College of Arts and Sciences Courses ___________________________________________ African American Studies Anthropology Archeological Studies Art Astronomy Athletics and Phys Ed Biochemistry Biology Chemistry and Biochemistry Chinese Cinema Studies Classics Cognitive Sciences Concentration Colloquia for First- and Second-Year Students Comparative American Studies Comparative Literature Computer Science Creative Writing Dance East Asian Studies Economics Education Emerging Arts Engineering English Environmental Studies Film First-Year Seminar Program French Gender and Women's Studies Geology German Greek Hispanic Studies History International Studies Italian Japanese Jewish Studies Latin American Studies Latin Law and Society Learning Assistance Program London Program Mathematics Multicultural Studies Music Program Neuroscience Philosophy Physics and Astronomy Politics Psychology Quantitative Proficiency Religion Rhetoric and Composition Russian Russian and East European Studies Sociology Theater and Dance Third World Studies

Catalog HOME General Information College of Arts and Sciences   General guidelines   Degree Programs   Graduation Requirements   Major and Minor Study   Advising & Academic Standing   Grading   Transfer of Credit   Miscellaneous Information   Abbreviations Conservatory of Music Double-Degree Program Registrar's Office Colloquia and Other Small Classes for First- and Second-Year Students Colloquia Colloquia are designed to give students at the beginning of their college careers the opportunity to enroll in small courses which explore specific themes or texts in an interdisciplinary manner. These seminar-style courses offer a uniquely personal setting for student-faculty and student-student interactions. Colloquia provide an opportunity to sharpen analytical skills, to deal clearly with abstract concepts, and to improve writing and oral skills. Enrollment in each colloquium is generally limited to about 15 students, with 10 places reserved for first-year students and five places for second-year students. Students may elect only ONE colloquium per year. Enrollment in some colloquia is limited to first-year students only. The following is a partial listing of the colloquia that will be available in 2004-2005. (Other small classes limited exclusively to first-year students will be found in the "First-Year Seminar Program" section of this catalog.) African American Studies 120. The Caribbean and the Wider World 3 hours 3SS, CD, WR Second Semester. In 1493 the Caribbean did not exist in the imagination of Europe and the wider world. In 1494, it was "discovered" by Columbus, and from that time onwards became an integral part of the European imagination and of the Atlantic world. This course will examine the historical background to this transformation and some of the political, moral, and economic issues that confer significance on the changes that took place. Enrollment Limit: 15. Mr. Millette Biology 032. Body in Health and Disease 1-2 hours 1-2NS First Semester. Intended primarily for non-science majors, this colloquium explores how the body functions. Focus of study is shaped by students' interests and previously has concerned reproductive and sexual health, as well as approaches, both conventional and alternative, to preventing and treating disease. Enrollment Limit: 8. Consent of instructor required. Mr. Allen French and Italian 360. L'Autobiographie ou le texte indéterminé 3 hours 3HU, CD First Semester. This course follows a trajectory from Rousseau's 18th century assumption of the autonomous subject to the post-modern collapse of the author/subject into text and the subsequent autobiographical alternative. We will examine how autobiography problematizes the writer's relationship to the text and reflects on themes of identity, motivation, language and self, trauma, testimony, fiction and truth. Among the authors to be studied: Rousseau, Beauvoir, Sarraute, Barthes, Perec. This colloquium is designed particularly for freshman and sophomores with strong preparation in French (with an SAT II score above 675, Advanced Placement credit in French, French 301, or the equivalent). Conducted in French. Enrollment Limit: 15. First- and second-year students only. Mr. de Jesus 361. Le Voyage dans la littérature française 3 hours 3HU, CD Second Semester. For many writers voyage is the vehicle for dissemination of ideas and opinions. Some embarked on exotic journeys. Others took imaginary trips. Both provide a wealth of voyage and travel literature embracing all forms of narrative. We will examine voyage as a metaphor in which social, cultural and religious issues are explored and criticized. Among authors/texts studied: Tristan et Iseut, Rabelais, Montaigne, La Fontaine, Diderot, Voltaire, Verne, Saint-Exupéry, Césaire, De Beauvoir, Camus. Prerequisite: French 301 or equivalent, SAT II score above 675 or Advanced Placement credit in French. Conducted in French. Enrollment Limit: 15. Mr. Yedes Hispanic Studies 306. Primer Encuentro: Colloquium on Hispanic Literature and Film 3 hours 3HU, CD First Semester. This course is a first encounter with the main ideas and literary currents that have contributed to create the field of Hispanic Studies. Students will closely study poems, short stories, essays, plays, and films by authors like Almodóvar, Neruda, Borges, and Cervantes, among others. Studying different research techniques and current literary theories is central to the course as well as learning how to write literary essays in Spanish. This colloquium is designed particularly for freshmen and sophomores and serves as a bridge to the upper level courses of the Hispanic Studies Department. Offered every year. Conducted in Spanish. Enrollment Limit: 15. Mr. Pérez de León History 117. National Schizophrenia in Japan and Sub-Saharan Africa 1945-Present: Tradition, Modernity and the Modern Novelist 3 hours 3SS, CD, WR First Semester. Our focus will be the exploration of the tension between indigenous tradition and Western modernity among post-1945 novelists in Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Topics to be covered include the family, gender roles, politics, and religion. Authors to be read include Buchi Emecheta, Mishima Yukio, Peter Abrahams, Ariyoshi Sawako etc. Extensive discussion and frequent writing assignments will be the basis for evaluation. Enrollment Limit: 12 first-year students only. Mr. DiCenzo Politics 101. Race and Ethnicity in American Politics 3 hours 3SS Second Semester. This course examines how racial and ethnic groups are shaped by the American political system. Through discussion-oriented sessions, we will examine the history of racial politics in America, the concepts of race and ethnicity, the nature of stereotyping and prejudice, the "Americanization" movement, and the current politics of ethnic conflict and change. Policy issues covered include Jim Crow laws, school desegregation, electoral laws, affirmative action, welfare, and immigration policy. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Schildkraut 132. Explaining Social Power: Classical and Contemporary Theories 3 hours 3SS, WR Second Semester. Politics is about power. However, there is no consensus as to what power is, or about how power operates in society. Drawing on economic, sociological, psychological and feminist approaches, as well as on works of classical and contemporary political theory, the colloquium will discuss the questions: "what is the bases of social power?" and "how does power operate in society?" Readings will be drawn from Machiavelli, Hobbes, Marx, Weber, Freud, Foucault and recent feminist work. Enrollment Limit: 15. Open to first and second-year students only. Ms. Kruks Religion 118. Immanence and Transcendence in Buddhism 3 hours 3HU, CD, WRi First Semester. An overview of the history and ideas of Buddhism as it spread throughout Asia. Topics include Buddhism's core teachings from ancient India, the rise of Mahayana Buddhism with its all-embracing philosophy of non-dualism and its bodhisattva ideal of selflessness, and the transformation of Buddhism into such schools as Zen and Pure Land in China and Japan. THIS COLLOQUIUM IS OFFERED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A WINTER-TERM STUDY TOUR OF JAPAN SPONSORED BY THE FREEMAN FOUNDATION. Enrollment Limit: 10 first-year and 5 second-year students. Mr. Dobbins