Course Catalog - Middlebury College - Winter 2024

Generated on Tue, 05 Dec 2023 05:10:31 -0500.

General Information

Each student may enroll in only one academic, credit-bearing course; each instructor teaches only one course. Students may study independently or as participants in a course, in their major fields or in disciplines they have never studied before. The winter term curriculum consists of a variety of courses, both interdepartmental and departmental, at various levels, from beginner to advanced. Some students also have the opportunity to undertake a winter internship instead of formal study.

Normally, a department may require its students to take no more than one of its winter term courses, in addition to winter term senior work, during four years. Students are urged to take winter term courses in substantially different areas in their first two years. A minimum of two Winter Term credits are required. A maximum of four winter term and a maximum of three summer study credits may count toward the graduation requirement of 36 credits.

2024 Classes

In a typical winter term, all courses meet a minimum of eight contact hours per week, and many courses require additional hours. In winter term 2023, the balance of class meeting time to outside-of-class engaged time will vary from course to course. This winter term will begin on Thursday, January 5. Due to the brevity of the term, it is imperative that each student attend the first class and all classes. Students who miss the first class of winter term must have an excuse from their Student Life Dean.

See Winter Term Catalog, Winter Term Course Scheduling and Winter Term Registration.

Grading System

Winter term courses normally are graded A through F. Some courses, because of their special nature, are graded on an Honors/Pass/Fail basis but must first be approved by the Curriculum Committee. Internships are graded Credit/No Credit. Independent Projects are graded on an A-F basis unless special arrangements are made through the dean of curriculum (e.g., occasional independent projects where the instructor decides that the special nature of the course is better suited to honors/pass/fail grading).

All winter term course work must be completed by the end of the winter session. Grades of Incomplete will be submitted according to existing procedures in consultation with the Student Life Dean, and such work must be satisfactorily completed by the end of the following spring semester.

Students who receive grades of D or F in winter term courses or independent projects are placed on probation. Students who receive an F may need to make up the course credit, but not necessarily during a winter term.

Theses, honors projects, and senior work undertaken or completed during winter term as part of a larger project will be graded under the regular A-F grading system, the grade to be based upon an evaluation of the completed project as a whole.

Waitlists for Visiting Instructor Courses

Please Note: A waitlist is not generated before registration begins or before a class is fully enrolled. Contact information for visiting instructors is not provided before classes begin in January, and visitors do not manage their course waitlist until the term begins.

An electronic waitlist option is available in Banner for each visiting instructor’s course. If a course that you are interested in has filled before you are able to register, please add your name to that waitlist in Banner during registration.

If you would like to be placed on a waitlist for a visiting instructor’s course after the registration period has ended (Nov 8), please contact Diane Burnham at dburnham@middlebury.edu. She will monitor this process until classes begin in January.

If you would like to inquire about a waitlist for a course taught by a Middlebury faculty member, please contact the instructor of that course directly.

Winter Term Independent Study

Students with 8 or more credits may submit a proposal to their faculty sponsor for winter term independent work (0500 Work) either as a continuation of their major or minor or as work outside of their major or minor as long as:

They have not completed more than two units of winter term independent work; and
They have received the approval of the chair or director of the department or program in which the work will be completed

Students are not allowed to pursue independent projects during their first winter term.

How to Apply

Contact a faculty member in the department/program in which the work will be done to ask if they will advise the project; once approved by the faculty member, the student should register for that faculty member’s independent project section during the registration period (or by Banner override during add/drop).

Deadline

Ongoing until the Add Deadline

Off-Campus Study

No student may undertake off-campus winter term study during their first year. This includes both September and February matriculates. Once a student has enrolled in an off-campus winter term course, they may not drop the course except in the case of an extreme family emergency.

Off-Campus Financial Aid

Financial aid is NOT available for internships, independent projects, or any off-campus trips, except the winter term courses offered through the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS).

Winter Term Internships

Winter term internships involve a significant high-level exposure to the fundamental work of an organization, with ties to a student’s academic and/or professional interests. They challenged students to apply their liberal arts learning in a real-world setting and provide students with an opportunity to reflect meaningfully on the connections between their classroom learning and their outside-the-classroom experiences. Internships can be pursued by eligible students during winter term and students can apply for the opportunity to earn academic credit for their work in reflecting upon, and making meaning of, the internship experience. The Curriculum Committee oversees this process, in partnership with individual faculty members and with the Center for Careers and Internships (CCI).

Apply

To apply, eligible students identify an internship opportunity and a faculty member whom they wish to advise them in connection with the internship. If the faculty member agrees that the internship provides a worthwhile opportunity for the application of liberal arts learning, the student and faculty member together develop a plan for the academic work that will express the student’s thoughtful reflection on the internship and its connections to their learning. The student then applies for internship credit by submitting an application (i.e., creating an “Experience”) in Handshake and lists the name and contact information of their internship sponsor (work supervisor) and faculty academic sponsor in the application. The two sponsors will receive links via a Handshake email to their respective online forms, which they will complete, indicating their support of the internship terms.

Overview

Students in these approved winter term internships spend a minimum of 4 weeks at 25 hours per weeks (or 100 hours total) engaged in their internship and complete the agreed upon academic work. Winter Term 2023 dates are January 4-February 1. At the end of the internship, the student and the work supervisor submit evaluation reports (due Feb. 13, 2024). The faculty member grades the student’s work in response to the internship on a Credit/No Credit basis (due Feb. 13, 2024). Students with fewer than 8 credits may not undertake winter term internships for credit, and students who take more than one internship in four years should pursue substantially different learning experiences in each. A student may not repeat the same winter term internship for credit. A relative may not function as an internship supervisor. If the internship is in a non-English speaking-country, the committee will expect competence in the language of that country, although exceptions apply. Students can also pursue internships during winter term without receiving academic credit.

Deadlines

The deadline for students to submit an application for Winter Term Credit is December 1, 2023. Students should plan to submit before Thanksgiving break, if possible, to allow adequate time for processing of application.

If you are waiting for approval on a proposed internship, you must register for an alternate Winter Term course during Winter Term registration in case the proposal is denied. Once your internship is approved, you will receive instructions from CCI on how to register or switch your course registration in Banner to the internship.

Contact

More information about internship opportunities and the application process for winter term internship credit is available from CCI, or contact Amy McGlashan. More information about the faculty member’s role, appropriate academic work in connection with internships, and grading of such work is available from the Dean of Curriculum Grace Spatafora, ext. 5431.

Off-Campus Financial Aid

Auditing

Prior permission of the instructor is required for any audit. There is no credit for any form of auditing; students cannot audit a winter term course unless they are also enrolled in another academic credit-bearing course. To obtain “official audit” status, in which case the course will be recorded on the student’s transcript, the student must make a request to the instructor, and the student and instructor must agree in writing on conditions for satisfactory completion of the audit. These students must register via the registrar’s office for this formal Audit status.

Community members living in the Middlebury area may audit courses only with the permission of the instructor and the dean of curriculum or designee. Current high school students may not audit courses at Middlebury College.

Introductory Language Programs

Students enrolled in a fall semester 0101 language course who plan to continue in the spring must register for the winter term language course if that language has one.

Distribution Requirement Credit

Winter term courses that may be used to satisfy academic categories and the cultures and civilizations requirement are so indicated in the course description.

Physical Education Classes

Students may enroll in PHED classes during winter term to satisfy the PE requirement, but they must also be enrolled in a credit-bearing academic course. See information on PHED offerings.

Approval Required Courses

To register for any of the following courses, you must first get the approval of the instructor. Even with prior approval, you must still register in BannerWeb during the registration period.

DANC 0381: Dance Company of Middlebury
FMMC 1020: Collaborative Video Projects
HARC 0130 Introduction to Architectural Design
INTD 1005 Worldbuilding
INTD 1074: MiddCORE 2024
INTD 1089: Middlebury Entrepreneurs
MUSC 1025: Electronic Music Production

College Writing Program

After successful completion of a first-year seminar and before the end of the fourth semester at Middlebury, every student must elect a second writing-intensive course. These courses will include regular writing assignments that emphasize further development of the writing skills introduced in the first-year student seminars. The following courses offered during the 2022 winter term will fulfill the college writing (CW) requirement.

Writing Program Courses

HIST 1047: History, Fiction, Memoir
WRPR 1010: Contemplative Writing-Practice

Opt-Out Information

If you are opting out for Winter Term you still must participate in Winter Term registration.

You must register for the following CRN:

CRN: 10405 WNTR 0000 No-Credit Not On Campus Winter

Students registering for this No-Credit option will not earn academic credit during winter term. Questions concerning this No-Credit option should be directed, via email, to registrar@middlebury.edu.

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African American Studies Minor

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African Studies Minor

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Program in American Studies

AMST 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

Select project advisor prior to registration. WTR

AMST 0710 Honors Thesis (Winter 2024)

For students who have completed AMST 0705, and qualify to write two-credit interdisciplinary honors thesis. on some aspect of American culture. The thesis may be completed on a fall/winter schedule or a fall/spring schedule. (Select a thesis advisor prior to registration)

AMST 1015 American Deaf Culture and History (Winter 2024)

In this course we will explore America’s “DEAF-WORLD” from the early 19th century through the present day. Creative, community-based, and scholarly readings, as well as memoirs, TV shows, films, and material objects will illustrate diverse traditions of “deaf,” including religious, biomedical, and social-cultural forms. Central themes will guide our work: language and communication, community and identity, cultural values and practices, education, artistic and popular representations, technology and bioethics, and activism. Through these themes we will learn about audism and ableism—foundational concepts in deaf studies—as they relate to other systems of power and privilege. Intersecting social identities within deaf cultural worlds also will draw sustained attention. We will engage in a highly collaborative learning process. Small group research projects and interactive class discussions will contribute to deeper learning about continuity and change, and varying perspectives in and about America’s “DEAF-WORLD.” This course does not require knowledge of American Sign Language. AMR, HIS, SOC, WTR (S. Burch)

AMST 1045 The Graphic Novel and the Postmodern City (Winter 2024)

From dystopian visions of isolation and alienation to utopian illustrations of soaring towers and integrated communities, comics and graphic novels since the 1970s have represented a range of cityscapes and ways of living in them. Our efforts will focus on understanding how comics work as a cultural form distinct from others and how various artists and writers have imagined urban space in relatively recent cultural history. Some texts might include: Daniel Clowes, Ghost World; Alan Moore and David Lloyd, V for Vendetta; Thi Bui, The Best We Could Do; and G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphono, Ms. Marvel. LIT, WTR (M. Newbury)

Cross-listed as: ENGL 1045

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Department of Anthropology

ANTH 0500 Advanced Individual Study (Winter 2024)

Prior to registering for ANTH 0500, a student must enlist the support of a faculty advisor from the Department of Anthropology. (Open to Majors only) (Approval Required) WTR (594 seats)

ANTH 0700 One-Semester Senior Project (Winter 2024)

Under the guidance of a faculty member, a student will carry out an independent, one-semester research project, often based on original data. The student must also participate in a senior seminar that begins the first week of fall semester and meets as necessary during the rest of the year. The final product must be presented in a written report of 25-40 pages, due the last day of classes.

ANTH 0710 Multi-Semester Senior Project (Winter 2024)

Under the guidance of a faculty member, a senior will carry out an independent multi-semester research project, often based on original data. The student must also participate in a senior seminar that begins the first week of fall semester and meets as necessary during the rest of the year. The final product must be presented in a written report of 60-100 pages, due either at the end of the Winter Term or the Friday after spring break.

ANTH 0720 Multi-Semester Senior Project Part 2 (Winter 2024)

A continuation of ANTH 0710, and under the guidance of a faculty member, a senior will carry out an independent multi-semester research project, often based on original data. The student must also participate in a senior seminar that begins the first week of fall semester and meets as necessary during the rest of the year. The final product must be presented in a written report of 60-100 pages, due either at the end of the Winter Term or the Friday after spring break.

ANTH 1023 Anthropology of Meat: Why Humans Consume Other Animals (Winter 2024)

Why are some animals taboo to eat? Can it be ethical to eat meat (and how is “ethical” defined)? In this course, we will explore meat eating practices around the world, focusing on issues like sustainability, race, and gender. Key texts include Nadasdy's 2007 article "The Gift in the Animal," Boisseron's Afro-Dog (2018), Adams' The Sexual Politics of Meat (1990), and Ko's Racism as Zoological Witchcraft (2019). Through a variety of texts, films, and guest speakers--including food discrimination lawyer Thulasi Raj and Vermont slaughterer Mary Lake--we will explore our own relationships to meat eating, while questioning what it means to be human. This course does not seek to persuade you towards or away from vegetarianism; all experiences are welcome.

Amanda Kaminsky is a PhD Candidate in Sociocultural Anthropology at the University of Michigan and an alumna of Middlebury College (Class of 2013, B.A. Chinese)./ CMP, SOC, WTR (A. Kaminsky)

Cross-listed as: FOOD 1023

ANTH 1035 Refugees or Labor Migrants: The Anthropology of South-North Migration (Winter 2024)

Millions of people from low-income countries are moving to high-income countries without work visas. If they seek to escape poverty and government corruption, do they deserve to be classified as refugees with a human right to cross international borders? Heightened border enforcement has led to thousands of deaths in the American Southwest and the Mediterranean, and now anxious voters are electing politicians who promise even harsher crackdowns. Based on research with international migration streams, this course will explore debates over asylum rights, border enforcement, the deportation industry, the migration industry, low-wage labor markets and remittance economies, with a focus on Latin American and Chinese migration to the U.S., as well as African and Mideastern migration to Western Europe (Not open to students who have taken SOAN 1021 or SOAN 329) AAL, AMR, CMP, SOC, WTR (D. Stoll)

ANTH 1045 Land and Society in St. Vincent, Eastern Caribbean (Winter 2024)

This course immerses students in the cultural history of St. Vincent and helps them understand how land conflicts are transformed through both formal policy channels and informal cultural dynamics. Students will read primary source material, ethnographic accounts, and policy documents to contextualize the oral histories they collect about land use, social change, and cultural practice. Pragmatically, they will produce public outreach materials for Vincentians to use when discussing land matters. These materials are likely to be desktop-published materials such as coloring books and curricular materials for K-12 education, policy briefs for policymakers, and short Youtube videos. (Instructor Approval) AMR, SOC, WTR (M. Sheridan, K. Simmons)

ANTH 1224 Empowerment or Exploitation? Engaging Communities in the Pursuit of Better Health (Winter 2024)

Sustained progress in global health and development requires the participation of target communities. Vaccines, for instance, will themselves do no good if caregivers refuse to vaccinate their children. In this course, we will explore the role of communities in the pursuit of improved health – a state often pre-defined by outsiders without direct community consultation. The course will focus specifically on the evolving role of community health workers within global health and development agendas, emphasizing therein the fine line we tread (as global health policy makers, implementers, and donors) between empowering and exploiting the communities on whose participation our success relies. (not open to students who have taken INTD 1224)
Since 2009, Harriet has studied, supported, and advocated for community health systems across the globe, focusing on community health policy, design, implementation, and financing. In her current role on the global malaria team at Clinton Health Access Initiative, Harriet supports countries across sub-Saharan Africa, the Greater Mekong Sub-region, and Mesoamerica to holistically engage community health worker networks as key partners in the fight to eliminate malaria and improve access to basic health services. Harriet holds a Master of Science in Public Health with a focus on community health systems from Johns Hopkins University, and a BA in anthropology from Middlebury College./ SOC, WTR (H. Napier)

Cross-listed as: GHLT 1224

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Department of Arabic

ARBC 0102 Beginning Arabic II (Winter 2024)

This course is an intensive continuation of ARBC 0101. In addition to the goals stated for that course there will be extra emphasis on cultural skills during winter term. (ARBC 0101 or equivalent). LNG, WTR (M. Khader, D. Ayoub)

ARBC 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

ARBC 0700 Senior Thesis I (Winter 2024)

Approval required.

ARBC 0701 Senior Thesis II (Winter 2024)

Approval required.

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Department of Biology

BIOL 0330 Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis (Winter 2024)

Many microorganisms have the potential to cause disease. An understanding of the mechanisms that promote bacterial pathogenesis is therefore essential for the development of effective disease prevention and/or treatment strategies. This course will explore the mechanisms by which microbial pathogens adhere to, invade, and persist in the human host. While an emphasis will be placed on microbial mechanisms of disease, the host response to the infectious process will also be discussed. (BIOL 0140 and BIOL 0145) 3 hrs lect/disc. SCI (E. Putnam)

BIOL 0450 Topics in Reproductive Medicine (Winter 2024)

In this course we will examine the fundamentals of human reproduction and modern reproductive intervention strategies. Rapid discoveries in medical technologies have allowed us to push the limits of the human body, and we will explore the scientific and medical challenges that surround the control of fertility and infertility, fetal life, birth, and the neonatal period. Through critical review of the primary literature, writing, and informed dialogues, students will gain an understanding of key topics in reproductive medicine. (BIOL 0140, BIOL 0145, and one other 0200 or 0300-level biology course) SCI (C. Combelles)

BIOL 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

In this course students complete individual projects involving laboratory and/or field research or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and a faculty advisor. Prior to registering for BIOL 0500, a student must have discussed and agreed upon a project topic with a member of the Biology Department faculty. Additional requirements include attendance at all Biology Department seminars and participation in any scheduled meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. This course is not open to seniors; seniors should enroll in BIOL 0700, Senior Independent Study. (BIOL 0211. Approval required) 3 hrs. disc. WTR (1287 seats)

BIOL 0700 Senior Independent Study (Winter 2024)

In this course students complete individual projects involving laboratory and/or field research or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and a faculty advisor. Prior to registering for BIOL 0700, a student must have discussed and agreed upon a project topic with a member of the Biology Department faculty. Additional requirements include attendance at all Biology Department seminars and participation in any scheduled meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. (BIOL 0211. Approval required; open only to seniors) 3 hrs. disc.

BIOL 0701 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

Seniors majoring in Biology who have completed one or more semesters of BIOL 0500 or BIOL 0700 and who plan to complete a thesis should register for BIOL 0701. In this course students will produce a written thesis, deliver a public presentation of the research on which it is based, and present an oral defense of the thesis before a committee of at least three faculty members. Additional requirements include attendance at all Biology Department seminars and participation in any scheduled meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. Open to Biology and joint Biology/Environmental Studies majors. (BIOL 0211 and BIOL 0500 or BIOL 0700 or waiver; instructor approval required for all students) 3 hrs. disc

BIOL 1008 Mountain Ecology (Winter 2024)

In this course we will examine western mountain ranges (Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains, and Cascades) and National Parks (e.g., Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, and Yosemite). These exceptional landscapes will serve as the backdrop for exploring geology, climate, ecology, and natural history of forested and alpine environments. Through lecture, readings, videos, and individual/group activities, we will cover topics including altitude and adaptations, mountains as hotspots for biodiversity, ecosystem services, and effects of climate change on species and habitats. The instructor will share personal experience from releasing wolves into the Idaho wilderness to leading recovery efforts for endangered species, as well as decades of collaborating with federal and state agencies on species of concern and watershed and habitat management issues.

Ray Vizgirdas is a retired biologist with more than 30 years with the US Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in California and Idaho. He is also adjunct faculty at Boise State and Northwest Nazarene universities in Idaho teaching advanced and graduate level courses in biology and environmental sciences. / SCI, WTR (R. Vizgirdas)

BIOL 1012 Animal Communication (Winter 2024)

This course will examine information transfer between animals, including the mechanisms of the production and reception of animal signals in different sensory modalities, and the factors that shape the evolution and structure of communication signals. This course will discuss signal characteristics, signal evolution, honesty and deception, competing interests of signallers and receivers, communication in networks, and methods for identifying and quantifying information in the study of animal communication systems. The goals of this course are: 1) to demonstrate how communication affects the ecology, behavior, neurobiology, and evolution of animal systems; 2) to compare and contrast theoretical and empirical tools used in studying animal communication origins and structure; 3) and to highlight the effects of human-induced change on animal communication. SCI, WTR (L. Feyten)

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Program in Black Studies

BLST 1111 Race in the Digital (Winter 2024)

How do we perceive race online? Have digital spaces opened paths for new or different circulations of racisms? Working from a Black Studies approach, we shall investigate how race and racisms have persisted, transformed, and become imbedded in the digital technologies and virtual spaces of our contemporary era. Topics of exploration might include: social media, data-tracking, digital blackface, algorithmic bias, and design justice in tech. As this course centrally deals with questions of digital space and place, we will regularly situate instruction, learning, and community-making through digital tools and technologies. We may read from texts such as Ruha Benjamin’s Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code. (BLST 0101 or equivalent coursework is strongly recommended.) CMP, PHL, SOC, WTR (K. Davis)

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Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

CHEM 0500 Independent Study Project (Winter 2024)

Individual study for qualified students. (Approval required) WTR

CHEM 0700 Senior Research (Winter 2024)

In this course students complete individual projects involving laboratory research on a topic chosen by the student and a faculty advisor. Prior to registering for CHEM 0700, a student must have discussed and agreed upon a project topic with a faculty member in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. Attendance at all Chemistry and Biochemistry Department seminars is expected. (Approval required; open only to seniors)

CHEM 0701 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

Students who have initiated research projects in CHEM 0400 and who plan to complete a senior thesis should register for CHEM 0701. Students are required to write a thesis, give a public presentation, and defend their thesis before a committee of at least three faculty members. The final grade will be determined by the department. Attendance at all Chemistry and Biochemistry Department seminars is expected. (CHEM 0400; approval required)

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Greenberg-Starr Department of Chinese Language & Literature

CHNS 0102 Beginning Chinese (Winter 2024)

An intensive continuation of CHNS 0101, this course is required of those wishing to take CHNS 0103 in the spring. Students may anticipate learning a significant amount of new vocabulary, sentence patterns and idiomatic expressions. Skits, oral presentations, writing assignments, and cultural activities are also part of this course. (CHNS 0101) LNG, WTR (H. Du, P. Downey, D. Liu, W. Xu, K. Zhang)

CHNS 0500 Senior Essay (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR (297 seats)

CHNS 0700 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval required)

CHNS 0702 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval required). WTR

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Eve Adler Department of Classics and Program in Classical Studies

CLAS 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

(Approval required) WTR

CLAS 0505 Ind Senior Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR (J. Chaplin, P. Sfyroeras, C. Star, M. Witkin)

CLAS 0700 Senior Essay for Classics/Classical Studies Majors (Winter 2024)

(Approval required)

CLAS 1046 How to Win the Argument (Winter 2024)

How to Win the Argument: Rhetoric and Democracy*
Arguments shape the progress of free society. From "Four score and seven" to "never surrender," to "I have a dream," we celebrate the power of rhetoric to motivate political action. Yet rhetoric can mislead as well, and its techniques appear to involve a form of manipulation. In this class, we will examine the "arts" of rhetoric, and the philosophical debates surrounding the role of rhetoric in politics. Readings include political speeches (Lincoln, Churchill, King), plays (Aristophanes, Shakespeare), ancient philosophies of rhetoric (Plato, Aristotle), and modern theories of speech and "public reason" (Mill, Rawls). We will prepare and practice public speech-making in class, and we will compose and revise our own analytical and rhetorical prose. CW, EUR, SOC, WTR (D. Fram)

Cross-listed as: PSCI 1046 *

GREK 0101 Beginning Greek I (Winter 2024)

This course is a rapid and intensive introduction to classical Greek for beginners. The aim of the course is to prepare students to read the major authors of Greek literature. In addition to a systematic study of grammar and syntax, we will also read excerpts from a variety of ancient authors. LNG, WTR (P. Sfyroeras, M. Witkin)

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Program in Comparative Literature

CMLT 0200 Once Upon A Time ... Folk Fairy Tales Of The World (Winter 2024)

Tell me a story! We will examine the complex, inter-connected fairy tale traditions found in every society. Comparing fairy tale variants from around the world-including Japan, China, India, Near East, Africa-we will explore their convoluted and fertile relationships as observed in the rise of fairy tale collections in 15th-century Europe, reaching a culmination in the Brothers Grimm collection, often synonymous with the fairy tale itself. To attain a more dispassionate critical perspective we will explore theoretical approaches to the fairy tales through authors such as Zipes, Bottigheimer, Tatar, and Rölleke, and conclude by examining modern variants in prose, poetry, and film. (not open to students who have taken FYSE 1511) 3 hrs. lect. CMP, LIT, WTR (R. Russi)

CMLT 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

Approval Required WTR

CMLT 0700 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

A senior thesis is normally completed over two semesters. During Fall and Winter terms, or Winter and Spring terms, students will write a 35-page (article length) comparative essay, firmly situated in literary analysis. Students are responsible for identifying and arranging to work with their primary language and secondary language readers, and consulting with the program director before completing the CMLT Thesis Declaration form. (Approval required.)

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Department of Computer Science

CSCI 0500 Advanced Study (Winter 2024)

Individual study for qualified students in more advanced topics in computer science theory, systems, or application areas. Particularly suited for students who enter with advanced standing. (Approval required) 3 hrs. lect. WTR

CSCI 0702 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

The senior thesis is required for all CSCI majors who wish to be considered for high and highest departmental honors, and is recommended for students interested in pursuing graduate study in computer science. Students will spend the semester researching and writing, and developing and experimenting as appropriate for their topic. All students will be expected to report on their work in the form of a written thesis, a poster, and an oral presentation at the end of the semester. In addition, throughout the semester, students will meet as a group to discuss research and writing, and will be expected to attend talks in the Computer Science lecture series. Before approval to join the class is granted, students are expected to have chosen a thesis adviser from the CSCI faculty, and determined a thesis topic with the guidance and approval of that adviser. (CSCI 0701 and approval required) 3 hrs. lect./disc.

CSCI 1052 Randomized Algorithms for Data Science (Winter 2024)

In this class, we will discover how data science techniques are deployed at scale. The questions we investigate will include: How do services such as Shazam recognize song clips in seconds? In settings with hundreds of features, how do we find patterns? Given a social network, how can we detect groups? And how can we use vibrations to "see" into the earth? We'll answer these questions and more by exploring how randomization lets us get away with far fewer resources than we'd otherwise need. Topics include random variables, concentration inequalities, dimensionality reduction, singular value decomposition, spectral graph theory, and approximate linear regression. (MATH 0200, CSCI 0200 and CSCI 0302)

Teal Witter is a PhD candidate at NYU Tandon. He graduated from Middlebury in 2020 and can't wait to return to snowy Vermont for the winter term!/ DED, WTR (T. Witter)

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Program in Dance

DANC 0381 Dance Company of Middlebury (Winter 2024)

Dancers work with the artistic director and guest choreographers as part of a dance company, learning, interpreting, rehearsing, and performing repertory dances. Those receiving credit can expect daily rehearsals plus technique classes, campus performance, and tour. Appropriate written work is required. Auditions are held in the fall semester for the full year; one credit will be given for two semesters of participation. (Approval Required; limited to sophomores through seniors by audition) PE, WTR (L. Winfield)

DANC 0500 Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR (307 seats)

DANC 0700 Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR (L. Jenkins)

DANC 1017 Introduction to Butoh Dance (Winter 2024)

This course is an introduction to the fundamental principles of butoh dance. Butoh is a contemporary dance form that originated in Japan in the 1950s and has since spread worldwide. This form values explorations of presence, transformation, and the development of curiosity to create full-bodied performance. Students experience butoh techniques through a series of movement exercises, choreography, and improvisational activities. This course explores butoh’s themes, history, and evolution, investigating how it differs from western contemporary dance by subverting dance norms and embracing refusal. Through embodiment, supporting course materials, creative writing practices, and artistic generation, students understand butoh’s physical and emotional components while strengthening creative expression and confidence in the body.

Meshi Chavez is a teacher, butoh dancer, and choreographer and was recently Artist in Residence at Middlebury College from the Fall of 2021 to the Spring of 2023. He received his MFA at the University of the Arts./ ART, PE, WTR (M. Chavez)

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Earth and Climate Sciences

ECSC 0500 Readings and Research (Winter 2024)

Individual or group independent study, laboratory or field research projects, readings and discussion of timely topics in earth and environmental science. (Approval only) (formerly GEOL 0500)

ECSC 0700 Senior Thesis Research (Winter 2024)

Upon completion of ECSC 0400, all senior ECSC/GEOL majors will continue their independent senior thesis research by taking one unit of ECSC 0700. This research will culminate in a written thesis which must be orally defended. (Approval only) (formerly GEOL 0700)

ECSC 1055 Geohazards of the Central American Volcanic Arc (Winter 2024)

In this course, students will examine case studies related to natural hazards, water resources and climate in Central America, including a week-long excursion to Costa Rica. Through seminars and case studies, students will learn geology, geography, hydrology and climate of this region, including tectonic environment, volcanism and earthquake risk, water resource challenges, and climate change impacts. For the field portion of the course, we will be joined by local scientists and students will do fieldwork for case studies. Upon return to Middlebury, students will conduct analyses related to fieldwork carried out in Costa Rica, culminating with conference-style poster/oral session. WTR (P. Ryan, K. Waldman)

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Department of Economics

ECON 0500 Individual Special Project (Winter 2024)

If you choose to pursue an area that we do not offer or go in depth in an area already covered, we recommend the Individual Special Project option. These ECON 0500 proposals MUST be passed by the entire department and are to be submitted to the chair by the first Friday of fall and spring semester, respectively. The proposals should contain a specific description of the course contents, its goals, and the mechanisms by which goals are to be realized. It should also include a bibliography. According to the College Handbook, ECON 0500 projects are a privilege open to those students with advanced preparation and superior records in their fields. A student needs to have a 3.5 or higher G.P.A. in Economics courses taken at Middlebury in order to pursue an Individual Special Project. ECON 0500 does not count towards the major or minor requirements. WTR

ECON 0701 Senior Research Workshop I (Winter 2024)

In this first semester, students will design and begin their projects. Emphasis will be on designing a novel research question (while making the case for its importance) and an appropriate strategy for answering it. This requires immersion in the academic literature on the topic. General research principles and tools will be taught in class, as a group, while those specific to individual projects will be covered in one-on-one meetings. By the end of the term, students will outline their plan for completing the project, including demonstrating that it is a feasible research question for which the necessary information (e.g., data or source materials) is available or can be generated by the student (e.g., lab or other experiment). (Approval required) WTR (A. Robbett, C. Myers)

ECON 0702 Senior Research Workshop II (Winter 2024)

In this second semester of the senior research workshop sequence, the focus is on the execution of the research plan developed in ECON 0701. Most instruction is now one-on-one but the workshop will still meet as a group to discuss and practice the presentation of results in various formats (seminars, poster sessions, et cetera) to the rest of the workshop and others in the college and broader communities. Feedback and critiques from such presentations will be incorporated into the project, which will culminate in a research paper in the style of an economics journal article. (ECON 0701; Approval required) WTR (E. Gong, E. Wolcott)

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Program in Education Studies

EDST 0107 Introduction to TESOL (Winter 2024)

In this course we will study theories and practices relevant to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in the U.S. and abroad. We will examine curricular resources used with adolescent and adult learners, and practice developing materials applicable to a variety of classroom settings. We will also discuss critical issues in the field, such as linguistic prejudice, language maintenance, and social justice pedagogy. Class sessions are largely hands-on, and include student teaching demonstrations with peer feedback. Opportunities for community engagement are also available. The final project is a portfolio that includes a personal philosophy of teaching. (Not open to students who have taken LNGT/EDST 1003) WTR (J. McVeigh)

Cross-listed as: LNGT 0107 *

EDST 0305 Reading & Writing the World: Teaching Literacy and Social Studies in the Elementary School (Winter 2024)

In this course, we examine what it means to be literate in the 21st century and ways in which all students can be empowered by the texts and teaching they encounter in schools. Students will develop their ability to enact literacy instruction based on current research about how children learn to read and write. We will take a critical look at texts—fiction, nonfiction, and historical—to consider the ways that texts read and write the world, develop abilities to select texts that empower all learners, and analyze retellings of historical events/persons to take into account multiple perspectives. Many class sessions occur onsite at a local elementary school to provide consistent practice and supportive feedback on authentic components of teaching (transportation provided). In addition to class sessions, students will complete field experiences in a K-6 classroom in the Middlebury area to see the workings of an entire class. 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc. (C. Johnston)

EDST 0327 Field Experience in Secondary Education and Special Education (Winter 2024)

In this course we will examine secondary teaching and special education at the middle school level. In this seminar we will explore, through selected readings and case studies, the policy and pedagogy of special education for students with learning disabilities. Further topics in middle/secondary education will be addressed. Required for students seeking a major in secondary education. (Pass/Fail) (Open to EDST Secondary Licensure candidates only) non-standard grade, WTR (J. Miller-Lane)

EDST 0500 Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

EDST 1125 Introduction to Meditation (Winter 2024)

Basic sitting and walking meditation will be taught and intensively practiced. We will use the breath to foster relaxed attention and to gain perspective on our restless minds. Emphasis will be on using these techniques in daily life and academic endeavors. We will read texts from the contemporary American, Tibetan and Zen Buddhist traditions, but the meditation will be employed in nonsectarian fashion applicable to any belief system. Truth should be verified by one’s experience. Students will write papers and give presentations. No meditation experience necessary.

John Huddleston retired from the Studio Art Program in 2017. For the last eight years he also taught mindfulness courses at the college./ AAL, NOA, PHL, WTR (J. Huddleston)

Cross-listed as: INTD 1125 *

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Department of English

CRWR 0170 Writing: Poetry, Fiction, NonFiction (Winter 2024)

An introduction to the writing of poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction through analysis of writings by modern and contemporary poets and prose writers and regular discussion of student writing. Different instructors may choose to emphasize one literary form or another in a given semester. Workshops will focus on composition and revision, with particular attention to the basics of form and craft. This course is a prerequisite to CRWR 0380, CRWR 0385, CRWR 0370, and CRWR 0375. (This course is not a college writing course.) (Formerly ENAM 0170) 3 hrs. sem. ART (S. Ulmer)

CRWR 0560 Special Project: Creative Writing (Winter 2024)

Approval Required. WTR (D. Bain, R. Cohen, M. Mayhew-Bergman, K. Kramer, J. Parini, S. Ulmer, C. Wright, K. Gottshall, P. Lourie, T. Billings, D. Brayton)

CRWR 1014 The Art of Storytelling (Winter 2024)

We will begin with an overview of oral storytelling traditions, from Native American to Western African to Irish. We will read excerpts from Arabian Nights, and we’ll dabble in psychology. Contemporary readings include work by Amy Tan, Tracy K. Smith, and Carmen Maria Machado. We’ll watch videos of stories told live for The Moth, and we’ll discuss our own family lore. A five-minute story can span decades or a few seconds —we’ll discuss timeline, along with stakes, scene-setting, and perspective. The class culminates in a Story Slam: students craft and perform true stories from their lives, without notes. Grades are based on participation, written analyses, creative writing assignments, and the final presentation.

Molly Johnsen holds an MA from the Bread Loaf School of English, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Syracuse University. She works as Academic Coordinator for the English Department at Middlebury./ ART, WTR (M. Johnsen)

CRWR 1015 When Truth Meets Craft: Practicing the Art of Literary Journalism (Winter 2024)

For a while, journalism has been trending away from "just the facts" to a more overtly crafted form. Literary journalism both reflects an awareness of the impossibility of objectivity and acknowledges the power of story to enliven data. When does the reporter's experience illuminate our reading of nonfiction, and when does it detract? Conversely, how does a writer infuse a personal narrative with relevant facts, signaling to the reader the contextual dance between the two? In this course students will learn and practice essential elements of powerful first-person journalism. Readings to inform discussions on craft, voice, bias and method include Ted Conover's, "The First Person in Journalism Must be Earned," as well as essays by Sy Montgomery, Drew Lanham, Kathryn Schulz, and David Foster Wallace.

Helen Whybrow has a master's in journalism from Harvard and studied literature at Amherst College. As an editor for W.W. Norton, Milkweed and Orion Magazine she has helped dozens of nonfiction writers hone their craft over the past./ WTR (H. Whybrow)

CRWR 1016 Short and Experimental Fictions (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will read and write stories that challenge the boundaries of fiction. We will parse what is gained (and lost) when we elide convention, study how language can be the engine of a story, and experiment with form. We’ll explore literary techniques including compression, fragmentation, the long sentence, and collage, and read writers like Diane Williams, Lydia Davis, Garielle Lutz, Roberto Bolaño, Steven Dunn, Richard Chiem, Jennifer Egan, Sterling HolyWhiteMountain, and Carmen Maria Machado. We will also workshop, try out different approaches to revision, and, at the conclusion of the term, we will host a reading where students can share work from their final portfolios.

Jackson Frons is a 2016 graduate of Middlebury College and holds an MFA in fiction from Syracuse University. His writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Racquet Magazine, Joyland, Hobart, and Washington Square Review, among others./ WTR (J. Frons)

ENGL 0500 Special Project: Literature (Winter 2024)

Approval Required. (Formerly ENAM 0500) WTR (99 seats)

ENGL 0700 Senior Thesis: Critical Writing (Winter 2024)

Individual guidance and seminar (discussions, workshops, tutorials) for those undertaking one-term projects in literary criticism or analysis. All critical thesis writers also take the Senior Thesis Workshop (ENAM 700Z) in either Fall or Spring Term. (Formerly ENAM 0700)

ENGL 1015 When Truth Meets Craft: Practicing the Art of Literary Journalism (Winter 2024)

ENGL 1038 Literature and Class Struggle (Winter 2024)

In this course, we’ll investigate the representation of class struggle in a variety of cultural and historical contexts, ranging from eighteenth-century agrarian poetry to twentieth-century experimental film and the contemporary novel of climate crisis. Under what conditions, we’ll ask, do working-class projects of social transformation take shape? How can literature and film stimulate social consciousness or propel movements? How does cultural work reveal the interplay between class, gender, and race in liberation struggles? With the assistance of Marxist and feminist theory, we’ll offer answers to these questions by studying the work of authors and filmmakers including Muriel Rukeyser, Sembène Ousmane, Leslie Kaplan, Lana and Lily Wachowski, and Kim Stanley Robinson. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, EUR, LIT, PHL, WTR (R. Sheldon)

ENGL 1040 Poems, Poets, Poetry (Winter 2024)

Emily Dickinson declared, “if I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” In this introductory class we will encounter hair-raising poems from a wide variety of genres and historical eras in order to examine their structural forms, linguistic audacities, ideological captivities, and personal revelations. We will also read various poets’ meditations on their own craft, from which we will draw our own conclusions about what poems do, should, or might accomplish in the world. Our goal will always be to render poetry accessible, relevant, and enjoyable—to become confident readers of, and informed writers about, the diverse poetic utterance. LIT, WTR (C. Baldridge)

ENGL 1045 The Graphic Novel and the Postmodern City (Winter 2024)

From dystopian visions of isolation and alienation to utopian illustrations of soaring towers and integrated communities, comics and graphic novels since the 1970s have represented a range of cityscapes and ways of living in them. Our efforts will focus on understanding how comics work as a cultural form distinct from others and how various artists and writers have imagined urban space in relatively recent U.S. cultural history. Some texts might include: Daniel Clowes, Ghost World; Alan Moore and David Lloyd, V for Vendetta; Thi Bui, The Best We Could Do; and G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphono, Ms. Marvel. (formerly ENAM 1045) LIT, WTR (M. Newbury)

Cross-listed as: AMST 1045 *

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Program in Environmental Studies

ENVS 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

In this course, students (non-seniors) carry out an independent research or creative project on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment. The project, carried out under the supervision of a faculty member with related expertise who is appointed in or affiliated with the Environmental Studies Program, must involve a significant amount of independent research and analysis. The expectations and any associated final products will be defined in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students may enroll in ENVS 0500 no more than twice for a given project. (Approval only) WTR

ENVS 0700 Senior Independent Study (Winter 2024)

In this course, seniors complete an independent research or creative project on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment. During the term prior to enrolling in ENVS 0700, a student must discuss and agree upon a project topic with a faculty advisor who is appointed in or affiliated with the Environmental Studies Program and submit a brief project proposal to the Director of Environmental Studies for Approval. The expectations and any associated final products will be defined in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students may enroll in ENVS 0700 as a one-term independent study OR up to twice as part of a multi-term project, including as a lead-up to ENVS 0701 (ES Senior Thesis) or ENVS 0703 (ES Senior Integrated Thesis). (Senior standing; Approval only)

ENVS 0701 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

This course is the culminating term of a multi-term independent project, resulting in a senior thesis on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment. Approval to enroll is contingent on successful completion of at least one term (and up to two) of ENVS 0700 and the approval of the student’s thesis committee. The project, carried out under the supervision of a faculty advisor who is appointed in or affiliated with the Environmental Studies Program, will result in a substantial piece of scholarly work that will be presented to other ENVS faculty and students in a public forum and defended before the thesis committee. (Senior standing; ENVS major; ENVS 0112, ENVS 0211, ENVS 0215, GEOG 0120, and ENVS 0700; Approval only)

ENVS 1044 Vermont’s Farms, Food an Future (Winter 2024)

What crops make sense to grow in Vermont? Where is the best land to farm? Who owns land and capital, and who grows the food? What systems and interests shape the answers to these questions? In this course we will examine Vermont agriculture through lenses of climate change, racial equity, and socioeconomic viability. Through reading, discussion, and meeting with food system practitioners, students will understand intersecting and conflicting perspectives related to agriculture and land use. The final project will be a proposed policy, program or enterprise that would contribute to the agricultural future each student believes in for Vermont. This course counts as a social science cognate for environmental studies majors.

Jeannie Bartlett ‘15 grows fruit trees in Plainfield, Vermont. From 2016 through 2021 she managed the Franklin County Conservation District, where she developed and implemented programs to assist farmers with stewardship of soil and water in northwest Vermont. She serves on the board of Rural Vermont and is an active member of the VT Young Farmers Coalition. She studied Conservation Biology at Middlebury./ WTR (J. Bartlett)

Cross-listed as: FOOD 1044

ENVS 1046 Walking Body, Walking Mind: Philosophy on the Hoof (Winter 2024)

Walking upright with a bipedal gait emerged in early humans between 1.9 and 3.7 million years ago. For the last few millennia and across many cultures and traditions walking has accompanied and inspired human endeavors of the mind and spirit. In this course we will engage the literatures of walking in the humanities and natural/social sciences by reading and discussing excerpts from classic “walking” texts in philosophy, religion, and eco-spirituality, while also experiencing different modes of walking, including its social justice potential in resistance and reconciliation. Suitable footwear and clothing for walking/hiking in January in Vermont required. This course counts as a humanities cognate for Environmental Studies majors. PHL, WTR (B. Vitek)

ENVS 1054 Contested Ecologies and Boundaries in Action: Invasive, Native, and Heritage Species (Winter 2024)

In this course, students will examine ideas about invasive species, delving into the complex, contested relationships between control over nature and differing human perspectives on natural and national landscapes. We will read natural and social science literature and policies that govern land management. Students will analyze “invasive,” "native," and "heritage" designations, examine how these beliefs drive landscape restoration projects, and consider tradeoffs between “managing against” and “managing for.” Through field trips, conversations with conservation practitioners, and case studies, students will gain an applied understanding of the interplay between human beliefs and control over land. ENVS majors with a focus in the humanities/arts or natural sciences may count this course as a cognate requirement for the major.

Katie Michels ‘14.5 is a Masters of Environmental Science and MBA candidate at the Yale School of the Environment and Yale School of Management. She studied Geography and Environmental Studies at Middlebury, and is interested in land conservation and land stewardship, especially on working lands.

Jesse Callahan Bryant is a doctoral candidate in Sociology at the Yale School of the Environment. His research interests revolve around the intersection of conservative thought and the environment, with a particular emphasis on the emergence of ecofascism. Specifically, he explores the complex relationship between conservative ideology and environmentalism, and how far-right movements are currently utilizing environmental discourse to advance their agendas./ SCI, WTR (K. Michels, J. Bryant)

ENVS 1075 Climate Change and the Markets of Tomorrow (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will examine how new technologies and capitalism can be leveraged to fight climate change with a particular focus on green energy, plant-based meats, and electric vehicles. We analyze how these markets are evolving and what public policies can do to help them advance more quickly. The course takes an intentionally international approach and should be especially interesting to IPEC, PSCI, and ENVS majors. This course counts as a social science cognate for ENVS majors with foci in the natural sciences, humanities, or arts./ SOC, WTR (G. Winslett)

Cross-listed as: PSCI 1075 *

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Department of Film & Media Culture

FMMC 0209 Global Auteurs: Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho (Winter 2024)

In this course we will survey the careers of prominent Korean auteurs Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho. We will analyze the films they've directed and/or produced thus far, focusing on each filmmaker's unique artistic style, the cinematic traditions they draw on, and their works' transnational appeal. In addition to delving into specific relevant topics (aesthetics of violence, genre hybridity, postcolonial cinema, stardom, adaptation, etc.), we will pay special attention to changing modes of production and distribution that have impacted the two auteurs' work process and their global reach. Films screened include Joint Security Area, The Vengeance Trilogy, The Handmaiden, Decision to Leave (Park); Memories of Murder, The Host, Snowpiercer, Okja, Parasite (Bong). ART, NOA, WTR (N. Dobreva)

FMMC 0507 Advanced Independent work in Film and Media Culture (Winter 2024)

Consult with a Film and Media Culture faculty member for guidelines. WTR (I. Uricaru, D. Miranda Hardy, L. Sayula, C. Keathley, J. Mittell, L. Stein, N. Ngaiza)

FMMC 0701 Senior Projects (Winter 2024)

Students may enroll in this project-based independent credit to complete the thesis work started in the fall. Requires faculty approval based on satisfactory progress in the Senior Tutorial. Projects will include a public presentation at the end of Winter or beginning of Spring term. WTR

FMMC 0707 Senior Independent Work (Winter 2024)

After completing FMMC 0700, seniors may be approved to complete the project they developed during the previous Fall semester by registering for this independent course during the Winter Term, typically supervised by their faculty member from FMMC 0700. Students will complete an independent project in a choice of medium and format, as outlined on the departmental website. This course does not count toward the required number of credits for majors, but is required to be considered for departmental honors. In exceptional cases, students may petition to complete their projects during Spring semester.

FMMC 1020 Collaborative Video Projects (Winter 2024)

In this course students will learn to work collaboratively either as crew members on the senior thesis films produced for FMMC 0701 or on original projects, depending on availability of resources. Students will receive credit for performing in key creative positions, including Producer, Assistant Director, Cinematographer, Art director, Sound Designer, and Editor. In this class students will learn advanced set operations, while workshopping projects from pre-production to main photography to editorial, post-production and the final screening. Students must do significant pre-production before January. (Honors Pass/Fail; Approval required) WTR (I. Uricaru)

FMMC 1030 Video Editing Fundamentals (Winter 2024)

In this workshop course we will explore the theory, mechanics, conventions and aesthetics of video editing. Students will learn the mechanics of the Premier editing platform and be led through a series of assignments focused on various challenges faced by film editors. Students will learn how to get the most out of a narrative performance by using camera angles, edit lengths, and body gestures to create a purposeful flow of action. They will learn to create energy and rhythm in music videos by controlling pace, shot selection, and movements within a clip. Students will edit professionally shot dailies to complete four editing assignments, two narrative and two music videos. There will also be reading assignments, Adobe Editing tutorial assignments, and one Editing Analysis presentation.

After graduating from Middlebury, Bee Ottinger went to California Institute of Art and became a video editor for 35 years. She had a small video editing company when music videos started in the 80’s and rode the wave of the evolution of a new way of editing. She has been teaching video editing for ten years./ WTR (B. Ottinger)

FMMC 1034 Current Affairs Documentary Film (Winter 2024)

In this course we will learn the fundamentals of making a current affairs documentary film. We will chart the path from story identification and pitch to developing sources, investigation, the ethics of news gathering, interview craft, filmic style, structuring, and writing. There will be units on each. We will watch and analyze different styles of current affairs documentary making. Students will participate in hands on writing workshops, and will each come up with a documentary project outline, providing a storyboarded visual treatment, a shoot schedule and a draft script.

Hilary Andersson is an award-winning journalist and documentary maker who spent 25 years with the BBC, covering wars in Africa and the Middle East and later working for the BBC’s flagship Panorama documentary program. Hilary is now based in Vermont, from where she travels and continues to make current affairs documentaries on American and international affairs./ WTR (H. Andersson)

FMMC 1035 Queer Media Cultures (Winter 2024)

This course introduces students to queer media scholarship through the lens of contemporary film and television, social media and popular culture. We will learn about the foundational concepts of queer and feminist theory, transgender studies and biopolitics. In addition, we will consider how popular media has the potential to resist—or sometimes ends up reifying—dominant ideologies of sexuality, gender, race, citizenship and labor. Training and assessment will focus on visual literacy and media analysis (including a review of basic concepts of cinematography and editing) in the form of short critical and creative assignments. (Not open to students who have already take GSFS/FMMC 1010.)

Peter Tarjanyi is a Visiting Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Middlebury College./ SOC, WTR (P. Tarjanyi)

Cross-listed as: GSFS 1035 *

FMMC 1036 Blood/Lust: Vampires in 20th Century American Cinema (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will study how vampires and vampire stories were used throughout 20th Century American film as a vehicle for examining themes and topics such as sexuality, gender, race, and class. We will start with vampire folklore to form a baseline understanding, and then study Nosferatu (1922) and Dracula (1931) as cornerstones before spending the bulk of time on later films. The course content will interrogate how vampire stories reflect on contemporaneous American culture, and how vampiric visions evolved and shifted over the century. Films covered in full will include Dracula’s Daughter (1936), Son of Dracula (1943), The Last Man on Earth (1964), Ganja & Hess (1973), The Hunger (1983), Near Dark (1987), and Blade (1998).

Devin McGrath-Conwell is an alumnus, class of 2018.5, as well as a current staff member. I have two part-time communications positions, one within Projects for Peace, and the other in College Advancement./ ART, WTR (D. McGrath-Conwell)

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Food Studies Minor

FOOD 1004 Natural Fermentation: Engaging the Wild Microorganisms that Surround Us (Winter 2024)

This course will immerse students in the scientific, historical, and practical pursuit of food fermenation. Fermentation is the earth's first biotechnology and method of preserving energy. This course will explore natural fermentation techniques, parameters for safety and troubleshooting in a hands on lab while also contextualizing fermentation in terms of biological and cultural evolution and health and nutrition. This traditional approach takes advantage of natural processes to the greatest extent possible, using biological rather than purchased inputs. In this course we will engage wild, tamed, and unaccounted-for microorganisms as we naturally pickle, culture, bake and sour vegetables, wheat and milk to create favorites such as pickles, sourdough, kombucha, kefir, yogurt and cheese. WTR (E. Singer)

FOOD 1023 Anthropology of Meat: Why Humans Consume Other Animals (Winter 2024)

Cross-listed as: ANTH 1023 *

FOOD 1044 Vermont's Farms, Food & Future (Winter 2024)

What crops make sense to grow in Vermont? Where is the best land to farm? Who owns land and capital, and who grows the food? What systems and interests shape the answers to these questions? In this course we will examine Vermont agriculture through lenses of climate change, racial equity, and socioeconomic viability. Through reading, discussion, and meeting with food system practitioners, students will understand intersecting and conflicting perspectives related to agriculture and land use. The final project will be a proposed policy, program or enterprise that would contribute to the agricultural future each student believes in for Vermont.

Jeannie Bartlett ‘15 grows fruit trees in Plainfield, Vermont. From 2016 through 2021 she managed the Franklin County Conservation District, where she developed and implemented programs to assist farmers with stewardship of soil and water in northwest Vermont. She serves on the board of Rural Vermont and is an active member of the VT Young Farmers Coalition. She studied Conservation Biology at Middlebury./ WTR (J. Bartlett)

Cross-listed as: ENVS 1044 *

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Lois ’51 and J. Harvey Watson Department of French and Francophone Studies

FREN 0102 Beginning French (Winter 2024)

This course is a continuation of FREN 0101, dealing with more complex French. Oral skills are stressed and students participate in the French language table at lunch. This course does not fulfill the foreign language distribution requirement. (FREN 0101) WTR (W. Poulin-Deltour, G. Zsombok)

FREN 0500 Independent Project (Winter 2024)

Qualified students may be permitted to undertake a special project in reading and research under the direction of a member of the department. Students should seek an advisor and submit a proposal to the department well in advance of registration for the term in which the work is to be undertaken. (Approval required) WTR

FREN 0700 Senior Honors Essay (Winter 2024)

For this one-term course, qualified senior majors who wish to be considered for Honors in French must submit a proposal well in advance of registration for the term in which the work is to be undertaken. (Approval required; see requirements.)

FREN 0701 Senior Honors Thesis (Winter 2024)

Qualified senior majors who wish to be considered for Honors in French must submit a proposal well in advance of registration for the term in which the work is to be undertaken. (Approval required; see requirements above.)

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Program in Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies

GSFS 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

(Approval required) WTR

GSFS 0700 Senior Essay (Winter 2024)

(Approval required)

GSFS 0710 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval required)

GSFS 1012 Effortless Perfection, Mental Health, and the Female Collegiate Experience (Winter 2024)

In this course, students will explore numerous gendered issues including self-esteem, confidence, assertiveness, body image and disordered eating, hook-up culture and sexual power dynamics, mental health, and identity. They will examine these issues through the lens of “Effortless Perfection” – a term coined by the 2003 Duke University Women’s Initiative to describe the “expectation” that female undergrads “be smart, accomplished, fit, beautiful, and popular, and that all this would happen without visible effort.” The class will be structured in accordance with the instructor’s recently released book, The Effortless Perfection Myth. Assignments will include a series of reflections and a final paper wherein students will use their personal experiences to write the chapter they feel is missing from the book.

Cara Peterson graduated from the Bread Loaf School of English in 2023. WTR (C. Peterson)

GSFS 1013 The Art of Black Women's Storytelling (Winter 2024)

In this course we will explore Black women’s storytelling from the 19th century to present day. We will examine multiple forms of Black women’s storytelling such as kitchen table narratives, music, personal and academic essays, plays, poetry/spoken word, anthologies, podcasts, digital blogs/vlogs, films, and TV shows. Our exploration of these forms of storytelling will highlight the capacious nature of literacy by decentering Western conceptions of knowledge production as solely written. Black literacy becomes understood as oral, performative, visual, and written storytelling and therefore framed as an activity that is individual and communal, historical and cultural memory, and social and political activism. This course will include readings, discussions, small group projects, and film screenings.

Veronica Ahmed Coates '14 is a doctoral candidate in American Studies at Purdue University. Her current research focuses on Black women's literature in the 20th and 21st centuries and Black women's reproductive history. She's also an instructor for WGSS and Black Studies, a twin mom, and is an indie bookshop enthusiast./ HIS, LIT, WTR (V. Coates Ahmed)

GSFS 1035 Queer Media Cultures (Winter 2024)

Queer Media Cultures
This course introduces students to queer media scholarship through the lens of contemporary film and television, social media and popular culture. We will learn about the foundational concepts of queer and feminist theory, transgender studies and biopolitics. In addition, we will consider how popular media has the potential to resist—or sometimes ends up reifying—dominant ideologies of sexuality, gender, race, citizenship and labor. Training and assessment will focus on visual literacy and media analysis (including a review of basic concepts of cinematography and editing) in the form of short critical and creative assignments. (Not open to students who have already taken GSFS/FMMC 1010.)

/Peter Tarjanyi is a Visiting Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Middlebury College./ SOC, WTR (P. Tarjanyi)

Cross-listed as: FMMC 1035

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Department of Geography

GEOG 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

A one-credit intensive research project developed under the direction of a faculty member. Junior majors only. (Approval Required) WTR (693 seats)

GEOG 0700 Senior Research (Winter 2024)

A one-credit intensive research project developed under the direction of a faculty member. Senior majors only. (Approval Required)

GEOG 0701 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

Students with a departmental GPA of 3.3 or higher are eligible to complete a two-credit senior thesis. In order to complete a senior thesis, students must have a proposal approved by a primary thesis advisor and a secondary departmental reader prior to registering for the first 0701 credit. Upon completion of the thesis, thesis students will present their work in a public seminar and defend the thesis in front of the departmental faculty. Thesis presentations and defenses will typically take place during the final week of classes or the examination period. Upon completion of the presentation and defense, the primary advisor and secondary departmental reader will be responsible for evaluating and grading the thesis. It is strongly encouraged that students considering a thesis discuss their ideas with an advisor during the semester prior to registering for formal thesis credits. (Approval only)

GEOG 1230 Data Science Across Disciplines (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will gain exposure to the entire data science pipeline—obtaining and cleaning large and messy data sets, exploring these data and creating engaging visualizations, and communicating insights from the data in a meaningful manner. During morning sessions, we will learn the tools and techniques required to explore new and exciting data sets. During afternoon sessions, students will work in small groups with one of several faculty members on domain-specific research projects in Geography, Political Science, Restorative Justice, or Healthcare. This course will use the R programming language. No prior experience with R is necessary.

GEOG 1230: In this section, students will use data science tools to explore the ways migration systems in the United States changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will draw on data collected from mobile phones recording each phone’s monthly place of residence at the census tract level. The dataset includes monthly observations from January 2019 through December 2021 allowing the analysis to compare migration systems pre-pandemic with those during the pandemic.

INTD 1230A: Data is a powerful tool for improving health outcomes by making programmatic choices to support justice. In this afternoon section of Data Across the Disciplines, students will be working with Addison County Restorative Justice (ACRJ) on understanding patterns in the occurrence of driving under the influence. ACRJ has over 1,000 cases and would like to better understand their data and come up with ways to access information. We will explore how identity, geography, and support impact outcomes from DUI cases. Using statistical analysis and data visualizations, along with learning about ethical data practices, we will report our findings.

INTD 1230B: Let’s dive into the minutes and reports of local towns to develop an accessible news and history resource. Could this be a tool for small newspapers to track local news more easily? Can we map this fresh data for a new look across geographies? Do you want to help volunteer town officials make decisions and better wrangle with their town’s history and data?
In this course we will develop a focused database of documents produced by several municipal boards and commissions. We will engage in conversation with local officials, researchers, and journalists. This course aims to introduce students to making data from real world documents and the people that make them to generate useful information that is often open but frequently difficult to sift through.

MATH/STAT 1230: Students will explore pediatric healthcare data to better understand the risks correlated with various childhood illnesses through an emphasis on the intuition behind statistical and machine learning techniques. We will practice making informed decisions from noisy data and the steps to go from messy data to a final report. Students will become proficient in R and gain an understanding of various statistical techniques.

PSCI 1230: How do candidates for U.S. national office raise money? From whom do they raise it? In this section we will explore these questions using Federal Election Commission data on individual campaign contributions to federal candidates. Our analysis using R will help us identify geographic patterns in the data, as well as variations in funds raised across types of candidates. We will discuss what implications these patterns may have for the health and functioning of democracy in the U.S. DED, SOC, WTR (P. Nelson, A. Lyford)

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Department of German

GRMN 0102 Beginning German Continued (Winter 2024)

This course is the intensive continuation of GRMN 0101 which will further the development of your language skills in an immersion-like environment, and will include bi-weekly cultural readings in English. Classes meet for two hours each morning, then lunch at the language tables, in addition to afternoon and evening activities (e.g. film screenings). Completion of this course is a prerequisite to enrollment in GRMN 0103. (GRMN 0101 or equivalent) LNG, WTR (N. Eppelsheimer, T. Preston)

GRMN 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

(Approval only) WTR

GRMN 0700 Honors Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval only)

Cross-listed as: GRMN 0800

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Global Health Minor

GHLT 1013 Delving into Data: Finding, Analyzing, and Summarizing Public Health Data (Winter 2024)

Have you been curious how public health practitioners find and use data? Are you interested in public health and eager to learn how to find and analyze health data? In this course, we will cover what health data is and where to find it, how to analyze and visualize health data using Microsoft Excel and R, identify common problems with health data and how to solve them. By the end of this course, you will be well versed in all thing health data, as well as have first-hand experience doing your own public health research project.

Ruby Barnard-Mayers is an epidemiologist trained in using novel epidemiologic methods in maternal and child health research. She grew up in Vermont and is currently earning her doctorate in Epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. She holds an MPH from Boston University in Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Maternal & Child Health as well as a B.A from Grinnell College in Mathematics & Statistics and Anthropology./ DED, WTR (R. Barnard-Mayer)

GHLT 1015 Financing Universal Heath Coverage in Low Resource Settings: Protecting the Poor Through Equity-Driven Approaches (Winter 2024)

Global health crises like pandemics tend to expose key gaps in equitable access to health services. It is often the poorest and most disenfranchised communities who suffer the greatest consequences of falling ill. In this course, we will examine the question: “who pays, and who receives healthcare?” We will explore the ways in which equitable access to healthcare is organized and financed in low and middle-income countries. We will analyze and discuss the benefits and drawbacks to using different health financing strategies to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Students will have the opportunity to utilize real-world scenarios and data to propose equitable health financing reforms for UHC in resource poor settings. ECON 0155 is recommended but not required.

Zoe Isaacs leads the health financing team at Partners in Health (PIH). She has spent over five years living and working in Latin America and the Caribbean. Zoe holds an MSc in Health Policy Planning and Finance from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA in International and Global Studies from Middlebury College./ WTR (Z. Isaacs)

GHLT 1017 Biosecurity, Chemical and Biological weapons Nonproliferation, and Pandemic Prevention (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will review and discuss the history of biological and chemical weapons nonproliferation, biosecurity policy (focusing on the US and multilateral policy), and pandemic prevention efforts both pre- and post-COVID. Through understanding the biochemical and immunological mechanisms of action of biothreats and toxins, we will categorize pandemic and bioweapon response and mitigation strategies, and identify gaps in current preparedness and policy. We will evaluate the risk potential of new biotechnologies, including risk assessment methodologies, and apply these to proposed dual-use technologies and research.

Dr. Allison Berke is the Chemical and Biological Weapons Non-Proliferation Program Director at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA. Her work focuses on biosecurity policy, evaluating and regulating biotechnologies, and computational approaches to monitoring emerging biothreats./ WTR (A. Berke)

GHLT 1224 Empowerment or Exploitation? Engaging Communities in the Pursuit of Better Health (Winter 2024)

Cross-listed as: ANTH 1224 *

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Hebrew Minor

HEBM 0102 Introductory Modern Hebrew II (Winter 2024)

This course is an intensive continuation of Modern Hebrew 0101. Students will expand their knowledge of Hebrew grammar and vocabulary, will increase their proficiency in oral communication, and will study selections of both audio and visual media related to modern-day Israel. (HEBM 0101 or by permission) 10 hrs. lect. LNG, WTR (M. Strier)

HEBM 0500 Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

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Department of History

HIST 0500 Special Research Projects (Winter 2024)

Special research projects may only be taken during the Junior or Senior year, preferable after taking HIST 0600. Approval of department chair and project advisor is required. WTR

HIST 0700 Senior Independent Study I (Winter 2024)

The optional History Senior Thesis is written over two terms, with the final grade applying to both terms. Approval is required. Students submit thesis proposals in the spring before the year that they choose to write their thesis. Students generally begin their thesis in the fall and complete it during winter or spring. Approval is required to begin the thesis in winter or spring. All students must attend the Thesis Writer's Workshops in fall and winter semesters and work with a faculty advisor to complete a 55-70 page paper. Please see detailed guidelines under history requirements.

HIST 0701 Senior Independent Study II (Winter 2024)

With departmental approval, senior history majors may write a two-term thesis under an advisor in the area of their choosing. The final grade is applied to both terms. Students must submit thesis proposals in the spring before the academic year that they choose to write their thesis. They must attend the Thesis Writers' Workshops held in the fall and winter of the academic year in which they begin the thesis. The department encourages students to write theses during the fall (0700) and winter terms (0701), but with the permission of the chair, fall/spring and winter/spring theses are also acceptable. Under exceptional circumstances, the department may approve a thesis initiated in the spring of an academic year and finished in the fall of the following year. Further information about the thesis is available from the department.

HIST 1002 The Burning Times: Heresy & Inquisition (Winter 2024)

Burning at the stake was the ultimate punishment for heretics and witches in the European Middle Ages. In this college writing class we will examine the repression of heresy and witchcraft, concentrating on the fascinating but controversial primary sources that are our chief source of knowledge. What was heresy? Who was a heretic and why did inquisitors persecute them? In addition to writing about heresy and inquisition, we also examine the use of the medium of film to portray historical subjects. Students will also pursue short research projects regarding one aspect of medieval heresy and inquisition. EUR, HIS, SOC, WTR (L. Burnham)

HIST 1029 Police Aesthetics in Japanese Film (Winter 2024)

In this course students will consider theories of police power in modern society while analyzing its representation in Japanese cinema. Each week we will begin with readings about one aspect of police power, and will then consider this aspect when analyzing a set of Japanese films. The objectives of the course are for students: (1) to gain a more multifaceted understanding of the police function in modern society, (2) to learn the general history of the Japanese police system, and (3) to cultivate an appreciation of Japanese film and its possibilities for critical reflection. AAL, HIS, NOA, SOC, WTR (M. Ward)

HIST 1032 Insurgent Literacy in Europe, 1300-1800 (Winter 2024)

Texts were an integral part of European life long before widespread literacy or the printing press. Reading and using documents was conducted communally in households, neighborhoods, and other groups. Reading primary sources from western Europe c.1300-1800, we will study how the increased circulation of documents shaped emerging modern institutions like newspapers, archives, bureaucracies – and even the state apparatus itself. After some theoretical groundwork on literacy and power from thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Max Weber and James C. Scott, we will read charters, pamphlets, indulgences, letters, and graffiti that entered the city streets. Against this background we will finally consider whether the printing press was revolutionary in shaping European politics, looking especially at the ideas of Luther, Hobbes, and Rousseau.

Ron Makleff is a historian of Europe focusing on cities and the emergence of the nation-state, as well as the material and intellectual legacies of archives as institutions of power, memory, and forgetting./ EUR, HIS, WTR (R. Makleff)

HIST 1033 Monumental Changes in the Culture Wars (Winter 2024)

An exploration of how monuments and honorifics to controversial figures in American History have (and have not) changed over time, and especially since 2015. After examining historical theory and the philosophy of memory, we will investigate how politics, protests, and culture have shaped the commemorative possibilities of the past and present. We will proceed through a case study of the course and consequences of The Naming Commission, on which the instructor served as Lead Historian. Created by Congress to investigate and end Confederate commemoration across all Department of Defense assets, for two years the Naming Commission confronted and changed controversial monuments throughout the nation. Students complete the course by researching, writing and presenting on a controversial monument of their choosing.

Connor Williams (Middlebury Class of 2008.5) is a historian of United States History and African American Studies. In 2021 and 2022, he was honored to serve the United States Congress as Lead Historian to its Naming Commission, researching the context, consequences, and causes of all Confederate commemorations in the Department of Defense and making plans for their modification or removal. His book on his experiences working for the Naming Commission: A Promise Delivered: The Naming Commission, Nine Army Bases, and Ten True American Heroes is under contract with Macmillan (St. Martin’s Press imprint) and scheduled to be published in the summer of 2024./ HIS, WTR (C. Williams)

HIST 1048 Violence, Trauma and Historical Memory in the South Caucasus (Winter 2024)

In 1991, independent Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia emerged from the dissolution of the USSR. Despite optimistic hopes, all three countries were riven by war. In 2022, a new wave of Russian emigres fleeing conscription reawakened memories of colonial oppression. This course examines social, cultural and political attempts to overcome the violent legacies inherited from colonial, Soviet and post-Soviet conflicts. We will engage in reading first-hand memoir accounts and interviews, official government documents, and theoretical work in memory studies and conflict transformation and assess both the causes for conflict as well as its long-term impacts. We will focus on the questions: how should a society heal from its traumatic past? Is healing even possible? What role does historical truth and reconciliation play in building contemporary reality? HIS, WTR (R. Mitchell)

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Department of History of Art & Architectural Studies

HARC 0130 Introduction to Architectural Design (Winter 2024)

Are you fascinated by buildings and interested in trying your hand at architectural design? This course will introduce you to principles of architecture and teach you the skills architects use to explore and communicate design ideas. We will consider urban and rural settings, sustainability, energy efficiency, functionality, comfort, and the role architecture plays in shaping community. Classroom instruction by a practicing architect will provide hands-on drawing, model-making, and materials research. Students will work to analyze existing buildings and design their own. Students seeking to improve their understanding of the built environment as well to develop their design-mind to reconcile social-ecological challenges are encouraged to take this course. No prior experience is needed.

Alix Pauchet is a 2015 alumna and has taught one other Winter Term class at Middlebury ('Buildings of the City', in 2022)./ ART, WTR (15 seats) (A. Pauchet, M. Kaplan)

HARC 0510 Advanced Studies (Winter 2024)

Supervised independent work in art history, museum studies, or architectural studies. (Approval Required) WTR (P. Broucke, R. Saunders, E. Vazquez, C. Anderson, G. Andres, C. Packert, K. Hoving, A. Kerz-Murray, S. Laursen, E. Garrison)

HARC 0530 Independent Architect. Design (Winter 2024)

Supervised independent work in architectural analysis and design. (Approval Required) WTR (P. Broucke, E. Sassin, M. Pottorf)

HARC 0711 Senior Thesis: Research and Writing (Winter 2024)

This course is a continuation of HARC 0710 which consists of ongoing, supervised independent research, plus organizing, writing and presenting a senior thesis. (HARC 0301 and HARC 0710). WTR (S. Rogers)

HARC 0732 Thesis in Architectural Studies: Design (Winter 2024)

This studio course constitutes the second part of the two-term senior design project in Architectural Studies. Building upon the architectural research, analysis, and preliminary design work conducted during the fall semester, students develop their thesis projects to a higher level of understanding and refinement. Students also engage in intense peer review and work with visiting design critics, concluding with public presentations of the final projects, and a project portfolio describing all aspects of the completed design. (HARC 0731) 6 hrs. sem. WTR (J. McLeod, S. Ostrow)

HARC 0761 Senior Thesis: Museum Studies (Winter 2024)

This course is a continuation of HARC 0710, which consists of ongoing, supervised independent work with an advisor, plus organizing, writing, and presenting a curatorial or museum-based thesis or exhibition. (Approval Required)

HARC 1009 Bollywood and Beyond: Topics and Themes in Indian Cinema (Winter 2024)

‘Bollywood,’ the term given to the Indian film industry juggernaut in Bombay (Mumbai), India, has gained an avid following of millions of viewers worldwide. In this course we will provide a critical consideration of the history and development of this popular Indian film industry. We will focus on such topics as the construction of an Indian national identity, notions of gender, idealized beauty, caste, class, religion, social norms, globalism, modernity, politics, nationalism, and fundamentalism. Films are subtitled and no knowledge of another language is expected. Lectures, discussion, and readings will accompany screenings. AAL, ART, SOA, WTR (C. Packert)

HARC 1031 Abenaki Art Then and Now (Winter 2024)

This course provides a broad overview of over 12,000 years of regional Native American culture, including history, arts, cultural perspectives on place, kinship, relationship building, and self-determination through Abenaki voices and artistic expressions. Interactive class discussions will cultivate new understandings about decolonization, identity, gender, blood quantum, cultural appropriation versus appreciation of art, and allyship with the local Abenaki community. Through an Indigenous methodology called “Two-Eyed Seeing” in the Mi’kmaw language, we bring Western and Indigenous Perspectives together by exploring Western views through one eye and Indigenous views through the other. Diverse perspectives of scholars such as Ruth Phillips, Jason Baird Jackson, Lisa Brooks (Abenaki) and Indigenous culture bearers will be brought together to illuminate course themes. No prerequisites.

Vera Longtoe Sheehan, scholar, educator, activist, and artist, is the Executive Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, Founder of the Abenaki Arts & Education Center, and formerly a Museum Educator at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Vera is an Executive Board Member for the Vermont Humanities Council and on the Act 1 Task Force (2019 – present) dedicated to ethnic and social equity studies./ ART, WTR (V. Sheehan)

HARC 1032 Renaisance Artist at Work (Winter 2024)

The Renaissance Artist at Work
In this course we will explore the role and practice of the Italian Renaissance artist. Through lectures, readings, discussions, and hands-on studios, students will learn about the distinctive forms of training and tradition that all 15th century artists followed, from the now anonymous to celebrities such as Leonardo and Michelangelo. The professions of painter and sculptor were shaped by strict expectations that extended from who could practice to what constituted an apprenticeship. Once weekly, we will create our own (more inclusive) Renaissance studio. Working with a local expert, we will learn to make charcoal and silver point drawings, pounce a cartoon, make small tempera and oil paintings, and even try our hand at fresco technique. ART, EUR, HIS, WTR (K. Smith Abbott)

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Independent Scholar Program

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Interdepartmental Courses

INTD 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

Approval Required WTR (1505 seats)

INTD 0501 Animation Studio I (Winter 2024)

Independent Study
Approval Required WTR (D. Houghton)

INTD 0502 Animation Studio 2 (Winter 2024)

Independent Study
Approval Required WTR (D. Houghton)

INTD 0503 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

Approval Required WTR (D. Houghton)

INTD 0504 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

Approval Required WTR (D. Houghton)

INTD 1001 A Liberal Arts Introduction to Marketing and Brand Strategy (Winter 2024)

Brands surround us: Middlebury, Google, Coke. Even you are a brand. But what is a brand? How do consumers make brand choices? And what defines the market of competing brands? In this course we will explore the fundamentals of marketing strategy and branded communications through the lens of a liberal arts education spanning psychology, geography, economics, neuroscience and art history. We will discuss a range of brand cases along with a selective reading list including the gruesome story of Vermont railway worker Phineas Gage, Daniel Kahneman’s classic Thinking Fast & Slow, and cartoonist Scott McCloud’s guide to making comics.

Tom Palmer graduated from Middlebury in 1985 (as did his wife Heather Henderson Palmer) with a double major in Economics and Geography and a concentration in Modern Art History. That blend of disciplines has been instrumental in his business success, and it is the inspiration for this course proposal. He thanks his friend and Middlebury advisor, Bob Churchill, for inspiring him to learn for the love of learning and to teach for the love of teaching. As they say in advertising, Bob Churchill was the “pivot” in the story of his Middlebury experience./ WTR (T. Palmer)

INTD 1002 Climate and Crypto (Winter 2024)

In this course we will explore the intersection of two seemingly contrasting ideas: Climate and Crypto. Climate Change is a mass coordination problem and Crypto (or web3) is a mass coordination tool. Together we will first begin to understand the mechanics and economics of web3. We will then look at the broader climate problem and begin to see where the alignment and incentives of this new economic and technological paradigm can help with climate – in carbon markets, biodiversity, land conservation, and beyond.

Craig Wilson is the CEO of the Climate Collective, an organization dedicated to supporting the growing nexus of web3 and climate. He is also the Managing Director of the NYU Tandon Future Labs, and a Venture Partner at Allegory, a web3 and climate venture fund. He co-founded and now serves as Advisor to The Crop Project – a regenerative agricultural processing company focused on kelp. Craig has an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a BA from Middlebury College./ WTR (C. Wilson)

INTD 1005 Worldbuilding (Winter 2024)

In this course we will critically examine fictional worlds in literature, cinema, and games. Worldbuilding synthesizes and transforms our understanding of reality into fantastic settings in literature, movies, and video games. We will critically examine the multidisciplinary use of origin stories, symbols and myths, invented histories, and imagined geographies in constructing new universes. Among the questions we will consider are: How do we conceive of coherent places and times? What real world consequences do fictional worlds have on popular beliefs and practices? Students will design their own well-researched and richly detailed worlds during the semester. (Not open to students who have already taken FYSE 1029.) ART, LIT, WTR (R. Lint Sagarena)

INTD 1007 Supply Chain, Logistics & Transportation: The Backbone of Global Commerce (Winter 2024)

In this course, students will learn about the basics of supply chain, including activities such as planning, sourcing & procurement, manufacturing, transportation & freight, reverse logistics and supporting technologies. We will explore and go deeper into industries or aspects that students find a connection to (ex: “the supply chain of sports” or “the sustainable supply chain” or “GenAI-powered autonomous supply chains”). We will hear from guest speakers from companies such as Accenture, Nike, Patagonia and Amazon, etc. and discuss career opportunities in supply chain, and related areas (finance, marketing, operations, consulting, etc.). Weather and time-permitting, we will look to have a field trip to a warehouse or distribution center (TBD). The class will conclude with a project that asks the students to fuse what they’ve learned with an innovative new idea. (Open to Juniors and Seniors only.)

John Atherton graduated from Middlebury College in 1993 with a major in geography, and a minor in studio art. After coaching athletics at the college level, and teaching at a boarding school, he found his way into the world of global supply chain, and has been a practitioner for over 20 years. John has worked for a major global container shipping line, grew a tech start-up from nothing to something, and is now with the biggest consulting firm on the planet. In 2018, John was inducted into the Middlebury College Athletic Hall of Fame (Soccer, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse and Football)./ WTR (J. Atherton)

INTD 1008 Quant Finance (Statistical Models of the Stock Market) (Winter 2024)

In this course we will learn about quantitative finance and the stock market specifically. We will focus on how the stock market works and what it means to be a “quant”. Students will use Matlab extensively or another statistical package to build models that predict future stock movements. Morning lectures/discussions will focus on the workings of the stock market and the inefficiencies that might be present. In afternoons “lab” sessions and as “homework” students will work by themselves or in teams (with the instructor’s help) to build actual models of future stock prices. Students will learn not only how to build those models but also how to evaluate how effective they are. It would be very useful if the interested student had some previous coding experience or took a matlab tutorial before the class starts. (BIOL 0211 or CSCI 0145 or CSCI 0150 or ECON 0210 or MATH 0116 or PSYC 0201 or STAT 0116 or Instructor Approval)

Scott Smallwood has worked in the hedge fund field for 15 years and is currently running his own small quantitative hedge fund./ WTR (S. Smallwood)

INTD 1011 Introduction to Exercise Physiology (Winter 2024)

This course is for students interested in health fields, sports, and exercise. In this course students will be introduced to the concepts and science behind exercise physiology. Students will learn introductions to basic bio mechanics, nutrition, muscle cell structure, energy pathway systems, adaptations to aerobic and anaerobic exercise, and training principles for muscle fiber types. Practical skills learned will include program design, pre-exercise evaluation, and exercise testing. In this course students will participate in labs which will consist of hands on learning to perform physical assessments and exercise testing. Students will also participate in hands on learning in a cardiac rehab setting.

David Payne has a Masters degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology, and work in Cardiac Rehabilitation at Porter Hospital. He is a life long resident of Addison County./ SCI, WTR (D. Payne)

INTD 1012 Live Your Best (Future) Life: From College to Career (Winter 2024)

In this course students will identify and reflect deeply on their strengths, values, and motivations and learn how to apply self-knowledge to their search for personally meaningful work. Students will be introduced to leading career development theories including Pryor and Bright’s Chaos Theory of Careers, Krumboltz’s Planned Happenstance, Jung’s Theory of Personality, and Appreciative Inquiry; hear from professional experts; and practice skills proven to increase their access to purposeful opportunities in the world of work. Classes will involve instructor led lectures followed by discussions, case studies, videos/podcasts, career inventories, speakers and panels, and individual/group reflections. Students will learn how to use tools and strategies to navigate their immediate and future job searches that will be useful throughout their lifetimes.

Ursula Olender M.Ed. is a career services leader with extensive experience building career development ecosystems and highly productive teams. With more than 25 years of experience, she joined Middlebury in 2016 as Director of Career Advising and Employer Relations and Business/Finance Careers Advisor, she previously directed career centers at Amherst College and Colgate University, and was chief health professions advisor and associate director at Dartmouth College.

Tracy Himmel Isham is a professional having worked for 14 years in the natural resource sector and 20 years at Middlebury College and the Center for Careers and Internships as a social impact and education career adviser. Her career has spanned the nonprofit, for-profit, start-up venture, and association worlds focusing on global issues and pragmatic solutions: the environment and ecosystem market-based models; economic, community and market development; fair trade; innovation and social entrepreneurship; sustainable food systems; and educational access./ WTR (T. Himmel Isham, U. Olender)

INTD 1013 Past, Present and Future of AI (Winter 2024)

We will review the key developments in the evolution of AI this century and how it has been applied to many products we use every day. We will explain the significance, in layman’s terms, of the transformers model and how it enabled the development of LLMs and ChatGPT. With that understanding, we will explore a variety of questions from a philosophical and psychological perspective. Why do we anthropomorphize instances of AI, and should we? Do the models really “understand”? What does it mean to “understand”? Why do they “hallucinate”? Is AI sentient? What does it mean to be sentient? We will review and discuss depictions of AI in modern films such as Her (2017), Ex Machina (2014), After Yang (2021), and Robot & Frank (2012).

Daren Gill is currently Senior Director of Product at Google focused on leveraging AI in the Search experience. He has been building ML-powered consumer software products for over 20 years at big tech companies, including Amazon, Spotify, and Google, as well as several startups. Daren is on the board of directors for Yobe, Inc., and is an advisor to Slang.ai. Daren has a J.D. and a B.A. from the University of Connecticut, and currently splits time between New York City and Block Island, RI./ WTR (D. Gill)

INTD 1014 American Sign Language I (Winter 2024)

In this course students will be introduced to American Sign Language (ASL). This course is intended for students who have little or no previous knowledge of ASL. Students will have an opportunity to learn social functions with respect to introducing themselves, exchanging personal information, describing simple narratives, and they will develop beginning conversational skills based on ASL vocabulary and grammatical rules. The fundamentals of the Deaf Culture will be examined through classroom demonstration and readings. LNG, WTR (J. Pirone)

INTD 1016 Questioning Technology (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will critically approach and think deeply about the ways in which we shape, and are shaped by digital technologies of the 21st century. What does society give up for the benefits of a given technology? Who is harmed and who benefits from the technology? What are the unexpected impacts of the technology? Informed by texts such as Weapons of Math Destruction, Design Justice, and Race After Technology, we will explore contexts such as surveillance, privacy, exploitative tech, discriminatory design, and AI. We’ll also explore speculative futures as a framework for imagining a different future with technology. (This course is not open to students who have already taken FYSE 1040.)

Dr. Sarah Lohnes Watulak is the Director of Digital Pedagogy and Learning in the Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry at Middlebury.

Dr. Amy Collier is the Associate Provost for Digital Learning and head of the Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry at Middlebury./ SOC, WTR (A. Collier, S. Lohnes Watulak)

INTD 1017 Sports & Society: How Sports Transcend Their Sidelines (Winter 2024)

Politics, religion, and sports are the common denominators of any society. It could be argued, however, that sport is the only one that unites communities rather than divides them, drives economies rather than diminishing them, and offers tools to expand horizons rather than dogma that limits them. In this class, students explore the premise that sports are much more than the games they watch on TV. They are a multi-billion dollar industry impacting all facets of everyday life. Unlike most businesses sport sits uniquely within the public trust, with the ability to effect change, offer hope and transform the essence of who we are as individuals. The lessons from sport echo throughout life, and this class will examine them firsthand.

Mike Leonard is Middlebury’s Head Baseball Coach, joining the team in 2016 and leading them to a NESCAC championship in 2022. A standout player at the University of Connecticut, Coach Leonard spent several years in the Boston Red Sox system before obtaining his Masters in Education and beginning his coaching career in 2009.
Scott Langerman (Middlebury ’87, P ’19.5 & ‘22) has spent more than 25 years in the sports and entertainment industries, most recently as Founder and CEO of ACE Media, the content arm of the NFL Player’s Association, and the Founder and EVP of Hall of Fame Village Media, the content arm of the Pro Football Hall of Fame./ WTR (S. Langerman, M. Leonard)

INTD 1018 Restorative Justice Practice and Theory (Winter 2024)

Conflict, harm, and wrongdoing are often addressed through ascribing blame and exacting punishment; this approach rarely meets the needs and desires of those directly impacted and their communities. By contrast, restorative justice provides opportunities for those most affected to collectively determine the impact, needs, and obligations that rise in the wake of wrongdoing, and establish steps to put things as right as possible. In this course we will explore the theory and practice of restorative justice, illustrated through the primary modes of restorative practice (victim offender dialogue in prisons, circle processes, peacemaking, family group conferencing as diversion, and truth and reconciliation commissions). We will examine restorative justice’s strengths and shortcomings, and create opportunities to put theory into practice.

Sujatha Baliga’s work is characterized by an equal dedication to people who have caused and experienced harm and violence. A former victim advocate and public defender, Baliga was awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship in 2008 which she used to launch a now-nationwide pre-charge restorative youth diversion program; an internationally recognized leader in the field, she was named a 2019 MacArthur Fellow./ WTR (S. Baliga)

INTD 1019 From Shakespeare to Wall Street: Management and the Liberal Arts (Winter 2024)

In this course, students will explore how a Liberal Arts education (e.g., critical thinking, ethical behavior, and society building) can serve to humanize business. We will draw on various business case studies, videos, academic readings, and leverage wisdom from three Shakespearean works, Hamlet, King Lear, and The Merchant of Venice. We will then apply our newfound lessons to various business contexts (as Wall Street is a metaphor for business writ large) with the hopes of promoting human ethical conduct, corporate responsibility, environmental sustainability, and human equality.
(Grove Nichols can be contacted at ggnichols2@gmail.com)

Grosvenor (Grove) Nichols graduated from Middlebury in 1971. He majored in English, played varsity hockey and tennis, and was a fraternity social chairman. He went on to get an MBA from Stanford and has had a career in banking and consulting, including starting a bank in Sacramento, California, and serving as its CEO for ten years. Grove is currently a ski instructor and tennis pro at Stratton Mountain./ WTR (G. Nichols)

INTD 1022 Beyond Bretton Woods: A Critical Global Financial Architecture Review (Winter 2024)

In this course we will discuss the ongoing international financial architecture review (IFAR) process, from the angle of the polycrisis (amongst others, climate change, global health pandemic, social and racial injustice, geo-political tensions and global financial instability) challenges. Students will be offered foundational knowledge about the existing global financial architecture constellation, which emerged from the 1944 Bretton Woods conference in New Hampshire. The course will canvas the core purposes, principles and design intentions to critically analyze and judiciously engage in the core IFAR themes and proposals. The 80-year developments and ensuing challenges will be contextualized with the evolving strands of the current polycrisis. The main course objective is to impart an innovative solutions mindset. The course material will provide a solid introduction to the upcoming May 2024 conference organized on a similar theme at Bread Loaf. SOC, WTR (F. Van Gansbeke)

INTD 1023 Financial Analysis (Winter 2024)

In this course we will learn basic accounting and corporate finance concepts and apply them to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Students will develop in-depth language skills for interpreting financial information (by way of case studies and the textbook) used to make decisions for shareholders, stakeholders, and government, and we will reflect on the impact of these decisions on society writ large. Topics of accounting ethics, corporate governance, and financial frauds will also be discussed in a liberal arts context.

David R. Miller is an experienced private equity investor and strategy consultant. His career included positions at a middle-market focused private equity firm, as well in investment banking and strategy consulting. David, with his wife Sonya and their two daughters, lived in Chicago for many years before moving to Charleston, SC, and more recently to just outside of Newport, RI. David earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign./ WTR (D. Miller)

INTD 1024 Bad Bunny: Genre, Gender & National Identity (Winter 2024)

Bad Bunny has transcended the Puerto Rican and Spanish-language music scene to become one of the most streamed artists in the world. In this course we will focus on Bad Bunny as a case study to explore the origins, development, and globalization of the Caribbean music genre and cultural phenomenon of reggaetón. Through an interdisciplinary lens, we will analyze songs, videos, performances, social media, and scholarly and mainstream articles, in order to explore topics such as the transnational dissemination of Puerto Rican lexicon, Bad Bunny's perpetuation and subversion of gender normativity in Latin American music culture, his activism against political disenfranchisement, gender and racial discrimination, neocolonialist gentrification of Puerto Rico, among other social issues. (Placement of SPAN 0104 or higher, or instructor's approval) (Course taught in English.) AMR, SOC, WTR (M. Rohena-Madrazo)

INTD 1025 Natura Morte: Looking at the Overlooked (Winter 2024)

Where does meaning lie? In content? Intent? Context? or all? What do we see when we look closely? What do we miss? In this course we will explore these questions and the history of still-life painting with the goal for each student to create their own personal allegorical still-life. Norman Bryson’s Looking at the Overlooked: Four Essays on Still Life Painting will serve as introductory readings, which will lead to studio work: learning how to look and draw from observation; completing a series of small studies exploring light, texture, volume and surface, and then developing personal symbolic content to be included in a finished still-life painting. This course will involve discussion, analysis, inquiry, and self-expression. Short seminars on historical introduction and studio methods will be followed by studio work in class and out. Art experience preferred but not required.

Allen Fitzpatrick graduated from Middlebury College as a studio art major in 1978 and earned an MFA in painting from the New York Academy in 1996. He taught high school art for forty years teaching Drawing, Painting, Photography, AP Art History, Interdisciplinary Courses: Rivers, Capstone and Humanities and also served as Chairman of the Art Department. At Middlebury he captained the hockey and lacrosse teams and has coached both sports as well./ WTR (A. Fitzpatrick)

INTD 1074 MiddCORE (Winter 2024)

MiddCORE’s mentor-driven leadership and innovation immersion program builds skills and confidence through collaborative, experiential, and impact-focused learning. Through daily, weekly, and month-long challenges, students gain experience in leadership, strategic thinking, idea creation, collaboration, persuasive communication, ethical decision-making, cross-cultural understanding, conflict resolution, empathy, and crisis management. Acceptance into MiddCORE is by approval only. To learn more about this January's MiddCORE curriculum and to apply to the program, please visit go/MiddCOREwinter. (Pass/Fail; Approval Required) WTR (R. Moeller)

INTD 1076 The Cultural Psychology of Happiness: Re-Entry and Application (Winter 2024)

This course is an extension of the Copenhagen global education program and the first-year seminar on The Cultural Psychology of Happiness. We will examine and apply psychological concepts of cultural re-entry as students return to their home environments, and we will discuss comparative aspects of well-being and happiness within diverse cultural contexts. We will add topics from positive psychology not covered in the fall course that are pertinent to planning for life at Middlebury, and concepts related to enhanced learning, such as growth mindset. Students will work independently and in small groups to design applications and conduct research projects. Assignments will include oral presentations, one short paper, and a longer research paper. The course will be offered on Zoom only. (Open only to those students enrolled in the Middlebury-Copenhagen First-Year Program.) WTR (B. Hofer)

INTD 1079 Climate Crisis and the Photography of Place: Home (Winter 2024)

This course is an extension of the Middlebury-Copenhagen first-year seminar Climate Crisis and Photography of Place: Copenhagen. We will advance our study of the science underlying the climate crisis, conduct independent research to identify causes and effects of global warming in students’ home communities, consider the extent to which successful climate mitigations and adaptations identified in Copenhagen apply to circumstances at home and offer potential solutions, and write a paper on the results of the research. Students will advance their practice of mindful photography by engaging local climate issues and contributing photos and text to a virtual exhibit at the end of the term. The course will be offered on Zoom only. (Open only to those students enrolled in the Middlebury Copenhagen First-Year Program) WTR (T. Case)

INTD 1089 Middlebury Entrepreneurs (Winter 2024)

Middlebury Entrepreneurs is a course for students who want to start their own business or non-profit organization. Students spend the month developing their ideas, building their organizations, and preparing for the culminating event -- pitching their ideas to a panel of venture capitalists,
entrepreneurs, and industry leaders. Entrepreneurship is a process through which individuals identify opportunities or unmet needs, allocate resources, and create value-adding products or programs. Students will follow the process from ideation to launch quickly and effectively through deliverables, class discussions, and hands-on mentoring both from professors and visiting entrepreneurs and investors. Class will be focused on building a prototype, testing the intended market or target group, and engaging with potential clients or customers. Students should be prepared for hands-on work outside of class time. At the conclusion of the course, students will compete with their classmates in a pitch competition for bragging rights. (Approval Required; Honors Pass/Fail)

David Bradbury is President of the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) which offers expert business mentoring, venture capital, coworking and accelerator facilities, and substantive networking to the region’s entrepreneurs and next generation employers.

Samantha “Sam” Roach-Gerber is a 2013 graduate of Northeastern University where she studied Organizational Communication and Environmental Studies. As Director of Innovation at VCET, Sam oversees programming and partnerships, membership, events, communications and marketing; she also co-hosts VCET’s podcast, Start Here./ WTR (D. Bradbury, S. Roach-Gerber)

INTD 1125 Introduction to Meditation (Winter 2024)

Cross-listed as: EDST 1125

INTD 1181 Dostoevsky: The Brothers Karamazov (Winter 2024)

Long recognized as a pinnacle of literary art and a canonical work of Western culture, Dostoevsky’s masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov (1880) was the Russian author’s final towering achievement that sums up his life and work. The plot involves the mysterious murder of a depraved landowner, the subsequent investigation, sensational trial, and the involvement of his three very different sons in his murder. In a close reading, we will examine the genesis, background, and notebooks of this novel, its philosophical, religious, and psychological themes, and its narrative technique. Readings include Notes from Underground (1864) and Dostoevsky’s famous speech celebrating Pushkin. (1881). (Not open to students who have taken RUSS 0351)

Michael Katz is the former Dean of Language Schools and Schools Abroad, and is currently C.V. Starr Professor Emeritus of Russian and East European Studies./ EUR, LIT, WTR (M. Katz)

INTD 1184 Constitutional Law, Adjudication and Advocacy (Winter 2024)

In this course we will explore how cases are developed in the state and federal trial courts and presented on appeal in the Vermont Supreme Court. Taught by a retired Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court and a senior status United States District Judge, the course will include both a substantive component focused primarily on United States and Vermont constitutional law and trial and appellate procedure, and an experiential component in which students will participate in a moot appellate court presentation, including submitting a written argument in a “brief” and making an oral argument to a “bench” of one or more judges. Students will examine in depth the briefs, oral arguments and resulting decisions in two recently-decided Vermont Supreme Court cases and will attend the arguments for actual cases being heard by the Vermont Supreme Court. Having read and discussed the briefs and issues in those cases, students will meet with one or more Justices of the Court and the lawyers who presented arguments. Finally, students will read about and discuss “hot topics” in the United States’ legal and justice system, including methods of judicial selection, police officer liability for constitutional violations and the need to modernize state and federal constitutions.

Justices John Dooley is a retired Justices of the Vermont Supreme Court.

Judge William Sessions is a senior status Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont./ AMR, NOR, SOC, WTR (J. Dooley, W. Sessions)

INTD 1219 Applying New Tools and Technologies to Today's Security challenges on the Korean Peninsula (Winter 2024)

In 2017, North Korea tested a missile capable of delivering a powerful thermonuclear weapon against cities throughout the United States. How do scholars study international security challenges like the spread of nuclear weapons? In this course, students will develop an open source intelligence toolkit applicable to a broad universe of international security challenges, with special focus on nuclear weapons and North Korea. No prior knowledge is assumed, and students outside political science are encouraged to participate. The tools covered, such as satellite imagery, have broad applicability beyond nonproliferation, to areas such as human trafficking, climate change, oceans policy, and counterterrorism.

Dr. Jeffrey Lewis is Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies. At the Middlebury Institute he teaches courses on arms control issues in Northeast Asia and Chinese nuclear policy./ WTR (J. Lewis)

INTD 1223 Leadership: Building a Decision-Making Framework for Life (Winter 2024)

College was the goal. Time is passing quickly. How will you prepare for the future? Students will develop a decision-making framework for life by exploring their core values and aspirations, crafting a personal narrative, and identifying longer-term life goals. We will discuss and test key components of effective leadership and build a leadership toolkit that includes goal setting, risk assessment, active listening, and strategic planning. Reading assignments – from Aristotle to Drucker – and writing assignments will complement class discussions, interactive exercises, and oral presentations. Guest speakers will participate and share their leadership stories, insights and lessons learned.

Catherine Lee is a Middlebury alumna (class of 1992) and a Middlebury trustee. WTR (C. Lee)

INTD 1230 Data Science Across Disciplines (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will gain exposure to the entire data science pipeline—obtaining and cleaning large and messy data sets, exploring these data and creating engaging visualizations, and communicating insights from the data in a meaningful manner. During morning sessions, we will learn the tools and techniques required to explore new and exciting data sets. During afternoon sessions, students will work in small groups with one of several faculty members on domain-specific research projects in Geography, Political Science, Restorative Justice, or Healthcare. This course will use the R programming language. No prior experience with R is necessary.

INTD 1230 A: Data is a powerful tool for improving health outcomes by making programmatic choices to support justice. In this afternoon section of Data Across the Disciplines, students will be working with Addison County Restorative Justice (ACRJ) on understanding patterns in the occurrence of driving under the influence. ACRJ has over 1,000 cases and would like to better understand their data and come up with ways to access information. We will explore how identity, geography, and support impact outcomes from DUI cases. Using statistical analysis and data visualizations, along with learning about ethical data practices, we will report our findings.

INTD 1230 B: Let’s dive into the minutes and reports of local towns to develop an accessible news and history resource. Could this be a tool for small newspapers to track local news more easily? Can we map this fresh data for a new look across geographies? Do you want to help volunteer town officials make decisions and better wrangle with their town’s history and data? In this course we will develop a focused database of documents produced by several municipal boards and commissions. We will engage in conversation with local officials, researchers, and journalists. This course aims to introduce students to making data from real world documents and the people that make them to generate useful information that is often open but frequently difficult to sift through.

GEOG 1230: In this section, students will use data science tools to explore the ways migration systems in the United States changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will draw on data collected from mobile phones recording each phone’s monthly place of residence at the census tract level. The dataset includes monthly observations from January 2019 through December 2021 allowing the analysis to compare migration systems pre-pandemic with those during the pandemic.

MATH/STAT 1230: Students will explore pediatric healthcare data to better understand the risks correlated with various childhood illnesses through an emphasis on the intuition behind statistical and machine learning techniques. We will practice making informed decisions from noisy data and the steps to go from messy data to a final report. Students will become proficient in R and gain an understanding of various statistical techniques.

PSCI 1230: How do candidates for U.S. national office raise money? From whom do they raise it? In this section we will explore these questions using Federal Election Commission data on individual campaign contributions to federal candidates. Our analysis using R will help us identify geographic patterns in the data, as well as variations in funds raised across types of candidates. We will discuss what implications these patterns may have for the health and functioning of democracy in the U.S. DED, SCI, WTR (K. O'Brien, A. Lyford, C. Stinson)

INTD 1234 How (Not) to Get Away with Murder: The Investigation and Trial of a Homicide (Winter 2024)

Det. Danny Reagan is called to investigate the disappearance of a college student last seen at a local, off campus bar. Suspecting foul play, the Crime Scene Team is called in to assist. Utilizing scientifically accepted techniques and pertinent case law, students will help direct and solve the mystery by viewing and analyzing evidence and determining which steps the investigation should follow. Once a suspect is identified and arrested, students will then prepare their case for trial and the scrutiny of the prosecution and defense teams, ultimately learning if they arrested the right suspect.
Peter Bevere, '96, is a Deputy State’s Attorney with the Addison County State’s Attorney’s Office and have experience handling cases ranging from domestic and sexual assaults to homicides. I have been an attorney for 19 years, with over 13 years of experience as a prosecutor in both Vermont and Massachusetts./ WTR (P. Bevere)

INTD 1235 Shaping Climate Narratives: Impactful Advocacy (Winter 2024)

In this course we will examine how advocates employ narrative arts to achieve their ends, and how those strategies and tactics can be brought to bear to drive progress on climate issues. The class will engage with distinguished professionals from such disciplines as law, diplomacy and government relations who will share their experiences and perspectives. Each student will prepare a project examining how a particular narrative achieved prominence in its time. The class will collectively consider how Middlebury College might enhance the impact of its Energy2028 initiative.

Kim Gagné has amassed deep experience as an advocate in a career spanning the worlds of law, diplomacy, and government relations. Kim’s advocacy experiences include partnership at a Washington white collar criminal defense firm; service as a Foreign Service Officer in Haiti and Saudi Arabia and at the U.S. Mission to the European Union; and senior-level service in Microsoft’s legal and corporate affairs group in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Kim is a Senior Counselor with the strategic communications firm APCO Worldwide and is Board Chair of ID2020.
This course counts as a social science cognate for environmental studies majors. SOC, WTR (K. Gagne)

INTD 1250 Introduction to Real Estate Development and Finance (Winter 2024)

Urban planning and policy can shape cities, but in most cases our environment is actually built, project by project, by individual developers, whose choices of land use, building types, construction methods and operations are shaped by economic factors. Private equity funds, non-profit housing trusts, retailers, hotel operators and entrepreneurs all must grapple with the costs and risks, and potential returns and social impacts of a development project. Students in this course will learn the fundamentals of development, including the valuation of land and structures, financing with debt and equity, non-profit mission-driven development, modeling investment flows and managing risk.

Originally trained as an architect, David Hamilton has managed and consulted on innovative development and construction projects in tech office, healthcare, housing and farmland conservation. He teaches at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and is the co-author of Professional Real Estate Development, ULI Press./ WTR (D. Hamilton)

INTD 1252 9?11: Significance & Legacies (Winter 2024)

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States killed nearly 3,000 people. Those attacks, in turn, generated two regional wars—in Afghanistan and Iraq—and a “global war on terror.” This course examines the 9/11 attacks from a number of angles. What factors helped produce them? What was their goal, how were they carried out, and why were they not prevented? How did 9/11 — and the US response to it — help shape (for better or worse) today’s world? Through readings, films, discussion and group activities we will examine the significance and legacies of 9/11. AMR, CMP, HIS, SOC, WTR (M. Williams)

INTD 1255 Human Rights in Practice (Winter 2024)

How do human rights get translated into positive change in people’s lives? In this course we will review human rights instruments, consider who is responsible for protecting rights, and explore how international HR law is developed and used by Governments, the UN, and NGOs. We will use case studies from the instructor’s and guest speakers’ experience around child rights, economic inequity, migration, disability and restorative justice. Students may focus their writing and presentation assignments on these or other HR topics. Papers and class exercises will simulate real-life efforts to advance human rights through media, advocacy and UN work.

Alexandra Yuster worked for UNICEF for over 30 years, and has lived and worked in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Her interests, experience and networks include health, immigration, poverty and inequality, public finance, child protection and LGBTQ issues – focusing on strategies for systemic change./ WTR (A. Yuster)

INTD 1259 Conflict Transformation: Approaches and Skills (Winter 2024)

This course will introduce to students to a variety of approaches to conflict transformation (CT), including intercultural competence, mediation, restorative practices, and structured dialogue. CT skills enrich classroom learning and prepare students to be effective citizens in a polarized public square. To transform conflict, we must first understand the nature of conflict and then develop tools to build healthy relationships and communities – locally, nationally, and globally. Students will learn about the drivers of conflict and then practice CT skills in the course. This course is part of a Middlebury-wide CT initiative, and this course foundational for students who wish to pursue practicum or research opportunities in other CT programs. SOC, WTR (S. Stroup, J. Portilla)

INTN 1052 Coaching & Issues in Sports (Winter 2024)

Coaching and Issues in Sports *
In this team-taught course we will examine coaching and its impact on students from elementary school through the college level. Students will develop a portfolio that will include coaching philosophy, sport psychology, physiology, and sport pedagogy. Each student will learn teaching techniques for their sport or sports of interest. Guest speakers will lead discussions on current issues happening in the world of sports. Outside reading with response papers, in class participation, and a final portfolio will determine the grade. (Open to Juniors and Seniors only). (Athletic Faculty) WTR (E. Dalton)

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Program in International & Global Studies

IGST 0500 East Asian Studies Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

IGST 0501 Latin American Studies Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR (J. Maluccio, M. Williams)

IGST 0502 Middle East Studies Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

IGST 0503 African Studies Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR (M. Sheridan)

IGST 0504 South Asian Studies Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

IGST 0505 European Studies Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

IGST 0507 Global Security Studies Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Only) WTR (99 seats) (S. Stroup)

IGST 0508 Global Gender and Sexuality Studies Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Only)

IGST 0700 Senior Work (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

IGST 0701 Russian and East European Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

IGST 0702 European Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

IGST 0703 Latin American Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

IGST 0704 East Asian Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

IGST 0705 African Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

IGST 0706 Middle East Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

IGST 0707 South Asian Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

IGST 0708 Global Security Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Only)

IGST 0709 Global Migration and Diaspora Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Only)

IGST 0710 Global Gender and Sexuality Studies Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Only)

IGST 0711 Global Environmental Change Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Only)

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Program in International Politics and Economics

IPEC 0500 Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

IPEC 0700 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR (P. Matthews, G. Winslett, T. Byker, J. Lunstead, A. Stanger, C. Craven, M. Williams, A. Fieldhouse, E. Gong, N. Horning, A. Yuen, E. Wolcott, O. Lewis, A. Rao)

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Department of Italian

ITAL 0102 Beginning Italian II (Winter 2024)

This course is a continuation of ITAL 0101, and emphasizes spoken and written Italian and the mastery of more complex grammatical structures and vocabulary. Students continue to work with conversation partners, but will also incorporate more specific cultural references in oral presentations and in written assignments. Students attend the Italian table and mandatory film screenings. (ITAL 0101 or equivalent) LNG, WTR (S. Carletti, T. Van Order)

ITAL 0550 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

Italian faculty as a group will consider and approve requests by qualified juniors and seniors to engage in independent work. Students must submit a prospectus that includes a bibliography of no less than five sources. Interested students should contact members of the Italian faculty before the end of the preceding term to discuss their project and to see if they are available to direct the Independent Study. Students must submit a prospectus with the department chair by the end of the first week of classesfor fall and spring term approvals, by the end the last week of fall semesterfor winter term approvals. Prior to submission, sufficient advance consultation with project directors is required.Junior students are strongly encouraged to consider independent study as preparation for senior honors thesis work. WTR (S. Carletti, P. Zupan, S. Mula, I. Brancoli Busdraghi)

ITAL 0755 Senior Honors (Winter 2024)

Students majoring in Italian must complete an independent senior project. Italian faculty as a group will consider and approve the proposals, which should be submitted before the last week of the preceding semester. The senior project will be advised by one member of the Italian department, but will be presented to the whole department. Italian honors will be awarded to eligible students depending on the final grade. (Staff)

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Department of Japanese Studies

JAPN 0102 First-Year Japanese (Winter 2024)

This course is an intensive continuation of JAPN 0101. This course is required for those students wishing to take JAPN 0103 in the Spring. (JAPN 0101) LNG, WTR (K. Davis)

JAPN 0500 Independent Project (Winter 2024)

JAPN 0700 Honors Thesis (Winter 2024)

Students write a thesis in English with a synopsis in Japanese on literature, film, or culture. The topic for the thesis is chosen in consultation with the instructor. (JAPN 0475)

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Jewish Studies Minor

HEBM 0102 Introductory Modern Hebrew II (Winter 2024)

HEBM 0500 Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

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Linguistics Minor

LNGT 0107 Introduction to TESOL (Winter 2024)

In this course we will study theories and methods in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in the U.S. and abroad. We will look at the basic building blocks of the grammatical and pronunciation systems of English and explore different teaching techniques. We will examine curricular resources used with adolescent and adult learners, and develop materials applicable to a variety of classroom settings. Class sessions will be largely hands-on and will include practice student teaching demonstrations with peer feedback. (Not open to students who have taken LNGT/EDST 1003)

Joe McVeigh has many years of experience teaching English to students from a wide range of language backgrounds. He provides professional development for teachers domestically and internationally as an English Language Specialist for the U.S. Department of State. His ESL textbooks, published by Oxford University Press, are widely used in many countries around the world./ WTR (J. McVeigh)

Cross-listed as: EDST 0107

LNGT 0500 Independent Work (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

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Program in Literary Studies

LITS 0510 Independent Essay Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) (M. Hatjigeorgiou, P. Sfyroeras, S. Donadio)

LITS 0700 Senior Comprehensive Exam (Winter 2024)

Intended for majors in literary studies preparing for the written section of the senior comprehensive examinations. WTR (M. Hatjigeorgiou)

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Department of Luso Hispanic Studies

PGSE 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

SPAN 0337 Sound, Race, and Resistance (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will examine how works from across Latin America address intersections of listening and race. Exploring where sound serves as a site of racialization as well as how the ear can construct and contest difference, we will place films, literary texts, a tape documentary, and even a radio play into conversation with readings from the interdisciplinary field of sound studies. Doing so will allow us to consider how we might counter essentialist notions of sound as we critique misguided understandings of necessary connections between voice and race, to name one key concern. In addition to contemplating these ways that our ears have been tuned or trained, we will also study works that demand we listen differently. AMR, LNG, WTR (S. Carter)

SPAN 0346 Rewriting National Fictions: Adapting Citizenship in Foundational Narratives (Winter 2024)

How do new nations consolidate their citizenry under a collective identity with shared traits, beliefs, and values? How do contemporary citizens grapple with the constraints on the ideal citizen? In this course we study the “foundational fictions” that united Latin American countries after their independence from Spain, using Argentina as our principal case study. We analyze the implications of these narratives, namely who is excluded? To answer this question, we perform comparative readings of foundational fictions and their reinterpretations that seek to identify and rectify these exclusions. Texts include Benedict Anderson’s Imagined Communities; Doris Sommer’s Foundational Fictions; José Hernandez’s Martín Fierro and Gabriela Cabezón Cámara’s Las aventuras de la China Iron; Domingo Faustino Sarmiento’s Facundo and Ricardo Piglia’s Respiración artificial. LIT, LNG, WTR (M. Felman-Panagotacos)

SPAN 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

The department will consider requests by qualified juniors and senior majors to engage in independent work. (Approval only) WTR

SPAN 0705 Senior Honors Thesis (Winter 2024)

The department will award honors, high honors, or highest honors on the basis of a student's work in the department and performance in SPAN 0705. (Approval only) WTR (M. Fernandez, L. Lesta Garcia, E. Garcia, G. Gonzalez Zenteno, L. Castaneda, N. Poppe, A. Fil, P. Saldarriaga)

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Department of Mathematics and Statistics

MATH 0500 Advanced Study (Winter 2024)

Individual study for qualified students in more advanced topics in algebra, number theory, real or complex analysis, topology. Particularly suited for those who enter with advanced standing. (Approval required) 3 hrs. lect./disc. WTR

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Middlebury Institute Courses

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Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

MBBC 0500 Independent Research (Winter 2024)

This course is for non-seniors wishing to conduct independent research in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Additional requirements include attendance at all MBBC-sponsored seminars and seminars sponsored by the faculty mentor’s department, and participation in any scheduled meetings and disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. (Approval required).

MBBC 0700 Senior Independent Research (Winter 2024)

Seniors conducting independent research in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry under the guidance of a faculty mentor should register for MBBC 0700 unless they are completing a thesis project (in which case they should register for MBBC 0701). Additional requirements include attendance at all MBBC-sponsored seminars and seminars sponsored by the faculty mentor’s department, and participation in any scheduled meetings and disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. (Approval required).

MBBC 0701 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

This course is for seniors completing independent thesis research in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry that was initiated in BIOL 0500, CHEM 0400, MBBC 0500, or MBBC 0700. Students will attend weekly meetings with their designated research group and engage in one-on-one meetings with their research mentor to foster understanding in their specialized research area. Students will also practice the stylistic and technical aspects of scientific writing needed to write their thesis. (BIOL 0500, CHEM 0400, MBBC 0500, MBBC 0700) (Approval required).

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Department of Music

MUSC 0500 Independent Study (Winter 2024)

Admission by approval. Please consult published departmental guidelines and paragraph below. WTR (495 seats)

MUSC 0704 Senior Work (Winter 2024)

Senior work is not required of all music majors and joint majors. However, students interested in and eligible for departmental honors (see guideline above, in "Departmental Honors" section) may propose one or two-semester Senior Work projects. Projects may be in history, composition, theory, ethnomusicology, performance, or electronic music, and should culminate in a written presentation, a public performance, or a combination of the two. MUSC0704 does not count as a course toward fulfillment of the music major.

Project and budget proposals for Independent Study and Senior Work should be submitted by the previous April 1 for fall and winter term projects, and the previous October 15 for spring term projects. Budget proposals will not be considered after those dates. Project proposals will be considered after the deadline but are more likely not to be approved due to previous commitments of faculty advisors or other scheduling reasons.

MUSC 1025 Electronic Music: Digital Audio Synthesis & Production (Winter 2024)

In this intensive course, taught exclusively in Ableton Live, we will explore the fundamentals of digital audio synthesis and electronic music production. In the context of an original project, each student will learn to design sounds, warp and process audio samples, arrange MIDI, deploy effects, automate parameters, and creatively utilize these skills in tandem. We will also delve into the basic principles of digital audio, signal flow, mix engineering, and emulation theory within software synthesizers. Final projects will be presented in a public exhibition at end of term. Students should expect a substantial amount of work outside of class time. (not open to students who have taken MUSC 0112 or MUSC 0212) (Approval required; please contact Jack Tipper at atipper@middlebury.edu)

Jack Tipper ’15.5 is an independent multidisciplinary artist and audio technologist. He currently develops creative tools and releases music under his professional moniker “Aotu”./ ART, WTR (J. Tipper)

MUSC 1029 Visualizing Sound - Creating Animated Computer Art from Music (Winter 2024)

In this course we explore the many ways that sound and music can be transformed into animated computer art using a software tool called Touch Designer. The project-driven course will offer a series of creative projects that explore various approaches to the topic. In the class, we will learn about and apply concepts of music theory, acoustics, and the psychology of music, as well as computer programming techniques used within Touch Designer. Students will need a laptop computer (Windows or Mac) with ample storage space. No previous music or coding experience required.

Peter Hamlin, Christian A. Johnson Professor Emeritus of Music at Middlebury, is a Middlebury alum who has worked as a radio host/producer, TV host, composer, performer, and music professor. At Middlebury, he taught courses in music theory, composition, electronic music, and served as Music Department Chair for many years./ WTR (P. Hamlin)

MUSC 1030 Music in Miniature (Winter 2024)

In this course we will explore musical miniatures: compositions and songs that are not merely short, but extraordinarily and intentionally brief. What do such tiny pieces illuminate about the creative process, aesthetic values, and musical time? How do narrative and irony arise in these unusual forms? Are new platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts reshaping our musical expectations? We will examine a diverse range of musical miniatures alongside small-scale forms from other arts, such as haiku poetry, miniature portraiture, nano-sculpture, and one-minute film. We will create our own stand-alone miniatures, use miniatures as building blocks for longer cycles, and reflect in writing and speech on our work. Composers, songwriters, and performers from all musical traditions are welcome. ART, WTR (M. Quayle)

MUSC 1031 The Music of Miles Davis (Winter 2024)

For almost fifty years, there was no greater catalyst in improvised music - and arguably, in all creative music - than Miles Davis. He repeatedly revolutionized Jazz and its associated styles, guiding them from bebop through cool jazz, post-bop, jazz-rock fusion, third stream, psychedelic rock, and hip-hop. In this course we will dive into this path of influence, through a comprehensive look at his music, his collaborators, and his life. In addition to in-class lectures, selected readings, and discussion, we will listen to and analyze Davis’ landmark recordings to chart his path of constant reinvention, and explore the ways in which he continues to influence modern creative music.

Kyle Saulnier is a composer, performer, and educator, specializing in modern American music./ ART, WTR (K. Saulnier)

MUSC 1032 Investigating Musical Theatre (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will explore what it means to be a collaborative performing artist in the 21st century through the lens of musical theatre. This course will function as both a seminar to discuss performance theory and processes as well as a lab for embodied practice. To engage with the latter, we will dedicate much of our class time to the three key elements of musical theatre: acting, singing, and dancing. Our engagement with these skills will culminate in a final performance at the end of the term. Readings include the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Linda Sabo, and Liz Lerman. Screenings include Falsettos, Allegiance, Leave It on the Floor, Into the Woods, Lift, and London Road.

Madison Middleton '22.5 is a multi-disciplinary artist with foci in theatre, music, and teaching artistry. They currently work at Middlebury College as an assistant director, sound designer, and program assistant for Beyond the Page./ WTR (M. Middleton)

MUSC 1056 Sing the World into Place (Winter 2024)

Would you enjoy spending your winter term...singing? Are you excited to learn and compare different ways of singing? Do you perceive singing as a way to develop community? In this course, we will address these questions as we explore singing of different places, purposes, and time periods. Through daily workshops supported by readings, listening, and discussion, we will build a broader understanding of how and why we sing. Our repertoire will span genres, including global folk, traditional, classical and popular music broadly defined. We will reinforce positive attributes of group singing and refine our narrative of the collective singing experience. No prerequisite or vocal performance experience required. go/singtheworldintoplace Lecture/disc. ART, WTR (J. Buettner)

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Program in Neuroscience

NSCI 0500 Independent Research (Winter 2024)

Students enrolled in NSCI 0500 complete individual research projects involving laboratory or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and approved in advance by a NSCI faculty advisor. This course is not open to seniors; seniors should enroll in NSCI 0700. (Approval required) WTR

NSCI 0700 Senior Research (Winter 2024)

This course is for senior NSCI majors who plan to conduct one or more semesters of independent research, or who plan to complete preparatory work toward a senior thesis, such as researching and writing a thesis proposal as well as, if appropriate, collecting data that will form the basis for a senior thesis. Senior NSCI majors who plan to complete a senior thesis should register initially for NSCI 0700. Additional requirements may include participation in weekly meetings with advisors and/or lab groups and attending neuroscience seminars. (Approval required, open to seniors only)

NSCI 0701 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

Senior NSCI majors who have completed one or more terms of NSCI 0700, who have a GPA of 3.3 in their major courses, and who plan to complete a senior thesis should register for NSCI 0701 for the final semester of the senior thesis process. Students enrolled in NSCI 0701 write a thesis, give a public presentation of their research, and present an oral defense of the thesis before a committee of at least two Neuroscience faculty members. Faculty may recommend High honors in Neuroscience after considering the quality of these components of a student’s thesis and the student’s GPA in major courses. Additional requirements may include participation in weekly meetings with advisors and/or lab groups and attending neuroscience seminars. (NSCI 0700, Approval required)

NSCI 1013 Pain and the Opioid Crisis (Winter 2024)

The proliferation of opioid use in the United States, and the associated health consequences, is a major public health challenge. Yet opioid drugs are valuable tools for managing high-impact pain. In this course, we will explore the neural, biological, and historical underpinnings of pain and opioid use in the United States. Engaging with primary neuroscience literature and public health journalism, we will discuss the biological basis of pain and opioid actions, investigate how opioids do (and do not) treat pain, and address strategies for mitigating the parallel impact of opioid use and high-impact pain, focusing on issues relevant to Vermont. (BIOL0145; recommended: NSCI 0251 and NSCI 0252)

Lisa Wooldridge '16 is a graduate student in neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research investigates how opioid dependence interacts with the neural systems that produce the experience of pain./ SCI, WTR (L. Wooldridge)

NSCI 1023 Hormones and Cognition (Winter 2024)

One of the most critical features of hormones is their widespread impact on physiology and behavior. The brain is an endocrine organ; it produces and guides the production of hormones and is in turn influenced by hormones. Yet, scientists tend to forget that the action of ovarian hormones are not limited to the ovaries. In fact, brain regions that underlie cognition such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are densely packed with estrogen receptors. In this course, we will evaluate the powerful role hormones have in shaping neural structure, function, and cognition. We will explore topics such as the menstrual cycle, menopause, and endocrine disorders through empirical articles and popular media sources. (recommended: PSYC 0105 or BIOL 0145.)

Elle Murata received her B.A. in Neuroscience from Middlebury College and is currently a third year PhD student focusing on the intersection of neuroscience and women’s health at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research explores the neuromodulatory role of sex steroid hormones on neural structure and function; in particular, she is interested in how reproductive aging (menopause) and reproductive disorders (endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome) shape the brain./ SCI, WTR (E. Murata)

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Department of Philosophy

PHIL 0500 Research in Philosophy (Winter 2024)

Supervised independent research in philosophy. (Approval required). WTR

PHIL 1033 Philosophical Foundations of Climate Change Policy (Winter 2024)

Despite scientific consensus that the growing climate change problem is human caused, there remains staunch disagreement about what exactly to do about it. In this course, we will explore and evaluate the ethical commitments that lie at the heart of arguments for and against specific climate change policies. For instance, we will ask questions like the following: Should carbon taxes be the primary tool for addressing climate change? Should we develop and deploy technologies like carbon removal and solar geoengineering? Or should policy be focused on encouraging smaller lifestyles and producing and consuming less overall? We will engage with these questions by critically assessing both the philosophical literature on climate change ethics and justice as well as policy documents such as the Green New Deal.

Britta Clark is a P.h.D Candidate in the Philosophy at Harvard University. Her dissertation focuses on intergenerational justice and the ethics of emerging climate technologies such as carbon capture and solar geoengineering./ PHL, WTR (B. Clark)

PHIL 1034 Issues in Bioethics (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will look at when medicine departs from its usual purpose of prolonging life and treating disease/injury, as well as how to distribute medical resources needed for that purpose. First, when should medicine be used not to avoid death, but to bring it about? We will discuss abortion and euthanasia. Second, when should medicine be used to change our physical condition, in non-disease/injury contexts? We will discuss the nature of disability and the permissibility of human enhancement. Finally, we will look at how we should distribute medical resources in a variety of contexts, including triage, vaccine distribution and the anti-vax movement, Third World clinical trials, and blood donations, as well as how structural inequalities hamper just resource distribution. PHL, WTR (T. Juvshik)

PHIL 1044 Mindfulness and the Mind: Buddhist and Western Perspectives (Winter 2024)

In this team-taught class we will examine the theory and practice of mindfulness from traditional Buddhist and contemporary philosophical perspectives, and consider its implications for our understanding of the mind. We will outline the origins of mindfulness in Asian Buddhism, and its development in the modern West. We then examine philosophical questions raised by studying meditation scientifically: does a 1st person perspective validate the content of our experience? Or must it also by verified by objective, 3rd person perspectives? What does meditation reveal about the nature of consciousness? If consciousness is reflexive, aware of itself, does this self-awareness undermine the Buddhist doctrine of non-self? Students will get first-hand experience practicing mindfulness two hours a week, led by a local meditation teacher. Readings will be from Buddhist and Western philosophical texts and articles. PHL, WTR (W. Waldron, J. Spackman)

Cross-listed as: RELI 1044 *

PHIL 1075 Law, the Obligation to Obey, and Disobedience (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will examine the duty to obey the law and its limits, as well as its relevance to pressing issues of social justice. The question of political obligation has long occupied political and legal philosophers and we will begin our exploration with Plato and the Enlightenment thinkers Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Hume. We will then turn to the contemporary debate, beginning with the agenda-setting philosophical anarchism of Robert Paul Wolff and Joseph Raz, before exploring and assessing a variety of positions defending political obligation revolving around consent, fairness, and community membership. Finally, we will turn to the relevance of the duty to obey the law to current debates about racial justice and poverty.

John Oberdiek '95 is a professor of law and philosophy at Rutgers University./ PHL, WTR (J. Oberdiek)

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Department of Physics

PHYS 0302 Electromagnetic Waves (Winter 2024)

Maxwell's theory of the electromagnetic field provides the basis of our understanding of the nature of light, radio waves, infrared radiation, X-rays, and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. This course examines the behavior of electromagnetic waves starting from Maxwell's equations, the fundamental laws of electromagnetism. Topics include wave propagation in different materials; reflection and refraction at interfaces; applications in space communications, optics, and other fields; and relativistic electrodynamics. (PHYS 0301) 3 hr. lect. DED, SCI (P. Hess, S. Watson)

PHYS 0500 Independent Study and Special Topics (Winter 2024)

(Approval required) WTR

PHYS 0704 Senior Project (Winter 2024)

Independent research project incorporating both written and oral presentations. WTR

PHYS 0705 Senior Research and Thesis (Winter 2024)

Independent research in the fall, winter, and spring terms culminating in a written thesis (two units total). (Approval required) WTR (S. Ratcliff, E. Glikman, N. Graham)

PHYS 1103 Picture a Physicist (Winter 2024)

Picture a physicist. Whom do you see? In this course we will learn about the pioneering physics research done by women, African Americans, and members of other groups that are underrepresented in physics. Through in-class demonstrations and simulations, students will understand the many physics questions that would never have been answered without a diverse group of physicists working to solve them. Students will read about the lives and struggles of these physicists and will examine the hidden and overt obstacles that can hinder their persistence in the field. No prior knowledge of physics is necessary nor expected. (FYSE 1548 students require permission of the instructor.) SCI, WTR (M. Durst)

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Department of Political Science

PSCI 0288 Love and Friendship in Literature and Philosophy (Winter 2024)

Love and friendship are important topics for understanding the best human life and its relationship to the best regime. We will study Plato’s Phaedrus and Symposium; Aristotle’s Ethics; essays on friendship by Montagne and Bacon; Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. Students will be expected to attend all classes prepared to discuss the reading. In addition, a short (500 to 1000 word) paper will be due in class each week. (Political Theory)/ EUR, LIT, PHL (M. Dry)

PSCI 0325 Transitional Justice (Winter 2024)

This course examines how democracies reckon with former authoritarian regimes and their legacies. Measures adopted to overcome the legacy of large-scale human rights
violations include apologies, amnesties, trials of perpetrators, truth commissions as well as restorative justice. Case studies from Asia, Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and the US help us understand the forces and factors that shape the difficult choices: to prosecute and punish versus to forgive and forget. Course readings supplemented by documentaries and fiction films illuminate the dilemmas societies confront to provide accountability for the victims, bystanders and perpetrators. (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1283) 3 hrs. sem. (Comparative Politics)/ CMP, SOC (M. Kraus)

PSCI 0500 Independent Projects (Winter 2024)

A program of independent work designed to meet the individual needs of advanced students. (Approval required) WTR

PSCI 0700 Honors Thesis (Winter 2024)

(Approval required)

PSCI 1029 Vermont Government and Politics (Winter 2024)

Vermont is the second smallest state in America. Its state government is similarly small and accessible. How does it work? Does it work well? Are there lessons for other states that didn’t fare as well as we emerged from the Great Recession? Are there lessons Vermont can learn from other states? This course will offer an insider's perspective on the political landscape and governmental system of our host state. We will learn about the state's political history, meet with those involved in the process, and discuss the intricacies of state government and how the political system affects it. (American Politics)
/James Douglas, ‘72, successfully sought the office of Governor in 2002 and was inaugurated as the 80th Governor of Vermont in January, 2003. He was re-elected in 2004, 2006, and 2008./ AMR, NOR, SOC, WTR (J. Douglas)

PSCI 1041 Contemporary Conflicts in the Middle East (Winter 2024)

The Middle East is known to be one of the most conflict-ridden regions of the world. In this course we explore the contemporary conflicts in the region and the basic motivation of major actors. Specifically, we will study the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the wars in Yemen and Syria, and the Kurdish question in Syria and Turkey. We will study the causes and consequences of these conflicts at the regional and global level. (International Relations and Foreign Policy) MDE, SOC, WTR (S. Gumuscu)

PSCI 1046 How to Win the Argument: Rhetoric and Democracy (Winter 2024)

Arguments shape the progress of free society. From "Four score and seven" to "never surrender," to "I have a dream," we celebrate the power of rhetoric to motivate political action. Yet rhetoric can mislead as well, and its techniques appear to involve a form of manipulation. In this class, we will examine the "arts" of rhetoric, and the philosophical debates surrounding the role of rhetoric in politics. Readings include political speeches (Lincoln, Churchill, King), plays (Aristophanes, Shakespeare), ancient philosophies of rhetoric (Plato, Aristotle), and modern theories of speech and "public reason" (Mill, Rawls). We will prepare and practice public speech-making in class, and we will compose and revise our own analytical and rhetorical prose. CW, EUR, SOC, WTR (D. Fram)

Cross-listed as: CLAS 1046

PSCI 1047 Water Conflict in Vietnam and Thailand (Winter 2024)

Students will research water conflict between China, Vietnam, and Thailand through extensive field research in both Vietnam and Thailand. Specifically, students will conduct group interviews exploring water politics and conflict transformation comparing the two countries, such as how do they secure Chinese investment but also balance local environmental and water use concerns to avoid conflict over scarce water resources? How do they strike a balance between their economic dependence on China and security dependence on the US? How have the China-led Lancang Mekong Cooperation group (LMC) and the US-led Mekong River Commission (MRC) competed as multilateral institutions governing water politics in the region? How do they strike a policy balance between meeting energy demand and mitigating negative social and environmental impacts of dam-building? How do they coordinate various interests and impacts between the upstream and downstream states through regional institutions? Studying these important questions will help students learn more about water politics in the region as well as tools and methods of conflict transformation, while also deeply immersing themselves in local politics and culture in each country. CMP, SOA, SOC, WTR (J. Teets, O. Lewis)

PSCI 1075 Climate Change and the Markets of Tomorrow (Winter 2024)

Cross-listed as: ENVS 1075

PSCI 1230 Data Science Across Disciplines (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will gain exposure to the entire data science pipeline—obtaining and cleaning large and messy data sets, exploring these data and creating engaging visualizations, and communicating insights from the data in a meaningful manner. During morning sessions, we will learn the tools and techniques required to explore new and exciting data sets. During afternoon sessions, students will work in small groups with one of several faculty members on domain-specific research projects in Geography, Political Science, Restorative Justice, or Healthcare. This course will use the R programming language. No prior experience with R is necessary.

PSCI 1230: How do candidates for U.S. national office raise money? From whom do they raise it? In this section we will explore these questions using Federal Election Commission data on individual campaign contributions to federal candidates. Our analysis using R will help us identify geographic patterns in the data, as well as variations in funds raised across types of candidates. We will discuss what implications these patterns may have for the health and functioning of democracy in the U.S.

INTD 1230A: Data is a powerful tool for improving health outcomes by making programmatic choices to support justice. In this afternoon section of Data Across the Disciplines, students will be working with Addison County Restorative Justice (ACRJ) on understanding patterns in the occurrence of driving under the influence. ACRJ has over 1,000 cases and would like to better understand their data and come up with ways to access information. We will explore how identity, geography, and support impact outcomes from DUI cases. Using statistical analysis and data visualizations, along with learning about ethical data practices, we will report our findings.

INTD 1230B: Let’s dive into the minutes and reports of local towns to develop an accessible news and history resource. Could this be a tool for small newspapers to track local news more easily? Can we map this fresh data for a new look across geographies? Do you want to help volunteer town officials make decisions and better wrangle with their town’s history and data?
In this course we will develop a focused database of documents produced by several municipal boards and commissions. We will engage in conversation with local officials, researchers, and journalists. This course aims to introduce students to making data from real world documents and the people that make them to generate useful information that is often open but frequently difficult to sift through.

GEOG 1230: In this section, students will use data science tools to explore the ways migration systems in the United States changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will draw on data collected from mobile phones recording each phone’s monthly place of residence at the census tract level. The dataset includes monthly observations from January 2019 through December 2021 allowing the analysis to compare migration systems pre-pandemic with those during the pandemic.

MATH/STAT 1230: Students will explore pediatric healthcare data to better understand the risks correlated with various childhood illnesses through an emphasis on the intuition behind statistical and machine learning techniques. We will practice making informed decisions from noisy data and the steps to go from messy data to a final report. Students will become proficient in R and gain an understanding of various statistical techniques. DED, SOC, WTR (B. Johnson, A. Lyford)

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Department of Psychology

PSYC 0350 Directed Research in Psychology (Winter 2024)

Directed research provides opportunities for advanced students to become familiar with and participate in ongoing research projects under the direction of a faculty member. The student will first read background literature on the content area to be investigated and experimental methodologies to be used. Procedures involved in conducting psychological research will then be learned through firsthand experience. Potential activities include the design of research and the defining of conceptual variables and the gathering, analyzing, and interpretation of data. Finally, students will learn how to write technical articles in psychology by preparing a paper describing the project, using APA style. (Approval required; not open to first-year students) 3 hrs. lect. WTR (J. Arndt, S. Baldridge, M. Collaer, M. Seehuus, S. Gurland, B. Hofer, M. Kimble, A. DiBianca Fasoli, M. McCauley, M. Dash, C. Velez, K. Cronise, R. Moeller)

PSYC 0500 Advanced Research (Winter 2024)

A program of research arranged to meet the needs of advanced students majoring in psychology. (Approval required) WTR (1188 seats)

PSYC 0700 Senior Research (Winter 2024)

A program of research arranged to meet the needs of advanced senior majors in psychology. (PSYC 0201 and PSYC 0202; Approval required)

PSYC 0701 Senior Thesis Proposal (Winter 2024)

Students hoping to be considered as candidates for departmental honors must enroll in PSYC 0701 under the sponsorship of a department faculty member. Their semester’s work will culminate in the submission of a formal, written research proposal by the due date as specified by the department. If the proposal is approved, the student will enroll in PSYC 0702 during the winter term and PSYC 0703 during the spring term of their senior year. (Feb graduates should consult with their advisors about the appropriate semester in which to begin a thesis.) (PSYC 0201 and PSYC 0202; Approval required)

PSYC 0702 Senior Thesis Second Semester (Winter 2024)

Students whose honors thesis proposal (PSYC 0701) has been approved will collect, analyze, and interpret their data. This is the second semester of the 3-semester senior thesis. (PSYC 0201, PSYC 0202, and PSYC 0701; Approval required)

PSYC 0703 Senior Thesis (Winter 2024)

Senior Thesis*
This is the third and final semester of the senior thesis. Students will finish analyzing and interpreting their data. This process culminates in a written thesis to be submitted by the due date as specified by the department, a presentation, and an oral defense. The decision about awarding departmental honors will be made after the student submits the thesis. (PSYC 0201, PSYC 0202, and PSYC 0702; Approval required)

PSYC 1023 Hormones and Cognition (Winter 2024)

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Department of Religion

RELI 0298 Privilege and Poverty: The Ethics of Economic Inequality (Winter 2024)

In this course we will study the ethical implications of domestic and global economic inequality. Drawing from history, economics, sociology, philosophy, theology, and other disciplines, we will examine the causes and consequences of inequality, critically evaluate our usage of the terms “privilege” and “poverty,” and consider the range of moral responses individuals and society might have to inequality. We will ask whether it is unfair, unfortunate, or necessary that some citizens live with significantly less material wealth than others, and whether those who experience “privilege” have any moral responsibility to those who exist in “poverty.” 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc. PHL, SOC, WTR (J. Davis)

RELI 0500 Independent Research (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

RELI 0700 Senior Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required)

RELI 0701 Senior Research for Honors Candidates (Winter 2024)

Approval required

RELI 1023 Early Taoist Texts (Winter 2024)

In this course we will concentrate on the two great early Taoist (Daoist) texts, the Tao te ching (Daode jing) and the Chuang–tzu (Zhuangzi), both of which date from the Warring States period (475 -221 b.c.e.) of China and yet remain widely read and studied. We will read them closely, in multiple translations, and consider questions of authorship, audience, and philosophical and religious content. We will wrestle at length with these wonderful and difficult texts, with attention first to their original context and then to their reception and interpretation in later East Asian religion, philosophy, and literature. (This course is not open to students who have taken RELI 0227). AAL, NOA, PHL, WTR (E. Morrison)

RELI 1044 Mindfulness and the Mind: Buddhist and Western Perspectives (Winter 2024)

Cross-listed as: PHIL 1044

RELI 1048 The Bible and Voices from the Margins (Winter 2024)

What does it mean to listen to voices from the margins in the Bible today? In this course, we will carefully read stories about women, children, slaves, immigrants, the poor, and people with disabilities in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament using womanist and contextual hermeneutics. We will analyze the diverse cultural views and religious values associated with these marginalized groups in Mediterranean antiquity and discuss how their stories can contribute to our critical engagement with contemporary debates on gender inequality, immigration, racial injustice, poverty, and ableism. Seeking to foster an ethically responsible and culturally sensitive biblical interpretation, this course will help us articulate biblical ideas about suffering, love, and justice in our own social locations. CMP, LIT, PHL, WTR (E. Lim)

RELI 1050 Martin Buber's World (Winter 2024)

Martin Buber (1878-1965) wrote in periods of political upheaval: in Europe at the turn of the century and after the trauma of WW I, during the Nazi dictatorship, and later in Palestine. Buber—a Zionist leader—was a proponent of a Jewish-Arab bi-national state. Settled in Jerusalem, he never ceased to work toward Arab-Jewish rapprochement. In Europe, Buber had sketched a vision of a “new society,” with a romantic suspicion of “institutions.” In his celebrated book I and Thou (1923), he argues that all “real life” is “relation,” dialogue with the “other.” In his Zionist politics, he abandoned his earlier utopianism for a politics of the possible. He also undertook a new translation of the Bible, concerned to preserve its Hebrew feel and cadence. Readings will include selections from his writings on philosophy, education, Bible translation, Hasidism, and politics. EUR, PHL, WTR (R. Schine)

RELI 1078 Ritual and Identity in Buddhist Monasticism (Winter 2024)

Over its long history, Buddhism has been practiced by monks and nuns who leave home to uphold the rigorous rules and vows of a religious community. In these groups, the combination of practices established by the Buddha and innovative rituals has led to highly diverse forms of monastic identity. In this course we will begin by examining the emergence of Buddhist monasticism as a counter-cultural movement in ancient India. Drawing from translated primary sources and secondary scholarship, we will then focus on monastic traditions across Asia. In studying this material, we will discuss the various ways ritual shapes identity, the politics of monasticism, and the eventual popularization of Buddhism for a lay audience in Asia and beyond.

John Pickens holds a Ph.D. degree in the South and Southeast Asian Studies department at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2022. His doctoral research centered on preliminary practices and the rise of the lama in twelfth-century Tibetan Buddhist traditions./ CMP, PHL, WTR (J. Pickens)

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Department of Russian

RUSS 0102 Beginning Russian (Winter 2024)

This course is a continuation of RUSS 0101. (RUSS 0101 or equivalent) LNG, WTR (T. Portice, I. Makoveeva)

RUSS 0500 Advanced Studies in Language and Literature (Winter 2024)

Supervised individual study for highly qualified students. (Approval required) WTR

RUSS 0700 Senior Independent Study (Winter 2024)

(Approval required)

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Department of Sociology

SOCI 0500 Advanced Individual Study (Winter 2024)

Prior to registering for SOCI 0500, a student must enlist the support of a faculty advisor from the Department of Sociology. (Open to Majors only) (Approval Required) WTR (594 seats)

SOCI 0700 One-Semester Senior Project (Winter 2024)

SOCI 0710 Multi-Semester Senior Project (Winter 2024)

SOCI 1002 Race and Racism in Vermont: A Sociohistorical Exploration (Winter 2024)

In this course, we will trace the racial history of Vermont from its founding, through the eugenics movement in the early 20th century, and into the current era of racially-biased policing and incarceration. Drawing on Black and Indigenous scholars (DuBois, Wynter, Byrd), students will examine the articulation between local/global manifestation of race, and investigate how anti-indigeneity, anti-blackness and ableism guided the sociohistorical construction of whiteness in Vermont. Students will grapple with pressing questions: How was/is ‘race’ mobilized by the State? Are racially biased policing/incarceration an afterlife of policies of erasure? This class will culminate in a critical engagement with ways reparation and reconciliation may or may not prevent deep-rooted structures from continuing to reproduce discriminations in Vermont.

Mabrouka M’Barek is a PhD student in sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research, in North America, Europe and North Africa focuses on the longue durée of racial regimes and the long-lasting impacts of colonialism and chattel slavery./ WTR (M. M'barek)

SOCI 1005 Writing the Sociological Imagination (Winter 2024)

In this writing course, students will create flash non-fiction that engages with sociology’s core focus: placing the personal in its social context. We will read texts that explore a variety of approaches to creatively explore the interplay of biography and history and focus on the range of craft elements these authors use. Students will write short (300-800 word) pieces that we will workshop together in class. The final product will be a portfolio of revised pieces from which students will select 2-3 pieces to share, if they choose, in a public reading for the Middlebury community. SOC, WTR (R. Tiger)

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Spanish and Portuguese

Please see Luso Hispanic Studies for course listing.

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South Asian Studies Minor

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Department of Studio Art

ART 0302 The Art of Pastel Painting (Winter 2024)

In this class we will study and apply principles of making images using the medium of dry pastels. Pastel-painting involves sticks of dry pigment bound with gum-arabic and applied by the artist’s hand to paper. Used skillfully it is intense, direct, and expressive. Using pastels we will learn color theory and how to control value and perspective by creating images of still-life, interiors, and the human figure. This studio course will also include image-lectures on the history of pastel in art history. (ART 0156, ART 0157 or ART 0159 or ART 0185 or ART 1128 or ART 1129 or THEA 0101). ART, WTR (J. Butler)

ART 0396 Origins of Photography: Shooting Film (Winter 2024)

In this course students will track photography’s evolution historically and technically as we create lense-based art. We will start in the darkroom making photograms, shooting film with a manual SLR camera, and printing black and white wet process images. The second half of the semester we will continue shooting film while transitioning into scanning and color digital printing. Emphasis will be on development of an individual creative voice through close personal attention. In addition to studio work we will be studying the history of photography. Required: 35mm film SLR camera (preferable) or 8MP (or bigger) DSLR camera manual focus, aperture, and shutter. 6 hrs. lect./lab ART, WTR (M. Leftheris)

ART 0500 Special Project (Winter 2024)

Supervised independent work with a special project proposed by a student or a collaboration between a student and a faculty member on a special project. Admission by permission of a faculty member. 3 hrs. lect. WTR

ART 1032 The Art of Science: Drawing Nature's Forms (Winter 2024)

In this studio course we will draw from life. Before the advent of photography, natural history art, in addition to celebrating nature’s beauty, served as an important translator of scientific knowledge. The College’s rich natural history collections (mounted specimens, preserved specimens, eggs, study skins, skeletons, herbaria, live specimens in the greenhouse, etc.) will become both our laboratory and studio where we will investigate, inspect, and record nature, and gain inspiration from it. We will acquire knowledge of natural forms through sustained direct observation and drawing. Artistic media will include graphite, charcoal, gouache, watercolor, ink, and tempera. We will examine examples of natural history art from cultures around the world, from its beginnings to today’s digital scientific illustration. No prerequisites.

Kate Gridley is an award-winning artist whose works are in museums and private collections in the U.S. and abroad. Her work includes portraiture, landscapes, still-lives and botanical illustration in an array of media, including oil paint, graphite, pastel, watercolor, gouache, and egg tempera. Website: kategridley.com ART, WTR (K. Gridley)

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Program in Theatre

THEA 0500 Intermediate Independent Project (Winter 2024)

In consultation with their advisors, theatre majors in design may propose a THEA 0500 Intermediate Independent Project. Preliminary proposal forms approved by the student's advisor will be submitted to the program by March 1st of the preceding academic year for those wanting credit in the fall or winter terms and by October 1st for those wanting credit in the spring term. Projects will conform to the guidelines that are available in the theatre office. Students are required to attend a weekly THEA 0500/0700 seminar. WTR

THEA 0505 Intermediate Independent Project (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR (S. Jack, C. Medeiros, A. Draper, M. Evancho, C. Smith, M. Biancosino, D. Yeaton, O. Sanchez Saltveit)

THEA 0700 Senior Independent Project (Winter 2024)

Senior work is required. In consultation with their advisors, theatre majors may propose a THEA 0700 Independent Project. Preliminary proposal forms approved by the student's advisor will be submitted to the program by March 1st of the preceding academic year for those wanting credit in the fall or winter terms and by October 1st for those wanting credit in the spring term. Projects will conform to the guidelines that are available in the theatre office. Students are required to attend a weekly THEA 0500/0700 seminar. WTR (O. Sanchez Saltveit)

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Writing and Rhetoric Program

WRPR 0500 Independent Research (Winter 2024)

(Approval Required) WTR

WRPR 1010 Contemplative Writing, Contemplative Practice (Winter 2024)

Slowing down and staying centered at Middlebury (and in life) can be challenging. In this course, we will engage in different forms of contemplative practice, such as movement, meditation, breathwork, and contemplative writing. We will read about the history and philosophies of these practices and engage with them. We will also look at how space and place affect these practices by visiting different contemplative spaces and reflecting on their construction and effects on our practice. These reflections will be used to create a final autoethnographic project to synthesize the practical, intellectual, and emotional components of the course. CMP, CW, PE, SOA, WTR (G. Giaimo)