours. L. TAYLOR
LT246f Roman Comedy This advanced course focuses on the unique Latin of ancient Roman comedy and its value as a source
for Roman social history. In Latin, we will read and translate Plautus's Curculio and Terence's Hecyra. We will also read in English and
discuss other ancient comedies and modern scholarship. Students will gain the ability to translate archaic, colloquial Latin smoothly,
and to analyze Roman comedy and the themes and people it foregrounds: e.g., daily life and family drama. We will maintain a special
focus on the experience of the enslaved, sex workers, and those in wartime Rome. We will also delve into performance context and
audience makeup; music and meter; costume; social, cultural, and historical context; generic predecessors; reception, and
representation. Prerequisite: Latin 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L, I. SORSCHER
[LT252] Early Rome From the arrival of Aeneas and other Trojan refugees in Italy to Romulus and Remus, the war with the
Sabines, Numa and other early kings, myths of early Rome loomed large in the Roman imagination and remained points of reference
throughout the ancient period. We will ask what these stories have to say about who Romans thought they were, what uses were
made of these narratives, and what the continuities and discrepancies between the various versions can tell us about the meanings
and significance of these myths. Selected readings, in Latin, from authors such as Ennius, Livy, Propertius, Vergil, and
Ovid. Prerequisite: Latin 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
[LT254] Petronius, The Satyrica Written during the reign of Nero, Petronius's Satyrica is the wildest and most irreverent of
ancient novels: this kaleidoscope of literary forms digests everything from Homer and Plato to Roman satire, all while situating its
subject at the intersection of highbrow and lowbrow and offering a bottom-up view of imperial Roman society. This course prioritizes
the study of the linguistic and literary qualities of the Satyrica, while carefully locating these qualities in their cultural and historical
contexts. Prerequisite: Latin 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
[LT257] Plautus Captivi We will read Plautus's play Captivi from start to finish in the original Latin, focusing on grammatical,
stylistic, and historical concerns. While Captivi is a comedy, it addresses serious themes such as freedom, enslavement, and the
human consequences of war. We will explore these themes not only by closely reading Plautus' text, but also by examining other
textual and material evidence from antiquity and, ultimately, performing our own translations of chosen scenes. Prerequisite: Latin 131
or equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
[LT342] Roman Satire The only literary genre claimed by the Romans as their own invention, Satire targets everyone in its
scathing and humorous attacks, as it paints a vivid picture of the urban landscape of ancient Rome. Selected readings in Latin from
the works of Lucilius, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal. Students will complete an independent research project. Prerequisite: A 200-level
Latin course. Four credit hours. L.
[LT343] Environmental Writing in Latin Literature The interventions made by the ancient Romans in the environments that they
inhabited and invaded were unprecedented in terms of both scale and intensity. Such interventions ranged from the redistribution of
water by aqueducts to the large-scale deforestation and pollution, whose scars on the landscapes of the Mediterranean are still
visible. In this course, we will be reading in their original Latin a variety of authors (e.g., Varro, Virgil, Ovid, Pliny the Elder) whose
works articulate the complex responses elicited by this "conquest" of the natural world, ranging from nostalgia for agricultural life to the
praise of technological marvels. Prerequisite: Latin 131 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L.
LT344s Seneca the Younger Seneca the Younger is one of the most paradoxical figures of Latin literature. As an advisor to the
Emperor Nero, he lived at the center of power, enjoying tremendous influence and wealth, yet his literary works frequently speak of
the worthlessness of such worldly pursuits. Many in both antiquity and modernity have found a ready name for Seneca: hypocrite. In
many ways, however, Seneca is the quintessential Roman author whose paradoxical corpus displays the wider tensions that
characterized the Roman world. In this course we will acquaint ourselves with the various genres in which this paradoxical author
wrote while improving our Latin. Four credit hours. L. TAYLOR
[LT364] Livy: Early Rome A wide-ranging history of Rome, Livy's monumental Ab Urbe Condita begins with myth: the fall of Troy,
Aeneas' arrival in Italy, Romulus and Remus, Hercules, and the Sabine Women. As we read Livy's account, we will study early Roman
history and historiography, considering literary, historical, and archaeological evidence. Prerequisite: Latin 131 or equivalent. Four
credit hours.
Latin American Studies Program
The Latin American Studies Program enables students to deepen their understanding of this fascinating, complex region of the world
through an interdisciplinary approach. Majors explore both historical and contemporary social, political, and economic issues,
tensions, and inequalities that challenge the area, while attaining an awareness of and appreciation for the rich cultural diversity of
Latin America. Study abroad, the biannual Walker Symposium, internships, independent research, and visits by scholars, artists, and
activists enhance formal classroom learning. Latin American studies graduates emerge as active global citizens capable of analyzing
and articulating central issues defining the region.
Faculty
Director, Associate Professor Lindsay Mayka (Government)
Appointment in Latin American Studies: Professor Ben Fallaw
Affiliated Faculty: Professor Patrice Franko (Economics and Global Studies); Associate Professors Lindsay Mayka (Government),
Winifred Tate (Anthropology), and Bretton White (Spanish); Assistant Professors Ana Almeyda-Cohen (Spanish), José G. Martínez
(Music), Tiffany Miller (Spanish), Amelia Raboso Manas (Spanish), and Nicolás Ramos Flores (Spanish); Visiting Assistant Professors
Sandra Bernal Heredia (Spanish), Charles Hankin (Spanish), and Damaris Mayans (Spanish)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Latin American Studies
A total of 11 courses, including Latin American Studies 173, 174, Spanish 135 and 231 (both to be taken before study abroad), two
Latin American literature courses at the 200 level or above, three courses on Latin America at the 200 level or above in at least two
disciplines in the social sciences, and either a fourth course in the social sciences of Latin America at the 200 level or above (no more
than two in the same discipline total) or a Latino/a literature course at the 200 level or above, and one senior seminar or senior
project.
Students must receive a grade of C or better for a course to count toward the major. No major requirements may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory. The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses taken to fulfill the major.
Majors are required to spend at least one semester in Latin America matriculated in a program that offers university-level courses (not
in a language acquisition program). In exceptional cases, the board will consider petitions to waive this requirement. All course work
abroad must be conducted in either Spanish or Portuguese. All study-abroad plans must be approved by the director of the Latin
American Studies Program. Programs not on the pre-approved list will be considered through our own petition process (apart from
that of Off-Campus Study). Students may count up to four semester courses of foreign study credit toward the major if they study
abroad for an entire year, but only up to two semester courses if they study abroad for just one semester. Students with transfer
credits should be advised that four semester courses, combining study abroad and credits from other institutions, is the maximum total
permitted to count toward the Latin American studies major. A minimum grade point average of 2.7 is required for permission to study
abroad. Prerequisites for study abroad include the completion of Spanish 135 and Spanish 231 (may be taken concurrently) with a
grade of C or better.
Note: Students wishing to fulfill the advanced grammar requirement in Portuguese must enroll, after securing the approval of the
director of the Latin American Studies Program, in either a one-semester language program abroad (which will not replace the
study-abroad requirement) or in an intensive summer language program that certifies advanced proficiency.
Honors in Latin American Studies
Students majoring in Latin American studies with a 3.7 major average or better and 3.3 overall GPA at the end of their fifth semester
(including course work done abroad) may apply for admission to the honors program by May 30 of their junior year. Permission of the
program director and faculty sponsor is required. The honors program involves a yearlong independent research project that replaces
the senior seminar requirement. Students must successfully defend their proposal before fall break, their first chapter (or equivalent)
before the end of the first semester, and their thesis before the end of the academic year. Successful completion of the work of the
honors thesis and of the major will enable the student to graduate with “Honors in Latin American Studies.”
Courses Approved for the Major in Latin American Studies
Anthropology
● 223 Anthropology of Latin America: Rights and Resistance
● 236 Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State
● 240 Drug Wars in the Americas
● 249 Courts, Trials, and Pursuit of Justice
● 365 Space, Place, and Belonging
Economics
● 214 Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America
Global Studies
● 397 Topics in Latin American Economic Policy
Government
● 227 Social Movements
● 253 Introduction to Latin American Politics
● 264 Challenges to Democracy in Latin America
● 456 Civil Society and Social Change in Latin America
Latin American Studies
● 173 History of Latin America, 1491 to 1900
● 174 Introduction to Latin American Studies
● 221 Crime, Violence, and Security in Latin America
● 272 Mexican History: Justice, Rights, and Revolution
● 275 Strongmen and Populism in Modern Spain and Latin America
● 277 The Maya
● 373 Religion and Unbelief in Modern Latin American History
● 378 U.S. in Latin America: Intervention, Influence, Integration
● 473 Seminar: Historical Roots of Violence in Modern Latin America
Spanish
● 135 Introduction to Literary Analysis
● 231 Advanced Spanish
● 237 Conquest and Resistance in the Americas
● 239 Latin America at the Movies
● 244 Bad Women and B-Films in Contemporary Latin America
● 246 Latin American Theater
● 254 Aquí estamos: U.S. Latinx in the 20th and 21st Centuries
● 258 Baila: History, Culture, and Performance of Latin Dance
● 278 Narratives, Artifacts, and Monuments of Pre-Columbian Civilizations
● 298 Deep Ecology in Human Imagination
● 298 Language Justice in the Spanish Speaking World
● 343 Indigenous Textualities, Decoloniality, and Land Sovereignty
● 344 Environmental Knowledge, Imperialism, and Resistance
● 346 Race, Rights, and Land in the Americas
● 347 Latinx Indigeneities and Mesoamerican Borders
● 348 The Afro-Americas: Race, Power, and Subjectivity
● 357 Borderland Cinema: Latinx Media Representations in the 20th and 21st Centuries
● 376 Narratives, Artifacts, and Monuments of Pre-Columbian Civilization
● 397A Writing with Sound: Music and Literature in Latin America
● 398 Sex in the Colonies
● 398 Race, Rhythm, and Revolution in Latin American Poetry
● 498 Seminar: Abia Yala: Indigenous Resistance, Revolution, and Decoloniality
● 498 Seminar: Sex, Drugs, and Magic in Mexico and the Caribbean
● 498 Seminar: Interplay between Speculative and Environmental Fiction
Note: Additional courses, often taught by visiting faculty, may be available from time to time as temporary offerings and may be
counted toward the major with permission of the Latin American Studies Program director. Up to two courses from a semester of study
abroad and up to four courses from a year of study abroad may be counted toward the major with permission of the program director.
Course Offerings
LA173f History of Latin America, 1491 to 1900 To understand the historical roots of Latin America's enduring tensions and
conflicts, students analyze and discuss sources (especially primary ones), and write short historical essays. Themes include the first
American civilizations, the Conquest and construction of colonial hierarchies, independence, liberalism and conservatism,
neocolonialism and nationalism. Four credit hours. H, I. FALLAW
LA174s Introduction to Latin American Studies Cross-disciplinary, historically grounded introduction to modern Latin America.
We analyze and discuss politicians and ideologies, socioeconomic structures, environmental features, and cultural production
(including art, music, and a novel). Major historical themes include the promise and problems of progress c.1850-1930, populism and
nationalisms, the Cuban Revolution, Cold War dictatorships, and neoliberalism and neopopulism. Four credit hours. H, I. FALLAW
LA214f Economic Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America Listed as Economics 214. Four credit hours. W2,
I. FRANKO
[LA221] Crime, Violence, and Security in Latin America Through the examination of three cases - Mexico, El Salvador, and
Brazil - students will explore the various manifestations of crime and violence occurring in Latin America and the diverse responses to
it by states, citizens, and private entities. Some of the major themes and issues covered in the course include the significance of weak
and corrupt state institutions; historical legacies of authoritarianism, inequality, and racism; the role of U.S. domestic and foreign
policies; the upsurge in organized crime and street gang membership; and the emergence of private security. As part of the course,
students will break into groups and create their own anti-crime and violence organization for one of the countries under study.
Previously offered as LA297A (Jan Plan 2020). Three credit hours.
LA223f Ethnographies of Latin America: Rights and Resistance Listed as Anthropology 223. Four credit hours. TATE
LA227f Social Movements Listed as Government 227. Four credit hours. U. MAYKA
[LA236] Illegal Drugs, Law, and the State Listed as Anthropology 236. Four credit hours.
[LA237] Conquest and Resistance in the Americas Listed as Spanish 237. Four credit hours. L, I.
[LA239] Latin America at the Movies Listed as Spanish 239. Four credit hours. A.
LA240s Drug Wars in the Americas Listed as Anthropology 240. Four credit hours. TATE
[LA242] Anthropology of Latin America: City Life Listed as Anthropology 242. Four credit hours.
[LA244] Bad Women and B-Films in Contemporary Latin America Listed as Spanish 244. Four credit hours. A.
[LA246] Latin American Theatre Listed as Spanish 246. Four credit hours. A, I.
[LA251] Tomorrow Will Be Bigger! Performing Protest in Brazil Listed as Theater and Dance 251. Four credit hours. A, I.
LA253s Introduction to Latin American Politics Listed as Government 253. Four credit hours. MAYKA
[LA254] Aqui estamos: U.S. Latinx in the 20th and 21st Centuries Listed as Spanish 254. Four credit hours. L, U.
LA258f Baila: History, Culture, and Performance of Latin Dance Listed as Spanish 258. Four credit hours. A, I. BERNAL
HEREDIA
LA264f Democracy and Human Rights in Latin America Listed as Government 264. Four credit hours. S, W2, I. MAYKA
LA272f Mexican History: Justice, Rights, and Revolution From the Aztec era to the disappearance of 43 students in 2014,
struggles over justice and rights have defined Mexican history. To better under the conquest, independence, the liberal reform, and the
revolution, we focus on how notions of justice and rights differ over time and across cultures (indigenous, colonial, liberal,
revolutionary, and neoliberal). Four credit hours. H, I. FALLAW
[LA275] Strongmen and Populism in Modern Spain and Latin America Interdisciplinary history of Trujillo's dictatorship in the
Dominican Republic, the rise of Getulio Vargas's Estado Novo in Brazil, the role of Zapata as an agrarian warlord in the Mexican
Revolution, the failure of the Spanish Republic, and the emergence of Franco's regime. Three credit hours. H, I.
[LA277] The Maya Multidisciplinary (archaeology, anthropology, literature, and history) study of the Mayan past from the first
known Mayan writing to recent conflicts in Mexico and Guatemala. Four credit hours. H, I.
[LA278] Narratives, Artifacts, and Monuments of Pre-Columbian Civilizations Listed as Spanish 278. Four credit hours. L.
[LA343] Indigenous Textualities, Decoloniality, and Land Sovereignty Listed as Spanish 343. Four credit hours.
[LA344] Environmental Knowledge, Imperialism, and Resistance Listed as Spanish 344. Four credit hours. I.
[LA345] Black Lives Matter in the Hispanic World Listed as Spanish 345. Four credit hours.
LA346f Race, Rights, and Land in the Americas Listed as Spanish 346. Four credit hours. I. RAMOS FLORES
[LA348] The Afro-Americas: Race, Power, and Subjectivity Listed as Spanish 348. Four credit hours. L, I.
[LA357] Borderlands Cinema: Latinx Media Representations 20th and 21st Century Listed as Spanish 357. Four credit
hours. A, U.
[LA361] Militaries, Militarization, and War Listed as Anthropology 361. Four credit hours. S.
[LA365] Space, Place, and Belonging Listed as Anthropology 365. Four credit hours.
[LA371] The Colonial Experience: European and Amerindian Responses Listed as Spanish 371. Four credit hours. L.
[LA373] Religion and Unbelief in Modern Latin American History How did faith and resistance to faith shape and reflect the
enduring tensions and inequalities that defined Latin America over the past two centuries? This pro-seminar seeks to understand the
history of religion (formal Catholicism, African and indigenous syncretism) and disbelief (anticlericalism, free thinking, scientism,
atheism) in postcolonial Latin America through critical reading and analysis of primary and secondary sources and
writing. Prerequisite: A W1 course. Four credit hours. H, W2, I.
[LA376] Narratives, Artifacts, and Monuments of Pre-Columbian Civilization Listed as Spanish 376. Four credit hours. L.
[LA378] U.S. in Latin America: Intervention, Influence, Integration To understand the diverse ways the United States has
shaped modern Latin American history, we critically read primary and secondary sources (scholarly monographs, articles from
academic journals) and write a substantial research paper. We consider how U.S. influence has evolved historically, ranging from
military interventions to the export of ideas (scientific racism, neoliberalism) to economic integration. We also explore geographic
variations in U.S. presence across the hemisphere, ranging from the U.S.'s "Back Yard" of Mexico and the Caribbean to South
America. Four credit hours. H, W2, I.
LA456s Seminar: Civil Society and Social Change in Latin America Listed as Government 456. Four credit hours. S,
I. MAYKA
[LA473] Historical Roots of Violence in Modern Latin America We examine the historical roots of persistent violence in Latin
America from interdisciplinary perspectives: social, political, and cultural history, as well as anthropology, sociology, political science,
and psychology. Topics include social and ethnic conflicts, domestic violence, torture, insurgencies and counterinsurgencies, dirty
wars, and genocide. This seminar is writing-intensive, including two drafts of a substantial (approximately 25-page) research
paper. Prerequisite: A previous course on Latin America and permission of the instructor. Four credit hours. H.
LA483f, LA484js Senior Honors Thesis A year-long research project for senior majors resulting in a written thesis to be publicly
presented and defended. Students may register either for two credits in the fall, January, and spring terms or for three credits in the
fall and spring terms. Prerequisite: a 3.3 or higher major average at the end of the junior year and permission of the Latin American
studies advisory committee. One to four credit hours.
LA491f, LA492s Independent Study An independent study project devoted to a topic chosen by the student with the approval of
an advisor. Only independent studies taken with a Colby faculty member and approved by the director of the Latin American Studies
Program may count toward fulfilling major requirements. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Mathematics Department
The Department of Mathematics offers courses for students who: (1) plan a career in an area of pure or applied mathematics; (2)
need mathematics as support for their chosen major; or (3) elect to take mathematics as part of their liberal arts education or to fulfill
the area requirement in quantitative reasoning.
The department offers majors in mathematics and in mathematical sciences as well as minors in mathematics and (together with
Computer Science and Statistics) data science. Majors in mathematics and in mathematical sciences can be taken with honors.
Colby mathematics majors in recent years have entered graduate school to do advanced work in mathematics, statistics, biostatistics,
engineering, economics, computer science, biomathematics, and the sciences. They also have used the major as a solid foundation
for careers in teaching, law, medicine, banking, insurance, management, the computer industry, data science, and other areas.
All incoming students who intend to enroll in mathematics courses in the fall semester are required to complete the mathematics
placement questionnaire prior to registration.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Leo Livshits
Professors Fernando Gouvêa, Leo Livshits, Benjamin Mathes, and Scott Taylor; Associate Professors George Welch and Nora
Youngs; Assistant Professors Ayomikun Adeniran, Stephanie Dodson, Tamar Friedmann, and Evan Randles; Visiting Professor
Lorelei Koss; Visiting Assistant Professors M. Jackson Goodman and Changningphaabi Namoijam; Lecturer Michael Ben-Zvi;
Research Associate Jan Holly
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Mathematics
Completion of each of the following with a grade of C- or higher: Mathematics 160 or 165; Mathematics 253, 274, 333, 338, and either
434 or 439; four additional courses selected from Mathematics 262 and any three- or four-credit mathematics courses numbered 300
or above (excluding 484). In exceptional cases, with the permission of the department, another 400-level course may be substituted
for 434 or 439.
The department recommends that students complete Mathematics 274 or 275 before the end of their sophomore year. Students
considering graduate school in pure or applied mathematics should complete additional mathematics coursework beyond the minimal
requirements and should consult department faculty regarding graduate school admission criteria as early as possible.
Requirements for the Major in Mathematical Sciences
Completion of each of the following with a grade of C- or better: Mathematics 160 or 165, 253, 274, 311; SC 212; one three- or
four-credit course from Computer Science; three additional three- or four-credit courses selected from mathematics courses
numbered 200 or above; one “Topics” course in mathematics numbered 400 or above (excluding 484).
A student who completes Psychology 214/215 or Economics 293/393 course sequence with a grade of C- or better may substitute an
additional mathematics course numbered 200 or above (excluding MA 484) for SC 212. Students considering graduate school in pure
or applied mathematics should complete additional mathematics coursework beyond the minimal requirements and should consult
department faculty regarding graduate school admission criteria as early as possible. The department recommends that Mathematics
274 be completed before the end of the sophomore year.
Requirements for the Honors Program in Mathematics or Mathematical Sciences
An honors program is available for students majoring in mathematics and mathematical sciences who have a grade point average of
at least 3.25 in all mathematics and statistics courses numbered 200 or higher and who complete an additional, preapproved program
of independent study in the major (Mathematics 484 or Statistics 484) culminating in both a written paper and a colloquium
presentation. Students who successfully complete the requirements and who receive recommendation from the department will
graduate with “Honors in Mathematics” or with “Honors in Mathematical Sciences.”
Requirements for the Minor in Mathematics
Six three- or four-credit mathematics courses numbered 120 or above, including Mathematics 122, 160, 162, or 165, Mathematics
253, and at least one course at the 300 level or above. Statistics 212 may substitute for one of the elective mathematics courses.
A minor in data science is described in the Data Science section of the catalogue.
The point scale for retention of the majors and minors applies to all courses in the majors/minors. No requirement for the majors or
minors may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Course Offerings
[MA101] Calculus with Pre-calculus I Designed for students who enter Colby with insufficient algebra and pre-calculus
background for the standard calculus sequence. It is expected that all students who complete Mathematics 101 will enroll in
Mathematics 102 in the following January. The combination of 101 and 102 covers the same calculus material as Mathematics 121.
Completion of 101 alone does not constitute completion of a College calculus course for any purpose; in particular, it does not qualify
a student to take Mathematics 122 nor does it satisfy the quantitative reasoning requirement. Three credit hours.
[MA102] Calculus with Pre-Calculus II A continuation of Mathematics 101. Successful completion of both Mathematics 101 and
102 is equivalent to completion of Mathematics 121. Prerequisite: Mathematics 101. Three credit hours. Q.
MA111s Mathematics as a Liberal Art Mathematics is one of humanity's longest-running conversations. Its crucial role in the
thought-world of medieval Europe can be seen in the fact that four of the original seven liberal arts were inherently mathematical.
Today, mathematics is just as important, permeating our culture. Students will develop awareness of the historical and contemporary
roles of mathematics so that they will better understand the nature of mathematics, will know what kinds of things mathematics does
well, and will know when to ask for a mathematician's help with their intellectual work. Specific topics discussed will vary. Four credit
hours. Q. KOSS
MA119f Calculus with Pre-calculus I Designed for students who enter Colby with insufficient algebra and trigonometry
background for Mathematics 130. It is expected that all students who complete Mathematics 119 will enroll in Mathematics 120 in the
following January. The combination of 119 and 120 covers the same calculus material as Mathematics 125. Completion of 119 alone
does not constitute completion of a College calculus course for any purpose; in particular, it does not qualify a student to take
Mathematics 130 or 160 nor does it satisfy the quantitative reasoning requirement. Prerequisite: New first-year students must
complete the mathematics placement questionnaire found at www.colby.edu/math/newstudent. Four credit hours. NAMOIJAM
MA120j Calculus with Pre-Calculus II A continuation of Mathematics 119. Successful completion of both Mathematics 119 and
120 is equivalent to completion of Mathematics 125. ~ Prerequisite: Mathematics 119. Three credit hours. Q. NAMOIJAM
[MA121] Single-Variable Calculus Calculus is the result of centuries of intellectual effort to understand and quantify change,
such as the position of a moving object or the shape of a curve. Competent users of calculus understand its intellectual structure
sufficiently to apply its ideas to a variety of intellectual pursuits. Topics include differential and integral calculus of one variable: limits
and continuity; differentiation and its applications, antiderivatives, the definite integral and its applications; exponential, logarithmic,
and trigonometric functions. Prerequisite: New first-year students must complete the mathematics placement questionnaire found at
www.colby.edu/math/newstudent. Four credit hours. Q.
[MA122] Series and Multi-variable Calculus A continuation of Mathematics 121. Students will learn how to use infinite series,
both to represent and to approximate functions, and will extend all of their skills from single-variable calculus to the multivariable
setting. Topics: infinite series; vectors and analytic geometry in two and three dimensions; partial derivatives, differentials and the
gradient; integration in two and three variables. Prerequisite: A course in single-variable calculus. New first-year students must
complete the mathematics placement questionnaire found at www.colby.edu/math/newstudent. Four credit hours. Q.
MA125fs Single-Variable Calculus Calculus is the result of centuries of intellectual effort to understand and quantify change,
such as the position of a moving object or the shape of a curve. Competent users of calculus understand its intellectual structure
sufficiently to apply its ideas to a variety of intellectual pursuits. Topics include differential and integral calculus of one variable,
including the calculus of exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. The course covers limits and continuity; differentiation
and its applications, antiderivatives, the definite integral and its applications. This course is sufficient preparation for Mathematics
160. Prerequisite: New first-year students must complete the mathematics placement questionnaire found at
www.colby.edu/math/newstudent. Students who have successfully completed a prior calculus course covering these topics may only
take Mathematics 125 with permission of the Calculus Coordinator. Four credit hours. Q. BEN-ZVI, FRIEDMANN
MA130fs Single-Variable Calculus I Revisited Calculus studies rates of change and accumulation and is fundamental to
quantitative work in the natural sciences, social sciences, and data science. This course assumes prior experience with calculus of a
single variable and goes into more depth than Mathematics 125 but is less theoretical than Mathematics 135. Topics covered include
limits, continuity, derivatives, and definite integrals of functions of one variable, including the major theorems governing their
relationships and their applications. The emphasis is on developing conceptual understanding, rather than mere computation. A
computer algebra system such as Sage, Mathematica, or MATLAB is used. Prerequisite: A prior course in single-variable calculus,
including derivatives and integrals of trigonometric and exponential functions. New first-year students must complete the mathematics
placement questionnaire found at www.colby.edu/math/newstudent. Students who have successfully completed Mathematics 125 may
enroll in Mathematics 130 only with the permission of the Calculus Coordinator. Four credit hours. Q. BEN-ZVI, KOSS, NAMOIJAM
MA135f Honors Calculus I The first in a two-course sequence that treats the material of Mathematics 125 and 160 with a focus
on the intellectual structure behind the methods. Students will acquire a deep understanding of the theory and foundational facts of
calculus, will be able to use the techniques in an intelligent manner, will understand and be able to explain the arguments that
undergird those techniques, and will be able to construct original arguments of their own. Topics are presented as a deductive
mathematical theory, with emphasis on concepts, theorems, and their proofs. May not be taken for credit if the student has earned
credit for Mathematics 160. Prerequisite: One year of calculus in high school. New first-year students must complete the mathematics
placement questionnaire found at www.colby.edu/math/newstudent. Four credit hours. Q. LIVSHITS
MA160fs Series and Multi-variable Calculus A continuation of Mathematics 120, 125, or 130. Students will learn how to use
infinite series, both to represent and to approximate functions, and will extend all of their skills from single-variable calculus to the
multivariable setting. Topics: infinite series; vectors and analytic geometry in two and three dimensions; partial derivatives, differentials
and the gradient; integration in two and three variables. Prerequisite: A course in single-variable calculus. New first-year students
must complete the mathematics placement questionnaire found at www.colby.edu/math/newstudent. Four credit
hours. Q. FACULTY
[MA161] Honors Calculus I The first in a two-course sequence that treats the material of Mathematics 121 and 122 with a focus
on the intellectual structure behind the methods. Students will acquire a deep understanding of the theory and foundational facts of
calculus, will be able to use the techniques in an intelligent manner, will understand and be able to explain the arguments that
undergird those techniques, and will be able to construct original arguments of their own. Topics are presented as a deductive
mathematical theory, with emphasis on concepts, theorems, and their proofs. May not be taken for credit if the student has earned
credit for Mathematics 122. Prerequisite: One year of calculus in high school. New first-year students must complete the mathematics
placement questionnaire found at www.colby.edu/math/newstudent. Four credit hours. Q.
[MA162] Honors Calculus II A continuation of Mathematics 161. Topics are essentially the same as for Mathematics 122, but
they are presented as a deductive mathematical theory, with emphasis on concepts, theorems, and their proofs. Student who receive
an A- or above will receive an exemption from taking MA274. May not be taken for credit if the student has earned credit for
Mathematics 122. Prerequisite: Mathematics 161. Four credit hours.
MA165s Honors Calculus II A continuation of Mathematics 135. Topics are essentially the same as for Mathematics 160, but
they are presented as a deductive mathematical theory, with emphasis on concepts, theorems, and their proofs. Student who receive
an A- or above will receive an exemption from taking Mathematics 274. May not be taken for credit if the student has earned credit for
Mathematics 160. Prerequisite: Mathematics 135. Four credit hours. LIVSHITS
MA253fs Linear Algebra Linear algebra is a crossroads where many important areas of mathematics meet, and it is the tool used
to analyze the first approximation of complex systems. Students will learn to understand and use the language and theorems in both
abstract and applied situations, gain insight into the nature of mathematical inquiry, and learn how to reason carefully and precisely
about formally described situations. Topics include vectors and subspaces in R
n
, linear transformations, and matrices; systems of
linear equations; abstract vector spaces and the theory of single linear transformation: change of basis, determinants, eigenvalues
and eigenvectors, and diagonalization. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122, 160, 162, or 165; or Mathematics 102, 121, or 161 with
permission of the instructor. Four credit hours. FACULTY
MA262fs Vector Calculus Develops ideas first seen in Mathematics 122 (and 160) by applying the notions of derivative and
integral to multi-variable vector-valued functions. The goal is to understand the high-dimensional versions of the fundamental theorem
of calculus and to use these theorems in specific scientific applications. Topics include parameterized curves and surfaces; gradient,
divergence, and curl; change of variables and the Jacobian; line and surface integrals; conservative vector fields; Green's, Stokes's,
and Gauss's theorems; applications. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122, 160, 162 or 165. Four credit hours. DODSON, GOODMAN,
WELCH
MA274fs Mathematical Reasoning Proofs are the main method used by mathematicians to develop and communicate their
ideas; this course prepares students to read, create, write, and communicate mathematical arguments. Topics include logic and
standard methods of direct and indirect proof; the set-theoretic approach to functions and relations; the theory of infinite sets;
elementary algebraic structures; and techniques from discrete mathematics. Prerequisite: Mathematics 102, 121, 122, 160, 161, 162,
or 165 and a W1 course. Two semesters of calculus are recommended. Four credit hours. W2. ADENIRAN, KOSS, TAYLOR
MA311fs Ordinary Differential Equations Differential equations allow us to deduce the long-term behavior of quantities from
information about their short-term rates of change; for that reason, they are the language of classical science. Students will learn to
analyze concrete situations modeled by differential equations and to draw conclusions using equations, graphical techniques, and
numerical methods. Topics include theory and solution methods of ordinary differential equations, linear differential equations,
first-order linear systems, qualitative behavior of solutions, nonlinear dynamics, existence and uniqueness of solutions, and
applications. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122 160, 162, or 165 and 253. Four credit hours. DODSON
[MA314] Geometry of Surfaces Explores the notion of "geometry" by studying the most important two-dimensional geometries:
Euclidean, spherical, and hyperbolic. We will prove that every compact two-dimensional surface admits a geometric structure modeled
on one of these geometries. As time allows we will also study applications of these geometries and their relationship to Teichmüller
space, Kleinian groups, and three-dimensional manifolds. Students will engage in significant self-teaching and will communicate
mathematical ideas with oral presentations, written proofs, and short essays aimed at a general audience. Prerequisite: Mathematics
253 and 274. Four credit hours.
[MA331] Topology Begins as the abstract mathematical study of the notions of proximity and continuity and then deploys these
methods to understand interesting objects and spaces. Students will develop their ability to construct precise arguments and to
explore concrete examples as instances of a general theory. Topics are selected at the discretion of the instructor from the areas of
point-set, differential, and algebraic topology. Prerequisite: Mathematics 274 or 275. Four credit hours.
[MA332] Numerical Analysis In practice, a solution to a problem might be impossible to obtain by classical methods of
manipulating equations. Nonetheless, solutions can often be obtained by numerical methods, usually with the aid of a computer.
Numerical analysis is the study of those numerical algorithms. Students will acquire the ability to use standard methods and
mathematical software for solving the most common types of numerical problems and to analyze the speed and accuracy of the
solutions. Topics include solution by numerical methods of linear and nonlinear equations, systems of equations, and differential
equations; numerical integration; polynomial approximation; matrix inversion; error analysis. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122, 160, 162
or 165 and 253; 274 is recommended. Four credit hours.
MA333f Abstract Algebra Simply called "algebra" by mathematicians, it is the study of abstract sets with operations and is
fundamental in expressing and working in theoretical mathematics. An introduction to that language, to the motivating examples, and
to some of the fundamental theorems. Students will develop their ability to discover and write formal arguments, explore the
relationship between general theory and specific examples, and learn to recognize algebraic structures where they occur. Topics
include groups, rings, and fields: definition, basic theorems, and important examples. Prerequisite: Mathematics 253 and 274. Four
credit hours. FRIEDMANN
MA335s Mathematical Neuroscience Neuroscience is an expanding and dynamic field, seeking to understand the complexities
of the brain. Recent advances in technology have improved our ability to record brain activity, and with this comes the need for new
and improved models to understand this influx of information. In this course, students will work with theoretical mathematical models
of the brain on different scales, from the cellular and single-neuron level up to interactions between brain regions, using both discrete
and continuous techniques. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122, 160, 162 or 165 and 253. Four credit hours. YOUNGS
[MA336] Mathematical Economics Listed as Economics 336. Four credit hours.
MA338s Real Analysis An exploration of the theory behind calculus, as well as its extension to more general settings. Students
will learn to think carefully and clearly about limiting processes such as differentiation, integration, and summation of series and to
interpret their knowledge in terms of the topology of metric spaces. They will develop the ability to read and to produce formal
mathematical arguments, with particular attention to handling exceptional cases and delicate issues of convergence. Special focus on
foundational issues: topology of metric spaces, continuity, differentiation, integration, infinite series. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122 or
162, and 274. Four credit hours. RANDLES
MA352s Complex Analysis An introduction to functions of a complex variable. Topics include the definition and properties of
holomorphic and analytic functions, Cauchy's integral theorem and formula, meromorphic functions, representation by Laurent series,
the residue calculus, and the elementary transcendental functions. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122 or 162,
and 274. Four credit hours. TAYLOR
[MA353] Advanced Linear Algebra Continues the exploration of linear algebra initiated in Mathematics 253. The emphasis is on
the theory of matrices, linear spaces, and linear transformations, investigating them more deeply. Topics will come from the following
list: canonical forms, factorizations, spectral theory, matrix functions and equations, and multilinear algebra. Applications of the theory
will also be considered. Prerequisite: Mathematics 253 and 274, or equivalent. Four credit hours.
MA354s Graph Theory and Applications Graph theory is the mathematical study of networks. Applications of graph theory are
ubiquitous in physics, engineering, and computer science. This course will introduce the basic terminology and results of graph theory;
teach students how to construct rigorous arguments and useful examples; and develop students' abilities to present mathematics both
orally and in writing. Specific topics will include Euler and Hamiltonian circuits, matching, connectivity and network flow, graph
coloring, and algorithms. Particular attention will be paid to applications. Prerequisite: Mathematics 253 (may be taken concurrently
and 274. Four credit hours. ADENIRAN
[MA355] Combinatorics Combinatorics can be thought of as the study of counting things. Topics to be covered in this course
include basic counting principles, recurrence relations, graphs and trees, distributions and partitions, generating functions,
inclusion/exclusion, and permutations. Prerequisite: Mathematics 274. Four credit hours.
MA357s Elementary Number Theory Number theory deals with questions about numbers, especially those related to prime
numbers and integral and rational solutions of equations. The subject offers a wide array of problems that are easily stated and
understood but that can be difficult to solve. Students will gain an understanding of the beauty that such problems offer as well as the
persistence that is often necessary in tackling them, and they will strengthen their program-solving and proof writing skills. Topics may
include prime numbers and unique factorization; Diophantine equations; congruences; Fermat's Little Theorem, the Chinese
Remainder Theorem, and RSA cryptography; quadratic residues, reciprocity. Prerequisite: Mathematics 274. Four credit
hours. NAMOIJAM
[MA359] Finite Fields and Error Correcting Codes How can data be transmitted effectively over a wired or wireless connection
without constant errors? The key is the use of error-correcting codes. This course is an introduction to the mathematics behind coding,
including error detection and error correction. Students will be introduced to finite fields and use them to create codes and to
investigate their properties. A small amount of information theory will be included. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122 or 162 and 253. Four
credit hours.
MA376f History of Mathematics The history of mathematics with emphasis on the interaction between mathematics, culture, and
society. Writing-intensive and involving careful reading of original historical documents. By studying the mathematics of different times
and cultures, students will deepen their own understanding of mathematics and develop a clearer idea of how society and
mathematics influence each other. A survey of the history of mathematics is followed by a more careful tracing of the development of
one theme or topic. Specific topics vary from year to year but often include the mathematics of non-Western
cultures. Prerequisite: Mathematics 274. Four credit hours. H. GOUVEA
[MA378] Introduction to the Theory of Computation Listed as Computer Science 378. Four credit hours.
MA381fs Probability A mathematical introduction to probability theory, the foundation for commonly used inferential statistical
techniques (covered in Statistics 482). Students will learn the basic theorems of probability and computational techniques for finding
probabilities associated with stochastic processes. Topics include axiomatic foundations, combinatorics, random variables, discrete
and continuous probability distributions, special probability distributions, independence, conditional and marginal probability
distributions, properties of expectations, moment generating functions, sampling distributions, weak and strong laws of large numbers,
and the central limit theorem. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122, 160, 162 or 165; 274 is recommended. Four credit hours. GOUVEA,
RANDLES
[MA382] Mathematical Statistics II: Inference Listed as Statistics 382. Four credit hours.
MA397f Topology for Data Science Introduces the fundamental concepts from point-set, geometric, and algebraic topology that
are used in applications of topology to data science. It focuses on the underlying mathematical theory, but the theory will be connected
to applications, especially through a final project. Students completing this course successfully will be in a position to pursue more
in-depth applications of topology to data science. Specific topics include continuity, compactness, simplicial and CW complexes,
metric spaces, paths, homotopy, the fundamental group, homology groups, and persistence diagrams. Prerequisite: Mathematics 253
and 274. Four credit hours. TAYLOR
MA411f Topics in Differential Equations A sequel to Mathematics 311, with higher-level content and a more extensive study of
differential equations. Students will implement advanced analytical methods, examine theory, and demonstrate an understanding of
further applications. Topics will vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit with permission of
instructor. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122 or 162, and 253, and 311. Four credit hours. DODSON
MA434s Topics in Abstract Algebra One semester's exposure to algebra is not sufficient for further work in mathematics, so this
is a continuation of Mathematics 333. Students will further develop their ability to speak the language of and use the methods of
algebra through the study of one particular algebraic theory. Improving one's written and oral communication of mathematics is an
integral part of the course. Topics will vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit with permission of
instructor. Prerequisite: Mathematics 333. Four credit hours. GOUVEA
MA439f Topics in Real Analysis A sequel to Mathematics 338. Students will deepen their understanding of analysis through the
exploration of more-advanced topics and will sharpen their ability to read, analyze, construct, and present proofs. Improving one's
written and oral communication of mathematics is an integral part of the course. Topics will vary from year to year. May be repeated
for credit with permission of instructor. Prerequisite: Mathematics 338. Four credit hours. LIVSHITS
[MA472] Topics in Mathematical Modeling Mathematical modeling provides a means to explain and predict phenomena.
Applications are numerous, especially in the physical and social sciences. Students will learn to correctly interpret existing models and
create new ones and will develop an understanding of the purpose and uses of mathematical models. The emphasis will be on
analyzing research publications and on producing research-level mathematical models. Writing and discussion will be important
components. Computers will be used for analysis and simulation. Topics will vary from year to year. May be repeated for credit with
permission of instructor. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122, 160, 162, or 165, and 253, and 311. Four credit hours.
MA482fs Topics in Statistical Inference Listed as Statistics 482. Four credit hours. O'BRIEN, TANG
MA483f, MA484s Honors Project The independent study component of the honors program in mathematics. Cannot be counted
toward the major or minor. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and admission to the honors program. Three or four credit
hours.
MA491f, MA492s Independent Study Independent study in an area of mathematics of particular interest to the
student. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
MA498s Topics in Probability A sequel to Mathematics 381, with higher-level content and a more extensive study of probability.
Students will implement advanced analytical methods, examine theory, and explore further applications. Topics will vary from year to
year. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor. Prerequisite: Mathematics 381. Four credit hours. RANDLES
Music Department
The Department of Music is a major creative force at Colby that involves hundreds of students every semester, working and
performing alongside world-class musicians and scholars. In addition to a wealth of performance, composition, and experiential
opportunities, music students and faculty work together to explore new and evolving relationships among sound, art, media, culture,
and technology, deeply engaging in the broad world of the humanities and beyond.
Faculty
Co-Chairs, Associate Professors Lily Funahashi and Natalie Zelensky
Professor Steven Saunders; Associate Professors Lily Funahashi, Steven Nuss, and Natalie Zelensky; Assistant Professor José
Martínez.
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Music
Music 111, 181, 182, choice of two history courses from 241, 242, 341, and other courses approved by the department, 252 or 262,
and 493 or 494; three four-credit electives in music at the 200 level or higher (MU153 can be counted as an elective); two semesters
of applied lessons (both of which must be taken on the same instrument and for credit); and two semesters of ensemble participation.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses in music. No requirement for the major may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
The following courses count toward the Music History requirement for majors and minors. Additional courses may be approved by the
department.
MU 234 History of Rock
MU 242 Topics in Baroque and Classical Music
MU 275 Cultured Tough Guys: Samurai Devotion, Music, Poetry, and Arts
Requirements for the Major in Music-Interdisciplinary Computation
Music 111, 181, 182, 282, and 491 or 492 (in collaboration with computer science); one 200-level or higher music elective that has a
computational or digital focus; two semesters of applied lessons (both of which must be taken on the same instrument and for credit);
Computer Science 151, 231, 251 or 252; two of 351, 365, or other approved 300- or 400-level courses.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses in music and computer science. No requirement for the major may be
taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
A student may elect only one of the majors offered by the Music Department.
Requirements for the Minor in Music
Music 111, 181, 182; one semester of music history chosen from Music 241, 242, 252, 341 (or other courses approved by the
department); two four-credit music courses at the 200 level or higher; two semesters of applied lessons (both of which must be taken
on the same instrument and for credit); and one semester of ensemble participation. The College does not subsidize the cost of
lessons for minors. For additional information concerning applied music options, refer to the statement below.
Honors in Music
An honors program is available to students majoring in music who have a 3.25 overall grade point average and a 3.50 average in the
major. In addition to fulfilling the requirements for the music major, honors students must take one additional course in music,
approved by the department, at the 300 level or above; they must also complete the honors sequence (Music 483, 484) in one of four
areas (theory/analysis, history/culture, performance, or composition/theory). During the second semester of the junior year, students
seeking admission to the honors program submit a formal proposal outlining their proposed research or creative project to the
department for approval.
Applied Music
Private lessons in voice and a variety of instruments are available, with or without academic credit (see Music 091, 191). MU111, 153,
181, 252 or MU2XX Introduction to Afro-Latin Music will fulfill the co-requisite for graded credit in Music 191 and 193. Fees for
lessons, billed through the College’s Business Office, depend on the number of credits elected; consult the Music Department for
specific charges. By electing any applied music, the student incurs a responsibility for the appropriate fee. Students electing Music
091 or 191 or taking extracurricular instruction must consult the applied music coordinator. Individual lessons/times are scheduled in
consultation with the appropriate applied music associate.
Instruction in applied music is also available in January and may satisfy a January Program requirement; no academic credit for
applied music may be earned in January. Music majors, beginning in the first semester of their sophomore year, are eligible for six
semesters of subsidized instruction in applied music (Music 191 for two credits) in the instrument of their choice provided they
continue to make satisfactory progress in the major. Majors in good standing are also eligible for an additional four semesters of
subsidized instruction on a second instrument; however, the College will not fund more than two instruments per semester. Subsidies
are not available for non-credit lessons. Students who either add or drop the major after the start of the semester will have their lesson
fees prorated based on the date that the add/drop request was processed.
Course Offerings
MU091fs Music Lessons: Noncredit or JP Noncredit instruction in voice and instruments for qualified students. Regular
offerings include violin, viola, violoncello, piano, voice, flute, guitar (classical, American traditional, and jazz), and selected brass and
woodwind instruments. One 30- or 60-minute lesson weekly in fall and spring; two 45-minute lessons weekly in January. For additional
information concerning fees, scheduling, and related matters visit Music Department Applied Music Lessons. Noncredit. FACULTY
MU093fs Applied Music: Ensemble, Noncredit Noncredit participation in musical ensembles sponsored by the Music
Department. See description for Music 193.
MU111s Introduction to Music An exploration and celebration of the art of listening. Develops techniques and vocabulary for
critical listening, emphasizing student listening to a range of musical works in a variety of styles. Surveys the history of Western art
music from the Middle Ages to the present, emphasizing the relationship between music as a historical and cultural artifact and as an
object of aesthetic delight. Special attention to the structure of musical works, their place in Western culture and history, and the ways
in which sounding music reflects the beliefs and values of those who made (and make) it. No previous musical experience is
assumed. Four credit hours. A. SAUNDERS
MU114j Jazz Improvisation Basic jazz theory and improvisation, including melody-, scalar-, modal-, and chord-based
improvisation. Introduction to arranging for jazz groups and interactions between soloists and background musicians; jazz style and
performance practices. Includes semiprivate instruction and performances in large groups and smaller combos. Listening assignments
include jazz greats. Instrumentalists and vocalists welcome. Prerequisite: Ability to sing or play major scales. Three credit
hours. A. WILKINS
[MU116] Acoustic/Electric Grunge/Rock Songwriting: A Composition Seminar Students will engage in intensive and
sustained listening exercises in order to develop an understanding of form, melody, harmony rhythm and text in a wide range of
contemporary and commercial musical genres: grunge, crossover, rock, trance, among others. Students will use their developing
knowledge/musical skills to complete multiple small-scale composition projects in preparation for a a recording and public
performance of one completed composition for multiple musicians. Prerequisite: Basic knowledge of music terminology and
concepts. Three credit hours. A.
MU118j African Music An introduction to the music of Africa, an integral and defining aspect of the culture of Africa. Hands-on
experience with various instruments (e.g., drums, rattles, bells), as well as singing and dancing, to provide important insights into the
cultures of Africa. Various African music themes will be explored through films and recordings. Culminates in a final performance by
the class. Nongraded. Three credit hours. A. BENISSAN
[MU120] Music and Animals What do our musical values tell us about our values about animality? Why do we say that
humpbacks sing? Why would violinists want to play for an audience of cows? Why are there so many cat music videos on social
media? How can music help us understand the goals and history of factory farming? And what's going on when your dog sings along
with your piano practice, anyway? This interdisciplinary writing-intensive class will introduce students to basic questions and
methodologies of Human Animal Studies and music studies. Four credit hours. A, W1.
MU153s Introduction to Music Theory through Digital Audio Workstation An examination of the basic components of music
theory as studied inside a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Topics covered will include rhythm, melody, harmony, and formal
structures, as well as sound design and signal processing techniques. In the course of the class, students will learn to compose and
develop their musical ideas from single melodies to a complete song. Additionally, they will learn to move comfortably between the
graphic representations of music used in most DAWs and its traditional notational counterpart. Some of the musical genres to be
covered include EDM, IDM, hip-hop, electronica, house, techno, DnB, Dubstep, among others. Primarily for students without
extensive training in music theory. Four credit hours. A. MARTINEZ
MU181f Music Theory I The first in a sequence exploring the language and composition of Western tonal music. Just as learning
a foreign language involves mastering a variety of skills, becoming musically conversant requires the ability to hear, notate, analyze,
compose, and perform. Assures that students are fluent in the elements and structure of music, including intervals, scales, triads,
seventh chords, basic counterpoint, harmony, and keyboard-style writing. Students compose in a variety of styles and study ear
training and sight singing. Concludes with a public recital of student works. Primarily for students with some prior musical training (see
also Music 153). Four credit hours. A. MARTINEZ, NUSS
MU182s Music Theory II A continuation of Music Theory I that further refines students' command of diatonic harmony and
counterpoint and introduces modulation and other important aspects of chromatic harmony. Includes regular work in ear training,
studies of musical form, and several composition projects. Concludes with a public recital of student works. Primarily for music majors
and others with prior training in music. Prerequisite: Music 181. Four credit hours. NUSS
MU191fs Music Lessons: Credit Instruction in voice and instruments for qualified students. Regular offerings include violin, viola,
violoncello, piano, voice, flute, guitar (classical, American traditional, and jazz), selected brass and woodwind instruments, and African
drums. The student's performance in the course will be evaluated by faculty jury at the end of the semester. For additional information
concerning fees, scheduling, and related matters, visit Music Department Applied Music Lessons. May be repeated for additional
credit. Prerequisite: Music 153 or 181 (may be taken concurrently). One or two credit hours. FACULTY
MU193fs Applied Music: Ensemble for Credit Credit for participation in musical ensembles sponsored by the Music
Department. In addition to the large ensembles listed below, the department frequently offers a flute choir, vocal ensemble, a guitar
ensemble, a trumpet choir, a string ensemble (master class), and small chamber music groups. Interested students should consult the
department for additional information before registering. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music 153, 154, or 181 for graded
credit (may be taken concurrently). One credit hour.
African Drumming. Performance of music from various African cultures, with hands-on experience with various instruments,
including drums, rattles, and bells, and exposure to several traditions of African singing and dancing. The group presents concerts on
campus and throughout the state of Maine. BENISSAN
Chorale. Sings music of major styles and periods of the choral canon, folk music, world music, American music, and new
compositions. Performs concerts each semester and also for formal College functions and the annual Carols and Lights celebration.
Also collaborates with the Colby Symphony Orchestra in a performance of a major work for orchestra and chorus. Enrollment is
confirmed through non-competitive auditions at the beginning of each semester. PERRY
Collegium. A vocal and instrumental ensemble devoted to the performance of a wide range of musical styles and genres ranging from
traditional choral music, rock/pop songs, a cappella ensembles, world music, jazz, and new works. Performs frequently in concert, for
various College functions, and off campus. Enrollment is confirmed through non-competitive auditions at the beginning of each
semester. PERRY
Jazz Band. Presents a standard big band setup, performing swing, Latin jazz, funk, soul, R & B, and bebop styles for concert, tour,
and college functions. Brass, wind, and percussion players by audition. THOMAS
Orchestra. A symphony orchestra composed of students, local amateurs, and professionals. Performs four concerts per year of works
spanning the entire range of major symphonic literature. Noncompetitive auditions are held at the beginning of each semester. PARK
Wind Ensemble. Each semester the ensemble presents a concert of works drawn from standard literature, symphonic works, movie
music, marches, etc. Open to all interested brass, wind, and percussion players without audition. THOMAS
[MU213] Introduction to the Laptop Orchestra Examines the novel creative possibilities that can result from assembling an
ensemble of amplified instruments, laptops, and controllers with the objective of providing a computer-mediated performing
environment in which each member controls their own sonic identity and participates in the creation of a composite compositional
gestalt. Topics and activities include instrument design, sound synthesis, programming, and live
performance. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Four credit hours. A.
[MU214] Music Performance with Electronics Explores music performance using multiple software platforms, including Ableton
Live, Max/MSP, Supercollider, and other Live Coding applications. Students will design their own performance system using the laptop
as the central point, along with wired and remote equipment such as MIDI controllers and OSC-capable devices. Case studies will be
utilized to learn how this type of performance has historically evolved. Coding experience is not necessary but recommended. At least
one semester of Music Theory or comparable experience is required. Prerequisite: Music 153 or 181. Four credit hours.
MU218j Seeing, Then Hearing: Graphic Design for the Music Industry While it may seem counterintuitive, visual attraction is a
central concern in the business of music. Getting music to the attention of the widest possible audience demands an increasingly
refined, international visual fluency. We will look at and listen to well-known releases with an eye to the differences in the visual
publicity and packaging in the European, Asian, and American markets. Students will use readings and hands-on work with Adobe
Creative Suite to formulate and debate answers to a number of complex multicultural design problems. Three credit hours. A. JEE
[MU219] Musical Theater Workshop: Project Broadway The Music and Performance, Theater and Dance departments
collaborate to bring musical theater to Strider Theater! Students will work with noted professionals in the field and receiving training in
vocal techniques, movement, musical expression, acting, and choreography. The culmination of the course will be two live shows on
Feb. 3 and 4, 2023, that feature scenes from the workshopped musicals. Daily participation may be required during the tech week and
the production week. Nongraded. Three credit hours. A.
[MU222] Maine's Musical Soundscapes: Ethnography of Maine What are the musical cultures outside of Colby and what are
the communities making this music? We will engage this question through direct interaction, observation, and engagement with
members of Maine's various musical communities. Students will learn ethnographic field methods and conduct interviews at sites that
make up the rich tapestry of Maine's soundscape, focusing on the Penobscot, Lebanese, Somali, Russian, or Franco-American
communities, depending on the year. We will consider issues of representation and of conducting fieldwork, culminating in a short
documentary film based on the material gathered. Four credit hours. A.
MU223j Perception of Music An inter-disciplinary exploration of music and psychology. Our discussion will focus on the
fundamental aspects of music theory and musical structure. Using these ideas as a foundation, we will consider some of the
predominant theories of how we perceive music, including ideas about memory and music. We will draw upon concepts central to
cognitive psychology, melodic and rhythmic grouping, schematic frameworks, and hierarchical structures in music. Students will
actively experience and create music and relate what they are hearing to the theoretical models. Central to the class is discussion of
each student's individual responses to music and exploration and development of ways to map their experiences. Intended for
students with little or no background in music theory. Three credit hours. A. HELM
MU234s From Rockabilly to Grunge: A History of Rock 'n' Roll A survey of rock music, from its roots in country and blues to
the alternative rock scene of the 1990s. Rock music will be considered in relation to race, sex, gender, drugs, technology, marketing,
and politics to better understand its powerful position in constructing, challenging, and reinforcing various positions of identity.
Students will learn to discuss the musical characteristics of a work, identify its genre and era of composition, and contextualize it
within a broader framework of American culture and politics. Four credit hours. A. ZELENSKY
[MU237] Film Music and Sound This class surveys how sound design and music create and communicate cinematic, cultural,
and historical meanings, and it introduces students to sound in film on multiple scales: single scenes, particular films, genres,
directorial outputs, technologies, locations, and time periods. Students will engage in weekly writing and have opportunities to
research sound design in films of their choice and/or complete a creative audiovisual project. Students must be able to attend at least
two film screenings at Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville: Sunday April 2 at noon, Wednesday April 12 at 7 PM, Wednesday April
19 at 7 PM, and Sunday April 30 at noon. Four credit hours. A.
[MU241] Topics in Early Music History An exploration of Western art music from c. 800 to c. 1700, including principal genres
from the Middle Ages (chant, organum, motet, chanson), Renaissance (mass, motet, madrigal), and the 17th century (opera,
instrumental music). Focuses on compositional concepts and processes, historical music theories, institutional patronage, and the
connections between music and such areas as theology, philosophy, and the visual arts. Students develop analytical and writing skills
through listening, writing, and analysis. Prerequisite: Music 111 and 181. Four credit hours.
MU242f Topics in Baroque and Classical Music Focuses on music of the High Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic periods,
including works of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Schumann. Students develop critical, analytical,
and listening tools for dealing with these repertoires and hone their bibliographic, oral, and written skills. Theoretical issues include the
relationship between musical structure and cultural context, music's relationship to literature and the visual arts, tonality, music and
drama, and aesthetics. Prerequisite: Music 111 and 181. Four credit hours. SAUNDERS
MU244f Borrowing Sound, Sampling Culture Offers both practical application and theoretical discussion on the art of audio
sampling. Students would learn basic and advanced sampling techniques inside the DAW (Ableton) while the theoretical portion will
present several anthropological and ethnographic issues of audio sampling. Based in case studies across multiple music genres and
artistic practices, students will engage discussions such as the (un)ethical use of sampling, authorship in cultural borrowing, and the
role of sampling in the dissemination of culture. In this simultaneous study of the practice and the politics of cultural borrowing and
sampling, students will be presented with a bigger picture of cultural blending in our postmodernist society that will enrich and inform
their creative processes. Prerequisite: Music 181. Four credit hours. A. MARTINEZ
MU252f Introduction to World Music Examines a range of classical, traditional, and contemporary music from areas as diverse
as India, West Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, among others. Each unit engages a broader sociocultural
issue to enable students to think deeply and critically about the music in question, exploring such topics as music and Apartheid, the
Arab Spring, and the appropriation of "world" music by Western musicians. Students will have the opportunity to perform some of the
music they study, including West African drumming patterns, salsa dance steps, and Bulgarian vocal practices, among others, and
there will be guest performances. No prior musical experience necessary. Four credit hours. A, I. ZELENSKY
[MU261] Topics in Theater Performance: The Musical as Dramatic Literature Listed as Theater and Dance 261. Four credit
hours. A.
MU262s Music in Life, Music as Culture: Introduction to Ethnomusicology Provides students with a theoretical and
methodological introduction to ethnomusicology, a discipline that is rooted in exploring music not merely as an aesthetic object, but as
a cultural force that reflects and shapes our everyday lives. Topics include music and medicine, migration, war, ethnicity, and
spirituality, among others. Topics will be explored through a close reading of seminal texts and an examination of relevant theory.
Students will also learn the fundamentals of conducting ethnographic fieldwork through attending a religious ceremony and a concert,
and creating a podcast based on the soundscapes of Colby's campus. Four credit hours. A, I. ZELENSKY
MU275s Cultured Tough Guys: Samurai Devotion, Music, Poetry, and Art Generally known as the warrior class of medieval
and early modern Japan, the samurai have a long history in the Western imagination. Famous Japanese warrior movies of the 1950s
and 60s, more modern images of crafty ninjas, and characterizations in Western media most often present the samurai men and
women as one-dimensional automatons ready to fight and die at a moment's notice for their superior's cause. Experiential learning
activities (including Zen chanting and meditation), historical readings, music performances, recordings, and films present a more
refined view of the samurai that highlights their elegant contributions to every aspect of the visual, literary, and musical arts of
Japan. Four credit hours. A, I. NUSS
MU281f Music Theory III A continuation of Music Theory II, covering advanced chromatic harmony and modulatory techniques,
counterpoint, and formal analysis. Beginning with chromatic harmony from the late classical period, students will gain insight into the
harmonic innovations of Romantic and Impressionist composers, applying this knowledge to regular composition exercises. The
course serves as a bridge connecting tonal language in Theory I and II to post-tonal language in Theory IV. Prerequisite: Music
182. Four credit hours. NUSS
[MU282] Music Theory IV The study of post-tonal musical languages in Western art music of the 20th century, analytical
approaches to non-Western music and the music of composers influenced by non-Western musical forms and material. Concludes
with a public recital of student compositions. Primarily for music majors. Prerequisite: Music 281. Four credit hours.
[MU341] Music in American Musical Life, c. 1850-present How have the sounds and practices of American music-making
changed over time? How have composers and performers expressed "American" identities in their music? How have institutions such
as the symphony orchestra and the university shaped modern music-making and music education? This course will consider the
shifting soundscapes of classical music in the United States from the mid-19th century to the present. Composers and musicians
studied include but are not limited to Florence Price, Lowell Mason, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, Jennifer Higdon, John Cage,
Pauline Oliveros, Dorothy Ashby, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, Jessie Montgomery, and the Silk Road
Ensemble. For the final project, students will create a podcast episode on a musical case study of their choice. Prerequisite: Music
111 and 182. Four credit hours.
[MU345] Composition Seminar A combination of lectures, seminars, and workshops addressing the practice and art of music
composition. Lectures will expose students to multiple musical genres and techniques utilized by creators in the last century; seminars
will address their analytical and philosophical relationship with music by approaching works by composers from multiple traditions and
thought-provoking readings; workshops will promote discussion of the students' musical compositions, opening their creative process
to feedback from their peers and the instructor. Prerequisite: Music 181. Four credit hours. A.
MU483f, MU484s Honors Research I, II Substantial original research or completion of a major creative project under faculty
supervision, culminating in a written paper and/or a public presentation. Prerequisite: 3.25 overall grade point average, 3.5 major
average at the end of the junior year, and permission of the department. Three credit hours.
MU491f, MU492s Independent Study Individual topics in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Primarily for senior music majors. Prerequisite: Permission of the department. One to
four credit hours. FACULTY
MU493f Seminar: Seeing/Hearing This seminar is a close comparison of the ways in which painters Paul Klee and Wassily
Kandinsky credited musical timbres, rhythm, and form as the inspirations for their visual art, and for the ways in which the sonic worlds
of composers Pierre Boulez and Morton Feldman are heavily indebted to the picture plane, brush techniques, and abstract expressive
modes of Klee, Kandinsky, Pollock, and Rothko. Using a combination of assigned readings, presentations, and graphic design and
music composition projects students will explore what these interdisciplinary artists might have seen/heard in their counterparts'
domains and also use their research and imagination to produce their own sonic and graphic art/visual responses to the work of these
artists. Prerequisite: Music 182. Four credit hours. NUSS
Neuroscience
In the Departments of Biology and of Psychology
Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system. Colby students have the opportunity to study neuroscience from a biological
perspective with a focus on cellular, molecular, and physiological processes (a major in biology with a concentration in neuroscience)
or from a psychological perspective with a focus on brain and behavior relations (a major in psychology with a concentration in
neuroscience). Our philosophy is that sound interdisciplinary work begins with a strong disciplinary foundation; in our view, the biology
and psychology programs will serve students well in acquiring this foundation. Students gain analytical skills and tools, are exposed to
past and current theories, and have the opportunity to practice thinking about nervous system phenomena at multiple levels.
Majors with concentrations in neuroscience are described in the “Biology” and “Psychology” sections of the catalogue.
Performance, Theater, and Dance
The Department of Performance, Theater, and Dance offers students a multidisciplinary approach to understanding performance;
emphasizes social responsibility; focuses on performance praxis as inquiry; and highlights the development of original work. Under its
umbrella, the disciplines of theater, dance, design, mixed-media performance, and performance studies offer multiple, collaborative
perspectives on performance-making and study. The program emphasizes hybridity both among these disciplines and beyond them
guided by four core values: collaboration, leadership, community reciprocity, and justice.
In the spirit of the liberal arts, our multidisciplinary approach invites students to integrate disciplinary knowledge from varied fields into
performance work and to understand complex discourses on performativity from multiple disciplinary lenses. The department views
performance practice and study as paths to engaged citizenship. As they move through the major, students articulate their individual
relationship to the department’s core values, demonstrating increased skill in self-reflection, multicultural sensitivity, and the
comparison of social values and ethical systems and deepening their understanding of themselves as scholar-artists.
Our annual production season features work by visiting artists as well as students, faculty, and staff. All departmental courses and
production experiences are open to non-majors. All public performances are free and open to the community.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Annie Kloppenberg
Associate Chair, Production Manager Marjorie Gallant
AB Brown (Assistant Professor); Matthew Cumbie (Visiting Assistant Professor); John Ervin (Technical Director); Kimberly
Fletcher-Stibal (Visiting Instructor); Marjorie Gallant (Production Manager); Annie Kloppenberg (Associate Professor); Meredith
LaBounty (Costume Shop Manager); Kate Pestana ’87 (Academic Administrative Assistant); Gwyneth Shanks (Assistant Professor);
Nell Shipman (Visiting Instructor); Jim Thurston (Associate Professor); Bess Welden (Lecturer)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Performance, Theater, and Dance
Major: 41 credit hours
Courses in Common (13 credit hours):
● TD124 Performance, Politics, and Practice
● TD262 Collaborative Company
● TD393 Ways of Seeing
(Seminar to be taken either Junior or Senior fall; prerequisite TD 124)
● Humanities Theme Lecture Series
1 credit may be taken at any time as a stand-alone course at any time during a student’s career, but recommended in conjunction with
a departmental creative process course related to the theme, such as Collaborative Company or another theme-related faculty-led
production. Departmental productions frequently align deliberately with the annual humanities theme.
Area Requirements (8 credit hours):
● Production — 4 credit hours; one of the following courses:
● TD139 Introduction to Stagecraft
● TD245 Stage Management: Leadership Behind the Scenes
● TD264 as Production Stage Manager for Faculty-led production
● Praxis — 4 credit hours; one of the following courses:
● TD135 Introduction to Design
● TD 242 Acts of Activism
● TD 247 Performing the Museum
● TD 281 Directing
● TD 258 Improvisational Practices
● TD 285 The Choreographic Process
Pathway through the Major (20 credit hours):
● Students design and justify their own pathways through the major in consultation with their major advisor; advisors
encourage a breadth of experience with deep engagement with a student’s developing research questions.
● In a written Pathway Rationale, all majors develop and articulate an understanding of the core values of the department:
collaboration, leadership, community reciprocity, and justice. These values are introduced in the courses in common,
deepened in the area requirements, and will serve as guiding principles for students in their continued study.
● Up to 12 credit hours may be taken outside the department, with a written rationale explaining the applicability of each
course to a student’s focus in the major and approval by faculty vote.
● No more than 5 credits of 1- and 2-credit physical practice classes (TD115-118 and 215-218) can be counted toward the
major, even though students may indeed take more than 5 such credits during their Colby careers.
No requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Senior Capstone Requirement:
All students complete a senior capstone which can be any of the following:
● Senior Scholars
Full Year; GPA requirement; College Approved in spring of junior year) 16-19cr; up to 8cr can be applied to major
● Senior Honors Thesis
Full Year; GPA requirement; Dept. Approved in spring of junior year) 8cr; up to 4cr can be applied to major.
● Independent Study
Full year or half year, advisor approved; no GPA requirement) Variable cr; Up to 4cr can be applied to major.
● Declaration of engagement in a class or production
This experience, based on the student’s primary area of interest, becomes the capstone project, and could be fall or
spring of senior year. Credit is granted in the course the student enrolls in to complete this requirement.
Requirements for the Major in Performance, Theater, and Dance Interdisciplinary Computation
The theater and dance-interdisciplinary computation major focuses on the growing relationship between computation and
performance scenography and the multiple applications of software technologies to stage design. It offers a sequenced, stage
design-based curriculum while also providing students with exposure to the theory and practice of dance, acting, choreography, and
directing. Students should begin by taking Performance, Theater, and Dance 113 or 114, and Computer Science 151 in their first year,
then Performance, Theater, and Dance 135 and Computer Science 231 (fall) and 251 or 252 (spring) in their second year. The
remaining requirements may be taken in any other semester in consultation with the major advisors in performance, theater, and
dance and computer science.
Required Courses in Performance, Theater, and Dance
Theater and Dance 113 or 114; 135; 171 or two courses chosen from 115, 116, and 117; 281 or 285; 235 or 365
Required Courses in Computer Science
Computer Science 151, 231, 251 or 252, 351, and 369 or 451 Senior Capstone (four credits). Designed in consultation with major
advisors in both departments.
Requirements for the Minor in Performance, Theater, and Dance
Minor — 25 Credit Hours
Courses in Common (9 credit hours):
● TD124 Performance, Politics, and Practice
● TD262 Collaborative Company
● Humanities Theme Lecture Series
One credit recommended in conjunction with a creative process course related to the theme, but may be taken at any time.
Pathway through the Major (16 credit hours):
● Students design their own pathways through the major in consultation with their minor advisor; in our department we have
an practice of assigning advisors to minors.
● Students are encouraged, but not required, to take seminar 3XX, Ways of Seeing as a part of their pathway.
● Advisors encourage a breadth of experience with deep engagement with a student’s developing research questions.
● Up to 4 credit hours may be taken outside the department, with a written rationale explaining applicability of each course to a
student’s focus in the major.
● No more than 5 credits of 1- and 2-credit physical practice classes (TD115-118 and 215-218) can be counted toward the
major, even though students may indeed take more than 5 such credits during their Colby careers.
No requirement for the minor may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Examples of courses in other departments that could apply to the Pathway:
● AM245 Land, Sovereignty, and Art
● AY344 Black Radical Imaginations
● AY421 Anthropology of Creativity
● AR101 Reading Images
● AR135 Visual Thinking
● AR255 Contemporary Art
● AR319 Art, Medicine, and Race
● AR356 Writing Art Criticism
● BI147 Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga and
Mindful Practice
● CI138 Film and Media: 1919-1939
● CI248 Digital Publishing: Telling Stories Online
● CL136 Myth and Magic
● CS151 Computational Thinking: Visual Media
● CS353 Interactive Systems I: Interactive Agents,
Environments, and Systems
● EA274 East Asian Art and Architecture, 1300 to
the Present
● EC214 Economic Policy and Performance in
Contemporary Latin America
● EC364 Gender in the Macroeconomy
● ED201 Education and Social Justice
● EN271 Critical Theory
● EN278 Fiction Writing I
● EN279 Poetry Writing I
● EN280 Creative Nonfiction Writing I
● FR223 French Theater Workshop
● FR252 Provocative Texts: A Critical Toolbox
● FR493N Seminar: L’ecriture de soi
● GE123 How to Build a Habitable Planet
● GS227 Visual Ways of Knowing: Transcultural
Documentary Filmmaking
● GM252 Mission Impossible: Multicultural German
Literature and Film
● GM297 Women’s Literary, Cultural, and Visual
Production
● GM297B German Cinema: Past and Present
● GO149A Utopia in Fiction: Happy Tomorrows or
Hells on Earth
● GO226 Media and Politics
● GO227 Social Movements
● HI339 South African Women’s Memoir
● HI320 Joan of Arc: History, Legend, and Film
● HI351 Desiring Asia: Gender and Sexuality in
East Asia
● HI397C What is Past? The Historian’s Craft
● MU262 Music in Life, Music as Culture: Introduction
to Ethnomusicology
● MU298 Introduction to Sound Art and Soundwalks
● PL111 Central Philosophical Issues: Justice and
Society
● PL113 Central Philosophical Issues: On Being Human
● PL232 History of Modern Philosophy
● PL337 Philosophy of Humor
● PL328 Radical Ecologies
● PS233 Biological Basis of Behavior
● PS253 Social Psychology
● PS272 Sensation and Perception
● PS345 Seminar in Human Movement
● RE218 Global South Asia: Literature, Art, Environment
● RE319 Bollywood and Beyond: South Asian Religions
through Film
● SO252 Race, Ethnicity, and Society
● SO2XXA Sociology of Creativity
● SP239 Latin America at the Movies
● SP348 The Afro-Americas: Race, Power,
and Subjectivity
● SP397 Ancient Selfies: Self and Mirror-Text in
Pre-Modern Spain
● WG311 Feminist Theories and Methodologies
● WG339 Disability Studies and the Environmental
Humanities
● WG349 Queer of Color Critique
Honors in Performance, Theater, and Dance
Performance, Theater, and Dance majors with a minimum cumulative grade point average in the major of 3.5 and an overall GPA of
3.25 at the end of the January term of the junior year and with unanimous approval of the department faculty are eligible to apply for
the honors thesis. Honors projects signify a serious engagement with independent research, and interested students should plan to
devote a large segment of their academic time to the project during their senior year. Interested students should contact a faculty
sponsor during the spring semester of the junior year to discuss a project and secure that faculty member’s sponsorship. Students
must then petition the department for permission to undertake honors work by March 1. With unanimous approval from the
department, students can register for Performance, Theater, and Dance 483. Students wishing to change their honors project must
petition the department for approval. Honors research projects will be a total of six to eight credits and will be conducted during the
student’s last two semesters (one of which may be Jan Plan). Successful completion of the honors thesis will include an approved
thesis and an oral presentation at the Colby Liberal Arts Symposium as well as the completion of the required course work for the
major. The students fulfilling these requirements and receiving at least an A- for the honors thesis will graduate with “Honors in
Performance, Theater, and Dance.” In cases where requirements have not been fulfilled at the end of either semester, Performance,
Theater, and Dance 483 and 484 (Honors Thesis) will revert to graded Performance, Theater, and Dance 491 and 492 (Independent
Study). For specifics on the procedures and expectations for Honors in Performance, Theater, and Dance (depending on the
proposed area of study, e.g. dramatic literature, acting, dance, design, history, technical direction, or sound), please consult faculty in
the Department of Performance, Theater, and Dance.
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses offered toward the major. No requirement for the major or minor may
be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Course Offerings
[TD064A] Applied Performance/Production: Noncredit.
TD100fs Technique Lab Contemporary: Beginning Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses
rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are
designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of
movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination
challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary
applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced
level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for
credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Two credit hours. CUMBIE
TD101fs Technique Lab Contemporary: Advanced Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses
rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are
designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of
movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination
challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary
applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced
level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for
credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Two credit hours. CUMBIE
TD101Bs Technique Lab: Contact Improv One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
TD106f Technique Lab Ballet: Intermediate Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses rotate
each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are designed
to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of movement
articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination challenges and
address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary applications.
Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced level courses
will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for credit. Students,
regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. One credit hour. SHIPMAN
TD111fs Technique Lab Jazz: Advanced Beginning Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses
rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are
designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of
movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination
challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary
applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced
level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for
credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. One credit hour. STIBAL
TD115As Technique Lab: Acting: Scene Study An introductory investigation of acting for the stage focused on the actor's tools -
body, voice, and imagination. Through rehearsal and performance of contemporary theatrical texts, students will build their vocal,
physical, and analytical skills and practice Stanislavski-based techniques for playing actions/objectives, exploring given
circumstances, and connecting authentically to character, scene partner, and audience. Through scene work students will strengthen
collaboration skills and develop an understanding of the benefits and consequences of creative and aesthetic risk. They will also hone
their creative practice by observing each other's work and learning constructive models for offering feedback and self-reflection. Two
credit hours. WEINBLATT
[TD115B] Theater Technique Lab: An Actor Prepares Students will learn practical skills and strategies for understanding and
engaging in "actor homework." We will explore the actor's preparation for a production cycle beginning with auditioning, continuing
through rehearsal and into performance. Using tools such as deep text analysis, physical and vocal exploration of character, and
identifying and experimenting with active choices, students will gain confidence in their abilities to bring their own creative ideas to the
artistic process and to become true collaborators with directors and fellow actors. Culminates in a showcase of monologues and
scenes from contemporary dramatic literature. May be taken a total of four times for credit. Two credit hours.
[TD116B] Intermediate Ballet/Contemporary Technique Studio practicum for students with prior experience in dance. Develop
greater facility with contemporary choreography, focusing on artistry and agency and a clearer understanding of anatomical structures
at work. Class begins with an anatomically-focused Ballet barre, increasing efficiency of movement articulation at the joints and
progressively warming up the body. The center work will focus on complex movement patterns in a dynamic range of qualities,
exploring how to apply the principles of ballet vocabulary practiced at the barre in choreography that takes the body off center, to the
floor, and into the air. Nongraded One credit hour.
[TD117A] Technique Lab: Contemporary Dance: Beginning An introductory contemporary/modern studio course geared
toward students with little or no dance experience, but also open to those looking to deepen their existing practice. Explore
contemporary dance movement from a variety of lenses with a special focus on exploring how unused or unnoticed spaces inspire
movement and individual compositional choices. Look at the athletics and aesthetics of the moving body, develop anatomical,
sensory, and spatial awareness, execute increasingly complex movement sequences, explore improvisational scores and examine the
metaphoric expressive potential of bodies in action. May be taken a total of four times for credit. Two credit hours.
[TD117B] Contemporary Dance Technique Lab: Intermediate In this studio practicum, students with prior experience will
develop greater facility with contemporary/modern dance choreography, a focus on artistry and agency, and a clearer understanding
of anatomical structures at work. Warm-up focuses on increasing efficiency of movement articulation at the joints and progressively
warming up the body. Then movement will focus on taking the body off center, to the floor, and into the air. May be taken a total of four
times for credit. Nongraded. One credit hour.
[TD118] Dance Technique Lab: Dance Forms of the African Diaspora: Hip-hop An introductory course geared toward
students with little or no dance experience and open to those looking to deepen their practice. Explore dance from a variety of lenses
with a special focus on physical and aesthetic properties of the African Diaspora. Look at the athletics and aesthetics of the moving
body, execute increasingly complex movement sequences, and examine the metaphoric meaning-making potential of bodies in action.
Class focuses on movement and image production/photography and emphasizes understanding historical and cultural contexts of
contemporary movement practices as well as the ways individual identity informs movement practices. Remote, but on campus
students can meet and use studio spaces. Two credit hours.
[TD118B] Dance Technique Lab: Intermediate Hip-hop In this studio-based course, students will learn movement techniques
rooted in Afro-diasporic aesthetic and physical qualities including groundedness, curvilinearity, polyrhythm, syncopation, and
polycentrism. Class is movement-centered, but also emphasizes understanding the historical and cultural contexts, introduces a
cross-section of many movement styles under the umbrella term Hip-hop; fundamental pillars of Hip-hop; and both "mainstream" and
countercultural level aspects of Hip-hop dance and culture. This course is open to all levels. No previous dance experience required,
but those with dance experience are welcome. Nongraded. One credit hour.
TD120f First-Year Writing: Performing Spaces/Writing the City Explores how we understand the places, cities, and towns we
inhabit. In what ways are our routes through these spaces a kind of performance, and how can writing help us closely observe,
describe, analyze, and critique our environments? We'll discuss the embodied and spatial effects of Covid-19 and recent uprisings
against anti-black violence and study topics like settler colonialism, resource extraction, redlining, and urban protests, amongst others.
Concurrently, we'll try out performance strategies on campus that demonstrate its importance in understanding space. Throughout the
semester, we will ask: how does space write the body and how does the body rewrite space? Four credit hours. A, W1. SHANKS
TD124f Performance, Politics, and Practice Introduces students to the study of performance by exploring its power and
questioning how it frames our world. We examine how performance helps us make sense of and challenge economic, gendered,
sexual, racialized, political, and social structures. Through lectures, critical readings, discussion, field trips, and embodied practice,
students will study performance as a creative act, a means of understanding power, a methodology for passing on memory and
identity, and a way of comprehending the world. Topics include: theater, dance, performance art, everyday life, protest, and the
gendered, sexed, and racialized performance of bodies. Four credit hours. A, I. SHANKS
TD135s Introduction to Design An introduction to three-dimensional design principles with special emphasis on the relationship
between architectural space and stage design for the performing arts. This studio course highlights interdisciplinary inspired design
while exploring human interaction with the built environment and three-dimensional form. Creative problem solving, imagination, and
concept formation are studied through a series of design projects using traditional drawing media, scaled three-dimensional models,
and computer-aided design. Students must have access to a laptop for the semester. Four credit hours. A. THURSTON
[TD136] Shakespeare for Actors: Text, Movement, Voice Listed as Theater and Dance 136. Three credit hours. A.
TD139fs Stagecraft I Introduces students to scenic construction, theatrical rigging, lighting production, and prop-making
concepts, techniques, equipment, and materials, emphasizing problem solving through research, experimentation, and collaborative
learning while considering the environment, economic choices, and safety. Students will learn to appreciate the performative aspects
of stagecraft by participating in a behind-the-scenes role during the construction period, technical rehearsals, and performances of a
faculty-directed, department production. Previous experience is not necessary. Four credit hours. A. ERVIN
TD141f Beginning Playwriting An introduction to the playwriting process for students interested in dramatic storytelling and the
process of new play development. Student work focuses on 1) close reading and analysis of representative plays in order to
understand dramatic structure, characterization, rhythm, imagery, etc.; 2) creative experimentation through a series of writing
exercises; and 3) participation in the process of workshopping class products, including offering and receiving constructive
criticism. Four credit hours. A. WEINBLATT
[TD147A] Articulating the Physical Addresses writing as a process of discovery, an expression of creative and critical thought,
and an embodied pursuit. Opinion, authorship, and identity are interwoven and grounded in the body. Through movement, experiential
anatomy, and choreographic thought, we explore the language of/from the body and understand the textual nature of written words,
body, self, society, landscape, visual frame, and performance. We look at how choreographic thought informs writing. Translations
between the visual and the visceral develop active, individual, confident, and vivid writing voices. No prior dance experience
required. Satisfies the Arts (A) and First-Year Writing (W1) requirements. Prerequisite: Four credit hours. A, W1.
[TD147B] Somatic Practices: Yoga Somatic practices guide inquiry into the physical, ask us to identify familiar sensory-motor
patterns, and open space for new movement patterning. Somatic practices help improve posture, alignment, efficiency, and health.
Somatics refers to perceiving the body from within; reflection spawns transformation. This course teaches the practice of yoga
including physical postures, breath (pranayama), and meditation. Yoga is a system of integrated mental and bodily fitness that
combines a dynamic physical musculoskeletal practice with an inwardly focused mindful awareness of the self, the breath, and
somatic energetic pathways. The systematic practice of yoga has benefits for both the body and the mind. Prerequisite: Concurrent
enrollment in Biology 147 and Theater and Dance 147A. Two credit hours.
[TD164] Applied Performance/Production Students participating in Theater and Dance Department productions as performers,
designers, stage managers, theater technicians, and other production positions may register for credit. May be taken up to eight times
for credit. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One credit hour.
TD171f Acting I Explores the use of the body, voice, emotion, and intellect to create a theatrical character. Through close study of
several acting systems, students prepare monologues and scenes to articulate possible interpretations of a play script or performance
clearly and effectively. In-class performances further an awareness of individual and ensemble physicality in order to communicate
emotion, thought, aesthetic intention, and mind-body awareness. Emphasis on analysis and concentration. Final performances stress
the benefits and consequences of creative and aesthetic risk. No prior experience necessary. Four credit hours. A. KARP
TD200fs Technique Lab Contemporary: Beginning Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses
rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are
designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of
movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination
challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary
applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced
level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for
credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 100 or 101. One
credit hour. CUMBIE
TD201fs Technique Lab Contemporary: Advanced Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses
rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are
designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of
movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination
challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary
applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced
level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for
credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 100 or 101. One
credit hour. CUMBIE
[TD201B] Technique Lab: Contemporary Dance Intermediate II (Ballet/Anatomy Focus) In this studio practicum, students
with prior experience will develop greater facility with contemporary/modern dance choreography. Class will begin with a ballet barre
and will focus on developing a clearer understanding of anatomical structures at work. The progressive warm-up will work to increase
efficiency of movement articulation at the joints. Then, students will expand artistry and agency in contemporary phrase movement
that takes the body off center, to the floor, and into the air. May be taken a total of four times for credit. Prerequisite: Theater and
Dance 100 or 101. One credit hour.
TD201Cs Technique Lab: Contact Improv One credit hour. INSTRUCTOR
TD206f Technique Lab Ballet: Intermediate Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses rotate
each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are designed
to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of movement
articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination challenges and
address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary applications.
Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced level courses
will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for credit. Students,
regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 106 or 116. One credit
hour. SHIPMAN
TD211fs Technique Lab Jazz: Advanced Beginning Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses
rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are
designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of
movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination
challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary
applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced
level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for
credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 111. One credit
hour. STIBAL
[TD215] Technique Lab: Acting: Embodying Text How do we take a complex, lyrical, or poetic script and make it active,
contemporary, and understandable? This course will focus on exploring text critically and physically. Using plays that span the
classical dramatic canon (including the ancient Greeks and Shakespeare) you will learn the use of scansion and rhetorical devices to
find the clues that the playwright is giving you. This critical analysis will then be applied to movement and scene study to build
characters physically and psychologically, embody poetry, and develop and nurture ensemble. Designed for actors with previous
experience, this course builds on acting fundamentals with a focus on physical theater techniques. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance
115; concurrent enrollment in Theater and Dance 171 or permission of instructor. Two credit hours.
[TD216B] Ballet Forms Technique Lab: Intermediate Establishes a strong foundation in correct posture, classical placement,
musicality, and coordination. Students will develop clear understanding and execution of nuances in classical ballet technique,
vocabulary, and artistry. Students must have prior dance training. This class is based on the Vaganova method (a training system that
creates a connected sense of movement and expressive range), but students with any style of ballet or contemporary training are
welcome. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 116B. One credit hour.
[TD217] Technique Lab II: Contemporary Dance: Beginning In this studio practicum, students with prior experience will
develop greater facility with contemporary/modern dance choreography, a focus on artistry and agency, and a clearer understanding
of anatomical structures at work. Warm-up focuses on increasing efficiency of movement articulation at the joints and progressively
warming up the body. The center work will focus on complex movement patterns in a dynamic range of qualities, exploring how to
apply the principles of ballet vocabulary practiced at the barre in choreography that takes the body off center, to the floor, and into the
air. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 117. One credit hour.
[TD217B] Contemporary Dance Technique Lab II: Intermediate In this studio practicum, students with prior experience will
develop greater facility with contemporary/modern dance choreography, a focus on artistry and agency, and a clearer understanding
of anatomical structures at work. Warm-up focuses on increasing efficiency of movement articulation at the joints and progressively
warming up the body. Then movement will focus on taking the body off center, to the floor, and into the air.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 117B. One credit hour.
[TD222] Revolutionary Performances: Theater and the Energy of the Unspoken (in English) Listed as Russian 222. Four
credit hours. A.
[TD223] Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 223. Four credit hours. A,
U.
[TD226] Contemporary Art and Performance Course focuses on global art from the 1960s to the present, examining how
globalization, imperialism, and neoliberalism impact artistic production. Students will study the meanings attached to the category of
“contemporary art;” the rise of the curator, biennial, and art fair; and the role protest groups hold in shaping the arts. Because of the
embodied nature of many of these subject areas, the course emphasizes performance and embodied practices. We will examine
genres like: performance art, post-modern dance, experimental jazz, Afrofuturism, Gutai, Viennese Actionism, as well as institutional
critique, conceptual art, and post-minimalism. Four credit hours. A.
[TD237] Dance and Health How does the study of dance shift our experience of illness or pain? Is it possible to quantify the
effects that dance can have on a person's health and well-being? These will be our guiding questions as we explore how dance can
be a tool for transformation and a vehicle for finding joy and creativity in the lives of those living with illness. This course will focus on
the field of dance for health which "provides holistic, evidence-based activities for the individual to manage and adapt to physical,
mental, and social health challenges." (IADMS Dance for Health committee, 2021). Our primary focus will be on the IMPROVment
®
method, which uses verbal prompts to elicit unique improvisational movements and which is currently being tested in an NIH-funded
randomized controlled clinical trial. As a culminating project, students will design their own program that brings dance into a
healthcare environment and which helps them integrate their disparate interests through exploring this growing field of study. Four
credit hours. A.
TD239fs Stagecraft II Further exploration of scenic construction, theatrical rigging, lighting production, and prop-making
concepts, techniques, equipment, and materials, emphasizing problem solving through research, experimentation, and collaborative
learning while considering the environment, economic choices, and safety. An expansion of the course of study from Stagecraft I in
which students will examine scene painting, computer-aided drafting (CAD), and CNC computer-assisted woodworking. Independent
out-of-class work is essential. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 139. Four credit hours. ERVIN
TD242s Acts of Activism Looks at the uses of performance and other artistic media to bring about social change, such as
protests, marches, walking tours, dance parties, digital media and public theatre. This semester we will specifically explore the role of
performance, and aesthetics more broadly, in contemporary activist movements within the context of the global health pandemic and
the Black Lives Matter movement. Is art an effective activist strategy today? If so, how, when, where? How is activism itself a
performance and what is "performative" activism? We will look at how aesthetics can help build connections across transnational
movements as well as across history. How have aesthetic tactics changed over time and across borders and what does this tell us
about emerging political landscapes? Four credit hours. A. BROWN, AB
TD243s Leadership Behind the Scenes: Stage Management It takes a coordinated effort by many people to put on a
professional performance; stage managers are the conductors behind the scenes of those shows. In this course, students take a peek
backstage and learn the complex systems by which productions are fully realized. Class explores techniques for successful
collaborative work and helps students identify personal and productive leadership styles. Four credit hours. A. GALLANT
[TD245] Theater of Everyday Life: Art, Identity, and Politics In this course, we will look at the body as theatrical expression and
political site. We will explore a range of contemporary artists and emerging practices to interrogate performance that blurs the lines
between the stage and everyday life. We will look at how theater has intersected with everything from the visual arts and social media,
to architecture and laws to understand how our bodies intervene upon the lived reality of gender, sexuality, race, ability, class and
nationality. As a studio class, we will make performances modeled after ground-breaking artists such as Patrisse Cullors, Marina
Abramovic, Yoko Ono, and Pussy Riot to interrogate our own identity and social location in relation to broader social and political
contexts. No previous performance experience is necessary. Boundaries and Margins humanities lab. Four credit hours. A.
TD246s Art, Money, Labor: The Crisis of Capitalism Introduces students to the political economies and labor structures that
drive cultural production by exploring the global art market, and the circulations of finance, art, and artists. By focusing on sites and
institutions that support contemporary art - from museums, to art fairs, performance venues, biennials, auction houses, and
philanthropic foundations - students will examine the complex relationships among contemporary art, money, and labor. Case studies
include: the contemporary art market boom in cities like Hong Kong and Abu Dhab; the Gulf Labor Artist Coalition; and the role of
indigenous aesthetic practice in the 2016 São Paulo Biennial. Four credit hours. A, I. SHANKS
TD247s Performing the Museum What does it mean to perform in the contemporary museum? What does it mean to produce
artworks, exhibits, or analysis in the wake of an institutional structure invested in the maintenance of Western imperialism, colonialism,
and capitalist violence? Class introduces students to these questions by arguing dance, theater, ritual, and performance and analyses
grounded in embodiment and corporeality are key to revealing the racialized, gendered, colonial, and economic structures of the
contemporary art museum. Semester culminates in performances in the campus museum, and students will work with contemporary
artist Dread Scott. Freedom and Captivity humanities lab. Four credit hours. A. SHANKS
[TD251] Tomorrow Will Be Bigger! Performing Protest in Brazil An immersive, interdisciplinary exploration of overlaps
between political protest, the performing arts, and social change in Latin America's biggest country, from the 1960s until the present
day. Using source materials by Brazilian artists, academics, and activists, the course will meld socio-cultural history and creative
expression, with a particular focus on the Theatre of the Oppressed methodology and on street-based performance practices.
Readings will be complimented by practical workshops, films, and a highly danceable playlist. Previously offered as Theater and
Dance 297 (Jan Plan 2022). Four credit hours. A, I.
[TD252] The Art of Athletics: Choreography for the Camera (Focus on American Football) Examines the aesthetic
properties of the expenditure of bodily, physical energy through practical explorations in choreography and filmmaking. This Semester,
we will take as source material the effortful movement of American Football exploring how to aestheticize and translate that action
through choreographic logic and by framing it in for the screen. Course begins with contextual theoretical frameworks for
choreographic practice and dance for the camera and concludes with practical experience producing a film. Briefly considers notions
of spectatorship and audience, considering the distinctions between live events and events on the screen. No prior experience
necessary. Four credit hours. A.
[TD254] People, Place, Practice: Intro to Community-Based Performance Offers an introduction to performance-making as a
community-based and community-engaged artistic process. Through in-studio, on-campus, and local community collaborations we will
explore participatory creative tools and practices for generating movement and text, with an emphasis on co-creation, performance
and facilitation. We will move between embodied practice, course readings, discussion, video viewings, and self-directed projects to
cultivate a laboratory of doing partnered with the rigor of articulating. Grounded in the study of historical contexts and contemporary
practitioners, we will continue to ask: When we say 'community,' or 'artist,' what do we mean and who does that include? Four credit
hours. A.
TD258s Improv Practices in Performance Four credit hours. KLOPPENBERG
TD259f Baila: History, Culture, and Performance of Latin Dance Listed as Spanish 258. Four credit hours. A, I. BERNAL
HEREDIA
[TD261] Topics in Performance: Murmurations What can the birds tell us? Human and avian lineages have been separate for
over 330 million years, and yet, for thousands of years, birds have captivated our attention. We love their songs, we admire their
feathers, and, with the introduction of modern technology, we entertain ourselves with their extravagant, funny dances. But what do
these signals mean to the birds? And what do they mean to us? In this student-driven arts incubator, the ensemble develops an
original work about avian and human behavior. Student directors, performers, designers, stage managers, computer programmers,
and others collaborate to create an original work. Performs in Strider Theater in April. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Three
credit hours. A.
[TD261J] Production 1 In this interactive writing and performance workshop, students will create original story-based
performance pieces inspired by the issues that matter to them the most, such as climate change, racial equity, reproductive justice,
freedom of speech, LGBTQ+ rights, disability justice, sexual assault, domestic violence, access to education, etc. We will analyze Ted
Talks, The Moth, and other popular story-based media to help us understand what elements we need to create authentic connections
with audiences. Students will explore a variety of writing and performance styles and techniques to engage in a collaborative creative
process. Depending on safety measures, "Show Up. Stand Up. Speak Up." will culminate in a live performance for a small audience
which will be filmed to share digitally online. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Three credit hours. A.
[TD262] Colby Collaborative Company Offers students the chance to research and discover tenets of and strategies for
community-centered arts practice. Through reading, discussion, and devising, students will work as a collective to imagine, develop,
and organize a series of community-responsive arts programs throughout the semester. Since content will vary, it can be repeated
once. Four credit hours.
TD262Jj Colby Collaborative Company: Gordon Center Project Colby Collaborative Company is a forum for developing,
devising, and sharing creative tools and practices for community-centered performances. Over the course of this Jan Plan, Company
members will have opportunities to connect with on-going community-based research through a creative process that culminates in
performance for the new Gordon Center for the Creative and Performing Arts; explore, excavate, and exchange stories about the
communities we're a part of, especially here at Colby College and in Waterville; and use performance as a way to celebrate and
complicate notions of home and belonging. Our collaborations will engage people of all ages outside of our course, including local
community members and professional artists, and will have us working in and around campus and Waterville. Students must attend all
classes during the Jan Plan through February 1, then shift to evening rehearsals, performances, and strikes from Monday, February 5
through Saturday, February 10. This course can be repeated once. Three credit hours. CUMBIE
TD264Af Colby Theater Company: TBD Prerequisite: Audition. Two credit hours
BROWN, AB
TD264Bf Colby Dance Company: Fall Repertory Projects One credit hour. CUMBIE, KLOPPENBERG
[TD264C] Theater Company/Production: Eurydice Auditions held within the first week of classes in February. Students
participating as stage managers, performers, designers, theater technicians, and production assistants may register for credit.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Audition. One credit hour.
[TD264D] Colby Collaborative Company: Gordon Center Project Three credit hours. A.
[TD264E] Musical Theater Workshop: Stage Management The Departments of Music and Performance, Theater, and Dance
collaborate to bring musical theater to Strider Theater! Members of the stage management team ensure operations behind the scenes
run smoothly. Team members attend rehearsals and take notes to communicate to the design and production teams, call cues for
lights, sound, and projections, and coordinate scenery shifts. Develop your leadership, communication, and organizational skills. No
previous experience is necessary. Students must attend scheduled classes during the Jan Plan through January 26, then shift to
evening rehearsals, performances, and strike from Monday, January 30 through Saturday, February 4. Nongraded. Three credit
hours. A.
[TD264F] Musical Theater Workshop: Construction/Crew The Departments of Music and Performance, Theater, and Dance
collaborate to bring musical theater to Strider Theater! Members of the construction/crew will work in the scene shop, fabricating
scenery, focusing lights, and generating props for the show. After things are built, students will operate lights, sound, and projection
during tech rehearsals and performances. No previous experience is necessary. Students must attend scheduled classes during the
Jan Plan through January 26, then shift to evening rehearsals, performances, and strike from Monday, January 30 through Saturday,
February 4. Nongraded. Three credit hours. A.
[TD264G] Applied Performance/Production: Performance Technology Incubator A student-driven performance incubator
exploring the role of computation and digital media technology in live performance. This creative think-tank uses interdisciplinary
collaborative process led by professionals in the field to develop an original work for the stage. Students participating as directors,
composers, musicians, programmers, performers, stage managers, designers, and theater technicians may register for credit.
Performs in Strider Theater March 7-9. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Two credit hours.
[TD264J] Applied Performance/Production: Portland Ballet Three credit hours.
TD265s Topics in Design: Light Art Light is a fascinating medium for the expression of artistic ideas. The Light Art movement,
combined with new technologies, offers an increasingly sophisticated vocabulary for creative possibilities with light and for the
conveyance of meaning. What is Light Art? How did the Light Art movement take root? What is it like to create with light as a fine artist
and performing artist? In this studio course, students learn about Light Art origins, experiment with light materiality, explore light as
subject, and investigate light as an interactive performance medium. Completed Light Art works will be displayed on campus in a
collective installation. There is a $125.00 studio material fee for the course. Three credit hours. A. THURSTON
[TD268] Design Thinking Studio: Performative Sculpture Listed as Art 268. Four credit hours. A.
TD281s Directing Emphasizing interactive collaboration, this introduction to directing for the stage will focus on two major
components of the director's craft: preparing a text and working with actors. With inspiration and guidance from the writings of experts
Katie Mitchell and Anne Bogart, students will practice techniques for investigating and preparing a script and draw on their own
creative instincts to create exercises for helping actors connect with text and each other. Students will cast and direct scenes from a
selected contemporary play and present them in class for feedback as well as in a final showcase for the public. Stringent attendance
and significant preparatory/rehearsal time outside of class required. Four credit hours. BROWN, AB
TD285f Choreographic Process This introduction to dance-making examines the creative process focusing on physical
language, dynamics, and spatial arrangements as possibilities for constructing meaning. We look at movement vocabulary as
something that is invented, created personally, crafted carefully in time, space, dynamic arrangement, and relationship to other
bodies, always holding the potential for surprise from inside and out. We explore movement ideas, construct and deconstruct
movement phrases, discuss readings, choreography, processes, class studies, and roadblocks. Students will begin to discover
individual, choreographic points of view and will learn about a diverse set of contemporary choreographers and their work. Four credit
hours. A. KLOPPENBERG
TD300fs Technique Lab: Contemporary Dance Beginning III Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio
technique courses rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two
credits, and are designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing
efficiency of movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex
coordination challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and
contemporary applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills
for advanced level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple
times for credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 200 or
201. One credit hour. CUMBIE
TD301fs Technique Lab Contemporary: Advanced Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses
rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are
designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of
movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination
challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary
applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced
level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for
credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 200 or 201. One
credit hour. CUMBIE
TD301Bs Technique Lab: Contact Improv In this studio practicum, students with prior experience will develop greater facility
with contemporary/modern dance choreography. Class will begin with a ballet barre and will focus on developing a clearer
understanding of anatomical structures at work. The progressive warm-up will work to increase efficiency of movement articulation at
the joints. Then, students will expand artistry and agency in contemporary phrase movement that takes the body off center, to the
floor, and into the air. May be taken a total of four times for credit. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 200 or 201. One credit
hour. INSTRUCTOR
TD306f Technique Lab Ballet: Intermediate Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses rotate
each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are designed
to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of movement
articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination challenges and
address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary applications.
Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced level courses
will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for credit. Students,
regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 206 or 216. One credit
hour. SHIPMAN
TD311fs Technique Lab Jazz: Advanced Beginning Advanced beginning, intermediate, and advanced studio technique courses
rotate each semester. Depending on how many days per week a student wishes to dance, courses are one or two credits, and are
designed to be layered to facilitate regular and progressive training. Progressive warm-ups focus on increasing efficiency of
movement articulation at the joints, followed by locomotor patterns and phrase material that explore more complex coordination
challenges and address movement traditions with an understanding of their contexts, histories, value systems, and contemporary
applications. Students with prior experience in dance should contact dance faculty for class placements. Required skills for advanced
level courses will vary depending on semester, instructor, and style. These courses are designed to be repeated multiple times for
credit. Students, regardless of level, should always register at the 100 level first. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 211. One credit
hour. STIBAL
TD339s Stagecraft III Further exploration of scenic construction, lighting production, and prop-making concepts, techniques,
equipment, and materials. In addition to expanding their studies from Stagecraft II, students will examine welding and
three-dimensional computer-assisted wood carving. Out-of-class work is essential. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 239. Four credit
hours. ERVIN
[TD355] Applied Choreography Students with previous experience in contemporary choreography at the college level will create
original works for formal performance through a rigorous creative process that includes feedback from faculty and peers, presentation
of design concepts, and collaboration with student lighting designers. Course will address contemporary issues in dance including
viewings of work by active, acclaimed, and emerging professional choreographers. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 285 or
permission of instructor. Four credit hours.
[TD361J] Advanced Topics in Performance: Colby on Tour Directed by a collaborative team of guest artists rooted in visual art,
theater, and dance, students will collaborate to create a multi-arts, immersive performance to be installed and performed on tour. Each
time this course is offered, the production content shifts. Prerequisite: Theater and Dance 164 or audition. Three credit hours.
TD365f Advanced Topics in Design: Architectural Imaging An intensive study of the integrated use of computer-aided design
(CAD). Centering on an architectural concept developed through research and contextual study, students utilize CAD to investigate
and test design assumptions and to fully conceive multidimensional architectural expression. Students use their own creative potential
to develop virtual architectural models, allowing imagination, critical thinking, and an understanding of traditional and contemporary
presentation techniques to define final design expression. Students must have access to a laptop for the
semester. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Four credit hours. A. THURSTON
TD393f Seminar: Ways of Seeing Students deepen their understanding of cultures, histories, aesthetics of performance and to
further develop critical and analytical skills. Seminar-style discussions based on readings and viewings and students will assume
discussion leadership roles. Professional preparation workshops, and peer-to-peer tutorial sessions in which the reading/viewing
material and the discussion are led by the students. Student majors will develop their Pathway rationale documents, portfolios, and
senior capstone project plans within this course. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing as a performance, theater, and dance major or
minor. Four credit hours. BROWN, AB
TD483f, TD484js Honors Thesis in Theater and Dance Majors may apply for admission in spring of their junior year. Requires
research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member and focused on an approved topic leading to the writing of a thesis, an
oral public presentation or performance, and a presentation in the Colby Liberal Arts Symposium. Prerequisite: Senior standing, a
3.25 grade point average, a 3.50 major average at the end of January of the junior year, and unanimous approval of the
department. Three or four credit hours.
TD491f, TD492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
[TD493] Senior Seminar This capstone experience offers students the chance to engage in seminar-level discussions on the
history and aesthetics of performance and to further develop critical and analytical skills related to performance culture. Taught each
year by a different member of the faculty who chooses the theme and identifies reading/viewings from a master list developed by the
department. The structure includes seminar-style discussions based on significant weekly readings/viewings, a professional
preparation workshop, and peer-to-peer tutorial sessions wherein the reading/viewing material is chosen by the students (with the
guidance of the professor) and the discussion is generated and moderated by the students (with input from the
professor). Prerequisite: Senior standing as a theater and dance major. Four credit hours.
Philosophy Department
“Philosophy,” as William James put it, “is an attempt to think without arbitrariness or dogmatism about the fundamental issues.”
Colby’s philosophy program challenges students to understand what it means to live morally in an often unjust world, to deliberate
rationally about knowledge, freedom, and meaning, and to appreciate deeply the natural and aesthetic dimensions of our lives. Our
courses provide the historical depth, cosmopolitan breadth, and multiplicity of perspectives necessary for participating in the
philosophical conversation that spans human history and reaches around the globe. The Philosophy Department cultivates skills in
effective writing, close reading, clear reasoning, and creative thinking, enabling students to join this ongoing conversation. Philosophy
prepares students for professional careers and a lifetime of intellectual engagement in a complex and changing world.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Keith Peterson
Professors Jim Behuniak, Daniel Cohen, and Lydia Moland; Associate Professor Keith Peterson; Assistant Professor Ben Baker;
Visiting Assistant Professor Elizabeth Hill
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Philosophy
To complete the major in Philosophy, a student must take a minimum of 10 courses. Among these 10 courses, PL151, PL231, PL232,
and at least one section of PL422 are required. The remaining six electives must include at least one course that satisfies the
Metaphysics and Epistemology area requirement (“M&E”); one course that satisfies the Values area requirement (“V”); and one
course that satisfies the Diversity requirement (“D”). Also, among these six electives, only one 100-level course can be counted, and
at least two must be at or above the 300-level. Only one elective can be counted from PL483/484 (Honors) and only one can be
counted from PL 291/292 and PL491/492 (Independent Study). PL422 (Philosophical Encounters) can be taken more than once for
elective credit and may count concurrently to satisfy area requirements. No course taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory can be counted in
fulfillment of major requirements, nor can any course with fewer than three credits.
The list of courses satisfying departmental area requirements (“M&E,” “V,” “D,” and “H”) can be found here. Consult your advisor if a
course you are interested in counting is not on it.
Honors in Philosophy
Students majoring in philosophy may apply during their junior year for admission to the honors program. Permission is required;
guidelines are established by the department and posted on the department website. Successful completion of the work of the honors
program and of the major will enable the student to graduate with “Honors in Philosophy.”
Requirements for the Minor in Philosophy
To complete the minor in philosophy, a student must take a minimum of six courses. These must include at least one course that
satisfies the metaphysics and epistemology area requirement (“M&E”); one that satisfies the values area requirement (“V”); and one
that covers a historical period in philosophy (“H”). At least one must be at or above the 300 level, and no more than one may be at the
100 level with this exception: both Philosophy 151 and another 100-level course may be counted. No course taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory may be counted in fulfillment of minor requirements, nor may any course counting for fewer than three
credits.
Course Offerings
[PL111] Central Philosophical Issues: Justice and Society An introductory course in philosophy through readings on justice
and oppression, individual freedom and rights, incarceration, state power, violence, and economic inequality. Readings from Michelle
Alexander, Hannah Arendt, John Locke, Karl Marx, John Stuart Mill, Plato, Malcolm X, and Iris Marion Young. Students will learn
philosophical thinking, reading, speaking, and writing. In addition, they will gain understanding of fundamental issues in social
philosophy, including freedom, justice, the mechanisms of oppression, state formation, (il)legitimate uses of violence, revolution,
incarceration, minority rights, etc. Four credit hours. S.
PL113f Central Philosophical Issues: On Being Human Combines readings of classic philosophical texts on the subject of
human nature with current incarnations of these debates in the contemporary world. Possible topics include the extent to which
human nature is natural as opposed to cultural, the question of what differentiates humans from animals, the ethics of genetic
enhancement and our treatment of other animals, and the role of race or gender in human identity. Four credit hours. S. HILL
PL114f Central Philosophical Issues: Nature and God An introduction to philosophy approached through issues in the
philosophy of religion. Stress will be on epistemological questions (regarding how we can have knowledge) in connection with
metaphysical questions (regarding the basic features of the universe). Designed to introduce students to the history of Western
philosophy; to improve skills of critical reading, writing, and thinking; and to promote thinking on some big-picture issues, such as
education, happiness, wisdom, God, spirituality, and knowledge. Readings include Plato, Aquinas, Bacon, Descartes, Hume, and
Dewey. Four credit hours. L. BEHUNIAK
PL117f Central Philosophical Issues: Constructions of Difference What makes human beings different from nonhuman
animals? How should we understand racial, cultural, gender, class, and other significant human differences? How have all of these
kinds of difference been understood historically, and how have colonialism, patriarchy, environmental destruction, white supremacy,
and capitalism benefited from these constructions of difference? An introduction to philosophy through prominent questions and
themes in critical social theory that provide resources for clear reasoning about creating just communities and for exploring the
relationships between academic work and social responsibility. Four credit hours. I. PETERSON
PL120fs Central Philosophical Issues: Mind and Machine This course is an introductory exploration of the philosophical issues
surrounding artificial intelligence, covering a broad range of perspectives on the topic. The course will start with some historical roots
and then turn to address views from contemporary philosophy of mind and relate them to discussions about current AI systems. We
will delve into foundational concepts like inference, representation, computation, and learning, as they are used to describe both
biological and artificial systems. We will examine the extent to which AI systems approximate human and animal intelligent capacities,
and critically reflect on the implications for understanding our own minds, and on the ethical implications of building AI. Four credit
hours. INSTRUCTOR
[PL126] Philosophy and the Environment An introduction to philosophy through prominent questions and themes in
environmental philosophy. Topics include the historical context and causes of environmental crisis, anthropocentrism, animal rights,
intrinsic value, biocentrism, ecocentrism, and radical social theories, incorporating core philosophical issues in ethics, philosophical
anthropology, and nature philosophy. These provide resources for clear and creative reasoning on the philosophical aspects of
creating sustainable communities, for reflection on value priorities, and for exploration of relationships between academic work and
social responsibility. Four credit hours.
[PL131] Philosophy and Science Fiction Science fiction offers us an entertaining and thought-provoking way to explore the
most fundamental mysteries of the universe. In this course, we will examine some classics of the genre to see how they shed light on
enduring philosophical questions, such as: What constitutes personal identity? Is time travel possible? What is a mind? Does free will
exist? How can we know the truth? What are our responsibilities to others? Students will come away from the course with a deeper
understanding of these classic problems of philosophy, a better sense of how science fiction can be used to investigate them in ways
that go beyond standard philosophical methods, and an awareness of the continuity between philosophy and the arts. Three credit
hours.
[PL145] Paradox and the Limits of Reason Part of what it is to be a fully rational being is to think about what it means to be a
rational being, but when reason reasons about itself it opens the door to a bewildering array of conceptual dead-ends: self-referential
paradoxes, infinite regresses, and dilemmas of various sorts. Beginning with some playful, but frustrating, antinomies of reason—from
the Liars Paradox to the Prisoners Dilemma—we will develop analytic techniques, critical skills, and logical tools to help untangle the
knots into which reason ties itself and push up against the bounds of reason. Satisfies the Social Sciences (S)
requirement. Prerequisite: Concurrent registration in Mathematics 145 and Religious Studies 145. Elect IS145. Four credit
hours. S.
PL151f Logic and Argumentation Argumentation is a subject that covers the processes of reasoning, the communicative
actions, and the dialectical exchanges that give form to our intellectual lives. Logic, the study of inferences, is a central component of
good argumentation. Students develop the conceptual vocabulary and critical skills to argue effectively and to evaluate arguments
intelligently. These include interpretive techniques, like diagramming and fallacy identification, as well as the formal, analytic tools of
symbolic logic. Four credit hours. Q. COHEN
[PL161] Reading Greek Philosophy What are the rewards and challenges of reading Greek texts in the 21st century? How much
difference does a translation make? Key selections from the works of authors being read in recent classics and philosophy courses,
team taught by classics and philosophy faculty, and opening dialogue between classics and philosophy students. Readings in Greek
and/or English. Students without Greek do all readings in English. Attention to the theory and practice of translation.
Nongraded. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing, or current or previous enrollment in a Greek language course. One credit hour.
[PL211] Moral Philosophy Should ethics be based on universal respect for human dignity, on an assessment of what would
benefit society at large, or on what fosters desirable character traits in the individual? Our answers determine how we address difficult
questions concerning life and death, the ethics of war, indigenous rights, and global poverty. We explore the historical basis of four
major movements in current ethical theory: virtue ethics, deontology, moral psychology, and utilitarianism. In conjunction with each
theory, we will consider a contemporary ethical issue. Students develop both written and verbal argumentative skills through essays
and class presentations. Four credit hours. S.
[PL212] Philosophical Paradoxes There can be an air of paradox when thinking about thinking, as if thought gets its own way.
We will begin with a look at some playful, but frustrating, "antinomies of reason" - from the Liar's Paradox to the Prisoner's Dilemma -
in order to develop and test conceptual strategies that can then be applied to more traditional philosophical problems. To untangle the
knots that reason ties itself into, we will need access to a broad array of analytic techniques, critical skills, and logical tools. Finally, we
will discover something about the nature of philosophy from these peculiarly and characteristically philosophical problems. Three
credit hours.
[PL213] Philosophical Inquiries into Race A philosophical treatment of several aspects of race and racism: ontological issues
surrounding what race is; existential and phenomenological issues about embodiment as a visible racial minority; social and political
issues regarding oppression, colonization, and discrimination; and ethical issues involving racial minorities in the American
context. Four credit hours. S, U.
[PL213J] Philosophical Inquiries into Race A philosophical treatment of several aspects of race and racism: ontological issues
surrounding what race is; existential and phenomenological issues about embodiment as a visible racial minority; social and political
issues regarding oppression, colonization, and discrimination; and ethical issues involving racial minorities in the American
context. Three credit hours. S, U.
[PL215] Feminist Philosophies Whether one views feminism as a philosophical school of thought, an interpretive strategy, a
political movement, or a way of understanding culture and ideas, it has many faces; feminism is neither unified nor monolithic.
Students examine several feminist frameworks (structures of political thought that shape feminism), their relationship to and difference
from one another, and feminist issues that lie outside of those frameworks. Four credit hours. S, U.
[PL216] Philosophy of Nature Ancient philosophers contemplated the natural world, modern philosophers and scientists sought
to instrumentalize it, and recent thinkers are gaining an appreciation of nature's often unruly complexity. As they consider varied
historical and current accounts of nature, students will also engage with the questions how, by whom, and under what conditions
knowledge of nature is produced, providing opportunities to question their own fundamental beliefs about nature. Readings range from
Aristotle to current philosophy, history, and social studies of the sciences. Four credit hours.
[PL217] Feminism and Science An examination of new and challenging questions feminists and social theorists have raised
about the content, practice, values, and traditional goals of science. Objectives include deepening the student's knowledge of feminist
philosophy and familiarizing them with some of the diverse literature in the field of science studies. Topics include "standpoint" and
social epistemologies; objectivity, value-neutrality, and universality claims of modern science; the social and historical character of
science; how implicit assumptions about gender, class, ethnicity, epistemic, and social values affect research and reasoning; and how
the language scientists use to explain phenomena conditions the production of knowledge. Four credit hours. S, U.
[PL220] Seminar on Philosophy and Gender This seminar focuses primarily on writings by female and non-binary philosophers,
considering topics including the epistemology of silencing, the ethics of pronouns, the metaphysics of race, and the difference
between social and political justice. Through these authors, we will also learn about contemporary philosophizing about gender.
Through close reading of texts, we will develop philosophical skills of critique and analysis. Through student presentations, we will
develop speaking and presentation skills. Two credit hours.
[PL222] Philosophy of Sex and Gender Examines sex and gender from a philosophical perspective. We will inquire into the
nature of gender, biological sex, and the relationship between the two, with the intersections among sex, gender, race, class, disability,
sexuality, etc. in view. Throughout the course, we will consider the relationship between gender and "othered" identities in general,
and investigate structures of identities and difference and how they come to be. Ultimately, we will investigate the possibilities for
thinking outside of, or rethinking, these structures. We will also look at the relationship between gender and historical and
contemporary notions of "reason." Readings will include works by both contemporary philosophers of sex and gender as well as
selections from the history of philosophy. The latter texts will be analyzed with a view toward their relevance to questions of sex and
gender. Four credit hours.
PL231f History of Ancient Greek Philosophy A survey of ancient Greek thought through the ideas of the pre-Socratics, the
Sophists, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, and the Stoics. Primary, though not exclusive, attention will be to metaphysical and
epistemological issues. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. H. HILL
PL232s History of Modern Philosophy The philosophical period covered (roughly 1600-1800) includes some of the great
transformations of Western philosophy: Descartes's famous cogito, Spinoza's radical monism, Hume's sweeping skepticism, and
Kant's Copernican Revolution. Along the way, thinkers such as Elizabeth of Bohemia, Hobbes, Locke, and Mary Astell engaged in
spirited debates about the origin of emotions, the nature of freedom, the status of knowledge, and the place of belief. We study each
of these theorists in an effort to understand the questions they raised and the impact of their answers on the contemporary world. Four
credit hours. H. MOLAND
[PL234] Philosophy and Art In 1964, philosopher Arthur Danto had a life-changing experience viewing contemporary art and
concluded that we had reached the "end of art." What could this mean? We will explore this and other questions, including, Why do
humans create art in the first place? Is the aesthetic experience primarily cognitive or emotive? Should art merely entertain us or
ennoble and improve us? Do artistic genres such as comedy evolve, or do they (and does art in general) articulate something
constant about human nature? Will engage students in artistic events on campus and the Colby Museum of Art. Through written
exercises and presentations, students' written and verbal skills are developed. Prerequisite: Sophomore or higher standing. Four
credit hours. A.
[PL235] The Stoic Way of Life In keeping with a recent resurgence in interest in Stoicism, this course aims to return to the Greek
and Roman sources in order to explore Stoicism's long-standing influence and allure. At the center of the course will be the questions:
If humans live best "according to nature," what does that mean and is it a sustainable human life? In addition to the ancient sources,
we will look at contemporary works that interpret Stoicism for the twenty-first century. Learning goals include gaining a deep familiarity
with Stoic philosophical thought and its historical development, oral and written communication of complex ideas, exploring Stoicism
deeply in written work that analyzes, synthesizes, and argues – i.e., speaking, reading, and writing philosophically. Four credit
hours. H.
[PL236] Critical Social Thought Readings from seminal texts in the early liberal tradition, from critics of the liberal tradition and
neoliberal theory. Students will engage with this tradition and its critics addressed through a critical focus on gender, race, and class
injustices. Four credit hours. U.
[PL237] Taking Philosophy Public Philosophy has turned recently to urgent conversations about how we might extend what we
do in the academy out to the public sphere and contribute to public life. In this humanities lab, students will read philosophical texts
about democracy and public disclosure, follow philosophers on social media, and video conference with philosophers who are
currently engaged in public philosophy activities. They will then design, organize, and carry out a public philosophy activity of their
choosing, lead discussion in a Socrates café, write op-ed pieces for local papers, create a podcast, engage philosophically with local
students or the elderly etc. Prerequisite: Two philosophy courses. Three credit hours.
[PL239] Epistemology An introduction to basic philosophical positions regarding Skepticism, knowledge versus belief, knowledge
and the world, and epistemic justification as well as topics such as the nature of certainty, "naturalized epistemology," and the ethics of
belief. Four credit hours.
[PL240] Freedom, Resentment, and the Other What is moral freedom? Does a smoldering resentment fuel the dominant
discourse of equality and justice? How does the Other person present resistance to my own freedom? Controversial answers to these
questions have been provided by some of the most influential European philosophers in history. Students will engage with Kantian
deontological moral theory, Nietzsche's critique of "slave morality," phenomenological value ethics, existentialist, dialogical, feminist,
and discourse ethics, among others. Examination of these alternatives provides students ample opportunity to reflect on their own
moral ideas and commitments in an informed way. Four credit hours.
PL243s Environmental Ethics Aims to familiarize students with the many philosophical approaches that have been developed
over the past few decades in response to the environmental crisis. It covers not only classical issues such as anthropocentrism and
the intrinsic value of nature, but also supplies the conceptual tools needed to tackle the complex ethical, political, cultural, scientific,
and practical dimensions of human relations to more-than-human nature. Special attention will be devoted to the topics of nonhuman
animals, food, energy, and climate change. Four credit hours. PETERSON
PL245s Africana Philosophy This course considers competing ideas of Africana philosophy, engages with the effects of the
transatlantic slave trade on American philosophy, and considers what Afrodiasporic thinking teaches us about building a more just
society. Philosophers considered include Julia Anna Cooper, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King, Angela Davis,
Patricia Hill Collins, Denise James, Cornell West, George Yancy, and Kristie Dotson. Through close reading of texts, we will develop
philosophical skills of critique and analysis. Four credit hours. H, U. MOLAND
PL253j Skepticism East and West For as long as there have been philosophers engaged in passionate pursuit of knowledge,
there have been skeptics critical of the entire enterprise. Can we really know the Truth about anything? For that matter, how important
is it for us to know the Truth? Skeptical thinkers have appeared in all times and cultures. We will engage with three venerable texts:
the Zhuangzi from ancient China, Nagarjuna's writings on the Middle Way from ancient India, and the Outline of Skepticism by Sextus
Empiricus from ancient Greece. Our goal is to put these authors into dialogue and then join in that dialogue. Prerequisite: A prior
course in philosophy. Three credit hours. COHEN
[PL258] Advanced Logic Further investigations into symbolic logic and its extensions, with special attention to modal logic and
some attention to metatheoretic results. Prerequisite: Philosophy 151. Four credit hours.
PL265f Chinese Philosophy An introduction to major thoughts, texts, and thinkers in the "classical" period of Chinese philosophy,
which covers roughly the sixth through the third centuries BCE (known as the Warring States period). We will cover Confucius, Mozi,
Mencius, Zhuangzi, Laozi, Sunzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, the Yijing or Book of Changes, and other important texts. Provides an overview of
the philosophical questions that motivated thinkers in early China and aims to provide an appreciation for how various answers to
these questions have shaped East Asian civilizations generally. Four credit hours. BEHUNIAK
[PL266] Buddhist Philosophy Examines the philosophical dimensions of the rise of Buddhism in India and its spread across
East Asia. After an introduction to the historical Buddha and to Buddhist philosophies in India, we will examine the major schools of
Buddhist philosophy in China and the dominate schools of Zen Buddhism in Japan, all in chronological order and with attention given
to the development and transformation of key philosophical ideas. Questions pertaining to the nature of reality, time, causality, self,
mind, truth, language, and the relation between theory and practice are explored. Four credit hours. L.
PL274s Philosophy of Religion An examination of some principal philosophical issues in the area of religion, including the
existence of God, divine attributes in relation to time, space, and the natural world, the origin and content of religious experience,
issues regarding faith and its object, and the function of religious symbolism. Readings include both critics and defenders of the
religious standpoint. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy. Four credit hours. S. BEHUNIAK
[PL277] Reuman Reading Group Faculty and students jointly select, read, discuss, and argue about a philosophical text in
regular, intellectually rigorous, but freewheeling and informal sessions that provide an opportunity to indulge our passion for
philosophy. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. One credit hour.
PL298s Philosophy of Disability This course looks at current and historical issues, debates, and problems within the philosophy
of disability. We will discuss models of disability, the inclusion of disability in theories of human nature, ethics of disability, and the
intersections between disability and other marginalized identities such as race, gender, class, sexuality, and so on. Central questions
include whether disability is socially constructed as opposed to part of the natural diversity of human bodies and minds and what
previous philosophical narratives of disability say about socio-historical understandings of the body and of human subjectivity in
general. Four credit hours. HILL
[PL311] Philosophical Approaches to Global Justice Recent philosophical theorizing regarding global justice. Topics include
our responsibilities regarding global poverty, the definition and causes of terrorism, the nature of collective responsibility, the ethical
implications of the nation-state. Gives particular attention to philosophers who have left the ivory tower by putting their theories into
action such as Peter Singer, Thomas Pogge, and Martha Nussbaum. Students have the option of putting theory into practice through
a civic engagement project. Prerequisite: Two courses in philosophy. Four credit hours. I.
PL314s Karl Marx and Marxist Philosophical Thought Beginning with Marx's and Engels's primary texts, we then examine the
influence of Marxist philosophical thought on economic theory, revolutionary theory, cultural criticism, feminism, and aesthetic
theory. Four credit hours. S. PETERSON
[PL317] Philosophy of Science A consideration of some major 20th-century conceptions of what scientists aim to do, what
theoretical structures they employ in pursuing their aims, and what legitimates these structures. Science seems to be constrained by
experience in distinctive ways, but it also ventures far beyond experience in pursuing its theoretical and explanatory aims. These
issues are approached historically by examining the rise and fall of the project known as logical empiricism (or logical positivism). Four
credit hours.
PL328f Radical Ecologies Radical ecologies interrogate our everyday, scientific, and metaphysical conceptions of nature, they
emphasize that environmental problems in human-to-nature relations originate in human-to-human relations (e.g., gender, class, and
race relations), and they call for comprehensive social and cultural changes through their critiques of existing social forms. They
critically explore the historical, cultural, ethical, political, economic, and technological aspects of the place of the human in nature.
Readings from anarchist social ecology, deep ecology, ecofeminism, and ecosocialism. Prerequisite: One philosophy course. Four
credit hours. PETERSON
PL337f Philosophy of Humor What makes something funny? Is there a logic to jokes? What unites puns, slapstick, and satire?
Does saying "It's only a joke" excuse offensive jokes? Is a sense of humor a virtue? Is humor a proper subject for philosophy?
Historically important theories from Aristotle, Hobbes, Kant, Schopenhauer, Bergson, and Freud will lead us to contemporary debates
about the logic, ethics, and aesthetics of humor as well as its cognitive and social aspects. Prerequisite: Three philosophy
courses. Four credit hours. MOLAND
[PL338] Philosophy of Language Philosophy took a linguistic turn in the 20th century: philosophers have come to suppose that
reflection on the nature of language and the linguistic representation can help solve longstanding philosophical problems. The
development of the philosophy of language and its success, with special attention to the role of metaphor. Prerequisite: Philosophy
151. Four credit hours.
PL352s American Philosophy An introduction to classical American philosophy (roughly 1870-1945), with a focus on pragmatic
naturalism as a response to European forms of empiricism and idealism. Begins with the transcendentalist thinker Ralph Waldo
Emerson. Features close study of thinkers most representative of the "classical" period: Peirce, James, Dewey, Addams, Mead, and
others. Students acquire a solid historical, cultural, and philosophical understanding of what is quintessentially "American" about
American philosophy and how it relates to other philosophical traditions. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy. Four credit
hours. H. BEHUNIAK
PL353f Contemporary Analytic Philosophy At the turn of the 20th century, G. E. Moore and Bertrand Russell revolutionized the
way we philosophize. Their new methods focused intensely on language, radically altering philosophy's agenda: old questions got
new answers, new questions were raised, more attention was paid to the nature of philosophy itself. It culminated in Wittgenstein's
extraordinary Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus--and a discipline in a crisis of self-identity. The first articulate responses in mid-century
were Logical Positivism and Ordinary Language Philosophy, but the contours of contemporary philosophy and its main voices, such
as Kripke's Realism or Rorty's Neo-Pragmatism, are still best understood against this historical backdrop. Provides context for
entering contemporary philosophical debates. Prerequisite: Two philosophy courses. Four credit hours. COHEN
[PL357] Beauty and Truth: The German Age of Aesthetics Philosophers and artists during the German Age of Aesthetics
(1770-1830) believed that art was among humans' highest achievements. Kant compared aesthetic insight with moral feeling; Goethe
and Schiller paired their pathbreaking literary accomplishments with theories describing freedom in terms of the tragic and the
sublime. The poet Novalis and critic Friedrich Schlegel articulated a new aesthetic they hoped would change the world; Hegel argued
that art is one expression of absolute truth. These aesthetic theories are supplemented with plays and novels, as well as with the
music and visual art that characterized the period. Prerequisite: Two philosophy courses. Four credit hours. A.
[PL359] 19th-Century Philosophy Philosophy in the 19th century began with systematic philosopher G.W.F. Hegel's claim that
what is rational is actual and what is actual is rational; it ended with Nietzsche's virulent attacks on the entire Western rationalist
tradition and Hedwig Dohm's theory of radical emancipation. Between these benchmarks, we find Karoline von Günderrode's
ecological monism, Karl Marx's claim that philosophy's job is not to understand the world but to change it, Kierkegaard's ethics of
renunciation, and Clara Zetkin's socialist feminism. A survey of these and other philosophers along with a study of the social
upheavals to which they reacted. Prerequisite: Philosophy 232. Four credit hours. H.
PL365f Philosophy of Cognitive Science This course will cover a range of major philosophical topics relating to the scientific
study of thinking. We will investigate some of the basic concepts, assumptions, and historical precedents that cognitive scientists
commonly rely on, consider the strengths and weaknesses of different experimental approaches, and tackle open questions and
debates. We will consider conscious, algorithmic, and neurophysiological processes, and ask how they relate to an understanding of
cognition. Students will learn the theoretical underpinnings of cognitive science, its typical methods, and some existing challenges for
the field, and they should develop their own critical perspective on how scientists can best study cognition. Prerequisite: One course in
philosophy, psychology, biology or computer science. Four credit hours. BAKER
[PL374] Existentialism An examination of the existing individual, their freedom and death, meaning, value, nihilism, authenticity,
responsibility, and faith in the works of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Camus, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Buber, and the
phenomenologists Frantz Fanon and Iris Marion Young. Prerequisite: Two philosophy courses. Four credit hours.
[PL378] Being, Difference, and Power From the early 20th century, European philosophers produced provocative and influential
theories that continue to shape the intellectual landscape of the humanities and social sciences to this day. The interrogation of being
and existence, meditations on difference and identity, and the theorization of power and domination distinguish much of this work.
Movements and schools of thought covered in the course include phenomenology, existentialism, French empiricism, critical theory,
feminism, poststructuralism, science studies, and recent realisms. Prerequisite: Philosophy 232, 359, or one philosophy course at the
200-level or above. Four credit hours.
[PL380A] Recent Continental Realisms In recent years, a group of philosophers has thrown the widespread dogma of "social
construction" into question. Is the world really nothing but a social construction? Does humankind really play such a significant role in
the constitution of the world through its consciousness, subjectivity, language games, discourse, praxis, being-in-the-world, or
embodiment? Students will explore some very recent work by a handful of philosophers who argue that in order for philosophy to be
rescued from its condition of being unable to respond to current world problems, it has to return to some form of
realism. Prerequisite: Philosophy 232 or two philosophy courses. Four credit hours.
[PL380B] Material Ethics Formal ethics claim that rule-following, good intentions, or universal principles and procedures are at
the core of the moral life. Material ethics explore the domains of content that are overlooked when attention is focused solely on these
formal aspects, such as the role of the emotions and embodiment in ethical relations, the satisfaction of basic human needs, the
plurality of value experiences and value priorities, and ethical responses to the concrete structural nature of social oppression. This
course will engage students with often-neglected minority traditions in philosophical ethics, including feminist ethics, value theory, and
the ethics of liberation. Prerequisite: Two philosophy courses (not including Philosophy 151). Four credit hours.
[PL380C] Neo-Platonism This course will introduce some of the central ideas and thinkers of the Neoplatonic tradition. We will
read selections from Plotinus' Enneads and Proclus' Elements of Theology and On the Existence of Evils. We will examine the
Neoplatonic metaphysical schema, ontology, and views on the human soul, matter, and evil. Throughout the course, we will consider
the roots of these ideas in the thought of Plato and Aristotle, showing how the Neoplatonists synthesized these two philosophers and
their respective philosophical legacies into a systematized philosophical worldview. We will supplement our readings of the primary
texts with selections from contemporary scholars to aid us in understanding some of the more complex and historically nuanced ideas
within the Neoplatonic system. We will conclude by highlighting the debate between Plotinus and Proclus on the nature of matter and
its relationship to evil, and we will discuss the possibilities of Neo/Platonic theories of evil in light of Neo/Platonic
metaphysics. Prerequisite: Two philosophy courses (not including Philosophy 151). Four credit hours.
PL381s Philosophers in Focus: Plato A concentrated study of a selection of Plato's dialogues and some scholarly articles,
centered around a given theme. Students will gain deep understanding of the theme, as well as its connection to Plato's larger
philosophical project. Prerequisite: Philosophy 231. Four credit hours. HILL
[PL386] Philosophers in Focus: Immanuel Kant Kant developed his metaphysical system not only as an austere account of
purely rational determination of knowledge and action but also as an intervention in the lively and tumultuous milieu of the
Enlightenment. In this course, we study Kant's critical philosophy to acquaint ourselves with the principles of his metaphysics,
epistemology, and ethics before turning to popular and scholarly polemical pieces in which he engages with a variety of socio-political
views of the day, including the topic of race. Prerequisite: One course in philosophy (not including Philosophy 151). Four credit
hours.
[PL389] Philosophers in Focus: Ludwig Wittgenstein Ludwig Wittgenstein was an extraordinary philosopher - brilliant,
troubled, enigmatic, charismatic, and enormously influential despite being so often misunderstood. In this seminar, we will begin with
his rigorous but cryptic early masterpiece, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, before turning to the Philosophical Investigations, with its
provocative critiques of his earlier essentialism and foundationalism. There will also be opportunities for forays into his writings on
culture, mathematics, psychology, and ethics. Prerequisite: Two philosophy courses. Four credit hours.
[PL401] Philosophy Colloquium I The first semester of a year-long series of presentations from invited speakers on topics of
philosophical interest. Senior majors are required to attend all colloquia, read the papers, and prepare responses to the
presentations. One credit hour for completion of two semesters of the series. Prerequisite: Senior standing as a philosophy
major. Noncredit.
[PL402] Philosophy Colloquium II The second semester of a year-long series of presentations from invited speakers on topics
of philosophical interest. Senior majors are required to attend all colloquia, read the papers, and prepare responses to the
presentations. One credit hour for the year. Prerequisite: Philosophy 401 and senior standing as a philosophy major. One credit
hour.
PL422s Philosophical Encounters: Dewey, Addams, and Social Democracy This course will explore interactively the
contributions of two important twentieth-century American figures: John Dewey and Jane Addams. Using Dewey's Democracy and
Education (1916) as a point of departure, it explores the life and writings of Addams, tracing the central role that her work played in
helping Dewey arrive at his ideas. Dewey's and Addams' impact on topics such as cultural pluralism, economic justice, voting rights,
charity, gender and racial equality, education, and democratic theory will be explored. This course will include "philosophical
encounters," both in-person and remotely, with scholars on Dewey and Addams, and students will complete independent research
projects. Prerequisite: Five philosophy courses at least one of which must be at the 300-level. Four credit hours. COHEN
PL483f, PL484s Philosophy Honors Program Research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member and focused on an
approved topic leading to the writing of a thesis. A 3.25 major average at the end of the senior year, a grade of A- or better on honors
work, a public presentation, and final approval by the department are conditions of successful completion of this
program. Prerequisite: Senior standing, a 3.25 major average at the end of the junior year, and permission of the department. The
honors tutor must be a member of the philosophy faculty. Four credit hours.
[PL483J] Philosophy Honors Program Noncredit.
PL491f, PL492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Physics
In the Department of Physics and Astronomy
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers several programs. Students may select one of the following: (1) the physics major,
(2) the physics major with a concentration in astrophysics, (3) the astronomy minor, and (4) the physics minor. The astronomy minor is
described in the “Astronomy” section of the catalogue.
Physicists study nature and how things work on levels ranging from the smallest subatomic and atomic scales, through intermediate
scales describing matter in its various forms, up to the largest astrophysical scales of galaxies and the universe as a whole. Physics
and astronomy students acquire skills in qualitative descriptions and explanations of physical phenomena, mathematical analysis of
physical phenomena, experimental observation, measurement, and instrumentation, theoretical and numerical modeling, scientific
writing, and oral presentation. Flexible major and minor programs are designed to fit within a liberal arts education and to provide
preparation for careers or advanced training in science, teaching, business, medical professions, and engineering. The department
welcomes students from all majors and with diverse backgrounds.
The introductory course sequence, Physics 141 (or 143) and 145, provides a solid basis for further work in physics as well as
preparation for medical school and advanced study in other sciences. These courses also provide excellent preparation for students
who plan to enter professions such as law, teaching, and business. The intermediate and advanced course offerings in the
department provide a strong background for graduate study in physics, astronomy, engineering, and interdisciplinary fields such as
biophysics, neuroscience, environmental science, medical physics, and bioengineering.
All faculty members have active research programs that involve undergraduate contributions. Faculty research areas include atomic,
molecular, and optical physics, soft matter physics, theoretical physics, and astronomy. Research projects make use of the
department’s well-equipped laboratories, computer workstations, the Collins and Young Observatories, and supporting technical
shops. Students interested in conducting research with faculty are encouraged to consider the Honors Programs that the department
offers.
Students seeking a career in engineering may consider applying to an exchange program in which both a bachelor of arts and a
bachelor of engineering can be earned upon successful completion of a joint program with Dartmouth College or Columbia University.
Interested students should consult with the engineering advisor before selecting their first-semester courses.
Physics 141, 145, 241, and 242 form a comprehensive introduction to classical and modern physics. For students with a previous
background in physics and calculus from high school, Physics 143 may be taken instead of Physics 141.
No requirements for the physics major, the physics major with a concentration in astrophysics, or the physics minor may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Grade point averages for the department’s majors and minors are calculated using all courses that can
satisfy the requirements listed below.
Students considering graduate school in physics or astronomy are strongly encouraged to take all of the following courses:
Mathematics 253, 262, 311, 352, Physics 253, 311, 321, 332, and 431.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Jonathan McCoy
Professors Robert Bluhm, Charles Conover, and Duncan Tate; Associate Professors Dale Kocevski, Jonathan McCoy, and Elizabeth
McGrath; Senior Laboratory Instructor Lisa Lessard; Laboratory Instructor I Michaela Allen; Visiting Assistant Professors Brian
DiGiorgio and James Porter
Requirements
Requirements for the Physics Major
Physics majors have a lot of flexibility in choosing the courses that are most appropriate for them. Students should work closely with
their advisors in selecting courses to fulfill the requirements for the major and satisfy their academic goals. Not all upper-level elective
courses are offered every year. Seniors must enroll in Physics 401.
Required Physics Courses (unless exempted by advanced placement)
Physics
● 141 Foundations of Mechanics (or 143 Honors Physics)
● 145 Foundations of Electromagnetism and Optics
● 241 Modern Physics I
● 242 Modern Physics II
● 250 Experiments in Modern Physics
● 401 Senior Physics and Astronomy Seminar
Mathematics and Computer Science Courses: Choose four (unless exempted by advanced placement); no more than one of the
courses should be in computer science.
Computer Science (152 preferred over 151 or 153)
● 151 Computational Thinking: Visual Media
● 152 Computational Thinking: Science
● 153 Computational Thinking: Smart Systems
Mathematics
● 120, 121, 125, or 130 Single-Variable Calculus (or Honors Calculus I, 135 or 161)
● 122 or 160 Series and Multi-Variable Calculus (or Honors Calculus II, 162 or 165)
● 253 Linear Algebra
● 262 Vector Calculus
● 311 Ordinary Differential Equations
Elective Courses: Choose at least three. At least two must be 300-level or higher physics or astronomy courses, and at least one
300-level or higher physics or astronomy course must be taken at Colby.
Astronomy
● 231 Introduction to Astrophysics
● 342 Galaxies and Cosmology
Biology
● 274 Neurobiology
Chemistry
● 255 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
● 341 Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics and Kinetics
Mathematics
● 332 Numerical Analysis
Physics
● 253 Electronic Measurement in the Sciences
● 311 Classical Mechanics
● 312 Physics of Fluids
● 321 Electricity and Magnetism
● 332 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
● 333 Experimental Soft Matter Physics
● 335 General Relativity and Cosmology
● 338 Nuclear and Particle Physics
● 431 Quantum Mechanics
Requirements for the Physics Major with a Concentration in Astrophysics
Students should work closely with their advisors in selecting courses to fulfill the requirements for the concentration. Not all
upper-level courses are offered every year. Astronomy 231 and one 300-level physics or astronomy course must be taken at Colby.
Seniors must enroll in Physics 401. Students electing the astrophysics concentration should choose a class that focuses on a topic in
astrophysics or a related field.
Required Courses (unless exempted by advanced placement)
Physics
● 141 Foundations of Mechanics (or 143 Honors Physics)
● 145 Foundations of Electromagnetism and Optics
● 241 Modern Physics I
● 242 Modern Physics II
● 250 Experiments in Modern Physics
● 401 Senior Physics and Astronomy Seminar
Astronomy
● 231 Introduction to Astrophysics
● 342 Galaxies and Cosmology
Computer Science – Choose one (152 preferred over 151 or 153)
● 151 Computational Thinking: Visual Media
● 152 Computational Thinking: Science
● 153 Computational Thinking: Smart Systems
Mathematics – Choose three (unless exempted by advanced placement)
● 120, 121, 125, or 130 Single-Variable Calculus (or Honors Calculus I, 135 or 161)
● 122 or 160 Series and Multi-Variable Calculus (or Honors Calculus II, 162 or 165)
● 253 Linear Algebra
● 262 Vector Calculus
● 311 Ordinary Differential Equations
Elective Courses: Choose at least two. At least one must be a 300-level or higher physics or astronomy course.
Computer Science
● 231 Data Structures and Algorithms
● 251 Data Analysis and Visualization
Mathematics
● 381 Mathematical Statistics I: Probability
Physics
● 311 Classical Mechanics
● 321 Electricity and Magnetism
● 332 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
● 335 General Relativity and Cosmology
● 338 Nuclear and Particle Physics
● 431 Quantum Mechanics
Statistics
● 212 Introduction to Statistical Methods
● 321 Applied Regression Modeling
Requirements for Honors in Physics and Physics with a Concentration in Astrophysics
In the junior year, physics majors may apply for admission to the honors program. A 3.25 grade point average in courses that can
count toward the major is normally required. Successful completion of the honors program will result in the degree being awarded with
“Honors in Physics” or “Honors in Physics with a Concentration in Astrophysics.”
Honors majors in physics must, in addition to fulfilling the requirements for the major, take three additional 300-level or higher physics
courses and one additional 200-level or higher mathematics course. In fulfilling these requirements, students must take at least one
upper-level experimental course (Astronomy 231, Physics 253 or 333). In their senior year, they must also take Physics 483 and 484
Independent Honors Project. A written honors thesis is required. A thesis completed as part of the Senior Scholars Program may be
substituted for the honors thesis.
Honors majors with a concentration in astrophysics must, in addition to fulfilling the requirements for the concentration, take three
additional electives, two of which must be 300-level or higher physics or astronomy courses. In their senior year, they must also take
Physics 483 and 484 Independent Honors Project. A written honors thesis is required. It is expected that students electing the
astrophysics concentration will focus their honors thesis on a topic in astrophysics.
Requirements for the Minor in Physics
Physics 141 (or 143), 145, 241, 242 (or 300-level or higher physics or astronomy course), Mathematics 121 (or 120, 125, 130, 135, or
161), 122 (or 160, 162, or 165).
Note: Students cannot fulfill the physics minor if electing to minor in astronomy.
Course Offerings
[PH120] Space ... The Final Frontier This writing-intensive course will use the exploration of other worlds, real and imagined, as
an opportunity to investigate the shifting relationships between science, science fiction, and fantasy. Students will consider the social
and political implications of human exploration, together with the science behind space travel and the historical development of the
NASA space program in particular. Literature and films will be treated as texts, illustrating key elements of written craftsmanship such
as word choice, style, structure, and narrative. Four credit hours. W1.
PH141f Foundations of Mechanics A calculus-based survey of classical Newtonian mechanics, including kinematics, forces,
work and energy, momentum, gravity, fluids, oscillations, and waves. These topics are developed further in discussions, labs, and
problem-solving assignments. May not be taken for credit if the student has earned credit for Physics 143. Prerequisite: A working
knowledge of high school or college calculus, or concurrent enrollment in Mathematics 121, 122, 125, 130, MA160, or 161. Four credit
hours. N,Lb. CONOVER
PH143f Honors Physics An accelerated, calculus-based, introductory course on Newtonian mechanics supplemented with some
coverage of additional special topics. Intended for students who have had substantial courses in physics and calculus in high school.
Topics in Newtonian mechanics include kinematics, dynamics, conservation laws, oscillations, and waves. Additional topics include
special relativity and nuclear physics. Students acquire knowledge in these areas and skills for solving mathematical problems and
doing laboratory work. May not be taken for credit if the student has earned credit for Physics 141. Four credit hours. N,Lb. BLUHM
PH145s Foundations of Electromagnetism and Optics Explores the foundations of electrical and magnetic forces,
electromagnetic waves, and optics. Students will learn how electric and magnetic fields are described mathematically, how they are
interrelated, and how the interrelations lead to a wide variety of physical phenomena. Practical applications in electric circuits and
optical devices are explored. These topics are developed further in discussions, laboratory exercises, and out-of-class
assignments. Prerequisite: Physics 141 or 143, and Mathematics 121, 125, 130, 135, or 161. Four credit hours. N,Lb. MCCOY,
TATE
PH231f Introduction to Astrophysics Listed as Astronomy 231. Four credit hours. N,Lb. ZANGER
PH241f Modern Physics I An introduction to the two central paradigms of non-Newtonian physics: Einstein's special theory of
relativity and the quantum behavior of light and matter. The postulates of Einstein are presented and the consequences explored
theoretically along with experimental evidence for relativity. The experimental evidence for quantum mechanics is considered from a
historical perspective, beginning with Planck's quantum hypothesis for blackbody radiation through to the Bohr model of the hydrogen
atom and the experimental evidence for the Schrödinger equation. Students will acquire skills in solving physics problems and
learning to communicate the solutions effectively in writing. Lecture and discussion. Prerequisite: Physics 145 and Mathematics 122,
160, 162 or 165. Four credit hours. MCCOY
PH242s Modern Physics II An intermediate-level introduction to quantum mechanics and atomic physics. Topics include the
Schrödinger equation, interpretation of the wave function, one-dimensional potentials, hydrogen atom, electron spin, exclusion
principle, atomic structure, and atomic spectra. Lectures and discussions. Prerequisite: Physics 241. Four credit hours. CONOVER
PH250fs Experiments in Modern Physics Explores physics laboratory practice in connection with the core principles of modern
physics. Introduces concepts of experiment design, the use of electronic instrumentation and data acquisition, techniques of data
analysis and presentation, and skills in scientific communication through written and/or oral presentations. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Physics 241 (may be taken concurrently). Four credit hours. CONOVER, TATE
[PH253] Electronic Measurement in the Sciences Electronic measurements are used in all of the sciences as well as
interdisciplinary research areas such as environmental science. Provides introduction to control and measurement instrumentation
using analog and digital devices and microcontrollers. Emphasizes laboratory work and includes design and implementation of
electronic measurement and signal processing methods. Advanced analysis techniques will be introduced. Normally offered every
other year. Prerequisite: Physics 145. Three credit hours.
[PH262] Data Science in Astrophysics Listed as Astronomy 262. Four credit hours.
PH311f Classical Mechanics Newton's laws, oscillatory motion, non-inertial reference systems, classical gravitation, motion of
rigid bodies, and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. Lecture and discussion. Prerequisite: Physics 145 and Mathematics 122,
160, 162 or 165. Four credit hours. TATE
PH312s Physics of Fluids All living things, from the smallest cells to the largest communities, interact with the fluid environment
of liquids and gases that covers the planet. Our understanding of fluid motion helps us build better airplanes, investigate climate
change, and discover new design principles in biology. We will view this subject as an exciting, interdisciplinary opportunity to see the
laws of physics in action. Emphasis will be on a core set of basic concepts and mathematical tools used to describe fluids and explore
a range of applications drawn from biology, chemistry, geophysics, and engineering. Prerequisite: Mathematics 262 and Physics
242. Four credit hours. MCCOY
PH321f Electricity and Magnetism A theoretical treatment of electrostatics and magnetostatics in vacuum and material media
through Maxwell's equations. Lecture and discussion. Prerequisite: Physics 145 and Mathematics 262. Four credit hours. PORTER
PH332s Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Examines the concepts of temperature, energy, heat, work, and entropy.
Thermodynamic relations between these quantities are studied from both a microscopic and macroscopic point of view. The laws of
thermodynamics are developed from an underlying statistical treatment. Topics such as heat flows, heat engines, phase transitions,
chemical reactions, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics, and blackbody radiation are discussed. Lecture and
discussion. Prerequisite: Mathematics 122, 160, 162, 165 and either Physics 242 (may be taken concurrently) or Chemistry 342 (may
be taken concurrently). Four credit hours. PORTER
[PH333] Experimental Soft Matter Physics An introduction to scientific research, focusing on soft matter physics and nonlinear
science. Uses advanced experimental topics such as Brownian motion, pattern formation, hydrodynamic instabilities, and chaos to
provide basic training in modern interdisciplinary research methods. Strong emphasis will be placed on the use of computers and
computer programming, image analysis, wet lab techniques, and other broadly applicable skills, including the reading and writing of
scientific research articles. Prerequisite: Physics 242 and Mathematics 262. Four credit hours.
PH334f Experimental Atomic Physics Experimental Atomic Physics Laboratory projects in modern atomic, molecular, and
optical (AMO) physics. Experiments include observing the Zeeman effect in mercury using a grating spectrometer, laser-induced
fluorescence spectroscopy of iodine, Doppler-free diode laser spectroscopy, and magneto-optical trapping of rubidium atoms. Through
these and other projects, students will learn cutting-edge techniques of modern AMO physics. In addition, they will become familiar
with, and be expected to engage in, communication of results both orally and in written form. Laboratory and tutorial. Some
out-of-class participation required. Prerequisite: Physics 242 and 250. Four credit hours. TATE
PH335f General Relativity and Cosmology An introduction to Einstein's general theory of relativity, including a treatment of
tensor analysis, Einstein's equations, Schwarzschild metric, black holes, expansion of the universe, and
cosmology. Prerequisite: Physics 241. Four credit hours. BLUHM
PH342s Galaxies and Cosmology Listed as Astronomy 342. Four credit hours. ZANGER
[PH345] Topics in Quantum Information Quantum information science combines physics and computer science. Exploiting the
dynamics of quantum systems changes the nature of computation and manipulating information. The course will provide an
introduction to the foundational principles of quantum physics from the perspective of quantum information including an understanding
of the difference information storage in quantum states versus classical states (quantum bits and classical bits) including the inability
to copy quantum bits (the no-cloning theorem) and entanglement, an understanding of quantum computing operations (quantum
gates) an introduction to quantum algorithms, in particular those for factoring composite numbers and database searches. The course
will be taught in a seminar format. Previously offered as Physics 398 (Spring 2020). Prerequisite: Mathematics 253 and Computer
Science 232 or Physics 242. Two credit hours.
PH401f, PH402s Senior Physics and Astronomy Seminar Seminars will focus on student-led discussions of readings from the
primary literature and will also include playing host to outside speakers. Required of all senior physics majors. Prerequisite: Senior
standing. Two credit hours. BLUHM
PH401Sf Senior Physics and Astronomy Seminar Noncredit. BLUHM
PH431s Quantum Mechanics Study of the structure and interpretation of quantum mechanics at an advanced level. Quantum
states and observables are described in terms of abstract state vectors and operators. Students learn about representations of state
vectors and operators in terms of wave functions and differential operators in addition to the tools of linear algebra: vectors and
matrices. We will approach the abstract representation of quantum objects using the concrete example of spin-1/2 particles and
photons to provide insight into fundamental principles. Deep issues concerning the nature of locality and realism are explored. Weekly
discussions and problem-solving assignments are used to clarify concepts. Should be taken by students intending to go to graduate
school in physics or a related area. Prerequisite: Physics 242 and Mathematics 253. Four credit hours. BLUHM
PH483f, PH484s Independent Honors Project Research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member and focused on an
approved topic leading to the writing of an honors thesis. Two to four credit hours.
PH491f, PH492s Independent Study Individual topics or research in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to five credit hours. FACULTY
Psychology Department
We believe the best way to learn the science of psychology is by engaging our faculty and students in a collaborative search for new
knowledge about cognition, emotion, and behavior. This process begins with an understanding of the discipline’s conceptual
foundations, and it requires a firm grounding in methods of research design and statistical analysis. Psychology majors learn how to
explain behavior from multiple perspectives; how to ask substantive questions and to use appropriate empirical methodologies to
address those questions; how to communicate their findings clearly in written, oral, and visual forms; and how to interact with humans
and animals following the ethical standards of the field.
An extensive program of laboratory research provides the means for students and faculty to work together to explore interesting
phenomena in cognition, development, emotion, health, motivation, neuroscience, perception, personality, psychopathology, and
social psychology. Civic engagement and internship opportunities allow students to apply course content to real-world contexts.
The concentration in neuroscience allows students to explore an interdisciplinary field combining the study of psychology and biology,
and the computational psychology major allows students to address questions about human or animal behavior by harnessing the
tools of computer science. More information on research in the various laboratories may be found on the department’s website.
Students who major in psychology will graduate knowing how to ask good questions and how to find and communicate the answers to
those questions. These skills are useful in any field of endeavor, especially for graduate study in psychology or other professional
programs such as law or medicine and as general preparation for entry into business, educational, nonprofit, or governmental work
settings.
Because Psychology 214 and 215 impart skills that are crucial for the required advanced work in collaborative research, students
must maintain minimum grades of C in these courses in order to continue in the major. Psychology 214 and 215 should be taken in
the sophomore year and no later than the junior year; these courses may not be repeated. Psychology 214 and 215 must be taken on
campus, so students who wish to study off campus in their junior year must complete these courses in their sophomore year. Two
courses (equivalent to Psychology 111 or the 200-level electives, not 214 or 215) transferred from other institutions, including those
taken while abroad, may be counted toward the major. Psychology and psychology: neuroscience majors may not take any
psychology course satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Students may not earn more than four total academic credits from PS416, PS483/484,
and PS491/492 within the same semester.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Christopher Soto
Professors Martha Arterberry, Melissa Glenn, and Christopher Soto; Associate Professors Jennifer Coane, Tarja Raag, and Erin
Sheets; Assistant Professors Jin Goh, Derek Huffman, Veronica Romero ’09, and Elizabeth Seto; Visiting Assistant Professors
Michael Buccigrossi, Czarina Evangelista, and Ross Rogers
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Psychology
Psychology 111, 214, 215, 420; at least two courses from 232, 233, 234, 236, 241, 242, 244, 272, 275, 298; at least two courses from
120C, 223, 245, 251, 253, 254, 259; at least one 300-level seminar with an associated course in collaborative research; at least one
other 300-level course.
Requirements for the Major in Psychology: Neuroscience
Psychology 111, 214, 215, 233, 420; at least two courses from 232, 234, 236, 241, 242, 244, 272, 275, 298; at least two courses from
120C, 223, 245, 251, 253, 254, 259; at least one course from 352F, 374, 375; at least one 300-level seminar with an associated
course in collaborative research. In addition, Biology 163, 164, and 274 (with lab); at least one biology course from 225, 276, 279,
332, 371J, 373, and 374. A student may not double major in biology with a concentration in neuroscience and psychology:
neuroscience.
Requirements for the Major in Computational Psychology
Psychology 111, 214, 215; at least three additional 200-level courses, including at least one of Psychology 244 or 272; at least one of
Psychology 345 and 346, Psychology 358 and 359, or Psychology 362. In addition, Computer Science 151, 152, or 153; 231 and 251
or 252; 310, 330, 343, or 346; one additional 300-level or 400-level course. In addition, either Psychology 416 or 483 and 484 (by
invitation), Computer Science 483 and 484 (by invitation), or a 400-level Computer Science course.
Honors in Psychology, Psychology: Neuroscience, or Computational Psychology
Near the end of the junior year, students may be invited by the department to participate in the honors program. Criteria for invitation
normally include maintaining an outstanding major GPA, completing at least one seminar and collaborative research paired course by
the end of the junior year, and overall engagement in research. Beyond these general criteria, departmental decisions regarding
honors invitations will also reflect compatibility of student and faculty research interests. In addition to fulfilling the basic requirements
for the psychology major, students must complete the honors research sequence (Psychology 483, 484). Upon vote of the
department, the student will be awarded his or her degree with “Honors in Psychology.”
Course Offerings
PS111fs Introduction to Psychology An examination of classical and contemporary topics in psychology, including
neuroscience, learning, memory, cognition, language, development, personality, psychopathology, and social psychology. Students
will begin developing skills that will enhance understanding of the discipline of psychology, including explaining behavior from multiple
theoretical perspectives, applying research to real-world contexts and thinking about implications of research. Four credit
hours. S. FACULTY
[PS120B] Memories and Memoirs Memory supports an individual's sense of self and place in the world. To learn how memory
underlies the construction of individual and social narratives, we will talk about memory and memory failures and apply this knowledge
to assess memoir essays and other forms of writing. Students will a) practice writing for diverse audiences; b) learn about the process
of writing through outlining, drafting, and revising; c) refine skills in writing clearly and eloquently; and d) properly represent and
integrate the ideas of others. Students will also learn about the science of memory and memory processes related to long-term
memory. Four credit hours. W1.
PS120Cs Worlds of Childhood In this writing-intensive course, we will explore childhood across diverse contexts. Through
reading memoirs, we will consider the context of development, the importance of early experience, identity, and resilience. Students
will also practice various forms of writing, including reading responses, opinion pieces, persuasive writing, and a research paper. Can
count as Psychology 259 toward the psychology majors. Four credit hours. W1. ARTERBERRY
[PS141] Emerging Research in Developmental Psychopathology How can two children start life under the same
circumstances but 10 years later one struggles with mental issues while the other thrives? How can some people begin on entirely
different paths and end up experiencing the same mental issues? In this course, you will be introduced to developmental
psychopathology, an area of psychology that aims to answer these questions by exploring individual (biology, personality) and
environmental (family, peers, community) differences throughout childhood. You will have the opportunity to explore different
pathologies by learning to quickly and effectively read research papers, engaging in seminar-style discussions on innovative findings,
and developing questions and predictions about your interests with the support of collaborative work groups. Previously offered as
PS197 (Jan Plan 2022). Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Three credit hours.
PS214f Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology I Along with Psychology 215, provides students with knowledge of
research design and statistical tools for working with data, which will allow them to engage in original empirical research. Topics
include descriptive and inferential statistics, literature review, hypothesis formulation, and issues of control and ethics in research.
Students practice a variety of statistical tests, work with SPSS, powerful statistical software, and prepare a written proposal for an
experiment following the stylistic conventions of the American Psychological Association. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Psychology 111 and another 200-level psychology course (may be taken concurrently). Four credit
hours. Q. SOTO
PS215s Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology II Continuation of Psychology 214. Topics include experimental
design, analysis of variance (ANOVA), interpretation of complex factorial studies, and oral and written communication of findings
following the conventions of the American Psychological Association. Collaborative laboratory activities center on design, data
collection, analyses, and oral and written communication of an original empirical research project. Lecture and
laboratory. Prerequisite: Psychology 214, a W1 course, and sophomore or junior standing. Four credit hours. W2. SETO
PS223f Social Identities Social identities are fundamental to how people understand themselves and how they relate to others.
Examples of social identities include (but are not limited to) gender, social class, race, and religion. In this class, we will examine the
psychology behind how social identities are developed, how they shape people's judgments of themselves and others, and what they
mean to different people. Students will engage with published research, media (op-eds, videos), and fellow classmates to understand
this diverse world. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours. U. GOH
PS232f Cognitive Psychology Study of human cognition: how the cognitive system encodes, processes, and uses information.
Emphasis is on the areas of pattern recognition, attention, memory, and language. We will explore these areas by discussing classic
and contemporary research and the theories proposed to explain the observed phenomena. We will integrate findings from behavioral
studies, neuroscience, and special populations to gain understanding of the basic processes underlying normal cognitive operations
that are pervasive in everyday life. Readings and discussion of original papers and written assignments will supplement lectures and
texts. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours. COANE
PS233fs Biological Basis of Behavior Broad survey of behavioral neuroscience will include instruction on neural anatomy and
function; modulation of these systems by hormones, drugs, and disease; and the neural basis of many behaviors of interest to
psychologists, including sex, sleep, learning, and memory. Students will gain a comprehensive working knowledge of the mammalian
central nervous system in the context of psychology to use as they learn the historical and modern framework of specific questions by
reading and discussing research articles and completing assignments. Assignments will prepare students to write a research proposal
on one topic they will learn about and critically analyze in more depth. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit
hours. BUCCIGROSSI, EVANGELISTA
PS234s Principles of Learning An examination of non-associative and associative forms of learning. We will examine how
animals learn about the relationships among events and how these relationships are expressed into observable behaviors. Principles
of animal learning will also be applied to human learning to understand the relevance and generality of the class material. Through
readings and discussions of classic and modern scientific articles, students will learn the various neurobiological mechanisms involved
in different types of learning. Assignments will prepare students to communicate science to diverse
audiences. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours. EVANGELISTA
[PS235] Psychology of Creativity and Innovation Business leaders and scholars cite the importance of creativity and
innovation for profit and organizational success. Based on Industrial and Organizational Psychology, this course explores creativity
and innovation in the workplace. Students will learn about theories, predictors, consequences, measurement and critiques of creativity
and innovation at work. As part of an applied project, students will work individually or in pairs on an innovative business idea. In this
seminar-style course, meetings will focus on class discussions of assigned readings, lectures and in-class activities. Please note that
this course focuses on understanding the psychology of creativity and innovation rather than training students to be creative and
innovative. Previously offered as JP297 (Jan Plan 2021). Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Three credit hours.
[PS236] Drugs, Brain, and Behavior An examination of relationships among drugs, nervous system, conscious experience, and
behavior. Historical and legal as well as psychopharmacological aspects of a wide variety of licit and illicit substances will be
surveyed, including cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, opiates, marijuana, hallucinogens, psychotherapeutic and
other prescription medications, and over-the-counter drugs. Includes critical reading and discussion of information from scientific and
popular media, related written assignments, and oral presentation. Credit cannot be earned for both Psychology 115 and
236. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours.
PS241s Health Psychology An examination of the contributions of psychology to identifying factors that relate to health and
illness, promoting and maintaining health, and preventing and treating illness. Students will gain knowledge of methodologies for
studying health behavior, the role of psychological, social, and structural factors in health and illness, theories of health behavior, and
designing interventions to promote health and manage illness. In addition, students will apply course content to real-life
contexts. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours. BUCCIGROSSI
[PS242] Psychoneuroimmunology Study of the influence of psychological state on the communication and coordinated function
among cells of the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system. We will review the current molecular and cellular
evidence that these systems interact through sharing the same cells, chemical messengers, and receptors. Other topics include the
role of conscious thought, emotional states, meditation, depression, stress, and positivity on immune function. Through exams and
written assignments, students will also evaluate the influence of the complex coordinated activity of this psycho-neuro-immuno cell
system on psychogenic disease and aging via the impact on cellular detoxification, tumor surveillance, epigenetic mechanisms, and
human gut microbiota. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours.
[PS244] Cognitive Neuroscience Cognitive neuroscientists attempt to further our understanding of cognition by studying the
brain. You will gain an understanding of the methodological toolkit of cognitive neuroscientists, including behavioral techniques,
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), studies of patient populations, and computational
modeling. You will learn how the field has advanced our understanding of high-level cognitive functions, such as memory, spatial
navigation, semantic cognition, and language. In addition to reading the textbook and primary journal articles, you will analyze data
and explore simulations of the brain. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours.
[PS245] Industrial and Organizational Psychology Industrial and organizational psychology is psychology applied to the world
of work. This course will explore topics related to personnel selection, job performance, and training and development. This course will
also look at how to improve employee motivation, job satisfaction, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. Previously offered as
Psychology 298 (Spring 2020). Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours.
PS251s Personality Psychology An individual's personality is that person's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and
behaving, together with the psychological mechanisms that underlie this pattern. In this introduction to personality science, students
will critically engage with a variety of theories, methodologies, and research findings that influence current thinking about personality.
Issues considered include approaches to studying personality; biological, social, and cultural bases of personality; conscious and
unconscious personality processes; and influences of personality on behavior and life outcomes. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four
credit hours. SOTO
PS253fs Social Psychology Social Psychology is the scientific study of the causes and consequences of people’s thoughts,
feelings, and actions regarding themselves and other people. Introduces students to major theoretical perspectives as well as classic
and contemporary research in the field. Topics include social cognition and perception, the self, attitudes and persuasion, social
influence, prejudice, aggression, prosocial behavior, and interpersonal attraction. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit
hours. ROGERS
PS254f Psychological Disorders An examination of major paradigms, research, and current issues in abnormal psychology.
Includes diagnostic classification, etiology, and clinical intervention strategies as applied to the major categories of mental disorder.
Special topics such as professional ethics in mental health settings and the criminalization of mental illness are also
addressed. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours. SHEETS
PS259s Lifespan Development A study of human development across the lifespan with emphasis on the general characteristics
of development from birth to death. Various theories will be explored to explain developmental processes. Topics include perceptual,
cognitive, social, and identity development; the role of families, communities, and culture in development; and death and dying.
Students have the option to participate in civic engagement activities in the local community. This applied work helps students explore
how to apply the findings of research or tenets of theory to real-world contexts. Students with prior credit for Psychology 120 cannot
receive credit for 259. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours. RAAG
PS272f Sensation and Perception A key part of psychology is understanding how we perceive and interact with our world. In this
course we will discuss the functions of some of our sensory systems, how they work alone and in concert with each other to provide
us with information. Through the course of the class we will review historic as well as our current understanding of the field with
demonstrations as well as reading. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify the human sensory machinery and
explain the perceptual process in varying situations, explain and evaluate the differing theoretical perspectives in the science of
perception, as well as critically think about the science of psychology. Prerequisite: Psychology 111. Four credit hours. ROMERO
[PS332] Seminar in Diversity Science This seminar draws on social psychological theories and methods to examine the science
behind our diverse social experiences, particularly when individuals of different social groups (such as gender, race, and nationality)
interact with one another. In Spring 2020, we will focus on prejudice and its origins, maintenance, consequences, and interventions.
We will examine the perpetuation of prejudice as well as the experience of being the target of prejudice. Students will learn how to
critically discuss, defend, and dissect published research, current social events, and their own research
data. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 223 or 253, and concurrent enrollment in 333. Four credit hours. W3.
[PS333] Collaborative Research in Diversity Science Collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in Seminar
in Diversity Science. Students will collaborate, design, conduct, and present an original research project that contributes to diversity
science through social psychological framework. Collaborative and individual performance will be evaluated based on oral and written
assignments of completed research project. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Psychology 332. One credit hour.
PS336fs Seminar in Experimental Social Psychology Trains students to critically examine, write about, and discuss primary
empirical sources/contemporary research in social psychology. Topics may include self-esteem, belief in free will, and perceptions of
authenticity and meaning in life. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 223, 251 or 253, and concurrent enrollment in 337. Four credit
hours. W3. ROGERS, SETO
PS337fs Collaborative Research in Social Psychology Collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in
Psychology 336. Students will design, conduct, and present an original research project that contributes to the knowledge of
contemporary issues within social psychology. Collaborative and individual oral and written assignments, following the conventions of
the American Psychological Association, will be used to evaluate students' research and communication
competencies. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Psychology 336. One credit hour. ROGERS, SETO
[PS339] Seminar in Personality Psychology With its companion, Psychology 340, trains students to be personality
psychologists--informed consumers and producers of personality science. Students will critically engage with a variety of personality
theories and research through reading, writing, and discussion. Issues considered include how specific habits of thinking, feeling, and
behaving cohere into broader personality traits; how personality develops across the life span; and how personality influences
behavior and life outcomes. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 245 or 251, and concurrent enrollment in Psychology 340. Four credit
hours. W3.
[PS340] Collaborative Research in Personality Psychology Each student will become an expert about a specific issue related
to personality. Working collaboratively, students will then design, conduct, and present a research project that contributes new
scientific knowledge about this issue. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 251, and concurrent enrollment in Psychology 339. One credit
hour.
PS341s Seminar in Memory Focuses on the processes by which memories are modified or distorted. Students will acquire a
basic understanding of how memories are reconstructive in nature and depend on and interact with other cognitive processes.
Evaluation of theories and interpretation of data will be achieved through reading and discussing original sources. In-class discussion,
as well as presentations and written assignments, will help students develop critical and analytical skills to understand and interpret
data. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 232, or 244, and concurrent enrollment in Psychology 342. Four credit hours. W3. COANE
PS342s Collaborative Research in Memory Collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in Psychology 341.
Students will conduct original empirical work testing the reconstructive nature of memory. Students' competence in research and
communication will be assessed, following the guidelines of the American Psychological Association, through written assignments and
oral presentations, both collaborative and individual. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Psychology 341. One credit
hour. COANE
PS343f Seminar in Emotion Theory and Research Critical examination of various areas of research in emotion, with an
emphasis on current issues. Discussion topics may include models of emotion, emotion antecedents and appraisal, emotional
response (facial expression, subjective report, physiological arousal), emotion regulation, and dysfunctional emotion in the context of
psychopathology. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and either 253 or 254, and concurrent enrollment in Psychology 344. Four credit
hours. SHEETS
PS344f Collaborative Research in Emotion Laboratory involving collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in
Psychology 343. Students design, conduct, and present original research on emotion. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in
Psychology 343. One credit hour. SHEETS
PS345s Seminar in Human Movement Examination of human movement research with an emphasis on the role of action for
understanding perception, cognition and social interaction. Through reading of empirical journal articles dynamical systems theory and
embodiment will be explored as tools to better understand human movement, as opposed to the classical motor control thesis.
Discussion topics may include the perception and action cycle, mimicry, imitation, intrapersonal and interpersonal coordination,
postural control, locomotion, social action, and affordances. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 232, 272, or 298, and concurrent
enrollment in 346. Four credit hours. ROMERO
PS346s Collaborative Research in Human Movement Collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in Seminar
in Human Movement. Students will collaborate, design, conduct, and present an original research project that contributes to our
understanding of human movement in individual or social situations using dynamical systems tools. Collaborative and individual
performance will be evaluated based on oral and written assignments of completed research project. Prerequisite: Concurrent
enrollment in 345. One credit hour. ROMERO
PS347f Seminar in Cognitive Development Study of children's cognition with a goal of understanding their increasing
competency in eyewitness testimony. Focusing on 3- to 5-year-old children, current theories and empirical research are explored.
Discussion topics may include memory development, information processing, perception, attention, and/or how the social context
influences cognition. Reading and discussion of empirical research articles allow for development of skills for evaluating current
empirical research, placing new data within a theoretical context, and explaining cognitive development from several theoretical
perspectives. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 120, 232, or 259; and concurrent enrollment in 348. Four credit
hours. W3. ARTERBERRY
PS348f Collaborative Research in Cognitive Development Collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in
Psychology 347. Empirical work addressing an original research question on a topic pertaining to 3- to 5-year-old children's cognitive
development. Collaborative and individual oral and written assignments, following the conventions of the American Psychological
Association, evaluate students' research and communication competencies. Includes volunteering weekly in a local early-childhood
program. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Psychology 347. One credit hour. ARTERBERRY
PS349f Seminar in Neural Plasticity and Behavior Several topics within the field of behavioral neuroscience will be examined in
depth with an emphasis on rat models of cognition, emotion, and motivated behaviors. Current and historical contexts will be
examined and discussion topics will focus on varieties of neural plasticity and their relevance to behavior, including adult hippocampal
neurogenesis, neuron morphology, neurotransmitter function, protein expression. There will be a major emphasis on sophistication in
behavioral analyses in rodent models and students will be introduced to data management and visualization techniques for use with
large, complex data sets. Behaviors of interest may include memory consolidation, anxious-like and investigatory behaviors, stress
reactivity and consequences, reward mechanisms, and/or social interactions. Reading and discussion of empirical and review papers
will develop skills to critically evaluate and integrate published and generated data. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 233, 234, 242,
or 244 and concurrent enrollment in Psychology 350. Four credit hours. W3. EVANGELISTA
PS350f Collaborative Research in Neural Plasticity Collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in
Psychology 349. Empirical work addressing an original research question on a topic pertaining to a feature of brain plasticity and a
corresponding behavioral construct will be conducted. Data science techniques to manage and visualize large data sets will be
practiced. Collaborative and individual oral and written assignments, following the conventions of the field, will be used to evaluate
students' research and communication competencies. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Psychology 349. One credit
hour. EVANGELISTA
[PS352A] Seminar: Sexes and Genders Psychological principles as they relate to sex/gender/sexuality. Focus topics including
theoretical perspectives of how the dimensions of sex/gender/sexuality are formed will be addressed in the first half; specific topics
related to sex/gender/sexuality in the second. Focus topics are selected by students and have included dating violence, gender
bullying, homophobic/transphobic bullying, domestic violence, and links between systems of discrimination
(sexism/racism/homophobia/classism). Students are expected to participate in applied work or activism and to reflect on how to bridge
the gap between research/theory and using research/theory in the real world to solve social problems linked to
sex/gender/sexuality. Prerequisite: Psychology 223, 253 or 259, and senior status. Four credit hours.
[PS352B] Cognitive Aging Seminar As the world's population is graying, understanding the aging process is critical for social
and policy decisions. Examines how psychological processes change as we age, with an emphasis on the cognitive aspects critical
for maintaining independence and health. Key areas include attention, memory, and language processes, with an examination of how
changes in these domains influence psychological well-being. Students will develop an understanding of issues related to aging,
theoretical approaches to explaining age-related changes, differences between healthy and disordered aging, and what factors can
reduce risks of cognitive decline and dementia. Presentations, discussions, and critical analysis of original papers will support learning
goals. Prerequisite: Psychology 232 or 244. Four credit hours.
[PS352C] Seminar on Mood Disorders and Creativity: The Mad-Genius Debate Are creative people more likely to experience
mood disorders? Can extreme mood experiences inform and even enhance creativity? The concept of the "mad genius" has been
debated for centuries and remains controversial within modern psychological science. We will explore the nature of creativity and its
intersection with mood and mental illness. Learning goals include discussing and critically examining conflicting claims about the
effects of mood episodes on creative productivity, conceptually linking psychological science to disciplines of creative expression, and
proposing a novel research project regarding mood disorders and creativity. Prerequisite: Psychology 254. Four credit hours.
PS352Ds Seminar: Psychology of Prejudice Despite increasing efforts to eradicate prejudice in our society, we have yet to
achieve equality in the treatment and opportunities for many social groups across race, gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic status,
and other features. From a social psychological perspective, we will examine the causes and consequences of stereotyping,
prejudice, and discrimination in their many forms. Both individual and group-level processes impact judgments, performance, and
attributing blame to people who hold prejudiced beliefs or people who are targets of prejudice. We will study empirical research and
theory to better understand the ways in which stereotypes can be automatic, maintained, and reduced. Prerequisite: Psychology 223
or 253. Four credit hours. GOH
PS352Efs Seminar: Developmental Psychology Psychological principles as they relate to developmental psychology. Topics
including theoretical perspectives on how development proceeds will be addressed in the first half; specific topics related to
development in the second. Topics are selected by students and have included dating violence, bullying, sexuality, domestic violence,
links between systems of discrimination (sexism/racism/homophobia/classism), resiliency, parenting, attachment, friendships,
mentoring, death, and dying. Students are expected to participate in applied work to reflect on how to bridge the gap between
research/theory and using research/theory in the real world. Prerequisite: Psychology 120C, 223, 253, or 259. Four credit
hours. RAAG
PS352Ff Seminar: Neuroscience of Addiction Explores the neurobiology of substance abuse and addiction. Drawing on
research using animal and human models, explores a) the neurological foundations of addiction, b) neurological changes as a
function of the long-term use of addictive substances, and c) implications for treatment options to restore healthy function. Students
will learn about psychoactive substances, previous efforts to control their use by legislation and other means, and current efforts to
regulate illegal drug use. Students will read the primary empirical literature, lead discussion, and engage in assignments designed to
synthesize what is known about the subject. Prerequisite: Psychology 233. Four credit hours. BUCCIGROSSI
PS352Gs Seminar: Clinical Interventions: Science and Practice Explores the principles and research base of major,
empirically-supported psychotherapy models, including behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and acceptance-based therapies.
Learning goals include differentiating common factors of treatment from specific factors, contrasting therapy models, and articulating
the scientific process of treatment development and evaluation. Readings and videos of therapy sessions will illustrate clinical
intervention approaches. Students will not be trained in clinical interventions but will leave the course with a deeper understanding of
evidence-based practice. Prerequisite: Psychology 254. Four credit hours. SHEETS
[PS354] Seminar in Emerging Adulthood Study of identity change in emerging adults. Current theories and empirical research
on identity are explored with an emphasis on developmental processes. Discussion topics may include contexts of change, contextual
triggers of change, scaffolding for healthy identity change, and the intersection among identities. Students will determine the more
specific focus of identities we study: religious, political, sexual, gender, ethnic/racial, etc. Reading and discussion of empirical research
articles allow for development of skills for evaluating current research, placing new data within a theoretical context, and explaining
identity development from several theoretical perspectives. Prerequisite: Psychology 215, and either 255, 256, or 259, and concurrent
enrollment in 355. Four credit hours.
[PS355] Collaborative Research in Emerging Adulthood Collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in
Psychology 354. Empirical work addressing an original research question on a topic pertaining to emerging adult identity.
Collaborative and individual oral and written assignments, following the conventions of the American Psychological Association, in
addition to evaluating student research and communication competencies. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Psychology
354. One credit hour.
[PS358] Seminar in Cognitive Neuroscience This seminar will provide you with an in-depth exposure to cognitive neuroscience.
We will focus our discussions on spatial navigation, memory, and visual cognition. You will learn about the methods of cognitive
neuroscience, including behavioral techniques (computerized tasks and virtual reality), electroencephalography (EEG), and functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). You will learn computer programming skills for experiment creation and data analysis (e.g.,
machine learning). You will also learn scientific communication skills, such as reading and discussing journal articles, creating figures,
and creating scientific talks. Prerequisite: Psychology 215 and 233 or 244, and concurrent enrollment in 359. Four credit hours.
[PS359] Collaborative Research in Cognitive Neuroscience Collaborative empirical research projects on topics discussed in
Psychology 358. Students will design, conduct, and present an original research project that contributes to the knowledge in the field
of cognitive neuroscience. Collaborative and individual oral and written assignments, following the conventions of the American
Psychological Association, will be used to evaluate students research and communication competencies. One credit hour.
PS362f Advanced Quantitative Analysis of Psychological Data An exploration of methods of analysis from non-linear
dynamical systems and complexity theory and their application to large behavioral data sets ("big data"). We will learn about three
data analysis techniques, collaboratively use these techniques to answer empirical questions that can be posed of different behavioral
big data sets, and communicate our findings in oral, visual, and written forms. This seminar style class will consist of reading, data
analysis, writing assignments, as well as oral presentations of the centered around each of the projects. Prerequisite: Psychology 111,
214, and 215. Four credit hours. W3. ROMERO
PS374s Seminar: Psychology and Neuroscience Exploration of the vast intersection between the fields of psychology and
neuroscience: how psychology has shaped and contributed to the field of neuroscience, and how findings from neuroscience aid
psychological research and theories. Topics may include developmental and degenerative neuropathology and the impact of
environment, genetics, psychological factors, and sociocultural contexts over them. Students will read, critically evaluate, and discuss
empirical and theoretical papers as they gain depth of knowledge on different topics. Students will present their ideas in oral and
written form and will work on a collaborative writing project. Prerequisite: Psychology 233, 234, 242 or 244. Four credit
hours. EVANGELISTA
PS416fs Senior Empirical Research A senior independent empirical project conducted in one semester that addresses a
question about human or animal behavior or mental processes. Students will be expected to carry out all phases of a research
investigation, including a literature review, study design, data collection and analyses, and writing a final
report. Prerequisite: Psychology 215, content area courses relevant to the research topic, and permission of the department. Three or
four credit hours.
PS420fs Senior Integrative Seminar A culminating experience for students majoring in psychology, organized around the
department's research colloquium series. Students will critically engage with a variety of current psychological research and will
integrate theories, methodologies, and findings across areas of psychology. Specifically, students will attend research presentations
by invited guest speakers, read companion papers selected by the speakers, meet in a seminar session to discuss each speaker's
presentation, and write a final paper that integrates the theories, methodologies, or research findings of at least two colloquium
speakers. Prerequisite: Senior standing in psychology and permission of the instructor. Three credit hours. GOH, RAAG, ROGERS,
SHEETS
PS483f, PS484s Honors Research I, II Under faculty supervision, students prepare a proposal and carry out an independent,
empirical project culminating in the preparation of a paper of publishable quality and a formal presentation. A 3.50 major average at
the end of the senior year is a condition of successful completion of this program. Application required during junior
year. Prerequisite: A 3.50 major average at the end of the junior year and permission of the department. Four credit
hours. FACULTY
PS491f, PS492s Independent Study Individual projects, under faculty supervision, in areas in which the student has
demonstrated the interest and competence necessary for independent work. Cannot be counted toward the psychology major or
minor. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Religious Studies Department
Colby’s Religious Studies Department trains students to critically analyze the ways in which individuals and communities
conceptualize the transcendent, that which they regard as vitally significant. Its courses explore diverse religious traditions, regions,
and time periods through three analytical frameworks:
1. Identity: How ideas about the transcendent interact with societal norms regarding hierarchical conceptions of human
difference, including those associated with gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and class.
2. Interpretation: How individuals and communities express ideas about the transcendent in literary and artistic works, and how
they engage ideas expressed within their religious traditions.
3. Practice: How individuals and communities seek to actualize their ideas about the transcendent through rituals, material
culture, and daily life.
Faculty
Chair, Professor Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh
Professors David Freidenreich and Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh; Assistant Professors Kerry Sonia and Joshua Urich
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Religious Studies
A minimum of nine courses, to include the following:
● RE128, “Introduction to the Study of Religion”
● At least one 100-level course related to one or more Eastern religious traditions
● At least one 100-level course related to one or more Western religious traditions
● At least two 300-level courses taught by members of the Religious Studies Department; majors are strongly encouraged to
take at least one seminar before their senior year
● At least two designated courses in each of the analytical frameworks (Identity, Interpretation, Practice). A single course may
count simultaneously toward the framework requirement and the survey or seminar requirement.
● RE470, “Senior Capstone” (fall and spring semester, two credits each unless taken as part of the honors program)
Honors Program in Religious Studies
Students majoring in religious studies may apply at the start of their senior year for admission to the honors program, in which case
they enroll in RE470 for four credits each semester and write a more substantial thesis than is otherwise required. Students are
expected to submit their proposal to the department chair by the deadline for adding fall courses. Admission is contingent on a GPA of
3.65 or higher in the major at the completion of the junior year. On successful completion of the work for the honors program, students
will graduate from the College with “Honors in Religious Studies.”
Requirements for the Minor in Religious Studies
A minimum of six courses, to include the following:
● RE128, “Introduction to the Study of Religion”
● At least one 100-level course related to one or more Eastern religious traditions
● At least one 100-level course related to one or more Western religious traditions
● At least one 300-level course taught by a member of the Religious Studies Department
● At least one designated course in each of the analytical frameworks (Identity, Interpretation, Practice). A single course may
count simultaneously toward the framework requirement and the survey or seminar requirement.
Students may petition to count off-campus study courses toward fulfillment of an appropriate analytical framework requirement;
courses taught at Colby may only count toward the single framework designated by the instructor.
Courses by Analytical Framework
Identity
● RE 117: India and the Western Imagination
● RE 182: Jews, Judaism, and the Modern World
● RE 218: Global South Asia RE
● RE 237: Cults in America
● RE 297: Gender, Sexuality, and the Bible
● RE 387: Anti-Judaism and Islamophobia in Christian/Western Thought
Interpretation
● RE 128: Introduction to the Study of Religion
● RE 136: Introduction to Christianity
● RE 143: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
● RE 144: Introduction to the New Testament
● RE 181: Conceptions of Jews and Judaism
● RE 111: Religions of India
● RE 211: Religions of China, Japan, and Tibet
● RE 298: Religion, Technology, and the Human Self
● RE 398: War and the Bible
Practice
● RE 217: American Religions
● RE 232: American Spirituality and the Environment
● RE 242: The Good Life
● RE 2XX: American Christianity, American Capitalism
● RE 285: Faith, Class, and Community
● RE 297: Who Owns the Bible
● RE 297: Religion and Politics in the United States
● RE 319: Bollywood and Beyond
● RE 322: Food and Religious Identity
● RE 3XX: History of Satan
Courses from Other Departments that can Serve as Electives in the Religious Studies Major/Minor
(Students may petition the chair to consider other courses toward the major)
Art
● 125 Art and Architecture of the Islamic World, 622-1250
● 126 Art and Architecture of the Islamic World, 1258-1914
● 127 History of Architecture: From Pyramids to Cathedrals
● 213 Early Medieval Art
● 323 Destroying Culture: Iconoclasm
Anthropology
● 244 Anthropology of Religion
● 246 Religion and Everyday Life in Muslim Societies
● 316 Religion and Social Change in Contemporary Africa
Biology
● 147 Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga and Mindful Practice
Classics
● 136 Myth and Magic
East Asian Studies
● 273 Survey of East Asian Art
Government
● 251 Israelis and Palestinians: Conflict and Accommodation
● 252 Introduction to Politics of the Middle East
History
● 285 Foundations of Islam
● 317 Universities, Cathedrals, Courtly Love: 12th-Century Renaissance
● 381 Women and Gender in Islam
Latin American Studies
● 373 Religion and Unbelief in Latin American History
Music
● 254 Music of Meditation
Philosophy
● 114 Central Philosophical Issues: Nature and God
● 266 Buddhist Philosophy
● 274 Philosophy of Religion
Sociology
● 236 American Religion and Society
Course Offerings
RE111s Religions of India Introduces the diversity of religious ideals and practices in South Asia. We will read primary Hindu,
Buddhist, Sufi, and Sikh texts, and study their myths, artistic expressions, and ritual performance. We will discuss representation and
resistance of caste, religion, class, gender, and race inequities. Importantly, the inter and intra relationship of Asian religions in our
pluralistic landscape. The goal is to gain an enhanced awareness of personal values and attitudes as global citizens, and to hone
analytical and critical reading, writing, and oral skills. Four credit hours. S, I. SINGH
[RE114] Introduction to the Study of Religion: Religion, Ritual, the Body Piercing, restraint, sleep deprivation, starvation,
tattooing. We examine religious modifications of the body through ritual, the use of clothing, the treatment of hair, and through other
forms of decoration and even violent modification. In this introduction to the study of religion and recent theories of religion, ritual, and
the body, students will learn how scholars investigate religion. They will also learn to describe two major theoretical approaches to
religious ritual, to use these tools to explain practices from prayer to extreme forms of asceticism, and to describe and evaluate
sources of information for the study of religion. Four credit hours. S.
RE117f A Passage to India: India and the Western Imagination Beginning with Walt Whitman's romantic journey toward the
"soul" of the universe, Western attitudes towards India and India's encounter with Western culture will be studied. Literature and film
include A Passage to India, The Razor's Edge, The English Patient, Siddhartha, The Namesake, Gitanjali, Blinded by the
Light, and Four Quartets. Historical, political, religious, and visual context of the texts will be provided. A close reading of the texts for
their aesthetic value, their existential disclosures, and as narratives on colonialism, racism, and orientalism. Four credit
hours. L. SINGH
[RE118] Religion in the Americas Examines religion and culture in the Americas, beginning with Native American religions and
European-Indian contact and moving forward to contemporary movements and phenomena. Topics will include slavery and religion,
politics and religion, evangelical Christianity, Judaism and Islam in the United States, "cults" and alternative spiritualities, and religion
in/as popular culture. While the United States will serve as the primary focus, we will consider issues of cultural exchange across
national boundaries in the Western Hemisphere, especially Mexico, Canada, and Caribbean countries. Previously offered as Religious
Studies 217. Four credit hours. H.
RE128f Introduction to the Study of Religion This course is an introduction to the study of religion. Students will survey the
methodologies and modes of inquiry scholars have used to examine religions, explore how these approaches have been employed in
analyses and discussions of religion (in scholarly communities and beyond), and develop the theoretical skills and vocabulary to
contribute their own analyses. This is the core gateway course for the study of religion at Colby, geared toward (but not limited to)
students interested in majoring and minoring in religious studies. Previously offered as Religious Studies 228 (Spring 2023). Four
credit hours. S. URICH, J
[RE136] Introduction to Christianity Considers historical turning points in key Christian ideas, texts, and practices in order to
understand the lived experience of contemporary Christians around the world. Studies debates and controversies of faith in the
context of social categories like gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, social class, and disability. Readings magnify voices of Christian
people at the margins of evident power structures, especially (but not exclusively) in the U.S. context. Four credit hours. H.
RE143f Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Explores the best-selling book of all time by focusing on the first part
of the Bible, i.e., the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. We will study famous biblical characters and analyze challenging and
unexpected narratives. Students will gain an informed understanding of this rich collection of texts by concentrating on their literary,
social, and historical contexts. We will also take into consideration the ways in which these texts have been used in contemporary
poetry, film, art, and music. Four credit hours. L. SONIA
RE144s Introduction to the New Testament The purpose of this class is to introduce students to the field of New Testament and
Christian Origins. Students will learn about the construction of New Testament texts, early Jesus followers, and the origins of
Christianity through a survey of New Testament writings and other Jewish/Christian/Jesus-centered documents. No prior knowledge is
required. Note: This course is supported by Davis Connects. Global Innovation course. Four credit hours. L. SONIA
RE148f Inclusion and Exclusion: Dilemmas in Israeli Society Listed as Jewish Studies 148. Four credit hours. S, I. COHEN
FISHER
RE181f Conceptions of Jews and Judaism A survey of the history of the Jewish people and the religion called Judaism from the
biblical era through the Middle Ages, tracing the development of ideas, texts, beliefs, and practices that continue to influence Jewish
life and thought today. Examines Christian and Islamic ideas about Jews and Judaism and the historical impact of inequality,
prejudice, and persecution on Jewish society and culture. Students will develop broadly applicable critical reading skills as well as
those that relate specifically to the analysis of religious texts. Four credit hours. H, I. FREIDENREICH
RE182s Jews, Judaism, and the Modern World Explores experiences, expressions, and conceptions of Jewishness from the
17th century to the present in their diversity and complexity. Focuses on ways in which ideas about the transcendent (that which
people regard as vitally significant) interact with societal norms regarding hierarchical conceptions of human difference, including
those associated with gender, class, race, and ethnicity. Class conversations revolve around timeless questions, often related to
identity and belonging or to power and agency. Four credit hours. H, I. FREIDENREICH
[RE212] Religions of China, Japan, and Tibet An examination of Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, and Buddhism--the indigenous
religions of China, Japan, and Tibet--tracing the entrance of Buddhism into China, Japan, and Tibet and the resulting transformation of
this religion in its interaction with these civilizations. The political ideology of Confucianism, the mystical dimensions of Taoism, the
mythological aspects of Shinto, the meditative experiences of Zen (haiku, swordsmanship, the tea ceremony, etc.), and the
psychological and artistic practices of Tibet. Four credit hours. S.
[RE213] A Passage to India: India and the Western Imagination Beginning with Walt Whitman's romantic journey toward the
"soul" of the universe, Western attitudes towards India and India's encounter with Western culture will be studied. Literature and film
include A Passage to India, The Razor's Edge, The English Patient, Siddhartha, The Namesake, Gitanjali, Blinded by the
Light, and Four Quartets. Historical, political, religious, and visual context of the texts will be provided. A close reading of the texts for
their aesthetic value, their existential disclosures, and as narratives on colonialism, racism, and orientalism. Previously offered as
Religious Studies 117. Four credit hours. L.
[RE217] Religion in the Americas Examines religion and culture in the Americas, beginning with Native American religions and
European-Indian contact and moving forward to contemporary movements and phenomena. Topics will include slavery and religion,
politics and religion, evangelical Christianity, Judaism and Islam in the United States, "cults" and alternative spiritualities, and religion
in/as popular culture. While the United States will serve as the primary focus, we will consider issues of cultural exchange across
national boundaries in the Western Hemisphere, especially Mexico, Canada, and Caribbean countries. Prerequisite: Sophomore or
higher standing. Four credit hours. H.
RE218f Global South Asia: Literature, Art, Environment Explores South Asians in their diasporic and transnational context.
What contributions are Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Jews, and Sikhs from the South Asian subcontinent making to contemporary global
literature, film, art, and environmentalism? How do tradition and modernity intersect in their works? How do they negotiate religion,
gender, sexuality, race, class, environmentalism, medicine, and globalization? Includes writings by Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri,
Hanif Kureishi, Shashi Tharoor; films by Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta; art by Siona Benjamin, Anish Kapoor, M.F. Husain, Arpana Caur,
Singh Twins; and the environmentalist works of Vandana Shiva and Maneka Gandhi. Four credit hours. L, I. SINGH
[RE221] The Jews of Maine Participants will advance popular understanding of the experiences of Maine's Jews past and
present by producing mini-exhibitions for display at the Maine State Museum, along with thematically related programs for school
groups and adult audiences. We will explore the question, "What does it mean to be from Maine?" Students in this humanities lab will
develop transferable skills in research, multimedia communication, and collaboration while gaining a richer understanding of how
Jews and others have staked their claim to authenticity as Mainers. Four credit hours. H, U.
[RE223] Religion in the Modern State of Israel Many Israelis—both Jews and Palestinians—live their lives in keeping with
"tradition," but they define that past and their relationship to it in a wide variety of ways. This readings course will introduce students to
religious dimensions of Israeli society and culture and, in the process, to a wide variety of methods in the study of religion. Students
will also sharpen their skills in the evaluation of scholarly arguments advanced in secondary literature. Two credit hours.
[RE224] Jewish Theology Listed as Jewish Studies 224. Four credit hours.
[RE228] Thinking About Religion Today This course is an introduction to the study of religion. Students will survey the
methodologies and modes of inquiry scholars have used to examine religions, explore how these approaches have been employed in
analyses and discussions of religion (in scholarly communities and beyond), and develop the theoretical skills and vocabulary to
contribute their own analyses. This is the core gateway course for the study of religion at Colby, geared toward (but not limited to)
students interested in majoring and minoring in religious studies. Four credit hours.
[RE232] American Spirituality and the Environment Examines historical and contemporary connections between spirituality
and environmentalism in American culture. From early Quakers to mid-19th-century Romantics to contemporary Buddhists, we
explore how individuals and groups in the United States have conceived of the relationship between environmentally responsible
living, spiritual discipline, and social witness. While the course will span geographic regions, special attention is paid to movements
and figures centered in Maine. Previously listed as RE298B (Spring 2019). Four credit hours. S, U.
[RE236] Modern Christianity Examines critical turning points in the relationship between Christianity and modernity, including the
Protestant Reformation; the encounter between religion and reason; the emergence and development of evangelical Christianity;
Christianity's complex relationships with movements to fight racial, ethnic, gender, and class-based oppression. Designed to increase
students' understanding of the evolution and diversity of Christianity, provide practice in discussing controversial religious topics, refine
writing skills, and prepare students to reach their own conclusions about Christianity and its history. Four credit hours. H.
RE237f Cults in America America has a weird love-hate thing with cults. Some people dismiss them as weird or ridiculous, while
others call them violent or downright evil. And yet there is an almost endless stream of documentary series, podcasts, news articles,
and fictional series about cults of sorts-sex cults ("The Vow"), murder cults (American Horror Stories), diet cults (The Weigh Down),
sports cults (CrossFit), political cults (QAnon). The list could go on because we can't seem to get enough of cult content. What's with
our obsession with cults? What even is a cult-is Colby one? A sports team? Are cults as weird or as bad as the media makes them out
to be? "Cults in America" explores these questions and more, delving into both media coverage of cults and some of their beliefs and
practices in order to understand them on their own terms. Four credit hours. U. URICH, J
RE242j The Good Life What does the good life look like? What does it mean to live life well? In the desire to achieve good
grades, to get a good job, and to succeed, we often fail to take a step back. This course is a chance to take a breath and think about
how we are using the time that we have. We will explore questions of what makes life 'good' through engagement with a number of
diverse traditions and practices that have helped human beings live a good life over centuries. We will also look at research on
happiness and participate in projects designed to boost our happiness. This class will include visits from individuals who will share
how they lead a good life. The hope is that you will leave this class with a better idea of what it means for you to live life well and tools
to enact your vision at Colby and beyond. Three credit hours. S. INSTRUCTOR
[RE244] Spirits, Specters, and Global Divinities: Contemporary Religion Listed as Anthropology 244. Four credit hours. I.
[RE246] Religion and Everyday Life in Muslim Societies Listed as Anthropology 246. Four credit hours. I.
RE248f Gender, Sexuality, and the Bible Explores the roles of gender and sexuality in biblical literature, including the Hebrew
Bible and the New Testament. Through close analysis of both narrative as well as ritual and legal texts, we will examine the
construction of gender norms and sexual mores by different biblical writers. Beginning with an examination of biblical tradition in its
ancient context, the course then interrogates its ongoing cultural legacy of these texts in modern discourses about gender and
sexuality. Topics discussed in the course include gender hierarchy and sexual agency, marriage and adultery, and homoeroticism.
Previously offered as RE297 (Fall 2020). Four credit hours. SONIA
[RE256] The African-American Religious Experience A sociological analysis and historical overview of the diverse religious
organizations, leaders, experiences, and practices of black people in the United States. Emphasis upon the predominant
Afro-Christian experience, its relationship with the African background, contemporary African religions, other religions (e.g., Islam),
political institutions, social change, urban problems, and the arts. Special attention to the role of black Christian women in church and
society. Formerly offered as Religious Studies 356. Four credit hours. U.
[RE263] Buddhism across East Asia Listed as East Asian Studies 263. Four credit hours. L.
[RE265] Buddhism: An Introduction Buddhism introduces students to the family of religions we call Buddhism. The course
explores the histories, literatures, material culture, and practices of Buddhism from its origins to the present day. We will examine
central Buddhist teachings and practices and their development in the literature of the Theravada tradition and Mahayana Buddhist
traditions. The last segment of the course pays special attention to Buddhism in the modern West, the emergence of "Socially
Engaged Buddhism" and the application of Buddhist ethical principles to contemporary issues of war, terrorism, and ecological
degradation. Involves intensive reading of key primary texts and important historical and critical secondary works. Four credit
hours. L.
[RE285] Faith, Class, and Community Explores the various intersections between religious traditions, socioeconomic structures,
and faith-based communities/organizations (among others), with particular attention to dynamics in Waterville. Students gain a deeper
understanding of religious and other ethical approaches to issues related to wealth, poverty, and inequality. Students develop skills
associated with community organizing and non-profit leadership through meaningful engagement with organizational partners. Civic
Engagement course. Food for Thought course. Humanities lab course. Four credit hours. U.
[RE312] Global South Asia: Literature, Art, Environment Explores South Asians in their diasporic and transnational context.
What contributions are Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Jews, and Sikhs from the South Asian subcontinent making to contemporary global
literature, film, art, and environmentalism? How do tradition and modernity intersect in their works? How do they negotiate religion,
gender, sexuality, race, class, environmentalism, medicine, and globalization? Includes writings by Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri,
Hanif Kureishi, Shashi Tharoor; films by Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta; art by Siona Benjamin, Anish Kapoor, M.F. Husain, Arpana Caur,
Singh Twins; and the environmentalist works of Vandana Shiva and Maneka Gandhi. Four credit hours. L, I.
RE319s Bollywood and Beyond: South Asian Religions through Film A study of South Asian religions through Bollywood and
world art cinema. Focus will be on religious diversity, the partition of the Indian subcontinent, and topics of gender, sexuality, diaspora,
and transnationalism. Films and assigned readings will provide historical, social, and aesthetic contexts. Goals are to expand
students' knowledge of South Asia, to hone their verbal and writing skills, and to inspire awareness of and empathy for inequities and
injustice. Attendance at a weekly evening film screening (to be arranged) is required. Four credit hours. L, I. SINGH
[RE322] Food and Religious Identity An examination of the ways in which religiously inspired food practices and food
restrictions relate to the establishment and preservation of communal identity. Explores sources from diverse religious traditions and
time periods with an eye both to commonalities and to elements found only within specific communities. Students will develop
proficiency in the contextual analysis of primary sources and the critical evaluation of secondary literature. Four credit hours. S.
[RE331] Mysticism, Spirituality, and Religious Experience Mysticism has often been defined as the essence of religion, and
mystical experience is commonly characterized as ineffable, transcendent, beyond the rational, and expressible only in paradox and
metaphor. Drawing on a wide range of religious thinkers and on recent critical reflection on religious experience, we read religious
texts that have been deemed mystical and examine the history of mysticism in an effort to understand the relationship between
religious experience, language, and rationality. Four credit hours. L.
[RE346] Jews of Germany, Past and Present Examines Jewish life in Germany from the Middle Ages to the present, with
particular attention to modernity, the Holocaust, and its aftermath. Explores the impact of German culture on Jewishness and the roles
of Jews in conceptions of Germanness. Students will engage in traditional and experiential learning and will develop independent
research, writing, and oral communications skills. Includes an optional spring break trip to Germany subsidized by
DavisConnects. Global Innovation course. Four credit hours. H, I.
[RE354] Zionism and its Opponents Listed as Global Studies 354. Four credit hours.
[RE381] Women and Gender in Islam Listed as History 381. Four credit hours. H, I.
RE387f Anti-Judaism and Islamophobia in Christian/Western Thought How have Christian and other Western thinkers put
ideas about Jews and Muslims to work in making sense of the world? What are the similarities and differences between ideas about
Judaism on the one hand and Islam on the other? How did these intertwined ideas change over time, and how do they reflect
conceptions of Christian/Western self-identity? Students will develop proficiency in the contextual analysis of primary sources, the
critical evaluation of secondary literature, and original research. We will devote particular attention to the related questions, "What
makes academic writing effective?" and "How can I write that way myself?" Four credit hours. I. FREIDENREICH
RE470f Senior Capstone The Senior Capstone is a new required two-semester course (2 credits/semester, 4 credits/semester
for honors) for Religious Studies majors. In this course, students will discuss recent debates concerning theories and methods in the
academic study of religion and will complete a major work of independent research. Two to four credit hours. SONIA
RE483f, RE484s Religious Studies Honors Program Research conducted under the guidance of a faculty member and focused
on an approved topic leading to the writing of a thesis. Prerequisite: A 3.65 average in the major at the end of the junior year and
permission of the department. Four credit hours.
[RE483J] Religious Studies Honors Program Noncredit.
RE491f, RE492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Russian Language and Culture
In the Department of German and Russian
The major emphasizes Russian language, literature, history, and film in order that students develop a broad understanding of Russian
culture in the past and the present. Students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities on campus, including guest
lectures, film screenings, weekly Russian Table or Russian teas, the Russian Poetry Evening, the annual Colby-Bowdoin-Bates
Russian Student Research Symposium, and a program of cultural events.
Students majoring in Russian language and culture are expected to study in Russia for at least one semester. Instructors advise
beginning students carefully about January, summer, and semester programs.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Alicia E. Ellis (German)
Associate Professor Elena Monastireva-Ansdell and Assistant Professor Melissa Miller; Language Assistant Ekaterina Iunger
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Russian Language and Culture
1. A minimum of seven courses (three or four credits) numbered above Russian 127 in the Department of German and
Russian, including Russian 426 or 428, and at least one course each in 19th- and 20th-century Russian literature or film in English
translation (usually chosen from 231, 232, 237, 242).
2. One course in pre-20th-century Russian history and one course in 20th-century Russian history (usually History 227 and
228).
3. A seminar in Russian literature, conducted entirely in Russian (Russian 426, 428).
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses offered toward the major. No requirements for the major may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Requirements for the Minor in Russian Language and Literature
1. Four introductory Russian language courses: Russian 125, 126, 127, 128.
2. Two courses in Russian culture in English translation: one course in 19th-century literature and one course in 20th-century
literature or film (usually chosen from Russian 231, 232, 237, 242).
3. One course studying Russian cultural texts in the original (chosen from Russian 325, 326, 425, 426, 428).
Note: In special circumstances, course substitutions for major and minor requirements may be made after documented consultation
with Russian program staff.
Russian majors and minors who are unable to study in Russia for a semester are strongly encouraged to attend a summer language
program or spend a Jan Plan in Russia.
Russian majors and minors should broaden their study through courses related to Russian in other departments, particularly courses
in history and government.
Course Offerings
RU120f Reel Russia What role does Russia's "most important art" play in shaping the nation's present and future? How does it
legitimate or subvert the official notions of usable and unusable past? What has caused the shift from the rigorous interrogation of the
Communist past in the 1990s to the revival and reintegration of Soviet-era policies, practices, and values in the 21st century?
Students will combine intellectual inquiry into changing representations of social structures, ethnic relations, and gender roles in
Russia with the development of visual literacy, analytical skills, and vocabulary necessary to think and write critically about film. Four
credit hours. A, W1. MONASTIREVA-ANSDELL
[RU120A] Vampires and Werewolves: Slavic Myth in Contemporary Culture We will explore the representation of vampires
and werewolves in the world of Slavic folklore. Over the course of the semester, we will read a number of texts' historical accounts,
testimonies, folktales, fairytales, stories, novels, a play that offer portraits of these two enigmatic figures. We will watch films from
different time periods that present vampires and werewolves and determine what these portrayals say about Slavic and world culture.
In our discussions, presentations, and writing assignments, we will discuss what the fascination with vampires and werewolves says
about primal fears, superstitions, ignorance, identity, social conflict, sexuality, and the nature of good and evil. Four credit hours. L,
W1, I.
RU125f Elementary Russian I Introductory course enables students to acquire a high degree of competence in elementary
Russian through communicative learning and interaction. Acquisition of functions, grammar and vocabulary through substantial
engagement in creative communication and role playing, reinforced by listening, readings, writing, and speaking assignments outside
of the classroom. Cultural practices of Russians are studied through language. Concurrent Requirement: RU135
Tutorial. Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in Russian 135. Four credit hours. MONASTIREVA-ANSDELL
[RU125J] Elementary Russian I Intensive introductory course equivalent to RU125f. Upon successful completion of the course,
students may proceed to Elementary Russian II, RU126s. Enables students to acquire a high degree of competence through
communicative learning and interaction. Acquisition of grammar and vocabulary through substantial engagement in repetition,
memorization, role playing, and creative communication, reinforced by listening, readings, writing, and speaking assignments outside
of the classroom. Cultural practices of Russians are studied through language. Students are invited to participate in a planned trip to
Moscow and St. Petersburg during Spring Break 2022. Three credit hours.
RU126s Elementary Russian II Continuation of first-year introductory course enables students to acquire a high degree of
competence in elementary Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 125. Four credit hours. MILLER
RU127f Intermediate Russian I The second-year language sequence in Russian builds on the communicative abilities mastered
in elementary Russian by active classroom engagement in conversation and vocabulary building. Study of Russian culture through
brief biographies of writers, watching film and Internet clips, and reading short fiction and poetry. The final stages of Russian grammar
are introduced, practiced, and tested. Essay assignments increase writing skills, and oral tests allow students to develop fluency in
speaking. Concurrent Requirement: RU235 Tutorial. Prerequisite: Russian 126 and concurrent enrollment in Russian 235. Four credit
hours. MONASTIREVA-ANSDELL
RU128s Intermediate Russian II The second semester of second-year Russian aims to solidify knowledge of foundational
grammar--cases, verbal conjugation and aspect, negation, participles, and gerunds--through classroom review and textbook
assignments outside of class. Conversation in class focuses on vocabulary building based on readings of short fiction and cultural
texts and watching films and film clips. Essay assignments increase writing skills, and oral tests allow students to develop fluence in
speaking. Prerequisite: Russian 127. Four credit hours. MILLER
RU135fs Beginning Russian Tutorial An informal, weekly, small-group meeting for first-year students concurrently enrolled in
Elementary Russian I (RU125) or Elementary Russian II (RU126). This weekly session is mandatory for students enrolled in
Elementary Russian I and II and counts towards the attendance and participation grades in RU125 and RU126. Topics for discussion
include autobiography, education, leisure-time activities, travel, stores, and films. Conducted entirely in Russian. May be repeated for
credit. Nongraded. One credit hour. ZORIN
[RU222] Revolutionary Performances: Theater and the Energy of the Unspoken (in English) Explores revolutionary
developments in Eastern European performance, focusing on the theoretical and practical contributions of directors, actors, and
playwrights to now-canonical practices and theories of performance art. The course approaches Eastern European theater as a
revolutionary series of dynamic breakthroughs, whose avant-garde theatrical craft existed in a protracted tension between the catalytic
possibilities of an embodied medium and the exhausted Soviet body politic. Taking advantage of the Lab format and the instructor's
own professional actor training in Russia, we will pair viewings, primary documents and production histories with hands-on exercises.
In English. Energy/Exhaustion Humanities Lab Four credit hours. A.
[RU231] A 20th Century Childhood: Growing up in Russia and the USSR Since the Romantic Age, childhood has been
recognized as a world apart, associated with a type of freedom, play, and natural innocence that we leave behind when we become
adults, for better or worse. Russian and Soviet writers took up this multifaceted theme in various ways: to depict a more authentic
relation to life, to reflect on painful loss and the passage of time, to provide an estranged perspective on the world, and to represent
education and coming of age. Furthermore, the world of childhood, with its nonsensical nursery rhymes, fantasies and fairytales, gave
writers living under an authoritarian regime ways to express themselves creatively and thwart the one-size-fits-all "realism" prescribed
by the Soviet state. In this class, we will trace the genesis, development and diverse treatments of childhood from the foundational
text by Tolstoy to the end of the USSR. Four credit hours. L.
RU234s Many Facets of Russian Nature One-eighth of the world's landmass poised ambiguously between Europe and Asia, the
Russian Federation combines an urbanized population with scarcely inhabited vast regions in Siberia and the Arctic. Rich in natural
resources, Russia has been at once a nature-loving nation with a unique tradition of engaging, depicting and thinking about the
natural world; a modern(izing) society putting science in the service of harnessing nature; and a fossil giant dependent on exploitation
of hydrocarbons. Drawing on novels, stories, oral histories, animation, and documentary and art films, we will explore the complex
ways in which Russia's culturally and ethnically diverse populations have engaged with nature. Environmental humanities
course. Four credit hours. L, I. MONASTIREVA-ANSDELL
RU235fs Intermediate Russian Tutorial An informal, weekly, small-group meeting for second-year students concurrently enrolled
in Intermediate Russian I (RU127) or Intermediate Russian II (RU128). This weekly session is mandatory for students enrolled in
Intermediate Russian I and II and counts towards the attendance and participation grades in RU127 and RU128. Topics for discussion
include autobiography, education, leisure-time activities, travel, stores, and films. Conducted entirely in Russian. May be repeated for
credit. Nongraded. One credit hour. ZORIN
[RU237] Sinners and Saints: Women in Russian Literature and Culture (in English) This course focuses on the
experiences--both lived and imagined--of Russian women from the nineteenth century. We will examine the portrayal of women in
Russian print and visual culture and focus on how gender is depicted in a variety of contexts, including "high" and "low" literature;
folklore and fiction; advertisements and film; political tracts and memoirs. Our discussion will take into account questions of gender
and the role of the family in day-to-day life and society at large; we will analyze how women's roles evolved in a country that went
through radical and abrupt changes. Four credit hours. L.
[RU242] Celluloid Ethnicities: How the USSR was (De)Constructed Russia's impassioned relations with post-Communist
states, be it at war (Ukraine) or in peaceful alliances (the Eurasian Economic Union), have originated in Communist constructions of
ethnicity. From Lenin's deliberate cultivation of distinct ethnic identities, through Stalin's hierarchy of depoliticized "symbolic
ethnicities," to non-Russians' interrogation of their inferior status, Soviet filmmakers played a key role in popularizing what it meant to
be Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Georgian or Kazakh in the USSR. Students will map (post-)Soviet visual representations of ethnicity
and race; study in depth one of the USSR's fifteen former republics; and cook a "Friendship-of-the-Peoples" meal contributing their
adopted nation's dish. Four credit hours. A, I.
RU297f Vampires and Werewolves in Slavic Literature and Culture We will explore the representation of vampires and
werewolves in the world of Slavic folklore. Over the course of the semester, we will read a number of texts' historical accounts,
testimonies, folktales, fairytales, stories, novels, a play that offer portraits of these two enigmatic figures. We will watch films from
different time periods that present vampires and werewolves and determine what these portrayals say about Slavic and world culture.
In our discussions, presentations, and writing assignments, we will discuss what the fascination with vampires and werewolves says
about primal fears, superstitions, ignorance, identity, social conflict, sexuality, and the nature of good and evil. Four credit
hours. L. MILLER
RU325f Advanced Russian I We will work to expand our ability to discuss complex topics, such as ecology, politics, and culture,
while reviewing essential grammar and continuing to practice oral and written expression. As a semester-long project, students will
create their own imaginary countries and give regular reports on their geography, folklore, education and political systems. Conducted
in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 128 or equivalent. Four credit hours. L. MILLER
RU326s Conversation and Composition Reading and analysis of literary and historical texts. Topics change each year. Spring
2022: Twentieth- and twenty-first-century Russian Literature and Culture. Grammar review and continued practice in oral and written
expression. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 325. Four credit hours. L. MONASTIREVA-ANSDELL
RU335fs Advanced Russian Tutorial An informal, weekly, small-group meeting for advanced students concurrently enrolled in
Advanced Russian I (RU325/RU425), Conversation and Composition (RU326), or Seminar in Russian Culture and Literature (RU428).
This weekly session is mandatory for students enrolled in Advanced Russian I, Conversation and Composition, or Seminar in Russian
Culture and Literature and counts towards the attendance and participation grades in RU325/RU425, RU326, and RU428. Topics
accommodate student interests. Conducted in Russian. May be repeated for credit. Nongraded. Prerequisite: Russian 127 or
equivalent. One credit hour. ZORIN
[RU346] Russian Poetry Weekly meetings focus on poems by one of the major 20th-century Russian poets, including Blok,
Esenin, Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, Pasternak, Mandelshtam, and Brodsky. Readings in Russian; discussion in English. May be repeated
for credit. Prerequisite: Russian 127. One or two credit hours.
RU425f Advanced Russian I We will work to expand our ability to discuss complex topics, such as ecology, politics, and culture,
while reviewing essential grammar and continuing to practice oral and written expression. As a semester-long project, students will
create their own imaginary countries and give regular reports on their geography, folklore, education and political systems. Conducted
in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 325 or 326. Four credit hours. L. MILLER
[RU426] The 19th-Century Russian Novel A seminar that analyzes one major 19th-century Russian novel, such as
Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Conducted entirely in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian 425 or 427. Four credit hours. L.
[RU427] Personal Identity in 20th-Century Russian Literature Reading and analysis of literary and historical texts focusing on
the quest for moral values and personal identity in Russia's turbulent twentieth-century history: from Late Tsarism, through the
Bolshevik Revolution and Stalinism, and to the post-Soviet era. Authors include Chekhov, Babel, Zoshchenko, Shalamov, and
Petrushevskaia. Grammar review and continued practice in oral and written expression. Conducted in Russian. Prerequisite: Russian
325 or 326. Four credit hours. L.
RU428s Seminar in Russian Culture and Literature This capstone course takes an interdisciplinary approach to masterpieces
of Russian culture in a variety of disciplines and genres. Topics vary and may include questions of gender, sexuality, race, class, the
natural world, Russia and the West, history, and others. Emphasis on close reading and analysis of authentic texts in their cultural
context. Conducted entirely in Russian and may include an array of works or focus on one larger literary work. Prerequisite: Russian
425 or 427. Four credit hours. L. MONASTIREVA-ANSDELL
RU491f, RU492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Science, Technology, and Society
Science, Technology, and Society (STS) is an innovative, cross-disciplinary field of study focused not only on how science and
technology shape the world but also how social and cultural developments shape science and technology. Drawing on work in
sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, media studies, literary history, and other fields, STS examines the deep cultural roots of
our techno-scientific society and addresses pressing public policy issues. STS majors take courses across the natural, computational,
and social sciences and the humanities to gain a well-rounded perspective on issues of science and technology. The STS major is
excellent preparation for employment opportunities in both public service and the private sector, with recent graduates gaining
employment in finance, tech, marketing, environment and sustainability, and government and policy career areas, among others.
Students planning to major or minor in STS should take ST112 (Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society) as soon as
possible. Thereafter, STS students should take ST236 (Concepts and Methods in STS). STS students choose from a variety of
electives and complete a yearlong senior research project.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Aaron Hanlon (English and STS)
Core Faculty: Assistant Professor Ashton Wesner; Visiting Assistant Professor Thom Klepach
Steering Committee: Associate Professor Aaron Hanlon (English and STS); Assistant Professor Ashton Wesner (STS); Visiting
Assistant Professor Thom Klepach (STS); Faculty Librarian Kara Kugelmeyer (Library)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Science, Technology, and Society
The STS major requires a total of 10 courses:
■ One introductory course (ST112: Introduction to STS)
■ One methods course (ST236: Concepts and Methods in STS)
■ One 200-level or higher course in natural or computer science beyond the all-College N requirement; may be an N but need
not be; may be a lab but need not be
■ Two ST- or ST-approved courses focused on Technoscience Ethics and Justice (TEJ)
■ Three additional ST- or ST-approved courses as electives
■ Two senior capstone courses: ST485: STS Research I (senior Fall) and ST486: STS Research II (senior Spring)
The following rules also apply:
■ All courses not listed or cross-listed ST- in the catalogue must be from the approved courses list to count for STS credit.
■ Courses taken abroad require the approval of the STS chair. No more than two courses for a semester abroad or four
courses for a year abroad may be counted toward the major.
■ No more than two 100-level courses beyond ST112 may be counted toward the major.
■ Students with at least a 3.5 GPA in the major and at least a 3.25 GPA overall may request permission to undertake an
honors thesis.
Senior Projects
All senior STS majors will take ST485, which will prepare them for research through seminar readings, literature reviews, and
proposal writing. This is the first part of a yearlong capstone experience in which students design and complete a final integrative
project in science, technology, and society. This is followed by ST486, an intensive research and writing experience with final public
presentations. Any member of the faculty may serve as an advisor.
Honors in Science, Technology, and Society
Students with a 3.5 GPA in the major (and at least a 3.25 GPA overall) may request permission to undertake an honors thesis. They
will enroll in ST485 and meet with other STS seniors to prepare a literature review and proposal, which must be approved by a panel
of faculty members. Students continuing in the honors program will enroll in ST484 under the supervision of an advisor and second
reader. Upon successful completion of the thesis and fulfillment of all requirements for the major, and if a 3.5 GPA in the major is
maintained, the student will be invited to deposit a copy of his or her thesis in Miller Library and will graduate with “Honors in Science,
Technology, and Society.”
Requirements for the Minor in Science, Technology, and Society
Track 1. Social-Cultural (for majors in humanities, interdisciplinary studies, and social science): ST112: Introduction to STS;
ST485: STS Research I (in senior fall); five other ST- or ST-approved courses.
or
Track 2. Human Dimensions of Science (for natural science majors): ST112: Introduction to STS; ST485: STS Research I (in senior
fall); three other ST- or ST-approved courses; a two-course thematic cluster consisting of at least one 300-level or higher natural
science, computer science, or mathematics course. The thematic cluster must be approved in advance by the STS chair in
consultation with the relevant department(s). The final paper in ST485 must integrate the thematic cluster with its social and cultural
implications.
List of STS-Approved Courses
* Indicates cross-listed with STS in the course catalogue
# Indicates Technoscience Ethics and Justice (TEJ) credit
Approved in Fall 2022:
AM297 Land, Sovereignty, and Cultural Identity #
AM238 Making Modern Science* #
AM397 Indigenous Peoples, Climate Change, and Power #
AY112 Cultural Anthropology
AY221 Of Beasts, Pets, and Wildlife
AY256 Land, Food, Culture, Power #
AY328 Anthropology of Money
AY341 Culture, Mobility, Identity #
BC362 Medical Biochemistry
BI118 Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
BI253 Ecological Communities of the Northeast
BI271 Ecology
BI274 Neurobiology
BI277 Vertebrate Natural History
CL153 Environmental Approaches to Antiquity
CL154 Ancient Medicine*
CS151 Computational Thinking: Visual Media
CS152 Computational Thinking: Science
CS232 Computer Organization
EC231 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
EC477 Financial Technology
EN283 Environmental Humanities* #
EN357 Literature and Environment
EN493 17th-Century Literature and the Natural World
ES239 Seafood Forensics*
ES319 Conservation Biology
ES326 International Climate and Environmental Justice #
GM297 Animals, Hybrids, and Machines
HI348 U.S. Environmental History
HI397 Dark Matters: Technology and its Discontents in the Middle East #
LA214 Environmental Policy and Performance in Contemporary Latin America #
PL126 Philosophy and the Environment
PS233 Biological Basis of Behavior*
SO131 Introduction to Sociology
WG120B Critical Inquiries in Medical Ethics #
WG241 Foundations of Disability Studies #
WG352 Theorizing Medicine: Critical Race Studies to Trans of Color Critique* #
Approved in Spring 2023:
AA244 Black Digital Humanities #
AM128 Land, Sovereignty, and Cultural Identity #
AM254 Surveillance Culture* #
AM298 Worlds Beyond the Human: Multi-Species Justice #
AY112 Cultural Anthropology
AY265 AI and Inequality #
BC362 Medical Biochemistry
BI198 Plants and People
BI225 Immunology
BI275 Human Physiology
CL254 Natural Disasters in Antiquity and Beyond
CS151 Computational Thinking: Visual Media
CS152 Computational Thinking: Science
CS310 Creating Future Words: Computing, Ethics, and Society
EA242 Development and Environmental Issues in Contemporary China* #
EC231 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
EC468 Challenges of the Anthropocene: Views from the Global South #
EN283 Environmental Humanities #
EN298A Critical Inquiries in Board Game Media
ES243 Environmental Ethics
ES366 Pollution and Human Health
GE123 How to Build a Habitable Planet
GE198 Climate Through Human History
GS255 Global Health: Critical Perspectives on Health, Care, and Policy
IT246 Wild Writing: A Comparative Experiential Approach to Ecopoetics
PS233 Biological Basis of Behavior*
RE232 American Spirituality and the Environment
SO131 Introduction to Sociology
SO367 Art and Science of Data Analysis
WG120B Critical Inquiries in Medical Ethics #
Approved in Fall 2023:
AA244 Black Digital Cultures #
AM228 Nature and the Built Environment
AM254 Surveillance Culture* #
AM298 Worlds Beyond the Human: Multi-Species Justice #
AY112 Cultural Anthropology
AY328 Anthropology of Money
AY364 Toxicity, Health, and the Pharmaceutical Self
BC362 Medical Biochemistry
BI118 Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
BI163 The Cellular Basis of Life
BI225 Immunology
BI271 Ecology
BI274 Neurobiology
CS151 Computational Thinking: Visual Media
CS152 Computational Thinking: Science
EC343 Environment and Development
EN283 Environmental Humanities #
EN324 Creative Environmental Communication
EN350 Ecotopian Visions #
EN493N 17th-Century Literature and the Natural World
ES223 Environmental Policy
ES265 Global Public Health
ES319 Conservation Biology
ES364 Climate Change, Justice, and Health #
ES368 Global Climate Policy
GE127 Pale Blue Dot: Earth Through Time
HI314 Venice from Beginning to End*
HI415 Plague: Death and Disease in Premodern Europe*
HI497 Histories of Assisted Reproductive Technology* #
MA376 History of Mathematics*
PL120A Mind and Machine
PL328 Radical Ecologies* #
PL365 Philosophy of Cognitive Science
PS233 Biological Basis of Behavior*
SO131 Introduction to Sociology
SP297 Deep Ecology in Human Imagination
SC212 Introduction to Statistics and Data Science
WG120B Critical Inquiries in Medical Ethics #
Course Offerings
ST112f Science, Technology, and Society Critical perspectives on the social aspects of science and technology in our lives, in
the world around us, and throughout history. Issues include gender, communications, war, and the environment. Four credit
hours. S. WESNER
[ST114] Introduction to Medicine and Society A journey from Hippocratic medicine to 23andMe, examining different views of
health, disease, and intervention and how diverse forms of medicine have emerged and evolved. Highlights the role of science and
technology in establishing and maintaining certain views, institutions, and practices. Lectures, discussions, and readings will empower
students to identify and analyze the multifarious factors involved in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and biomedical ethics and the
roles of scientific understanding, technological innovation, professionalization, and commercialization. Special topics include medicine
and world views, chemical drugs and industrial revolution, human experimentation, and research ethics. Four credit hours. H.
[ST117] Information Use and Misuse: Big Data and Artificial Intelligence How has and is Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
changing the ways that governments and businesses utilize our personal, geographic, and behavioral data; and what impact are these
technologies having on our society. Case studies (technology, law, government, ethics and business) help students understand how
the technologies are used and critically explore what ways are they shaping our society. Discussion based. Students develop critical
thinking and writing skills and an understanding of the policies, terminologies, and concepts needed to successfully examine case
studies. Three credit hours.
[ST120A] Information Before and After Google: Impacts and Technologies Explores the nature of information and how
technology has changed our experience and understanding of it over the past 75 years. Emphasizes the relationship between
information and technology and explores the impact of information technologies on societies, organizations, and people. Participants
explore how people understand and evaluate information and in what contexts information is valued and why. Students will develop
and improve their understanding, critical thought processes, and analytic skills around a range of information technologies. Class
format is discussion based, and the focus is on developing scholarly writing skills. Four credit hours. W1.
ST120Bf Critical Inquiries in Medical Ethics Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 120B. Four credit
hours. W1. SIBARA
[ST120C] War Games: The Cold War in Board Game Media You will gain a critical familiarity with the Cold War by playing and
analyzing games such as Twilight Struggle, Wir Sind das Volk, and Fire in the Lake. We will study the events represented to develop
an understanding how shifting geographies and new technologies, including the A-bomb, impacted society, with a focus on proxy wars
in colonized/decolonizing spaces. In your writing assignments, you will be asked to articulate your developing theories regarding such
things as war games' abstraction of violence, the ethics of gamifying war, and games as technology. Films and literature will provide
contextual depth and detail. Four credit hours. W1.
ST120Df Artificial Intelligence and Society: Exploring Use and Misuse Many experts are saying the era of AI has begun. But
what does that mean? The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the capabilities of modern AI
technologies, with an emphasis on being able to critically assess where they can provide societal value, and where they may create
societal challenges. Through multi-perspective narratives, we will explore AI through the perspectives and frames of academics,
creators, consumers, watchdogs, and law and policymakers. Additionally, using case studies, we will also examine contentious
questions and controversies about AI that frameworks, law, and policy have yet to sort out. Four credit hours. W1. KUGELMEYER
ST133f AI Conversations Across Disciplines In this seminar course, students will engage with researchers from the Colby
community and the broader research community who are pursuing interdisciplinary research in AI. Class meetings will feature
presentations by internal and external speakers who work on AI, especially interdisciplinary approaches to AI, with commentary by
faculty from Colby's STS department. The seminar will help students to understand and define AI as a sociotechnical system, identify
and critically examine applications of AI across multiple disciplines, and understand how to think about and address issues that arise
when using AI/ML systems (including issues of ethics and sustainability). One credit hour. KUGELMEYER
ST134f Science of Consciousness, Biological and Artificial Introduces consciousness studies grounded in a scientific
approach, beginning with the "hard problem" of consciousness, how phenomenal experience arises from biological systems.
Discussions of potential biomolecular and quantum mechanical underpinnings of conscious experience will lead to the debate around
what constitutes artificial sentience (AS) with inherent ethical implications. What does identity or consent mean in relationship to an
AS? What rights does an AS have? Can humans terminate an AS? In addition to lectures and weekly readings, students will create an
AI driven avatar to create a multimedia artifact exploring these questions. Four credit hours. N. KLEPACH
[ST154] Ancient Medicine Listed as Classics 154. Four credit hours. H.
[ST213] Introduction to Computer Music Listed as Music 213. Four credit hours. A.
[ST214] Music Performance with Electronics Listed as Music 214. Four credit hours.
[ST215] Weather, Climate, and Society A scientific introduction to the Earth's atmosphere and historical and social issues
related to weather and climate. Topics include the atmosphere's composition, structure, and dynamics; air pollution; ozone depletion;
natural disasters; and climate change. Includes lectures, an exam, quizzes, short essays, and a group project to be presented in a
final poster session. Four credit hours. N.
[ST216] Philosophy of Nature Listed as Philosophy 216. Four credit hours.
[ST223] Asian Science and Society What knowledge traditions have taken shape in Asia? How have they differed from
European traditions and why? How have they fared in encounters with the Western world and continued to shape the contemporary
world? This course addresses these questions with cases from astronomy, medicine, and other nature studies in China, India, and
Japan. It introduces concepts and frameworks of selected non-Western knowledge systems such as Chinese and Ayurvedic
medicine, guiding students to explore the ways religions, politics, cultures, and cross-cultural encounters impacted these systems,
their evolutions or replacements. Activities include lectures, discussions, research seminars, and field trips. Four credit hours.
[ST225] Biology, Ecology, and the Making of U.S. Imperialism Scientific knowledge about plants, animals, and peoples has
always been deeply political and social, often in ways that are not always obvious to the experts and students in those fields. In fact,
the natural sciences have a long history of material and cultural violence, in the "discovery" and occupation of Indigenous territories,
the justification of racist and transphobic health policies, and the commodification of resources for profit over sustenance. How did the
fields of biology and ecology emerge in the context of US colonialism and imperialism? What can a critical approach natural history
teach us about leveraging science for social justice in the present? Four credit hours. S, U.
ST228f Human Anatomy and Physiology from a Historical Perspective The lecture will examine advances in our
understanding of human physiology while the lab component will focus on an exploration of human anatomy. The course will use a
hierarchy of biological complexity and an organ systems framework to systematically cover the physiology behind a variety of core
homeostatic systems. The sequence of anatomical content will be chosen to correspond with the lecture material. Topics will be put in
their historical and societal context throughout. After completing this course students will have a clear understanding of basic human
anatomy and physiology, and will be able to articulate the major advances in understanding rooted in the history of the science.
Examples of key historical moments include the work of William Osler in the treatment of tuberculosis as the impetus for advancing
modern pulmonology, the work of Cobb and Macintyre on calcium regulation, a description of the work of Skou and Post in elucidating
the role of the sodium potassium ATPase underlying basic excitable tissue physiology, or the history of discovery in renal function
from Hippocrates through Marcello Malpighi in the 17th C to contemporary researchers. Where appropriate important ethical and
societal implications of the science will be covered such as the use of Henrietta Lacks' immortalized cells for research purposes. A
"hidden voices" project will enable students to explore under-appreciated contributions to the body of physiological knowledge from
historically underrepresented groups of people. Prerequisite: Biology 163. Four credit hours. N,Lb. KLEPACH
[ST229] Consciousness from the Biomolecular to the Artificial Listed as Biology 229. Three credit hours. N.
ST233fs Biological Basis of Behavior Listed as Psychology 233. Four credit hours. BUCCIGROSSI, EVANGELISTA
[ST233J] Enlightenment Data and Literature Listed as English 233J. Three credit hours. L.
ST236s Concepts and Methods in STS Scholars in STS tackle big questions about the fraught sociopolitical conditions that
emerge from technoscientific change. From the occupation of Wabanaki lands vis a vis hydropower infrastructure in the Kennebec
River, to the gamification of human health by personal wearable health tech. But how do STS scholars choose what questions to ask
and how to frame them? How do they design research strategies and analytical tools best suited to answer their questions? This
course trains students in concepts and methods from a variety of STS angles, and always with attention to power relations, subject
formation, structures of harm and strategies of liberation. They will also practice crafting questions, curating primary sources, and
reviewing literature as pertains to an original topic of study. Prerequisite: Science, Technology, and Society 112. Four credit
hours. WESNER
[ST237] History of Biology Examines the emergence and development of life sciences since the 1700s by introducing major
ideas, approaches, and debates regarding life, along with the discipline's material, cultural underpinnings and social impacts. Topics
include natural history, classification, morphology, cell theory, physiology, evolution, genetics and eugenics, molecular biology,
biomedicine, and biotechnology. Series of lectures will survey the development of biology in Western Europe and the United States,
supplemented with materials from non-Western contexts. One question we ask throughout the course is how social and cultural
contexts have shaped certain views of life. Four credit hours. N.
[ST238] Making Modern Science Listed as American Studies 238. Four credit hours. H, U.
[ST239] Seafood Forensics: Uncovering Fraud in Ocean Food Systems Listed as Environmental Studies 239. Four credit
hours.
[ST241] Foundations of Disability Studies Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 241. Four credit hours. L, U.
[ST242] Development and Environmental Issues in Contemporary China Listed as East Asian Studies 242. Four credit
hours. S, I.
[ST244] Moving Images: Magic Lanterns to Virtual Reality Listed as Art 244. Four credit hours. A.
[ST245] Science, Race, and Gender Listed as History 245. Four credit hours. N, U.
[ST246] Luddite Rantings: A Historical Critique of Big Technology Listed as History 246. Four credit hours. H, U.
[ST248] Nuclear Visions, Environmental Realities Listed as History 248. Four credit hours. H, I.
[ST248A] History of the Book Listed as English 248. Four credit hours.
ST252s Medicine and Visual Culture Listed as Art 252. Four credit hours. A. SHEEHAN
ST254f Surveillance Culture Listed as American Studies 254. Four credit hours. U. SALTZ
[ST255] Greek and Roman Science and Technology Listed as Classics 255. Four credit hours. H.
[ST257] Science Fictions Listed as English 247. Four credit hours. L.
[ST283] Environmental Humanities: Stories of Crisis and Resilience Listed as English 283. Four credit hours. L.
[ST285] History of Photography Listed as Art 285. Four credit hours. A.
ST297j Charting the Stars in Enlightenment England Listed as English 297. Three credit hours. L. HANLON
ST314f Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Venice from Beginning to End Listed as History 314. Four credit
hours. H. TAYLOR
[ST317] Philosophy of Science Listed as Philosophy 317. Four credit hours.
[ST319] Art, Medicine, and Race Listed as Art 319. Four credit hours. U.
ST323s Anthropological Approaches to Science and Religion Listed as Anthropology 323. Four credit hours. HALVORSON
ST328f Radical Ecologies Listed as Philosophy 328. Four credit hours. PETERSON
[ST337] Climate Fiction Listed as English 337. Four credit hours. L.
[ST339] Disability Studies and the Environmental Humanities Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 339. Four
credit hours. L, U.
[ST341] Culture, Mobility, Identity: Encounters in the African Diaspora Listed as Anthropology 341. Four credit hours. S, I.
[ST343] History and Philosophy of Data Examines the long history of the concept of data in the English language (focusing on
the period from 1630-1850) with the goal of understanding how this history has shaped how we use and think about data today. As
such this course concerns both the history of data and the philosophy of data, the latter concerning our various explanations for why
we value or don't value data as a reliable basis for knowledge and belief. Our main goal is to apply Enlightenment history and
philosophy of data to our impressions of data today, so we can become better readers and interpreters of 21st century
data. Prerequisite: Science, Technology, and Society 112 or 114. Four credit hours.
[ST352] Theorizing Medicine: Critical Race Studies to Trans of Color Critique Listed as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality
Studies 352. Four credit hours. L, U.
[ST357] Literature and Environment Listed as English 357. Four credit hours. L.
[ST363] The Enlightenment and the Anthropocene Listed as English 363. Four credit hours. L.
ST364f Toxicity, Health, and the Pharmaceutical Self Listed as Anthropology 364. Four credit hours. TATE
[ST370] Literature and Medicine: Voices from the Margins Listed as English 370. Four credit hours. L, U.
ST376f History of Mathematics Listed as Mathematics 376. Four credit hours. H. GOUVEA
ST415f Plague: Death and Disease in Premodern Europe Listed as History 415. Four credit hours. H. TAYLOR
ST484s Honors in Science, Technology, and Society Majors may apply for admission in December of their senior year by
preparing and defending an honors proposal. The honors program requires focused research conducted under the guidance of a
faculty member, leading to the writing of a thesis approved by the advisor and a second reader. Prerequisite: Senior standing, a 3.50
grade point average in the major, a 3.25 overall grade point average, successful completion of Science, Technology, and Society 485,
and permission of the program faculty. Four credit hours.
ST485f STS Research I Seminar emphasizing classical, enduring issues involving the social study of science and technology. A
senior capstone in preparation for a career. Students design, propose, and initiate a year-long project through broad reading, seminar
discussions, written think pieces, a book review, thorough literature search, and preparation of a proposal and exploratory essay.
Completion, typically in the spring but including a possible January internship, requires intensive research, writing, and presentation at
a public seminar. Research funding may be available. Goal is to complete a project the student finds exciting and challenging and that
will solidify her/his ability to conduct interdisciplinary research. Prerequisite: Senior standing and a W1 course. Four credit
hours. W3. WESNER
ST486s STS Research II Written and oral communication of research. Students complete a final integrative project and present
three public seminars. Prerequisite: Science, Technology, and Society 485. Four credit hours. INSTRUCTOR
ST491f, ST492s Independent Study Independent study in areas in which the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and the program director. One to four credit
hours. FACULTY
ST497f Brave New World: Histories of Assisted Reproductive Technology Listed as History 497. Four credit hours. DUFF
Sociology Department
Sociology is the scientific study of society—of patterns and processes in human social relations and behavior. The Sociology
Department at Colby provides students with conceptual frameworks and analytic skills necessary to understand how social forces
affect people’s lives and how people shape and transform society. Courses focused on a wide range of issues and problems help
students analyze institutions and organizations, social and cultural change, persisting inequalities, and much more. Opportunities for
intensive discussion and closely supervised research foster the development of critical and creative thinking. Sociology students are
prepared to participate in the private and public sectors of a diverse democracy and world.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Christel Kesler
Professor Neil Gross; Associate Professors Christel Kesler and Damon Mayrl; Assistant Professors Philip Fang and Annie Hikido
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Sociology
The sociology major requires 12 courses, including Sociology 131, 215, 271, one 300-level research methods course*, two semesters
of Sociology 345, one elective at the 300 level or higher, and five electives at the 200 level or higher. Students with a double major or
minor in another social science department that has a methods requirement focused on causal inference may choose to substitute
that course for Sociology 271. Sociology 215 and 271 (or the equivalent) should preferably be completed during the second year. One
elective in another social science at the 200 level or above may be substituted for one 200-level Sociology elective. Up to two
approved electives, credited at the 200 level, may be taken on an Off-Campus Study program. One elective toward the major may be
fulfilled with an independent study for at least three credits or a semester of senior honors thesis work for at least three credits. Note
that a student can count a maximum of three courses from outside the Colby Sociology Department toward the major. Formally
cross-listed courses do not count toward this maximum.
Requirements for the Minor in Sociology
The Sociology minor requires seven courses, including Sociology 131, 215, 271, one elective at the 300 level or higher, and three
electives at the 200 level or higher. Students with a major or minor in another social science department that has a methods
requirement focused on causal inference may choose to substitute that course for Sociology 271, if they select a 300-level research
methods course* as an elective. One elective in another social science at the 200 level or above may be substituted for one 200-level
Sociology elective. One approved elective, credited at the 200 level, may be taken on an Off-Campus Study program. One elective
may be fulfilled with an independent study for at least three credits. Note that a student can count a maximum of two courses from
outside the Colby Sociology Department toward the minor. Formally cross-listed courses do not count toward this maximum.
Honors in Sociology
The Honors Program in Sociology (Sociology 483, 484) provides a special opportunity for independent sociological research. The final
product is expected to be an extensive research paper of exceptional quality. Seniors majoring in Sociology may apply for the honors
program by securing a faculty thesis advisor in the department, a secondary faculty reader, and approval of the department as a
whole. To apply, a student must have a 3.25 overall grade point average, have a 3.6 grade point average in the major, and have
completed Sociology 215, 271, and a 300-level research methods course* before the senior year. Exceptions require approval of the
department. Students may apply for the program at the end of the junior year and no later than the second week of the first semester
of the senior year. A student should enroll in at least three credits of thesis work each semester of the senior year. Honors thesis work
may count toward one of the student’s electives in the major. With permission of the department, a thesis in the area of sociology,
completed as part of the Senior Scholars Program, may be substituted for the honors thesis.
Distinction in the Major
Distinction in the major upon graduation requires a 3.75 grade point average in the major and a 3.5 overall grade point average.
Off-Campus Study (OCS)
The department prefers that Sociology students complete Sociology 215 and 271 in the second year, prior to studying off campus.
Students may receive credit toward the major for up to two courses taken on an OCS program and credit toward the minor for one
course taken on an OCS program. These courses will be credited as 200-level electives. Students are urged to seek advanced
approval for a range of courses and to be prepared for possible cancellation of an approved course.
*Approved 300-level research methods courses include Sociology 326 (Historical Sociology), Sociology 367 (The Art and Science of
Data Analysis), and Sociology 372 (Qualitative Research Methods).
Course Offerings
SO131fs Introduction to Sociology Sociologists study processes by which people create, maintain, and change their social and
cultural worlds. They investigate contemporary social issues and strive to explain relationships between what happens in peoples'
lives and the societies in which they live. Sociology's research methods and theories apply to the full range of human behavior, from
individual acts to global environmental, political, and economic change. An introduction to how and why sociologists study social and
cultural phenomena such as inequality, race and ethnicity, gender, power, politics, the family, religion, social and cultural change,
crime, and globalization. Four credit hours. S, U. GROSS, MAYRL
SO212f Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis Listed as Environmental Studies 214. Four credit hours. GIMOND
SO212Jj Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis Listed as Environmental Studies 214J. Three credit hours. GIMOND
SO213s Schools and Society Listed as Education 213. Four credit hours. U. HOWARD
[SO214] African-American Elites and Middle Classes Classical and contemporary sociological theories of stratification and race
relations are used to explore the intersection of class and race-ethnicity in the social origins and historical roles of elites and middle
classes in the African-American experience. Particular attention to the writings of Du Bois, Frazier, Cox, and Wilson. Biographical and
autobiographical perspectives provide rich description of socialization, family contexts, work, politics, ideologies, and the impacts of
racism and social change. Includes additional evening meetings for film showings and special events. Three credit hours. S, U.
SO215fs Classical Sociological Theory The history of sociology, and a critical survey of the systems of thought about society,
centered on major schools of sociological theory and their representatives. The place of theory in social research as presented in
works of foundational social theorists, including, but not limited to, Comte, Spencer, Durkheim, Weber, Marx, Du Bois, Simmel, and
Mead. Prerequisite: Sociology 131. Four credit hours. GROSS, HIKIDO
[SO224] Sociology of Globalization What does it mean to live in a globalized society? How are we connected to people on the
other side of the world? This course introduces theories of globalization and explores its economic, cultural, and social dimensions.
We will investigate people's experiences in work, migration, and social movements to understand the link between the "local" and the
"global." Throughout, we analyze how structures of race, class, and gender relate to these processes. Previously offered as SO298B
(Spring 2020). Four credit hours. S, I.
SO227s Urban Sociology An increasing percentage of the world's population lives in cities. They are spaces of opportunity and
inequality, of anonymity and intimacy, of deep conflict and unexpected alliances. What drives urbanization? How do institutions and
everyday people make cities? What might future cities look like? We will explore these questions by focusing on poverty,
suburbanization, gentrification, and tourism in the United States and abroad. Previously offered as SO298C (Spring 2020). Four credit
hours. S, U. HIKIDO
SO228f Social Movements Listed as Government 227. Four credit hours. U. MAYKA
SO236s American Religion and Society Why do people join cults? Why is Sunday morning in America "the most segregated
hour of the week?" Why is religion always bubbling up in American political debates? Is religion destined to disappear in the face of
scientific progress? This course tackles these and other questions by examining the social side of religion: considering how social
factors shape religious experience, meaning, and conflict; how religion helps to sustain and challenge social inequalities; and how
religion influences politics and civil society. Four credit hours. S. MAYRL
[SO238] State, Society, and Politics Investigates the relationships between the state—the most powerful and prominent political
organization in modern life—and society, with a focus on the United States. Major topics addressed include: the nature of the state
and how it works; the cultural and institutional dimensions of political life; the role of the state in producing and sustaining social
inequalities; and how ordinary citizens influence state policy through social movements and other forms of political mobilization. Four
credit hours. S.
SO241f Sociology of Creativity Creativity occurs everywhere, all the time: aspiring rappers learn to freestyle, elite chefs design
new dishes, and artists create pieces for an exhibit. By examining the social dynamics of creative work, we will explore why creativity
is inherently collective, the relationship between creativity and constraints, how creativity is judged and experienced, and how "cool"
creative jobs can also generate inequality. We will compare research on creativity in various domains - artistic practices, creative
industries, ordinary life, and organizations - in sociology and neighboring disciplines (anthropology and psychology) to identify
common phenomena and better understand how creativity shapes all our lives. Four credit hours. S. FANG
[SO243] College in Crisis? Some say America's colleges and universities are doing just fine: students are flocking to them at a
record rate. Others claim the system has reached a breaking point. Critics point to what they see as signs of crisis: exorbitant tuition
fees, questions about how much learning is taking place in the classroom, an out of control party culture, the rise of exploitative
for-profit schools, a mismatch between the curriculum and the job market for graduates, political acrimony on campus, and more. Do
these charges have merit? Is the system actually in dire straits? And what can be done to fix it? We will take up these questions and
others as we make our way through some of the best recent books on higher education by sociologists, political scientists, and
journalists. Four credit hours.
[SO247] Universal Health Care: Could It Work Here? Why does the United States lack a universal health-care system? What
would it take to implement such a system here? We analyze the historical evolution of the patchwork of institutions and organizations
that make up American health care. We read recent sociological scholarship that compares the United States to other developed
countries in order to understand how different health-care systems function. And we apply concepts from these readings to debate
whether universal health care is a viable prospect. Four credit hours. S.
SO248s Sociology of Culture From the world of Little League baseball to hiring practices at top-tier consulting firms, culture is
everywhere and everything. But what exactly is culture? And how can we study it? The Sociology of Culture introduces students to
one of the largest subfields within sociology, examining how culture shapes and is shaped by the social world. We first explore
elements of culture (e.g., norms, values, beliefs, rituals) and culture at every scale (e.g., groups, organizations, cities, societies,
globalization). Then, we focus on "culture+" to understand culture's structuring forces when it intersects with identities, networks,
inequality, politics, and power. Four credit hours. S. FANG
[SO249] Life Sciences and Society What is social about the life sciences? We consider what happens when biology, medicine,
and social order meet. We will look at cases where individuals and groups draw on ideas from biology to justify ill-conceived and
dangerous social reform projects, from eugenics to more recent efforts at using genomics as a tool to identify populations at risk for
criminal behavior. We will also explore the role social forces play in shaping science, from profit motive in the market for
pharmaceuticals to political activism around medical conditions like HIV/AIDS. Four credit hours. S.
[SO252] Race, Ethnicity, and Society An examination of the roles of race and ethnicity in organizing complex stratified societies,
in structuring systems of durable inequalities, and in organizing and shaping communities and enclaves within stratified societies.
Using multiple sociological perspectives on race, ethnicity, minority groups, prejudice, discrimination, and institutional racism, special
attention is paid to the United States with reference to immigration, slavery, conquest, annexation, colonialism, internal migration,
social conflict, social movements, labor, citizenship, transnational adaptation, law, and public policy. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 or
Sociology 131 or sophomore or higher standing. Four credit hours. U.
[SO262] Comparative Perspectives on Inequality How do social inequalities in contemporary American society compare to
inequalities in other contemporary democracies and in American history? We will use a comparative perspective to better understand
the causes and consequences of inequality and grapple with questions such as: How high are current levels of income and wealth
inequality in the United States? How do gender, race, ethnicity, and the social class into which we are born affect life chances in
different societies? What role do families, schools, labor markets, and governments play in generating inequalities? What are the
consequences of inequality for economic growth, democratic vitality, health, and well-being? Four credit hours. S, I.
[SO265] Criminology Why do some people resort to violence to settle disputes? What is the relationship between crime and
social deprivation? What explains street gangs and other forms of organized crime? Under what conditions does white collar crime
flourish? What are the effects of crime control policy on social inequality? This course surveys sociological approaches to crime,
introducing students to current theoretical and methodological debates and to the latest research findings. Previously offered as
SO298A (Spring 2021). Four credit hours.
[SO266] Gender, Work, and Family Some gender inequalities have changed dramatically over the course of the last half century,
while others remain far more persistent. We will explore how gender inequalities take shape in two major intersecting life realms: the
family and the workplace. We will pay special attention to how gender, work, and family issues vary by social class and race, and how
work-family policies help balance work and caregiving responsibilities. Four credit hours. S.
[SO268] Social Policy and Inequality How does social policy shape inequalities in income, educational attainment, the job
market, health, and housing? How do we assess the effects of such policies? We will consider examples of both small- and
large-scale policies that target social inequalities. We will evaluate their effects and also consider the social forces that influence
policymaking in the United States and other advanced democracies. Four credit hours. S.
SO271s Introduction to Sociological Research Methods Provides sociology majors with basic intellectual tools for
understanding, evaluating, and conducting social science research. Specific objectives include (1) developing rudimentary statistical
skills, (2) linking theoretical problems to hypothesis testing and statistical inference, (3) exploring major types of empirical research
and their implications for problem solving (e.g., experiments, surveys, participant observation), (4) applying and refining knowledge of
sociological methods through diverse readings in both the sociological literature (e.g., American Sociological Review, American
Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, Sociological Methodology) and in non-academic publications (e.g., the Economist, the Atlantic,
the New York Times). Prerequisite: Sociology 131 and sociology major. Four credit hours. Q. FANG
SO276f Sociology of Gender Gender shapes our everyday lives - what we decide to wear, how we develop relationships, how
we envision our futures, and more. But how does this happen? Why does gender difference result in gender inequality? What does it
mean to be "feminine" or "masculine"? What is the relationship between gender and sexuality? How does gender intersect with race,
class, and other forms of difference? We will explore these questions by considering theories of gender and case studies that analyze
gender at work, home, school, and in popular culture. Four credit hours. S, U. HIKIDO
SO297f Sociology of Hate There is much to marvel at in human history--and much monstrous evil. Focusing on the latter, this
course aims to provide students with a clear-eyed view of the phenomenon of hate in its many forms and manifestations, historical
and contemporary, from religious wars to genocide, feuds and interpersonal disputes to hate crimes. We will examine sociological
theories of hate in relation to philosophical and psychological approaches, consider how hatred intersects with other dynamics such
as conquest and exploitation, and study as well pathways out of hate-fueled violence. Four credit hours. S. GROSS
[SO322] Social Class and Schooling Listed as Education 322. Four credit hours. U.
[SO324] Elite Schooling in Global Context Listed as Education 324. Four credit hours. I.
SO326s Historical Sociology Historical methods are foundational to analyses of social change. This class provides an in-depth
survey of contemporary social-scientific methods for exploring processes of social transformation. Topics to be covered include how to
formulate historical research questions; how to identify, collect, and interpret historical evidence; and techniques for inferring causality
using historical materials, including comparison, process-tracing, and counterfactual analysis. Prerequisite: Sociology 271 or
Government 281. Four credit hours. MAYRL
SO343f Sociology of Hollywood How did Hollywood films transform from entertainment to art? Who are the villains in action
movies? How do minority actors and directors "make it" in Hollywood? What role do talent agents play in making movies? Does
Hollywood still dominate global film markets? What can Hollywood predict about the future of work? This course examines
sociological research on the production, distribution, and reception of Hollywood film and television. We will explore various social
forces such as cultural gatekeeping, racial hierarchies, globalization, and censorship, and how these processes affect what Hollywood
brings to the big screen. Prerequisite: Sophomore or above standing. Four credit hours. FANG
SO345fs Current Topics in Sociology An advanced reading and discussion class focused on analysis, critique, and application
of works published in sociology in the past 18 months. Course is integrated with the department colloquium series; majors and minors
who complete two semesters may count the course toward one elective requirement. Two credit hours. FANG, HIKIDO
[SO346] China and the World Examines contemporary Chinese society in light of globalization, emphasizing both the global
influence on China and China's impact on the world. We start with an analysis of the post-1978 economic reform and opening-up, and
then explore pressing issues that have since emerged in China's engagement with the world. Primarily taking a sociological
perspective, we analyze various topics: new forms of inequality, ethnicity, environment, new youth, media culture and technology,
gender and sexuality, migration and urbanization, religion, and civil society. Coupling academic and popular works, the course aims to
demystify contemporary Chinese society and provide you with new perspectives to better engage with a country that is shaping the
world. Four credit hours. S, I.
[SO355] African-American Women and Social Change Sociological analysis and historical overview of African-American
women and their families, work lives, and community (especially religious and political) experience. A focus on the contradictions
between lived experience and cultural expectations surrounding gender and on the distinctive experiences of African-American
women as a force for social change. Prerequisite: An introductory social science course or American Studies 276. Four credit
hours. U.
[SO357] Civil Rights, Black Power, and Social Change A seminar examining the impact of the civil rights and black power
movements on sociological concepts, theories, and perspectives on race relations, racial stratification, social change, and ethnicity.
The PBS series Eyes on the Prize I and II are used to introduce readings and discussions of sociological and ideological texts
influenced or produced by activists and activities of the civil rights or black power movements. The connections among civil rights and
black power movements and other social movements in the United States and other societies. Prerequisite: An introductory
anthropology, sociology, government, history, or American studies course. Four credit hours. S, U.
[SO358] The Sociology of W.E.B. Du Bois Intensive survey of the life and work of W.E.B. Du Bois, prolific scholar, activist, and
founder of one of the oldest sociology departments and research centers. Sociology was Du Bois's chosen discipline at the same time
he contributed to history, literature, and cultural studies and formed a foundation for African-American studies. This exploration of his
sociological imagination assesses the importance of his work for understanding racial-ethnic relations and conflict in the United States
and the world. Readings include The Souls of Black Folk, The Philadelphia Negro, selected topics from the Atlanta University
studies, The Gift of Black Folk, appropriate biographical/autobiographical texts, and critical studies. Prerequisite: Any sociology course
or American Studies 276. Four credit hours. S, U.
[SO359] Sociologies of Slavery and Slave Communities in the United States A multidisciplinary exploration of the experience
of enslaved African Americans and the impact of that experience on culture and social institutions in the United States. Using the
insights of sociology and anthropology, attention is paid to slave communities and the strategies enslaved women and men developed
for physical and psychic survival as well as for resistance. Slavery is examined as a social institution and cultural force and as a site
for the construction and reproduction of "race" and durable inequalities in the United States. Attention to the varieties of cultural
inheritance generated during slavery, especially music, folklore, and religious expression and their persistent impacts on American
popular culture and African-American consciousness. Prerequisite: Anthropology 112 or Sociology 131. Four credit hours. S, U.
SO364s Policing the American City Few weeks go by, it seems, without the release of a new video showing an American police
officer mistreating or brutalizing someone. While defenders point out that in any large occupation there will inevitably be some bad
apples, and that policing is dangerous work in which situations can easily spin out of control, critics see more sinister forces at play,
including an effort to control and subordinate minority populations. We will discuss and debate these and many other issues as we
read some of the best social science research on police and American cities. What exactly is the social role of the police? What
factors shape police behavior? And how might relations be improved? Four credit hours. S. GROSS
[SO366] American Class Structure Class and class inequality are central to the American political conversation today. But what
is class? How should it be conceptualized and measured? What does the American class structure look like under different
conceptualizations? What makes class inequality tick--what are the social processes and dynamics that drive it? And how does class
connect up to other forms of inequality? We will read books and articles that offer answers. While our main focus will be the United
States, we will also consider the American class structure in comparative perspective. Four credit hours. S.
[SO367] Art and Science of Data Analysis How can we use data to help us better understand the social world? In this class, you
will learn, through practice, how to find, access, and analyze quantitative data using statistical software, and equally importantly, how
to meaningfully interpret your analyses to better understand important topics in the social sciences. We will carefully study analyses in
existing published research, and you will ask and answer research questions of your own. You will learn how to conduct basic
exploratory analysis, especially in visual form, as well as to use more advanced techniques such as linear regression and regression
with categorical outcomes. Prerequisite: Government 281, Sociology 271 or equivalent. Four credit hours.
SO372f Qualitative Research Methods What can we learn about the social world from people's everyday lives? Students will
learn how to conduct qualitative research through interview and fieldwork methods. We will analyze how personal narratives and the
mundane practices of daily life shape and are shaped by broader social patterns. We will also consider who gets to be a social
science researcher and why it matters. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Four credit hours. S. HIKIDO
SO483f, SO484s Honors Project Prerequisite: Senior standing, admission to the honors program, and permission of the
supervising faculty member. Two to four credit hours.
SO491f, SO492s Independent Study Individual topics in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence
necessary for independent work. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing and permission of the department. Two to four credit
hours. FACULTY
Spanish Department
The curriculum of the Department of Spanish is designed to deepen students’ understanding of cultural difference and diversity
through a language program that fulfills the all-College language distribution requirement and an academic major program.
In its commitment to the study of world languages, the Department of Spanish strives to prepare students for active engagement in
the Spanish-speaking world, both within the United States and abroad. Our language courses facilitate oral and written
communication by presenting grammar in a cultural context. The language classroom provides a space for students to appreciate
cultural connections and differences and to grow into their role as global citizens.
The academic major program offers a course of study in Spanish, Latin American, and U.S. Latinx literature and culture. Spanish
majors attain depth and breadth of literary and cultural knowledge across historical periods and geographical areas.
The program is committed to promoting greater critical awareness of the differentials of power that perpetuate social injustice and
inform cultural and cross-cultural assumptions. Students acquire the skills to become close readers and critical thinkers and to explore
different modes of cultural production within specific social, political, and historical contexts. Our pedagogical goal is to prepare
students to be productive critics of the world beyond the texts. To that end, students examine the ways in which different texts
challenge or affirm aesthetic conventions and dominant social narratives, including race, class, gender, sexuality, nationality, and
imperialism. In the process, our majors are encouraged to analyze the connections among systems of domination and to develop as
scholars and promoters of social justice.
Achievement Test: Students seeking entrance credit in Spanish and wishing to pursue Spanish at Colby must have taken the AP
Spanish Language and Culture Exam or must take the Colby online Spanish placement exam during summer prior to making their
course selections for the fall semester.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Bretton White
Professors Luis Millones; Associate Professors Dean Allbritton, María Bollo-Panadero, and Bretton White; Assistant Professors Ana
Almeyda-Cohen, Sandra Bernal Heredia, Dámaris Mayans, Tiffany Miller, and Nicolás Ramos Flores; Visiting Assistant Professors
Amelia Raboso Mañas, and Javier Zapata Clavería; Language Assistant Jennifer Hincapié
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Spanish
Spanish majors will successfully complete a minimum of 9 courses: our three core courses (Spanish 135, 231, and the senior
seminar) as well as 6 literature, culture, or film electives at the 200- and 300-levels. Students who begin their studies in the Spanish
language sequence (SP125/126/127) or in SP127H have reduced major course requirements, completing our three core courses as
well as 5 major elective courses. Majors must take one course in the department each semester. Independent study work does not
replace required courses.
The courses within our major are structured with an eye on differentials of power and inequality across and within cultures. For this
reason, Spanish majors complete two electives in each of the following categories: (1) culture and identity, or courses that analyze
how race, ethnicity, and/or cultural identity operate and move across cultures and/or States; (2) gender and sex, courses which focus
on issues of gender, sexuality, and sex within a particular cultural context; and (3) health and environment, courses that study global
environments and our lived, physical experience of the world. Please note that a course taken in the Spanish Department may fulfill
no more than one elective requirement, and that SP135 does not count towards the major electives.
Given the intercultural and multicultural focus of the department’s curriculum, majors are strongly advised to spend a semester or
academic year studying abroad in their third year. A minimum grade point average of 2.7 is required to retain the Spanish major and
for permission to study abroad. Students who study abroad will enroll in programs that offer university-level courses (not in a language
acquisition program), and all course work abroad must be conducted in Spanish. All study-abroad plans for students majoring in
Spanish must be approved in advance by the Spanish major advisor and the department chair. Eligibility prerequisites for Spanish
majors to study abroad include the completion of Spanish 135 and Spanish 231 with a grade of C or better.
The following statements also apply:
1. The point scale for retention of the major is based on all Spanish Department courses numbered above 132.
2. No major requirements may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
3. Majors must take at least one course in the department each semester, and must receive a grade of C or better for any
course to count toward the major.
4. No more than the equivalent of three semester courses of study abroad credit may be counted toward the major per
semester abroad, or five semester courses per year abroad.
5. No more than the equivalent of four transfer credits may be counted toward the major.
Honors in Spanish
Students majoring in Spanish with a 3.7 major average or better and an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher may apply for admission to the
honors program by the end of their junior year. Permission is required; interested juniors should contact their potential thesis advisors
and go over guidelines established by the department. Successful completion of the work of the honors thesis and of the major will
enable the student to graduate with “Honors in Spanish.”
Course Offerings
SP125fs Elementary Spanish I The first semester of three consecutive courses designed to develop fluency and accuracy in the
Spanish language. Through an interactive approach to language learning, students gain communicative proficiency through
fast-paced, task- and content-based exercises designed to integrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Videos, audio, and
web materials introduce students to cultural differences within the Spanish speaking world. Four credit hours. RAMOS FLORES,
ZAPATA CLAVERIA
SP126fs Elementary Spanish II The second of three consecutive courses designed to develop fluency and accuracy in the
Spanish language. Through a continued interactive approach to teaching and learning, students begin to develop skills for more
independent communicative proficiency. Task- and content-based assignments challenge students to integrate listening, speaking,
reading, and writing skills in a functional use of the language. Videos, audio, and web materials are
incorporated. Prerequisite: Spanish 125. Four credit hours. HERNANDEZ LASA, MAYANS, ZAPATA CLAVERIA
[SP126H] Spanish Language for Heritage Learners Designed for students who come from a variety of Spanish speaking family
backgrounds and have some knowledge of Spanish. The purpose of this course is to revitalize and gain confidence in the Spanish
you have acquired; to master the language for formal and professional purposes; to improve strategic speaking, reading, and writing
skills; to examine and recognize regional, social, and contextual variations; and to enhance your understanding and appreciation of
Hispanic and Latinx cultures and sociopolitical realities. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Four credit hours. U.
SP127fs Intermediate Spanish I The third of three consecutive courses designed to develop fluency and accuracy in the
Spanish language. Through an intensive grammar review, students develop skills for independent and creative interactive
communication. Designed to refine students' major skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as to provide insight into
the literature and culture of Spanish-speaking countries. Video screenings and short readings in Hispanic literature and culture
deepen student understanding of linguistic and cultural nuances and serve as the basis for in-class discussions and writing
assignments. Prerequisite: Spanish 126. Four credit hours. FACULTY
SP127Hf Spanish Language for Heritage Learners Designed for students who come from a variety of Spanish speaking family
backgrounds and have some knowledge of Spanish. The purpose of this course is to revitalize and gain confidence in the Spanish
you have acquired; to master the language for formal and professional purposes; to improve strategic speaking, reading, and writing
skills; to examine and recognize regional, social, and contextual variations; and to enhance your understanding and appreciation of
Hispanic and Latinx cultures and sociopolitical realities. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Four credit hours. U. MAYANS
SP127Jj Intermediate Spanish in Salamanca This course is the third semester of the Spanish language sequence and takes
place in Salamanca, Spain. Immersing themselves in day-to-day Spanish life by living with local families, students will take part in
activities in the city, and explore other historic sites in Spain. Students will refine speaking, listening, reading and writing skills for
realistic and culturally appropriate communication in the target language, and will be expected to speak only in Spanish during their
stay in order to strengthen their language production and to increase cultural competency through a communicative, task-based
approach. Estimated cost: $3000. Prerequisite: Spanish 126. Three credit hours. WHITE
SP128fs Conversation, Composition, and Culture Designed specifically to develop oral skills and critical thinking in Spanish,
with additional practice in writing and continued work in vocabulary building and grammar review. This course fosters communication
skills through conversation, composition, and analysis of cultural production from the Hispanic and Latinx worlds. Working with a
variety of fiction and non-fiction texts and cultural products, students will acquire the skills to critique and interpret while engaging in
active thinking. Prerequisite: Spanish 127. Four credit hours. MILLONES, WHITE
SP128Hs Spanish Composition for Heritage Learners Designed specifically to develop biliteracy skills in heritage learners of
Spanish. Students will work in vocabulary building and academic writing literacy through the analysis of different cultural production.
This course fosters understand of bilingualism and bilingual contact phenomena, examines and recognizes regional, social, and
contextual variations, empower students by reflecting on their own language experiences and practices and builds community by
making connections with students of similar backgrounds and life experiences. Prerequisite: Spanish 127H. Four credit
hours. U. RAMOS FLORES
[SP132] Conversation and Composition in Salamanca This course takes place in Salamanca, which was declared a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1988. Students immerse themselves in day-to-day Spanish life by living with local families, taking part in
activities inside the city, and exploring other historic sites in Spain. This course develops communicative and argumentative writing
skills in Spanish through conversations with peers and locals and by analyzing a variety of texts and events. Students may not receive
credit for this course and SP131. Estimated cost for Jan Plan 2020: $3200. Prerequisite: Spanish 128. Three credit hours. I.
[SP135] Introduction to Literary Analysis Four credit hours. L.
[SP135A] Introduction to Critical Analysis: Eco-Fiction and Eco-Thought Introduction to critical analysis through a variety of
eco-fiction and eco-thought provoking readings from Latin American, Spanish, and/or U.S. Latinx authors. We will explore human
accountability to the environment and the presence of nonhuman beings in fiction. Students will learn how to examine cultural
products such as literature, film, performance, and visual culture through close reading, thematic analysis, and strategies of
interpretation. Students develop skills in writing critical essays and learn the basics of scholarly research. Prerequisite: Spanish 128 or
132. Four credit hours. L.
[SP135B] Introduction to Critical Analysis: Indigenous Latin America Latin America is home to more than 45 million
Indigenous peoples who, given historical legacies of colonialism, have had little voice in regional and national discourses despite their
numbers. Though Indigenous peoples and their cultures have long attracted the attention of non-Indigenous authors and artists, the
canon features very few (if any) Indigenous voices. This course studies Latin American and Latinx indigeneities vis-à-vis cultural,
literary, and film studies. Students will learn how to examine cultural products through close reading, thematic analysis, and strategies
of interpretation, developing skills in writing critical essays and learning the basics of scholarly research. Prerequisite: Spanish
128. Four credit hours. L.
[SP135C] Introduction to Critical Analysis: Love and Death Eros and Thanatos go hand in hand in literary creation. Eros is
responsible for sexual attraction, love, and sex and is also worshiped as the god of fertility and creativity. Thanatos has been
postulated as the drive to a non-violent death. Both impulses pervade some of the best literature in Spanish. In this course we will
examine a number of texts by Spanish and Latin American authors which best illustrate this dynamic, through close reading, thematic
analysis and strategies of interpretation. Students will develop skills in writing critical essays while also learning the basics of scholarly
research. Prerequisite: Spanish 128 or 132. Four credit hours. L.
SP135Ds Introduction to Critical Analysis: Visibility and Mobility Considers how cultural production can provide avenues to
give voice to those with less power, including racial minorities, women, and LGBTQ artists. Our examination of these works will
consider how forms of Hispanic cultural production constitute a means for gaining visibility and mobility for underrepresented groups.
Students will learn how to examine cultural production through close-reading, thematic analysis, and strategies of interpretation across
multiple literary genres as well as visual forms of cultural production. Students will also develop skills in writing critical essays while
learning the basics of scholarly research. Prerequisite: Spanish 128 or 132. Four credit hours. L. WHITE
[SP135E] Introduction to Critical Analysis: Spanish in the USA Explores the experiences of U.S. Latinx communities through
sociopolitical, historical and linguistic phenomena. We will cover major and minor demographic varieties of Spanish in the USA,
bilingualism, and contact situation, among other topics. Students will learn how to examine linguistic and cultural phenomena through
close reading, thematic analysis, and strategies of interpretation, developing skills in writing critical essays and learning the basics of
scholarly research. Prerequisite: Spanish 128. Four credit hours. L.
SP135Fs Introduction to Critical Analysis: Jews of Medieval Iberia During the Middle Ages, in the Iberian Peninsula, Jews
often excelled in all forms of cultural expressions. This course explores the works of the Sephardic Jews in their historical context,
from their establishment in the Peninsula until their expulsion from the Iberian kingdoms, their cryptic survival, and eventual spread
throughout the world. Students will learn how to examine cultural production through close reading, thematic analysis, and strategies
of interpretation. Students will also develop skills in writing critical essays and learning the basics of scholarly
research. Prerequisite: Spanish 128 or 132. Four credit hours. L. BOLLO-PANADERO
[SP135G] Introduction to Critical Analysis: Autobiography in Colonial Latin America Autobiographical writing is
retrospective prose narrative composed by a real person concerning personal existence, where the focus is the individual life, in
particular the story of a personality. Multifaceted and complex expressions of power, gender and racial identity in autobiographies,
including works by "discoverers" of the New World and a transgender nun, will be considered. Students will learn how to examine
cultural production through close-reading, thematic analysis, and strategies of interpretation. Students will also develop skills in writing
critical essays and learning the basics of scholarly research. Prerequisite: Spanish 128 or 132. Four credit hours. L.
[SP135H] Introduction to Critical Analysis: Rap en español Explores Latin American hip-hop in relation to identity, poetics, and
urban space. The work of artists from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Argentina, and the United States will be paired with secondary
readings from Critical Race Theory. We will also practice ethnographic methods, including interviews. Students will learn how to
examine cultural production through close-reading, thematic analysis, and strategies of interpretation. Students will also develop skills
in writing critical essays and learning the basics of scholarly research. Critical Race Collaborative course. Prerequisite: Spanish
128. Four credit hours. L.
SP135If Introduction to Critical Analysis: Indigeneities in Contemporary Popular Culture in the Americas This
interdisciplinary course explores the construction of contemporary urban indigenous identities through an analysis of a wide range of
cultural mediums (popular music, audiovisual arts, graphic memory, performance, comics, video games, aesthetics, among others) to
analyze emerging patterns of cultural variegations, affective energies, and decolonized daily practices. Geographically, students will
examine artistic productions from urban indigenous peoples in the Americas, focusing on indigenous and mestizo Latin America (Abya
Yala) and Native American and Indigenous cultures in the United States (Turtle Island). Global Lab course Prerequisite: Spanish 128
or 132. Four credit hours. L. BERNAL HEREDIA
SP135Jf Introduction to Critical Analysis: Colonial Echoes This course explores the legacies of colonialism in contemporary
Latin American literature and visual culture through an exploration of gender, body, and territory. Tracing links between past and
present, students will learn how to examine cultural production through close-reading, thematic analysis, and strategies of
interpretation. Students will also develop skills in writing critical essays and learn the basics of scholarly
research. Prerequisite: Spanish 128. Four credit hours. L. RABOSOMANA
SP231fs Advanced Spanish An in-depth analysis of Spanish grammar, focusing on the more complex and subtle linguistic and
cultural dimensions of a variety of syntactical and lexical concepts. Students will achieve an advanced mastery of Spanish grammar
and vocabulary. Prerequisite: Spanish 128. Four credit hours. BOLLO-PANADERO
[SP234] Diversity and Racism in Contemporary Spain Focuses on the cultures and communities that make up contemporary
Spain, with particular emphasis on the modern waves of immigration that have radically changed the country. Covering the latter years
of the dictatorship and into the democracy (from 1970 forward), we examine how regionalism, multiculturalism, and diversity have
been represented across a range of media and literature in Spain. Topics may include Latin American, African and Asian migration
and diasporas, sex and sexuality, racial politics, and linguistic and cultural difference in Spain. Prerequisite: Spanish 135. Four credit
hours. I.
[SP236] Medical Spanish: Health and Illness in Spain Through a broad approach that encompasses the study of literature, film,
medical journals, and real-life contexts, this course analyzes how medical institutions govern life, death, bodies, and minds. Students
will analyze medical articles, public health policies, and responses to major pandemics and illnesses in the Spanish-speaking world,
and in so doing will hone language skills that are useful for the medical profession. Topics may include cross-cultural pandemics and
epidemics, narrative medicine in medical practices, cultural differences regarding illness and health, and the situational use of
professional medical vocabulary in Spanish. Fulfills Spanish H/E requirement. Prerequisite: Spanish 135. Four credit hours.
[SP237] Conquest and Resistance in the Americas The European expansion during the Early Modern period sought to
transform the Americas by reproducing the material, spiritual, and biological landscapes of the Old World. Amerindian peoples whose
lives and cultures were jeopardized confronted the Europeans deploying an array of resistance strategies. Students will engage with
texts and materials from different areas and time periods to uncover and analyze the many ways in which energy and exhaustion
came into play during conquest and resistance efforts across the Americas. This Environmental Humanities class explores
the Energy/Exhaustion humanities theme. Prerequisite: Spanish 135. Four credit hours. L, I.
[SP239] Latin America at the Movies An introduction to the cinematography of Latin America covering a broad set of topics,
countries and time periods. Students will explore how diverse themes-revolution, modernity, gender, race, labor, and
neoliberalism-inform national history, particularly in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Cuba, nations that developed an energetic
cinematography at various points in the 20th century. Students will gain experience in film analysis and how to articulate the
relationship between content and artistic form. Fulfills Spanish G/S requirement. Prerequisite: Spanish 135. Four credit hours. A.
[SP244] Bad Women and B-Films in Contemporary Latin America Explores the rich heritage of Latin American exploitation
cinema (B-films) that transcends national borders and cultural differences. By watching a diversity of "low-brow" film genres and
reading feminist and critical film theory, students will interrogate notions of acceptability, the popular, high art, and industry machinery.
In particular, we will focus on how cinematic depictions of "bad" women open possibilities for gendered identities which disrupt
conventional models of women's roles in Latin America. Students will gain experience in film analysis and how to articulate the
relationship between content and artistic form. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit
hours. A.
[SP246] Latin American Theatre Introduces a range of 20th-century Latin American theatrical texts to consider thematic and
aesthetic components related to issues such as nation-building, violence, language, identity, gender, sexuality, immigration, and
memory. Discussions will engage these questions: How is theater related to social and political change? What is the role of the
spectator in the transformations presented in these works? And how is Latin American theater changing in the 21st century? Central
to our discussions will be the influence of theorists such as Brecht, Artaud, and Beckett on Latin American playwrights. Fulfills Spanish
C/I requirement. Prerequisite: Spanish 135. Four credit hours. A, I.
SP254s Aquí estamos: U.S. Latinx in the 20th and 21st Centuries CATW course Will examine the cultural productions and
critical discourse surrounding U.S. Latinx subjects in the second half of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st. Students will
examine issues of migration and identity in the U.S. context beginning in the 1950s along with political realities of Latin America and
the Caribbean to expand ideas of Latinidad. Students will explore identity formation and negotiations of language, race, gender,
sexuality, class, coloniality, and diaspora to reveal the present U.S. Latinx reality. This is a Colby Across the Walls course (CATW).
CATW courses enroll students on campus and students who are currently/recently incarcerated to build learning communities in the
classroom and beyond. Classes will take place on campus and inside Maine prisons, which will require extra travel
time. Prerequisite: Spanish 135. Four credit hours. L, U. RAMOS FLORES
SP258f Baila: History, Culture, and Performance of Latin Dance This course focuses on how dance as a form of corporal
expression has reflected the social and political processes of diverse communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our
discussions will be framed by a range of concepts pertinent to Latin American contexts such as diaspora, colonialism, mestizaje,
hybridity, migration, and globalization. Students will also learn fundamental dance skills and practice techniques of dances like
merengue, cumbia, bachata, cha-cha, samba, reggaeton, and salsa. The class will consist of assigned readings, class discussions,
audio and visual performance analysis, in-class presentations, and skill tests. Fulfills Spanish C/I requirement. Prerequisite: Spanish
135. Four credit hours. A, I. BERNAL HEREDIA
[SP266] Language of Spanish Cinema An examination of selected works by major Spanish directors of the 20th and 21st
centuries. Introduces students to the discipline of film studies and investigates cinematic representations of Spain during the
dictatorship and the subsequent transition to democracy. Special attention to questions of identity, violence, and instances of
resistance. Prerequisite: Spanish 135. Four credit hours. A, I.
SP297f Deep Ecology in Human Imagination This course starts with an exploration of the ideas by Deep Ecology authors, and
by questioning human exceptionalism with readings and experiential exercises in the Colby Arboretum and other outdoor experiences.
Students will then use what they have learned to research and produce an environmental tour guide of selected art material from the
Colby Museum of Art. Fulfills Spanish H/E requirement. Environmental humanities course. Prerequisite: Spanish 135 or instructor
authorization. Four credit hours. MILLONES
[SP297B] Iberian Empires: Spain, Africa, and Asia Offers an expanded introduction to the lesser-studied territories affected by
the colonial policies of the Spanish Empire. We address the sociocultural and religious factors that initiated these policies and explore
the emerging cultural production of these encounters, highlighting dynamics of power and resistance against empire. Topics will
include race and gender, cultural production, power dynamics, and resistance. The course studies territories in Africa and Asia as well
as internal Iberian conflicts such as the resistance of the Romani, Morisco, and Sephardic communities. Prerequisite: Spanish
135. Four credit hours.
SP298s Iberian Empires: Spain, Africa, and Asia Offers an expanded introduction to the lesser-studied territories affected by
the colonial policies of the Spanish Empire. We address the sociocultural and religious factors that initiated these policies and explore
the emerging cultural production of these encounters, highlighting dynamics of power and resistance against empire. Topics will
include race and gender, cultural production, power dynamics, and resistance. The course studies territories in Africa and Asia as well
as internal Iberian conflicts such as the resistance of the Romani, Morisco, and Sephardic communities. ~ Prerequisite: Spanish
135. Four credit hours. ZAPATA CLAVERIA
[SP343] Indigenous Textualities, Decoloniality, and Land Sovereignty Students will learn about Indigenous understandings of
disseminating knowledge in Abiayala (Latin America) as they give back to Latinx migrant students in Maine. Through this civic
engagement, students will explore non-Western Indigenous forms of knowledge and issues surrounding migration to the United States
from Mexico and Central America while analyzing contemporary issues surrounding Latinx diasporas, land sovereignty, and Critical
Indigenous Studies. Topics may include trans-indigeneity, alternative forms of "writing," oral literature, digital humanities, hybridity,
modernity, decoloniality, and ecocriticism. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit hours.
[SP344] Environmental Knowledge, Imperialism, and Resistance European expansion during the Early Modern period sought
to transform the Americas by reproducing the material, spiritual, and biological landscapes of the Old World. Amerindian peoples
whose lives, cultures, and environments were jeopardized confronted the European actions and ideas by deploying an array of
resistance strategies. We study this process to understand the confrontations surrounding environmental knowledge, imperialism, and
resistance in our postcolonial reality. Students will engage with texts, images, and other materials from different areas and time
periods to learn theories and to develop a critical perspective on the history of the encounter of cultures. Fulfills Spanish H/E
requirement. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit hours. I.
[SP345] Black Lives Matter in the Hispanic World Africans and Afro-descendants formed a part of the Hispanic world dating
from before the arrival of the first slaves to North America in 1619, but the existence of Black peoples has not been fully recognized.
Literary and historical analysis will explore the various ways Africans and their descendants have always been cultural citizens of
Spain and Spanish America through auto/biographies, archival documents, slave narratives and contemporary prose. Continuities
between racial discourses in the past and the present, and Black agency throughout time, demonstrate the various ways Black life has
always mattered even when it has gone unnoticed. Prerequisite: Spanish 135. Four credit hours.
SP346f Race, Rights, and Land in the Americas Examines issues of race, rights, and land for subaltern subjects across the
Americas. By focusing on Afro-diasporic peoples, students will better understand how systematic issues of race and the
disenfranchisement of black bodies are not isolated to any one area, but a product of the legacy of slavery. We will explore how these
issues are ever-present for Black subjects in the Americas through various examples from Brazil, Central America, the U.S. and
Maine. By examining archival materials and artistic works, students take part in a range of projects that show the multifaceted nature
of land rights for the Afro-Americas. Boundaries and Margins humanities lab. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature, culture,
or film course. Four credit hours. I. RAMOS FLORES
[SP347] Latinx Indigeneities and Mesoamerican Borders Through a broad approach that encompasses the study of literature,
film, real-life contexts, and other media, this course analyzes how borders, migration, and Indigeneity have been conceptualized.
Students will hone their language skills as they situate these topics within the field of Latinx studies to critically analyze the longer
historical trajectory of socio-political and cultural movement in Mesoamerica: Central America, Mexico, and the United States. In
addition to geo-political borders, topics will conceptualize borders in their abstract sense, exploring interconnected topics such as
gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, and class. Fulfills Spanish C/I or G/S requirements. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature,
culture, or film course. Four credit hours.
[SP348] The Afro-Americas: Race, Power, and Subjectivity Explores literature, film, and cultural productions by
Afro-descendant subjects in the Americas. Focusing on Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Afro-Latinx populations, this course
underscores the interconnected nature of Afro-descendant populations in the region and examines how Afro-descendant populations
constantly negotiate hegemonic cultural norms overtly and subversively. Using an intersectional approach, students will explore who is
included and excluded in a national rhetoric, how race is constructed or rejected, who speaks or does not speak in history, and how
gender is negotiated or silenced in national narratives. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit
hours. L, I.
[SP356] Representations of Blackness in Early Modern Spain Framing this course squarely in the long but often obscured
history of slavery in early modern Spain, we will examine and interrogate cultural expressions of race in sixteenth and seventeenth
century Spanish cultural production, including literature, theater, visual art, music, and archival documents. More specifically, we will
consider how these images and expressions, and voices present different responses, both affirming and contesting, to early modern
anxieties about race, gender, religion, social class, and national identity. Boundaries and Margins humanities theme
course. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit hours. L, I.
[SP357] Borderlands Cinema: Latinx Media Representations 20th and 21st Century Explores the cinematic representations
of the Latinx experience of the B/borderlands over five distinct periods: silent cinema (1900s-1920s), sound cinema (1930s-1960s),
social problem films (1930s-1950s), New Latinx cinema (1970s), mainstream televisual cinema (1980s-1990s), and cinema in the
digital age (2000s-present). Students will explore how diverse themes, gender, race, and labor inform film studies, particularly on the
US/Mexico border and the borderlands of New York City. Students will gain experience in film analysis and how to articulate the
relationship between content and artistic form. Fulfills Spanish C/I or G/S requirements. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature,
culture, or film course. Four credit hours. A, U.
[SP362] All about Almodóvar The study of contemporary Spanish history and film through the works of noted filmmaker Pedro
Almodóvar. Analyzes the films of Almodóvar as representative of the changes in Spanish culture from the 1980s to the present day.
Topics may include sex and sexuality, film genres and film history, and modern Spanish political and cultural life.
Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit hours. A, I.
SP366f Queer Spain The representation of queer lives and identities in recent Spanish history. We will engage with Spanish film,
literature, and culture to consider and question the 'origins' of LGBTQ identity in Spain. Have we always imagined queerness as a
coupling of people or movements to signify alterity and difference? Who gets to tell the story of queer lives in Spain, and whether such
histories form a string of texts that resist silence and fear? Is Spanish queerness related to a transnational sense of queer identity?
Thinking of queerness as a spectrum allows us to challenge the borders of sex and gender both within Spain and within our own
cultures. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit hours. ALLBRITTON
[SP371] The Colonial Experience: European and Amerindian Responses Close readings of representative primary
documents and iconography from throughout the Spanish and Portuguese empires that were produced to report, understand,
legislate, and record various dimensions of the encounter between Europe and the New World during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Emphasizes efforts by Europeans and Amerindians to control the memory of events and to position themselves in colonial societies.
Students will explore texts and cultural productions used to exert dominance or resistance during a specific historical context, become
critical readers of primary documents, and engage with key issues of colonial literature. Prerequisite: A 200-level Spanish literature,
culture, or film course. Four credit hours. L.
[SP376] Narratives, Artifacts, and Monuments of Pre-Columbian Civilization Studies narratives of pre-Columbian civilizations
as transmitted by oral tradition or by drawings, painted codices, pottery, architecture, textiles, etc., and how all these cultural products
were read and refashioned under colonial rule. Students develop skills in analytical reading of cultural productions as diverse
expressions of power, identity, religion, race, and hybridity. Promotes a sophisticated understanding of the types of primary sources
and methodological approaches that scholars use to reconstruct the world of pre-Columbian societies. Prerequisite: A 200-level
Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit hours. L.
SP398s Rhythm, Race, and Revolution in Latin American Poetry How do poets act and when are they revolutionary? In what
ways can poetry revise our understanding of self and community? Can a poem change the world? This course surveys important
poetic movements in modern Latin America and their social implications, exploring the interface between form and function, sound
and sense, literature and politics. Our analysis reflects on the ways Latin American poetry has served as a vehicle for empowering
subaltern racial, gender, and sexual identities and producing radically democratic forms of knowledge. Poets covered include
Manzano, Mistral, Darío, Guillén, Campos, Neruda, Vallejo, and Vicuña. Fulfills Spanish C/I or G/S requirements. Prerequisite: A
200-level Spanish literature, culture, or film course. Four credit hours. HANKIN
SP483fj, SP484s Senior Honors Thesis The senior honors thesis can replace the senior seminar requirement. The thesis, which
will be written in Spanish, is to be a substantial study of a carefully defined literary topic supported by critical sources. Prerequisite: A
3.7 or higher major average and an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher at the end of the junior year and permission of the department. Two to
four credit hours. FACULTY
[SP483J] Senior Honors Thesis Noncredit.
SP491f, SP492s Independent Study Individual projects in areas where the student has demonstrated the interest and
competence necessary for independent work. Cannot substitute for formal course work toward the major. Prerequisite: Permission of
the department chair. Two to four credit hours. FACULTY
SP498s Interplay Between Speculative and Environmental Fiction Both speculative and environmental narratives among Latin
American and Latinx writers have been growing in production and significance in recent years. In this course we will read fiction and
study theoretical approaches to speculative fiction and its interplay with environmental fiction in Latin American and Latinx short
stories, novels, and a couple of films. We will read and analyze texts from contemporary authors paying attention to how their work
differ in their response to the technological and environmental challenges of our time from the well-established Anglophone tradition
and classic sub-genres such space opera or climate fiction. Students will learn how these narratives engage imperialism, social
inequality, gender, and environmental justice in creative and well-crafted works. Prerequisite: A 300-level Latin American Studies or
Spanish course. Four credit hours. L, I. MILLONES
Statistics Department
The statistics major is designed to equip students with the analytical tools and capacities to interact with real-world data in a research
environment while also accommodating students who seek a more theoretical foundation in the field. It is designed to pair with fields
of study in which data plays a central role. This major equips students with the fundamental skills necessary to understand not only
how to display and analyze data, but how to design studies and experiments and collect data.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor James Scott
Professor Liam O’Brien; Associate Professor James Scott; Assistant Professors Jerzy Wieczorek and Bret Zeldow; Visiting Assistant
Professor Costel-Gabriel Bontea
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Statistics
Completion of each of the following with a grade of C- or better: Mathematics 122 or 160 or 165, 253, 381; a Computer Science
course; Mathematics 274 or Computer Science 2XX or Statistics 3XX; Statistics 212, 321, 482, and two additional statistics electives
numbered 300 or above.
Students majoring in mathematical sciences or data science may not major in statistics.
Requirements for the Minor in Statistics
Completion of each of the following with a grade of C- or better: Mathematics 122 or 160 or 165, and 253; Statistics 212 and 321; and
two more statistics courses numbered 300 or above. (The Psychology 214/215 or Economics 293/393 course sequences may be
substituted for Statistics 212.)
A minor in data science is described in the “Data Science” section of the catalogue.
The point scale for retention of the minors applies to all courses in the minors. No requirement for the minors may be taken
satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Course Offerings
[SC110] Statistical Thinking Statistics is the science of learning from data; it provides tools for understanding data and
arguments based on data in many diverse fields. Students will learn to describe data in basic terms and to verbalize interpretations of
it. Topics include graphical and numerical methods for summarizing data, methods of data collection, basic study design, introductory
probability, confidence intervals, and statistical inference. Does not count toward any major or minor. Four credit hours. Q.
SC212fs Introduction to Statistics and Data Science An exploration of statistical methods relevant to a broad array of scientific
disciplines. Students will learn to properly collect data through sound experimental design and to present and interpret data in a
meaningful way, making use of statistical computing packages. Topics include descriptive statistics, design of experiments,
randomization, contingency tables, measures of association for categorical variables, confidence intervals, one- and two-sample tests
of hypotheses for means and proportions, analysis of variance, correlation/regression, and nonparametrics. Prerequisite: Sophomore
standing or above. Four credit hours. Q, W2. NING, O'BRIEN, SCOTT, TANG
SC306s Topics in Epidemiology The purposes of epidemiological research are to discover the causes of disease, to advance
and evaluate methods of disease prevention, and to aid in planning and evaluating the effectiveness of public health programs.
Students will learn about the historical development of epidemiology, a cornerstone of public health practice. Through the use of
statistical methods and software, they will explore the analytic methods commonly used to investigate the occurrence of disease.
Topics include descriptive and analytic epidemiology; measures of disease occurrence and association; observational and
experimental study designs; and interaction, confounding, and bias. Prerequisite: Statistics 212. Four credit hours. SCOTT
SC308s Topics in Psychometrics and Multivariate Statistics Psychometrics is concerned with the development and evaluation
of psychological instruments such as tests and questionnaires. Students will learn about the fundamental concepts central to
measurements derived from these tools. The establishment and assessment of the validity and reliability of research instruments, as
well as the construction of scales and indices, will be discussed. Data reduction techniques and an introduction to testing theory will
also be covered. Statistical software will be used throughout. Prerequisite: Statistics 212 and Mathematics 253 (may be taken
concurrently). Four credit hours. O'BRIEN
[SC310] Applied Longitudinal Analysis Longitudinal data occur when the same response is measured repeatedly through time.
Students in this course will learn the fundamental properties of the structure of longitudinal data, as well as standard regression and
mixed modeling strategies to analyze them. The types of estimation, and implications for using them, will also be discussed. Statistical
software will be used throughout the course. Prerequisite: Statistics 212 and Mathematics 253 (may be taken concurrently). Four
credit hours.
SC321fs Statistical Modeling Students will expand on their inferential statistical background and explore methods of modeling
data through linear and nonlinear regression analysis. Through the use of statistical software, they will learn how to identify possible
models based on data visualization techniques, to validate assumptions required by such models, and to describe their limitations.
Topics include multiple linear regression, multicollinearity, logistic regression, models for analyzing temporal data, model-building
strategies, transformations, model validation. Prerequisite: Statistics 212. Four credit hours. SCOTT, WIECZOREK
SC323f Statistical Surveys, Censuses, and Society Revolves around the role of sampling and surveys in the context of U.S.
society. We will examine the evolution of census- and survey-taking in the U.S. in the context of its economic, social, and political
uses, eventually leading to discussions about the accuracy and relevance of survey responses, especially in light of various kinds of
sampling and non-sampling errors. We will also explore links to sampling methods useful for studying wildlife, forests, and other
non-human populations. Students will be required to design, implement, and analyze a survey using rigorous, well-motivated
methods. Previously offered as Statistics 397 (Fall 2019). Prerequisite: Statistics 212. Four credit hours. WIECZOREK
SC324f Statistical Learning in Data Science Statistical methods used in data science allow computers to make inferences and
predictions about target variables. This course will provide students exposure to the common statistical methods and models used in
this setting. Although the emphasis is on applications, the statistical and mathematical foundations for these data science techniques
will also be covered. Topics will include linear modeling and classification techniques, cross validation, bootstrapping, non-linear
modeling, tree-based methods, and data reduction strategies. Unsupervised learning techniques will also be covered as time
allows. Prerequisite: Statistics 212 and Mathematics 253 (may be taken concurrently). Four credit hours. WIECZOREK
SC326s Statistical Graphics and Principles of Visualization An effective statistical graphic is a powerful tool for analyzing data
and communicating insights. From tabular to geospatial and network datasets, students will learn to create and interpret visualizations
that show the raw data, statistical models of that data, and the statistical precision of those summaries. Students will also apply
principles of human visual processing and data science workflows to ensure their statistical graphics are effective and reproducible.
With the help of the tidyverse, ggplot2, R Markdown, and shiny R packages, students will create static and interactive graphics,
culminating in an interactive data dashboard. Previously offered as Statistics 398 (Spring 2021). Prerequisite: Statistics 212. Four
credit hours. WIECZOREK
[SC327] Bayesian Statistics An introduction to Bayesian statistics. We will cover topics such as Bayes Theorem, prior and
posterior distributions, linear regression, hierarchical models, and statistical inference using Bayesian methods. We will also make
extensive use of R to implement these methods. Prerequisite: Mathematics 381. Four credit hours.
SC381fs Probability Listed as Mathematics 381. Four credit hours. GOUVEA, RANDLES
SC482fs Topics in Statistical Inference Building on their background in probability theory, students explore inferential methods
in statistics and learn how to evaluate different estimation techniques and hypothesis-testing methods. Students learn techniques for
modeling the response of a continuous random variable using information from several variables using regression modeling. Topics
include maximum likelihood and other methods estimation, sample properties of estimators, including sufficiency, consistency, and
relative efficiency, Rao-Blackwell theorem, tests of hypotheses, confidence, and resampling techniques. Prerequisite: Mathematics
381. Four credit hours. O'BRIEN, TANG
SC491f, SC492s Independent Study One to four credit hours. FACULTY
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Colby is committed to feminist anti-racist scholarship and research. We offer
interdisciplinary classes that are intersectional and transnational, with commitments to critical race and critical caste scholarship,
queer theory and queer of color critique, masculinity studies, Indigenous feminisms, and transnational activisms. We stress
multidisciplinary methods in our coursework and provide “real world” application of WGSS knowledge—from writing grant proposals to
reading alternative archives.
Our “core courses” taken by majors and minors in WGSS consist of Introduction to Women’s Studies, Feminist Theories and
Methodologies, and the Senior Seminar capstone course. We add new electives each semester, but some student favorites include
Queer of Color Critique and Critical Race Theory and Tap Dance.
A WGSS major graduates with a strong grounding in a variety of feminist research methodologies. Core courses train students in
interdisciplinary methods and rigorous theoretical reading and writing. Students draw on courses in other programs and departments
for training in empirical methods and for topical breadth. A WGSS major graduates having completed a program that is tailored to the
student’s developing interests. Our program’s graduates are trained to think independently, courageously, and boldly about their own
subjectivities and the world around them.
Faculty
Chair, Associate Professor Sonja Thomas
Appointments in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Associate Professors Sonja Thomas and Jay Sibara; Assistant
Professor Laura Fugikawa; Visiting Assistant Professor Andrea Breau
Professors with Cross-listed Courses in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Professors Kimberly Besio (East Asian
Studies), Cedric Gael Bryant (English, African-American Studies), Ben Fallaw (History and Latin American Studies), Mary Beth Mills
(Anthropology), Nikky-Guninder K. Singh (Religious Studies), Larissa Taylor (History), and Andrea Tilden (Biology); Associate
Professors Dean Allbritton (Spanish), Chandra Bhimull (Anthropology, African-American Studies), Audrey Brunetaux (French and
Italian), Megan Cook (English), Britt Halvorson (Anthropology), Annie Kloppenberg (Performance, Theater, and Dance), Laura Saltz
(Art and American Studies), Katherine Stubbs (English), John Turner (History), and Natalie Zelensky (Music); Assistant Professors
Ana Almeyda-Cohen (Spanish), AB Brown (Performance, Theater, and Dance), Sarah Duff (History), Jin Goh (Psychology), Annie
Hikido (Sociology), Benjamin Lisle (American Studies), Seth Kim (Cinema Studies), Mohammad Shabangu (English), and Gwenyth
Shanks (Performance, Theater, and Dance); and Visiting Assistant Professors Danila Cannamela (French and Italian) and Danae
Jacobson (History)
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Twelve courses, including an introductory course (WGSS 101); a course in feminist theory (WGSS 311); a senior seminar (WGSS
493); and nine additional courses designated as WGSS courses or courses cross-listed under WGSS, at least two of which must be at
the 300 or 400 level. Students may also petition the program director to have a non-listed course counted toward the major by
demonstrating that the majority of their own course work is on WGSS topics.
Students may count toward fulfillment of the major requirements a maximum of one semester of independent study (WGSS 491 or
492) or four credits of Senior Scholars work (if approved by the WGSS coordinating committee).
The point scale for retention of the major applies to all courses taken toward fulfillment of the major. Courses counted toward the
major may not be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Honors in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Students majoring in WGSS may apply to participate in the honors program their senior year by submitting a formal statement of their
intention to the WGSS coordinating committee by April 15 of their junior year. The written proposal must include a description of the
proposed work, a timeline, and the agreement of a faculty sponsor and a secondary faculty reader. A 3.5 major average at the end of
the junior year is a condition for entry into the program. By the beginning of the senior year, students must develop and circulate to the
WGSS coordinating committee a prospectus for the project, written in consultation with the project’s faculty advisor. A 3.50 major
average at the end of the senior year and a public oral presentation of the project are conditions for successful completion of this
program. Honors course credits do not count toward elective credits in the major. The final project will usually consist of 50 pages or
more of superior quality.
Requirements for the Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Six courses, including an introductory course (WGSS 101); a course in feminist theory (WGSS 311); and a senior seminar (WGSS
493); and three additional courses designated as WGSS courses or cross-listed under WGSS, at least two of which must be at the
300 or 400 level. No more than one semester of independent study (WGSS 491 or 492) may be counted toward fulfillment of the
minor requirements.
The point scale for retention of the minor applies to all courses taken toward fulfillment of the minor. Courses counted toward the
minor may not be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Electives in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies
Note: As course offerings change yearly, this list may not be comprehensive.
● WG241 A: Disability Studies
● WG 233 Critical Race Theory and Tap Dance
● WG349 A: Queer of Color Critique
● WG 341 Gender and Human Rights
● WG 343 Decolonize this Place
● WG 397 South Asian Feminisms
● WG 341 Gender and Human Rights
Courses from Other Departments That May Be Applied to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Major or Minor
Note: As course offerings change yearly, this list may not be comprehensive.
American Studies
● 245 Land Sovereignty and Art
● 254 Surveillance Culture
● 342 Political Violence: American Cultures of Radicalism
● 366 Race, Gender and the Graphic Novel
● 375 Race, Gender, and Visual Culture
● 397 Comparative Ethnic Studies
Anthropology
● 344 Black Radical Imagination
● 373 The Anthropology of Gender and Sexuality
● 397 Indigeneity and the Politics of Authenticity
Cinema Studies
● 215 The Image of Women and Men in American Film
East Asian Studies
● 251 Gender Politics in Chinese Drama and Film
● 278 Language and Gender
English
● 316 Sex, Love, and Marriage in the Middle Ages
● 336 Early American Women Writers
● 369 Reading Race Now
● 413 Virginia Woolf
● 422 Queer Theory and U.S. Literature and Cultures
● 493 Seminar (when appropriate)
French Studies
● 358 Passionate Discontent: The 19th-Century Epidemic
● 379 Race and Gender in France
History
● 245 Science, Race, and Gender
● 300 South African Women’s Memoir
● 313 Women in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
● 319 History of Sexuality and Disease in Premodern Europe
● 320 Joan of Arc: History, Legend, and Film
● 324 History of Gender and Sexuality in Antiquity
● 381 Women and Gender in Islam
● 3xx U.S. as Empire
Performance, Theater, and Dance
● 1xx Performance/Performance studies
● 2xx Performance Art: The Body Politic
Philosophy
● 215 Feminist Philosophies
● 217 Feminism and Science
Psychology
● 223 Social Identities
Religious Studies
● 257 Women in American Religion
● 275 Contemporary Witchcraft: Formalists, Feminists, and Free Spirits
● 297 Gender and the Bible
● 312 South Asians and Global Literature, Film, Art, Environmentalism
Sociology
● 276 Sociology of Gender
● 344 Sociology of Sexualities
● 355 African-American Women and Social Change
Spanish
● 276 U.S. Latina/Chicana Women Writers
● 362 All about Almodóvar
● 364 Gender, Sex, and the Spanish Body
● 493 Seminar: Queer Spain
Course Offerings
WG101fs Introduction to Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies An introduction to the interdisciplinary field of women's,
gender, and sexuality studies, using classical and contemporary texts. An examination of the variety of feminist, anti-racist, and queer
theoretical approaches to understanding raced, gendered and sexual lives in historical contexts. Previously listed as WG201. Four
credit hours. U. BREAU, FUGIKAWA, SIBARA
[WG120] Gender and Film: Narrative Film, Resistance, and Revolt How is resistance imagined? Using feminist and queer film
critique, this writing intensive course centers on narrative films that depict resistance and revolt. Through short essay assignments
and group workshops, this course is designed to fine tune arguments, hone writing skills, and develop the critical analytical skills to
write about gender and film within the film’s socio-historical context. The course introduces key theories in feminist, race, and queer
film theory film analysis. Weekly film viewings, course readings, and writing assignments are required. Four credit hours. W1.
[WG120A] Race, Gender, and Sport This course will examine racism and sexism in a variety of different sports contexts. The
class will also explore how sport can bring attention to social inequalities and prompt feminist anti-racist activism that goes beyond the
sports world. Topics include intersexed bodies and Olympic gender testing, colonialism and cricket/rugby, race and the Scripps
National Spelling Bee, indigeneity and #MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls), Black Lives Matter protests,
and Asian American identities and sport. This W1 course is writing intensive with weekly writing assignments, response papers, and a
final research paper. Students will learn about plagiarism, how to use the Colby College library, Chicago style citation, develop an
argument/thesis statement, organize research into a research paper, and to write about the research they collected through feminist
methods. Four credit hours. W1, U.
WG120Bf Critical Inquiries in Medical Ethics We will engage with perspectives from feminist bioethics, disability studies, and
critical race studies as a basis for analyzing, then developing, ideas and arguments about key topics in the field of medical ethics such
as vaccination mandates, racialized health disparities, and biomedical research exploitation. Through frequent exercises and essay
assignments, students will cultivate a sophisticated writing process that fosters intellectual growth as well as precision of analysis,
persuasive argumentation, coherent organization, selection and incorporation of scholarly sources including scrupulous citation
practices, and clarity of style. Four credit hours. W1. SIBARA
[WG120C] Crime, Gender, and the Figure of the Victim Examines American culture's investment in "innocent" victims, asking
how innocence has been constructed in the US from a variety of historical and contemporary perspectives. Topics include true crime,
long been focused on the bodies of dead white girls; the history of civil rights movements (which have drawn attention to the unequal
treatment victims receive); the second wave feminist debates over legislation against pornography and sex work; the victim's rights
movement and its role in mass incarceration; the struggles of BIPOC, trans and nonbinary people to be recognized as victims; and
alternative theories of justice. Four credit hours. S, W1, U.
[WG211] Women in Myth and Fairy Tale How are women represented in the myths and fairy tales of U.S. cultures? What is the
impact of these images on ourselves and our societies? What are some alternatives to the images we are familiar with? How are
women using myths and fairy tales to deconstruct oppressive images based on cultural stereotypes? These questions are explored
through close examination of ancient and contemporary versions of the stories of Psyche, Beauty, and Inanna. American Indian
stories and feminist fairy tales provide alternative images for discussion, as do various video versions of the stories. Normally offered
every other year. Three credit hours. L.
[WG223] Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance An introduction to critical race theory and the art of tap dance. Students will
learn about the history of tap dance in the United States and abroad, the concept of intersectionality, and the systemic and
institutionalized nature of racism. Students will learn to perform and name basic tap skills and the "shim sham shimmy," a dance
historically performed by African-American female tap dancers in Harlem; to perform a visual cultural analysis; to understand and think
critically about critical race theory, black feminist thought; and to know the history of tap dance and its significance to racial politics in
the United States. Four credit hours. A, U.
WG223Jj Critical Race Feminisms and Tap Dance An introduction to critical race theory and the art of tap dance. Students will
learn about the history of tap dance in the United States and abroad, the concept of intersectionality, and the systemic and
institutionalized nature of racism. Students will learn to perform and name basic tap skills and the "shim sham shimmy," a dance
historically performed by African-American female tap dancers in Harlem; to perform a visual cultural analysis; to understand and think
critically about critical race theory, black feminist thought; and to know the history of tap dance and its significance to racial politics in
the United States. Three credit hours. A, U. THOMAS
[WG227] Archiving Our Lives: Theory and Method Listed as American Studies 227. Three credit hours. H, U.
[WG228] Language, Gender, and Sexuality: East Asian Languages Listed as East Asian Studies 228. Four credit hours. S,
I.
[WG232] Queer Identities and Politics Discussion-based course considering central writers in queer studies, with an emphasis
on historical and theoretical work on sex, gender, and sexuality. Topics include gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, and
queer political movement and theory; sexual identities and feminism; sexual identities and the law; alternative family practices; and
queer theory in academia. Four credit hours. U.
[WG233] Male Friendship in Chinese Literature Listed as East Asian Studies 232. Four credit hours. L.
WG234f Queer Youth Cultures In the contemporary U.S. context of "don't say gay" and panic about trans youth, attacks on
critical race theory, and book bans in schools, alongside an industry boom for #diversekidlit, this course asks: What stories do we tell
to and about children? How do these stories travel? What can this tell us about the racialized, gendered, and sexualized notions of
"childhood" and its social effects? How has the institutionalization of children's lit normalized "the child"? Students will read critical
texts on children's lit, and will experiment with using kids' books to foster critical understandings of gender, race, and sexuality with
youth. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L, U. BREAU
WG236s Reproductive Justice Using a social justice lens, this course is an introduction to historical and contemporary
reproductive politics that centers the impact of heteropatriarchy, global racial capitalism, and colonial projects on 1) intimate and
procreative lives and 2) the sustainability of families and communities. Texts prioritize the perspectives and experiences of those most
marginalized by social, economic, and political power and the ways in which these phenomena complicate the "individual choice"
paradigm. The course traces movements for reproductive justice and place-based, community resistance to reproductive violence,
oppression, and injustice. Four credit hours. U. BREAU
[WG237] Sinners and Saints: Women in Russian Literature and Culture (in English) Listed as Russian 237. Four credit
hours. L.
[WG241] Foundations of Disability Studies This course will introduce students to foundational readings and key concepts in the
field of disability studies as well as recent developments and critical perspectives including crip theory, critical disability studies, and
transnational disability studies. Students will draw on these concepts in their own original analyses of works of contemporary literature
and film. Our inquiries will prioritize intersections among disability and other systems of social difference including race, gender,
sexuality, class, caste, and nationality. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L, U.
WG244s Introduction to Asian American Studies Listed as American Studies 244. Four credit hours. U. FUGIKAWA
[WG247] History of U.S. Political Violence Listed as American Studies 247. Four credit hours. U.
[WG276] Sociology of Gender Listed as Sociology 276. Four credit hours. S, U.
WG311f Feminist Theories and Methodologies Takes an interdisciplinary, intersectional, and progressively transnational
approach to feminist theory of the past three decades. Particular focus is given to feminist epistemology as we examine the
similarities, differences, and conversations between postcolonial and postmodern feminist theory. Students will additionally engage
with contemporary subfields in Women’s Studies including affect theory (emotions, sensations, and the body), feminist disability
studies, transnational feminist theory, and new materialisms. Prerequisite: Junior standing as a WGSS major or minor. Four credit
hours. I. BREAU
[WG317] Boys to Men A focus on the thoughts, feelings, physical responses, life choices, and aspirations of boys and men.
Explores, from an explicitly feminist and social justice perspective, how power, privilege, and difference shape boys' and men's lives,
and how the social construction and reproduction of masculinity differ based on sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, social class, and
age. Particular attention to the problem of men's violence against women and other men. Students lead discussion groups with boys
in local schools and after-school programs. Four credit hours. U.
[WG339] Disability Studies and the Environmental Humanities We will examine disability as a social construction of
environmental discourse and as an embodied experience produced by environmental violence. Readings will illuminate the ways in
which able-ism has informed environmentalist thought and contributed to the exclusion of people with disabilities from environmental
movements. We will then examine works of literature, film, and scholarship that focus on the disabling effects of environmental
violence, but in doing so offer alternative possibilities for a politics of environmental justice that promotes the health and well-being of
marginalized communities without resorting to ableist tropes. Prerequisite: Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies 101, 241 or
English 283. Four credit hours. L, U.
WG341f Gender and Human Rights This course critically examines the concept of human rights through articles in the United
Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Focusing each week on a particular article of the declaration, we will examine
feminist activism in the context of women's rights as human rights; question how, who, and what are protected by the declaration; and
bring the particular into conversation with the universal. Students will understand the concept of universal human rights, analyze
human rights abuses from multidisciplinary perspectives, and critically analyze feminist activism for social justice across local and
global contexts. Four credit hours. S, I. THOMAS
WG342f Sense and Sensibility: Gender and Sexuality in Confucian China Listed as History 343. Four credit hours. H, I. LIN
[WG343] Decolonize This Place This course examines the similarities and differences in the concept of "decolonization" as it
pertains to postcolonial and indigenous feminisms. While indigenous and postcolonial feminists share a gendered analysis of colonial
practices, there are also inherent tensions between them wrought from the geographic and historic particularities of (ongoing)
colonialism. We will question how colonialism, decoloniality, and settler governance circulate (or not) between indigenous and
postcolonial feminisms in addition to examining indigenous rights in postcolonial nations, and the migration of peoples from
postcolonial countries to settler colonial states. What do these similarities/differences mean for transnational feminist organizing?
What types of imaginaries are at play in decolonial futures? Four credit hours. I.
[WG345] South Asian Feminisms An examination of the history and trajectory of South Asian feminisms, including scholarly
examinations of colonialism, nationalism, and post-colonial global South Asia. Topics include religious communalisms and Hindu
fundamentalism, Kashmir and late modern colonial occupation, gendered citizenship and women's relationship to the state, violence
against women, issues of caste and race, globalization and NGOs, and the South Asian diaspora in South Africa, the United States,
and Canada. From examining key texts to looking at South Asian feminisms now, an interdisciplinary approach is emphasized with
particular attention to sexuality, caste, race, and class. Four credit hours. I.
[WG346] Salvage Theory How do we contest the waste and wild destruction of our present moment? There is a commonplace
that theory is merely academic, but engaged and multidimensional critique is a practice of solidarity, of affirmation and reclamation
that is vital in dark times. The course introduces critical theory and its critique of capitalist society and fascism, but our focus will settle
on critical climate studies and how to salvage radical thought for life on a damaged planet. Students interested in gender, racial and
environmental justice will learn critical vernaculars that support their capacity to think, write, and resist in open and supple ways.
Previously offered as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies WG398A (Spring 2021). Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit
hours. U.
[WG347] Queer Aesthetics How does art offer ways of knowing, seeing and feeling beyond the impoverishment and brutality of
the given? This course relies on a diverse range of art and photographic work to attend to the ways subjugated histories have been
visualized, producing unconventional and imaginative archives. Queer here marks a commitment to disrupting the violence and
exhaustion of the normative order (including sexual norms), and invokes aesthetic practices that reflect the materiality of experience
while refusing its transparency. The course develops students' visual and critical literacies, including critical race, feminist, postcolonial
and queer theory. Previously offered as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 398B (Spring 2021). Prerequisite: Any W1
course. Four credit hours. A, U.
WG349f Queer of Color Critique Critique is a practice of radical questioning for those who wish to resist and change deeply
entrenched forms of injustice. As Roderick Ferguson writes, "as a convergence with and a departure from queer studies, queer of
color critique represented an interest in using research on queer social formations as ways of apprehending the overlaps between
race and political economy." This course introduces critique as it emerged in the western tradition, and as it has been taken up by
diverse scholars and activists attending to the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in the context of capitalism and imperialism.
We will read from the work of queer of color critique in order to apprehend and practice other, sometimes dissident, ways of being,
doing and thinking in common. Students will develop a critical vocabulary that will help them ask precise and thoughtful questions
about broad structures of violence and injustice. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. U. SIBARA
WG351s Desiring Asia: Gender and Sexuality in East Asia Listed as History 351. Four credit hours. H, I. DIEDERICH
[WG352] Theorizing Medicine: Critical Race Studies to Trans of Color Critique We will critically explore the field of medicine
from a range of theoretical perspectives including works of critical race studies, critical disability studies, and queer and trans of color
critique alongside works of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction that prioritize the perspectives of those most vulnerable and
marginalized in mainstream medicine. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. L, U.
WG353s Gender, Sexuality, and Power in Atlantic Slavery Listed as History 353. Four credit hours. H, I. BRIGNAC
[WG358] Women, Gender, and Sexuality in Russia Listed as History 358. Four credit hours. H, I.
WG483f, WG484s Senior Honors Project An independent research project on an approved topic, conducted in close
consultation with a faculty tutor and culminating in a substantial written thesis. Students are responsible for selecting their faculty tutor
and submitting their proposal by May 15 of their junior year. A 3.5 major average at the end of the senior year is a condition of
successful completion of the program. Prerequisite: Senior standing, a 3.5 major average at the end of the junior year, and permission
of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. Three or four credit hours. FACULTY
WG491f, WG492s Independent Study Individual study of special problems in women's, gender, and sexuality studies in areas
where the student has demonstrated the interest and competence necessary for independent work. The instructor must be one of the
faculty members in the program. Prerequisite: Women's, gender, and sexuality studies major or minor, permission of the instructor,
and approval of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. Three or four credit hours. FACULTY
WG493s Seminar: Identity Formation, Social Movement, and Gender An examination of current debates about social and
political identity in an effort to understand the terrain of these debates by examining (and in some cases forcing) conversations
between and among projects that attempt to offer ways of thinking about the relationship between identity formation and social
movements. Students will complete an independent project on a topic of their own choosing. Prerequisite: Women's, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies major or minor. Four credit hours. THOMAS
[WG493I] Seminar: Narrating Deep Time Listed as English 493I. Four credit hours.
Writing Department
Writing is a crucial component of a liberal arts education. Accordingly, the mission of the Colby Writing Department is to support a
culture of writing that ensures Colby students develop their writing and research abilities to become successful communicators in
academic, personal, and, ultimately, professional environments after college.
The Writing Department is an interdisciplinary academic department that draws on many disciplines, most notably the field of rhetoric
and composition studies, which brings together writing and communications pedagogy, rhetorical theory, linguistics, and research in
writing across disciplines. The Writing Department is responsible for coordinating and assessing first-year writing (W1); helping faculty
develop upper-level writing in the majors and across the curriculum; offering faculty development around writing-related pedagogy and
research; providing support for multilingual students through individual consultations and work with faculty; and, through the Farnham
Writers’ Center, providing student peer-to-peer writing tutoring and faculty support.
Colby Writing Department faculty teach writing courses at varied levels, with a particular focus on first-year writing, rhetoric,
sociolinguistics, and communication. For more information, please see the “Colby Writing Department” and “Farnham Writers’ Center”
sections of the catalogue or visit the department website.
Faculty
Chair, Stacey Sheriff
Department Affiliated Faculty: Associate Professors Paula Harrington (2023-24 Interim Director of the Farnham Writers’ Center) and
Stacey Sheriff; Assistant Professors Ghada Gherwash (Farnham Writers’ Center Director), and Chaoran Wang (Multilingual Writing
Specialist); Distinguished Senior Lecturer Elisabeth Fairfield; Senior Lecturer Elizabeth Ketner; Visiting Assistant Professor Carolyn
Megan; and Postdoctoral Fellow Andrew Moos
Course Offerings
[WD111] Communication in Context Offered in the fall for international students who are not yet taking their first-year writing
(W1) course. Introduces students to the needs and expectations for written and oral communication in American academic English.
Students will read and reflect on a variety of nonfiction texts. Includes classroom discussions, reflective journals, essays, and an oral
presentation. Students will write three multi-draft papers that focus on different topics. Thus, the primary goal is to hone students'
communicative skills in English -- both spoken and written. Previously listed as "Expository Writing Workshop." Three credit hours.
WD112fs Writers' Workshop An individualized, weekly tutorial session with a trained peer writing tutor from the Farnham Writers'
Center. Meets weekly for 1 hour during the time of your choice for a total of (at least) 10 hours per semester. Open to students from
first-years to seniors. Students usually take WP112 with a W1 (first-year writing), senior thesis, or other writing-intensive courses.
Meetings may focus on writing assignments, reading assignments, grammar, professors' feedback or anything else related to writing
or research for any courses. May be repeated for credit. Nongraded. One credit hour. HARRINGTON, WANG
WD113f Conversation Hour for International Students This one-credit course is designed for students who wish to
practice/hone their oral academic English. Discussion based, which uses different texts and visual materials to prompt oral discussion.
Students are expected to prepare for class discussion by reading texts, writing reflections, and viewing visual materials ahead of time.
International students, and others with multilingual backgrounds are especially welcome. This course may be repeated twice for credit.
Non-graded. One credit hour. GHERWASH
WD114j Writing for Academic Purposes This course will help students improve their practical competence in writing and
speaking for academic audiences at an American college. Students will work individually and collaboratively to develop advanced
academic discussion, presentation, writing, and digital publishing skills. Assignments and discussion will also help students navigate
issues in written communication that multilingual students may confront in a transcultural academic context at Colby. International,
dual citizen, and multilingual students who want to focus on advancing their academic writing and speaking skills during Jan Plan are
especially welcome. Three credit hours. WANG
WD115Af First-Year Writing: Rhetoric, Writing, and Social Change Focuses on effective writing, rhetorical analysis, and
communicating with different audiences--including the Colby community. Writing projects will include three analytical essays and a
final, public writing project in which each student identifies an issue in the Colby community, researches the situation, and develops a
realistic proposal to improve it. Each week, we focus on a different aspect of college-level academic writing (e.g., paragraph
development, sentence-level editing, analyzing research sources, making sound arguments, etc.) Readings are diverse and include
non-fiction essays, newspaper journalism, videos, and scholarly writing on rhetoric, identity, and literacy. Four credit
hours. W1. SHERIFF
WD115Cfs First-Year Writing: Reimagining the Essay Reconsiders the essay's potential for self-expression and analytical
argumentation. Students read powerful essays of the past 70 years, write five essays, and reimagine their relationship to the genre. Of
particular emphasis are clarity of expression, development of ideas, logical organization, and effective and correct use of research to
support claims--both to prepare for future writing assignments and to appreciate the form as a means to express ideas complexly,
gracefully, and persuasively. Four credit hours. W1. KETNER
WD115Dfs First-Year Writing: Food for Thought The food we interact with is an expression of our humanity, our many cultures,
our selves. This peer-review and process-oriented course combines reading across genres with the development of writing skills that
can be applied in all disciplines. Students will practice personal narrative, argument, synthesis, and research-based writing and read
work by both new and established authors. Four credit hours. W1. FAIRFIELD
[WD115E] First-Year Writing: Writing through the Multilingual Lens This course focuses on the global status of English as a
lingua franca and as a de facto language of the U.S. and attempts to answer the question: who owns global English? We will take a
sociolinguistic approach to investigate language and how language users adapt language for different purposes, such as writing and
speaking. It covers topics related to language variation (e.g., Konglish, China English, etc.). The primary goal of the course is to
encourage students to interrogate issues related to language use, such as accents and linguistic profiling. Students will read and
reflect on non-fiction texts by writers from a variety of cultural/linguistic backgrounds. Students will write four papers, with drafts.
Students from underrepresented contexts, domestically and globally, as well as those with a functional knowledge of an additional
language(s) are especially welcome. Four credit hours. W1, I.
[WD115G] First-Year Writing: The Face of Poverty in American Literature Invites students to explore American writing (fiction
and narrative non-fiction) through the lens of poverty, with a special focus on depictions of homes and homelessness. We will
investigate how writers construct "the face of poverty" in such works as Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives, Stephen Crane's
Maggie; A Girl of the Streets, John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, and Matthew Desmond's
Evicted, and reflect critically on notions of class in today's era of income inequality. Assignments will include short essays, a Colby
Museums writing assignment, a research project, and a reflective blog. Four credit hours. W1.
[WD115H] First-Year Writing: Writing about Writing Covers writing theory by inviting students to explore their own and scholars'
conceptions of how writing gets things done, what "good" writing is, and how writing tasks and genres are defined by specific contexts,
rhetorical situations, and communities. Students will think about themselves as composers--what processes work best and how their
past experiences shape their writerly identities. Major assignments include a definition paper on a writing concept, an
autoethnography exploring students' writing processes, a research paper on the ways in which a discipline of interest circulates
knowledge through writing, and a remediation project that transforms a previous work into a digital medium for a new audience. Four
credit hours. W1.
WD115Ifs First-Year Writing: Landscape and Place Reading fiction, essays, and poetry, we will explore the nature of place and
landscape as physical, social, and intellectual and consider what it suggests about American culture and ideas. We will consider how
place and landscape, both real and imagined, influence writers as well as how these concerns influence our own lives as readers,
writers, thinkers, and dreamers. In this first-year writing course, students will write personal narratives, argument, and synthesis as
well as develop their critical reading skills. Four credit hours. W1. MEGAN
[WD115J] First-Year Writing: Non-fiction and the Imagination The focus for our reading and writing will be the creative
non-fiction essay. This form draws upon the skills of fiction, poetry and expository writing to arrive to the writer's unique perspective of
the world. Incorporating diverse elements such as research, dialogue, description, characterization, rhythm and sound, the writer
imagines, questions, contradicts and complicates subject matter. Students will write personal narratives, argument, and synthesis as
well as develop their critical reading skills. This course does not count as a workshop for the English: Creative Writing major. Four
credit hours. W1.
[WD115K] First-Year Writing: Where are You Going, Where Have You Been? This writing-intensive course examines how
people use writing to build and sustain communities through activism, advocacy, and affiliation. Especially at a time when public
spaces are less available, we will explore how people use writing to create and shape physical, virtual, and imagined community
spaces, such as debates over monuments and statues or activism in social media to organize efforts like the 2018 March for Our
Lives. Students will draft and revise text and multimedia to write for a variety of publics and communities. Major assignments include
an analytical essay; a longer, collaboratively-written essay for which students choose a public space to reimagine; and a multimodal
project. Four credit hours. W1.
WD115Lfs First-Year Writing: Cross-Cultural Ideas of Family Students will examine, through text and image, historical and
current notions of family structures across different cultures, all the while drawing upon their own cultural/linguistic backgrounds and
those of classmates. The course aims to foster critical thinking and digital literacies, as well as to hone reading and writing skills to aid
students in becoming more rhetorically sophisticated readers and writers -- in the classroom and in a multicultural world. Students will
complete four major writing projects, all revised, designed to improve their abilities to analyze and write about textual, visual, and
multimodal texts for various audiences and purposes. Students from underrepresented contexts, domestically and globally, as well as
those with a functional knowledge of an additional language(s) are especially welcome. Four credit hours. W1. WANG
[WD115M] First-Year Writing: Writing Communities This course will consider how composition practices-be they related to
formal academic articles, personal essays, speeches, podcasts, or other forms of expression-are social acts that allow us to address,
affect or participate in existing communities. The experience of writing gives us the opportunity to reflect on how we communicate and
how we might do so more effectively given our audience. In this course, we will identify, develop, and express ideas in response to a
variety of texts that address the idea of community in different contexts to hone a sensitivity to this dynamic. Because writing is a
process, this course emphasizes drafting, revising, and editing as critical practices in developing thoughtful arguments and rhetorical
awareness in effective communication. Four credit hours. W1.
[WD115N] First-Year Writing: Human Ecology and Environmental Sustainability Human Ecology is an interdisciplinary
approach that examines the relationship between humans and both the natural and built environments we inhabit. In this
inquiry-based and writing intensive course, we'll use the lens of human ecology to explore contemporary environmental issues
including wilderness access, climate change, regenerative agriculture, and animal rights. Students will have the opportunity to create
and maintain their own field journals, draft ecological arguments and manifestos, and research environmental problems and solutions
important to them. Other course goals include critical reading and thinking, translating science for a popular audience, and the writing
process from invention to revision. Four credit hours. W1.
[WD115P] First-Year Writing: Science Writing in a Time of Change We live in an era of tipping points: from sea level rise and
mega extinctions to global pandemics and resource scarcity. How can a lay audience navigate these complex scientific issues and
remain informed? In this writing-intensive course, we'll investigate topics related to climate change, environmental restoration, and
medical ethics. Students will have the opportunity to read exemplary writing in the field and to explore how both traditional forms like
the argument essay, as well as digital media platforms such as podcasts, documentaries, and interactive webpages are creating new
and exciting opportunities to communicate science for popular publications. Four credit hours. W1.
WD120Afs Language, Thought, and Writing: Literary Conversations Individual works of literature take part in a larger literary
conversation that transcends time and space. Writers join the conversation by replicating existing literary forms and conventions. They
also respond to perennial themes that have sparked writers' imaginations. Literary scholars also engage in ongoing conversations
about the purpose and meaning of literary texts. We will enter these conversations by reading, writing about, and discussing literary
texts. We will have regular opportunities to respond creatively and analytically, in speech and writing, to some amazing poems, plays,
and novels. Four credit hours. W1. KETNER
[WD151A] Reading and Writing about Literature: Dark and Stormy Nights Why do we love ghost stories? Why do haunted
houses and castles and secrets and scary things fascinate and thrill us? We will trace the origins and patterns of the Gothic in
literature and explore the human appetite for the sublime and the supernatural. This peer-review and process-oriented course
combines reading across genres with the development of writing skills that can be applied in all disciplines. Four credit hours. W1.
WD202s Topics in Writing: Communicating Across Difference How do our language and literacy experiences shape how we
see the world? What do we need to know and be able to do to communicate effectively across differences in culture, power, identity,
and experience? To answer these questions, this course will draw on interdisciplinary texts and concepts from writing studies, rhetoric,
linguistics, and cross-cultural communication. We will apply these ideas to real-world examples from protest rhetoric to academic
writing and social media. Assignments will ask students to examine their own language and literacy backgrounds, analyze the rhetoric
of a discourse community, and define their own research topics for a final multimedia project. Four credit hours. U. SHERIFF
WD214s Tutoring Writing in Theory and Practice Listed as English 214. Four credit hours. HARRINGTON
[WD221] Public Speaking: Building Confidence and Passion Communicating ideas effectively is one of life's most valuable
skills. In this course, you'll learn to create and deliver powerful messages using acting skills (physical, vocal, intellectual and emotional
expression) while receiving intensive and specific coaching from both peers and the instructor. For many people, public speaking is
reported to be one of the most stressful activities. Using breath control and mental imagery, you'll learn to channel your nervous
energy and build your confidence. In a small group, you'll have plenty of time to practice in a safe environment or, as Samuel Beckett
wrote: Try again. Fail again. Fail better. Three credit hours.
[WD226] Situating the Essay: The Tradition and the Craft Situates the literary and rhetorical traditions of the essay through a
study of its history beginning with Michel de Montaigne to contemporary essayists such as Rebecca Solnit and Claudia Rankine. We
will read well-known essays and analyze their rhetorical approaches and conventions to deepen our understanding of the form.
Students will write their own expository, narrative, experimental and personal essays. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit
hours.
WD228j Fundamentals of Public Speaking Most people are terrified by the prospect of speaking in public, mainly because they
are afraid of being judged, a fear exacerbated by the mistaken belief that the ability to communicate is innate. This course focuses on
helping students appreciate the complex rhetorical work of communication, recognizing that communication is both context and
audience dependent. By practicing the many skills involved in effective public speaking, including research, argument construction,
and presentation preparation and delivery, this course will help students to become more confident public speakers in ways that will
benefit them in subsequent courses as well as in their careers and civic lives. Three credit hours. LEGG
WD310s Professional Writing How to respond to rhetorical situations in the professional world. Emphasizes principles that can
be adapted to any professional context. Students will learn how to assess the needs of rhetorical situations in the professional world,
how to develop an understanding of the purposes and audiences of professional genres, how to prepare for the complexities of
working in group settings, and how interrogation of issues of privilege, prejudice, and access to information allows us to design
professional documents that are more inclusive. Prerequisite: Any W1 course. Four credit hours. W2, U. INSTRUCTOR
[WD320] Introduction to Rhetoric and Writing Studies Four credit hours.
The Residential Experience: Student Life and Services
The Colby Experience
Life at Colby is centered on the notion that learning extends beyond the classroom into all aspects of the college experience.
As shaped by the College’s mission and precepts, a Colby education is characterized by academic rigor, a strong community,
a friendly campus atmosphere, global reach, and active engagement with a diversity of thought and human experiences.
Dean of the College Mission Statement
The Dean of the College division creates transformative and integrative learning that develops purposeful, compassionate, and
global citizens. We support a holistic and reflective community that acts with integrity and courage to promote justice and
equality at Colby and in the world.
Dean of the College Division and Staff
The Dean of the College Division oversees student life and learning outside of the classroom, and it comprises the Office of
the Dean of Students, the Office of the Dean of Studies, the Office of Campus Life, Counseling Services, DavisConnects, the
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, International Student Programs, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Security, the
Office of Community Values, Conflict Resolution, and Restorative Practice, and support for accommodations and learning
differences. Experienced staff members who are on call at all times advise and support students’ experiences related to their
academic, social, cultural, and personal life at the College. Staff members help students to shape and maintain positive living
and learning communities, opportunities for civic engagement and leadership development, and a rich array of cocurricular
experiences.
Academic Support
Colby has a number of programs designed to help students maximize their academic success. Each student has a faculty
advisor and a class dean to consult about issues that arise. Usually the first person to consult when a student has academic
concerns is the professor for the course or the student’s academic advisor. If a student is uncertain of expectations or is having
difficulties in a particular course, it is a good idea to communicate with the professor as soon as possible.
Academic Advisors: All incoming students are assigned a first-year academic advisor who helps students navigate their
first-year academic experience. Incoming first-year students are assigned to faculty advisors through the Office of the Dean of
Studies. Advisors and advisees establish contact with one another in early summer to help guide course selection for the fall.
Advisors meet with students during the orientation period and assist students during the period when courses may be added
or dropped from the students’ schedules. Academic advisors provide guidance to students during course selection for Jan
Plan and spring and help students as they navigate their first-year academic experience. During the second, third, or fourth
semester, when students may elect a major, they will move under direct advisorship of a major department or program.
Class Deans: The Dean of Studies Office supports and enhances Colby’s commitment to first-rate, individual advising of
students. In addition to having an academic advisor from the teaching faculty, every Colby student is assigned a class dean to
provide advice and support during their time at the College. The class deans are knowledgeable about issues and problems
that arise for students and are a good source of information about College resources and policies. They offer general advising
as well as referrals to other campus offices. The class deans help students and parents/guardians manage academic and
non-academic situations as they arise, consulting extensively with faculty and staff across the College. Students may contact
their class dean or the Dean of Studies Office at 207-859-4560 or deanofstudies@colby.edu.
Faculty Office Hours: All faculty on campus hold one-on-one and/or group office hours. Office hours are an excellent
resource for students who are struggling in a class or looking to master advanced material beyond what is required for
lectures. Professors often use office hours to help students prepare for exams or review difficult material that appear on
problem sets. Students are encouraged to attend office hours regularly throughout the semester and should consider office
hours the first step in pursuing academic support.
Learning Consultants: Colby offers learning consultants who can assist students with study habits and other targeted
strategies. These expert coaches are available to any Colby student seeking additional academic support, coaching, or
skills-building. Contact the Dean of Studies Office at 207-859-4560 to request a meeting with a learning consultant.
Student Success Fund: Colby is committed to providing educational access and opportunity regardless of a student’s
financial background. The Dean of Studies Office will work with students on a case-by-case basis to identify and connect them
with available financial resources to help alleviate distressing situations that can interfere with academic success. Students are
encouraged to contact the office to discuss their concerns and explore options: 207-859-4560 or room 107, Eustis Hall.
Student Success Funds are specific to basic academic and emergency needs; students who are seeking funding for education
enrichment opportunities (e.g. housing or travel costs related to internships) should contact DavisConnects or Student
Financial Services.
Tutoring: Colby provides academic support services that supplement the support provided by course instructors. Advanced
students are hired as teaching assistants, tutors, or writing fellows. Consult the professor of the course or your class dean to
review the challenges you are experiencing and to request assistance from a tutor.
The Farnham Writers’ Center: Located in Miller Library, the Farnham Writers’ Center works with students on all aspects of
writing. They seek to further a culture of writing at Colby and in the community through peer tutoring and special writing
events. As a writing resource for our students, including multilingual writers, they provide information on good writing practices
and guidance on grammar and documentation. Even students who have always been strong writers can find themselves
feeling less confident when learning how to write in a new academic setting. The Writers’ Center is a warm and friendly space
where students can seek advice on every step of the writing process.
Access and Disability Services: Colby offers programs and resources that support a range of learning differences—to make
sure every student can maximize their academic potential. As part of the ADA accommodations process, Colby provides a
range of support for students with learning differences, including but not limited to additional time on exams, note-taking
support, and other adjustments in academic procedures, in accordance with recommendations of qualified diagnosticians.
Students also work with Access and Disability Services to request accommodations related to housing, parking, and dining.
Typically, all students are expected to attempt to complete the foreign language requirement. However, students who
experience inordinate difficulty in completing this requirement and who have documentation of a language-based learning
difference that meets Colby guidelines may petition to modify the foreign language requirement with an approved program of
alternative study, which will include three courses exploring aspects of a single linguistic or cultural group. Students with
questions in this area can contact the director of student access and disability services at 207-859-5166 or at
accommodations@colby.edu or by visiting room 103B, Eustis Hall.
Personal Support
There are many places students can turn to on campus for advice and support when they are encountering difficulties,
whether involving interpersonal relationships, fitting in socially, or worrying about the direction life is taking. The nearest
resource is often the residence hall staff. These trained student staff members—community advisors—can provide information
about professional support resources. When students are facing more serious issues, it may be appropriate to seek out more
specialized resources. These resources include deans, Counseling and Health Center staff, and Religious and Spiritual Life
staff. When problems arise outside of business hours and on weekends, students can access emergency and support
resources through our on-call systems. To access the professional on-call or Colby Emergency Response, call Security at
207-859-5911. To access after-hours Counseling Services, please call 207-859-4490 ext 0.
Leaves of Absence/Withdrawal from the College: For the full policy on leaves and withdrawals, refer to the Dean of Studies
website or contact dos@colby.edu.
Medical Leaves: For the full policy on medical leave, refer to the Dean of Studies website or contact dos@colby.edu.
Colby Health Services: The medical providers at Colby Health Services are here for your acute, chronic, and preventive
health needs. They offer a full range of primary health care-related services, including physical exams, gynecological services,
travel health visits, acute visits for injuries and illnesses, referrals to specialists, ongoing care, as well as behavioral health
evaluation and medical management. Our partners at Colby Counseling Services offer high-quality and accessible mental
health services to students. This year, Colby will continue to partner with MaineGeneral Health to provide medical care to all
students. These services will be provided by Maine Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency and MaineGeneral Health.
Colby Emergency Response (CER): CER is a team of students trained and licensed as emergency medical technicians
(EMTs) who respond to health emergencies on campus. This network supplements the care provided by the health center staff
to ensure that all students subject to accident/illness on campus are assisted swiftly and skillfully.
Colby Counseling Services: The mission of Colby Counseling Services is to foster the well-being of all students within a
respectful and confidential environment through providing a range of psychological counseling, consultation, and outreach
services. Our diverse team of psychologists, professional counselors, and social workers collectively have more than 40 years
of experience working collaboratively with students. We work with students in individual counseling, group counseling, through
teaching practices such as meditation, and in a variety of other capacities. Students also have access to our counselor on call
for mental health emergencies when the office is closed.
The Counseling Services Office is located in a comfortable and private setting on the second floor of the Garrison-Foster
Building, and all of our services are free of charge. We also want you to know that we take your confidentiality very seriously,
and your privacy is protected in the same manner it would be if you were visiting a counselor as an adult in your home
community. Appointments can be made by calling 207-859-4490 or by stopping in room 205, Garrison-Foster Building, during
regular business hours. You can find more information at Counseling Services - Life at Colby.
In a mental health emergency, students can reach the on-call counselor 24/7 by calling Counseling Services at 207-859-4490
and pressing “0”. For off-campus help you can reach out to the Maine Crisis Line at 1-888-568-1112, or dial 988 for the Suicide
and Crisis Lifeline. For suicide prevention details, please visit our website at Suicide Prevention - Life at Colby or call Campus
Security for assistance.
Off-campus mental health referrals:
Talkspace (free to Colby students): talkspace.com/ColbyCollege
Health Psych Maine: 207-872-5800
Psychology Specialists of Maine: 207-607-4022
Rebecca Lovitz, LCSW: 207-228-2741
Greg Bazakas, LCSW: 207-314-9868
MaineGeneral Mental Health and
Substance Abuse (incl. meds): 877-777-9393
Finally, no matter how well you attend to your health, everybody experiences some level of emotional challenge in college …
it’s totally normal! So, if you notice that those challenges are interfering in the classroom, in relationships, or in other areas of
your life, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Student Life
The Residence Experience: As a residential campus, Colby College’s residence halls are where students call home while
achieving their academic pursuits. The residential setting is an integral part of the college experience and, therefore, all
students are expected to live in the College’s residence halls. Residence halls across campus vary in size and can
accommodate between 30 and 200 students. All first-year students reside in a designated cluster of residence halls. Upper
class students are housed in all other residence halls with the exception of the Harold and Bibby Alfond Residence Complex
(which houses only seniors), and the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons (which houses only juniors and seniors). In all
buildings, students can expect a safe, inclusive, and supportive living environment that integrates the academic, creative, and
cultural dimensions of college life. Residence hall communities are led by student leaders specifically hired and trained to
promote an engaging residential community that fosters connections, personal growth, civility, and student success.
Students have access to a variety of specialized housing options, including but not limited to substance-free and healthy-living
options. Room selection is generally assigned by room draw with first priority given to seniors. More detailed information about
residential living at Colby can be found on the Life at Colby website.
Orientation: Special attention is given to the task of welcoming and orienting new students into the Colby community. From
the time of admission until they arrive on campus, new students are invited to make use of the admitted students’ website to
get answers to questions they may have. First-year students come to campus a week prior to the start of fall classes and
participate in a comprehensive orientation program designed to introduce them to the academic program as well as all aspects
of residential, cocurricular, and social life at Colby.
As part of orientation, first-year students are required to participate in COOT (Colby Outdoor Orientation Trips). Orientation
leaders, upperclass COOT leaders, and residential community advisors (CAs) serve as peer mentors for new students during
orientation and throughout the year.
Dining Services: The College offers a board plan of 21 meals per week for all resident students. Meals are served in three
separate on-campus dining halls—in Foss Hall, Dana Hall, and Roberts Hall, each with a different menu. Students living in the
Alfond Residence Complex, the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons, and the Mary Low Co-op, or students living off
campus who do not subscribe to the full meal plan, are entitled to an adjustment of the comprehensive fee (see Fees and
Charges section of the catalogue).
Cotter Union/Pulver Pavilion: Cotter Union is located near the center of the campus and serves as the student center and a
venue for more formal gatherings, including lectures and performances. The Office of Campus Life, the Colby Bookstore, the
student mailroom and United States Post Office, the Blue Light Pub, offices of the Student Government Association, the Pugh
Center, and the Page Commons Room are in Cotter Union. Pulver Pavilion features a variety of informal spaces and a snack
bar and grill called the Spa.
Student Organizations and Leadership Development: The Office of Campus Life is committed to creating opportunities for
students to explore, practice, and develop their leadership capabilities. Leadership development occurs through experiences
with student organizations and clubs as well as through retreats, trainings, and workshops. Colby has approximately 130
student-led clubs and organizations focused on culture, athletics, music, politics, publication, religion, service, or other themes.
The Pugh Center: The Pugh Center serves the Colby community as an integral resource and catalyst for engagement and
advocacy that supports the College’s fundamental goal of academic excellence through cultivating an inclusive and equitable
campus community. The Pugh Center supports students through the development of cocurricular initiatives, opportunities to
apply theoretical frameworks explored in the classroom, and intellectual engagement with critical conversations across
campus constituencies.
Our physical space, located within Cotter Union, is dedicated to all students interested in and devoted to engaging with
experiences and issues related to race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic and first-generation
status, ability, religion, and spirituality. Beyond our physical space, we work intentionally to integrate our initiatives throughout
the campus community.
Student Governance: Students play significant roles in shaping student life through the Student Government Association
(SGA) and the Student Programming Board (SPB). The president and vice president of the SGA serve as student
representatives to the Board of Trustees, and students serve on College committees, including Academic Affairs,
Administrative, Admissions and Financial Aid, Athletic Advisory, College Affairs, Cultural Events, Financial Priorities,
Healthcare Advisory, Independent Study, Information Technology, Library, Multicultural Affairs, Security, Race and Racism, and
the Environmental Advisory Group.
Colby’s Religious Holidays Policy: Colby College is supportive of the religious practices of its students, faculty, and staff.
The College is committed to ensuring that all students are able to observe their religious beliefs without academic penalty.
The College will enable any student to make up any course requirements scheduled during a religious holiday that is observed
by that student. Students are expected to inform course instructors within two weeks of the beginning of the term of any
religious observance that will conflict with coursework. The faculty member will then work with the student to find a reasonable
accommodation that will allow the student to complete the academic work. In addition, no student will be required to participate
in College events such as athletic commitments, lectures, or concerts on these holidays.
Students who have questions or concerns about requesting accommodations for their religious holidays should reach out to
the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life.
ColbyNow: ColbyNow provides a quick and easy way to keep up on College news and conversation, including the online
forum, Digest of Civil Discourse. Students are encouraged to review their messaging and how it reflects Colby’s values, the
Colby Affirmation, and its impact on members of the College community before posting on Civil Discourse.
Security
Security: The Security Department works to provide a safe and secure environment for the Colby community. The
department, located in the Roberts Building, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Trained, professional officers patrol
campus on foot and in cruisers. Students can seek assistance from Security by visiting the Roberts Building; using one of the
Blue emergency phones that are located throughout campus or call by dialing extension 5911 from any campus phone or
207-859-5911 from an off-campus or non-campus phone. The blue emergency phones and the emergency number are
restricted to calls of a true emergency nature, such as fire, medical emergency, or suspicious or criminal activity. An officer will
be dispatched to the scene to evaluate the situation and take appropriate action.
The College strongly encourages any individual who observes or who is the victim of any crime or conduct violation to report
the matter immediately to Security. The College’s crime statistics are available on the Security Department website.
Emergency phone number on campus x5911
Emergency phone number off campus 207-859-5911
Non-Emergency phone number 207-859-5530
Emergency phone number when not on Colby property 911
For non-emergency or routine business, such as vehicle registration information, lock outs, and lost items, call extension 5530
from any campus phone or 207-859-5530 if calling from an off-campus or non-campus phone.
General Regulations
All students are expected to know of the regulations in the Colby College Student Handbook and in the Colby College
Catalogue. The handbook covers academic, administrative, and social regulations.
Student Records
Colby complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which establishes the rights and
restrictions of students to inspect and review education records, provides guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or
misleading data, and establishes standards for disclosure of student information. Complete guidelines used by the College for
compliance with the act are published in the Student Handbook and may be obtained at the Dean of Students Office.
Athletics and Recreation
The Department of Athletics and the Department of Recreation are housed in the state-of-the-art Harold Alfond Athletics and
Recreation Center. Opened in 2020, the 350,000-square-foot facility is the most comprehensive Division III facility in the
country. The departments offer 32 varsity sports, intramural sports, club sports, lifetime fitness classes, and recreational
activities. Together, they provide opportunities for all levels of athletic interest and accommodate different levels of
competitiveness and intensity.
Facilities
Indoor athletic facilities in the new Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center include the Margaret M. Crook Center with
three regulation courts; the O’Neil | O’Donnell Forum and the Jack Kelley Ice Rink; a squash center with nine regulation courts;
the 14,000-square-foot Boulos Strength and Fitness Center; an Olympic-sized 50-meter, nine-lane indoor swimming pool; field
house, which includes a six-lane 200-meter indoor track, pole vault, high jump, long/triple jump, shot put, four regulation tennis
courts, and a 48-foot climbing and bouldering wall; the O’Neil Family Wellness Studios; the Papadellis Erg Room with 30
machines; the Carl E. Nelson Hydrotherapy Room; a central courtyard; and three classrooms.
Outdoor facilities include four artificial turf fields: Seaverns Field, a long-grass synthetic turf field and the primary field for
football and men’s lacrosse; the Bill Alfond Field, a lighted artificial turf field, the primary field for field hockey and women’s
lacrosse, which opened in the fall of 2017; and a new baseball and softball complex completed in 2016—the first facility in
NESCAC with both artificial baseball and softball fields. A 2008 project installed the artificial turf football field, rebuilt the
400-meter all-weather Alfond Track, and created a stadium feel around Seaverns Field in the Harold Alfond Stadium. In the fall
of 2017, a state-of-the-art competition grass field for soccer, an oversized natural grass practice field, and a newly installed
rugby pitch were added to the outdoor facilities.
Other outdoor facilities include the Alfond-Wales Tennis Courts (10 hard-surface courts) and the Klein Tennis Pavilion, the
8.5-mile Campbell Cross Country Trails for running and Nordic skiing, and a woodsmen’s area for traditional lumberjack
competition. A mile from Colby is the Quarry Road Recreation Area, an International Ski Federation-certified Nordic ski racing
trail and a snowmaking system, where the Nordic ski team practices and holds competitions. Seven miles from campus, the
Colby-Hume Center is a 10-acre estate on Messalonskee Lake with a boathouse and docks for the crew teams. The
Colby-Hume Center has boat access and can also be used by Colby students for swimming.
Athletics
More than a third of Colby students participate in one or more varsity teams. Colby belongs to Division III of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It also belongs to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), one
of the most competitive Division III conferences in the nation. Colby sponsors 16 sports for women, 15 for men, and one coed
team. Varsity teams include baseball, basketball, crew, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, squash,
Nordic and alpine skiing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball.
The NESCAC, founded in 1971, includes 11 highly selective liberal arts colleges that are committed to academic excellence
and believe that athletic excellence supports their educational mission. Each institution is committed to a comprehensive
athletic program available to the entire student body, the equitable treatment of all participants in athletic activities, the highest
ethical standards in conference relationships, and equitable competition among member institutions. NESCAC schools have
won 59 national championships in the past 10 years and have had the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup winner in 19 of the last
20 years.
Recreation
Currently serving faculty, staff, and students, the Recreation Department consists of eight component areas: informal
recreation, intramural sports, club sports, fitness, instructional programs, aquatics, special events, and outdoor programs.
Informal Recreation
The Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center (HAARC) is available for “walk-in” informal recreation or self-directed
programming at specified hours. Ample time is available for fitness conditioning, walking, lap and open swimming, ice skating,
as well as court/field sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, squash, and indoor soccer.
Intramural Sports
Intramural sports are designed to provide faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to compete and have fun in a flexible, yet
structured environment. Sports are offered in either tournament or league format.
Club Sports
These student organizations are established to promote and develop a common interest in a sport activity and have gained
university recognition via Colby Recreation. Each club sport is student-initiated, organized, managed, and maintained by
volunteer student leaders. Club sport teams have the opportunity to compete outside of the institution against other registered
collegiate club sport teams.
Fitness
Fitness classes are held in the HAARC O’Neil Family Wellness Studios and are available to the Colby community. Classes are
offered at various times throughout the week and admittance to class will require registration. Individuals at beginner,
intermediate, and advanced fitness levels are welcome to participate.
Instructional Programs
Instructional programs offer experiential learning, personal enrichment, and skill-building opportunities for the Colby
community.
Aquatics
Recreational swimming is available in the HAARC Aquatics Center. Lap swim, open swimming, and special aquatic
programming are also made available to the Colby community.
Outdoor Programs
Colby Recreation partners with Outdoor Education to offer positive outdoor education, recreation, and adventure experiences.
For information about the departments, teams, and the department’s faculty and coaching staff, visit the Colby Athletics
website.
Center for the Arts and Humanities
Colby’s Center for the Arts and Humanities promotes the pivotal role of the arts and humanities in the intellectual life of the
College and the community, and it promotes the long-term benefits of the skills developed and knowledge produced through
humanistic research. Unique among its college peers, the center partners with and empowers students to find meaning in their
lives, to creatively engage with the world, and to chart a new course inspired by transformative experiences. The CAH is an
incubator for the biggest and brightest ideas of students and faculty. Through its grant programs and events, students hone
their capacities for analytical thought as well as the ability to read, write, and speak with critical rigor. Celebrating imagination,
aesthetic senses, and talents in creative expression, the CAH offers and inspires readiness to live in, contribute to, and learn
from a diverse society
Initiatives of the CAH include
● Annual Theme: Each year a campus-wide, interdisciplinary theme animates our community by exploring a particular
topic through exhibits, speakers, performances, and course work.
● Humanities Labs: Courses in arts and humanities build in experiential learning through observation, hands-on
experimentation, and skill-building practices.
● Events: Inspirational speakers, performances, screenings, and collaborative programming enliven the campus and
foster a vibrant cultural community.
● Student Grants: The center offers research grants to fund the most ambitious and brightest students, supporting arts
and humanities research projects almost anywhere in the world. Big Ideas grants provide students the seed money to pursue
an innovative project, idea, or event related to their creative and intellectual pursuits in the humanities and humanistic
disciplines; research grants support the most innovative and creative scholarship of student pursuits; and Team grants offer
the ability to partner with a Colby faculty member in a collaborative exploration of the arts and humanities.
● Summer Internships in the Arts: Through paid internships at cultural institutions in the Waterville area, the center
offers opportunities for students to gain professional experience while learning about arts administration and marketing, arts
and economic development, arts and culture education, and festival management.
● Environmental Humanities: The center runs a range of programs, including a world-class Summer Institute in the
Environmental Humanities, a faculty seminar, and Fauna, an environmental and literary arts magazine. The EH Initiative
encourages students and faculty alike to bring the power of the arts and humanities to bear on the most pressing
environmental issues of our time.
● Public Humanistic Inquiry Lab (PHIL): A PHIL offers space for a three-year, multidisciplinary inquiry where a
research group confronts questions and problems of crucial civic importance. It is an incubator of collaborative research
located at the intersections between disciplines within the humanities, the social and natural sciences, and between the
academy and our community partners. The inaugural PHIL, “Critical Medical Humanities: Perspectives on the Intersection of
Race and Medicine,” runs from 2021-2024 and explores the relationship between medicine and race.
Center for Small Town Jewish Life
The Center for Small Town Jewish Life at Colby College showcases how academic and community institutions can work
together to improve the cultural life of small towns while enriching the education of college students. Building on collaboration
among Colby’s Jewish Studies Department, Colby Hillel, and Waterville’s Beth Israel Congregation, the center provides
inspiring educational and cultural programs to the Waterville community—including Colby students—and to other communities
across Maine. It develops exemplary conferences, learning opportunities, leadership development initiatives, and town-gown
partnerships. The center also researches and promotes best practices in programming, outreach, and leadership so that small
towns and colleges across the country can apply Colby’s model to invigorate Jewish life in their own communities. Keystone
initiatives of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life are
Maine Conference for Jewish Life: Brings together Jews from across the region to gain familiarity with the jewels of Jewish
civilization, convene with other Jews from northern New England, exchange best practices for crafting successful rural Jewish
lives, experience the benefits and challenges of celebrating in a pluralistic environment, and revel in Torah learning.
The Mid-Maine Jewish Funtensive: A two-week program that provides Jewish skills and a sense of community for children
throughout the state who want to learn more about Jewish culture, history, and Hebrew language.
Fall Shabbaton: Brings top Jewish musicians and artists to Colby College for the edification and enjoyment of college
students and community members across the state.
Center for Small Town Jewish Life Fellows: Empowers seven to 12 students each year to invigorate and enrich Jewish life
in Waterville through teaching and developing Hebrew school curriculum, engaging in advanced Jewish learning, reaching out
to students, and programming events for the Waterville community.
Makom: Trains small town leader across the nation to build and sustain Jewish communities through fostering institutional
collaboration, teaching best practices, and supporting cohort-based learning.
For more information about the center and its initiatives, visit the Center for Small Town Jewish Life website.
Center for Teaching and Learning
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at Colby College enhances intellectual engagement across the liberal arts
curriculum through programs and services that promote creativity, collaboration, and reflective practices that support effective
teaching and learning for faculty and students. Focused primarily on supporting faculty through workshops and consultations
related to effective teaching strategies, the CTL also works collaboratively with the dean of students to enhance the learning
environment for all Colby students. The work of the CTL is grounded in the literature on effective teaching and learning, the
experience of the CTL staff, the experiences of Colby faculty and students, and through relationships that support a strong
academic culture at Colby. Visit the CTL website for more information.
Colby Museum of Art
Founded in 1959, the Colby Museum offers entry points to the visual arts at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, providing a
forum for learning, experimentation, inquiry, dialogue, and connection locally, nationally, and internationally. The museum
collects, stewards, and presents works of art and collaboratively designs and facilitates programs so that each person can find
and fulfill their unique potential, becoming more curious, imaginative, and compassionate through processes of learning and
growth reflective of Colby’s educational mission.
Through the Lunder Institute for American Art and our exhibition program, we shape the field of art and art museums,
incubating research and creative practice, offering structures for mentorship, and publishing rigorous and innovative
scholarship that redefines how art is understood and how it is made, taught, studied, and shared.
We are committed to our Colby community, residents of Waterville and the broader Maine region, national and international
visitors, and the artists, scholars, and partners with whom we collaborate.
The museum comprises five wings, more than 11,000 works of art, and more than 38,000 square feet of exhibition space. It
will soon count with a new gallery on Main Street, Waterville—part of the soon-to-open Paul J. Schupf Art Center. In April 2021
the Greene Block + Studios at 18 Main Street began serving as the home of the Lunder Institute for American Art, an initiative
of the Colby Museum that brings together artists, scholars, community members, students, and faculty to continually reshape
American art scholarship and practice. The new facility now houses studios and convening spaces for visiting and residential
fellowships that come to Waterville to conduct civically and academically engaged work in the field of American art. The Paul J.
Schupf Art Center, which opened on Main Street in December 2022, features the Colby Museum’s Joan Dignam Schmaltz
Gallery of Art, a 1,500-square-foot space that allows the museum to dynamically present a series of changing exhibitions each
year and engage our Waterville community right as they enter the center from Castonguay Square.
Collection
As part of its mission as a collecting and teaching museum, the Colby Museum is dedicated to building a collection of
American art, expanding its diversity, bolstering access, and increasing capacity while practicing the highest standards of
maintenance and care. The American Heritage Collection, gift of Edith and Ellerton Jetté, includes 76 works by American folk
artists and established an early emphasis on American art. Significant gifts and purchases over the decades have made the
Colby Museum one of the nation’s premier institutions of American art.
The gift of the Lunder Collection in 2013 constitutes one of the most important art collections ever to be donated to a liberal
arts college, and it provides an important complement to earlier holdings of 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century American sculpture,
late-19th-century American painting, Stieglitz circle, and contemporary art. The collection includes major 19th- and
20th-century artists such as Robert Duncanson, John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Charles Willson Peale, Winslow Homer,
William Merritt Chase, Mary Cassatt, James McNeill Whistler, Robert Henri, Cecilia Beaux, Elizabeth Catlett, Rebecca
Salsbury Strand James, Paul Manship, and Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, Thomas Hart Benton,
Charles White, and Malvina Hoffman, among many others; includes a distinguished collection of Taos Society artworks; and
extends into the contemporary with significant works by contemporary artists such as Theaster Gates, Ai Wei Wei, Joan
Brown, Maya Lin, Claes Oldenburg, Richard Estes, and Barbara Chase-Riboud, Martin Puryear, and many others.
Beyond the Lunder Collection, the museum’s modern and contemporary collection also showcases the work of significant
20th- and 21st-century American artists, including deep holdings of works by John Marin, Terry Winters, Lois Dodd, among
others. Many other artists are represented in the modern and contemporary collections, including Fairfield Porter, Marsden
Hartley, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett, Jackson Pollock, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, to name a few.
Alex Katz has donated more than 900 of his own works to the museum, making the museum the most important institutional
steward of his work. Site-specific sculpture by Richard Serra and Sol LeWitt, as well as more than 500 important gifts from the
Alex Katz Foundation of works by Adolph Gottlieb, Bob Thompson, Rafael Ferrer, Rudy Burckhardt, Chuck Close, Jennifer
Bartlett, and Elizabeth Murray have strengthened the museum’s impressive contemporary collection. Photography is now
significantly represented with a 2020 gift of more than 500 works from the Tsiaras Family Photography Collection, which
includes prints by well-known exponents of the medium as well as lesser-known photographers, and a growing number of gifts
and purchases in this area, including a group of photographs by Chinese contemporary artists.
Exhibitions and Programs
The Colby Museum is both a primary teaching resource for the faculty of Colby College and a major cultural destination for
residents of and visitors to Maine. The museum organizes internationally recognized and locally relevant exhibitions that
introduce new, more expansive narratives, reinforce our educational mission, and raise the profile of Colby through global
partnerships. Traveling exhibitions such as Roy Lichtenstein: History in the Making, 1948–1960 and Bob Thompson: This
House is Mine bring additional artworks from across the globe to the galleries on Mayflower Hill and share artworks from the
Colby museum with the world.
Focusing on students, the museum works closely with faculty across various disciplines to fully integrate object-based learning
into the curriculum; over the last two years an average of more than 170 classes have made use of the museum in a typical
year, by courses ranging from biology to philosophy, the museum is deeply embedded in the liberal arts curriculum at Colby.
Students learn firsthand from the art on view in the galleries or selected for study in the Landay Teaching Gallery and in the
Mirken Education Center. Working with faculty, students can help prepare exhibition texts, and senior studio art majors
organize an exhibition of their works each year in the Davis Gallery.
Colby students are encouraged to engage in a variety of pre-professional museum experiences by participating in the
museum’s student guide, internship, and work-study programs, as well as through the Museum Student Advisory Board, which
is committed to establishing closer connections between the student body and the museum.
Throughout the academic year, the museum hosts a robust schedule of events, including artist talks, lectures and
performances, film screenings, and concerts. Frequent partnerships across the campus allow for faculty and student
involvement across all areas of study. In recent years we have collaborated with Colby’s Arts Office, its Center for the Arts and
Humanities, the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the Buck Lab for Climate and Environment, and the Goldfarb Center
for Public Affairs. The museum also co-organizes special events with its arts and cultural partners in Waterville to extend
programmatic offerings throughout the community and typically brings thousands of Maine K-12 students to the campus each
school year.
In 2013 the Alfond-Lunder Family Pavilion was inaugurated, making the Colby Museum the largest museum in Maine in terms
of exhibition space, adding a sculpture gallery and terrace, generous exhibition galleries, classrooms, expanded collection
storage, and staff offices. A three-story wall drawing by artist Sol LeWitt occupies the glass-enclosed stairwell, while the
pavilion’s upper floor is dedicated to the College’s Department of Art, providing state-of-the-art studios for photography and
fine arts foundation classes. With its small café and comfortable seating, the spacious William D. Adams Gallery lobby of the
pavilion has become a lively gathering place, or quiet study location, for Colby students and their guests
DavisConnects
DavisConnects has redefined the college career center by preparing students for lifelong success—however students define it,
on campus and off, before and after they graduate. To help students define and orient to their “true north,” the DavisConnects
team focuses on three key priorities: providing access to transformative experiences, delivering specialized advising, and
fostering world-class connections. This threefold commitment allows students to explore life-changing opportunities while
testing and refining their interests. DavisConnects is committed to students’ successful launch into their first post-graduate
opportunities, but the ultimate outcome of the DavisConnects program is student’s lifelong capacity to determine their own
distinctive path.
Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Established in 2021, the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby is the first cross-disciplinary institute for artificial
intelligence (AI) at a liberal arts college. The institute facilitates interdisciplinary, human-centered scholarship using rich
datasets with real-world consequences and prepares students for a future where AI is transforming industries, careers, and
modes of discovery, creativity, and scholarship. AI shapes all our lives; we should all be informed, critical AI tool users and
tool-builders.
The reach of AI and machine learning into nearly all aspects of society demands a broad approach to the subject that is
tailor-made for the liberal arts. Future leaders in this field are best served with training to think critically about a range of
issues, an appreciation of history, culture, and societies to make judicious choices about the use and impact of AI, and a
humanistic lens from which to ensure that AI will be both developed and used to high ethical standards.
The institute also provides funding to support Colby faculty interested in exploring new ways to incorporate AI tools and
methodologies into their teaching and research or for designing new courses to include meaningful learning opportunities with
AI.
Farnham Writers’ Center
The Farnham Writers’ Center is a peer-to-peer tutoring arm of the Colby Writing Department and a writing resource for
students, faculty, staff, and the local community. We operate the Writers’ Center with the philosophy that writing is not a
discrete skill but rather an important part of thinking and learning. We work collaboratively with writers at all levels of
development, at any point during their writing processes, from first ideas to final drafts.
Since writing occurs in courses across the curriculum at Colby, peer tutors are trained to respond to various forms of
discipline-specific writing—lab reports, case studies, application essays, and response writing, for example, as well as
standard academic essays. Tutors are also trained as writing fellows assigned to work with faculty members and students in
writing-intensive courses.
While many students use the Writers’ Center to receive feedback on particular pieces of writing, those who seek more
intensive collaboration may enroll in WP 112, a one-credit course that establishes weekly meetings with designated staff
members.
Writers’ Center tutors work with writers across Colby’s diverse extended community: first-year composition students; students
diagnosed with learning differences; senior scholars; students who speak English as an additional language; job and graduate
school applicants; fellowship candidates; and writers interested in developing skills specific to personal, professional, and civic
contexts.
The Farnham Writers’ Center, located in room 206 on the second floor of Miller Library, is open Monday through Thursday
during the day and Sunday evenings. Appointments may be made online.
Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs
The Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs connects the Colby community to the world of public policy, inspires active citizenship,
and fosters discussion about creative, interdisciplinary approaches to complex societal challenges through a nonpartisan,
inclusive approach that welcomes every opinion as part of a healthy discourse. Our events include world leaders, innovative
thinkers, influential politicians, community activists, and cutting-edge academics. Founded in 2003 with a generous gift from
Colby Trustee William Goldfarb ’68, P’00, the center is also known for providing grants to support student research and
internships and fostering the leadership skills of Colby students through the Goldfarb Student Executive Board.
High-Profile Events
The Goldfarb Center events include world leaders, innovative thinkers, influential politicians, community activists, and
cutting-edge academics from across fields and disciplines discussing the most pressing issues in public affairs. The center’s
Faculty Advisory Board and Student Executive Board help plan and execute events that foster a quality of connection and
depth of engagement between speakers and the audience.
Annual flagship events include the William R. and Linda K. Cotter Debate Series and the Senator George J. Mitchell
Distinguished International Lecture Series. The center is also highly engaged with supporting prominent award ceremonies on
campus such as the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award for Courage in Journalism and the Morton A. Brody Distinguished Award for
Judicial Service.
Policy Symposium
Each spring, the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs sponsors a Freedom of Expression Symposium and prize competition on a
current topic in public discourse. Students compete for up to $2,000 in prize money by crafting innovative policy proposals and
giving public presentations that respond to a topic selected by Goldfarb’s Student Executive Board.
Unique Experiences, Funding Opportunities
In collaboration with DavisConnects, the center facilitates and funds Jan Plan internships in Washington, D.C., designed to
provide students with exposure to paths for public affairs-related career opportunities as well as to gain skills needed to
succeed in careers in this field.
In addition, dozens of student internships and research projects are funded each year through the Goldfarb Center’s Sandy
Maisel Student Internship and Research Grants, thanks to the generosity of alumni seeking to honor Professor Maisel, the
Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of American Government, Emeritus, and founding director of the Goldfarb Center.
This support allows Colby students to build on their classroom experience with hands-on opportunities throughout the United
States and abroad. Awards are intended to encourage students to explore internship opportunities related to public affairs;
funds may also be used to support research in public affairs, such as a senior thesis.
Each spring, the Goldfarb Center awards the $5,000 Franko-Maisel Prize for Public Policy to a graduating senior planning to
pursue a career in public policy who exemplifies a commitment to public affairs. The award is made in honor of Professors
Maisel and Patrice Franko, the Grossman Professor of Economics, director of the Global Studies Program, and former director
of the Goldfarb Center.
Fostering Leadership
The Goldfarb Student Executive Board works directly alongside Goldfarb Center staff to deliver and execute a slate of robust
programming. All students are welcome to join the Goldfarb Center, and they can self-nominate to be a part of the executive
board, which helps guide programming and has unique opportunities to engage with Colby leadership and guest speakers
from Goldfarb events. Goldfarb student leaders meet weekly and participate in activities to build and challenge their leadership
abilities. By engaging in high-profile events and taking advantage of internships and research opportunities, Goldfarb Center
students develop the ability to lead and influence tomorrow’s policy agenda.
Information Technology
Information technology (IT) is a critical tool supporting instruction, research, and creative expression and is vital to the work of
both creating and communicating knowledge. Colby makes considerable ongoing investment in IT infrastructure and
professional support resources. Students, faculty, and staff have access to high-quality software, hardware, Internet resources,
and to expert consultants committed to responsive delivery of innovative technology solutions.
Classrooms at Colby are all equipped with presentation technology. Academic, administrative, and residential buildings, as
well as some outside areas, are blanketed by wireless access technology. The physical network between buildings on campus
and to the Internet is regularly and frequently upgraded to provide the best possible connectivity to local and global resources.
Information security is a priority in the handling and transmission of information pertaining to members of the community and is
enabled by appropriate policy and network safeguards.
There are numerous College-provided computers distributed throughout academic buildings, many clustered in general access
or discipline-specific labs and classrooms. There are IT facilities equipped specifically for video production, quantitative
analysis, spatial analysis, language learning, and scientific computation and visualization. Additional high-performance
computational capabilities are provided for student and faculty research locally in campus data centers and remotely from
internet resources via a dedicated research network. Laptops, digital recorders, may be borrowed from the service desk in
Miller Library, and presentation technology may be requested for temporary setup in spaces where permanent technology is
not available. Advanced media equipment may be borrowed from the checkout room in the Gordon Center. The Mule Works
Innovation Lab on “The Street” in Miller Library provides a setting for creativity and exploration with virtual reality, 3-D printing,
laser cutting, 3-D scanning, and other technologies.
IT professionals at the College are continuously examining and evaluating emerging technologies and partnering with the
community to integrate and apply them appropriately. Community members are encouraged to partner with these
professionals to develop and refine new ideas and investigate novel approaches to problems. The ITS Support Center is the
central hub to assist the community and to connect its members with the range of IT resources available. ITS Support Services
may be contacted by email at support@colby.edu or calling 207-859-4222. Information about the Support Center and support
services are available at colby.edu/its. In addition to information about the Support Center, colby.edu/its has a link to our
catalog of services, information about connecting to the wireless network, and online help.
Decisions around IT resources and professional staff are guided by community bodies. The Information Technology
Committee is composed of elected and appointed students, faculty, and key administrative staff and advises on mainly
academic matters. The Information Technology Steering Committee is composed of several members of the College’s senior
staff and advises chiefly on administrative concerns. Colby’s chief information officer (CIO) serves on both committees,
providing overall strategic leadership on all aspects of information technology planning, programs, and policy and coordinates
the delivery of high-value services to the community.
Island Campus
Colby’s Island Campus, comprising Allen and Benner islands in Maine’s Muscongus Bay, creates academic opportunities
across all disciplines. The island campus gives Colby students year-round access to a marine environment for research
around climate change, the impact of marine and atmospheric pollution, and the changing biodiversity of the Gulf of Maine.
The history and landscape of the islands supports classes and student research on topics ranging from photography, history,
creative writing, and architecture. Colby became steward of Allen and Benner islands in 2022, acquiring them from the Up
East Foundation and the Wyeth Foundation for American Art.
Allen and Benner islands formerly belonged to American artist Andrew Wyeth and his wife, Betsy, who turned their grand
visions for art, architecture, and preservation into bold realities. Colby is using the islands as centers for learning, research,
and creative inspiration. With their interdisciplinary focus on the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, students
studying the arts, climate change, creative writing, and many other subjects venture to the islands for scholarship. In its first
year of ownership of the islands, Colby hosted more than 100 groups and nearly 1,000 students, faculty, staff, and community
members.
Libraries
The Colby College Libraries (the Libraries) provide our users (faculty, staff, and students) with expertise, resources, and
services that support learning, critical thinking, research, and the creation of new knowledge.
The Libraries are central to scholarship at Colby. The Colby community has access to one of the most comprehensive and
expansive libraries for undergraduate and faculty research in a liberal arts setting. The Libraries are committed to exploring,
utilizing, and teaching about the new frontiers of information and knowledge acquisition in this age of digital, cultural, and
social justice and change.
The staff of the Colby College Libraries:
● Identifies, acquires, provides access to, and preserves scholarly works and resources that support teaching, learning,
and faculty and student research;
● Collaborates with faculty to help support their individual teaching and research-related needs;
● Manages and promotes use of the College’s rare and unique materials, among other primary sources;
● Teaches and guides students how to discover, evaluate, and ethically use information and understand all aspects of
information literacy;
● Explores and develops new platforms, resources, and ideas to expand our capacity to innovate in the field of library
and information science;
● Develops and maintains user-centered and inspiring spaces for group and individual research, study, collaboration,
and contemplation.
Highlights of Colby College Libraries
There are two physical libraries on campus and a storage annex just off campus:
Miller Library houses the humanities and social science collections, the College Archives, and Special Collections. The lowest
level in Miller, known as The Street, contains individual and group study space and is open 24 hours a day.
The Bixler Art and Music Library features an extensive collection of art and music books, journals, sound recordings, music
scores, and a digital media lab.
Additional materials for all disciplines are housed in our annex storage facility. These items can be ordered through the library
catalog and are delivered to Miller Monday through Friday. Physical items in the natural and physical sciences, computer
science, and math are housed in the annex.
The Libraries are a member of the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) consortium that allows us to quickly share collections and
resources across our respective libraries.
The Libraries provide access to a wide-ranging collection of print and eBook monographs, full-text databases, electronic
journals, and a suite of reference sources, including:
● More than 1.7 million items, including more than 530,000 electronic books, and access to more than 22,000 print and
130,000 electronic periodicals and newspapers;
● Hundreds of popular and authoritative full-text and abstract scholarly research databases, with content across a wide
range of disciplines;
● A new zine library with more than 800 zines (and growing) is available to circulate in Bixler Library;
● Colby has been a selective depository for U.S. government publications since 1880;
● Digital Commons @ Colby presents the intellectual, creative, and scholarly culture of the Colby College community. It
is a collection of outstanding student work, faculty scholarship, college records, campus history, and the unique materials of
the libraries’ Special Collections;
● The Colby Libraries are one of two members of the HathiTrust in Maine, providing increased access to otherwise
unavailable primary sources.
Colby College Libraries offer extensive resources and services, including the following:
● A highly skilled and knowledgeable staff that offers expert support and assistance to help students meet academic
and lifelong learning goals;
● A comprehensive full-service website from which users can discover and access the majority of services and content
curated and provided by the Colby Libraries;
● Collaborative, as well as quiet, study spaces to support research and learning;
● Unique and rare primary sources in Special Collections & Archives, housed in Miller Library;
● A diverse collection of music scores, sound recordings, streaming videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and other multimedia;
● Digital media labs, copy machines, short-term computer loans, and access to digital scanners;
● Computer labs, wireless networks, laptops, study areas, and a digital media lab are available for student use in Miller
and Bixler;
● Digital preservation and publishing services.
Colby Libraries Special Collections & Archives has achieved international recognition for its collections of first editions and
literary manuscripts. Some highlights include:
● The elegant Edwin Arlington Robinson Memorial Room, named for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Maine poet, is a venue
for poetry readings and other public events, student presentations and exhibitions, and instruction.
● A robust archives education program in Special Collections & Archives also uses the Robinson Room for archival
labs that connect hundreds of students each academic year with rich archival collections and rare books, supporting innovative
teaching with primary sources. Major literary collections of books, manuscripts, letters, and memorabilia include Robinson,
Thomas Hardy, Vernon Lee, Sarah Orne Jewett, Henry James, and Bern Porter.
● An extensive James Augustine Healy Collection focuses on the Irish Literary Renaissance (1880-1940).
● In 2006 Special Collections acquired the personal papers of former Maine Poet Laureate Wesley McNair.
● A growing collection of artists’ books, a new—and growing—collection of zines, and intentional acquisition of other
compelling formats that focus on social, political, and environmental activism.
● The Alfred King Chapman Room houses the College archives, which documents the College’s development over 200
years. An extensive collection of alumni files is drawn upon for archival labs, student scholarship, and family history research.
Detailed information about collections, services, and hours is provided at colby.edu/libraries/.
Oak Institute for Human Rights
The Oak Institute for Human Rights, established in 1997, annually brings a prominent human rights activist to campus. While
in residence, the Oak Fellow gets a chance to reflect, recuperate, and educate the Colby community about their work.
The 2023 Oak Human Rights Fellow is Khosro Kalbasi Isfahani, an Iranian journalist, activist, and researcher. Currently,
Isfahani writes for BBC Monitoring, the Atlantic Council, and ARTICLE 19, focusing on health and human rights violations. He
was based in Tehran during the violent November 2019 protests in Iran, in which security forces were estimated to have
murdered more than 1,500 protesters. During the internet shutdown, he risked his own personal safety in order to give a voice
to the people of Iran.
Isfahani’s work includes articles on Iran’s violence against protestors; persecution of ethnic, religious, and LGBTQ+ minorities;
response to Covid-19: and other health crises such as medicine shortages and the lack of medical care for minority groups.
Isfahani, who identifies as queer and non-binary (he/they), has focused most recently on LGBTQ+ issues in Iran. In the past
and under different pen names, he has created materials for young LGBTQ+ adults on health, gender, and sexual orientation,
and he was involved in suicide prevention work for the LGBTQ+ community. Despite all the obstacles he has faced, he
continues to be one of the main voices highlighting human rights issues in Iran.
During ongoing Iranian protests, Isfahani has played a crucial role not only reporting the protests, but also identifying Iranians
killed in the demonstrations. He helped verify the identity of 75 slain Iranians for the BBC, and international human rights
organizations around the globe have recognized this work. This is but one example of Isfahani’s intense commitment to
journalism and human rights. As he has said: “To record human suffering, you need to wallow in a sea of pain and absorb the
raw unfiltered emotions like a sponge, you have to weave pain into your soul and then carve your heart out and hold it before
the eyes of the world.” This is exactly what Isfahani does every day and has been doing for more than decade. Colby College
will provide him with needed respite from the trauma he has lived and continues to live as a journalist in exile, away from his
family, and always fearing for his life.
Corporation and Trustees
Corporate Name
The President and Trustees of Colby College
Officers
David A. Greene, M.A. ’14, Ed.D., Waterville, Maine, President
M. Jane Powers ’86, M.A. ’05, Medford, Massachusetts Chair of the Board
Susan Boland ’83, M.A. ’12, M.A., New York, New York, Vice Chair of the Board
John J. O’Neil III ’77, M.A. ’16, Natick, Massachusetts, Vice Chair of the Board
Gustavo Burkett, M.Ed., Waterville, Maine, Dean of the College
Brian J. Clark, M.P.P., Winslow, Maine, Vice President of Planning
Ruth J. Jackson, M.S., Oakland, Maine, Vice President and Chief of Staff
Margaret T. McFadden, M.A. ’15, Ph.D., Augusta, Maine, Provost and Dean of Faculty
Matthew T. Proto, Ed.D, Winslow, Maine, Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Officer
Jacqueline Terrassa, M.F.A., Waterville, Maine, Carolyn Muzzy Director of the Colby College Museum of Art
Richard Y. Uchida ’79, M.A. ’06, J.D., Oakland, Maine, Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the College
Nicole L. Trufant, M.S.M., Freeport, Maine, Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Michael D. Wisecup, M.B.A., Windham, Maine, Vice President and Harold Alfond Director of Athletics
Julie K. Wood, B.A., Waterville, Maine, and Littleton, Colorado, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Board of Trustees
William L. Alfond ’72, M.A. ’02, LL.D. ’19, Director, Dexter Enterprises Inc. (Life Trustee)
Brenda Allen, M.A. ’21, Ph.D, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, President, Lincoln University (2025)
Armando Bengochea, M.A. ’17, Ph.D., New York, New York, Program Officer for Diversity and Director, Mellon Mays
Undergraduate Fellowship Program, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (2025)
Susan Boland ’83, M.A. ’12, M.A., New York, New York (2027)
Joseph F. Boulos ’68, M.A. ’93, LL.D. ’09, Falmouth, Maine, Chairman, Boulos Asset Management (Life Trustee)
Susan S. Bram, M.A. ’23, M.A.’ 87, New York, New York (2027)
Theresa S. Brockelman ’91, M.A. ’23, M.B.A./M.S.A. ’93, Andover, Massachusetts, Partner, Deloitte (2026)
Christian M. Brunet ’01, M.A. ’22. M.B.A., Boston, Massachusetts, Global Head of Human Resources, Brown Brothers Harriman
(2026)
Alexander K. Buck Jr. ’78, M.A. ’12, M.A., Cumberland Foreside, Maine, President, Horizon Foundation Inc. (2027)
James B. Crawford ’64, M.A. ’90, LL.D. ’05, Richmond, Virginia, Retired Chairman, Carbones Inter-Americanos S.A. (Life Trustee)
Coy R. Dailey ’01, M.A. ’18, M.S.Ed., Long Island City, New York, Director of Equity and Community Engagement, The Brearley
School (2024)
Eric DeCosta ’93, M.A. ’20, M.A., Owings Mills, Maryland, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Baltimore Ravens
(2025)
Robert E. Diamond Jr. ’73, M.A. ’93, LL.D. ’08, M.B.A., New York, New York, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Merchant
Capital (Life Trustee)
Jacklyn D. Dinneen ’05, M.A. ’22, M.P.P., Duxbury, Massachusetts, Deputy Chief of Staff, Peace Corps (2025)}
Nancy Donahue ’88, M.A. ’18, J.D., Stonington, Connecticut (2024)
David S. Epstein ’86, M.A. ’16, Natick, Massachusetts, Meteorologist, WBZ-TV (2025)
Sarah E. Eustis ’96, M.A. ’22, M.A.T., Portland, Oregon, Strategic Partnership Director, InsideTrack (2025)
Arman C. Gökgöl-Kline ’00, M.A. ’23, Darien, Connecticut, Partner, Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb (2027)
Michael L. Gordon ’66, M.A. ’04, J.D., New York, New York, Cofounder and Chief Investment Officer, Angelo Gordon & Company
(Life Trustee)
David A. Greene, M.A. ’14, Ed.D., Waterville, Maine, President, Colby College
Tionna C. Haynes ’15, M.A. ’22, M.Ed, Chicago, Illinois, Director of Special Education, Urban Preparatory Charter Bronzeville High
School (2025)
Robert R. Hoopes Jr. ’89, M.A. ’08, M.A., Bethesda, Maryland, President, VOX Global (2024)
Michael E. Koester ’94, M.A. ’15, Bronxville, New York, (2027)
Lindsey Lanier ’04, M.A. ’23, Los Angeles, California, Vice President, Creative/Kobalt Music (2026)
Miguel Leff ’98, M.A. ’14, J.D., La Jolla, California, Attorney at Law, Law Office of Miguel Leff (2026)
Paula Crane Lunder, M.A. ’98, D.F.A. ’98, B.S., Scarborough, Maine, Kenilworth, Inc. (Life Trustee)
John Lyons ’85, M.A.’21, New York, New York, Editor/Producer, Independent Motion Pictures and Films (2025)
Richard M. McVey, M.A. ’16, M.B.A., Greenwich, Connecticut, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, MarketAxess Holdings, Inc.
(2024)
Timothy S. O’Donnell ’87, M.A. ’20, J.D., Lexington, Massachusetts, Retired President and Chief Executive Officer, OmniClaim, Inc.
(2024)
John J. O’Neil III ’77, M.A. ’16, Natick, Massachusetts, Managing Partner, National Development, LLC (2024)
Jeffrey N. Packman ’88, M.A. ’12, M.B.A., Weston, Massachusetts, Principal, Packman Biopharma Consulting (2026)
M. Jane Powers ’86, M.A. ’05, Medford, Massachusetts, Chief of Staff, Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Fenway
Health
David Pulver ’63, M.A. ’83, M.B.A., President, Cornerstone Capital, Inc. (Life Trustee)
Eric S. Rosengren ’79, M.A. ’10, Ph.D., LL.D. ’22, Sharon, Massachusetts, Visiting Professor, Golub Center, MIT Sloan School
(2024)
Marieke H. Rothschild, M.A. ’17, B.A., Portola Valley, California (2027)
Carl A. Smith ’91, M.B.A., Washington, D.C. (2026)
Joerose Tharakan ’08, M.A. ’16, M.B.A., New York, New York, Director of Partner Development – Strategic Global Partners,
Microsoft (2026)
Catherine M. Tinsley, M.A. ’23, Okatie, South Carolina (2027)
Amy Walter ’91, M.A. ’11, Litt.D. ’17, Arlington, Virginia, Publisher and Editor in Chief, Cook Political Report with Amy Walter (2025)
Laura P. Ward, M.A. ’14, M.B.A., M.P.H., Wellesley, Massachusetts, Researcher and Consultant in the Neurobiology of Fear and
Dissociative Disorders/Trauma Research Laboratories, McLean Hospital (2026)
Jason Werlin ’00, M.A. ’23, M.B.A. ’08, Atherton, California, Managing Director, TA Associates (2027)
Tanya E. Williams, M.A. ’17, M.D., New York, New York, Chief Administrative Officer, Secretary-Treasurer, and Director, R2T2
Laboratories, Inc. (2025)
Joshua C. Woodfork ’97, M.A. ’09, Ph.D., Saratoga Springs, New York, Executive Director, President’s Office and Vice President
for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity, Skidmore College (2026)
Trustees Emeriti
Richard L. Abedon ’56, M.A. ’86, J.D., 1986-1994
Carol M. Beaumier ’72, M.A.’97, 1997-2003
Leslie Doughtery Biddle ’89, M.A. ’97, 2011-2019
Robert W. Burke ’61, M.A. ’81, M.B.A., 1981-1987
Sara J. Burns ’79, M.A. ’17, 2017-2023
Levin H. Campbell, M.A. ’82, LL.B., 1982-1990, 1991-1999
Julie Sands Causey ’85, M.A. ’10, M.B.A., 2010-2016
Ann Marie Connolly, M.A. ’07, M.Ed., 2007-2015
Rebecca Littleton Corbett ’74, M.A. ’06, Litt.D. ’18, 2006-2014
John R. Cornell ’65, M.A. ’97, LL.M., J.D., 1997-2003
James E. Cowie ’77, M.A. ’05, M.B.A., 2005-2011
James H. Crook Jr. ’78, M.A. ’15, 2015-2023
Andrew A. Davis ’85, M.A. ’99, 1999-2006
John B. Devine Jr. ’78, M.A. ’06, 2006-2012
Gerald Dorros, M.A. ’02, Sc.D. ’01, M.D., 2002-2010
Steven M. Earle ’79, M.A. ’14, M.P.A., 2014-2022
James A. Forese, M.A. ’15, B.S., 2015-2023
Robert Sidney Gelbard ’64, M.A. ’04, LL.D. ’02, M.P.A., 2004-2012
Anne Ruggles Gere ’66, M.A. ’98, Ph.D., 1998-2004
Jerome F. Goldberg ’60, M.A. ’89, J.D., 1989-1994
William H. Goldfarb ’68, M.A. ’85, J.D., 1985-1993, 1994-2002, 2003-2006, 2010-2016
Rae Jean Braunmuller Goodman ’69, M.A. ’83, Ph.D., 1983-1989
Peter G. Gordon ’64, M.A. ’95, M.B.A., 1995-1998
Deborah England Gray ’85, M.A. ’92, J.D., 1992-2005
Todd W. Halloran ’84, M.A. ’06, M.B.A., 2006-2012
Peter D. Hart ’64, M.A. ’89, LL.D. ’85, 1989-1993, 1995-1999
Ellen Brooks Haweeli ’69, M.A. ’93, 1993-1999
Nancy Spokes Haydu ’69, M.A. ’86, M.Ed., M.C.R.P., M.A., 1986-1994
Shaquan Huntt ’13, M.A. ’19, J.D., 2019-2022
Emma J. James ’04, M.A. ’07, J.D., 2007-2013
Nancy Joachim-Ventura ’98, M.A. ’02, J.D., 2001-2007
Colleen A. Khoury ’64, M.A. ’95, J.D., 2004-2012
Harry F. Krensky ’85, M.A. ’09, M.B.A., 2009-2017
Seth W. Lawry, M.A. ’06, M.B.A., 2006-2023
Beverly Nalbandian Madden ’80, M.A. ’86, 1986-1992, 1994-2002
David M. Marson ’48, M.A. ’84, 1984-1993
William J. Montgoris, M.A. ’99, B.B.A., 1999-2007, 2008-2015
Betsy L. Morgan ’90, M.A. ’09, M.B.A., 2009-2017
Paul A. Nussbaum, M.A. ’98, J.D., 1998-2002
Kate P. Lucier O’Neil ’85, M.A. ’00, M.B.A., 2000-2006
Jeffrey N. Packman ’88, M.A. ’12, M.B.A., 2012-2020
Randy C. Papadellis ’79, M.A. ’11, M.B.A., 2011-2019
Jane Powers ’86, M.A. ’05, M.S.W., 2012-2020
Patricia Rachal ’74, M.A. ’80, Ph.D., 1980-1986
Kathleen Pinard Reed ’86, M.A. ’11, M.D., 2011-2019
Lou Richardson Rhyne ’67, M.A. ’11, 2011-2017
Catherine Roosevelt ’89, M.A. ’16, M.P.A., 2016-2022
William J. Rouhana Jr. ’72, M.A. ’99, J.D., 1999-2007
Peter M. Rouse ’68, M.A. ’14, LL.D. ’13, M.P.A., 2014-2022
Robert A. Rudnick ’69, M.A. ’04, J.D., 2004-2010
William J. Ryan, M.A. ’00, M.B.A., 2000-2006
Robert Sage ’49, M.A. ’74, 1974-1986, 1987-1993
Richard R. Schmaltz ’62, M.A. ’76, M.A., 1989-1995, 2001-2009
Moses Silverman ’69, M.A. ’13, 2013-2019
Dilan V. K. Siritunga ’92, M.A. ’09, M.B.A., 2009-2015
Edward A. Snyder ’75, M.A. ’09, Ph.D., 2009-2018
Paul G. Spillane Jr. ’79, M.A. ’05, M.B.A., 2005-2013
Jessica D’Ercole Stanton ’92, M.A. ’17, 2017-2023
Albert Stone ’51, M.A. ’96, M.B.A., 1996-1999
W. Clarke Swanson Jr., M.A. ’70, LL.B., 1970-1976
Michael S. Sylvester ’63, M.A. ’03, M.B.A., 2003-2011
M. Anne O’Hanian Szostak ’72, M.A. ’74, Ph.D., 1974-1982, 1995-2002
Charles Terrell ’70, M.A. ’06, Litt.D. ’21, Ed.D., 2006-2014
Sunil H. Thakor ’99, M.A. ’16, M.B.A., 2016-2022
Barbara Howard Traister ’65, M.A. ’88, Ph.D., 1988-1994
Beth Brown Turner ’63, M.A. ’89, M.A., 1989-1992, 1993-1996
Richard Y. Uchida ’79, M.A. ’06, J.D., 2006-2016
Allan van Gestel ’57, M.A. ’99, LL.B., 1999-2005
Peter A. Vlachos ’58, M.A. ’77, 1977-1980
Nancy Greer Weiland ’65, M.A. ’02, Ph.D., 2002-2010
Anne Clarke Wolff ’87, M.A. ’02, M.B.A., 2002-2010, 2015-2021
John R. Zacamy Jr. ’71, M.A. ’92, M.B.A., 1992-1996, 1996-2001, 2002-2003
Visitors and Visiting Committees
Sheri B. Bronstein ’90, Ridgewood, New Jersey, Chief Human Resources Officer, Bank of America (2027), Visiting Committee on
Environmental Studies
Ryan Connolly ’07, Wellesley Hills, MA, First Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor, Morgan Stanley PWM (2026)
Charles T. Diamond ’12, New York, New York, Deputy Chief of Staff, City of New York, Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (2026)
Joan M. Fortin ’88, Portland, Maine, Chief Executive Officer, Bernstein Shur (2024), Visiting Committee on African-American
Studies
R. David Genovese ’89, M.B.A., Darien, Connecticut, Chief Executive Officer, Baywater Properties (2025)
Marlene Goldman ’70, M.S. ’78, Sc.D. ’84, Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dartmouth Medical School (2026)
Mark Hubbert ’79, M.B.A., Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Control Management Executive, Wells Fargo Advisors (2025), Visiting
Committee on Mathematics
Corley Hughes ’98, Seattle, Washington, Chief Financial Officer, SonderMind (2025), Visiting Committee on Physics and
Astronomy
Lisa Kaplan ’13, Washington, D.C., Founder, The Alethea Group (2026)
Tucker Kelton ’07, Wellesley, Massachusetts, Founder and Managing Partner, Camber Development (2024), Visiting Committee on
English/Creative Writing
Delva King ’77, Brooklyn, New York, (2026)
Jennifer Kline ’99, J.D., Darien, Connecticut, (2027)
Peter H. Lunder ’56, D.F.A. ’98, Scarborough, Maine, Chairman, Kenilworth, Inc. (Life Visitor)
Sharon Matusik ’86, Ph.D., Boulder, Colorado, Dean, Leed School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder (2025), Visiting
Committee on Science, Technology, and Society
Dana McClintock ’93, Chatham, New Jersey, Chief Communications Officer, Argus Capital Group (2026)
Andra Ofosu ’07, M.B.A., New York, New York, Director of US Sales, Aspect Capital (2025), Visiting Committee on Science,
Technology, and Society
Teresa K. Olsen ’01, M.S., Hamilton, New York, Assistant Vice President for Career Initiatives, Colgate University (2025), Visiting
Committee on Religious Studies, Visiting Committee on DavisConnects
Graham A. Powis ’90, Greenwich, Connecticut, Senior Capital Markets Advisor, Brookline Capital Markets (2024), Visiting
Committee on Administrative Sciences, Visiting Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid, Visiting Committee on Football
Jennifer Alfond Seeman ’92, Weston, Massachusetts, Cofounder, Art2You, (2025), Visiting Committee on Dining Services, Visiting
Committee on Admissions, Visiting Committee on Anthropology, Visiting Committee on German and Russian
Jason Soules ’93, Mountain Village, Colorado, Founder and Managing Director, EHS Partners, LLC ( 2027), Visiting Committee on
German and Russian
Jeremy P. Springhorn ’84, Ph. D., Guilford, Connecticut, Chief Business Officer, Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2025), Visiting
Committee on Biology
Benjamin W. Thorndike ’78, Boston, Massachusetts, Managing Director, Head of Infrastructure Investor Relations, John Hancock
(2024)
Kebba Tolbert ’94, Waltham, Massachusetts, Associate Head Track and Field Coach, Harvard University, (2026)
Visitor Visiting Committees, 2022-23
Department of Philosophy (October 30–November 1, 2022), John Brunero, chair, University of Nebraska; Lorraine Besser,
Middlebury College; Lee McBride, College of Wooster; Kebba Tolbert ’94; Marlene Goldman ’70
Department of French and Italian Studies (December 4-6, 2022)b Caroline Fache, chair, Davidson College; David Harrison,
Grinnell College; Charles T. Diamond ’12
Department of Jewish Studies (February 12-14, 2023), Jessica Cooperman, chair, Muhlenberg College; Cheryl Greenberg,
Trinity College; Lawrence Hoffman, Hebrew Union College; Dana McClintock ’93; Graham A. Powis ’90
Latin American Studies Program (March 5-7, 2023), M. Gabriela Torres, chair, Wheaton College; Nadia Celis, Bowdoin College;
Ryan Connolly ’07; Lisa Kaplan ’13
Department of Education (March 26-28, 2023), Soo Hong, chair, Wellesley College; Raphael Rogers, Clark University; Delva
King ’77
Administration
President, David A. Greene, M.A. ’14, Ed.D., 2014-
Executive Assistant, Office of the President, Regina M. Ouimette, A.S., 2004-
College Historian, Earl H. Smith, M.A. ’95, B.A., 1962-
Vice President and Chief of Staff, Ruth J. Jackson, M.S., 2004-
Special Advisor to the President, Theaster Gates, M.A., 2018-
Special Advisor to the President, Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, Ph.D., 1987-
Special Advisor to the President, D. Whitney King, Ph.D., 1989-
Director of the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Amanda J. Stent, Ph.D., 2021-
Associate Director of the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Amy M. Poulin, B.S., 2007-
Vice President of Planning, Brian J. Clark, M.A., 2014-
Executive Assistant, Office of the President, Gayle N. Maroon, A.S., 2006-
Assistant Vice President for Real Estate Development and Operations, Paul E. Ureneck, 2016-
Island Manager, Jacob D. Ward, 2021-
Island Manager, Richard N. O’Donoghue, 2021-
Boat Captain, Douglas A. Saunders, 2021-
Director of Campus Events, Elisabeth v.B. King, B.A., 2015-
Assistant Director of Campus Events, Heather A. Silvia, 2012-
Director of Special Programs and Conference Services, Brian K. Bray, M.S.W., 2017-
Special Programs Coordinator, James J. Rogers, 2018-
Associate Director of Planning, Naamah A. Jarnot ’10, M.S., 2021-
Carolyn Muzzy Director of the Museum of Art, Jacqueline Terrassa, M.F.A., 2020-
Executive Assistant, Karen K. Wickman, B.S., 1993-
Deputy Director of the Museum of Art, Julianne Gilland, Ph.D., 2017-
Manager of Collections and Registration, Annette L. Van Aken, M.A., 2021-
Senior Registrar for Exhibitions and Loans, Lorraine DeLaney, M.A., 2013-
Registrar for Collections, Paige M. Doore, B.A., 2014-
Senior Preparator, Christopher A. Patch, M.F.A., 2020-
Preparator, Danae Lagoy, B.F.A., 2022-
Collections Access Coordinator, Jenna Buckingham, M.F.A., 2022-
Mirken Curator of Education and Engagement, Kristin M. Bergquist, M.A., 2018-
Linde Family Foundation Senior Coordinator of School and Teacher Programs, Abigail E. Newkirk ’03, M.A., 2018-
Mirken Coordinator of Campus and Community Collaboration, Jillian Impastato, B.A., 2022-
Barbara Alfond Director of Exhibitions and Publications, Megan P. Carey, B.A., 2018-
Assistant Manager of Exhibitions and Publications, Juliette Walker, M.F.A., 2022-
Communications Manager, Jaime J. McLeod, M.A., 2019-
Linde Family Foundation Curator of Academic Engagement, Jessamine Batario, Ph.D., 2019-
Assistant Manager of Museum Facilities and Operations, Ryan Z. Ridky, A.D.C.J., 2010-
Director, Lunder Institute for American Art, Erica Wall, M.A.E., 2022-
Manager of Programs and Fellowships, Siera Hyte, M.F.A., 2021-
Manager of Administration and Strategic Initiatives, Karen E. Platt, B.A., 2015-
Head Curator of the Colby College Museum of Art, Elizabeth J. Finch, Ph.D., 2008-
Lunder Curator of American Art, Sarah Humphreville, M.A., 2022-
Lunder Curator of Works on Paper and Whistler Studies, Elisa Germán, Ph.D., 2023-
Provost and Dean of Faculty, Margaret T. McFadden, M.A. ’15, Ph.D., 1996-
Executive Assistant, Rosalie A. Meunier, A.S., 1988-
Director of Academic Administration and Chief of Staff, Stephanie H. Sylvester, M.B.A., 2017-
Assistant Director of Faculty Human Resources, Stephanie J. Frost, A.A.S., 2012-
Senior Associate Provost, James M. Sloat, Ph.D., 2012-
Registrar, Lindsey C. Nelson, M.B.A., 2018-
Associate Registrar, Valerie M. Sirois, M.S., 2008-
Associate Registrar for Data Systems and Technology, Elizabeth Rhinelander ’93, M.S., 2023-
Assistant Registrar, Bonnie Buckmore, B.S., 2023-
David Lee Philips Postdoctoral Fellow, Thomas Anderson, Ph.D., 2021-
Postdoctoral Fellow in Aquatic Chemistry, Brian P. DiMento ’10, Ph.D., 2021-
Environmental Studies Coordinator, Lindsey Cotter, M.S., 2015-
Director of the Colby Symphony, Jinwook Park, MMUS, 2016-
Conductor of Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble, Brendon Wilkins, M.M., 2022-
Choral Conductor, Néviton Barros, D.M.A., 2022-
Senior Associate Provost, Russell R. Johnson, Ph.D., 1996-
Academic Environmental Safety Specialist, Daniel S. Hull, B.S., 2022-Associate Provost for Academic Programs, Melissa J. Glenn,
Ph.D., 2007-
Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning, Carol A. Hurney, Ph.D., 2016-
Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, Jordan Troisi, Ph.D., 2020-
Postdoctoral Fellowship Public Speaking & Communication Skills, Kathryn Hansen, Ph.D., 2022-
Director of Institutional Research and Analytics, Christopher P. Hourigan, Ed.D., 2022-
Associate Director of Institutional Research and Analytics, Melissa L. Hartz, B.A., 2017-
Michael and Eugenia Wormser Director of the Colby Libraries, Kevin L. Smith, J.D., 2022-
Assistant Director for Digital Initiatives, Darylyne M. Provost, M.L.S., 2007-
Library Systems Administrator, Eileen F. Richards, 1988-
Electronic Resources Librarian, Michael C. McGuire ’89, M.I.L.S., 2000-
Digital Archives Librarian, Matthew LeVan, M.L.I.S., 2017-
Visual and Interdisciplinary Arts Librarian, Fannie H. Ouyang, M.L.S., 2020-
Assistant Director of Collections Management, Ana Noriega, M.L.I.S., 2014-
Collections Management Coordinator, Brenda Sevigny-Killen, M.L.I.S., 2022-
Technical Services and Metadata Librarian, Asita Albert, M.L.S., 2020–
College Archivist, Kathryn B. Donahue, M.L.S., 2015-
Assistant Director for Special Collections, Patricia A. Burdick, M.L.I.S., 1998-
Curator of Digital Discovery and Engagement, Margaret E. Libby ’81, B.A., 1986-
Archives Education Librarian, Erin N. Rhodes, M.L.I.S, 2011-
Data Services Librarian, Kara M. Kugelmeyer, M.I.L.S., 2016-
Collections Librarian, Karen J. Gillum ’76, M.L.I.S., 1994-
Research and Development Librarian, Bonnie E. Paige, M.A.L.S., 2017-
Performing and Narrative Arts Librarian, Laine S. Thielstrom, M.L.S., 2013-
Librarian, Max G. Bowman, M.L.S., 2019-
Resource Sharing Manager, Emma L. Bailey ’14, B.A., 2015-
Public Services Coordinator, April D. Paul, B.A., 2008-
Director of the Center for the Arts and Humanities, Dean Allbritton, Ph.D., 2011-
Associate Director for the Center for the Arts and Humanities, Megan E. Fossa, M.B.A., 2011-
Program Coordinator for the Center for the Arts and Humanities, Portia Hardy, B.S., 2022-
Executive Director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs, Alison Beyea, 2023-
Associate Director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs, Erica Buswell, B.A., 2023-
Director of the Oak Institute for Human Rights, Tiffany Creegan Miller, Ph.D., 2007-
Assistant Director of the Oak Institute for Human Rights, Emily Burke, M.A., 2022-
Diamond Family Director of the Arts, Teresa D. McKinney, M.A., 2020-
Associate Director of Artistic Planning and Community Engagement, Tyler French, M.A., 2021-
Assistant Director of Production, Arts Office, Gary McCrumb, B.A., 2023-
Manager of Building Operations, Arts Office, Jacob C. Hickey, B.M., 2023-
Program Manager, Arts Office, Kaitlyn Hunter, B.A., 2023-
Director of the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship, Jeremy Barron ’00, M.B.A., 2023-
Director of Jewish Student Life and Lecturer in Jewish Studies, Lauren Cohen Fisher ’13, M.A., 2021-
Deputy Director, Center for Small Town Jewish Life, Daniel G. Heinrich, M.A./M.B.A., 2023-
Associate Director of STEM Programming, Sasha Alcott, M.S., 2021-
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Nicole L. Trufant, M.S.M., 2022-
Executive Assistant, Melinda A. Gallagher, 2017-
Director of Operations and Chief of Staff, Jessie L. Daniels, M.B.A., 2023-
Interim General Manager of Dining Services, Richard Frost, 2019-
Director of Operations, Mark Stamper, 2016-
Executive Chef, Carmen Allen, 2018-
Catering Manager, Peggy Gadomski, 2019-
Chef Manager, Dana Dining Hall, Natalie Herrick, 2023-
Café Manager, Dana Dining Hall, Chelsea Harth, 2023-
Chef Manager, Foss Dining Hall, Lydia Kumpa, 2016-
Manager, Roberts Dining Hall, Cynthia Fletcher, 2021-
Chef Manager, Roberts Dining Hall, Karl Reed, 2022-
Café Manager, Roberts Dining Hall, Lesa Brown, 2023-
Retail Manager, The Spa, Kimberley Berthiaume, 2020-
Retail Chef Manager, The Spa, Matthew Andresen, 2022-
Associate Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Deborah L. Shufrin, M.B.A., 2021-
Director of Investment Operations, Alexander T. Gentilli, M.B.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Investments, Connor Smith-Subecz, M.B.A., 2022-
Managing Director of Investments, Thomas H. Martin, M.B.A., 2023-
Investment Analyst, Zijing Gu ’22, B.A., 2022-
Associate Vice President, Financial Planning and Budget, Michael Palmer, M.B.A., 2023-
Senior Associate Director of Financial Planning, Nora I. Dore, M.B.A., 2001-
Assistant Vice President for Finance and Controller, Alicia J. Gardiner, M.P.A., 2019-
Associate Controller, Elizabeth C. McGlinn, M.S., 2021-
Director of Financial Services Operations, Megan L. Foisy, B.S., 2019-
Assistant Director of Financial Services Operations, Dawn A. Genest, A.S., 2012-
Payroll Coordinator, Emily Singh, M.B.A., 2021-
Payroll Analyst, Karen T. Stuart, B.A., 2019-
Accounts Payable Coordinator, Jessada S. Parsons, M.B.A., 2013-
Purchasing Analyst, Stephanie M. LeBlanc, A.A.S., 2022-
Accounting Analyst, Jaban Foisy, B.S., 2022-
Director of the Bookstore, Barbara C. Shutt, B.A., 1994-
Director of Administrative Financial Services, Scott D. Smith ’88, M.B.A., 1993-
Director of Student Financial Services, Cynthia W. Wells ’83, B.A., 1983-
Senior Associate Director of Student Financial Services, Angel L. Spencer, 2000-
Associate Director of Student Financial Services, Alyssa M. Tibbetts, B.S., 2019-
Assistant Director of Student Financial Services, Megan Aube, M.S., 2021-
Assistant Director of Student Financial Services, Jack E. Meischen, M.A., 2023-
Assistant Director of Student Financial Services, Sherry A. Berard, M.B.A., 1999-
Assistant Director of Student Accounts, Kelly L. Bilodeau, 2013-
Supervisor of Mail and Packaging Services, DeAnna Armstrong, 2021-
Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Andrew C. Loftus, M.Ed., 2023-
Associate Chief Information Officer, Daniel S. Siff, M.S., 2002-
Assistant Director of Network Services, Everon Grier, 2022-
Network Analyst, Bryan Gess, 2022-
Network Analyst, Christopher Parker, B.S., 2022-
Associate Director of System Administration, Keith A. McGlauflin, B.S., 1989-
Senior Systems Administrator, Alexander S. Lelchuck, B.A., 2016-
Systems Administrator, Zachary Moulton, 2023-
Systems Administrator, Edward Joseph Patrick Wertz, B.S., 2023-
Manager of Desktop Systems Administration, Rurik L. Spence, A.S.,1988-
Desktop Systems Administrator, Joseph E. de la Cruz, A.S., 2012-
Information Security Analyst, Thomas L. Lamontanaro, A.B., 2021-
Director of Data and Change Management, Rachel Groenhout, M.A., 2022-
Director of Information Technology Consulting and Solutions, Ryan Connon, M.S., 2023-
Data Integration Administrator, Scott K. Twitchell, A.S., 2006-
Workday Application Analyst, Tracie D. Skelly, 2019-
GIS and Quantitative Analysis Specialist, Manuel Gimond, Ph.D., 2007-
High-Performance Computing Applications Manager, Randall H. Downer, B.A., 2007-
Scientific Computing Coordinator, Stephanie Drafahl, M.S., 2020-
Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Operations Engineer, Yamin Ghowrwal, B.B.A., 2022-
Teaching and Learning Applications Coordinator, Ellen L. Freeman, M.Ed., 2015-
Interim Co-Director, Academic ITS; Assistant Director for Media Technology, Timothy R. Stonesifer, B.S., 2015-
Media Technology Coordinator, Calla E. Orion, B.A., 2023-
Instructional Media Specialist, Qiuli Wang, M.Ed., 2009-
Interim Co-Director, Academic ITS; Instructional Technologist, Mark W. Wardecker, M.L.I.S., 2015-
Associate Director of Support Services, Adam C. Nielsen, B.S., 2005-
Event Technology Manager, Arleen M. King-Lovelace, B.A., 2007-
Audiovisual Events Coordinator, Ian Murphy, B.A., 2017-
ITS Identity and Access Management Coordinator, Sean Cooper, M.S., 2022-
Support Center Coordinator, Stile N. Cantrell, 2017-
Deployment Specialist, Michael A. Miner, B.A., 2009-
IT Analysis, Planning, and Budget Coordinator, Janna L. Hunnewell, B.A., 2010-
Learning Spaces Technology Coordinator, Samuel Overlock, B.S., 2023-
Director of Facilities Business and Administrative Services, David P. St. Pierre, B.S., 2019-
Senior Project Manager, Kemp L. Anderson, A.B., 2019-
Project Manager, Dale M. DeBlois, B.S., 1998-
Project Manager, Holly MacKenzie, B.S., 2012-
Assistant Project Manager, Tyler A. Brown, A.B., 2020-
Associate Vice President of Campus Operations, Matthew J. Mulcahy, B.S., 2018-
Director Sustainability, Maddalena LoDico, B.S., 2023-
Project Manager, Matthew Zeh, B.S., 2021-
Supervisor of the Building Trades, Perry B. Richardson, 2009-
Supervisor of Mechanical and Electrical Services, Anthony J. Tuell, B.S., 2006–
Grounds Supervisor and Landscape Manager, Douglas J. Cosentino, B.S., 2017-
Custodial Supervisor, David Grazulis, A.S., 2007-
Custodial Supervisor, Keith Rankin, 2010-
Custodial Supervisor, Blair Blaisdell, 2014-
Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of the College, Richard Y. Uchida, J.D., 2017-
Executive Assistant, Kristine Popelka, M.S., 2018-
Assistant Secretary of the College, Henrietta Schmalzel, M.A., 2018-
Assistant General Counsel and Director of Risk Management, William P. Saxe, J.D., 2016-
Director of Security, Robert A. Williams, M.S., 2018-
Senior Associate Director of Security/Museum Security Manager, Michael P. Benecke, A.S., 2013-
Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Officer, Matthew T. Proto, Ed.D., 2015-
Executive Assistant, Chelsea Grant, 2023-
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Rosalind Drisko, M.A., 2021-
Director of Communications Project Management, Lauren Garrard, B.A., 2022-Senior Director of Digital Strategy, Andrew C.
Herrmann, B.A., 2020-
Assistant Director of Digital Marketing, Lindsay Brayton, M.A., 2022-
Senior Manager of Web Operations, Brandon K. Waltz, B.S., 2019-
Web Applications Developer, Giovanni Aceto, A.B., 2022-
Senior Designer, Arnold H. Norris, B.F.A., 2012-
Senior Director of Multimedia Services, Gabriel Souza, B.S., 2020-
Senior Multimedia Producer, Jasper Lowe, B.S., 2020-
Multimedia Producer, Ashley L. Conti, 2023-
Editorial Director, Robert Keyes, A.B., 2022-
Associate Director of Communications, Laura D. Meader, B.A., 2001-
Staff Writer, Abigail Curtis, M.J., 2022-
Executive Director of Media Relations, George T. Sopko, B.A., 2019-
Associate Director of Media Relations, Jessica L. Segers, B.A., 2023-
Associate Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Randi L. Maloney ’09, B.A., 2012-
Deputy Dean of Admissions, Victoria Neason, B.A., 2020-
Director of Partnerships and Access, Kevin Phanor, B.S., 2018-
Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, Drew Goodwin, A.B., 2021-
Assistant Director of Admissions, Samantha Epstein, B.A., 2022-
Director of Marketing and Communications, Alexandria Sumner, B.F.A., 2020-
Assistant Director of Admissions, Jaelin Robin, B.F.A., 2022-
Assistant Director of Admissions, Jillian Farrell, M.A., 2022-
Director of Visitor Engagement and Events, Caroline Berlin, A.B., 2022-
Associate Director of Admissions, Abigail St. Johns, ’13, B.A., 2019-
Assistant Director of Admissions, Chelsea Regan ’17, B.F.A., 2022-
Deputy Dean of Enrollment Management, Molly B. Hodgkins ’15, M.Ed., 2018-
Director of Systems Administration and Reporting, Jamie W. Brewster ’00, B.A., 2000-
Associate Director of Admissions, Karin Parsons, B.S., 2020-
Assistant Director of Admissions, Hailey Craig, B.A., 2023-
Director of Data Visualization and Analysis, Liam M. Wallace, B.A., 2017-
Assistant Director of Admissions, William M. Sideri, M.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Operations, Stephanie H. Hutchinson, 2016-
Deputy Dean of Financial Aid, Candida E. Oxendine, M.S., 2019-
Associate Director of Financial Aid, Heather Megill, M.S., 2020-
Director of Data and Technology, David S. Jones, M.B.A., 1987-Chief Development Officer, Alli Lambert, M.E., 2023-
Assistant Vice President for Operations and Research, Suzanne L. Milauskas ’89, M.S.I.T., 2022-
Director of Prospect Research and Analysis, Alex J. Napuck, B.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Prospect Management and Research Analysis, Jonathan Megill, M.S.L.S., M.Ed., 2021-
Associate Director of Prospect Research and Analysis, Anne C. Rouse, B.A., 2015-
Director of Advancement Operations, Jill Mobley, Ed.D., 2020-
Assistant Director of Advancement Operations, Erin Palin, B.A., 2022-
Assistant Director of Advancement Operations, Staci L. Johnson, A.A., 2013-
Director of Advancement Analytics, Seth J. Mercier, B.S., 2005-
Advancement Analyst, Jasmine M. Franzose, 2001-
Director of Family Philanthropy, Chad A. Tessier, M.Ed., 2022-
Leadership Annual Gift Officer, John E. Squires III, B.A., 2023-
Leadership Annual Gift Officer, Susan W. Harriman, M.A., 2023-
Director of Museum Development, Courtney L. Bassett, M.S., 2021-
Associate Director of Museum Development, Sara Rubenson, B.A., 2022-
Director of Leadership and Planned Giving, Valerie R. Sherman, J.D., 2022-
Senior Associate Director of Gift Planning, Brooke C. Sukhavasi, M.B.A., 2018-
Associate Director of Gift Planning, Brendan Doherty, J.D., 2022-
Leadership Gift Officer, Byron J.S. Glaus, M.Ed., 2017-
Leadership Gift Officer, Lisa C. Detweiler, B.A., 2023-
Leadership Gift Officer, Sarah A. Bullock, M.B.A., 2023-
Gift Planning Coordinator, Elizabeth J. Bridger, B.S., 1997-
Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement, Aimee L. Jack, M.A., 2021-
Director of Donor Relations, Megan E. Mosher, M.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Donor Relations, Elizabeth Moyer, B.S., 2023-
Assistant Director of Donor Relations, Jackson D. Skinner, M.S.P.P.M., 2023-
Director of Engagement, Geneva Longlois-Marney, B.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Engagement, Pamela J. Salokangas, M.Ed., 2023-
Associate Director of Engagement, Zoe Boudreau, B.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Engagement, Katlyn I Georgia, A.B., 2022-
Director of Events, College Advancement, Abigayle J. Eames, M.L.A., 2022-
Assistant Director of Events, Brianna Bowie, A.A., 2021-
Director of Marketing and Communications, College Advancement, Rebekah Scaduto, B.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Advancement Marketing and Communications, Elyse M. Catalina, B.A., 2019-
Associate Director of Advancement Marketing and Communications, Nicholas Vail, M.A., 2023-
Senior Assistant Director of Advancement Marketing and Communications, Christopher Melville, M.A., 2021-
Director of Class Philanthropy and Engagement, Carmela Rossi, M.S., 2023-
Senior Associate Director of Class Philanthropy and Engagement, Amber L. Beckwith, B.S., 2016-
Associate Director of Class Philanthropy and Engagement, Craig Sims, 2023-
Assistant Director of Philanthropy and Engagement, Benjamin C. Roy, B.A., 2023-
Director of Athletics Fundraising, Robert Coppola, M.B.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Engagement, Zachary C. Lavoie, B.A., 2019-
Leadership Annual Gift Officer, Athletics, Molly Simmons, M.A., 2023-
Associate Vice President, Presidential Initiatives and Principal Gifts, Katie J. Thibodeau, B.F.A., 2018-
Campaign Manager, Nicole L. Jacobson ’12, M.Ed., 2015-
Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Elizabeth L. Bowen ’96, B.A., 2013-
Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Carol Anne Beach ’88, M.S., 2017-
Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Edgar B. Hatrick, J.D., 2013-
Executive Director of Foundation Relations, Kristin L. Anderson, M.A., 2022-
Director of Sponsored Programs, Seven S. Grenier ’94, M.A., 2009-
Associate Director of Sponsored Programs, Linnet Humble, M.A., 2022-
Associate Director of Grants and Sponsored Programs, Elizabeth S. Danner, B.A., 2006-
Dean of the College, Gustavo Burkett, Ph.D., 2023-
Executive Assistant, Caitlin Guptill, B.S., 2020-
Charles Terrell Dean of Students, Barbara E. Moore, M.A., 2007-
Assistant Dean of Students, William J. Parker ’16, M.Ed., 2020-
Director of Student Access and Disability Services, Kevin J. Murray, Ph.D., 2019-
Assistant Dean of Student Success, Kaitlin Shirley, Ph.D., 2022-
Student Success and Support Case Manager, Karin R. Weston, B.A., 1993-
Class Dean for Junior and Senior Students and Programs, Sonnet Graham, M.F.A., 2022-
Class Dean for Sophomore Students and Programs, Bryan R. Smith, M.A., 2022-
Class Dean for First-Year Students and Programs, Jillian M. Duquaine-Watson, Ph.D., 2022-
Director of Counseling Services, Eric S. Johnson, Ph.D., 2013-
Assistant Director of Counseling Services, Alfonso Ortega, Psy.D., 2017-
Assistant Director of Counseling Services, Katherine S. Barlow, M.A., L.C.P.C., L.A.D.C., C.C.S., 2012-
Staff Counselor, Julia Houska, Ph.D., 2021-
Staff Counselor, Nora Jordan, M.C., 2022-
Staff Counselor, Carey Patrick Wertz, Ph.D., L.C.P.C., 2023-
Staff Counselor, Kathryn E. Best, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., 2023-
Administrative Coordinator, Heather O’Boyle, B.A., 2021-
Director of Community Values, Conflict Resolution, and Restorative Practice, Jon-Mark Olivier, M.A., 2021-
Director of Community Living and Student Engagement, Daniel Cline, M.S., 2020-
Associate Director of Student Engagement, Nathan W. Baird, M.S., 2018-
Associate Director of Community Living, Kyle Arthenayake, M.Ed., 2021-
Assistant Director for Community Living, Shikha Shrestha, M.A., 2023-
Assistant Director of Housing Operations, Kristina L. Latorre, M.A., 2023-
Dean of Civic and Community Engagement, Elizabeth A. Jabar, M.F.A., 2018-
Associate Director of Student Civic Engagement, Paige L. Begley, M.Ed., 2018-
Associate Dean and Director of the Pugh Center for Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Kimberly Walton-Trajkovski, M.S.,
2021-
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-Curricular Program Coordinator, Misael Beltran-Guzman ’22, B.A., 2022-
Director of Prevention and Advocacy, Confidential Title IX Advocate, and Associate Director of the Pugh Center, Emily E.
Schusterbauer, M.A., 2013-
Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life, Katherine E. Smanik, M.Div., 2019-
Dean of Student and Global Advancement, Damon Yarnell, Ph.D., 2022-
Director of Off-Campus Study, Nancy Downey, Ph.D., 2007-
Assistant Director of Off-Campus Study, Allyson Hawkins, M.A., 2021-
Director of Global Experiences, Scott P. Lamer, M.A., 2018-
Director of Career Advising and Advisor for Communications, Entertainment, and the Arts, Jason Wall, M.E., 2022-
DavisConnects Advisor for STEM Professions, Dawei D. Ding, M.Ed., 2022-
DavisConnects Advisor for Education and Community Engagement, Karen E. Macke ’00, Ph.D., 2022-
DavisConnects Advisor for International Policy, Government, and Consulting, Pandit Mami ’14, M.A., 2022-
Director of Employer/Alumni Connections, Todd Herrmann, B.A., 2022-
Assistant Director for Employer Partnerships, Carolyn Anderson, B.A., 2021-
Director of Pre-Health Advising, Cathy T. Ashton ’80, M.A., 2022-
Events and Operations Coordinator, Tammi-Lynn Hamm, B.S., 2009-
Vice President, Harold Alfond Director of Athletics, Michael D. Wisecup, M.B.A., 2019-
Deputy Director of Athletics, Casie Runksmeier, M.S., 2022-
Associate Director of Athletics, Nicole A. Veilleux, M.B.A., 2002-
Assistant Director, Head Equipment Manager, Nicole M.J. Clark, M.S., 2023-
Associate Director of Athletics, Patrick M. Ratke, M.S., 2019-
Associate Director of Athletics Communications, Daniel W. Noyes ’02, M.Ed., 2007-
Associate Director of Athletics, Thomas K. Burton, B.A., 1999-
Assistant Director of Athletics for Administration and Compliance, Adrienne M. Lovejoy, B.S., 2020-
Associate Director of Athletics and Director of Recreation Services, Nashid Bracy, M.S., 2021-
Associate Director of Recreation, Marc Roy, M.B.A., 2021-
Director of Peak Performance, Anne Beethe, Ph.D., A.T.C., C.S.C.S., 2022-
Director of Sports Medicine, Timothy S. Weston, M.A., M.Ed., A.T.C., 1992-
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Craig Buckley, M.S., C.S.C.S., 2023-
Assistant Head Athletic Trainer, Emily S. Vartabedian Rucci, M.S., A.T.C., 2015-
Staff Athletic Trainer, Christopher O’Toole, B.A., A.T.C., C.E.A.S., 2009-
Staff Athletic Trainer, Meredith A. Atwood, M.S., 2019-
Athletic Trainer (Academic Year), Helen Bulford, M.S., 2021-
Athletic Trainer, Amanda Lusky, M.S.A.H, A.T., 2022-
Athletic Trainer (Academic Year), Kelsey Hunter, A.T.C., 2022-
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Julie K. Wood, B.A., 2022-
Executive Assistant, Office of the President, Mary Ellen Dauphinais, B.A., 2018-
Director of HR Data and Analytics, Jane Robertson, B.A., 1990-
Benefits Coordinator, Rose Griffin, 2014-
Human Resources Business Partner, Maria C. Clukey, M.S., 1999-
Human Resources Business Partner, Jessica L. Wilbur, M.S., 2022-
Director of Environment, Health, and Safety, Jason A. Fish, B.S., 2015-
Associate Director Student Employment Services, Suheir Alaskari, M.P.P.M., 2023-
Director of Learning and Talent Development, Melissa A. Breger, M.S., 2015-
Talent Development Coordinator, Jody J. Leary, B.S., 2013-
Faculty
The faculty is arranged alphabetically. In parentheses are listed colleges and universities from which earned degrees have been
received.
Eric G. Aaron, Ph.D. (Cornell), 2018-
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Hideko Abe, Ph.D. (Shikoku Christian [Japan], Arizona State), 1993-1995; 2006-
Professor of East Asian Studies
Christopher Abplanalp, M.A. (St. Lawrence, Connecticut College), 2018-
Faculty Head Coach
Ayo Adeniran, Ph.D. (University of Ibadan [Nigeria], Texas A&M) 2021-
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Syed Tariq Ahmad, M.A. ’23, Ph.D. (Aligarh Muslim [India], PGIMER, Chandigarh [India], Notre Dame), 2009-
Professor of Biology and Dr. Charles C. and Pamela W. Leighton Research Fellow
Naser Al Madi, Ph.D. (Kent State University), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Asita Albert, M.S.L.I.S. (University of Maine, Drexel), 2020-
Faculty Librarian: Technical Services & Metadata
Tadesse Alemu, Ph.D. (Oklahoma State University, Addis Ababa University [Ethiopia]), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Geology
Dean Allbritton, Ph.D. (Valdosta State, Syracuse, Stony Brook), 2011-
Associate Professor of Spanish; Director, Center for the Arts and Humanities, 2021-
Terren M. Allen, B.A. (University of Maine), 2018-
Faculty Head Coach
Ana Almeyda-Cohen, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Marta E. Ameri, Ph.D. (Bryn Mawr, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University), 2014-
Associate Professor of Art
David R. Angelini, Ph.D. (St. Mary’s of Maryland, Indiana), 2012-
Associate Professor of Biology
Martha Arterberry, M.A. ’07, Ph.D. (Pomona, Minnesota), 2006-
Clara C. Piper Professor of Psychology
Robert Augustine, Ph.D. (SUNY Binghamton, Massachusetts at Amherst), 2022-
Assistant Professor of Biology
T. Ben Baker, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Brown University), 2023-
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Allison Barner, Ph.D. (Chicago, Oregon State), 2019-
Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Biology
James C. Barrett, Ph.D. (California at Santa Cruz, Cornell), 2000-
Associate Professor of Classics
Alison Bates, Ph.D. (University of Delaware), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Jordan Bazak, Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
Justin M. Becknell, Ph.D. (Minnesota), 2017-
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Jared R. Beers ’01, B.A. (Colby), 2006-
Faculty Head Coach
James Behuniak Jr., M.A. ’20, Ph.D. (Southern Maine, Hawaii at Manoa), 2006-
William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Philosophy
Michael Ben-Zvi, Ph.D. (Bowdoin, Tufts) 2021-
Lecturer in Mathematics and Calculus Coordinator
Max Bender, Ph.D. (Connecticut College, University of Pittsburgh), 2021-
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Sandra Bernal Heredia, Ph.D. (Texas, Austin), 2018-
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Kimberly A. Besio, M.A. ’10, Ph.D. (Hawaii at Manoa, California at Berkeley), 1992-
Oak Professor of East Asian Studies
Catherine L. Besteman, M.A. ’05, Ph.D. (Amherst, Arizona), 1993-
Francis F. Bartlett and Ruth K. Bartlett Professor of Anthropology
Catherine R. Bevier, M.A. ’17, Ph.D. (Indiana, Connecticut), 1999-
Oak Professor of Biology
Chandra D. Bhimull, Ph.D. (Kenyon, Michigan), 2008-
Associate Professor of Anthropology and African-American Studies
Adrian Blevins, M.A. ’19, M.F.A. (Virginia Intermont, Hollins, Warren Wilson), 2004-
Professor of English (Creative Writing)
Robert T. Bluhm Jr., M.A. ’03, Ph.D. (New York University, Princeton, Columbia, Rockefeller), 1990-
Sunrise Professor of Physics
Maria Dolores Bollo-Panadero, Ph.D. (Seville [Spain], Michigan State), 2008-
Associate Professor of Spanish
Bradley R. Borthwick, M.F.A. (Guelph [Canada], Cornell), 2013-
Associate Professor of Art
Max Bowman, M.L.I.S. (University of Maine, University of North Carolina), 2019-
Faculty Librarian: Assistant Director for Public Services
Sarah Braunstein, M.F.A., (Mount Holyoke, Iowa Writers’ Workshop), 2016-
Associate Professor of English (Creative Writing)
Andrea Breau ‘03, M.A. (Colby, Ohio State University), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Kelly Brignac, Ph.D. (Millsaps, Vanderbilt, Harvard), 2021-
Assistant Professor of History
AB Brown, Ph.D. (Muhlenberg, Northwestern), 2019
Assistant Professor of Performance, Theater, and Dance
Sherry Brown, Ph.D. (University of Maine, University of Denver), 2023-
Lecturer in Education/Coordinator of Teacher Education
Denise A. Bruesewitz, Ph.D. (Winona State, Notre Dame), 2012-
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Audrey Brunetaux, Ph.D. (Poitiers [France], Michigan State), 2008-
Associate Professor of French
Cedric Gael Bryant, M.A. ’05, Ph.D. (San Diego State, California at San Diego), 1988-
Lee Family Professor of English
Michael R. Buccigrossi, Ph.D. (Columbia), 2017-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Patricia A. Burdick, A.L.M. (Cedar Crest, Georgia Institute of Technology, Simmons, Harvard), 2001-
Faculty Librarian: Assistant Director for Special Collections
Thomas K. Burton, B.A. (Hamilton), 1999-
Faculty Head Coach; Associate Director of Athletics, 2002-
Danila Cannamela, Ph.D. (Università degli Studi [Milan], North Carolina, Chapel Hill), 2019
Assistant Professor of Italian
Gail Carlson, Ph.D. (St. Olaf, Wisconsin at Madison), 2004-
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Tizoc Chavez, Ph.D. (California State University, Stanislaus, Vanderbilt), 2021-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Government
Caitlin Cleaver ’06, Ph.D. (Colby, University of Maine), 2023
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Jennifer Coane, Ph.D. (Illinois State, Washington [St. Louis]), 2008-
Associate Professor of Psychology
Daniel H. Cohen ’75, M.A. ’00, Ph.D. (Colby, Indiana), 1983-
Professor of Philosophy
Lauren Cohen Fisher ’13, M.A. (Colby, Tel Aviv University), 2021-
Lecturer in Jewish Studies
Charles Conover, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. (Middlebury, Virginia), 1990-
William A. Rogers Professor of Physics
Rebecca R. Conry, Ph.D. (Eastern Washington, Washington), 2000-
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Megan L. Cook, Ph.D. (Michigan, New York University, Pennsylvania), 2013-
Associate Professor of English
John W. Cosgrove, M.Ed. (Maine), 2018-
Faculty Head Coach
Christina Cota, Ph.D. (Skidmore, Cornell), 2019
Assistant Professor of Biology
Tracey A. Cote, M.S. (Northern Michigan, Wyoming), 1998-
Faculty Head Coach; Associate Director of Athletics 2008-
Matthew Cumbie, M.F.A (Texas Lutheran University, Texas State University, Texas Woman’s University), 2021-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Performance, Theater, and Dance
David M. Cusano Jr., M.A. (Maine), 2015-
Faculty Head Coach
Guilain P. Denoeux, M.A. ’03, Ph.D. (Grenoble [France], Georgetown, Princeton), 1990-
Professor of Government
Inga Kim Diederich, Ph.D. (University of Chicago, Harvard, University of California, San Diego), 2021-
Assistant Professor of History
Brian DiGiorgio, M.S. (University of California, Carlton), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Valérie M. Dionne, M.A. ’23, Ph.D. (Montreal [Canada], Princeton), 2007-
Professor of French and Italian
Stephanie Dodson, Ph.D. (Massachusetts at Amherst, Brown), 2022-
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Kathryn B. Donahue, M.S. (Bowdoin, Simmons), 2015-
Faculty Librarian: College Archivist
Sonya Donaldson, Ph.D. (CUNY, University of Virginia), 2022-
Assistant Professor of African-American Studies
Michael R. Donihue ’79, M.A. ’07, Ph.D. (Colby, Michigan), 1989-
Herbert E. Wadsworth Professor of Economics; Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Associate Dean of Faculty,
2008-2010
Stacy Doore, Ph.D. (University of Maine), 2020-
Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Linwood C. Downs ’83, M.A. (Colby, Columbia, Maine), 2003-
Assistant Professor of Economics
Greg T. Drozd, Ph.D. (Carnegie Mellon), 2017-
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Sarah E. Duff, Ph.D. (Stellenbosch [South Africa], Birkbeck [England]), 2017-
Assistant Professor of History
Tasha L. Dunn, Ph.D. (Tulane, Tennessee at Knoxville), 2014-
Associate Professor of Geology
Nadia R. El-Shaarawi, Ph.D. (McMaster [Canada], Oxford [UK], Case Western Reserve), 2015-
Associate Professor of Global Studies
Kathrin Ellieroth, Ph.D. (Indiana University), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Economics
Alicia E. Ellis, Ph.D. (Amherst, Yale), 2016-
Associate Professor of German
Bevin L. Engman, M.A. ’11, M.F.A. (William and Mary, Portland School of Art, Pennsylvania), 1996-
Professor of Art
David Ernst, Ph.D. (University of North Carolina, University of Illinois), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Czarina Evangelista ’14, Ph.D., (Colby, Concordia University [Canada]), 2021-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Elisabeth McCorkle Fairfield, M.F.A. (Smith, Massachusetts at Amherst), 2001-
Distinguished Senior Lecturer in Writing
Flavien Falantin, Ph.D. (Indiana University), 2020-
Assistant Professor of French
Ben W. Fallaw, M.A. ’14, Ph.D. (North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chicago), 2000-
Professor of Latin American Studies
Yang I. Fan, Ph.D. (Washington, Seattle) 2018-
The Todger Anderson Assistant Professor in Investing and Behavioral Economics
Philip Jun Fang, Ph.D. (Northwestern), 2021-
Assistant Professor of Sociology
David W. Findlay, M.A. ’99, Ph.D. (Acadia [Canada], Purdue), 1985-
Pugh Family Professor of Economics
Kimberley Fletcher-Stibal, B.F.A. (The University of the Arts), 2021-
Visiting Instructor of Performance, Theater, and Dance
Anna Forsman, Ph.D. (Cornell University, Illinois State University, The College of William and Mary), 2023-
Assistant Professor of Biology
Rebecca Frank, Ph.D. (University of Virginia, St. Olaf), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics
Patrice M. Franko, M.A. ’00, Ph.D. (Bucknell, Notre Dame), 1986-
Grossman Professor of Economics
David M. Freidenreich, Ph.D. (Brandeis, Columbia), 2008-
Pulver Family Professor of Jewish Studies
Tamar Friedmann, Ph.D. (Princeton), 2019
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Laura S. Fugikawa, Ph.D. (Southern California), 2018-
Assistant Professor of American Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Yuri Lily Funahashi, D.M.A. (Wisconsin at Madison, California at Los Angeles, Julliard), 2009-
Associate Professor of Music
Amanda Gallinat, Ph.D. (Carleton, Boston University), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Tatiana Geron, M.Ed. (Harvard, University of Massachusetts, University of Virginia), 2023
Visiting Assistant Professor of Education
Ghada Gherwash, Ph.D. (Appalachian State, Purdue), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Writing
Mary Ellis Gibson, Ph.D. (North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chicago), 2016-
Arthur Jeremiah Roberts Professor of English
Erin A. Giffin, Ph.D. (California at San Diego), 2018-
Assistant Professor of Economics
Karen J. Gillum ’76, M.L.S. (Colby, Oxford, Oklahoma, South Carolina), 2009-
Faculty Librarian: Collections
Melissa J. Glenn, Ph.D. (Memorial [Canada], Concordia [Canada]), 2007-
Associate Professor of Psychology, Associate Provost for Academic Programs, 2021-
Jin Goh, Ph.D. (Bard, Northeastern), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Psychology
McFeely Jackson Goodman, Ph.D. (University of California, University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Fernando Q. Gouvea, M.A. ’01, Ph.D. (Sao Paulo [Brazil], Harvard), 1991-
Carter Professor of Mathematics
Alyssa Granacki, Ph.D. (Duke), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian
Gary M. Green, M.F.A., M.A. ’22, (SUNY Empire State, Bard), 2007-
Professor of Art
David A. Greene, M.A. ’14, Ed.D. (Hamilton, Harvard), 2014-
President; Professor of Social Sciences
Neil L. Gross, M.A. ’15, Ph.D. (California at Berkeley, Wisconsin at Madison), 2015-
Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology
Samara R. Gunter, Ph.D. (Chicago, Michigan), 2008-
Associate Professor of Economics
Britt Halvorson, Ph.D. (University of Michigan, Albion College), 2015-
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Andrew Hamilton, Ph.D. (Indiana University, University of Chicago), 2021-
Visiting Assistant Professor of German and Russian
Aaron R. Hanlon, Ph.D. (Bucknell, Dartmouth, Oxford [UK]), 2015-
Associate Professor of English
Lynn Hannum, Ph.D. (Bates, Yale), 2001-
Associate Professor of Biology and Charles C. and Pamela W. Leighton Research Fellow
Daniel E. Harkett, Ph.D. (Edinburgh [UK], Brown), 2016-
Associate Professor of Art
Eric P. Harlow, B.A. (Colby-Sawyer), 2020-
Faculty Head Coach
Allen Harper, Ph.D. (University of Rhode Island, City University of New York), 2021-
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Paula Harrington, M.A. (University of Maine, Columbia), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Writing, Interim Director of the Farnham Writers’ Center
Chenel Harris-Smith, M.A. (Kent State, Rider University), 2019-
Faculty Head Coach
Melissa Heide, Ph.D. (University of Texas, University of Virginia), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of English
Karen L. Henning, M.A. (Maryland, Adelphi), 2007-
Faculty Head Coach
Jorge Hernández-Lasa, M.E., M.A. (University of Burgos [Spain], Hankuk University of Foreign Studies [South Korea]), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish
Annie Hikido, Ph.D. (California at Berkeley, California at Santa Barbara), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Elizabeth Hill, (Midwestern State, Gonzaga, Memorial University of Newfoundland), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy
M. Adam Howard, M.A. ’16, Ed.D. (Berea, Harvard, Cincinnati), 2003-2004, 2008-
Professor of Education
Timothy P. Hubbard, Ph.D. (New Hampshire, Iowa), 2012-
Associate Professor of Economics
Derek Huffman, Ph.D. (California at Irvine), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Rachel M. Isaacs, M.A. (Wellesley, Jewish Theological Seminary), 2011-
Dorothy “Bibby” Alfond Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies
Nicolas Jacobs, Ph.D. (University of Virginia), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Government
Danae Jacobson, Ph.D. (Westmont College, Regent College, Notre Dame), 2019-
Assistant Professor of History
Lindsay Johnson, M.A.E. (Durham University, Elmhurst), 2021-
Faculty Head Coach
Russell R. Johnson, M.A. ’14, Ph.D. (Colorado College, Washington State), 1996-
Professor of Biology; Associate Provost for Academic Programs, 2017-21; Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, 2021-
Elham Karimi Balan, Ph.D. (University of Illinois, University of Shahid Beheshti, University of Memphis), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of French
Jeffrey L. Katz, M.A. ’15, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania, Harvard), 2002-
William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Chemistry
Christel D. Kesler, Ph.D. (California at Berkeley), 2017-
Associate Professor of Sociology
Elizabeth Ketner, Ph.D. (Georgia, Vermont, Minnesota), 2012-2013, Spring 2014-
Senior Lecturer in Writing
Se Young Kim, Ph.D. (Konkuk University, Ohio, Iowa), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies
D. Whitney King, M.A. ’02, Ph.D. (St. Lawrence, Rhode Island), 1989-
Dr. Frank and Theodora Miselis Professor of Chemistry
Thomas E. Klepach, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan University), 2012-
Lecturer of Science, Technology, and Society
Ann Marie Kloppenberg, M.F.A. (Middlebury, Ohio State), 2010-
Associate Professor of Performance, Theater, and Dance
Dalibor Kocevski, Ph.D. (Michigan, Hawaii at Manoa), 2014-
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Arne Koch, Ph.D. (Kenyon, Pennsylvania State, North Carolina at Chapel Hill), 2007-
Associate Professor of German; Dean for Global Engagement, 2017-2020
Bess G. Koffman, Ph.D. (Maine, Orono), 2017-
Assistant Professor of Geology
Nazli Konya, Ph.D. (Bogazici University [Turkey], Cornell), 2021-
Assistant Professor of Government
Lorelei Koss, Ph.D. (University of South Carolina), 2022-
Visiting Professor of Mathematics
Kara Kugelmeyer, M.L.I.S., (Amherst, Syracuse), 2016-
Faculty Librarian: Data Services
Amrutha Kunapulli, Ph.D. (Indian Institute of Technology, Michigan State), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies
Daniel R. LaFave, Ph.D. (Boston College, Duke), 2012-
Associate Professor of Economics
Isaac Lage, B.A. (Harvard University, New York University), 2023-
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Allison E. Lancaster, M.S. (Thomas College, Providence College), 2023-
Faculty Head Coach
Oliver W. Layton, Ph.D. (Boston), 2018-
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Tracey Leone, B.A. (University of North Carolina), 2022-
Faculty Head Coach
Robert B. Lester, Ph.D. (Montana, Notre Dame), 2015-
Associate Professor of Economics
Carrie A. LeVan, Ph.D. (California at Los Angeles), 2017-
Assistant Professor of Government
Matthew R. LeVan, M.L.I.S. (California at Los Angeles), 2017-
Faculty Librarian: Digital Archives
Ying Li, Ph.D. (Hubei University of Technology [China], New Hampshire), 2015-
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Amanda Lilleston, M.F.A (Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, University of Michigan, Colorado College) 2017-
Assistant Professor of Art
Zoe Shan Lin, Ph.D., (University of California, Peking University [China], Beijing Normal University [China]), 2023-
Assistant Professor of History
Benjamin D. Lisle, Ph.D. (Carleton, Virginia, Texas at Austin), 2011-
Assistant Professor of American Studies
Pei Pei Liu, Ed.D. (Swarthmore, Michigan, Harvard), 2022-
Assistant Professor of Education
Leo Livshits, M.A. ’08, Ph.D. (Waterloo [Canada], Toronto [Canada]), 1994-
Professor of Mathematics
Hui-Ching Lu, Ph.D. (National Central University [Taiwan], National Cheng Kung University [Taiwan]), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies
Blaise J. MacDonald, B.A. (Rochester Institute of Technology), 2012-
Faculty Head Coach
Lindsey R. Madison, Ph.D. (Northwestern), 2018-
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Andrew Marshall, M.S. (University of Maine), 2009-
Visiting Instructor of Biology
Dierdre Martin, Ph.D. (University of South Carolina, University of Washington, University of California, Berkeley), 2021-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Government
Joshua P. Martin, Ph.D. (Ohio State, Arizona), 2016-
Assistant Professor of Biology
José Martínez, Ph.D. (National University of Colombia, University of Missouri, UT Austin), 2021-
Assistant Professor of Music
D. Benjamin Mathes, M.A. ’03, Ph.D. (Middlebury, New Hampshire), 1990-
Professor of Mathematics
Benedicte Mauguiere, M.A. ’09, Ph.D. (d’Angers [France], Paris-Sorbonne [France]), 2009-
Professor of French
Dámaris Mayans, Ph.D. (Florida, Gainesville), 2018-
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Lindsay R. Mayka, Ph.D. (Carleton, Berkeley), 2013-
Associate Professor of Government
Damon W. Mayrl, Ph.D. (California at Berkeley), 2017-
Associate Professor of Sociology
Jonathan H. McCoy, Ph.D. (Haverford, Maryland, Cornell), 2009-
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Margaret T. McFadden, M.A. ’15, Ph.D. (Wells, Duke, Yale), 1996-
Professor of American Studies; Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty for Curricular Planning, 2016-2017; Provost and Dean of
Faculty, 2017-
Elizabeth McGrath, Ph.D. (Vassar, Hawaii at Honolulu), 2012-
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Michael C. McGuire ’89, M.L.S. (Colby, Syracuse), 2000-
Faculty Librarian: Electronic Resources Karena A. McKinney, Ph.D. (California at Irvine), 2017-
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Carolyn Megan, M.F.A. (Vermont College), 2018-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Writing
M. Suzanne Menair, Ph.D., (Antioch, Virginia), 2016-
Lecturer of Anthropology
Jennifer M. Meredith, Ph.D. (Washington), 2018-
Assistant Professor of Economics
Jesse D. Meredith, Ph.D. (City College of New York, Washington), 2018-
Visiting Assistant Professor of History; Director of the Integrated Studies Program
Barbara Merson, M.A. (Brandeis, SUNY), 2018
Visiting Instructor of Jewish Studies
Natalie Michelle, Ph.D. (University of Maine), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies
Julie T. Millard, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. (Amherst, Brown), 1991-
The Dr. Gerald and Myra Dorros Professor of Chemistry
Kassandra Miller, Ph.D. (University of Chicago, Princeton), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Classics
Melissa Miller, Ph.D. (Texas at Austin, Wisconsin at Madison), 2022-
Assistant Professor of Russian
Tiffany Miller, Ph.D. (University of Kansas), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Luis Millones, M.A. ’12, Ph.D. (Pontificia Católica [Peru], Stanford), 1998-
Charles A. Dana Professor of Spanish
Mary Elizabeth Mills, M.A. ’07, Ph.D. (Western Ontario [Canada], California at Berkeley), 1992-
Charles A. Dana Professor of Anthropology
Lydia Moland, M.A. ’20, Ph.D. (Boston University), 2008-
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Philosophy
Elena I. Monastireva-Ansdell, Ph.D. (Piatigorsk State Institute of Foreign Languages [Russia], Iowa, Indiana), 2009-
Associate Professor of Russian
Christopher M. Moore, Ph.D. (Nevada at Reno), 2017-
Assistant Professor of Biology
Andrew Moos, B.A. (New York University), 2023-
Postdoctoral Fellow in Writing
Lackson D. Mudenda, M.Sc. (Umea University [Sweden], Copperbelt University [Zambia], University of Zambia, 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
Erin Murphy, M.A. (North Carolina State, Texas at Austin), 2014-
Instructor of Cinema Studies
Changningphaabi Namoijam, Ph.D. (Christ University [India], Indian Institute of Technology, Texas A&M), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Sanval Nasim ’08, Ph.D. (Colby, California at Riverside), 2022-
Assistant Professor of Economics
Lindsey Nelson, M.B.A. (Thomas College), 2018-
Faculty Member without Rank: Registrar
Mouhamedoul Amine Niang, Ph.D. (Gaston Berger [Senegal], East Tennessee State, Wisconsin at Madison), 2009-
Associate Professor of French
Xi Ning, M.S. (University of North Carolina, Central South University [China], Changsha University of Science and Technology
[China]), 2023-
Assistant Professor of Statistics
Suegene Noh, Ph.D. (Connecticut), 2017-
Assistant Professor of Biology
Ana Noriega, (CUNY, New School), 2014-
Faculty Librarian: Assistant Director for Collections Management
Laura Nüffer, Ph.D. (Bryn Mawr, University of Pennsylvania), 2019-
Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies
Steven R. Nuss, Ph.D. (Wisconsin at Madison, CUNY), February 1996-
Associate Professor of Music
Philip Nyhus, M.A. ’20, Ph.D. (St. Olaf, Wisconsin at Madison), 1999-2001; 2004-
Elizabeth and Lee Ainslee Professor of Environmental Studies
Liam O’Brien, M.A. ’20, Ph.D. (Colorado School of Mines, Harvard), 2003-
Professor of Statistics
Kerill N. O’Neill, M.A. ’19, Ph.D. (Trinity [Dublin, Ireland], Cornell), 1992-
Julian D. Taylor Professor of Classics; Director, Center for the Arts and Humanities, 2013-2021
Alejandra Ortiz, Ph.D. (Wellesley, MIT), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Stephanie Owen, Ph.D. (University of Michigan) 2021-
Assistant Professor of Economics
Bonnie Paige, M.L.I.S. (University of British Columbia), 2017-
Faculty Librarian: Research and Development
Adrianna M. Paliyenko, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. (Boston University, North Carolina at Chapel Hill), 1989-
Charles A. Dana Professor of French
Ronald F. Peck, Ph.D. (Linfield, Wisconsin), 2012-
Associate Professor of Biology
Keith R. Peterson, Ph.D. (Kent State, Louisiana State, DePaul), 2008-
Associate Professor of Philosophy
Samantha Plasencia, Ph.D. (University of Illinois), 2020-
Assistant Professor of English
Veronique B. Plesch, M.A. ’08, Ph.D. (Swiss Maturite Federale [Switzerland], Geneva [Switzerland], Princeton), 1994-
Professor of Art
James Porter, ‘95, Ph.D. (Cornell, Colby), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Nichole Price, Ph.D. (University of California, Connecticut College), 2015-
Professor of Environmental Studies
Matthew T. Proto, Ed.D., (Yale, Wesleyan, North Carolina at Chapel Hill), 2015-
Faculty Member without Rank: Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Darylyne M. Provost Cyr, M.L.S. (Trinity, Maryland at College Park), 2007-
Faculty Librarian: Assistant Director for Digital Initiatives
Farah Qureshi, Ph.D. (Warwick, Oxford, California at Irvine), 2022-
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Tarja Raag, Ph.D. (Skidmore, Indiana), 1995-
Associate Professor of Psychology
Amelia Raboso Mañas, Ph.D. (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, University of Pennsylvania), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish
Hector Ramos Flores, Ph.D. (Rollins College, University of Minnesota), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Evan D. Randles, Ph.D. (Cornell), 2017-
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Maple J. Razsa, Ph.D. (Vassar, Harvard), 2007-
Associate Professor of Global Studies
Adam J. Reeb, M.S. (US Sports Academy, St. Louis), 2018-
Faculty Head Coach
Erin Reeves, M.S. (Fairfield University), 2022
Faculty Head Coach
Joseph R. Reisert, M.A. ’19, Ph.D. (Princeton, Harvard), 1997-
Professor of Government and Christian A. Johnson Professor of Integrative Liberal Learning
Erin N. Rhodes (Earlham, Southern Connecticut State), 2014-
Faculty Librarian: Archives Education
Kevin P. Rice ’96, Ph.D. (Colby, Wisconsin at Madison), 2005-
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Gianluca Rizzo, Ph.D. (Bologna [Italy], California at Los Angeles), 2013-
Paul D. and Marilyn Paganucci Associate Professor of Italian Language and Literature
Stacy-ann Robinson, Ph.D. (University of the West Indies, Manchester, Australian National University), 2019-
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Dean of Global Engagement
Kenneth A. Rodman, M.A. ’98, Ph.D. (Brandeis, MIT), 1989-
William R. Cotter Distinguished Teaching Professor of Government
Ross E. Rogers, Ph.D. (Shippensburg University, Ohio), 2018-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Veronica Romero ’09, Ph.D. (Colby, University of Cincinnati), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Onnesha Roychoudhuri, M.F.A. (San Francisco State University, Bard College), 2023-
Assistant Professor of English (Creative Writing)
Elizabeth H. Sagaser, Ph.D. (Brown, Brandeis), 1994-
Associate Professor of English
Laura Saltz, Ph.D. (Chicago, Yale), 2001-
Associate Professor of American Studies
Steven E. Saunders, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. (Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh), 1990-
James M. Gillespie Professor of Music
Benjamin Scharadin, Ph.D. (Franklin and Marshall, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Pennsylvania State University), 2019
Assistant Professor of Economics
Raffael M. Scheck, M.A. ’06, Ph.D. (Kantonsschule Wettingen [Switzerland], Zurich [Switzerland], Brandeis), 1994-
Audrey Wade Hittinger Katz and Sheldon Toby Katz Professor of History
Matthew Schneider-Mayerson, Ph.D. (Yale, Minnesota), 2022-
Associate Professor of English
James Carl Scott, Ph.D. (Macalester, California at Berkeley), 2009-
Associate Professor of Statistics
Ewan J. Seabrook, M.A. (SUNY at Oneonta, New Hampshire), 2014-
Faculty Head Coach
Ekaterina Seregina, Ph.D. (National Research University Higher School of Economics [Russia], University of California, Riverside),
2021-
Douglas Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance
Elizabeth Seto, Ph.D. (Texas A&M), 2017-
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Mohammad Shabangu, Ph.D. (Rhodes University [South Africa], Stellenbosch University [South Africa]), 2019-
Assistant Professor of English
Audrey Shakespear, M.F.A. (Utah State University, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art
Gwyneth Shanks, Ph.D. (Macalester, New York University, California at Los Angeles), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Performance, Theater, and Dance
Daniel M. Shea, M.A. ’12, Ph.D. (West Florida, SUNY at Oswego, SUNY at Albany), 2012-
Director of Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement 2012-2017; Professor of Government
Tanya R. Sheehan, M.A. ’19, Ph.D. (Georgetown, Brown), 2013-
Ellerton M. and Edith K. Jette Professor of Art
Erin S. Sheets, Ph.D. (Duke, Colorado at Boulder), 2010-
Associate Professor of Psychology
Stacey Sheriff, Ph.D. (Dartmouth, Penn State), 2019-
Associate Professor and Director of Writing
J.C. Sibara, Ph.D. (Swarthmore, Southern California), 2014-
Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Nikky-Guninder K. Singh, M.A. ’99, Ph.D. (Wellesley, Pennsylvania, Temple), 1986-
Crawford Family Professor of Religion
James R. Siodla, Ph.D. (California State at Chico, California at Irvine), 2013-
Associate Professor of Economics
Kevin Smith, J.D., M.L.I.S. (Capital University, Kent State, Yale, Hamilton), 2022-
Michael and Eugenia Wormser Director of the Colby Libraries
Henry Snow, B.A. (Brandeis University), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of History
Michael Solomon, Ph.D. (Georgia, Alabama), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
Kerry Sonia, Ph.D. (Brown University), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
Hannah Sorscher, Ph.D. (University of North Carolina, University of Chicago), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics
Christopher J. Soto, M.A. ’22, Ph.D. (Harvard, California at Berkeley), January 2009-
Professor of Psychology
Debra A. Spark, M.A. ’03, M.F.A.1 (Yale, Iowa), 1995-
Zacamy Professor of English
Stewart M. Stokes, M.A. (Massachusetts at Amherst, Trinity), 2000-
Faculty Head Coach
Judy L. Stone, M.A. ’13, Ph.D. (Michigan, Yale, Stony Brook), 1999-
Oak Professor of Biological Sciences
Damien B. Strahorn ’02, B.A. (Colby), 2011-
Faculty Head Coach
Katherine M. Stubbs, Ph.D. (Swarthmore, Duke), 1996-
Associate Professor of English
Walter A. Sullivan, Ph.D. (Concord, Virginia Tech, Wyoming), 2007-
Associate Professor of Geology
Takahiro Suzuki, M.F.A. (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Virginia), 2023-
Assistant Professor of Art
Dyani Johns Taff, Ph.D. (Skidmore, University of California, Davis), 2021-
Assistant Professor of English
Jun Takahashi, Ph.D. (Oberlin, Carthage College, Indiana), 2022-
Visiting Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies
Yiqi “Annie” Tang, M.A. (North Carolina State University, Davidson College), 2023-
Assistant Professor of Statistics
Duncan A. Tate, M.A. ’06, Ph.D. (Oxford [England]), 1992-
Professor of Physics
Winifred L. Tate, Ph.D. (Wesleyan, New York University), 2008-
Associate Professor of Anthropology
James Taylor, Ph.D. (Harvard), 2021-
Assistant Professor of Classics
Larissa J. Taylor, M.A. ’05, Ph.D. (Harvard, Brown), 1994-
Professor of History
Scott A. Taylor, M.A. ’22, Ph.D. (Gordon, Pennsylvania State, California at Santa Barbara), 2008-2009, 2010-
Professor of Mathematics
Stephanie R. Taylor, Ph.D. (Gordon, California at Santa Barbara), 2008-
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Dasan M. Thamattoor, M.A. ’12, Ph.D. (Government Arts and Science [India], Karnatak [India], Princeton), 1999-
Professor of Chemistry
Elaine S. Thielstrom, M.L.I.S. (Washington, San Jose State), 2013-
Faculty Librarian: Performing & Narrative Arts
Sonja M. Thomas, Ph.D. (Minnesota, New York University, Rutgers), 2012-
Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Yee Mon Thu, Ph.D. (Grinnell, Vanderbuilt), 2022-
Assistant Professor of Biology
James C. Thurston, M.F.A. (Ohio Wesleyan, Northwestern), 1988-
Associate Professor of Performance, Theater, and Dance
Andrea R. Tilden, Ph.D. (Alma, Oklahoma), 1999-
Leslie Brainerd Arey Associate Professor of Biosciences
John P. Turner, Ph.D. (Furman, Michigan at Ann Arbor), 2006-
Associate Professor of History
Holley H. Tyng, B.A. (Providence College), 2017-
Faculty Head Coach
Joshua D. Urich, Ph.D. (University of Texas at Austin, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Northwestern), 2023-
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
Guy Van Arsdale, B.A. (Hobart), 2016-
Faculty Head Coach
Arnout H.C. van der Meer, Ph.D. (SUNY at Albany), 2014-
Associate Professor of History
Johanna van Oers, Ph.D. (Leiden, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam [Netherlands]), 2017-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Andreas Waldkirch, M.A. ’18, Ph.D. (Tuebingen [Germany], Boston College), 2005-
Mitchell Family Professor of Economics
Christopher Walker, Ph.D., J.D. (California at Santa Barbara, Columbia), 2020-
Assistant Professor of English
Chaoran Wang, Ph.D. (Nanjing Normal University [China], Indiana University Bloomington), 2021-
Multilingual Writing Specialist and Assistant Professor of Writing
Fang Wang, Ph.D. (Wuhan [China], Hubei [China], Minnesota), 2016-
Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies
Robert S. Weisbrot, M.A. ’90, Ph.D. (Brandeis, Harvard), 1980-
Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Teaching Professor of History
Ankeney Weitz, M.A. ’12, Ph.D. (Cornell, Kansas), 1998-
Ziskind Professor of East Asian Studies and Art
George Welch, Ph.D. (Cornell, Vermont, Alaska, Dartmouth), 1992-
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Ashton Wesner, Ph.D. (Pomona College, University of California, Berkeley), 2021-
Assistant Professor of Science, Technology, and Society
Arisa A. White, M.F.A. (Massachusetts, Amherst), 2018-
Associate Professor of English (Creative Writing)
Bretton Jessica White, Ph.D. (Amherst, Pennsylvania State, Wisconsin at Madison), 2011-
Associate Professor of Spanish
Jerzy A. Wieczorek, Ph.D. (Portland State, Oregon, Carnegie Mellon), 2018-
Assistant Professor of Statistics
Hannen Wolfe, Ph.D. (Bennington, California at Santa Barbara), 2019-
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Jesse J. Woods, B.A. (Wheaton) 2019-
Faculty Head Coach
Steven James Wurtzler, Ph.D. (Wisconsin at Madison, Iowa, Columbia), 2010-
Associate Professor of Cinema Studies
Yaojue Xu, M.A., (University of Southern California, Cardiff University [Wales], Zhejiang University of Technology [China], 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
Michael Yankoski, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame, Regent College [Canada], Westmont College), 2023-
Postdoctoral Fellow Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Jennifer A. Yoder, M.A. ’11, Ph.D. (Akron, Maryland), 1996-
Robert E. Diamond Professor of Government and Global Studies
Lauren Yoshizawa, E.D. (Swarthmore, Stanford, Harvard), 2020-
Assistant Professor of Education
Nora E. Youngs, Ph.D. (Smith, Nebraska at Lincoln), 2016-
Associate Professor of Mathematics
Javier Zapata Claveria, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, Universidad Complutense [Spain]), 2023-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish
Natalie K. Zelensky, Ph.D. (Northwestern), 2012-
Associate Professor of Music
Hong Zhang, M.A. ’23, Ph.D. (Huazhong Normal [China], Wuhan [China], Columbia), 1995-1999, 2000-
Professor of East Asian Studies
Named Faculty Chairs
Named Chairs, Their Donors, and Current Chairholders 2023-24
The Elizabeth and Lee Ainslie Professorship in Environmental Studies (2010) by Elizabeth McKenna Ainslie ’87 and Lee S. Ainslie
III. Philip Nyhus, Environmental Studies.
The Dorothy “Bibby” Levine Alfond Professorship of Jewish Studies (2015) by the Harold Alfond Foundation and alumni, parents,
and friends of the College. Rabbi Rachel M. Isaacs, Jewish Studies.
The Allen Family Chair in Latin American Literature (1993) by Leon and Karen Allen P ’86. Luis Millones, Spanish.
The Todger Anderson Professorship in Investing and Behavioral Economics (2014) by Todger Anderson ’67. Yang Fan, Economics
The Leslie Brainerd Arey Chair in Biosciences (1993) by Mary E. Arey in memory of her husband, Colby Class of 1912. Andrea R.
Tilden, Biology.
The Francis F. Bartlett and Ruth K. Bartlett Professorship (2003) through a bequest from Francis F. Bartlett Jr. ’56. Catherine L.
Besteman, Anthropology.
The Arnold Bernhard Professorship in Arts and Humanities (1997) by A. Van Hoven Bernhard ’57 in memory of his father. Adrianna
Paliyenko, French.
The Carter Professorship in Mathematics and Computer Science (1985) by Clark H. Carter ’40, Colby trustee, and William C.
Carter ’38 to recognize their family’s 85-year relationship with the College. Fernando Q. Gouvêa, Mathematics.
The William R. Cotter Distinguished Teaching Professorship (2000) by members of the Colby community. Kenneth A. Rodman,
Government.
The Crawford Family Chair in Religion (1994) by James B. Crawford ’64, chair of the Colby Board of Trustees, and Linda Johnson
Crawford ’64 in memory of Colby Professor Gustave H. Todrank. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, Religious Studies.
The Charles A. Dana Professorship Fund (1966) by the Charles A. Dana Foundation of New York City. Neil L. Gross, Sociology;
Adam Howard, Education; Mary Beth Mills, Anthropology; and Liam O’Brien, Statistics.
The Robert E. Diamond Professorship (1993) by Robert E. Diamond Jr. ’73, Colby trustee, in memory of his father. Jennifer A.
Yoder, Government and Global Studies.
The Dr. Gerald and Myra Dorros Chair in Life Sciences (1996) by Gerald and Myra Dorros P’93,’96,’98,’01. Julie T. Millard,
Chemistry.
The Douglas Chair in Investment and/or Finance (1994) by an anonymous alumnus. Ekaterina Seregina, Economics.
The John J. and Cornelia V. Gibson Chair in History (1996) by John V. Gibson ’59 in honor of his parents. Raffael Scheck, History.
The James M. Gillespie Chair in Art and American Studies (1990) through a bequest from Professor Emeritus James M. Gillespie.
Steven E. Saunders, Music.
The Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professorship in American Government (1991) by William H. Goldfarb ’68, Colby trustee
emeritus. Vacant.
The Grossman Professorship of Economics (1976) by Nissie Grossman ’32 in honor of his parents, Reuben and Lizzie Grossman.
Patrice M. Franko, Economics.
The Ellerton and Edith Jetté Professorship in Art (1993) through a bequest from Edith M. Jetté, M.A. ’62. Mrs. Jetté and her
husband, Ellerton M. Jetté, LL.D. ’55, were longtime friends of the College and supporters of the Colby College Museum of Art.
Tanya Sheehan, Art.
The Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Teaching Professorship (1990) by the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation. Robert
S. Weisbrot, History.
The Christian A. Johnson Professorship for Integrative Liberal Learning (1998) by the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation
to launch a pioneer program in liberal arts education. Joseph R. Reisert, Government.
The Audrey Wade Hittinger Katz and Sheldon Toby Katz Professorship for Distinguished Teaching (1994) by Audrey Hittinger Katz
’57, Colby trustee, and Sheldon T. Katz. Chandra Bhimull, Anthropology and African-American Studies.
The William R. Kenan Jr. Professorship Fund (1979) by the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. James Behuniak, Philosophy;
and Jeffrey Katz, Chemistry.
The Lee Family Chair in English (1993) by Robert S. Lee ’51, Colby trustee, and his wife, Jean. Cedric Gael Bryant, English.
The Charles C. and Pamela W. Leighton Research Fellow in Biology. Syed Tariq Ahmad, Biology; and Lynn Hannum, Biology.
The Clare Boothe Luce Professorships (1988) through a bequest from Clare Boothe Luce. Allison K. Barner, Biology; Stacey
Doore, Computer Science; Nora Youngs, Mathematics.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Professorship (1981) by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Lydia Moland, Philosophy.
The J. Warren Merrill Professorship in Chemistry and Natural History (1865) by J. Warren Merrill, Colby trustee. Dasan Thamattoor,
Chemistry.
The Dr. Frank and Theodora Miselis Chair in Chemistry (1991) by Frank J. ’43 and Theodora Miselis. D. Whitney King, Chemistry.
The Mitchell Family Professorship in Economics (1993) by Edson V. Mitchell ’75, Colby trustee. Andreas Waldkirch, Economics.
The Montgoris Chair (2004) by William J. Montgoris P’99 and Margaret Montgoris P’99 in support of pre-tenure faculty. Carrie
LeVan, Government.
The Carolyn Muzzy Museum of Art Chair (1992) by Colby friend Carolyn Muzzy, who had been involved with the museum since its
inception. Jacqueline Terrassa, Museum.
The NEH/Class of 1940 Distinguished Professorship in Humanities (1990) by the National Endowment for the Humanities and
alumni from the Class of 1940. Effective September 1, Margaret McFadden, Provost and Dean of Faculty.
The Oak Chair in Biological Sciences (1993) by the Oak Foundation, the family foundation of the parents of a Colby alumnus. Judy
Stone, Biology; and Catherine R. Bevier, Biology.
The Oak Chair in East Asian Language and Literature (2000) by the Oak Foundation, the family foundation of the parents of a
Colby alumnus. Kimberly A. Besio, East Asian Studies.
The Paul D. and Marilyn Paganucci Chair in Italian Language and Literature (2000) by Paul D. Paganucci, M.A. ’75, Colby trustee,
and Marilyn Paganucci. Gianluca Rizzo, Italian.
The Clara C. Piper Professorship (1990) by Wilson C. Piper ’39, Colby trustee, and Mary Piper in memory of Wilson Piper’s
mother, Clara Collins Piper, Class of 1914. Martha Arterberry, Psychology.
The Pugh Family Professorship in Economics (1992) by Lawrence R. Pugh ’56, chair of the Colby Board of Trustees, and Jean Van
Curan Pugh ’55. David W. Findlay, Economics.
The Pulver Family Chair in Jewish Studies (1996) by David Pulver ’63, Colby trustee, and Carol Pulver. David Freidenreich,
Religious Studies.
The Arthur Jeremiah Roberts Professorship of Literature (1928) by the Board of Trustees as an expression of their regard for the
late President Roberts, Colby’s 13th president, who had taught English literature at Colby. Mary Ellis Gibson, English.
The William A. Rogers Professorship in Physics (2000) by an anonymous donor. Charles Conover, Physics.
The Sunrise Chair (2000) by anonymous parents of Colby alumni. Robert T. Bluhm Jr., Physics.
The Julian D. Taylor Professorship in Classics (1956) by a bequest from Professor Julian D. Taylor, who taught Latin and Greek at
Colby from 1868 to 1931. Kerill N. O’Neill, Classics.
The Herbert E. Wadsworth Professorship in Economics (1940) by Herbert E. Wadsworth, Class of 1892, Colby trustee. Michael R.
Donihue ’79, Economics.
The Whipple-Coddington Chair in Geology (1994) by Jane Whipple Coddington ’55, Colby trustee, and F. Chandler Coddington Jr.
Walter “Bill” Sullivan, Geology.
The Harriet S. and George C. Wiswell Jr. Chair in American Constitutional Law (2000) by Harriet Sargent Wiswell ’48 and George
C. Wiswell Jr. ’50. Vacant.
The Zacamy Chair in English (1993) by John R. Zacamy Jr. ’71, Colby trustee emeritus. Debra A. Spark, English.
The Ziskind Professorship of East Asian Studies (1963) by the Jacob Ziskind Trust. Ankeney Weitz, East Asian Studies and Art
Fellows and Interns
Dalila D’Aniello, 2023
Language Assistant in Italian
Jennifer Hincapié, 2023
Language Assistant in Spanish
Maiko Kawano, 2022-
Language Assistant in Japanese
Erik Lemke, 2023
Language Assistant in German
Rosalie Ponnelle, 2023
Language Assistant in French
Alaa AlShaikh Salama, 2023-
Language Assistant in Arabic
Jia-Shan Tsai, 2023
Language Assistant in Chinese
Arsenii Zorin, 2023
Language Assistant in Russian
Associates and Assistants
Michaela B. Allen, M.S., 2021–
Laboratory Instructor I in Physics and Astronomy
Lyndell M. Bade, M.S., 2016-
Laboratory Instructor I in Biology
Tina M. Beachy ’93, M.S., 1999-
Senior Laboratory Instructor in Biology
Susan Childers, Ph.D., 2011-
Laboratory Instructor I in Biology
April T. Chiriboga, Ph.D., 2016-
Laboratory Instructor II in Biology
Lindsey Cotter, M.S., 2015-
Environmental Studies Coordinator
Amanda L. Doak, B.A., 2011-
Lab and Research Coordinator
John D. Ervin, M.A., 1989-
Technical Director, Theater and Dance
Megan E. Fossa, M.B.A., 2011-
Associate Director for the Center for the Arts and Humanities
Marjorie Gallant, B.A., 2018-
Production Manager, Theater and Dance
Serena M. Graham, B.A., 2018-
Laboratory Instructor II in Biology
Scott L. Guay, M.A., 1993-
Senior Laboratory Instructor in Biology
Portia Hardy, 2022-
Program Coordinator for the Center for the Arts and
Humanities
Victoria L. Hepburn, M.S., 2016-
Laboratory Instructor II in Chemistry
Charles W. Jones, 1994-
Instrument Maintenance Technician
Edmund J. Klinkerch, M.S., 2009-
Senior Laboratory Instructor in Chemistry
Lisa M. Lessard, B.A., 2000-
Senior Laboratory Instructor in Physics and Astronomy
Lisa M. Miller, M.S., 1999-
Senior Laboratory Instructor in Chemistry
Abby O. Pearson, B.S., 2011-
Senior Laboratory Instructor in Environmental Studies
Bruce F. Rueger, Ph.D., 1984-
Visiting Assistant Professor of Geology, 2003-; Senior Lab
Instructor
Sarah G. Staffiere, M.S., 2007-
Senior Laboratory Instructor in Biology
Applied Music Associates and Instructors
Yuri Lily Funahashi, 1999, 2009-
Associate Professor, Piano Studio and Department Co-Chair
Mark Leighton, 1981-
Applied Music Associate in Guitar
Jinwook Park, 2016-
Applied Music Associate in Violin and Viola; Director of the Colby Symphony Orchestra
Néviton Barros, 2022-
Applied Music Associate in Voice; Director of the Colby Chorale and Collegium
Nicole Rabata, 2007-
Applied Music Associate in Flute
Brendon Wilkins, 2022-
Applied Music Associate in Clarinet, Saxophone, and Bassoon; Director of the Colby Jazz Ensemble and the Colby Wind
Ensemble
Applied Music Instructors
Michael P. Albert, 2006-
Applied Music Instructor in Oboe
Jennifer Bates, 2023-
Applied Music Instructor in Voice
Messan Jordan Benissan, Master Drummer, 1999-
Applied Music Instructor in African Drumming
John Boden, 2022-
Applied Music Instructor in French Horn
Timothy A. Burris, 2011-
Applied Music Instructor in Lute
Wee Kiat Chia, 2022-
Applied Music Instructor in Voice
Duane B. Edwards, 2016-
Applied Music Instructor in Bass Guitar
Virginia Flanagan, 2017-
Applied Music Instructor in Harp/Irish Harp
Andrew Harms, 2022-
Applied Music Instructor in Trumpet
Sebastian Jerosch, 2000-
Applied Music Instructor in Trombone
Hyun-ji Kwon, 2021
Applied Music Instructor in Cello
Ronald “RJ” Miller, 2019-
Applied Music Instructor in Drum Set
Nacole Palmer, 2019-
Applied Music Instructor in Voice
Paul Ross, 1986-
Applied Music Instructor in Cello
Joel LaRue Smith, 2023-
Applied Music Instructor in Jazz Piano
Christina Spurling, 2019-
Applied Music Instructor in Piano; Collaborative Pianist
Joann Westin, 1996-
Applied Music Instructor in Piano
Sabbaticals and Leaves 2023-24
Sabbaticals
Semester I (Fall 2023)
Semester II (Spring 2024)
Kara Kugelmeyer, Libraries
Michael McGuire, Libraries
Full Year
Naser Al Madi, Computer Science
Ana Almeyda-Cohen, Spanish
Alison Bates, Environmental Studies
Catherine Bevier, Biology
Bradley Borthwick, Art
Denise Bruesewicz, Environmental Studies
Megan Cook, English
Valerie Dionne, French & Italian
Stacy Doore, Computer Science
Kathrin Ellieroth, Economics
David Findlay, Economics
Ghada Gherwash, Writing
Daniel Harkett, Art
Derek Huffman, Psychology
Danae Jacobson, History
Christel Kesler, Sociology
Dale Kocevski, Physics and Astronomy
Ben Mathes, Mathematics
Elizabeth McGrath, Physics and Astronomy
Karena McKinney, Chemistry
Tiffany Miller, Spanish
Sanval Nasim, Economics
Kerill O’Neill, Classics
Gianluca Rizzo, French and Italian
Raffael Scheck, History
James Siodla, Economics
Walter Sullivan, Geology
Christopher Walker, English
Steve Wurtzler, Cinema Studies
Lauren Yoshizawa, Education
Hong Zhang, East Asian Studies
Other Scheduled Leaves
Semester I (Fall 2023)
Nora Youngs, Mathematics
Full Year
Abe Hideko, East Asian Studies
Faculty Emeriti
William D. Adams, M.A. ’00, Ph.D., 2000-2014
President, Emeritus; Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus
Donald B. Allen, M.A. ’82, Ph.D., 1967-2007
Professor of Geology, Emeritus
Debra A. Aitken, M.A. ’01, B.A., 1985-2016
Adjunct Professor of Athletics, Emerita
Teresa J. Arendell, M.A. ’99, Ph.D., 1994-2014
Professor of Sociology, Emerita
Tom C. Austin, B.S., 1986-2005
Adjunct Associate Professor of Physical Education and Athletics, Emeritus
Debra A. Barbezat, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. (Smith, Michigan), 1992-2017
Mitchell Family Professor of Economics, Emerita
Thomas R. Berger, M.A. ’95, Ph.D., 1995-2006
Carter Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus
Otto K. Bretscher, Ph.D. (Zurich [Switzerland], Harvard, Zurich, [Switzerland]). 1998-2019
Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, Emeritus
Lyn Mikel Brown, M.A. ’05, Ed.D. (Ottawa, Harvard), 1991-2022
Professor of Education, Emerita
Michael D. Burke, M.A. ’09, M.F.A. (California at Berkeley, Massachusetts at Amherst), 1987-2023
Professor of English (Creative Writing), Emeritus
Debra Campbell, M.A. ’02, Ph.D. (Mt. Holyoke, St. Michael’s [Canada], Boston University), January-June 1983, 1986-2018
Professor of Religious Studies, Emerita
Murray F. Campbell, M.A. ’92, Ph.D., 1980-2011
William A. Rogers Professor of Physics, Emeritus
F. Russell Cole, M.A. ’90, Ph.D., 1977-2016
Oak Professor of Biological Sciences, Emeritus
Susan Westerberg Cole, M.S, 1978-2016
Faculty Member without Rank: Scholarly Resources and Services, Sciences Librarian, Emerita
Anthony J. Corrado Jr., M.A. ’01, Ph.D. (Catholic University, Boston College), 1986-2022
Professor of Government, Emeritus
Julie W. de Sherbinin, M.A. ’07, Ph.D. (Amherst, Yale, Cornell), 1993-2017
Professor of Russian, Emerita
Priscilla Doel, M.A. ’93, M.A., 1965-2010
Professor of Portuguese and Spanish, Emerita
Margaret D. Ericson, M.L.S. (Florida State), 1998-2019
Faculty Member without Rank: Arts Librarian, Emerita
Sidney W. Farr ’55, M.A. ’95, M.B.A., 1960-1995
Professor, Emeritus; Alumni Secretary; Secretary of the Corporation
Frank A. Fekete, M.A. ’96, Ph.D. (Rhode Island, Rutgers), 1983-2022
Professor of Biology, Emeritus
Charles A. Ferguson, Ph.D., 1967-1995
Associate Professor of French and Italian, Emeritus
Guy T. Filosof, M.A. ’81, Ph.D., 1969-2001
Professor of French, Emeritus
James R. Fleming, M.A. ’02, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State, Colorado State, Princeton), 1988-2021
Charles A. Dana Professor of Science, Technology, and Society, Emeritus
Robert A. Gastaldo, M.A. ’99, Ph.D. (Gettysburg, Southern Illinois), 1999-2020
Whipple-Coddington Professor of Geology, Emeritus
Henry A. Gemery, M.A. ’77, Ph.D., 1961-2002
Pugh Family Professor of Economics, Emeritus
Cheryl Townsend Gilkes, M.A. ’00, Ph.D. (Northeastern), 1987-2022
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Sociology and African-American Studies, Emerita
Jill P. Gordon, M.A. ’04, Ph.D. (Claremont McKenna, Brown, Texas at Austin), 1991-2023
National Endowment for the Humanities/Class of 1940 Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Emerita
Arthur D. Greenspan, M.A. ’91, Ph.D. (Columbia, Indiana), 1978-2018
Professor of French and Italian, Emeritus
Jonathan F. Hallstrom, Ph.D. (Oregon State, Iowa), 1984-2022
Associate Professor of Music, Emeritus
Natalie B. Harris, Ph.D., 1978-1980, 1982-1985, 1986-2016
Associate Professor of English, Emerita
Peter B. Harris, M.A. ’89, Ph.D.,1974-2016
Zacamy Professor of English, Emeritus
Walter F. Hatch, M.A. ’20, Ph.D. (Macalester, Washington), 2002-2022
Professor of Government, Emeritus
Adel Heinrich, A.Mus.D., 1964-1988
Associate Professor of Music, Emerita; Director of Chapel Music, Emerita
Paul R. Josephson, M.A. ’08, Ph.D. (Antioch, Harvard, MIT), 2000-2022
Professor of History, Emeritus
Toni D. Katz, M.S., 1983-2014
Faculty Member without Rank: Assistant Director for Technical Services,
Colby Libraries, Emerita
Susan McIlvaine Kenney, M.A. ’86, Ph.D., 1968-2007
Dana Professor of Creative Writing, Emerita
Hubert C. Kueter, Ph.D., 1965-1997
Associate Professor of German, Emeritus
Charles R. Lakin, M.L.S., 1985-2007
Faculty Member without Rank: Reference Librarian, Emeritus
Elizabeth D. Leonard, M.A. ’05, Ph.D. (New Rochelle, California at Riverside), 1992-2019
John J. and Cornelia V. Gibson Professor of History, Emerita
Eva Linfield, Ph.D., 1993-2008
Associate Professor of Music, Emerita
Thomas R.W. Longstaff, M.A. ’84, Ph.D., 1969-2003
Crawford Family Professor of Religious Studies, Emeritus
Paul S. Machlin, M.A. ’87, Ph.D., 1974-2012
Arnold Bernhard Professor of Arts and Humanities, Professor of Music, Emeritus
G. Calvin Mackenzie, M.A. ’86, Ph.D. (Bowdoin, Tufts, Harvard), 1978-2017
The Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of American Government, Emeritus; Vice President for Development and Alumni
Relations, 1985-1988
L. Sandy Maisel, M.A. ’83, Ph.D. (Harvard, Columbia), 1971-2021
Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of American Government, Emeritus
Phyllis Mannocchi, M.A. ’96, Ph.D., 1977-2015
Professor of English, Emerita
Michael Marlais, M.A. ’95, Ph.D., 1983-2015
James M. Gillespie Professor of Art, Emeritus
Harriett Matthews, M.A. ’84, M.F.A., 1966-2014
Professor of Art, Emerita
Marilyn S. Mavrinac, Ph.D., 1963-1995
Associate Professor of Education and Human Development, Emerita
Robert L. McArthur, M.A. ’83, Ph.D., 1972-2007
Christian A. Johnson Professor of Integrative Liberal Learning, Emeritus; Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, 1982-1985; Vice
President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, 1988-1998
James R. McIntyre, Ph.D., 1976-2006
Associate Professor of German, Emeritus, Director of Career Services, 1982-1991
Abbott Meader, M.A. ’96, M.F.A., 1983-1998
Professor of Art, Emeritus
James W. Meehan, M.A. ’82, Ph.D., 1973-2012
Herbert E. Wadsworth Professor of Economics, Emeritus
Margaret P. Menchen, M.L.S., 1989-2014
Faculty Member without Rank: Assistant Director for Public Services, Colby Libraries, Emerita
Garry J. Mitchell, M.F.A. (Hawaii at Honolulu, Pratt Institute), 1996-1998; 1999-2023
Associate Professor of Art, Emeritus
Thomas J. Morrione ’65, M.A. ’85, Ph.D., 1971-2015
Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology, Emeritus
Jane M. Moss, M.A. ’90, Ph.D., 1979-2009
Robert E. Diamond Professor of Women’s Studies, Professor of French, Emerita
Richard J. Moss, M.A. ’90, Ph.D., 1978-2005
John J. and Cornelia V. Gibson Professor of History, Emeritus
Suanne Wilson Muehlner, M.L.S., 1981-2003
Faculty Member without Rank: Director of the Colby Libraries, Emerita
Bradford P. Mundy, M.A. ’92, Ph.D., 1992-2003
Miselis Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus
Elisa M. Narin van Court, Ph.D., 1996-2011
Associate Professor of English, Emerita
Barbara Kuczun Nelson ’68, M.A., 1978-2014
Associate Professor of Spanish, Emerita
Randy A. Nelson, M.A. ’90, Ph.D. (Northern Illinois, Illinois), 1987-2022
Douglas Professor of Economics and Finance, Emeritus
Robert E. Nelson, M.A. ’96, Ph.D. (San Francisco State, Washington), 1982-2018
Professor of Geology, Emeritus
Patricia A. Onion, M.A. ’00, Ph.D., 1974-2008
Professor of English, Emerita
Jorge Olivares, M.A. ’93, Ph.D. (Miami [Florida], Michigan), 1982-2019
Allen Family Professor of Latin American Literature, Emeritus
Laurie E. Osborne, M.A. ’03, Ph.D. (Yale, Syracuse), 1990-2022
Professor of English and Zacamy Chair in English, Emerita
Frances M. Parker, M.L.S., 1974-2002
Faculty Member without Rank: Assistant Director for Public Services, Library, Emerita
Thane S. Pittman, M.A. ’04, Ph.D., 2004-2013
Professor of Psychology, Emeritus
Tamae K. Prindle, M.A. ’98, Ph.D. (SUNY at Binghamton, Washington State, Cornell), 1985-2019
Oak Professor of East Asian Language and Literature [Japanese], Emerita
Marilyn R. Pukkila, M.L.S. (Michigan, Aberystwyth [Wales], Columbia), 1984-2019
Faculty Member without Rank: Scholarly Resources and Services Librarian, Social Sciences and Humanities, Emerita
Leonard S. Reich, M.A. ’95, Ph.D., February 1986-2014
Professor of Administrative Science and of Science, Technology, and Society, Emeritus
Ursula Reidel-Schrewe, Ph.D., 1989-2008
Associate Professor of German, Emerita
Dorothy Swan Reuman, M.A., 1966-1992
Associate Professor of Music, Emerita
Hanna Roisman, M.A. ’94, Ph.D. (Tel Aviv [Israel], Washington at Seattle), 1990-2019
Arnold Bernhard Professor in Arts and Humanities, Professor of Classics, Emerita
Joseph Roisman, M.A. ’94, Ph.D. (Tel Aviv [Israel], Washington at Seattle), 1990-2019
Professor of Classics, Emeritus
Yvonne R. Rowe ’55, M.A. ’79, M.B.A., 1958-1994
Professor of Administrative Science, Emerita
Anindyo Roy, Ph.D. (Delhi [India], Illinois, Texas at Arlington), 1995-2020
Associate Professor of English, Emeritus
Ira Sadoff, M.A. ’88, M.F.A., 1977-2015
Arthur Jeremiah Roberts Professor of Literature, Emeritus
Jean Donovan Sanborn, M.A. ’97, Ph.D., 1984-2005
Professor of English, Emerita
Betty G. Sasaki, Ph.D. (California at Santa Barbara, California at Berkeley), 1991-2023
Associate Professor of Spanish: Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 2017-2019, Emerita
Mark R. Serdjenian ’73, 1982-2016
Adjunct Associate Professor of Athletics, Emeritus
Richard C. Sewell, M.A., 1974-2003, 2004-2005
Adjunct Associate Professor of Theater and Dance, Emeritus; Director of Powder and Wig, Emeritus
Thomas W. Shattuck, M.A. ’00, Ph.D. (Lake Forest, California at Berkeley), 1976-2017
Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus
David L. Simon, M.A. ’88, Ph.D., 1981-2014
Ellerton and Edith Jetté Professor of Art, Emeritus
Dale J. Skrien, M.A. ’97, Ph.D. (Saint Olaf, Washington), 1980-2022
Professor of Computer Science, Emeritus
Earl H. Smith, M.A. ’95, B.A., 1962-2002
Professor; Dean of the College, Emeritus; College Historian
Wayne L. Smith, M.A. ’83, Ph.D., 1967-2001
Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus
David B. Suchoff, M.A. ’02, Ph.D. (California at Berkeley), 1993-2022
Professor of English, Emeritus
John R. Sweney, M.A. ’82, Ph.D., 1967-2004
NEH/Class of 1940 Distinguished Teaching Professor of Humanities, English, Emeritus
Mark B. Tappan, M.A. ’05, Ed.D. (Oberlin, Ohio State, Harvard), 1991-2022
Professor of Education, Emeritus
Linda Tatelbaum, M.A. ’04, Ph.D., 1982-2007
Professor of English, Emerita
Douglas C. Terp ’84, M.B.A. (Colby, Thomas), 1987-2022
Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer; Professor of Economics, Emeritus
Thomas H. Tietenberg, M.A. ’84, Ph.D., 1977-2008
Mitchell Family Professor of Economics, Emeritus
James L.A. Webb Jr., M.A. ’03, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins), 1987-2018
Professor of History, Emeritus
Dace Weiss, M.A., 1981-2001
Assistant Professor of French, Emerita
Jonathan M. Weiss, M.A. ’86, Ph.D., 1972-2008
NEH/Class of 1940 Distinguished Professor of Humanities, French, Emeritus
Christine M. Wentzel, M.A. ’94, M.A., 1973-2011
Adjunct Professor of Theater and Dance, Emerita
Richard L. Whitmore Jr., M.A. ’90, M.Ed., 1970-2011
Adjunct Professor of Athletics, Emeritus; Director of Athletics, 1987-2002
W. Herbert Wilson Jr., M.A. ’02, Ph.D. (North Carolina, Johns Hopkins), 1990-2019
Leslie Brainerd Arey Professor of Biosciences, Emeritus
Joylynn W.D. Wing, M.A. ’04, Ph.D., 1988-2008
Professor of Theater and Dance, Emerita
Diane S. Winn, M.A. ’89, Ph.D., 1974-2007
Professor of Psychology, Emerita
Edward H. Yeterian, M.A. ’91, Ph.D. (Trinity, Connecticut), 1978-2018
Professor of Psychology, Emeritus; Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, 1998-2010
Alumni Council Executive Committee
Jennifer Robbins ’97, chair, president of the Alumni Association
Nicholas Cade ’08, vice chair of the Alumni Association
Amy Cronin Davis ’06, chair, Colby Fund Committee
Kerri Duffell ’97, chair, C Club Committee
Jacob Fischer ’10, chair, Nominating and Awards Committee
Mike Reilly ’12, chair, DavisConnects Committee
Isadora Alteon’13, Nicholas Cage ’08, Kim McDevitt ’06, and Justin Owumi ’14,
members at large
Enrollment by States and Territories
Forty-six U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and more than 70 countries outside of the United States were
represented in the fall 2022 student body.
Fall 2022 Enrollment:
Women: 1206 Men: 1093 Total: 2299
U.S. States and Territories
Alaska
Alabama
Arkansas
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Maryland
Maine
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Nevada
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington, D.C.
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Colby Presidents
Jeremiah Chaplin, 1822-1833
Rufus Babcock, 1833-1836
Robert Everett Pattison, 1836-1839
Eliphaz Fay, 1841-1843
David Newton Sheldon, 1843-1853
Robert Everett Pattison, 1854-1857
James Tift Champlin, 1857-1873
Henry Ephraim Robins, 1873-1882
George Dana Boardman Pepper, 1882-1889
Albion Woodbury Small, 1889-1892
Beniah Longley Whitman, 1892-1895
Nathaniel Butler Jr., 1896-1901
Charles Lincoln White, 1901-1908
Arthur Jeremiah Roberts, 1908-1927
Franklin Winslow Johnson, 1929-1942
Julius Seelye Bixler, 1942-1960
Robert Edward Lee Strider II, 1960-1979
William R. Cotter, 1979-2000
William D. Adams, 2000-2014
David A. Greene, 2014-
Accreditations and Memberships
Accredited by:
● New England Commission of Higher Education
Colby College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Inquiries regarding the accreditation
status by the commission or the accreditation process should be directed to the associate provost and dean of faculty in
the College’s Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculty, or the New England Commission of Higher Education, using the
contact information below:
● New England Commission of Higher Education
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100
Burlington, MA 01803-4514
781-425 7785 • email: [email protected]
Other governmental oversight or accreditation agencies include:
● Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
● U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202
Member of:
● American Chemical Society
● American Council of Learned Societies
● American Council on Education
● American Association for the Advancement of
Science
● American Association of Colleges and Universities
● American Association of University Professors
● American Association of University Women
● American Library Association
● APPA – Leadership in Educational Facilities
● Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in
Higher Education
● Association of American Colleges & Universities
● Association of Collegiate Conference and Event
Directors International
● Association of Fundraising Professionals
● Association of Governing Boards of Universities and
Colleges
● The College Board
● College and University Professional
Association–Human Resources
● College Scholarship Service
● Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges
● Consortium on High Achievement and Success
● Council for the Advancement and Support of
Education
● Council of Independent Colleges
● Council of International Schools
● Council on Undergraduate Research
● Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators
● Education Advisory Board IT Forum
● Educational & Institutional Cooperative Service
● Educause
● Fulbright Association
● International Association of Campus Law
Enforcement Administrators
● International Federation of Employee Benefit Plans
● International Institute of Education
● Maine Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators
● Maine Campus Compact
● Maine College and University Safety Directors
Association
● Maine Independent Colleges Association
● Mid Maine Chamber of Commerce
● National Association for College Admission
Counseling
● National Association of College and University
Attorneys
● National Association of College and University
Business Officers
● National Association of College and University Food
Services
● National Association of Colleges and Employers
● National Association of Educational Procurement
● National Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities
● National Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators
● National Collegiate Athletic Association
● National Council for Science and the Environment
● National Council of University Research
Administrators
● New England Board of Higher Education
● New England Commission of Higher Education
● New England Consortium on Assessment and
Student Learning
● New England Council of Counsels
● New England Small College Athletic Conference
● New England Library Network
● NERCOMP (Northeast Regional Computing Program)
● Second Nature
● Sharing the Annual Fund Fundamentals
● Society for College and University Planning
● Society for Human Resource Management
● U.S. Green Building Council
● University Club (College president only)
● University Risk Management & Insurance Association
Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa (founded in 1895)
Museum of Art accredited by the American Association of Museums
Degrees and Honors Awarded at Commencement
Honorary Degrees
Daniel Minter | Doctor of Fine Arts
Renowned American artist and artistic director of Indigo Arts
Alliance
Márcia Minter | Doctor of Fine Arts
Indigo Arts Alliance executive director and award-winning arts
advocate
Amna Nawaz | Doctor of Letters
Peabody Award-winning broadcast journalist and co-anchor of
PBS NewsHour
Gerald Talbot | Doctor of Laws
Civil rights leader, founding president of Portland chapter of the
Maine NAACP, and first Black American elected to the Maine
State Legislature
Dr. Loren Walensky | Doctor of Science
Pediatric oncologist, cancer researcher, and Harvard professor
Bachelor of Arts Degree Recipients
The Class of 2023
Siver Beck Aarestad Boston, Mass.
Ẹniọlá Adeoye-Lawal Rosenberg, Texas
Aaron Gabriel Agudelo New York, N.Y.
Samantha Rose Ahlholm North Andover, Mass.
Andrew Amft-Reyes Hawthorn Woods, Ill.
Md Shadman Amin Dhaka, Bangladesh
Philip Ampong Chester Springs, Pa.
Cooper Sean Anderson Carnelian Bay, Calif.
BerthNell Rebecca Antoine Randolph, Mass.
Sofia S. Arleo San Francisco, Calif.
Nicholas Assadourian Stouffville, Ont., Canada
Andrew Silas Atsalis Barnstable, Mass.
Madison Oita Aumann Portsmouth, R.I.
Conrad Fisher Ayers Waterville, Maine
John S. Bae Milford, Mass.
Luis Matthew Baez Holden, Mass.
Talia E. Barrett Needham Heights, Mass.
Eliza Paly Batchelder Kittery Point, Maine
Ophelia Nicole Domogalla Baxter Newton, Mass.
Ethan Andrew Simmonds Beatty Sudbury, Mass.
Taylor Nicole Bechtel Upper Saddle River, N.J.
Caroline Diane Bedrosian Wellesley, Mass.
Walker Edward Benet West Hartford, Conn.
Eli Bertan Hastings on Hudson, N.Y.
Mary Suzanne Bevilacqua Wellesley, Mass.
Isabella Grace Beyloune Tewksbury, Mass.
Caleb Capen Bitting Pleasanton, Calif.
Andrew William Blake Carlisle, Mass.
Margaret Fitler Blake Carlisle, Mass.
Davis Corlies Block Villanova, Pa.
Ashley Marie Boardman Richmond, Va.
Philipp S. Bogatyrev Hampden, Maine
Laura Berta Basia Bogorad Lexington, Mass.
Alexander Bourhas Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué., Canada
Cecilia Teresa Bowe Chevy Chase, Md.
Owen Strong Boyd Marshfield, Mass.
Sarah Wetselaar Bozuwa Norwich, Vt.
Brendan Daniel Bradley Swampscott, Mass.
Joshua Harold Brause Guilford, Conn.
Carter William Breitenfeldt Plymouth, Minn.
Katherine Mary Brink Andover, Mass.
Branden Patrick Brown Bloomfield, N.M.
Jamya Muna Shauntel Brown Houston, Texas
Katherine Sun-Mi Brown Weston, Mass.
Madison M. Brown Saranac Lake, N.Y.
Gianna Brielle Bruno New Canaan, Conn.
Cooper Nathaniel Doolittle Buch Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Charles Sterling Bullock Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Natalie Joy Bumpus Concord, Mass.
Anthony Thomas Bundock Pelham, N.H.
Andrew Robert Burke North Andover, Mass.
Anthony Hosea Burnett Jr. East Boston, Mass.
Lily Kristine Burnett Cohasset, Mass.
Edwin Bustamante Durham, N.C.
Kyle Lynn Butler Mattapan, Mass.
Nicholas Faden Byrne Darien, Conn.
Amanda Talaya Cabral Whittier, Calif.
Jeremy Ethan Cafritz Bethesda, Md.
Christopher Stephen Calger Westport, Conn.
Chanelle Althea Campbell Bridgeport, Conn.
Julia F. Cantor Belmont, Mass.
Qingyi Cao Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Matias Carballo Greenwich, Conn.
Lowell Fletcher Carr Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Halle Elizabeth Carroll Glastonbury, Conn.
Fiona Greer Casson New York, N.Y.
Olivia Hazley Cella Belmont, Mass.
Matthew Christopher Cerrato Wayland, Mass.
Aakanksha Chandrashekaran Bangalore, India
Lily Lopez Chapman Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Jacob Steven Cheffo Brooklyn, N.Y.
Anna Chen Renton, Wash.
Jiyao Chen Shanghai, China
Riley Paul Chenard Chicago, Ill.
Lillian Sua Chi Acton, Mass.
Darrel Pui Yui Choi Irvine, Calif.
Azoya Mackenzie Janelle Clarke Hartford, Conn.
Rachel Grace Coan Croton on Hudson, N.Y.
Zachariah Winslow Cody Port Clyde, Maine
Marin Whitney Coletta Bozeman, Mont.
Anna Gray Compson Augusta, Maine
Nathan Andrew Cordick Seattle, Wash.
Rosemary Joan Corkins Pembroke, Maine
Sophia Elizabeth Cortese Lafayette, Calif.
Alexander Hatfield Corwin Potomac, Md.
Erin Edwards Coughlin Brunswick, Maine
Faith Marie Cournoyer Barrington, R.I.
Cameron Wharton Covert Wellesley, Mass.
Jonathan Mittelmeier Curtis Cambridge, Mass.
Zachary Jack Cyr Burlington, Mass.
Lucas Matthew D’Aloia Hopkinton, Mass.
Liam T. Daly Shrewsbury, Mass.
Kimkim Huynh Dang Buford, Ga.
Anna Natasha Danielski New Castle, N.H.
Ryan Ellms Darby Darien, Conn.
Natalie Betsy Davidson Washington, D.C.
Patrick Addo Kuffour Dei Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Reagan Simone Dennis Houston, Texas
John Carter Dexter Portland, Maine
Anton Dimitrov Varna, Bulgaria
Steven M. Ditzler San Mateo, Calif.
Kayla Saniya Dixon Duluth, Ga.
John Patrick Donahue Georgetown, Mass.
Camden Tara Donald Freeport, Maine
Rose Xinyi Donaldson Reading, Vt.
Kenneth W. Douyon Tewksbury, Mass.
Maeve E. Downes New City, N.Y.
Christo Philip Cheng Dragnev Hanover, N.H.
Margaret Ellen Drefke Bethesda, Md.
Laura Margaret Drepanos Southborough, Mass.
Guanying Du Beijing, China
Maxime Robert Duchesne Brookline, Mass.
Tovah Annelise Duffaut Raymond, N.H.
Aiden Francesco Duncanson Hillsborough, Calif.
Lauren T. Durkin Swansea, Mass.
Erin C. Dustin Feeding Hills, Mass.
Elizabeth Conway Eames Biddeford, Maine
Anne Hoffman Eddy Cheshire, Conn.
Hayden Houston Edwards Darien, Conn.
Ezekiel Bond Edwards-Mizel Winnetka, Ill.
William Howell Eglin Baton Rouge, La.
Zachary Charles Eisenbies Carlisle, Mass.
Nicholas Allen English New Canaan, Conn.
Thomas Stanley Erie Golf, Ill.
Julian Erro Miami, Fla.
Carmen Arlete Esquivel Boston, Mass.
Sadie Mae Estey Duxbury, Mass.
Alice Maria Ewing Nottingham, N.H.
Ethan Michael Fabricant Sea Girt, N.J.
Alex Davis Facq Camden, Maine
Max Gustav Farner Pittsburgh, Pa.
Corrigan Mairead Farnham North Yarmouth, Maine
Sarah Elizabeth Faulkner Beverly, Mass.
Carter Harrison Feiss Baltimore, Md.
Yitong Feng Liaoning, China
Lindsey V. Fernandez Edina, Minn.
Alexandra Grace Ferri Stockbridge, Vt.
Nicholas Joseph Fiacco Belmont, Mass.
Sophie Ananda Jastremsky Fink Duluth, Minn.
Kathleen Francis Finnegan Greenwich, Conn.
William Blaisdell Fitch Los Altos, Calif.
Patrick James Flaherty Ipswich, Mass.
Joshua Adam Fleishman Brookline, Mass.
Joseph Daniel Fleming Needham, Mass.
Constantin Sully Fleury Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Brenna Michelle Forbes Medford, Mass.
Anna Katharine Fox Darien, Conn.
Charlotte Ashley Franck Concord, Mass.
Charlotte Grace Freniere Wellesley Hills, Mass.
Emma A. Freund Armonk, N.Y.
Olivia Jane Frykman Birmingham, Mich.
Charles Truman Furlong Washington, D.C.
Libby Galgon Seattle, Wash.
Madeleine Townsend Galper Darien, Conn.
Donovan D. Ganges Philadelphia, Pa.
Victor E. Garcia Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Lydia Ann Gargano Lavallette, N.J.
Meghan Maera Garrett Concord, Mass.
Trevor Roberts Gava Gorham, Maine
Molly Elizabeth George Northfield, Ill.
Lily Paige Gillette Vail, Colo.
Casey Stephen Gillis Topsfield, Mass.
Sarah Darcy Gold New York, N.Y.
Eleanor Lee Goldman Saint Louis, Mo.
Jack Robert Goller Napa, Calif.
Tyler James Gonsalves Somerset, Mass.
Josué Daniel González Houston, Texas
Caroline Herrick Gooch Sherborn, Mass.
Georgia Gilmour Goodman Cumberland, Maine
Jessica Michelle Goodman-Leong Westford, Mass.
Darcy Ann Gott Tampa, Fla.
Jedediah S. Graboys Glencoe, Ill.
Robert David Graham San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Silas Michael Gramaglia Concord, Mass.
Mackenna Grace Greenberg Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Sonia Margaret Griffen Washington, D.C.
Mason King Groves Ipswich, Mass.
Mahika Sridharan Gupta Los Altos, Calif.
Claire Diane Gussler Ashland, Ky.
Alexis Jayne Hammer Exton, Pa.
Esther C. Han Cheshire, Conn.
Elle Hankin Atlanta, Ga.
Ian Gordon Hardenbergh Edwards, Colo.
Kurt Leland Harmening Edina, Minn.
Robert Straube Harper III Southborough, Mass.
Nicholas Joseph Hassan Miami, Fla.
Rayna Hata Newton, Mass.
Connor Healey Needham Heights, Mass.
Elizabeth Lee Hennessey Hingham, Mass.
Cristian J. Hernandez Fresno, Calif.
Katherine Hernandez Elizabeth, N.J.
Matthew Jack Hersch Monroe, Conn.
Jenna Beth Hersh Canton, Mass.
Eleanor Anne Hertz New York, N.Y.
Karl Johannes Hick Concord, Mass.
Jacqueline R. Hill Franklin, N.H.
Jacqueline Himel New York, N.Y.
Erika Jane Homan Edina, Minn.
Julia Ann Hopley Amherst, Mass.
Qifan Hu Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
Annabel Caroline Howland Huber
Cumberland Foreside, Maine
Nicole Linh Huebner Moraga, Calif.
Gwendolen Huo New York, N.Y.
Isabelle Margaret Hurley Denver, Colo.
Clara Anne Hurney Wayland, Mass.
Charlotte Rita Hurson Nyack, N.Y.
Samantha Verity Huss Bronxville, N.Y.
Benjamin Louis Iannuzzi Wilton, Conn.
Rosalee Ingmann Florence, Mass.
Tiana Marie Issa Boston, Mass.
Joshua S. Jacobson Sudbury, Mass.
Kate Melissa Kassower Jensen Boxborough, Mass.
Michael Ernesto Jiménez-Medrano Houston, Texas
Elizabeth Scranton Johnson Lancaster, Pa.
Connor Jadon Jones Austin, Texas
Caleb Hayoung Jung La Mirada, Calif.
Mia Hughes Kaldenbaugh Belmont, Mass.
Dexter David Kalderon Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Matthew J. Kang New York, N.Y.
Suzy Kang Burke, Va.
Yeeun Kang Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Philip Johan Iversen Kaplan Princeton, N.J.
Zainab Karim Delray Beach, Fla.
McKinley Marie Karpa Ipswich, Mass.
Rowan Steven Karpa-Wilson Novato, Calif.
Jesse Siel Kase Providence, R.I.
Sally F. Kashala Little Rock, Ark.
Harrison Lee Kassen Brooklyn, N.Y.
Malcolm Todd Katz Fairfield, Conn.
Graham Edward Keating Old Lyme, Conn.
Olivia Grace Keller Trappe, Md.
Michelle Cassandra Kennedy Westport, Conn.
Ellery Standish Kenyon Darien, Conn.
Sarah Kim Chantilly, Va.
William Steffen King Glenview, Ill.
Katelyn Laura Kirwood Vail, Colo.
Jacob Klein Loretto, Minn.
Connor Thomas Klingenberg Waxhaw, N.C.
William George Korsh Redwood City, Calif.
Mariia Kotova Kyiv, Ukraine
Shaun Joseph Kronenwetter Grantham, N.H.
Frédéric Labbé Ville de Québec, Qué., Canada
Cameron Brian LaBree Middleboro, Mass.
Priya Lama Dallas, Texas
James Matthew Lamarca Lexington, Mass.
Stephanie Abigail Lane Wilton, Conn.
Milo Forest Lani-Caputo Whitefield, Maine
Nicholas Fortin LaPlante Stow, Mass.
Luke James Lapre Franklin, Tenn.
Ingrid Anna Lauerwald Harrison, N.Y.
Oliver Lloyd Lawrence Norwalk, Conn.
Phillip Jin Lee Gwynedd Valley, Pa.
Nicholas Earl Lemire New Hartford, N.Y.
Sandra Lewis Newton Center, Mass.
Andi Li Wuhan, Hubei, China
Jiaxing Li Beijing, China
Ruize Li Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Youyu Li Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Zhaoyue Li Beijing, China
Cassandra Nicole Lieblein Harrisburg, Pa.
Eleanor Sun Lincoln Camden, Maine
Marie Bee Ling Highland, N.Y.
Zachary David Liston Wilton, Conn.
Amy Yuqing Liu Brooklyn, N.Y.
Bingya Liu Beijing, China
Shannon Rose Loehr Ithaca, N.Y.
Sarah Hatheway Logan Darien, Conn.
Melissa Jayne Lomas Stamford, Conn.
Stacy Kayla Lovelace Hartford, Conn.
Yanlin Lu Beijing, China
Danielle Josephine Lucey Bedford, N.H.
Logan Elizabeth Luebbe Seattle, Wash.
James Mark Lui San Francisco, Calif.
Natalie Lunbeck San Francisco, Calif.
Matthew Lund Cohasset, Mass.
Yuqing Luo Beijing, China
Jade Ma Little Rock, Ark.
Ty Roland Mahar Los Angeles, Calif.
Isabella Cristina Marin Rye, N.H.
Xavier Maxwell Markowitz Brooklyn, N.Y.
Isaac William Marlott Elmhurst, Ill.
William Nova Marshall Westport, Conn.
Alexander O’Neill Martel North Andover, Mass.
Annie Grace Martin Portland, Maine
Maria Evelyn Martinez Crestwood, Ky.
McQuillen Brace Martinez Dedham, Mass.
Charlotte Patteson Mast Concord, Mass.
Nicole Isabella Matamoros Lenoir, N.C.
Danny Elian Matos Boston, Mass.
Jillian Lee Mazzocca Andover, Mass.
Ethan Thomas McCarthy Franklin, Mass.
Alexis L. McCauley-Pearl Saint James, N.Y.
Caleigh Christine McClain Hannibal, Mo.
Madeline Berwind McDonough San Francisco, Calif.
Alec Davis McGovern Madison, Conn.
Max Charlton McIntyre Cary, N.C.
Raizel Coplon McNally Portland, Maine
Grace Suzawa Meikle North Chelmsford, Mass.
Christopher Joseph Mellen Lynnfield, Mass.
Benjamin Storm Mellor Fairfield, Conn.
Elizabeth L. Mensch Louisville, Ky.
Catherine E. Merkle Glen Rock, N.J.
Kayla Monique Merriweather Concord, N.C.
Sophia Nicole Merriweather Concord, N.C.
Peter William Mesna Excelsior, Minn.
Monet Avra Meyer Rochester, Minn.
Brianna Jean Michaud-Nolan Wells, Maine
Drew Miller Marietta, Ga.
Samantha Kristine Miller Sharon, Mass.
Claudia Looney Miner Haverhill, Mass.
Charles James Mitchell Lexington, Mass.
Quinn Matthew Molloy Cumberland, Maine
Sophia Katherine Montague Newton, Mass.
Ryan Layman Moore Saint Paul, Minn.
Chauncey Porter Morgan Etna, N.H.
Matthew Alexander Morin Westborough, Mass.
Thomas Logan Morrione Portland, Maine
Tyler Alec Morris Weston, Mass.
Leo Reuben Moss Bethesda, Md.
Rosine Mpozenzi Houston, Texas
Xiangxi Mu Shenyang, Liaoning, China
Samuel Muñoz Muñoz Jr. Villa Park, Ill.
Alexei Lee Muromcew Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Hadley M. Murphy Charlotte, Vt.
Rosa Terresa Hughes Myers Pittsburgh, Pa.
Abigail Grace Mynahan Medfield, Mass.
Sophie Basch Nacht New York, N.Y.
Cade A. K. Nagahama Winchester, Mass.
Ryan Nakajima Edgewater, N.J.
Lauryn Jessica Nelson Wellesley Hills, Mass.
Carrie M. Nguyen Sherwood, Ore.
Phuong Quynh Nguyen Ngoc Hanoi, Vietnam
Nanneke Sevier Nicholas Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Brooke Allison Niemiec Shingle Springs, Calif.
Cara A. A. Norris Beverly, Mass.
Jonah Obi Simsbury, Conn.
Kevin Michael Strong O’Boy Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Katherine Maeve O’Brien North Andover, Mass.
Agnes Oduro Bronx, N.Y.
Gift Ofuokwu Lynn, Mass.
Emma Jane Ollerhead Westwood, Mass.
Alice Catherine O’Neill Medford, Mass.
Kailey Marie O’Neill North Andover, Mass.
Marta J. Opie Bethel, Maine
Jamie Elizabeth Page Wellesley, Mass.
William Moore Palmieri South Salem, N.Y.
Yiming Pan Shandong Province, China
Ananya Pani Acton, Mass.
Matthew John Panker Hawthorne, N.Y.
Gina Park Wayne, N.J.
Grace Park Belleville, Ill.
Lance B. Parker Ocean City, Md.
Caitlin Rebecca Parks Sidney, Maine
Kirsten L. Pastore Ridgefield, Conn.
Olivia Anne Paterson Pound Ridge, N.Y.
Anna Wills Patten New Canaan, Conn.
Anosacha Peete-Meyers Houston, Texas
Dominic David Pelosi Red Hook, N.Y.
Austin Perera Scarsdale, N.Y.
Caleb E. Peress Marshfield, Mass.
Madeline B. Perfetti Cumberland, Maine
Fraser Edmonds Pesek Cambridge, Mass.
Nicholas Jeffrey Duncan Peterson Northampton, Mass.
Damien Ray Petrin Biddeford, Maine
Evan Leonard Pfau Agoura Hills, Calif.
Victoria Faith Piacentino Croton Falls, N.Y.
Nicole Hanna Pietro Sutton, Mass.
Jack Dylan Pletter Orange, Conn.
Henry Merritt Popko Buffalo, N.Y.
Natalie Grace Posner Serra Madrid, Spain
Bridgit Appleyard Potter Chatham, Mass.
Connor Joseph Powers Westwood, Mass.
Benjamin Andrew Powis Greenwich, Conn.
Cole Martin Premtaj Allen Park, Mich.
Payton Palmer Privitera Arlington, Mass.
Graham D. Pugh Phoenixville, Pa.
Alexander Andreas Purcell Hanover, N.H.
Bassam Emad Qasrawi Westwood, Mass.
Benjamin Joseph Raivel Florence, Mass.
Katharine Penney Randall Cambridge, Mass.
Syed Saam Rasool Brookline, Mass.
Grace Coryell Rayer Kennebunk, Maine
Christopher George Reardon Natick, Mass.
Maya Julia Rebitzer Palo Alto, Calif.
Jacob Koehler Renneisen Mill Valley, Calif.
Burr Harrison Adams Rhoads Portland, Maine
Ibrahim Riaz Lahore, Pakistan
Toriana Marcela Richards Yarmouth, Mass.
Sydney F. Richardson Bedford, N.H.
Andrew T. Rightmire Hanover, N.H.
Emily M. Riley West Newbury, Mass.
Gabriel Geovani Rivas Orellana Houston, Texas
Maxwell Rothman Robison Washington, D.C.
Matthew James Rocha Melrose, Mass.
Jackson Patrick Rockett Marblehead, Mass.
Altie Henderson Rogers Wakefield, R.I.
Henry Winfield Rogers Denver, Colo.
Tamsin Skye Rogers South Weymouth, Mass.
William Saul Roos San Francisco, Calif.
Cynthia J. Rosas Van Nuys, Calif.
Abigail Rachel Rosenbaum Fairfield, Conn.
Avery Jillian Rosensweig Newton, Mass.
Benjamin Zadoc Rothschild New York, N.Y.
Katie-Marie Roy Saco, Maine
Prachee Roy Cambridge, Mass.
Gennifer Morgan Rubin Marblehead, Mass.
Joshua David Rubin Middleton, Mass.
Elsa McGoldrick Russell Boulder, Colo.
Julia M. Safarik Palmer, Alaska
Lulu Alice Saghie New York, N.Y.
Daphne Lila Saligman Wayne, Pa.
Alexandra Danielle Santiago Durham, Conn.
Lillian Santomenna Hamilton, Mass.
Kale Matthew Sapiel Pleasant Point, Maine
Matthew Ames Savage Dover, Mass.
Olivia Elise Schirle San Francisco, Calif.
Jaime Karl Schneider Norman, Okla.
Sophia Tempesta Schroeder Wayland, Mass.
Amy Elizabeth Schubert Medfield, Mass.
Samantha Nicole Schultz The Woodlands, Texas
Alex Elijah Danger Schwartz Stamford, Conn.
Olivia Rose Scordo Glen Head, N.Y.
Ryan Patrick Seaman Lake Oswego, Ore.
Morgan Mae Selby Council Grove, Kan.
Tate Frances Senden Palmer, Alaska
Higera Nawass Sevigny Portland, Maine
Hwida Nawass Sevigny Portland, Maine
Darren Sharapov Brooklyn, N.Y.
Natalie Pepperman Shea Brooklyn, N.Y.
Grace Sheehy Woodbridge, Va.
Ashley Ann Shegog Moultonborough, N.H.
Sylvia Agnes Shelton Seattle, Wash.
Haiyue Shi Yangzhou, China
Jiachen Shi Wuhan, Hubei, China
Evan James Shriber Newton Highlands, Mass.
Eli Silberman Montclair, N.J.
Chloe M. Simms Phoenix, Ariz.
Josephine Noelle Smith Windham, Maine
Kaitlyn Ann Smith Belgrade, Maine
Jane Ivy Smoltz Larchmont, N.Y.
Angie Sohn Fairfax, Va.
Sofia Maria Solari Yarmouth, Maine
Meghan Anne Stagnone Chelmsford, Mass.
Margaret Frances Staller Exeter, N.H.
Claire McDonald Standish Wayzata, Minn.
Giuseppe Stelluto Foggia, Italy
Wren Alexandra Stewart Darien, Conn.
Davis Hunt Strabley Summit, N.J.
Henry Suarez Pasadena, Calif.
Colin Patrick Sullivan Tivoli, N.Y.
Margot Joan Supple Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jake Charlton Surette Georgetown, Mass.
Susannah Marie Swann Phoenixville, Pa.
Patrick Marshall Sweetnam Marblehead, Mass.
Emily X. Tan Old Lyme, Conn.
Coy S. Tarbell Akwesasne, N.Y.
John Michael Tayeri Palo Alto, Calif.
Danielle Simone Taylor Vail, Colo.
William Anthony Terzi Wallingford, Conn.
Deekayla Katriel Thomas Fairburn, Ga.
Henry McKean Thomas Cohasset, Mass.
Nolan Andrew Thompson Oakland, Calif.
Abigail F. Thorndike Newbury Park, Calif.
Reginald Cluett Thors Brookline, Mass.
Jacob Thousand Waunakee, Wis.
Sydney G. Tobia New York, N.Y.
Yewande Modupe Tojuola Fulshear, Texas
Aidan Sean Tokarski Duxbury, Mass.
Ann Elizabeth Tolan Bath, Maine
Miles Bennett Tonkel Washington, D.C.
Aboubacar Sidick Kevin Traore Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Frances Lowell Treadwell San Francisco, Calif.
Solomon Francis Treister Chicago, Ill.
Vlada Trofimchuk Sumy, Ukraine
Ryan Patrick Troy Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Dylan Alexander Tymkiw Resistencia Chaco, Argentina
Noah J. Tyson Castleton, Vt.
Nate Van Lonkhuyzen Rockport, Maine
Jack Parker Vanderhorst Buffalo, N.Y.
Kyanie Nashaly Vazquez Cleveland, Ohio
Adam Anderson Venturella New Providence, N.J.
Ladislao Vera St. Augustine, Fla.
Kerrie Lynn Verbeek Salem, N.H.
Jose Alexander Villamil New York, N.Y.
Luka Peter Villani Vineland, N.J.
Robert Irvin Villani New York, N.Y.
Adler Viton Greenwich, Conn.
Brooke Elizabeth Volpe New Canaan, Conn.
Cameron Brian Walker Missouri City, Texas
Dylan Antero Walsh Harpswell, Maine
Sarah Rose Wamsteker Ann Arbor, Mich.
Bingqiong Wang Beijing, China
Duan Wang Qingdao, Shandong, China
Helen Wang Irvine, Calif.
Lujia Wang Beijing, China
Rongshu Wang Jinan, Shandong, China
Yixiao Wang Shanghai, China
Zixuan Wang Jinan, Shandong, China
Thinley Yidzin Wangden Thimphu, Bhutan
Sophie Cameron Webb Waterville, Maine
Wendy Wei Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Hannah Rose Weil Los Angeles, Calif.
Matthew Samuel Weindling Old Greenwich, Conn.
Henry Phillip Weisman Denver, Colo.
Matthew Roger Welch Naples, Fla.
Halle Anne Wellington Pound Ridge, N.Y.
Oliver Wen Beijing, China
Jan Wenger Pfeffingen BL, Switzerland
Jebediah Uel Wennrich Bethlehem, N.H.
Sophie Lee Wentz Bethesda, Md.
Emma Anne West Westborough, Mass.
Isabella Rose Whelan Fairfield, Conn.
Calvin Charles Whitley Medford, Ore.
Annabelle Rose Williams Cumberland Center, Maine
Javon Emmett Williams Hancock, Maine
Samuel John Wilson West Chester, Pa.
Lily Dawn Windholz San Francisco, Calif.
Cooper James Wirkala Spruce Head, Maine
Madigan Boyce Wolfanger Pittsburgh, Pa.
Jared Charles Clinton Wood Ipswich, Mass.
Ian A. Woolson Warren, Vt.
Eda Wright Chicago, Ill.
Ann Wu Honolulu, Hawaii
Priscilla (Yi-Lung) Wu New Taipei City, Taiwan
Stephen Allen Xin Needham Heights, Mass.
Kuranosuke Yamada South Portland, Maine
Dylan G. Yang La Crescenta, Calif.
Shuran Yang Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Ziqin Yang Shanghai, China
Alexandra Nicole Yee New Canaan, Conn.
Yue You Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Leighton Felker Young IV Needham, Mass.
Mackenzie Marie Younker Grand Junction, Colo.
Hyeon-Seung Yu Seoul, Republic of Korea
Loren Chen Yu Ardsley, N.Y.
Sinan Yumurtacı İzmir, Turkey (Türkiye)
Lily Esme Yustein Montclair, N.J
Xiwen Zhang Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Yuqing Zhang Shanghai, China
Haoyu Zhong Beijing, China
Chloe Elizabeth Zimmermann Weston, Conn.
Nolan C. Zusi Leeds, Mass.
Abigail Erin Zwall Ocean City, N.J.
Special Distinction
CLASS MARSHALS
Abigail Grace Mynahan
Matthew James Rocha
HONORS
Summa Cum Laude
Talia E. Barrett
Cecilia Teresa Bowe
Qingyi Cao
Halle Elizabeth Carroll
Laura Margaret Drepanos
Aiden Francesco Duncanson
Yitong Feng
Sophie Ananda Jastremsky Fink
Joshua S. Jacobson
Matthew J. Kang
Shannon Rose Loehr
Danielle Josephine Lucey
Jade Ma
Hadley M. Murphy
Abigail Grace Mynahan
Phuong Quynh Nguyen Ngoc
Alice Catherine O’Neill
Damien Ray Petrin
Matthew James Rocha
Olivia Elise Schirle
Frances Lowell Treadwell
Luka Peter Villani
Duan Wang
Eda Wright
Shuran Yang
Ziqin Yang
Yue You
Magna Cum Laude
Eliza Paly Batchelder
Ophelia Nicole Domogalla Baxter
Mary Suzanne Bevilacqua
Katherine Sun-Mi Brown
Rachel Grace Coan
Natalie Betsy Davidson
Nicholas Allen English
Lily Paige Gillette
Mackenna Grace Greenberg
Jenna Beth Hersh
Qifan Hu
Isabelle Margaret Hurley
Charlotte Rita Hurson
Rosalee Ingmann
Kate Melissa Kassower Jensen
Harrison Lee Kassen
Jiaxing Li
Yanlin Lu
Isabella Cristina Marin
Morgan Mae Selby
Natalie Pepperman Shea
Vlada Trofimchuk
Sinan Yumurtacı
Cum Laude
Andrew Silas Atsalis
Taylor Nicole Bechtel
Elijah Bertan
Margaret Fitler Blake
Joshua Harold Brause
Sarah Wetselaar Bozuwa
Olivia Hazley Cella
Anna Chen
Jonathan Mittelmeier Curtis
John Patrick Donahue
Thomas Stanley Erie
Sadie Mae Estey
Emma A. Freund
Meghan Maera Garrett
Sarah Darcy Gold
Eleanor Lee Goldman
Georgia Gilmour Goodman
Sonia Margaret Griffen
Elizabeth Lee Hennessey
Cristian J. Hernandez
Samantha Verty Huss
Tiana Marie Issa
Katelyn Laura Kirwood
Mariia Kotova
Youyu Li
Zhaoyue Li
Yuqing Luo
Alexander O’Neill Martel
Christopher Joseph Mellen
Samantha Kristine Miller
Claudia Looney Miner
Charles James Mitchell
Quinn Matthew Molloy
Cara A. A. Norris
Kevin Michael Strong O’Boy
Yiming Pan
Grace Park
Fraser Edmonds Pesek
Nicole Hanna Pietro
Emily M. Riley
Gennifer Morgan Rubin
Amy Elizabeth Schubert
Angie Sohn
Sofia Maria Solari
Margaret Frances Staller
Solomon Francis Treister
Bingqiong Wang
Lujia Wang
Thinley Yidzin Wangden
Matthew Roger Welch
Isabella Rose Whelan
Lily Dawn Windholz
Hyeon-Seung Yu
Honors Program
Honors in Biology
Anna Chen
Sophia Tempesta Schroeder
Margaret Frances Staller
Danielle Simone Taylor
Kuranosuke Yamada
Honors in Chemistry
Katherine Sun-Mi Brown
Danielle Josephine Lucey
Honors in Computer Science
Qingyi Cao
Nicholas Allen English
Rayna Hata
Tamsin Skye Rogers
Honors in Economics
Qingyi Cao
Rachel Grace Coan
Margaret Ellen Drefke
Trevor Roberts Gava
Yuqing Luo
Honors in Education
Catherine E. Merkle
Abigail Rachel Rosenbaum
Honors in English
Taylor Nicole Bechtel
Isabella Grace Beyloune
Tovah Annelise Duffaut
Sophie Ananda Jastremsky Fink
Georgia Gilmour Goodman
Mahika Sridharan Gupta
Cristian J. Hernandez
Madeline B. Perfetti
Nicole Hanna Pietro
Halle Anne Wellington
Honors in Environmental Studies
Eliza Paly Batchelder
Elle Hankin
Tiana Marie Issa
Sophia Katherine Montague
Gennifer Morgan Rubin
Honors in Geology
Cecilia Teresa Bowe
Honors in Global Studies
Solomon Francis Treister
Jan Wenger
Isabella Rose Whelan
Honors in Government
Caleb Capen Bitting
Joshua Harold Brause
Natalie Betsy Davidson
Thomas Stanley Erie
Claudia Looney Miner
Emma Anne West
Honors in History
Andrew T. Rightmire
Matthew James Rocha
Jackson Patrick Rockett
Avery Jillian Rosensweig
Jaime Karl Schneider
Honors in Latin American Studies
Sofia S. Arleo
Honors in Mathematics
Christopher Stephen Calger
Honors in Music
Christopher Joseph Mellen
Luka Peter Villani
Honors in Philosophy
Qifan Hu
Honors in Physics and Astronomy
Kate Melissa Kassower Jensen
Honors in Psychology
Talia E. Barrett
Jenna Beth Hersh
Vlada Trofimchuk
Shuran Yang
Honors in Religious Studies
Alexandra Grace Ferri
Honors in Science, Technology,
and Science
Jeremy Ethan Cafritz
Libby Galgon
Zhaoyue Li
Tamsin Skye Rogers
Frances Lowell Treadwell
Duan Wang
Distinction in Major
African-American Studies
Higera Nawass Sevigny
American Studies
Mary Suzanne Bevilacqua
Annie Grace Martin
Dominic David Pelosi
Madeline B. Perfetti
Natalie Pepperman Shea
Anthropology
Sofia S. Arleo
Halle Elizabeth Carroll
Olivia Hazley Cella
Raizel Coplon McNally
Sophie Basch Nacht
Architecture and Urban Design
(Independent)
Jade Ma
Art History
Molly Elizabeth George
Gwendolen Huo
Sally F. Kashala
Biology
Md Shadman Amin
Ashley Marie Boardman
Katherine Mary Brink
Lily Lopez Chapman
Rosemary Joan Corkins
Erin C. Dustin
Elizabeth Conway Eames
Zachary Charles Eisenbies
Charles Truman Furlong
Libby Galgon
Lily Paige Gillette
Alexis Jayne Hammer
Matthew Jack Hersch
Elizabeth Lee Hennessey
Cristian J. Hernandez
Tiana Marie Issa
Michelle Cassandra Kennedy
Katelyn Laura Kirwood
Cassandra Nicole Lieblein
Quinn Matthew Molloy
Matthew Alexander Morin
Xiangxi Mu
Abigail Grace Mynahan
Natalie Grace Posner Serra
Katie-Marie Roy
Sophia Tempesta Schroeder
Grace Sheehy
Ashley Ann Shegog
Margaret Frances Staller
Colin Patrick Sullivan
Susannah Marie Swann
Ladislao Vera
Kerrie Lynn Verbeek
Duan Wang
Lujia Wang
Jebediah Uel Wennrich
Lily Dawn Windholz
Ziqin Yang
Chemistry
Kate Melissa Kassower Jensen
Danielle Josephine Lucey
Morgan Mae Selby
Eda Wright
Chemistry-Biochemistry
Katherine Sun-Mi Brown
Christo Philip Cheng Dragnev
Chemistry-Cell and Molecular
Biology/Biochemistry
Helen Wang
Classical Civilization
Cooper Nathaniel Doolittle Buch
Rose Xinyi Donaldson
Leighton Felker Young IV
Classics
Katherine Sun-Mi Brown
Computational Biology
Anna Chen
Kayla Saniya Dixon
Laura Margaret Drepanos
Zhaoyue Li
Carrie M. Nguyen
Olivia Elise Schirle
Thinley Yidzin Wangden
Computer Science
Caleb Capen Bitting
Qingyi Cao
Nicholas Allen English
Yitong Feng
William Blaisdell Fitch
Rayna Hata
Isabelle Margaret Hurley
Rosalee Ingmann
Yeeun Kang
Xiangxi Mu
Samuel Muñoz Muñoz Jr.
Phuong Quynh Nguyen Ngoc
Yiming Pan
Matthew Roger Welch
Eda Wright
Hyeon-Seung Yu
Sinan Yumurtacı
East Asian Studies
Ezekiel Bond Edwards-Mizel
Nicole Isabella Matamoros
Economics
Margaret Fitler Blake
Alexander Bourhas
Cooper Nathaniel Doolittle Buch
Andrew Robert Burke
Amanda Talaya Cabral
Qingyi Cao
Rachel Grace Coan
Zachariah Winslow Cody
Alexander Hatfield Corwin
John Patrick Donahue
Margaret Ellen Drefke
Guanying Du
Sarah Elizabeth Faulkner
Nicholas Joseph Fiacco
Madeleine Townsend Galper
Trevor Roberts Gava
Jessica Michelle Goodman-Leong
Julia Ann Hopley
Joshua S. Jacobson
Yeeun Kang
Jacob Klein
Mariia Kotova
Youyu Li
Yuqing Luo
Christopher Joseph Mellen
Hadley M. Murphy
Cade A. K. Nagahama
Kevin Michael Strong O’Boy
Yiming Pan
Gina Park
Benjamin Andrew Powis
Ibrahim Riaz
Matthew Ames Savage
Haiyue Shi
Wren Alexandra Stewart
Henry McKean Thomas
Jacob Thousand
Ryan Patrick Troy
Jack Parker Vanderhorst
Ian A. Woolson
Yue You
Xiwen Zhang
Chloe Elizabeth Zimmermann
Educational Studies
Kyle Lynn Butler
Jacob Steven Cheffo
Yanlin Lu
Annie Grace Martin
Catherine E. Merkle
Katherine Maeve O’Brien
Grace Park
Abigail Rachel Rosenbaum
Morgan Mae Selby
Sofia Maria Solari
Bingqiong Wang
Shuran Yang
English
Taylor Nicole Bechtel
Isabella Grace Beyloune
Margaret Fitler Blake
Tovah Annelise Duffaut
Sadie Mae Estey
Sophie Ananda Jastremsky Fink
Emma A. Freund
Georgia Gilmour Goodman
Mackenna Grace Greenberg
Claire Diane Gussler
Cristian J. Hernandez
Matthew J. Kang
Harrison Lee Kassen
Isabella Cristina Marin
Grace Park
Victoria Faith Piacentino
Nicole Hanna Pietro
Alexandra Danielle Santiago
Amy Elizabeth Schubert
Margaret Frances Staller
Sydney G. Tobia
Hannah Rose Weil
Annabelle Rose Williams
Yue You
English: Literature and the
Environment
Lillian Sua Chi
Samantha Verity Huss
Environmental Computation
Jonathan Mittelmeier Curtis
Environmental Policy
Eliza Paly Batchelder
Eli Bertan
Nicholas Joseph Fiacco
Sonia Margaret Griffen
Elle Hankin
Alexander O’Neill Martel
Maria Evelyn Martinez
McQuillen Brace Martinez
Samantha Kristine Miller
Rosa Terresa Hughes Myers
Jamie Elizabeth Page
Toriana Marcela Richards
Sophie Cameron Webb
Environmental Science
Md Shadman Amin
Erin Edwards Coughlin
Kenneth W. Douyon
Silas Michael Gramaglia
Tiana Marie Issa
Charles James Mitchell
Sophia Katherine Montague
Alexander Andreas Purcell
Maya Julia Rebitzer
Gennifer Morgan Rubin
Susannah Marie Swann
Luka Peter Villani
Environmental Humanities
(Independent)
Madeline B. Perfetti
French Studies
Ophelia Nicole Domogalla Baxter
Darcy Ann Gott
Frances Lowell Treadwell
Geology
Cecilia Teresa Bowe
German Studies
Chloe M. Simms
Abigail F. Thorndike
Vlada Trofimchuk
Global Studies
Sarah Wetselaar Bozuwa
Aakanksha Chandrashekaran
Sophia Elizabeth Cortese
Silas Michael Gramaglia
Erika Jane Homan
Nicole Linh Huebner
Mia Hughes Kaldenbaugh
Priya Lama
Amy Yuqing Liu
Shannon Rose Loehr
Isabella Cristina Marin
Charlotte Patteson Mast
Monet Avra Meyer
Olivia Anne Paterson
William Saul Roos
Elsa McGoldrick Russell
Solomon Francis Treister
Jan Wenger
Isabella Rose Whelan
Government
Eliza Paly Batchelder
Joshua Harold Brause
Andrew Robert Burke
Nathan Andrew Cordick
Natalie Betsy Davidson
Thomas Stanley Erie
Eleanor Lee Goldman
Tyler James Gonsalves
Jacob Klein
Amy Yuqing Liu
Claudia Looney Miner
Lauryn Jessica Nelson
Alice Catherine O’Neill
Olivia Anne Paterson
Angie Sohn
Emma Anne West
Lily Dawn Windholz
Leighton Felker Young IV
History
Andrew Silas Atsalis
Ophelia Nicole Domogalla Baxter
Laura Berta Basia Bogorad
Aakanksha Chandrashekaran
Meghan Maera Garrett
Mason King Groves
Nicole Hanna Pietro
Emily M. Riley
Matthew James Rocha
Jackson Patrick Rockett
Avery Jillian Rosensweig
Lillian Santomenna
Jaime Karl Schneider
Latin American Studies
Sofia S. Arleo
Charlotte Grace Freniere
Katherine Hernandez
Mathematical Sciences
Danielle Josephine Lucey
Mathematics
William Blaisdell Fitch
Jiaxing Li
Bingqiong Wang
Music
BerthNell Rebecca Antoine
Branden Patrick Brown
Julia Ann Hopley
Christopher Joseph Mellen
Katherine Maeve O’Brien
Luka Peter Villani
Matthew Samuel Weindling
Abigail Erin Zwall
Performance, Theater, and Dance
Ellery Standish Kenyon
Philosophy
Rachel Grace Coan
Emma A. Freund
Qifan Hu
Physics
Aiden Francesco Duncanson
Kate Melissa Kassower Jensen
Graham Edward Keating
Damien Ray Petrin
Sydney F. Richardson
Adler Viton
Psychology
Talia E. Barrett
Carter William Breitenfeldt
Jeremy Ethan Cafritz
Anne Hoffman Eddy
Sadie Mae Estey
Mackenna Grace Greenberg
Jenna Beth Hersh
Charlotte Rita Hurson
Elizabeth Scranton Johnson
Sarah Kim
Youyu Li
Marie Bee Ling
Yanlin Lu
Samantha Kristine Miller
Cara A. A. Norris
Agnes Oduro
Emily M. Riley
Alexandra Danielle Santiago
Chloe M. Simms
William Anthony Terzi
Vlada Trofimchuk
Jose Alexander Villamil
Javon Emmett Williams
Shuran Yang
Religious Studies
Alexandra Grace Ferri
Science, Technology, and Society
Sarah Darcy Gold
Frances Lowell Treadwell
Duan Wang
Sociology
Madison M. Brown
Lily Kristine Burnett
Rosemary Joan Corkins
Sarah Darcy Gold
Jedediah S. Graboys
Higera Nawass Sevigny
Ann Elizabeth Tolan
Helen Wang
Chloe Elizabeth Zimmermann
Spanish
Talia E. Barrett
Cecilia Teresa Bowe
Olivia Hazley Cella
Charlotte Grace Freniere
Eleanor Sun Lincoln
Monet Avra Meyer
Alice Catherine O’Neill
Bridgit Appleyard Potter
Sofia Maria Solari
Solomon Francis Treister
Jose Alexander Villamil
Statistics
Guanying Du
Studio Art
Mary Suzanne Bevilacqua
Erin Edwards Coughlin
Kimkim Huynh Dang
Elizabeth Scranton Johnson
Carrie M. Nguyen
Burr Harrison Adams Rhoads
Altie Henderson Rogers
Amy Elizabeth Schubert
Sydney G. Tobia
Wendy Wei
Women’s, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies
Meghan Maera Garrett
Phi Beta Kappa
Eliza Paly Batchelder
Talia Barrett
Ophelia Nicole Domogalla Baxter
Mary Suzanne Bevilacqua
Margaret Blake
Cecilia Teresa Bowe*
Katherine Sun-Mi Brown
Qingyi Cao
Halle Carroll
Rachel Coan
Jonathan Mittelmeier Curtis
Natalie Betsy Davidson
Laura Drepanos
Aiden Duncanson*
Nicholas Allen English
Yitong Feng
Sophie Fink
Lily Paige Gillette
Mackenna Grace Greenberg
Jenna Hersh
Qifan Hu
Isabelle Hurley
Charlotte Rita Hurson
Samantha Verity Huss
Rosalee Pearl Ingmann
Joshua Jacobson*
Kate Jensen
Matthew Kang*
Harrison Lee Kassen
Vincent Li
Shannon Rose Loehr*
Yanlin Lu
Danielle Josephine Lucey
Jade Ma
Isabella Cristina Marin
Alexander O’Neill Martel
Hadley Murphy
Abigail Grace Mynahan*
Phuong Quynh Nguyen Ngoc*
Alice Catherine O’Neill
Damien Ray Petrin
Nicole Pietro
Matthew J. Rocha*
Olivia Elise Schirle
Amy Schubert
Morgan Mae Selby
Natalie Pepperman Shea
Frances Lowell Treadwell*
Vlada Trofimchuk
Luka Peter Villani
Duan Wang*
Eda Wright
Shuran Yang
Ziqin Yang*
Yue You
Sinan Yumurtacı
* elected in junior year
First Semester
Tuesday, Aug. 29 Class of 2027 arrival day
Tuesday, Aug. 29–Tuesday, Sept. 5 First-year orientation
Monday, Sept. 4 Residence halls open; upper classes return
Wednesday, Sept. 6 First classes
Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 9 and 10 Fall recess (no classes)
Friday, Oct. 20-Sunday, Oct. 22 Family Homecoming Weekend
Wednesday, Nov. 22–Sunday, Nov. 26 Thanksgiving recess
Friday, Dec. 8 Last classes of rst semester
Saturday, Dec. 9 Last day for scheduled events
Wednesday, Dec. 13–Monday, Dec. 18 Semester examinations
Tuesday, Dec. 19 Residence halls close for winter recess
January Term
Monday, Jan. 6 Global Entry Semester arrival day
Residence halls open
Tuesday, Jan. 9–Thursday, Feb. 1 January Program
Second Semester
Wednesday, Feb. 7 First classes
Saturday, March 23–Sunday, March 31 Spring recess (residence halls closed)
Thursday, May 2 Colby Liberal Arts Symposium
Friday, May 10 Last classes of second semester
Saturday, May 11 Last day for scheduled events
Wednesday, May 15–Monday, May 20 Semester examinations
Saturday, May 25 Baccalaureate
Sunday, May 26 Commencement
Summer 2024
Thursday, June 6–Sunday, June 9 Reunion Weekend
2023-24 Colby College Academic Calendar
Colby College is supportive of the religious practices of its students, faculty, and staff, and
is committed to ensuring that all students are able to observe their religious beliefs without
academic penalty. For the College’s policy on religious holidays, see
life.colby.edu/what-to-do/spiritual-life/holiday-calendar.
Adopted Oct. 23, 2019
Schedule is subject to change.
First Semester
Tuesday, Aug. 27 Class of 2028 arrival day
Tuesday, Aug. 27 - Tuesday, Sept. 3 First-year orientation
Monday, Sept. 2 Residence halls open, upper classes return
Wednesday, Sept. 4 First classes
Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 14 and 15 Fall recess (no classes)
TBA Family Homecoming Weekend
Wednesday, Nov. 27–Sunday, Dec. 1 Thanksgiving recess
Friday, Dec. 6 Last classes of rst semester
Saturday, Dec. 7 Last day for scheduled events
Wednesday, Dec. 11–Monday, Dec. 16 Semester examinations
Tuesday, Dec. 17 Residence halls close for winter recess
January Term
Monday, Jan. 4 Global Entry Semester arrival day
Residence halls open
Monday, Jan. 7–Friday, Jan. 30 January Program
Second Semester
Monday, Feb. 3 Residence halls open
Wednesday, Feb. 5 First classes
Saturday, March 22–Sunday, March 30 Spring recess (residence halls closed)
Thursday, May 1 Colby Liberal Arts Symposium
Friday, May 9 Last classes of second semester
Saturday, May 11 Last day for scheduled events
Wednesday, May 14–Monday, May 19 Semester examinations
Saturday, May 24 Baccalaureate
Sunday, May 25 Commencement
Summer 2025
Thursday, June 5–Sunday, June 8 Reunion Weekend
2024-25 Colby College Academic Calendar
Colby College is supportive of the religious practices of its students, faculty, and staff, and
is committed to ensuring that all students are able to observe their religious beliefs without
academic penalty. For the College’s policy on religious holidays, see
life.colby.edu/what-to-do/spiritual-life/holiday-calendar.
Adopted Feb. 9, 2021
Schedule is subject to change.
Inquiries to the College should be directed as follows:
Admissions Matthew T. Proto, Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Ofcer: 207-859-4800, fax: 207-859-
4828, admissions@colby.edu
Advancement Matthew T. Proto, Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Ofcer: 207-859-4300, fax: 207-859-
4305,
advancement@colby.edu
Advising Deans Barbara E. Moore, Charles Terrell Dean of Students: 207-859-4250, fax: 207-859-4264, barbara.moore@
colby.edu
Alumni Relations Matthew T. Proto, Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Ofcer: 207-859-4800, fax: 207-
859-4828, admissions@colby.edu
Athletics Michael D. Wisecup, Vice President and Harold Alfond Director of Athletics: 207-859-4900, fax: 207-859-4902,
athletics@colby.edu
Bookstore Barbara C. Shutt, Director of the Bookstore: 207-859-5400, fax: 207-859-5402, barbara.shutt@colby.edu
Business Matters Nicole Labbe-Trufant, Vice President and Chief Financial Ofcer: 207-859-4774, ntrufant@colby.edu
Communications Rosalind Drisko, Chief Marketing Ofcer: 207-859-4356, communications@colby.edu
DavisConnects Damon Yarnell, Dean of Student and Global Advacement: 207-859-4140, davisconnects@colby.edu
Financial Aid (for prospective students) Matthew T. Proto, Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Ofcer:
207-859-4800, fax: 207-859-4828, admissions@colby.edu; (for enrolled students) Cynthia W. Wells ’83, Director of
Student Financial Services: 207-859-4132, fax: 207-859 - 4122, cindy.wells@colby.edu
Records and Transcripts Lindsey Nelson, Registrar: 207-859-4620, fax: 207-859-4623, registrar@colby.edu
Security Robert A. Williams, Director of Security, 207-859-5530, fax: 207-859-5532, robert.williams@colby.edu
Student Affairs Gustavo Burkett, Dean of the College: 207-859-4780, fax: 207-859-4775, docofce@colby.edu
Summer Programs and Conferences Brian Bray, Director of Special Programs and Conference Services: 207-859-4730,
fax: 207-859-4734, brian.bray@colby.edu
Mailing address
Colby College, 4000 Mayower Hill, Waterville, Maine 04901
Telephone: 207-859-4000; Fax: 207-859-4055
colby.edu
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Colby College is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of
Schools and Colleges, Inc. Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the commission should be directed to the
administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact
Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100, Burlington, Mass. 01803-4514
781-425 7785 • [email protected]
Statement on Nondiscrimination
Colby is a private, coeducational liberal arts college that admits students and makes personnel decisions on the basis
of the individual’s qualications to contribute to Colby’s educational objectives and institutional needs. The principle of
not discriminating on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, parental or marital
status, national or ethnic origin, caste, political beliefs, veteran or military status, or disability unrelated to job or course of
study requirements is consistent with the mission of a liberal arts college and the law. Colby is an afrmative action/equal
opportunity employer and operates in accordance with federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination.
Catalogue Changes
The College reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, academic
schedule, fees, deposits, or any other matters in this catalogue. Up-to-date information may be found at colby.edu/
catalogue.
INQUIRIES