Spring Term Courses

See complete information about these courses in the course offerings database. For more information about a specific course, including course type, schedule and location, click on its title.

History Through Accounting

ACCT 280 - Fafatas, Stephan A.

This class explores the development of accounting through the study of historical economic, business, and cultural issues. The course begins by reviewing early evidence of accounting methods as important tools for decision makers and then moves on to the development of financial reporting, with a significant focus on the history of the railroad industry in the U.S. The class combines readings with site visits to libraries, historical societies, and museums to explore the forces that have helped influence change in accounting and financial reporting over time. Through class research assignments students will gain experience working with primary source materials and accounting research databases.

Casino Accounting, Auditing, and Financial Analysis

ACCT 370 - Boylan, Scott J.

This course provides an introduction to financial accounting and auditing in the gaming industry. Topics include the design and implementation of controls over cash, revenue recognition and measurement, accounting for the extension of casino credit , progressive jackpot liabilities, complimentary expenditures, and customer loyalty programs.

Seminar in Africana Studies: The Art and Politics of Dirty South Rap Music

AFCA 295B - Hill, Michael D.

Since its emergence fifty years ago, rap music has changed the United States and the world.  Southern rap partakes of this transformative spirit; however, its impact registers in unique ways. Investigating rappers from throughout the region, this class will study how between 1994 and 2022, unvarnished self-expression enabled black performers to explore the complex identity of the Dirty South.  We will analyze a representative set of albums exploring the socio-historical context out of which their music arose, the diverse creative strategies that their creators employed, and the political implications of their artistic decisions.  Noting that Dirty South rap music sketches complicated messages connected to culture, race, and economics, we will think about how this subgenre yields fascinating messages about the destiny of the nation and the globe.  Join us as we confront the myths and the truths surrounding this enigmatic subject.

The Art History of the Qur'an

ARTH 214 - Van Loan, Theodore

Shortly after its revelation in the 7th Century, the Qur’an became an object of aesthetic and artistic attention. This class will explore the art historical development of Quranic manuscripts, architectural inscriptions, calligraphy, and other examples from the 7th century to the present day. Visits to the Special Collections department at Leyburn Library and to the American Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC will provide hands on experience with a number of Qur’an manuscripts.

Chicana/o Art and Muralism: From the Street to the (Staniar) Gallery

ARTH 276 - Lepage, Andrea C.

This class examines the process by which Chicana/o artists have garnered public attention and respect, taking their artworks from the peripheries of the art world to museum and gallery spaces. Using the half-mile long mural entitled The Great Wall of Los Angeles as a connecting thread, this class considers the broad theme of identity creation and transformation as expressed by Chicana/o artists from the 1970s to the present.

Seminar in Museum Studies

ARTH 398 - El-Beshir, Isra

This seminar explores the history, development, and practical aspects of museums and considers museum practices of the present and the future. Topics of discussion include museum administration, collections management, exhibition planning, interpretation and storytelling, and museum education. Students collaborate to produce an exhibition, and gain skills in developing a master plan, concept development, design, installation, label writing, and evaluation. The course may include field trips to regional museums.

Creating Comics

ARTS 215 - / Beavers, Leigh A.

Same as ENGL 215. A course which is both a creative-writing and a studio-art course. Students study graphic narratives as an art form that combines image-making and storytelling, producing their own multi-page narratives through the writing of images. The course includes a theoretical overview of the comics form, using a range of works as practical models.

The Cyanotype Process

ARTS 225 - Bowden, Christa K.

Discovered in 1842 by Sir John Herschel, the cyanotype (blueprint) process is an iron-based process that produces an intense deep blue when exposed to UV light such as sunlight. In this course, students will create cyanotypes in all shapes and sizes using found materials, stencils, and digital negatives on materials ranging from paper to fabric. Students will also learn the science and

Portable Radicals: Soft Sculpture

ARTS 237 - de Lissovoy, Sandy B.

This Spring Term course will explore moveable soft forms and lightweight structures through an expansion of sculpture that includes movement, activation and protest. We will investigate the history of artists catching the air with banners, capes, and kites and creating spaces inspired by tents, camps, and nomadic structures. We will consider how artists have used fabric and plastic to create structures that resist the permanence of architecture and take advantage of movement and color. Material skills may include dyeing fabric, fabric and plastic construction, sewing, and methods for structures. The course will culminate with performances of activated pieces and by temporarily placing structures in approved campus sites, before and during the Spring Term Fair.

Field Ornithology

BIOL 241 - Cabe, Paul R.

This course integrates studies of bird biology with field observation and identification of local bird species. Topics covered include anatomy, taxonomy, reproduction, vocalization, migration, ecology, and evolution. Field trips to a variety of areas throughout Virginia emphasize identification skills and basic field research techniques.

Field Herpetology

BIOL 242 - Marsh, David M.

Field Herpetology is a research-based course on the ecology and behavior of amphibians and reptiles. Research projects vary from year-to-year and are designed to give students plenty of time on the field and exposure to a diverse assortment of amphibian and reptile species.

Food for Thought

BIOL 275 - Blythe, Sarah N.

This course utilizes problem-based learning to investigate nutrition and metabolism, as well as to the neural and hormonal regulation of feeding behavior. Through the use of primary literature and service-learning experiences, students develop an understanding of the experimental tools used in basic and applied nutritional sciences research. Because nutrition directly relates to many health care and quality-of-life issues at the forefront of modern society, this course also examines popular literature on food-related topics.

Neural Imaging

BIOL 280 - Watson, Fiona L.

This course examines how the architecture of specific types of neurons affect the neuron's ability to receive, process, and transmit synaptic information. In particular, the course examines how some of the important molecular growth and differentiation cues (e.g., growth factors) can transmit signals important for axon growth and survival of developing and mature neurons. Topics may include neurogenesis, axonal pathfinding, synaptogenesis, and regeneration. Students will conduct original research in the laboratory and acquire skills with various imaging techniques and analytical tools.

Topics in Biology: Biology of Women

BIOL 297D - Lanier, Leah S.

This course will investigate the anatomy and physiology of females through all stages of life.  Ever wonder how the menstrual cycle really works?  What form of birth control is the most reliable?  Students will learn how women’s bodies work, including the basics of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.  Additional topics will include how common disorders, sexually transmitted infections, and common environmental toxins impact women’s health.  The course will also include how women’s health care is addressed across the globe in different cultures.

Ecological Modeling and Conservation Strategies

BIOL 325 - Humston, Robert

This course is an intensive introduction to foundational methods in ecological modeling and their application, with emphasis on the dynamics of exploited or threatened populations and developing strategies for effective conservation. Topics include managing harvested populations, population viability analysis, individual based models, and simulation modeling for systems analyses.

Plant Functional Ecology

BIOL 332 - Hamilton, Eugene W. (Bill)

The emphasis and location of the study area differs from year to year. Information regarding the specific course topic and field trip schedule is made available in the fall. Through novel research projects in a variety of field settings (e.g., on-campus, Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains, The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem), this field-based laboratory course covers topics which investigate the vital roles that plants play in shaping Earth's ecosystems. Topics focus on the responses of native plants to environmental stresses, such as global climate change (elevated temperature and carbon dioxide and drought), herbivory, and invasive species. Field and laboratory exercises focus on testing hypotheses through experiments using a variety of species from intact plant communities. A review of the pertinent literature is used to develop and conduct a term research project.

International Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability

BUS 191 - / Straughan, Robert D. (Rob)

Do corporations have an obligation to manage their social impact in addition to maximizing sales, profits and stock price? What happens when these objectives are in conflict with each other? This course explores the relative roles of businesses, not-for-profits, government, and individual citizens in managing social and environmental impact. Student spend significant time exploring case studies and interacting with senior management of various companies. Recent examples include Carlsberg, Dr. Pepper-Snapple Group, Dunkin' Brands, Norden, Novo Nordisk, Pandora, Proctor & Gamble, Starbucks, and Unilever. The course culminates with two weeks in Copenhagen visiting numerous Danish companies and developing a group research project on a topic chosen by the students. The time abroad also includes cultural excursions to places such as Frederiksborg Castle and Tivoli, dinners with Danish families, a harbor/canal tour, and a closing dinner featuring New Nordic cuisine.

Washington and Lee Student Consulting

BUS 197 - Tanlu, Lloyd J.

This co-curricular student organization provides pro bono consulting services to businesses and not-for-profits. Experiential learning draws from business fields, such as marketing, finance, accounting, e-commerce, database management, business strategy, and human resources. In addition to working on various projects, students gain experience managing the organization.

Seminar in Marketing: Consumer Psychology and Evolutionary Biology

BUS 303C - Sundie, Jill M.

By participating actively in all the elements of this course, you will gain knowledge and skills that will allow you to: 1) explain succinctly and clearly ways that evolutionary biological theories are relevant to understanding and predicting consumer behavior, 2) gain insight into a variety of ways evolutionary biological theory has been applied in consumer behavior research, 3) develop your own research hypothesis/hypotheses about consumer behavior, informed by at least one biological theory, 4) gain insight into how consumers process marketing information and marketing messages, and what motivates consumer behavior from an evolutionary perspective, and 5) think critically and broadly about ethical dilemmas faced by marketers, and continue to develop your own ethical perspective on marketing practice.

Special Topics in Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial Finance

BUS 308C - Junkunc, Marc T.

A major challenge in entrepreneurship and innovation is the financing of such activity. This course addresses financing issues facing entrepreneurs including the financing of startups and high growth ventures, as well as other settings. The essential challenge of funding startups and entrepreneurial enterprises, “the funding gap,” is examined closely along with its implications and solutions. The entire spectrum of financing entrepreneurship is covered in the course. Various sources and methods of financing are examined, such as bootstrapping, crowdfunding, angel investment, venture capital, private equity, initial public offerings, buyouts, franchising as a method of finance, financing ventures in developing countries, including microfinance, and other topics. Instructor consent needed.  Req: BUS 160 or ACCT and ECON 100 

Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Future of Work

BUS 333 - Gilbert-Olson, Elisabeth K.

From automation to machine learning and AI to people analytics, new technologies are rapidly transforming when, where, and how people work. In this course, we'll explore what these changes mean—not just for individuals attempting to navigate their careers, but for society. The class draws on the latest real-world perspectives from fields like business, psychology, sociology, economics, philosophy, and computer science, as well as fictional sources that shed light on the possible implications of today's technologies for the future of work.

Supervised Study Abroad

BUS 390 - Hess, Andrew M. (Drew)

These upper-level courses cover topics of current interest in business administration for which international travel provides a unique opportunity for enhancing understanding.

Title Current Advances in Psychological Science: Decision Making, Neuroeconomics, and Free Will

CBSC 295C - Jenney, Christopher B.

A seminar of the neuroscience of decision making. An exploration of new findings on the brain mechanisms of decision making and the implications for philosophy, psychology, marketing, law, addiction treatment and policy, and free will.

Topics in Cognitive and Behavioral Science: The Cannabis Question

CBSC 296D - Stewart, Robert E. (Bob)

This course will explore a) how the basic and clinical pharmacology of cannabis and cannabis products interconnects with policy and practice in the realms of public health, legislation, and law enforcement; b) how these interconnections have informed shifting public attitudes toward the use of cannabis in medical and recreational contexts; and c) how incomplete understanding of cannabis effects in key knowledge domains demands coordinated initiatives in basic, clinical, and public health research to foster formulation of coherent and effective public policy going forward.

Topics in Cognitive and Behavioral Science: The Psychology of Magic and Deception

CBSC 296E - Gibson, Jacob

This course is an attempt to scientifically study magic and deception. We will use social psychological, developmental, biological, and cognitive perspectives in order to understand why and how individuals are deceived. If time allows, we will invite magicians to come to class and perform, and then we will take time to talk about and enjoy the art of magic. For this class, you will be required to learn some routines, perform them for others, and articulate the psychological principles behind the effects you and others do. 

Topics in Cognitive and Behavioral Science: Neuropsychology

CBSC 296F - Schacherer, Jonathan

This course will provide comprehensive coverage of the principles of human neuropsychology—how the neurological organization of the brain influences the way people think, feel, and act.  Topics include foundations (e.g., history, methods, approaches), major functional systems (e.g., vision, memory, executive functions, spatial processing), and applications (e.g., experimental, clinical).  During class, we will review the assigned readings and elaborate on important points they make and why these points are critical for students’ mastery of the principles of neuropsychology.

Disorder and Chaos

CHEM 106 - / Desjardins, Steven G. (Steve)

An interdisciplinary introduction to the concepts underlying nonlinear dynamics and fractal geometry emphasizing the theories of chaos and complexity. Students study mathematical and computer modeling of physical and social systems and interpret the results of these models using graphical methods and written descriptions. Methods and concepts from calculus are demonstrated but no mathematics beyond high-school algebra is assumed. The laboratory component consists of a series of projects from diverse areas of the natural sciences, including pendulum motion, oscillating chemical reactions, and natural growth patterns.

The Chemistry of Cooking

CHEM 151 - Tuchler, Matthew F. (Matt)

The art of cooking is carefully considered from the perspective of science, starting with the structure of molecules and how the they interact with each other and you (aka, flavor). Ultimately you will understand the magic that happens during baking, the important role of fermentation throughout history, and the secret to making confections that look and taste great. Chemical reactivity will be prominent in class discussions, especially as it relates to cooking, food preservation, and food spoilage. You will learn about the fundamental "Law of Nature" that explains why something taken from a hot oven, cools, and why you can't unmix a drop of dye that has turned your cake icing green. The course will include demonstrations and solutions to classic cooking problems, such as "How do you know if the bread is ready to take out of the oven?"

Advanced Topics in Biology and Biochemistry: Imaging in Art and Medicine

CHEM 399B - Uffelman, Erich S.

This course will count as an advanced course towards any of the Chemistry or Biochemistry majors, but the course is not limited to Chemistry or Biochemistry majors.This course will consider general principles of imaging science, including rudimentary ideas in signal sensing and signal processing. The course will then address some of the key modern techniques of imaging paintings, including, but not necessarily limited to, macro-XRF scanning, macro-XRD scanning, and multispectral and hyperspectral reflectance imaging spectroscopy. The course will conclude by surveying some of the most important medical imaging methods, including, but not necessarily limited to, X-ray tomography, MRI, and ultrasonography.

Supervised Study Abroad: Athens

CLAS 287 - Laughy, Michael H.

Classics and history of Greece. A survey of the development of art, archaeology, history, and literature in ancient and modern Greece, with an emphasis on the relationship between past and present conceptions of Greek identity.

Topics in Classical Civilization: The Image & Influence of the Roman Emperor

CLAS 295D - Brobeck, Emma

This course explores the image of the Roman emperor in literature, art, architecture, and society in ancient Rome. Students learn the history of four key dynasties of the Roman Empire from the Julio-Claudians to the Severans. Class readings and discussion explore how the emperors interacted with the populace and how they were in turn depicted by others. Secondary topics such as historiography, numismatics, iconography, and epigraphy are built into the analysis of each imperial dynasty. Course work emphasizes core research materials and databases within the field of Classics and gives students an in-depth understanding of the processes for interpreting the role of the emperor in ancient Rome. Collaborative work will further enhance student understanding of methods of analysis of ancient written and material remains from the Roman Empire.

Introduction to Robotics

CSCI 250 - Levy, Simon D.

This course combines readings from the contemporary robotics literature with hands-on lab experience building robots (equipment provided) and programming them to do various tasks. The lab experience culminates with a peer-judged competition of robot projects proposed and built during the second half of the term.

Topics in Computer Science: Scientific Visualization

CSCI 297B - Matthews, Geoffrey

This course presents principles and methods for visualizing data resulting from measurements andcalculations in both the physical sciences and the life sciences. In this course, you will be introduced totechniques and tools to effectively visualize, investigate, and understand scientific data. In addition togaining a working knowledge of important visualization tools, you will come to understand the principles of meaningful and effective visualization, and the pitfalls of poor or misleading visualizations.

Directed Individual Study: Software Engineering through Web Applications

CSCI 403A - Sprenkle, Sara E.

Individual conferences.

Topics in Digital Culture and Information: Crowdsourcing on the Internet

DCI 295C - Vaughan, Katherine (K.T.)

Crowdsourcing has become a major part of academic and corporate research across disciplines in the sciences and humanities. “Citizen science” and “citizen archivist” online programs allow non-experts opportunities to participate in research in new and surprising ways. Students will explore citizen research projects and platforms that support scholarship across the research lifecycle, from data gathering to manipulation to evaluation and publication. Examples may include Zooniverse, Making History (Library of Virginia), and Wikipedia. 

Cool Japan: Manga, Business Etiquette, Language, and Culture

EALL 175 - Nozaki, Saori

Taught in English, this course examines a variety of visual artifacts such as manga, anime, and unique social phenomena, observable in current Japan through reading materials and discussions, to understand Japanese culture and society. Students learn the visually beautiful writing system of Japanese and onomatopoeia, which is used extensively in Japanese manga. Through hands-on experiences, students gain a deeper understanding and multicultural perspective of the culture and society of Japan.

Lakota Land Culture, Economics and History

ECON 286 - Guse, Aaron J. (Joseph)

Same as SOAN 286. This class focuses on the cultural, economic, and historical dimensions of the Lakotas' (Titonwan tawapi ) ties to their lands as expressed in their pre- and post-reservation lifeways. It includes a 10 day field trip to western South Dakota to visit and meet with people in the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations and the Black Hills.

Supervised Study Abroad

ECON 288 - Hooks, Linda M.

For advanced students, the course covers a topic of current interest for which foreign travel provides a unique opportunity for significantly greater understanding. Likely destinations are Europe, Latin America, Africa, or Asia.

Educating for Global Citizenship: Policies, Practices, and Purposes in the US & Italy

EDUC 235 - / Sigler, Haley W.

An examination of global citizenship education--its development, characteristics, andoutcomes--in Italy and the United States. Beginning with study and fieldwork in Lexington,students then travel to Italy to study in the Tuscany Region, including immersion in the schoolsof Castiglion Fiorentino where they critically analyze sociopolitical contexts of schooling whiledeveloping and implementing educational programming on global citizenship, with opportunities for further cultural travels around Italy. As a culminating experience, students connect US and Italian students using digital communication technologies. Throughout the term, students read and evaluate a variety of texts on the politics and economics of globalization, global citizenship education, education policy, and curriculum theory.

Creative Writing: Nonfiction

ENGL 206 - Womer, Brenna

A course in the practice of writing nonfiction, involving workshops, literary study, and critical writing.

Eco-Writing

ENGL 207 - Green, Leah N. (Leah Naomi)

An expeditionary, multi-genre course (fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry) in environmental creative writing. Readings focus on contemporary “EcoWriters”. We take weekly expeditions, including creative writing hikes, a creative writing visit to a Thai Forest Buddhist monastery, and a creative writing visit to the workshops of a landscape painter and bloomsmith. The course involves moderate to challenging hiking. We research the science and social science of the ecosystems explored, as well as the language of those ecosystems. The course has two primary aspects: (1) reading and literary analysis of multi-genre eco-literature and (2) developing skill and craft in creating EcoWriting through the act of writing in these genres and through participation in "writing workshop."

Topics in Creative Writing: Writing for Children

ENGL 210A - Harrington, Jane F.

In this course, students will read a variety of children’s stories, analyzing each through a craft lens; become familiar with contemporary authors and industry trends via interviews and articles; write analytical and creative prose pieces from prompts; engage in open readings and peer critique sessions; and through a revision process produce a varied portfolio of creative works for children. 

Creating Comics

ENGL 215 - / Beavers, Leigh A.

Same as ARTS 215. A course which is both a creative-writing and a studio-art course. Students study graphic narratives as an art form that combines image-making and storytelling, producing their own multi-page narratives through the writing of images. The course includes a theoretical overview of the comics form, using a range of works as practical models.

Magical Education

ENGL 239 - Wheeler, Lesley M.

In fantasy fiction, power and potential are sometimes represented by magic-but authors imagine magic's sources differently, with implications for how it should be developed. Students in this course will read fiction about schools of magic, analyzing their curricula and missions. In addition to writing analytically, students will co-create a web site for a fictional liberal arts college of magic.

Individual Shakespeare Play

ENGL 242 - Pickett, Holly C.

A detailed study of a single Shakespearean play, including its sources, textual variants, performance history, film adaptations and literary and cultural legacy. The course includes both performance-based and analytical assignments.

Literary Book Publishing

ENGL 289 - Staples, Beth A.

This course is an introduction to the publishing industry, its culture and commerce. We examine the history of the industry and how it operates today, with an emphasis on active learning and practice. This class consists, in part, of active discussions with industry professionals, studying the life of a single book: its author, its agent, its editor, its book designer, its publisher. It gives you an overview of how the publishing industry works through the eyes of the people who work in it. It also gives you a chance to put what you learn into practice. Using a book you're working on (or a theoretical book you may someday write), you compose a query letter, design a book jacket, and create marketing material in support of your project. The term culminates with a book auction where students form publishing teams and bid on the books they would most like to publish.

Topics in British Literature: Tolkien Page and Screen

ENGL 292D - Adams, Edward A.

J.R.R. Tolkien has been praised as the "Author of the Century" (the Twentieth Century) on the basis of the remarkable artistic, cultural, and financial success of The Lord of the Rings--along with ancillary texts such as The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. Peter Jackson's ground-breaking, turn-of-the-millennium film adaptation greatly enhanced and extended such claims into the Twenty-First.  This course focuses upon both the original and the films in the context of wide-ranging literary historical questions such as Tolkien's renewal of medieval romance, his contributions to the development of the modern fantasy novel, definitions and redefinitions of epic, debates regarding the problematic status of escapism and spectacle, and major film theories. 

Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies: Funny Women

ENGL 295A - Millan, Diego A.

Is comedy gendered? How does what makes us laugh, and how we make other laugh, position us in the world? What does the intersection of comedy and performance have to show us about identity formation in relation to race, class, and gender? How have women, in particular, mobilized comedy to disrupt, to refuse, or to otherwise affect structures of power? In seeking answers to these questions and more, this spring term course examines a history of funny women and the many cultural expectations that surround them. We will expand our view to consider how other meanings of “funny” – as oddity or curiosity – to consider how labels and cultural associations simultaneously police women’s behavior and provide foundations for imagining resistance. Possible authors/genres include Fran Ross, Alison Bechdel, Tina Fey, Toni Cade Bambara, stand-up comedy, drama, memoir, graphic novel/comic strips. In addition to more traditional styles of writing (formal analysis, argument-driven essays), students will have an opportunity to generate their own comedic/creative projects. 

Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies: Writing and Art

ENGL 295C - Brodie, Laura F.

A lot of great poetry and prose has been written in response to paintings, sculptures and other works of art, from Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn” to Anne Carson’s “Hopper: Confessions.” This is called ekphrastic writing, and our spring class will be an ekphrastic feast. We’ll read many famous examples from poets including Keats, de la Mare, Williams, Auden, Lowell, Sexton, and Kevin Young. W&L curators and art history professors will enrich our understanding of the art, while we study the writing. We’ll also encounter new writings commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, in New York. Over the past few years MoMA has invited writers to reflect upon several works in their collection. Our focus will be Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series--60 small paintings that tell the story of the Great Migration—which have inspired works by Rita Dove and W&L alumna Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, among other poets and writers of prose. We’ll also visit local galleries and private studios, and explore W&L’s art collection. Students will keep a journal of their own informal ekphrastic writings, graded pass/fail, and write several two-page close-readings to prepare for a final, analytical paper.  

Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies: Postmodernism

ENGL 295D - Berlin, Michael

Ruling on the nature of obscenity, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart declared of art and smut alike: “I know it when I see it.” The same can be said of the ways that critics have viewed the question of postmodernity. From Las Vegas Casinos to the National Book Awards, Postmodernism has been a phenomenon better experienced than explained. Academic attempts to define Postmodernism have ranged from the over-vague “skepticism towards metanarratives” (Lyotard) to the under-charitable culture of “depthlessness” (Jameson). This course will attempt to meet Postmodern texts on their own terms. In doing so, we will ask questions such as: how do literary movements form; why has Postmodernism seemed less relevant in recent years (or, has it?); how did reactions to Postmodernism reflect the diversification of cultural production in the 1970s and ‘80s; and, how far has the dichotomy between irony and sincerity gotten us in the end? While we will mostly read fiction, we will also examine scholarly articles and look at Postmodern art and film.  

Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies: Native American Film

ENGL 295E - Gray, Khadeejah A. (K. Avvirin)

Film scholars have long expressed a desire for cinema to function as a language system. They have settled, instead, for what cinema, as an art form and visual technology, offers by way of communicating: “large signifying units” (in film theorist Christian Metz’s terms) that approximate the sentence. For Native filmmakers, cinema offers itself as a locality where complex perceptions of the relationship between self and heritage can be articulated and reconciled. However, for many Native art and film critics who write and work in a political context whose aim is the full sovereignty of tribal nations, terms such as “identity” seem threateningly static and code as the cacophonous clatter of a form of politics to which artists of color have historically been pigeonholed and which, they insist, do not offer a coherent framework for Native national politics. With Michele Raheja’s Reservation Reelism: Redfacing, Visual Sovereignty and Representations of Native Americans in Film as our primary text, we will watch Native American films, old and new. We may discuss “Imprint” (2007), the documentary “Hearing Radmilla” (2012) and “Smoke Signals” (1998). Especially with regard to Afro-Navajo singer Radmilla Cody’s story, we will consider how diegetic and non-diegetic music mediates the temporality of film. Are music and the cinematic “shot” equal partners? Grounded in the text Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes by Kyle Mays, we will also consider Afro/Native relations through the rap and hip hop soundscape of the television series “Reservation Dogs” (2021-present). 

18th-Century Novels

ENGL 335 - Walle, Taylor F.

A study of prose fiction up to about 1800, focusing on the 18th-century literary and social developments that have been called the rise of the novel. Authors likely include Behn, Haywood, Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Sterne, Burney, and/or Austen.

Spring-Term Seminar in Literary Studies: Archival Methods & Lit Study

ENGL 395C - Chowdhury, Lubabah

In this course, we will learn about archives and their potential for enriching our understanding of literary texts. Besides familiarizing ourselves with the W&L Special Collections in Leyburn Library, we will be reading scholars who have used archival material and archival methods to enhance their understanding of literature and the human condition. Readings will include scholarly work by Marisa Fuentes and Ann Laura Stoler, and novels by Lakshmi Persaud and Zoe Wicomb. 

Introduction to Engineering Design

ENGN 250 - Woodruff, Steven

This course introduces students to the principles of engineering design through first-hand experience with a design project that culminates in a design competition. In this project-based course, the students gain an understanding of computer-aided drafting, machining techniques, construction methods, design criteria, progress- and final-report writing, and group presentations.

Directed Individual Research

ENGN 421 - Liu, Mengying

Directed research in engineering. May be repeated for degree credit. May be carried out during the summer.

Ecology of Place

ENV 250 - / Hurd, Lawrence E. (Larry)

Think globally, study locally. This course explores globally significant environmental issues such as biodiversity conservation, sustainable delivery of ecosystem goods and services, and environmental justice, as they are manifested on a local/regional scale. We examine interactions among ethical, ecological, and economic concerns that shape these issues. Students are fully engaged in the development of policy recommendations that could guide relevant decision makers. The course incorporates readings, field trips, films, and discussions with invited experts.

Environmental Archaeology

ENV 330 - Fisher, Chelsea R.

Long-term sustainability requires that we look not only ahead to the future, but back to the past. How did past societies interact with their environments? How did people in the past respond to environmental challenges? What can we learn from their responses to address the challenges we face today? This class applies a long-term perspective to human environment relationships using approaches drawn from archaeology and the environmental humanities. We focus on three major practices contributing to the environmental challenges of the 21st century - industrial agriculture, fossil fuel extraction, and deforestation - and use archaeology to understand how each of these practices developed over human history. Place-based learning through field trips are key in developing student engagement with environmental archaeological approaches throughout the course.

Field Documentary on Human Rights in Ghana

FILM 253 - Sandberg, Stephanie L.

This course teaches students how to research, conceptualize and develop a non-fiction story idea into a film. We begin our work connecting with NGOs on the ground in Ghana, establishing a relationship with those organizations, and developing the research and preparation for creating a documentary about a human rights issue. These issues will alter from year to year, depending on the focus on the NGO. Students receive instruction on effective research strategies, idea development, production planning, and proposal writing and pitching. Students in this course learn the theoretical, aesthetic and technical principles of non-linear editing for documentary. Principally, students will be taught how to: digitize and organize source material, create basic effects and titles, develop sequences and organize and edit your raw materials into a polished final product.

Spring Term Topics in French Civilization: Exploring European Policy, Business, and Culture

FREN 285A - Roney, Kristina M.

A study of significant aspects of culture and civilization through direct experience abroad in France and/or Francophone countries.

Earth Lab: SAND!

GEOL 105D - Harbor, David J.

Sand is everywhere. It is between our toes at the beach, sweeping beneath us in rivers, and blown against us in desert storms. This ubiquitous, ordinary substance also tells us incredible stories of plate tectonic upheavals, vast seas covering now-dry continents, and journeys through rivers into inland deserts and along ocean shores. This field-based seminar explores the origin and nature of sand, its journeys, and how geoscientists use observations in modern environments and detailed microscopic and field descriptions to define conditions of landscapes long past. Participation requires camping on eastern short barrier islands, travel to the Colorado Plateau of Utah, and a healthy imagination.

Earth Lab: Active Tectonics of the Western US

GEOL 105E - Lynch, Emerson

Earth’s tectonic plates move only as fast as our fingernails grow, but this motion created the lowest point in Death Valley all the way up to the highest peak in the Cascades. In this course, students will explore how we can use the landscape to learn about these tectonic processes. We will investigate changes happening in real-time, with a focus on past volcanic eruptions, records of fast motion during recent earthquakes and slow fault “creep”, as well as records of coastal change from marine terraces and “ghost forests”. This course will include local day trips to explore evidence of past tectonics, and a longer trip to California and Washington states from May 4 to May 12.

Environmental Field Methods

GEOL 231 - Hinkle, Margaret A.

An introduction to the study of standard methods, equipment and tools used in environmental field investigations. Special attention is given to methods used by geologists to measure, record, and report field observations associated with groundwater, surface water, soil and air. Focus is given to the validity of data obtained using various investigative strategies as well as data handling and presentation. The course has an intensive field component using the local watershed as a model environmental system.

Regional Geology: Greece

GEOL 373A - Rahl, Jeffrey M.

The emphasis and location of the study area differs from year to year. Most course activity involves outside fieldwork with a series of multi-day to multi-week field trips.

Traces of Empire: Exploring the Cultural Centers of Austria and Hungary

GERM 305 - Prager, Debra N.

A four-week advanced language and culture class based in Graz, Austria, with a particular focus on the multi-national, polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire and its impact on modern Austria's multi-ethnic, multi-cultural identity. Language and culture classes take place in the University of Graz's language center, Treffpunkt Sprachen. Afternoon discussion classes focus on Austrian culture, supported by readings from the texts, film screenings, and visits to important sites and events in Graz and its environs. During excursions to Vienna and Budapest, we compare the two rival imperial capitals of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, visit the opera houses and national art collections, and consider both the function of art in forging national - and imperial - identity, and the role of power in the construction of taste.

Scenes from Chinese History

HIST 105 - Bello, David A.

Film is one of the 20th century's most influential forms of mass communication and, consequently, has been one medium for the creation and maintenance of nation-states. In this sense, no film can be considered as mere entertainment entirely divorced from the social, political, economic and, ultimately, historical context in which it was produced. This is particularly true of modern nation-states invented during the 20th century like the People's Republic of China (PRC). This course is intended to explore how contemporary PRC cinema has interpreted Chinese history, as represented by some of that history's pre-PRC milestones of conflict in the Qin and Qing dynasties as well as the Republican period. Students evaluate the films critically as historical products of their own times as well as current historical narratives of the past by examining each event through a pair of films produced at different times in PRC history. Students also examine post-1949 changes in China and its interpretation of its pre-1949 history, and so, by seeing how a country interprets its history at a given time.

Muslims in the Movies

HIST 172 - Atanasova, Kameliya N.

Same as REL 172. An examination of the history of visual representation of Islam and Muslims in classical and modern cinema. We approach movies produced by both Muslims and non-Muslims over the last century as historical sources: visual monuments that have captured the specific cultural and political context in which they were produced. We examine a selection of these movies through the lens of critical theory and the study of religion in order to pay attention to how questions surrounding identity and representation, race and gender, Orientalism and perceptions of difference have historically influenced and continue to influence cinematic images of Islam.

Decline and Fall of the Soviet Union and the Resurgence of Russia

HIST 222 - Bidlack, Richard H. (Rich)

This course analyzes the reasons for the decline of the Soviet Union commencing in the latter part of the Brezhnev era and its collapse under the weight of the failed reforms of Gorbachev. It further traces the fragmentation of the USSR into 15 republics and the simultaneous devolution of authority within the Russian Republic under Yeltsin. The course concludes with the remarkable reassertion of state power under Putin up to the present. Substantial attention will be devoted to Russia’s war against Ukraine over the past year.

Topics in United States, Latin American or Canadian History: Queer History and Media

HIST 269H - / Horowitz, Sarah

This class examines the history of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States as well as representations in various forms of media, including film, television, books, and videogames, from the late 19th century to the present. Topics include the origins of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, shifting cultural representations of LGBTQ+ people, queer fan culture, and debates over representation.

Topics in United States, Latin American or Canadian History: Reacting to the Past: Patriots, Loyalists, and Revolution in NYC, 1775-1776

HIST 269I - Sammons, Franklin

In this class you will explore a moment in the history of the American Revolution – as well as some of the broader political, ideological, social, and economic dimensions of the conflict – in an unusual way: by participating in role-playing simulations through which you will reenact the debates and conflicts that engaged the participants in these historical events. This was a moment when the political and social conflicts provoked by Britain’s imperial crisis assumed a ferocious intensity. It was also a moment of deep historical contingency, when the fate of colonial resistance and rebellion remained undetermined. By reading a range of primary source documents and assuming the roles of historical characters, students will develop their historical thinking, primary source analysis, and argumentation, both in written and spoken form. The course also aims to cultivate a sense of historical empathy by trying to understand the foreignness of the past on its own terms.

Topics in United States, Latin American or Canadian History: True Crime Narrative in US History

HIST 269J - Brett, Mia

This class will examine the American public's sensationalized true crime fascination from the 19th century until present day. The class will explore both the media coverage of a case as well as the historical record of famous cases. We will read murder pamphlets, newspaper articles, watch true crime documentaries, and read primary sources. The majority of the cases this class will focus on will deal with narratives of murdered women so conversations about race and gender and crime victims will also be part of this class. For a final project students will choose a case not thoroughly covered in the class and analyze the media coverage and public perception alongside the legal and factual record of a case.

Topics in Asian, African, or Islamic History: History of West African Food

HIST 289D - Ballah, Henryatta L.

Across the continent of Africa, food serves a greater purpose than simply providing nutritional needs.  This course explores the socio-economic, religious and political significance of various West African dishes in their specific locales.  Some of the countries under study include, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Ivory Coast.  Employing an interdisciplinary approach including culinary arts, students will learn first hand how to cook dishes for naming ceremonies, community festivals, birthdays, weddings and much more.

Topics in History: History of Ghosts

HIST 295F - Brock, Michelle D. (Mikki)

This course explores the history of ghosts within their wider historical, social, and cultural contexts and asks why the belief in ghosts continues to be vibrant, socially relevant, and historically illuminating. Through our readings, discussions, and collaborative projects, we consider how ghost beliefs and ensuing legends serve as vehicles for exploring and expressing historical memory, and the ways in which our continued fascination with ghosts shapes history in the public imagination. We begin with a survey of the history of ghosts from medieval Europe to modern America, and the course culminates with student-led oral history projects about the ghost legends and lore right here in Rockbridge County

Topics in History: The Dark Ages and Other Myths

HIST 295G - Chalmers, Matthew J.

Why do people think such weird things about history? What makes myths, errors, or conspiracies so durable? From the outliers – aliens building the pyramids or the lost city of Atlantis – to the mundane – the continued belief in a “Dark Ages” that never happened – both scholars and the broader public are fascinated by the past. But we don’t always ask how we get to reliable knowledge about it. How do “myths” about history emerge? Who makes what counts as “correct” historical knowledge? Our courses rethinks myth, legend, empire, and politics, considering postcolonial thought and ideas about the premodern past in particular.

Topics in History: Animal Behavior & Human Morality in Historical Perspective

HIST 295H - Rupke, Nicolaas A.

We trace the history of the study of animal behavior in its bearing on human morality, from the beginning of the professionalization of the subject around 1800 till the present day. Often, tentative connections have been and are being made between the ways animals behave and how humans conduct themselves, thus conferring legitimacy on shared traits. The line of argument in making these linkages is simple and straightforward: if animals behave in certain ways, these ways are natural and therefore beyond reproach; if humans share these traits, they, too, must be considered free of blame. Issues of gender and sexuality traditionally have been at the forefront of these considerations, but also the institutions of marriage, family, slavery, systems of government – monarchy, republic, etc. – as well as war, aggression, altruism and more have been argued for or against on the basis of animal examples.

Research Preparation in the Sciences

INTR 200 - I'Anson, Helen

This course is composed of seminar and workshop modules on such topics as: critical reading of research papers; use of relevant primary literature in experimental design; integrative approaches to research questions; use of quantitative methods and modeling; data acquisition, record-keeping, and analysis; research ethics; introduction to specific lab techniques used in research; scientific writing and data presentation. In addition, students develop and present a research plan for their research project that is discussed and critiqued by the whole group.

Study Abroad Reflections and Assessment

INTR 298 - Irby, Cynthia G. (Cindy)

Before the end of the last term in which a student is on approved study abroad, the student submits to the Director of International Education a reflective essay, to be designed and assigned for each term abroad by the faculty's Global Learning Advisory Committee. The committee reviews student reflections, assesses them with regard to Washington and Lee's learning outcomes for study abroad, and issues a brief report at the end of each academic year.

Approved Study Abroad Placeholder

INTR 998 -

Supervised Study Abroad: First-Year Japanese

JAPN 115 - Ikeda Yuba, Janet

This course is designed to improve active oral proficiency in Japanese, to introduce the culture and society of Japan, and to prepare students for second-year Japanese study. Classes are held at the Ishikawa Foundation for International Exchange, a prestigious Japanese institution in Kanazawa. Students live with a host family and can experience typical Japanese daily life. The program includes field trips to points of historical interest and many cultural activities.

Supervised Study Abroad: Second-Year Japanese

JAPN 265 - Ikeda Yuba, Janet

This course is designed to introduce the Japanese language and culture to students, to introduce the culture and society of Japan, and to prepare students for third-year Japanese study. Classes are held at the Ishikawa Foundation for International Exchange, a prestigious Japanese institution in Kanazawa. Students live with a host family and can experience typical Japanese daily life. The program includes field trips to points of historical interest and many cultural activities.

Supervised Study Abroad: Third-Year Japanese

JAPN 365 - Ikeda Yuba, Janet

This course is designed to introduce the Japanese language and culture to students, to introduce the culture and society of Japan, and to prepare students for fourth-year Japanese study. Classes are held at the Ishikawa Foundation for International Exchange, a prestigious Japanese institution in Kanazawa. Students live with a host family and can experience typical Japanese daily life. The program includes field trips to points of historical interest and many cultural activities.

Landmark First Amendment Cases and Their Implications for Speech in the 21st Century

JOUR 245 - Abah, Adedayo O. (Dayo)

Over the years, the courts have clarified when and how speech can, and cannot, be restricted by the government. This course helps you to understand the 1st amendment in context and the different forms of expressions that have helped shaped the 1st Amendment jurisprudence. For example, understanding why true threats and obscenity are not protected speech but provocative or offensive political opinions, and sometimes, hate speech is a protected category of speech. The course also focuses on the use of speech rights by diverse groups of people to achieve justice and equality .

Cross-Cultural Documentary Filmmaking

JOUR 266 - Finch, Kevin D.

The United States is a melting pot of nationalities and cultures. As people move to the U.S. from other countries they go through cross-cultural adaptation, and identity becomes an issue for everyone. Students in this course work in three-person teams to produce five-minute documentaries on cross-cultural adaptation by an ethnic community in our region or by selected international students at Washington and Lee. Students are expected to immerse themselves in learning about the home countries and current communities of their subjects. The course includes instruction in the techniques of documentary film-making, allowing students to develop their writing, storytelling, shooting and editing skills.

Topics in Journalism and Mass Communications: The Framing of Race in Mass Communications

JOUR 295E - Colon, Aly A.

Topics in Journalism and Mass Communications: Podcasting

JOUR 295G - Coddington, Mark A.

Podcasting is one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing formats in the contemporary media environment. In this course, students will get hands-on experience producing their own podcast, learning the process of developing one from forming an idea, strategic planning, and information gathering to recording, editing, and delivery. Along the way, we’ll learn about the contours of the podcasting industry, listen to exemplary podcasts across genres, and talk to expert podcasters about their work.

Topics in Journalism and Mass Communications: Corporate Communications

JOUR 295H - Swasy, Alecia

Corporate Communications: Learn how the pros communicate with shareholders, potential investors, government officials and the media. Guest speakers include top Investor Relations advisors and Wall Street Journal reporters, among others.  

Topics in Journalism and Mass Communications: Damage Control in the Digital Age/Digital Communication for Brand Building

JOUR 295I - Abah, Adedayo O. (Dayo)

In-depth Reporting

JOUR 356 - Locy, Toni R.

The principles and techniques of developing and creating enterprising, heavily researched journalistic work for the mass media. Students produce in-depth work that they showcase on a website. Extensive group work is required.

Special Topics in Literature in Translation: The Literature of Bertolt Brecht

LIT 295J - Crockett, Roger A.

Bertolt Brecht was the most influential German dramatist and drama theorist of the first half of the 20th Century.  His collaboration with Kurt Weill on the Threepenny Opera was an international sensation in the 1920s.  Masterpieces like Mother Courage and her Children, The Caucasian Chalk Circle and The Life of Galileo Galilei loom large today in stage repertoires worldwide.  The father of “Epic Theater” and master of “Alienation Effects,” he stood in opposition to Stanislavsky and developed a contrasting acting style.  This course will cover Brecht’s master works in English translation, as well as some short stories and poems.  We will read his most influential theoretical writing on the theater and practice acting scenes in Brechtian style.

Special Topics in Literature in Translation: Fairy Tales and Popular Culture

LIT 295K - Roots, Jaime W.

During the nineteenth century, several landmark folktale collections were produced—the most influential of which was arguably the Grimms’ Children’s and Household Tales. Throughout this edition, what constitutes a fairytale is quite clear: stepmothers are wicked, princes are heroic, the evil are punished, and the good are rewarded with happiness and prosperity. Yet as times change, do these black-and-white conceptions of the fairytale hold up with them? In this course we will explore questions of the role of the fairy tale as a cultural and social artifact. While these tales grew in popularity during the nineteenth century, they have continually been adapted and changed by others. We have experienced these tales in a variety of ways from the written word to the theater, cinema, television, and more recently to the world of Internet fan fiction where social commentary and fairy tale adaptation by amateur writers flourishes. In this course, we will focus on the evolving nature of the fairytale and their audiences by investigating links between the classic Grimm tales and their pop culture adaptations in film, novels, and internet fan fiction and how those adaptations and evolutions highlight changing historical, cultural, and socio-political contexts in which the adaptations emerge.

The Art of Mathematical Thinking: Mathematical Foundations of Data Science

MATH 100A - Wang, Chong

This course is intended to introduce mathematical foundations of data science. We will focus on linear algebra, numerical computation, data science and the programming language. After successfully completing this course, students will develop the necessary mathematical background for data science and will be able to solve a variety of real-world data-based problems. Furthermore, via numerous examples in real life, we learn how to access information logically, understand connection analytically, and model questions mathematically.

The Art of Mathematical Thinking: Mathematical Foundations of Data Science

MATH 100D -

This course is intended to introduce mathematical foundations of data science. We will focus on linear algebra, numerical computation, data science and the programming language. After successfully completing this course, students will develop the necessary mathematical background for data science and will be able to solve a variety of real-world data-based problems. Furthermore, via numerous examples in real life, we learn how to access information logically, understand connection analytically, and model questions mathematically.

The Art of Mathematical Thinking: The Mathematics of Tilings and Patterns

MATH 100E - Dresden, Gregory P.

In this course we study tiling and counting proofs for many famous formulas involving the Fibonacci numbers, the Lucas numbers, continued fractions, and binomial coefficients. No prior knowledge is needed.

Topics in Mathematics: Introduction to Knot Theory

MATH 383D - Denne, Elizabeth J.

This course is an introduction to Knot Theory. This is the study of simple closed curves in 3-dimensional space. We will learn how to formalize knots and learn how to distinguish them from one another using knot invariants. We will explore different families of knots (twist, pretzel, torus, braids) and different kinds of invariants (combinatorial, polynomial, geometric). We will also touch on applications of knots to topology, and molecular structures like DNA. 

Topics in Mathematics: Dynamical Systems

MATH 383E - Broda, James

Dynamical systems are used to model complex processes that evolve in time. They can model human behavior, biodiversity in ecosystems, financial markets, and even the rise and fall of civilizations. This course introduces students to both the theory behind and the applications of dynamical systems. Discrete, continuous, deterministic, and probabilistic systems will be presented with an emphasis on qualitative and asymptotic analysis. Previous programming experience in either R or MATLAB would be helpful but is not required.

From Travelogues to Blogs: American Depictions of the Middle East

MESA 260 - Edwards, Anthony

What do stories and firsthand "insights" from tourists tell us about ourselves and the world? This course examines American representations of the Middle East from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Through the genre of travel writing, students explore tourist perspectives on issues such as religion, gender, politics, and society while learning about the rich history and culture of the region. The role that individuals from the Middle East play in shaping perceptions is also studied. Through discussion and the critical reading of primary sources, such as travelogues, blogs, and Instagram feeds, students learn how "the American" and "the Other'' are constructed in political, cultural, and religious discourses.

Special Topics in Middle East and South Asian Studies: Social Justice in Arabic Lit, Films, and Thought

MESA 295B - Al-Ahmad, Jumana S.

The course will examine social justice issues from the vantage point of classical and modern Arab intellectuals and literary figures, in addition to contemporary artists, feminists, and filmmakers. Through studying a plethora of texts chosen from across historical periods from the Arabo-Islamic tradition on justice, students perhaps having little or no academic background on the subject will gain a new appreciation for the diversity and novelty in the social justice discourse amidst diverse ideologies in the Arab culture. The course also aims to help students develop analytic skills in order to discover and evaluate the interconnections between social movements and activism for social justice and the artistic expressions of these issues in works of literature, arts, and films. This interdisciplinary course encourages a broad-based approach to the topic, drawing upon intellectual history, law, sociology, religious and gender studies, and literature.

Applied Music: Brass (High)

MUS 141BH - Roderick, Shane

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Brass (Low)

MUS 141BL - Schucker, Matthew B.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Jazz Improvisation

MUS 141J - Artwick, Thomas B. (Tom)

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music-Organ

MUS 141O - McCorkle, William F. (Bill)

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. Available in brass, composition, jazz improvisation, percussion, piano, strings, voice, and woodwinds.

Applied Music-Piano

MUS 141P - Summers, Patrick

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. Available in brass, composition, jazz improvisation, percussion, piano, strings, voice, and woodwinds.

Applied Music: Strings (Cello)

MUS 141SC - Goudimova, Julia

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Strings (Guitar)

MUS 141SG - Harper, Jesse J.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Strings (Violin)

MUS 141SV - McArdle, Jaime H.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Strings (Viola)

MUS 141SW - Mason, Megan M.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Voice

MUS 141V - Fairfield, Christine M.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Clarinet)

MUS 141WC - Willinger, Elisha

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Double Reed)

MUS 141WD - Dobbins, Heather F.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Flute)

MUS 141WF - Murphy, Erin J.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Haydn and Mozart: A Musical Tour of Prague and Vienna

MUS 239 - / Williamson, Scott M.

This course will trace the musical development of Haydn and Mozart in an historical and geographical context. Students will immerse themselves in the works of the two composers and explore the various cultural and biographical elements that influenced their compositional styles. Following an initial overview on campus, the course will take place in Prague and Vienna, with day trips to surrounding cities. Significant locations include: Lobkowicz Palace (Prague), the Estates Theatre (Prague), St. Stephen's Cathedral (Vienna), Sch?nbrunn Palace (Vienna), Haydnsaal (Eisenstadt), and Mozarteum

Ebony and Ivory: Spirituals and The Sacred Harp

MUS 240 - Parker, Gregory B. (Greg)

Forged in the furnace of chattel slavery, Negro spirituals combined African musical practices and the oral tradition of story-telling with texts from biblical sources to give voice to the sorrow and hope of the enslaved. At the same time, the white people of antebellum America were singing songs they learned in a tradition of written symbols dating back to Guido of Arezzo (ca. 1000 CE), codified and collected in oblong tune books, the most famous of which was The Sacred Harp of 1843. Through readings, listening assignments, films, student presentations, and in-class singing, we will explore the origins and legacies of spirituals and shaped­note songs of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.

Applied Music: Brass (High)

MUS 241BH - Roderick, Shane

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Brass (Low)

MUS 241BL - Schucker, Matthew B.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Organ

MUS 241O - McCorkle, William F. (Bill)

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. (360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Piano

MUS 241P - McCorkle, William F. (Bill)

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. (360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Piano

MUS 241P - Summers, Patrick

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. (360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Strings (Cello)

MUS 241SC - Goudimova, Julia

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Strings (Guitar)

MUS 241SG - Harper, Jesse J.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Strings (Violin)

MUS 241SV - McArdle, Jaime H.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Strings (Viola)

MUS 241SW - Mason, Megan M.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Voice

MUS 241V - Fairfield, Christine M.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. (360 lesson fee) .

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Clarinet)

MUS 241WC - Willinger, Elisha

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. ($360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Strings (Cello)

MUS 341SC - Goudimova, Julia

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Strings (Guitar)

MUS 341SG - Harper, Jesse J.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Strings (Violin)

MUS 341SV - McArdle, Jaime H.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Strings (Viola)

MUS 341SW - Mason, Megan M.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Voice

MUS 341V - Fairfield, Christine M.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. (360 lesson fee)

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Clarinet)

MUS 341WC - Willinger, Elisha

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Double Reed)

MUS 341WD - Dobbins, Heather F.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Flute)

MUS 341WF - Murphy, Erin J.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Saxophone)

MUS 341WS - Artwick, Thomas B. (Tom)

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee) 

Applied Music: Strings (Cello)

MUS 441SC - Goudimova, Julia

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee)   

Applied Music: Strings (Guitar)

MUS 441SG - Harper, Jesse J.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee)   

Applied Music: Strings (Violin)

MUS 441SV - McArdle, Jaime H.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee)   

Applied Music: Strings (Viola)

MUS 441SW - Mason, Megan M.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee)   

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Clarinet)

MUS 441WC - Willinger, Elisha

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee)   

Applied Music: Woodwinds (DBL Reed)

MUS 441WD - Dobbins, Heather F.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee)   

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Flute)

MUS 441WF - Murphy, Erin J.

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee)   

Applied Music: Woodwinds (Sax)

MUS 441WS - Artwick, Thomas B. (Tom)

One credit is earned for ten 45-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours practice a week during fall and winter terms; eight 55-minute private lessons and a minimum of five hours of practice a week are required during the spring term. A limit of nine credits for nonmajors and 12 credits for majors in applied music courses (140s, 240s, 340s, 440s) is allowable toward a degree. A music major is entitled to one applied music course per term without charge. Special departmental permission is required for students wanting two-credit applied music courses. ($360 lesson fee)   

Therapeutic Exercise

PE 102 - Williamson, Joshua D.

A specialized course employing physical rehabilitation techniques.

Aerobic Swimming

PE 111 - Henderson, James A. (Alex)

A course designed to improve stroke technique and endurance.

Aerobic Swimming

PE 111 - Steele, Taylor J.

A course designed to improve stroke technique and endurance.

Yoga

PE 126 - Freeman, Dana L.

The practice of yoga enhances balance, improves flexibility and builds core strength. This class offers a full mind-body workout that improves health, athletic performance, and mental acuity in people of all fitness levels.

Golf

PE 151 - McHugh, Christopher D. (Chris)

Offered 1st six-weeks in fall, 2nd six-weeks in winter, and spring. Golf. Not to be taken after completing PE 209. Course fee: $100 and must provide own transportation. (If you need financial assistance to take this course, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@wlu.edu .)

Boot Camp

PE 153 - / Pins, Tiffany

This course allows students to cross train in a variety of activities, including: circuit training, agility training, strength training, core training, running, yoga, obstacle courses, and nutrition.

Boot Camp

PE 153 - Wills, Regina A. (Gina)

This course allows students to cross train in a variety of activities, including: circuit training, agility training, strength training, core training, running, yoga, obstacle courses, and nutrition.

Aerobic Running

PE 154 - Uhl, Brandon J.

Aerobic running.

Aerobic Running

PE 154 - Dager, Michael J. (Mike)

Aerobic running.

Weight Training

PE 155 - / Livingston, Javarius T. (Trey)

Weight Training

Weight Training

PE 155 - / Johnson, Vaughn C.

Weight Training

Team Sports

PE 157 - / Tomecek, Robert

This course involves basketball, volleyball, and soccer which will take up three quarters of the course. The fourth component will be any combination of team games/sports from the following: Team Handball, Softball, Ultimate Frisbee, kickball, and other games. Students will learn the fundamentals of each sport, including how to play and officiate.

Tennis-Beginning

PE 158B - Detwiler, David A.

Beginning tennis.

Tennis-Intermediate

PE 158I - / Ness, Erin G.

Intermediate tennis.

Badminton

PE 159 - Shearer, Nathan W.

Badminton

Badminton

PE 159 - Clancy, Christine K.

Badminton

Volleyball

PE 160 - Snyder, Bryan L.

Volleyball.

Racquetball

PE 162 - Jones, Robert W. (Bobby)

Racquetball

Squash

PE 166 - LeRose, Garrett M.

Squash.

Squash

PE 166 - Johnson, Jimmie M.

Squash.

Scuba

PE 185 - Dick, James

An introduction to the underwater world of SCUBA Diving, including classroom, pool-session, and open-water components. Students learn about dive equipment, the science of diving, responsible diving practices, and the environment. Practice time enhances students' safety and comfort and training is completed with a minimum of five open-water dives. Successful completion results in lifetime open-water diver certification from NAUI, www.naui.com. Diving instruction is provided by Nags Head Diving of Manteo, North Carolina.

Sports Psychology

PE 306 - Singleton, Michael J. (Mike)

An examination of both theory and application of sport psychology. Students gain an understanding of the psychological principles and theories that apply to sport and learn how to use this knowledge in an applied setting when working with teams or athletes. Major areas of focus include personality theory, attribution theory, group cohesion, imagery, goal orientation and motivation, goal setting, and imagery.

Aesthetics

PHIL 264 - Quinonez, Omar

This course offers a wide-ranging, reflective overview of contemporary debates in the philosophy of art. We discuss the following kinds of questions: How are artistic experience and value interrelated? In what does beauty consist? What is the nature of aesthetic experience? Should we value works of art for what we can learn from them? How do pictures represent? What constitutes artistic expression? In what ways is the imagination involved in engaging with artworks? Can emotional responses to fiction be genuine and rational? Is artistic intention relevant to the interpretation of artworks? Are there general principles of aesthetic evaluation? What are the relations between the moral and aesthetic values of art?

Philosophy and Science Fiction

PHIL 272 - Goldberg, Nathaniel J.

Discussion of one or more major works in science fiction and in philosophy that explore related themes.

Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Philosophy of Capitalism

PHIL 296D - Zapata, Fernando R.

In this seminar, we will consider the philosophical foundations of capitalism. Classical liberal philosophers such as Adam Smith believed that capitalism, as an economic and social system, reduces material poverty, promotes education, democracy, and labor relations without domination and exploitation, overcoming societies ruled by a wealthy political elite in which a person's class position and social status are hereditary. Ideally, economic freedoms of property and contract, and free markets, should support the common good. We will discuss political economy, moral questions of economic justice, and social problems of market society, including wage inequality, poverty, alienated labor, commodification, money in politics, and competitive consumption.

Seminar in Ethics and Value Theory: Philosophy of Immigration

PHIL 296E - Lamb, Matthew

Students will examine important philosophical questions about human rights and ethics relating to immigration and refuge. What is the moral significance of citizenship and how might it inform answers to questions about obligations of states towards immigrants and refugees? When, if ever, does another nation acquire a moral obligation to provide citizenship to those outside of its own nation? What obligation does the original nation that a refugee is fleeing have towards its endangered citizens? Should there be a distinction between persecuted individuals as refugees and those fleeing for economic reasons? And if so, why? How should we prioritize offers of citizenship as new crises arise? Moreover, how should the moral importance of human dignity shape our answers to these questions?

Stellar Evolution and Cosmology

PHYS 151 - Sukow, David W.

An introduction to the physics and astronomy of stellar systems and the universe. Topics include the formation and lifecycle of stars, stellar systems, galaxies, and the universe as a whole according to "Big Bang" cosmology. Observational aspects of astronomy are also emphasized, including optics and telescopes, star maps, and knowledge of constellations. Geometry, trigonometry, algebra, and logarithms are used in the course.

The Maghreb: History, Culture, and Politics

POL 287 - Cantey, Joseph M. (Seth)

This course examines the history, culture, and politics of the Maghreb, and especially the Kingdom of Morocco. After a few days in Lexington, most of the course is based in the old cities of Rabat and Fez, the latter a UNESCO world-heritage site and home to the oldest continually operating university in the world. We take field trips to the blue city of Chefchouen, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, and Africa's largest mosque in Casablanca. Throughout the course, students explore the region's political history, including the influence of imperialism and Islam on politics, gender relations in North Africa, Morocco's relationship with the United States, and more.

Topics in Politics and Film: Police on Film

POL 292A - Lester, Quinn

Cops and Criminals, G-men and gangsters, detectives and serial killers. Throughout the history of film, there has been a fascination with the police officer, his duties, and his adventures in the criminal underworld. Through TV shows like Cops, Law & Order, and CSI, police have also been eager participants in creating stories about their profession. Yet how closely do media depictions match with the daily life of the cop? How does film influence public opinion on policing, and how has that influence changed over the 20th century to today? This course asks such questions through critically watching movies and television about the police, as well as investigating the criminal justice scholarship about them. Students will both be introduced to the police as the most essential function of American government and the most popular protagonist in the stories we tell about government.

Spring-Term Topics in Public Policy: Food Policy

POL 294A - Harris, Rebecca C.

Students with interest in or majoring in politics, economics, business, environmental studies, public health, or poverty are encouraged to take the course.  An introduction to the institutions and politics of U.S. food, nutrition, and farm policy. Major considerations include farm and food-policy history, USDA policy tools, and political issues.  Specific topics focus on the farm bill (economics and conservation), poverty and nutrition programs, and food-industry regulation. Students engage in a community-based research project working with Rockbridge County Extension Office on current nutrition programming.

Special Topics in American Politics: Future of Democracy

POL 295G - Strong, Robert A. (Bob)

This special topic seminar will engage students on a range of issues related to current debates regarding the future of democratic governments. The course will begin with classic readings on the foundations of modern democracy, including excerpts from political philosophers, the Federalist Papers, and other documents in American political history. Class discussion will then shift to assessments of democratic governance around the world with selected readings from contemporary observers such as Anne Applebaum, Francis Fukuyama, and Richard Haass. This will be followed by discussions of partisanship, gridlock and populism in American politics and a consideration of the special challenges to democratic leadership in an age of social media and instant communication. Evaluation will be based on essays responding to topics and issues raised in class discussions.

Special Topics in American Politics: Rhetoric in American Politics

POL 295H - Uzzell, Lynn E.

This course explores the function and importance of rhetoric within American politics. It will consider the purpose of rhetoric in a republican form of government; how the structure of America’s Constitution was meant to foster rhetoric and deliberation; and how technological developments – such as television and the internet – have changed the meaning or use of rhetoric in America. Students will also study how Aristotle classified and critiqued the various kinds of speeches, and that understanding will inform our examination of some of the most important political oratory in American history. The course will be conducted in a seminar setting, which will combine both a lecture and a discussion format.

Special Topics in Global Politics: International Political Economy

POL 296C - Lee, Inyeop

This course introduces students to the study of international political economy and critically examines globalization as a dominant trend in the 21st century. The first part of the semester will explore major theoretical approaches to analyze international political economy, such as realism, liberalism, and critical theory, etc. To apply the theory to practice, we will use The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy textbook as a case study that represents specialization and division of labor in production, distribution, and consumption of goods on a global scale. Then we will discuss key issues of globalization and international political economy such as international economic organizations, trade relations, regionalism, multinational corporations, international development, global financial instabilities and economic crises, U.S. economic hegemony, and the U.S.-China trade war, etc., using some textbooks like Bad Samaritans and Trade is not a four letter word.

Special Topics in Global Politics: Ukraine-Russia

POL 296D - Yalowitz, Kenneth

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 showed that the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 is still unfolding with effects that will long be felt in the warring states and Europe. What prompted the Russian attack and how has the war unfolded? Why did diplomacy not prevent the outbreak and what are the prospects for a diplomatic solution? How is the war affecting President Putin’s control of power in Russia? Has Western solidarity held up and why? Finally, what are the implications for future European security? The course will include readings on the conduct of diplomacy and a diplomatic simulation exercise in which students will participate in an international conference dealing with a crisis related to the war between Ukraine and Russia.

Washington Term Program

POL 466 - Alexander, Brian N.

The Washington Term Program aims to enlarge students' understanding of national politics and governance. Combining academic study with practical experience in the setting of a government office, think tank, or other organization in Washington, it affords deeper insight into the processes and problems of government at the national level. A member of the politics faculty is the resident director, supervising students enrolled in this program while they are in Washington, D.C.

Special Topics in Poverty Studies: Hope, Justice & Change

POV 296A - Pickett, Howard Y.

An intensive, in-depth examination of particular thinkers, approaches, policies or debates in the field of poverty and human capability studies.

Muslims in the Movies

REL 172 - Atanasova, Kameliya N.

Same as HIST 172. An examination of the history of visual representation of Islam and Muslims in classical and modern cinema. We approach movies produced by both Muslims and non-Muslims over the last century as historical sources: visual monuments that have captured the specific cultural and political context in which they were produced. We examine a selection of these movies through the lens of critical theory and the study of religion in order to pay attention to how questions surrounding identity and representation, race and gender, Orientalism and perceptions of difference have historically influenced and continue to influence cinematic images of Islam.

Field Methods in Archaeology

SOAN 210 - Gaylord, Donald A.

This course introduces students to archaeological field methods through hands-on experience, readings, and fieldtrips. Students study the cultural and natural processes that lead to the patterns we see in the archaeological record. Using the scientific method and current theoretical motivations in anthropological archaeology, students learn how to develop a research design and to implement it with actual field excavation. We visit several field excavation sites in order to experience, first hand, the range of archaeological field methods and research interests currently undertaken by leading archaeologists. Students use the archaeological data to test hypotheses about the sites under consideration and produce a report of their research, which may take the form of a standard archaeological report, an academic poster, or a conference-style presented paper.

Laboratory Methods in Archaeology

SOAN 211 - McCarty, Sue A. (Sue Ann)

This course introduces students to archaeological lab methods through hands-on experience, readings, and fieldtrips. Students process and catalogue archaeological finds ensuring they maintain the archaeological provenience of these materials. Using the scientific method and current theoretical motivations in anthropological archaeology, students learn how to develop and test hypotheses about the site under consideration by analyzing the artifacts they themselves have processed. We visit several archaeology labs in order to experience, first hand, the range of projects and methods currently undertaken by leading archaeologists. Students then use the archaeological data to test their hypotheses and produce a report of their research, which may take the form of a standard archaeological report, an academic poster, or a conference-style presented paper.

Belonging in College

SOAN 216 - Chin, Lynn G. (Lynny)

All college students face the problem of becoming part of their campus community. College is a transformative, but nerve-wracking transition for most students. At many colleges, the traditional student experience involves leaving home and entering a new environment without the comfort and protection of their former social ties. On the one hand, severing old ties provides students freedom to explore new identities and perhaps even reinvent themselves. On the other hand, this state of detachment is stressful as students may compare themselves to their new peers and frequently ask themselves: "How do I measure up?", "Do I fit in?", and "Do I belong"? This seminar explores the questions of what does it mean to "belong" in college and how academic institutional structures shape inequalities in who gets to "fit in" and who "belongs". Students will also be asked to examine the additional barriers for inclusion and belonging for "nontraditional" students (e.g. first-generation and low-income students, students of color, non-heterosexual students, religious minorities, international students, students with disabilities, older students, etc.). Although "belonging" and "inclusion" are current buzzwords on American college campuses, these issues are not new and it is clear that diversification has not led directly to integration, especially as colleges try to diversify their student body.

Peoples of Central Europe Through Literature and Film

SOAN 225 - Jasiewicz, Krzysztof

This course provides basic information about the citizens of Central European nations of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Beliefs, attitudes, and value systems of the people of Central Europe are examined against the backdrop of major historical events of the 20th century. Core textbook readings are supplemented by feature films, video materials, novels, short stories, plays, and poetry. Class discussions focus on interpreting these works of art in the context of comparative historical-sociological analysis of the Polish, Czech, and Hungarian cultures and societies.

Food, Culture, and Society in Ireland

SOAN 241 - Goluboff, Sascha

This four-week course provides students with an immersive experience into Irish cuisine, culture, and society. The opening sessions focus on representations of food and drink in Irish literature and culture, and then we segue into socioeconomic issues that have impacted food practices in Ireland. These include the Great Famine, emigration, the Slow Food movement, and sustainability initiatives. Classroom sessions are supplemented with fieldtrips within Dublin, a day trip to Causey Farm, and a three-day trip to Cork and Cloughjordan Ecovillage.

Special Topics in Sociology: Introduction to Criminology: Crime Holistically Viewed as a Social Event of Interactions

SOAN 290B - Cataldi, John

This mutually engaging class introduces the fundamentals of criminology via a holistic perspective. As a social event of interactions, every crime has a unique set of causes, consequences, and participants. However, patterns emerge allowing for potential generalized themes for us to analyze, scrutinize and learn.  Crime affects all of us directly and indirectly.  It has a significant impact on those who are direct participants in the immediate social event itself such as offenders, victims, police officers, and witnesses.  Yet, crime also has a powerful but indirect effect on society as a whole. We will laterally study crime from the varied perspectives of direct and indirect participants in an attempt to derive productive holistic understandings.

Special Topics in Sociology: Social Inequality in American Cinema

SOAN 290F - Sutton, Alexander

This course will examine how entertainment media shapes the American cultural imagination by closely analyzing a curated selection of feature films. The class will work together as a kind of “research team,” decoding and contextualizing aspects of each film to develop a working theory concerning media messaging and propaganda from a sociological view. Specifically, we will interrogate how American cinema constructs and represents social inequality in a variety of contexts. Drawing from social theory, public policy, and scholarly approaches to reading culture as texts, students will observe how cinema depicts myths and realities of social inequality, how those representations have changed over time, and how critical evaluation of entertainment media affects its cultural impact and efficacy from a social, economic, and political perspective. Through informed analysis via group discussion and debate, and individual reading and writing assignments, students will develop a critical understanding of how narrative, cinematic style, cultural symbols, and critical evaluation influence public perception, policy, and aesthetic discourse related to social inequality.

Seville and the Foundations of Spanish Civilization

SPAN 213 - Barnett, Jeffrey C. (Jeff)

This course takes place in Seville, Spain, and uses this privileged location to study the cultures of Foundational Spain. Primary focus is on the medieval and Renaissance periods, from the troubled co-existence of Muslims, Jews, and Christians to the Christian reconquest and subsequent Empire. Significant cultural currents are examined through texts (literary, historical, and religious), direct contact with art and architecture through site visits, and with hands-on exposure to early and contemporary cuisine. Students live in homestays, attend daily classes, participate in site visits, and engage with the local culture independently and through planned activities.

Study Abroad in Swedish Theater

THTR 204 - Evans, Shawn Paul

This course provides a broad impact on student's cross-cultural skills and global understanding, enhancing their worldview. Students have the opportunity to acquire critical intercultural knowledge, appreciation of cultural and social differentness, and exposure to perspectives critical for global leadership. The course focuses on examining cultural differences between Sweden and United States through the exploration of the arts; however, because of the size of the class students are encouraged to examine Swedish culture from their own disciplinary interest.

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