Sustainability-related courses explore social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability challenges and solutions. The courses vary in the degree to which sustainability is a focus of study and are classified into two categories. Sustainability Investigations courses (SINV) engage students in a deep and focused study of problems with sustainability as a major emphasis of the course. Sustainability Connections courses (SCON) engage students in making connections between the main topic of the course and sustainability. Sustainability is related to but is not a major focus of SCON courses. Beginning with the Class of 2019, all students must complete a sustainability course as a graduation requirement.
Sustainability Course Search
Sustainability Courses
in Fall 2023
Africana Studies
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
AFST-170 Fall 2023 |
African Civilizations to 1850 Crigler, Robin This course provides an overview to the political, social, and ecological history of Africa. We will examine the peopling of the continent, the origins of agriculture, the growth of towns and the development of metal technology. Written sources before the 1400s are almost nonexistent for most of Africa, and so we will use archaeological and linguistic sources. The geographic focus of the course will be the Middle Nile, Aksum in Ethiopia, the Sudanic states in West Africa, Kongo in Central Africa, the Swahili states of the East African coast, and Zimbabwe and KwaZulu in Southern Africa. We will also examine the Atlantic Slave Trade and the colonization of the Cape of Good Hope.This course is cross-listed as HIST 170. |
SCON |
Anthropology
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
ANTH-101 Fall 2023 |
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Bender, Shawn This course is a comprehensive introduction to how cultural anthropologists study culture and society in diverse contexts. We will use ethnographic case studies from across the world to examine the ways people experience and transform social relationships and culture in areas including families, gender, ethnicity, health, religion, exchange, science, and even what it means to be a person. We will examine how culture and society are embedded within, shape, and are shaped by forces of economics, politics, and environment. Offered every semester. |
SCON |
|
ANTH-245 Fall 2023 |
Stuff! The Material World of Global Inequality Dufton, Andrew "We are the 99%." It has been over a decade since the Occupy Movement and Black Lives Matter first raised global awareness of the severe systems of racism and inequality that shape 21st century life. Yet in a world post-Covid, the situation seems to be getting worse. While the world's richest doubled their fortunes during a global health emergency, the 99% are becoming poorer. How did we get here? A social system dividing haves and have-nots, those with the power to acquire more 'stuff' and those without, is not a modern phenomenon. As a discipline dedicated both to the study of materials and understanding long-term cultural change, archaeology makes a unique contribution to these debates. This class considers social injustice across time and on a global scale, examining the ways in which the material world of objects, buildings, landscapes, and resources is created by-and creates-social divisions. |
SCON |
|
ANTH-260 Fall 2023 |
Environmental Archaeology Biwer, Matthew The study of the human past requires knowledge of the biological and geophysical systems in which cultures developed and changed. This course explores past environments and the methods and evidence used to reconstruct them. Emphasis is on the integration of geological, botanical, zoological, and bioarchaeological data used to reconstruct Quaternary climates and environments. This course is cross-listed as ARCH 260. Offered every two years. |
SCON |
|
ANTH-345 Fall 2023 |
The Future in Ruins Ellison, James Courses offered on an occasional basis that cover special topics such as African women in development, theories of civilization, anthropology and demography, or anthropological genetics. Prerequisite dependent upon topic. |
SCON |
Archaeology
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
ARCH-200 Fall 2023 |
Stuff! The Material World of Global Inequality Dufton, Andrew "We are the 99%." It has been over a decade since the Occupy Movement and Black Lives Matter first raised global awareness of the severe systems of racism and inequality that shape 21st century life. Yet in a world post-Covid, the situation seems to be getting worse. While the world's richest doubled their fortunes during a global health emergency, the 99% are becoming poorer. How did we get here? A social system dividing haves and have-nots, those with the power to acquire more 'stuff' and those without, is not a modern phenomenon. As a discipline dedicated both to the study of materials and understanding long-term cultural change, archaeology makes a unique contribution to these debates. This class considers social injustice across time and on a global scale, examining the ways in which the material world of objects, buildings, landscapes, and resources is created by-and creates-social divisions. |
SCON |
|
ARCH-218 Fall 2023 |
Geographic Information Systems Sinha, Deb Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful technology for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data and geographically-referenced information. It is used in a wide variety of fields including archaeology, agriculture, business, defense and intelligence, education, government, health care, natural resource management, public safety, transportation, and utility management. This course provides a fundamental foundation of theoretical and applied skills in GIS technology that will enable students to investigate and make reasoned decisions regarding spatial issues. Utilizing GIS software applications from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), students work on a progression of tasks and assignments focused on GIS data collection, manipulation, analysis, output, and presentation. The course will culminate in a final, independent project in which the students design and prepare a GIS analysis application of their own choosing. Three hours per week. This course is cross-listed as ENST 218 , ERSC 218 and GISP 218. |
SCON |
|
ARCH-260 Fall 2023 |
Environmental Archaeology Biwer, Matthew The study of the human past requires knowledge of the biological and geophysical systems in which cultures developed and changed. This course explores past environments and the methods and evidence used to reconstruct them. Emphasis is on the integration of geological, botanical, zoological, and bioarchaeological data used to reconstruct Quaternary climates and environments. This course is cross-listed as ANTH 260. Offered every two years. |
SCON |
Art & Art History
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
ARTH-130 Fall 2023 |
Art and Sustainability Boone-McCreesh, Amy This course promotes themes of sustainability and social engagement as the catalyst for artmaking. Primarily investigated through the design and construction of sculptures, installation art or other creative acts, students will explore creative practices exemplified by land art, social practice art, collaborative art, and social sculpture, among others. |
SCON |
|
ARTH-224 Fall 2023 |
Wheelwork Ceramics Eng, Rachel A studio course exploring expressive possibilities offered by the potters wheel. Students will examine both utilitarian and sculptural aspects of the medium. A variety of clays, glazes and firing approaches will be examined. |
SCON |
Biology
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
BIOL-201 Fall 2023 |
Natural History of the Cumberland Valley Wingert, Harold The Cumberland Valley is just a segment of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians. The Great valley runs from Southeastern New York through northwestern New Jersey, westward into Pennsylvania through the Lehigh Valley and southward into Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. The Ridge and Valley form a broad arc between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau. The unique geology of this valley running north south has produced an interesting blending of organisms of both southern and northern origins. The Cumberland Valley has been occupied by humans for the last 10,000 years. The impact of past and present populations has had significant impacts on the ecology of the Valley. If we are to sustainable manage the Cumberland Valley for our descendants, we must understand the valley's ecology. This course will explore the geology of the Cumberland Valley portion of the Great Valley and how geology and climate determines the various ecologic communities that can be found in this region. Labs will be field oriented with hands on experience with the various flora and fauna of the region. |
SCON |
East Asian Studies
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
EASN-205 Fall 2023 |
Nature and the Environment in Japanese Fiction and Film Bates, Peter This course explores the relationship between humanity and nature in Japanese literature and film. Though we will draw from earlier examples, the majority of the course will be focused on the modern era (post 1868). Some topics for exploration include: the role of animals in Japanese culture, nature as a reflection of the self, natural and industrial disasters, and nature in the imagination. As we move through the class, we will also work to understand and apply "ecocriticism" as an approach to cultural texts in relation to the science of ecology. |
SCON |
Economics
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
ECON-226 Fall 2023 |
Global Economy Alam, Shamma The course introduces economic theory that builds on ideas from introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics. It uses that theory as a framework for examining developments in the changing global system. Developments include the revolution in information technology; the dynamics of human population growth; the implications of climate change; challenges to human security; and emerging patterns of organizational interdependence and collaboration. Those developments provide the context for business managers and for government officials responsible for shaping strategies and implementing policies. Prerequisite: ECON 111 and 112; concurrent enrollment in ECON 112 by permission of the instructor. This course is cross-listed as INST 200. |
SCON |
|
ECON-230 Fall 2023 |
Political Economy of Gender Kongar, Mesude Political Economy of Gender adopts a gender-aware perspective to examine how people secure their livelihoods through labor market and nonmarket work. The course examines the nature of labor market inequalities by gender, race, ethnicity and other social categories, how they are integrated with non-market activities, their wellbeing effects, their role in the macroeconomy, and the impact of macroeconomic policies on these work inequalities. These questions are examined from the perspective of feminist economics that has emerged since the early 1990s as a heterodox economics discourse, critical of both mainstream and gender-blind heterodox economics. While we will pay special attention to the US economy, our starting point is that there is one world economy with connections between the global South and the North, in spite of the structural differences between (and within) these regions.For ECON 230: ECON 111 (ECON 112 recommended); For SOCI 227: SOCI 110 or ECON 111; For WGSS 202: none (ECON 111 recommended) This course is cross-listed as SOCI 227 & WGSS 202. |
SCON |
English
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
ENGL-221 Fall 2023 |
Writing, Identity, & Queer Studies: In & Out, Either/Or, and Everything in Between Kersh, Sarah Kate Bornstein writes: "I know I'm not a man...and I've come to the conclusion that I'm probably not a woman either. The trouble is, we're living in a world that insists we be one or the other." In this reading and writing intensive course, students will investigate how we approach the space outside of "one or the other" through literature, film, and narrative more generally. Throughout the semester we will explore and engage critically with established and emerging arguments in queer theory, as well as read and watch texts dealing with issues of identity and identification. Although "queer" is a contested term, it describes-at least potentially-sexualities and genders that fall outside of normative constellations. Students will learn how to summarize and engage with arguments, and to craft and insert their own voice into the ongoing debates about the efficacy of queer theory and queer studies. Moreover, we'll take on questions that relate "word" to "world" in order to ask: How might our theory productively intervene in LGBTQ civil rights discourse outside our classroom? How do we define queer and is it necessarily attached to sexual orientation? How do our own histories and narratives intersect with the works we analyze? Our course texts will pull from a range of genres including graphic novels, film, poetry, memoir, and fiction. Some texts may include Alison Bechdel's _Fun Home_, Audre Lorde's _Zami_, Jackie Kay's _Trumpet_, David Sedaris' _Me Talk Pretty One Day_, and films such as _Paris is Burning_ and _Boys Don't Cry_. |
SCON |
Environmental Studies
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
ENST-121 Fall 2023 |
Environmental Science for Non-Majors Van Fleet, Pamela This introductory environmental science course will explore the integrated, interdisciplinary study of natural environmental systems and human interactions with them. Students will use scientific principles to explore the consequences of human activity. Students will be exposed to basic techniques for investigating environmental topics in lectures, laboratory exercises, and fieldwork. This is an introductory course for non-majors. Students intending to major in Environmental Studies or Environmental Science should enroll in ENST 161.Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. This course does not count towards the B.A. in Environmental Studies or B.S. in Environmental Science. |
SINV |
|
ENST-161 Fall 2023 |
Environmental Connections Beevers, Michael This introductory environmental studies course draws from the influences of the humanities and natural sciences on the social sciences in relation to the environment. The course will examine the ideas, concepts, and debates central to the field. Students will examine the relationship between humans and the environment and become familiar with a range of environmental challenges, with an emphasis on how these challenges have emerged over time and space. The course will investigate and evaluate a variety of strategies that are currently being pursued to address these environmental challenges. The course stresses the importance of “seeing connections”, thinking carefully and critically about environmental issues, and appreciating that complex questions rarely have a single solution. This is an introductory course for those majoring in environmental studies and environmental science. Non-majors should enroll in ENST 121 Introduction to Environmental Science. This course has no laboratory section. |
SINV |
|
ENST-218 Fall 2023 |
Geographic Information Systems Sinha, Deb Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful technology for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data and geographically-referenced information. It is used in a wide variety of fields including archaeology, agriculture, business, defense and intelligence, education, government, health care, natural resource management, public safety, transportation, and utility management. This course provides a fundamental foundation of theoretical and applied skills in GIS technology that will enable students to investigate and make reasoned decisions regarding spatial issues. Utilizing GIS software applications from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), students work on a progression of tasks and assignments focused on GIS data collection, manipulation, analysis, output, and presentation. The course will culminate in a final, independent project in which the students design and prepare a GIS analysis application of their own choosing. Three hours per week. This course is cross-listed as ARCH 218, ERSC 218 and GISP 218. |
SCON |
|
ENST-303 Fall 2023 |
Topics in Society & Environment STAFF, ENST Strock, Kristin An interdisciplinary course in Society & Environment. The topic is determined by faculty availability and student interest. Three hours classroom a week.Br> Depending on the topic, this course may also include three or four hours of laboratory a week. Prerequisite: dependent upon topic. |
SCON |
|
ENST-305 Fall 2023 |
Green Infrastructure Decker, Allyssa Green infrastructure reduces and treats stormwater at its source while delivering environmental, social, and economic benefits. This interdisciplinary course will examine different types of green infrastructure systems and how the components of each system work together to provide intended benefits. Topics may include rainwater harvesting, permeable pavements, bioswales/bioretention, green streets and parking, and green roofs. There will be an added focus on components of the water cycle within these systems including precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and evapotranspiration. Students will learn how to acquire, organize and analyze green infrastructure information and data using qualitative and quantitative methods. Three hours of laboratory per week. |
SCON |
|
ENST-305 Fall 2023 |
Introduction to Environmental Health Benka-Coker, Akinwande This course provides an overview of the science and practice of environmental health (EH). Students will learn about the environment - the air we breathe, the water we drink, the weather we experience, the buildings in which we live, work and learn, the constant change and flux of our ecosystems and how this all impacts our health. Students will also learn major EH concepts (epidemiology, toxicology, and exposure assessment methods) while becoming familiar with practices, policies, and regulatory frameworks. Overall, this course will provide the tools to promote public health, prevent and control adverse environmental exposures in communities, and emphasize the role of public health communication and strategy. Students will apply information learned through lectures, class exercises, case studies, laboratory exercises and discussion of relevant literature to explore the complex relationship between exposures to environmental chemicals and pollutants (ECPs) and human health outcomes. Students will learn about systems thinking as applied to the primary sciences of environmental health, and approaches for exploring environmental health quality and associated impacts on health, as well as the tools and data resources available for guiding public health prevention and intervention strategies. This experience will culminate in a field research project that explores indoor and outdoor environmental quality, and air pollution. |
SCON |
|
ENST-305 Fall 2023 |
Topics in Applications of Environmental Science STAFF, ENST Strock, Kristin An interdisciplinary course in Applications of Environmental Science. The topic is determined by faculty availability and student interest. Three hours classroom a week. Depending on the topic, this course may also include three or four hours of laboratory a week.Prerequisite: Dependent upon topic. |
SCON |
|
ENST-338 Fall 2023 |
A Just Energy Transition Bedi, Heather With advancing climate change, many nations are undertaking energy transitions, which involve a comprehensive effort to shift to low or no-carbon energy systems. This major undertaking, perhaps the largest global transition since the industrial revolution, focuses predominantly on the economics of the energy debate, with corporations, countries, and institutions rarely mentioning the need for the transition to be ‘just’. Students in this course will explore what the energy transition and nascent efforts to prioritize justice. The ‘just transition’ term encapsulates efforts to undergo these energy transitions using justice as a guiding principle, acknowledging that environmental and social inequalities will endure as nations pursue lower-carbon alternatives unless power and resource inequalities are acknowledged and addressed. As energy access is intimately connected to human development indicators, a just energy transition prioritizes equity concerns, including disproportionate pollution exposure, health access, and educational attainment. A key step to implementing a development-centered approach to an energy transition that is socially and environmentally responsible is to consider recognitional, procedural, and distributional justice concerns in all decisions regarding renewable energy. In this Writing in the Discipline course, students will select and research an energy transition case study. Through research, peer review, and multiple rounds of editing, students will explore the elements of justice in relation to their energy transition case study.ENST 161 or permission of instructor. |
SCON |
|
ENST-345 Fall 2023 |
Agroecology Douglas, Margaret How can agricultural systems be designed to nourish a growing human population while sustaining the natural resources upon which agriculture ultimately depends? In this course, students will learn to use ecological principles as a lens to understand and improve the food system. Topics may include crop genetic resources, soil and pest management, the role of animals in agriculture, and agriculture as a producer and user of energy. Class meetings will incorporate significant student participation including presentation and discussion of primary scientific literature and other readings. Laboratory meetings will orient students to agroecosystems in the region and provide opportunities for hands-on learning and scientific investigation. Three hours of laboratory per week.Prerequisites: ENST 162 or BIOL 131. |
SINV |
|
ENST-406 Fall 2023 |
Urban Sustainability Senior Seminar Decker, Allyssa The United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Some critics argue that urban sustainability is a contradiction within itself. With the current climate crisis, it is becoming increasingly critical for cities to rethink urban planning, development, and management to ensure sustainable use of natural resources. In this senior seminar we will explore the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable urbanism. We will discuss a range of student led topics throughout the semester, which may include components of urban form, transportation, green space, buildings and energy, or flows of water, food, and waste. Recent journal articles and student led topics will be the focus of class discussions. As a class we will analyze these topics collaboratively and we will use this class as a space to learn from one another and to engage in civil discourse. |
SCON |
Earth Sciences
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
ERSC-141 Fall 2023 |
Earth's Hazards Hayes, Jorden This course examines natural processes such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mass wasting events, and floods that have the potential to produce disastrous consequences for humans. All of these processes result from interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere directly or indirectly, which is the realm of earth sciences. Increasing global populations and increasingly interdependent national economies mean that few disasters are now only ‘local’. This course will use examples such as case studies of recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to examine how natural processes can be hazardous, and whether or not humans can anticipate and mitigate these kinds of hazards to prevent future disasters. Laboratory work will include analog experiments, field trips, and video analysis of historic disasters. Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. |
SINV |
|
ERSC-151 Fall 2023 |
Foundations of Earth Sciences Thibodeau, Alyson How do mountains and oceans form? Why do the positions of continents shift? Can rocks bend or flow? What is the history of life on our planet? This course explores the materials that make up the Earth and the processes that shape it, both at and below the surface. Students will take field trips around the Carlisle area as well as complete analytical and computer laboratory activities in order to acquire basic field, laboratory, and computer modelling skills. This course serves as a gateway to the Earth Sciences major, but is also appropriate for non-majors. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. |
SCON |
|
ERSC-218 Fall 2023 |
Geographic Information Systems Sinha, Deb Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful technology for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data and geographically-referenced information. It is used in a wide variety of fields including archaeology, agriculture, business, defense and intelligence, education, government, health care, natural resource management, public safety, transportation, and utility management. This course provides a fundamental foundation of theoretical and applied skills in GIS technology that will enable students to investigate and make reasoned decisions regarding spatial issues. Utilizing GIS software applications from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), students work on a progression of tasks and assignments focused on GIS data collection, manipulation, analysis, output, and presentation. The course will culminate in a final, independent project in which the students design and prepare a GIS analysis application of their own choosing. Three hours per week. This course is cross-listed as ARCH 218, ENST 218 and GISP 218. |
SCON |
|
ERSC-305 Fall 2023 |
Earth Materials Edwards, Benjamin Completion of both ERSC 305 and ERSC 309 fulfills the WID Requirement. This gives students a basic understanding of the tools and techniques used in modern science to identify and characterize solid earth materials at the macroscopic (hand samples), microscopic (polarized light), and sub-microscopic (X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy) levels. Emphasis in the first part of the course will be on minerals, while the second part of the course will introduce students to characterization techniques of other solid earth materials (soils and rocks) and their conditions of formation. This course is required for the Earth Sciences major, and will be useful to students interested in agricultural science, archeology, environmental science, forensic science, planetary science, and solid state chemistry and physics. Three hours classroom and three hours laboratory a week. Prerequisites: 151 or permission of instructor. Completion of both 305 and 309 fulfills the WID graduation requirement. Offered every other year. |
SCON |
Food Studies
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
FDST-201 Fall 2023 |
Introduction to Food Studies Halpin, Jennifer Class will usually run T and R from 1:30-2:45. Occasionally on R class will finish at 4:30 because of a lab/field trip. This course introduces students to Food Studies, an interdisciplinary field that examines food through biological, cultural, ecological, economic, and other perspectives. We will treat questions of hunger, food production/procurement, inequality, ecology, food labor, health, including psychology, and the diversity of ethical, cultural, and spiritual meanings regarding food. The course will include opportunities for students to engage in active observation, experimentation, and hands-on learning through community partnerships and the College Farm. Students will encounter reading/viewing assignments from a wide range of disciplines. This course will also be open to students who do not intend to complete the Food Studies certificate but would simply like an interdisciplinary understanding of the workings of food.Prerequisite: One Food Studies elective course; the elective may be taken concurrently with FDST 201 with permission of instructor. |
SINV |
Film & Media Studies
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
FMST-210 Fall 2023 |
Nature and the Environment in Japanese Fiction and Film Bates, Peter This course explores the relationship between humanity and nature in Japanese literature and film. Though we will draw from earlier examples, the majority of the course will be focused on the modern era (post 1868). Some topics for exploration include: the role of animals in Japanese culture, nature as a reflection of the self, natural and industrial disasters, and nature in the imagination. As we move through the class, we will also work to understand and apply "ecocriticism" as an approach to cultural texts in relation to the science of ecology. |
SCON |
French
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
FREN-232 Fall 2023 |
Professional French Soldin, Adeline This course prepares students for professional work in a Francophone context. Students will learn about the job search and application process as well as cultural norms and practices in Francophone workplaces. Emphasis is placed on developing professional communication and intercultural skills specific to professional contexts. As a WID class, this course develops students’ written expression with a focus on professional genres such as CVs and cover letters, publicity, memoranda, and business proposals. It further advances students’ linguistic and intercultural proficiency by teaching them how to use specialized vocabulary and appropriate registers to conduct business in French and Francophone working environments. Students will learn about different types of organizations from various sectors of the economy, preparing them for work in a range of fields. This course also contains experiential learning components that develop oral communication including interaction with francophone companies and institutions and mock job interviews.Prerequisite: FREN 202 or equivalent. |
SCON |
|
FREN-301 Fall 2023 |
Food, France, and Cultural Identity Soldin, Adeline This course examines the past, present and future of French food culture while attending to a multitude of intersections, including gender, race, class, and sustainability. This course investigates France's epicurean traditions and agricultural systems to understand the complex relationships among gastronomic practices, food and farming industries, and French identity. An inquiry of this type must consider numerous questions relating to the sustainability and/or development of traditions, values, systems, and resources. Moreover, students will be asked to reflect on their own culinary customs as well as the agro-business systems of their native countries and the globalized world. Through intercultural analysis, students will learn about how a region's food habits and ideologies relate to and affect the environmental, socio- economic, and health concerns of its inhabitants. Prerequisite: FREN 231 or 232 |
SCON |
Geographic Info Systems Prog
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
GISP-218 Fall 2023 |
Geographic Information Systems Sinha, Deb Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful technology for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data and geographically-referenced information. It is used in a wide variety of fields including archaeology, agriculture, business, defense and intelligence, education, government, health care, natural resource management, public safety, transportation, and utility management. This course provides a fundamental foundation of theoretical and applied skills in GIS technology that will enable students to investigate and make reasoned decisions regarding spatial issues. Utilizing GIS software applications from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), students work on a progression of tasks and assignments focused on GIS data collection, manipulation, analysis, output, and presentation. The course will culminate in a final, independent project in which the students design and prepare a GIS analysis application of their own choosing. Three hours per week. This course is cross-listed as ARCH 218, ENST 218 and ERSC 218. |
SCON |
History
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
HIST-130 Fall 2023 |
Early Latin American History to 1800 Borges, Marcelo Survey of pre-Colombian and colonial Latin American history. Students explore the major ancient civilizations of the Americas, the background and characteristics of European conquest and colonization, the formation of diverse colonial societies, and the breakdown of the colonial system that led to independence. The course includes both the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Americas from a comparative perspective. This course is cross-listed as LALC 230. |
SCON |
|
HIST-151 Fall 2023 |
History of Environment Pawley, Emily Examines the interaction between humans and the natural environment in long-term global context. Explores the problem of sustainable human uses of world environments in various societies from prehistory to the present. Also serves as an introduction to the subfield of environmental history, which integrates evidence from various scientific disciplines with traditional documentary and oral sources. Topics include: environmental effects of human occupation, the origins of agriculture, colonial encounters, industrial revolution, water and politics, natural resources frontiers, and diverse perceptions of nature. |
SINV |
|
HIST-170 Fall 2023 |
African Civilizations to 1850 Crigler, Robin This course provides an overview to the political, social, and ecological history of Africa. We will examine the peopling of the continent, the origins of agriculture, the growth of towns and the development of metal technology. Written sources before the 1400s are almost nonexistent for most of Africa, and so we will use archaeological and linguistic sources. The geographic focus of the course will be the Middle Nile, Aksum in Ethiopia, the Sudanic states in West Africa, Kongo in Central Africa, the Swahili states of the East African coast, and Zimbabwe and KwaZulu in Southern Africa. We will also examine the Atlantic Slave Trade and the colonization of the Cape of Good Hope.This course is cross-listed as AFST 170. |
SCON |
Intl Business & Management
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
INBM-100 Fall 2023 |
Fundamentals of Business Riccio, Steven Wang, Xiaolu This course features an introductory focus on a wide range of business subjects including the following: business in a global environment; forms of business ownership including small businesses, partnerships, multinational and domestic corporations, joint ventures, and franchises; management decision making; ethics; marketing; accounting; management information systems; human resources; finance; business law; taxation; uses of the internet in business; and how all of the above are integrated into running a successful business. You will learn how a company gets ideas, develops products, raises money, makes its products, sells them and accounts for the money earned and spent. This course will not fulfill a distribution requirement. |
SCON |
|
INBM-300 Fall 2023 |
Marketing for Social Impact Watson, Forrest Private, public, and third sector firms increasingly use marketing strategies to create social impact among their stakeholders. In this course, students will learn how social marketing techniques are used to influence individuals or groups to change their behavior in ways that benefit society. We will address global issues that impact society (e.g., environmental sustainability, health behaviors, racial inequalities, etc.), consider the complexity of systemic problems, and debate the ethics of behavior change. We will also consider corporate social initiatives to engage their customers in social good. Students will develop a real-world social marketing plan to benefit the community. |
SCON |
International Studies
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
INST-170 Fall 2023 |
International Relations Webb, Edward An introduction to global politics which examines the interaction of states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in the world arena. Topics covered include traditional concerns such as war, balance of power, the UN and international law along with the more recent additions to the agenda of world politics such as international terrorism, human rights, and economic globalization. This course is cross-listed as POSC 170. |
SCON |
|
INST-200 Fall 2023 |
Global Economy Alam, Shamma The course introduces economic theory that builds on ideas from introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics. It uses that theory as a framework for examining developments in the changing global system. Developments include the revolution in information technology; the dynamics of human population growth; the implications of climate change; challenges to human security; and emerging patterns of organizational interdependence and collaboration. Those developments provide the context for business managers and for government officials responsible for shaping strategies and implementing policies. Prerequisite: ECON 111 and 112; concurrent enrollment in ECON 112 by permission of the instructor. This course is cross-listed as ECON 226. |
SCON |
|
INST-277 Fall 2023 |
International Politics of the Middle East Webb, Edward This course examines key factors and events in the formation of the modern Middle East state system and evolving patterns of conflict and cooperation in the region. Students will apply a range of analytical approaches to issues such as the conflicts between Arabs and Israelis, Iraq's wars since 1980, and the changing place of the region in global politics and economics.Prerequisite: one course in any of International Studies, Middle East Studies, or Political Science. This course is cross-listed as POSC 277 and MEST 266. |
SCON |
Italian
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
|
ITAL-201 Fall 2023 |
Intermediate Italian Lanzilotta, Luca Intensive introduction to conversation and composition, with special attention to grammar review and refinement. Essays, fiction and theater, as well as Italian television and films, provide opportunities to improve familiarity with contemporary Italian language and civilization. Prerequisite: 102 or the equivalent. This course fulfills the language graduation requirement. |
SCON |
Lat Am/Latinx/Caribbean Stdies
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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LALC-230 Fall 2023 |
Early Latin American History to 1800 Borges, Marcelo Survey of pre-Colombian and colonial Latin American history. Students explore the major ancient civilizations of the Americas, the background and characteristics of European conquest and colonization, the formation of diverse colonial societies, and the breakdown of the colonial system that led to independence. The course includes both the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Americas from a comparative perspective. This course is cross-listed as HIST 130. |
SCON |
Middle East Studies
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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MEST-266 Fall 2023 |
International Politics of the Middle East Webb, Edward This course examines key factors and events in the formation of the modern Middle East state system and evolving patterns of conflict and cooperation in the region. Students will apply a range of analytical approaches to issues such as the conflicts between Arabs and Israelis, Iraq's wars since 1980, and the changing place of the region in global politics and economics.Prerequisite: one course in any of International Studies, Middle East Studies, or Political Science. This course is cross-listed as POSC 277 and INST 277. |
SCON |
Political Science
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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POSC-170 Fall 2023 |
International Relations Webb, Edward An introduction to global politics which examines the interaction of states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in the world arena. Topics covered include traditional concerns such as war, balance of power, the UN and international law along with the more recent additions to the agenda of world politics such as international terrorism, human rights, and economic globalization. This course is cross-listed as INST 170. |
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POSC-277 Fall 2023 |
International Politics of the Middle East Webb, Edward This course examines key factors and events in the formation of the modern Middle East state system and evolving patterns of conflict and cooperation in the region. Students will apply a range of analytical approaches to issues such as the conflicts between Arabs and Israelis, Iraq's wars since 1980, and the changing place of the region in global politics and economics. Prerequisite: one course in any of International Studies, Middle East Studies, or Political Science. This course is cross-listed as MEST 266 and INST 277. |
SCON |
Psychology
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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PSYC-120 Fall 2023 |
Introduction to Health Psychology Guardino, Christine This course is designed to provide a broad overview of the interdisciplinary field of health psychology, which uses scientific research methods to study the bi-directional relationship between psychology and health. We will discuss psychological states such as stress and how they affect the body, and mental processes such as finding meaning that are associated with effective coping and positive health outcomes. We will also study health behaviors such as exercise, sleep, eating, and substance use. Finally, we will explore how psychological concepts and research can be applied to health promotion and illness prevention. Course content will be especially relevant to students considering careers in health care or public health. |
SCON |
Sociology
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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SOCI-227 Fall 2023 |
Political Economy of Gender Kongar, Mesude Political Economy of Gender adopts a gender-aware perspective to examine how people secure their livelihoods through labor market and nonmarket work. The course examines the nature of labor market inequalities by gender, race, ethnicity and other social categories, how they are integrated with non-market activities, their wellbeing effects, their role in the macroeconomy, and the impact of macroeconomic policies on these work inequalities. These questions are examined from the perspective of feminist economics that has emerged since the early 1990s as a heterodox economics discourse, critical of both mainstream and gender-blind heterodox economics. While we will pay special attention to the US economy, our starting point is that there is one world economy with connections between the global South and the North, in spite of the structural differences between (and within) these regions.For ECON 230: ECON 111 (ECON 112 recommended); For SOCI 227: SOCI 110 or ECON 111; For WGSS 202: none (ECON 111 recommended). This course is cross-listed as ECON 230 & WGSS 202. |
SCON |
Spanish
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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SPAN-231 Fall 2023 |
Gastronomy and Health in the Hispanic World Arnedo, Maria Asuncion This course examines food narratives (literatura gastronómica) in order to learn about culture, eating habits, diet, food trends, and how these factors affect health. Reading materials (all in Spanish) will include novels, poetry, critical essays, documentaries, and gastroblogs to review the ways in which individuals, communities, and society produce, distribute, and consume foods. Sustainable food systems and food security will also be discussed. Students will learn about the basic principles of nutrition by studying key concepts such as digestion, metabolism, and requirements for a healthy diet. In addition to a research paper and short analytic papers, students will have the opportunity to engage in experiential activities at the College Farm and Stern Kitchen, and to do a creative project through contributions with varied content (gastro-multimedia, creation of a tasting menu, cooking demonstrations, food related music, etc.). |
SCON |
Sustainability
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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SUST-490 Fall 2023 |
Baird Honors Practicum Leary, Cornelius Permission of Instructor Required.Only students who have applied to and accepted for the Baird Sustainability Fellows program may enroll in the course. Students accepted for the Baird Sustainability Fellows program and enrolled in the Baird Honors Practicum will gain practical skills for creating a sustainable and equitable society by working as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team to analyze a selected societal challenge and create a viable solution that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. The course will engage students in better understanding interdependence and intersections of issues such as social justice, racism, environmental quality, ecological resilience, biodiversity conservation, climate change, resource use, economic development, and human wellbeing. Applying a sustainability lens, students will also reflect on, interpret and present their evolving worldviews, college experiences and competencies in preparation for pursuing academic, career and other opportunities after Dickinson. Prerequisites: Students must apply and be accepted to the Baird Sustainability Fellows Program. Rising seniors and rising juniors from all majors are eligible to apply. |
SINV |
Theatre & Dance
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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THDA-130 Fall 2023 |
Introduction to Stage Technology Barrett, Kent STAFF, THDA An introduction to the backstage technology of the world of theatre and dance including the areas of costuming, lighting technology, and scenic construction. Students will learn basic construction techniques in hands on production work in the department’s scenic and costume studios and will learn lighting technology while working on performances in Mathers Theatre and the Cubiculo. Two hours classroom and three hours lab per week. |
SCON |
Women's, Gender & Sexuality St
| Course Number/Term | Title/Instructor/Description | Designation |
|---|---|---|
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WGSS-100 Fall 2023 |
Introduction to Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Rebeiz, Mireille This course offers an introduction to central concepts, questions and debates in gender and sexuality studies from US, Women of Color, queer and transnational perspectives. Throughout the semester we will explore the construction and maintenance of norms governing sex, gender, and sexuality, with an emphasis on how opportunity and inequality operate through categories of race, ethnicity, class, ability and nationality. After an introduction to some of the main concepts guiding scholarship in the field of feminist studies (the centrality of difference; social and political constructions of gender and sex; representation; privilege and power; intersectionality; globalization; transnationalism), we will consider how power inequalities attached to interlocking categories of difference shape key feminist areas of inquiry, including questions of: work, resource allocation, sexuality, queerness, reproduction, marriage, gendered violence, militarization, consumerism, resistance and community sustainability. |
SCON |
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WGSS-202 Fall 2023 |
Political Economy of Gender Kongar, Mesude Political Economy of Gender adopts a gender-aware perspective to examine how people secure their livelihoods through labor market and nonmarket work. The course examines the nature of labor market inequalities by gender, race, ethnicity and other social categories, how they are integrated with non-market activities, their wellbeing effects, their role in the macroeconomy, and the impact of macroeconomic policies on these work inequalities. These questions are examined from the perspective of feminist economics that has emerged since the early 1990s as a heterodox economics discourse, critical of both mainstream and gender-blind heterodox economics. While we will pay special attention to the US economy, our starting point is that there is one world economy with connections between the global South and the North, in spite of the structural differences between (and within) these regions. |
SCON |
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WGSS-351 Fall 2023 |
Writing, Identity, & Queer Studies: In & Out, Either/Or, and Everything in Between Kersh, Sarah Kate Bornstein writes: "I know I'm not a man...and I've come to the conclusion that I'm probably not a woman either. The trouble is, we're living in a world that insists we be one or the other." In this reading and writing intensive course, students will investigate how we approach the space outside of "one or the other" through literature, film, and narrative more generally. Throughout the semester we will explore and engage critically with established and emerging arguments in queer theory, as well as read and watch texts dealing with issues of identity and identification. Although "queer" is a contested term, it describes-at least potentially-sexualities and genders that fall outside of normative constellations. Students will learn how to summarize and engage with arguments, and to craft and insert their own voice into the ongoing debates about the efficacy of queer theory and queer studies. Moreover, we'll take on questions that relate "word" to "world" in order to ask: How might our theory productively intervene in LGBTQ civil rights discourse outside our classroom? How do we define queer and is it necessarily attached to sexual orientation? How do our own histories and narratives intersect with the works we analyze? Our course texts will pull from a range of genres including graphic novels, film, poetry, memoir, and fiction. Some texts may include Alison Bechdel's _Fun Home_, Audre Lorde's _Zami_, Jackie Kay's _Trumpet_, David Sedaris' _Me Talk Pretty One Day_, and films such as _Paris is Burning_ and _Boys Don't Cry_. |
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