Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
FIRST-YEAR REGISTRATION BOOKLET
Fall 2020
2
July 13, 2020
Dear Members of the Class of 2024,
Welcome to Middlebury! The information in this booklet will assist you in signing up for
your First Year Seminar between July 15th and July 21st, and in preparing to register for
the rest of your first-semester courses in early September.
The First Year Seminar, a mandatory, writing-intensive course limited to fifteen students
per section, is the first course for which you will register at Middlebury. Your seminar
instructor will serve as your academic advisor at the beginning of your undergraduate
career and will stay with you as a guide until you select an advisor within your academic
major. They have each envisioned a seminar that reflects their own expertise and
interests, and they have designed their course to empower you to take an active role in
your intellectual development. You will work closely with your FYS instructor and
peers, gaining through this special course a sense of the expectations and opportunities
involved in college-level work in the liberal arts. Some of the seminars described in this
booklet offer interdisciplinary perspectives; some include activities outside the
classroom; all are intended to help you develop your skills in thinking, writing, and
speaking and your confidence in working with others.
Please look over the “First-Year Seminars, Fall, 2020 Course Descriptions” within this
booklet and identify the seminars that appeal to you. You will be submitting your choices
of seminars, ranked 1-6, online. Instructions for that process begin on page 14. Please
read these instructions carefully before online seminar registration opens on Wednesday,
July 15th. If you do not have access to the web, you will need to submit your seminar
choices to Claire Wilkinson in the Registrar’s Office, as noted in the instructions. The
deadline for submission of seminar choices is Tuesday, July 21st. All choices received
by that date will be treated equally. This is not a first-come, first-serve situation for
students who submit their preferences by July 21st. Please make sure that each of your
six choices interests you, as it is not possible to switch after seminars have been assigned.
3
You will be notified of your seminar assignment in early August. You can then begin to
think about your other possible course choices for the Fall, which you will discuss at greater
length with your FYS instructor/advisor during orientation week. [Note: first-semester
students should enroll in a total of four courses.] To help you prepare for that conversation,
this booklet features information about degree requirements, departmental policies regarding
majors, courses necessary for admission to health professions schools, advanced placement
credit, placement examinations, and the kinds of courses recommended for first-year
students.
You will hear from us and from your First Year Seminar instructor in the coming weeks. In
the meantime, please examine this booklet thoroughly, as it reflects updates to our regular
processes that have had to shift because of the COVID emergency. Because of the unusual
circumstances you are navigating as new students entering Middlebury under COVID
conditions, we are hosting a First-Year Town Hall Gathering on Academics via zoom on
Tuesday, July 14th. You should have received on Friday, July 10th an email invitation to that
event for you and your families. We look forward to addressing there your questions about
the First Year Seminar Program and academics in your first year.
Feel free to contact us ([email protected]) if you have questions that this booklet or the
Town Hall did not answer or that cannot wait until you meet with your advisor.
Sincerely,
Your FYS Team
Amy Morsman, Director
Amit Prakash, Assistant Director
Nikolina Dobreva, Assistant Director
mailto:[email protected]
Contents
First-Year Seminars, Fall 2020……………………………………………………… 5
Registration Information…………………………………………………………….. 14
Advanced Placement Policy Statement……………………………………………… 21
Placement Examination Information………………………………………………… 23
Departments of Instruction – Information for First-Year Students………………….. 29
Degree Requirements………………………………………………………………… 38
Study Abroad………………………………………………………………………… 40
Professional School Requirements for Health Care Professions.................…………. 41
Middlebury College Calendar 2020-21……………………………………………… 43
5
FIRST YEAR SEMINARS, FALL 2020
Course Descriptions
In these next nine pages, you will find information about every First Year Seminar being offered this
Fall. We hope these seminar descriptions will intrigue you and help you select your course
preferences.
Due to the changes happening on campus in response to the COVID crisis and the need to follow state
health protocols, you will see that many of the seminars have some online component to them, though
some will continue to be taught entirely in person – if conditions allow – until the Thanksgiving
recess. Because the course schedule is still being finalized, you will not see here a meeting time listed
for each seminar. You will be able to see, though, how each instructor plans to teach their class – in-
person, in a blended format, or fully online. Please see the chart below for a description of these
course modalities and the specific terms we are using to signal them in the course descriptions.
In-person The course offers all of its meetings in person on campus. The instructor may use digital
technologies for sharing information or for some
class assignments, but in-person interaction, with
safe physical distancing, is expected throughout
the semester.
Blended The course offers some in-person and some online class meetings, as determined by the
instructor. Online interactions may be
synchronous or asynchronous.
Scheduled Online The course has synchronous and asynchronous interactions, but no in-person meetings. Some or
all synchronous class meetings are required (e.g.
discussions via Zoom) and are scheduled based
on the academic course schedule.
Part I.
Seminars where the professor will be teaching entirely online are listed here.
For the small group of students who know or think that they might be studying remotely in the Fall,
these seminars are for your choosing; please select from this list of courses. Students planning to be
on campus this Fall may consider these seminars within their course options.
FYSE 1063 Creative Power (CRN: 92612)
In this course students will have the opportunity to dig deeply into their own creativity and explore the
processes by which ideas emerge and are given shape in the arts. This is an experiential course,
integrating cognition and action, mind and body. Students will create projects exploring sound,
movement, text, and visual art. Students will engage a range of modes of discovering, knowing, and
communicating, which are designed to push them beyond their present state of awareness and level of
confidence in their creative power. Practical work will be closely accompanied by readings, weekly
writing assignments, journaling, and will culminate in the creation of a short performance project as well
as a final research paper. 3 hrs. sem. ART, CW Scheduled Online (M. Biancosino)
6
FYSE 1376 Postwar Japanese History in Film and Literature (CRN: 92565)
In this seminar we will study the history of postwar Japan (1945 to the present), focusing on how
literature and film have engaged the defining historical and political questions of this period. The
seminar is organized around specific themes, including trauma and war memory, the Allied
occupation, the cold war in East Asia, high economic growth in the 1960s, political protest, post-
coloniality, and a resurgent nationalism. Students will learn postwar Japanese history while also
considering the possibilities of pursuing historical analysis through translated literature and narrative
film. 3 hrs. sem. AAL, CW, HIS Scheduled Online (M. Ward)
FYSE 1439 Language and Ethnic Identity (CRN: 92559)
Language is a central feature of human identity. In this seminar we will explore the multiple ways in
which language is used in society to express, create, and perform these identities. We will analyze—from
a sociolinguistic perspective—how variation in speakers’ linguistic resources (e.g., pronunciation, syntax,
word choice, language choice) can serve as tools to shape, stereotype, or subvert national, regional, and
other types of ethnic identities. We will draw examples from linguistic research, literature, film,
television, political discourse, popular songs, the internet, and other media in the United States as well as
in other societies. 3 hrs. sem. + some film screenings. CW, SOC Scheduled Online (B. Baird)
FYSE 1464 The Empire Writes Back: Politics and Literature from Postcolonial Africa, the
Caribbean, and South Asia (CRN: 91646)
A hundred years ago, Britain ruled about a quarter of the world’s population, and the British Empire
covered approximately a quarter of the earth’s land surface. Though most of the colonies have won
formal independence, the effects of global imperialism continue to be felt, and arguably Empire has taken
on other forms. In this seminar we will discuss fiction, poetry, and drama by postcolonial writers such as
J. M. Coetzee, Derek Walcott, Daljit Nagra, Wole Soyinka, Mahashweta Devi, Jean Rhys, Arundhati Roy,
Edward Said, and Frantz Fanon, addressing questions about the nature and effects of colonization, anti-
colonial resistance, representation, agency, and power. 3 hrs. sem. CMP, CW, SOA Scheduled Online
(Y. Siddiqi)
FYSE 1496 Reason, Morality, and Cultural Difference (CRN: 92557)
Different cultures have different standards of what counts as true, rational, and moral. Are all of these
standards equally good? Which considerations could possibly support this position? Furthermore, should
we accept the consequences that follow from the claim that all of these standards are equally good—for
example, that the structure of the universe changes in accordance with a culture’s commitments to modern
science, or that it is morally acceptable for some cultures to engage in genocide? By reading, discussing,
and writing about contemporary philosophical readings on these topics, we will address these questions.
CW, PHL Scheduled Online (K. Khalifa)
FYSE 1542 It's not you, it's me. Autobiographical Explorations in Film (CRN: 92569)
In this seminar we will study a range of autobiographical practices in audiovisual media to examine how
filmmakers have used the self as a starting point to explore universal issues like the essence of family
bonds, finding love, or understanding their identity. Experimental practices (like Jonas Mekas’ Diaries),
fictionalized accounts (Mike Mills’ Beginners), and documentary strategies (Daniel Khan’s My Architect
and Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell) will inform our own creative processes and explorations. Through
close readings, critical papers, and our own pieces, we will attempt to better understand the world and
who we are in it. Note to students: this course involves substantial streaming of films for assigned
viewing. 3 hrs. sem. ART, CW Scheduled Online (D. Miranda Hardy)
7
FYSE 1568 Play and the Politics of Childhood (CRN: 92621)
In this seminar we will examine the culture of the United States through the lens of childhood play and
how it reflects and challenges mainstream conceptions of social control, freedom, and political power.
This includes investigating the history of children’s rights and the social boundaries we build around
young people. Drawing from the rich field of “playwork” we will interrogate the social messages
conveyed by play environments and play objects (aka “toys”) and what those messages may indicate
about the society from which they emerge. Through essays and texts, documentary films and podcasts,
lectures, guest speakers and personal reflection we will interrogate the purpose of play in our culture. 3
hrs. sem. SOC, CW Scheduled Online (E. Davis)
_________________________
Part II.
Seminars where the professor will be teaching in person or using a combination of online and
in-person instruction (“Blended”) are listed here. Students should only select from this list of
courses if they know they will be on campus for the Fall term.
FYSE 1028 Identity and Difference (CRN: 92571)
How do we use categories of identity and difference? How does culture determine how we perceive and
perform gender and ethnic identity: male/female, gay/straight, East/West, black/white? We will look at
constructions of gender and sexual identity in various cultures and consider how they intersect with
national and ethnic identity. Literature and film will be our primary focus. We will read Euripides’
Bacchae, Forster’s Passage to India, and Hwang’s Madame Butterfly and view films like Kiss of the
Spiderwoman and Europa Europa that problematize sexual and gender identity. 3 hrs. sem. + online film
screenings. CMP, CW, SOC Blended (K. Moss)
FYSE 1105 The Poet’s ‘I’: Poetry and Autobiography (CRN: 92561)
In this seminar we will work to discover the sometimes-subtle connections between the "objective" events
of a poets’ lives and the poems that they produced. Emily Dickinson and Gerard Manley Hopkins are
known as reticent, self-concealing poets; nonetheless their poems tell their life stories. John Berryman is a
"confessional" poet; yet questions about the relationship between his poems and his life are similar. Lyn
Hejinian is a postmodern poet who complicates all of those questions. We will read a great many poems,
as well as letters, diaries, drafts, published biographies, and autobiographical prose by each poet. 3 hrs.
sem./disc. CW, LIT Blended (B. Millier)
FYSE 1119 The U.S. American Left: Past, Present, and Future (CRN: 92491)
This course is an introduction to the politics, ideas, and institutions of the U.S. American Left. We
will cover the labor movement, the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, the New Left of the
sixties, and the academic Left that has paid increasing attention to race and gender. Later we turn to
the protest movements against climate change, free trade, and growing inequality. The course also
focuses on contemporary resistance to Trump, and the resurgent popularity of Marxism and socialism
in the United States. Students will leave the course with an understanding of the complex history and
possible futures of Left politics today. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, CW, SOC Blended (J. McCallum)
8
FYSE 1133 Faith and Reason (CRN: 92577)
In this seminar we will explore perennial and contemporary questions in the philosophy of religion: Is
there a God? Are objective proofs of God possible, or is religious belief founded on subjective
feelings? What is faith? The modern period has been a time of unprecedented crisis for religion, and
we will focus in particular on these challenges and responses to them. Is religion, as Freud thought,
just wish-fulfillment? Is religious belief compatible with science? Can any religion claim to be the
true religion given the plurality of religious faiths? Readings will include works by St. Augustine, St.
Anselm, Kant, Kierkegaard, William James, Freud, and contemporary philosophers. 3 hrs. sem. CW,
PHL Blended (J. Spackman)
FYSE 1154 Euripides and Athens (CRN: 92558)
Was the tragic genius of Euripides (480?-406 BC) corrupted by the atheistic rationalism of the sophists
and the philosophy of Socrates, as their Athenian contemporary, the comic poet Aristophanes, alleged?
Nietzsche makes that view the basis of his attack on Socrates in The Birth of Tragedy. Or, was Euripides
in fact "the most tragic of the poets," as Aristotle argued in his Poetics, written during the half century
after Euripides' death in 406 BC? In this course we discuss twelve of Euripides' extant plays in the context
of 5th c. BC Greek political and intellectual history, with the help of Aristotle, Nietzsche, and modern
critics. 3 hrs. sem. CW, EUR, LIT Blended (M. Witkin)
FYSE 1181 American President Biographies (CRN: 92568)
In this course we will examine biographies, both written and filmed, of several American presidents,
including those who are well known – Madison, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt – and those who are
less well known – Cleveland, Polk, Van Buren, John Quincy Adams, and McKinley. What, if anything,
prepared these men for the nation’s highest office? What explains their successes? Their failures? Why do
we consider some great, and others not so great? What do these biographies reveal about how Americans
evaluate their leaders? 3 hr. sem. AMR, CW, HIS Blended (M. Dickinson and Gov. James Douglas)
FYSE 1184 The Journey Within: The Spiritual Pursuit in Literary and Mystical Traditions (CRN:
92627) A fundamental teaching of the world’s religious traditions is that the source of love, the
fulfillment of life, and the treasure of heaven are found within. With texts from antiquity to the present as
our guides, we shall explore themes such as the concept of the soul, the discovery of a deeper self, the
spiritual awakening, and the nature of the mystical experience. We shall consider questions related to
religious and psychological experience such as: Where does the self reside? Why is it important to “know
thyself”? What is the state of consciousness described as enlightenment? How does one rise above the
sorrows and struggles of the world? Finally, we shall try to understand how turning within does not mean
fleeing from the world, but engaging in the world around us in a more profound and meaningful way.
Readings will include works from the Upanishads, Plato, Marcus Aurelius, St. Teresa of Avila, Tolstoy,
Emily Dickinson, Herman Hesse, and J.D. Salinger. 3 hrs. sem. CMP, PHL, CW Blended
(M. Hatjigeorgiou)
FYSE 1186 Printmaking in the Time of Rembrandt (CRN: 92487)
In this course we will study a selection of seventeenth-century Dutch prints from the collection of the
Middlebury College Museum of Art, which includes etchings and engravings by artists such as Hendrick
Golztius, Rembrandt van Rijn, Adriaen van Ostade, Nicolaes Berchem, and Cornelis Dusart, among
others. Students will learn and write about the history of printmaking in the Dutch Republic by
working virtually with the objects in the collection, as well as other primary and secondary
sources. Students in this course will also write short essays to be included in an online catalogue of the
Museum’s collection of seventeenth-century Dutch prints. 3 hrs. sem. ART, CW, EUR Blended
(C. Anderson)
9
FYSE 1203 The Beast in the Jungle (CRN: 92560)
In this course we will explore some literary texts in which the practice of exploration itself yields a
complex confrontation with, and often breakdown of, identity and will. Westerners’ longing to separate
themselves from home and make contact with a foreign “other” arises from the high purposes that set
imperial adventures in motion in the first place. Readings will include Conrad’s Heart of Darkness,
Forster’s Passage to India, Waugh’s Handful of Dust, Bowles’ Sheltering Sky, Stone’s Dog Soldiers,
Duras’ The Lover, Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case. 3 hrs. sem. CW, LIT Blended (R. Cohen)
FYSE 1207 Your Brain at College (CRN: 92488)
You are embarking on a four-year journey in which the actions you take, material you study, and people
you interact with will collectively produce lasting changes to your brain (and by extension, fundamentally
alter who you are). Utilizing research from psychology and neuroscience, our course will explore a
diverse set of mechanisms (e.g. sleep, learning/memory, emotion/stress) that contribute to persistent
changes in brain structure and function. In doing so, you will develop 1) an appreciation for the
complexity of the brain and 2) strategies to help your own brain successfully navigate the college
experience. 3 hrs. sem. CW, SCI Blended (M. Dash)
FYSE 1216 Mathematics of Board Games (CRN: 92490)
People have been playing games since as early as 2000 B.C. Since then, avid players have devised
strategies to maximize their chances of winning. In this course we will dissect a variety of modern
board games and analyze various strategies for each game using mathematics, computers, and
intuition. We will further discuss whether an optimal strategy exists for each game and propose
modifications to existing rules and scoring schemes. The course will culminate with a project to
construct a board game. All are welcome regardless of mathematical background. 3 hrs. sem. CW,
DED In-person (A. Lyford)
FYSE 1221 American Kitsch (CRN: 92489)
Kitsch is trash. Kitsch is the opposite of art. Kitsch is the mass-produced, cheap substitute for objects
made in good taste. To study kitsch is to study the unspoken social boundaries created by a modern world
transformed by industrial production. In this seminar we will explore the formation of taste through
focused studies of kitschy things paired with readings from social theorists. Our studies will range from
popular culture to politics and religion across several national contexts. We will develop tools to critically
assess how judgements of taste are embedded in the intersecting systems of race, class, and gender. 3 hrs.
sem. CW, SOC In-person (J. Doran)
FYSE 1223 Communication: From Analog to Digital and Back Again (CRN: 92492)
In this seminar we will undertake an interdisciplinary study of the nearly ubiquitous process of
communication—that is, the transmission and receipt of information. This will run the gamut from
oral to written to digital language; from humans to cells to subatomic particles; from hearing to sight
to touch; and from its first origins into the modern day. Throughout, we will observe the interplay
between the analog world in which we physically live and the increasingly digital world that humanity
has created through modern technology, and we will attempt to gain a larger perspective on the
transformation that has taken place, along with its effects. 3 hrs. sem. CW In-person (F. Swenton)
10
FYSE 1322 The Moral of the Story: Exploring Ethics through Literature and Music (CRN: 92572)
Ethics is the study of how we ought to live, as individuals and in society. For millennia theologians and
philosophers have constructed ethical arguments, but for much longer people have shared songs and
stories to convey and contest moral values. In this course we will study selected English-language novels,
poems, and music as moral expressions. We will explore the ethical issues they raise, including
considerations of what it means to be human, what justice demands, and how we should balance
individual freedom and social duty. Works we will examine include Shelley’s Frankenstein, Asimov’s I,
Robot, and the African-American spiritual tradition. 3 hrs. sem. CW, PHL Blended (J.C. Davis)
FYSE 1344 Time Around A Table: A Culinary History of Italy (CRN: 92581)
Food is a window into the culture and values of any society. In this seminar we will explore the history of
Italian culture by investigating the ever-changing issues relating to food, through books, articles, films,
recipes, and cooking. How did production and consumption change over time? What did the Ancient
Romans eat? What was Italian cuisine like before pasta and tomatoes? What triggered the Italian appetite
to change? Such questions allow us to examine what culinary choices reveal about today’s Italy. 3 hrs.
sem. CW, EUR, HIS Blended (I. Brancoli Busdraghi)
FYSE 1347 Singing Communities (CRN: 92562)
Humans have used their voices in expressive communication for thousands of years, singing for work,
comfort, love, praise, and many other purposes. In this course we will explore the role of singing in
human communities to address questions about human need. Why do people sing together? Can singing
enhance quality of life, and build community? We will sing, research singing traditions, and lead singing
engagement activities in the Middlebury community. We will discuss our work with each other and write
about our experience. Interest in group vocal music is encouraged. No prior vocal experience required.
3hrs/lecture. ART, CW Blended (J. Buettner)
FYSE 1378 American Environmentalisms After 1960 (CRN: 92564)
Environmentalism emerged as a political and cultural force in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.
In this seminar we will study the historical development and transformation of contested
“environmentalisms” after 1960 through primary documents including books, magazines, photographs,
advertisements, and films. We will analyze portrayals of the environment in crisis, as well as criticisms of
different strands of environmentalism for their challenges to ideas of economic growth and their struggles
to address social inequalities, particularly those of class and race. Student work will include essays, oral
presentations, and independent and group research projects. 3 hrs. sem. CW, HIS, NOR In-Person
(K. Morse)
FYSE 1407 Gender and the Making of Space (CRN: 92556)
In this seminar we will investigate the complex relationship between gender and architecture, examining
how the design of the built environment (buildings, urban spaces, etc.) can reinforce or undermine ideas
about the respective roles of women and men in society, from the creation of masculine and feminine
spaces to the gendered nature of the architectural profession. By looking at both visual evidence and
textual sources, we will also uncover how the social construction of gender roles and gendered spaces
are—and continue to be—inflected by race, class, and sexuality. 3 hrs. sem. CW, HIS, NOR Blended
(E. Sassin)
11
FYSE 1433 Biology of Attraction (CRN: 92587)
Why is one person attracted to another? We will explore both the evolutionary origins of mate choice
and the physiological mechanisms that underlie attraction. The process of sexual selection, first
proposed by Charles Darwin, shapes the mating decisions and courtship displays in all animal species,
and we will consider how the same process shapes human preferences and potentially human
intelligence more broadly. Based on recent research with rodents, we will also consider how neural
connections and hormone levels influence feelings of love and lust. The Evolution of Beauty and The
Chemistry Between Us will be our primary texts, supplemented by journal articles. 3 hrs. sem. CW,
SCI In-Person (M. Spritzer)
FYSE 1453 Karma (CRN: 92566)
Why do things happen to us as they do? For many throughout Asia, the answer is or has been karma, the
ancient Indian notion that over multiple lifetimes individuals reap the effects of past actions. We will
examine this powerful idea of moral causality in depth, considering strikingly varied versions in classical
Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, and the wealth of practices believed to improve future lives (and
ultimately lead to liberation). We will also investigate the diverse and surprising consequences of karma
in some Asian societies—including the justification of social hierarchy, the mistreatment of some groups,
and the emergence of vegetarianism—as well as the role of karma in literature and film, especially in East
Asia. 3 hrs. sem. AAL, CW, PHL Blended (E. Morrison)
FYSE 1458 Pyramid Schemes, Bubbles, and Crashes (CRN: 92570)
In this seminar we will study the anthropology of exchange, then use it to analyze ethnographies of
financial speculators, labor migrants, microcredit borrowers, and other agents and victims of global
capitalism. We will focus on conflicting obligations to kin and to creditors, on how people in different
cultures and social classes juggle these obligations, and how the growth of financial debt can turn social
relationships into commodities. Studying debt and how it is leveraged in different societies and historical
eras will show why capitalism is so vulnerable to speculative booms, swindles, and collapses. 3 hrs. sem.
CMP, CW, SOC Blended (D. Stoll)
FYSE 1459 Money, Morals, and Madmen in Global Politics (CRN: 92567)
Non-state actors bring resources (money), new norms (morals), and revisionist aims (madmen) to global
governance. In this seminar we will look at how private actors, including corporations, non-governmental
organizations, and terrorist groups, have shaped development and conflict around the world. Throughout,
we will reflect on how these groups represent societal interests and work to improve or undermine state
sovereignty and global governance. 3 hrs. sem. CW, SOC Blended (S. Stroup)
FYSE 1482 Marx and Marxism (CRN: 92563)
Is Marxism still relevant in a world that has witnessed the collapse of most self-declared Marxist states?
To address this question, we will explore the development of central Marxist concepts (including class
struggle, alienation, revolution) both in Marx’s own words and in the writings and actions of those he
inspired. Central to our inquiry will be consideration of the historical relationship between Marxist theory
and practice (in a range of geographic and cultural contexts) and the adaptation of Marxist ideas for
cultural and political critiques in the West. 3 hrs. sem. CW, CMP, HIS Blended (R. Mitchell)
12
FYSE 1511 Once Upon a Time – Folk Fairy Tales of the World (CRN: 92624)
Tell me a story! We will examine the complex, inter-connected folk fairy tale traditions found in every
society. Comparing fairy tale variants from around the world, we will explore their convoluted and fertile
relationships as observed in the rise of fairytale 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 stance we will explore theoretical approaches to the fairy tales by such authors
as Jack Zipes, Ruth Bottigheimer, Maria Tatar, and Kay Stone, and conclude by examining modern
variants in prose, poetry, and film. 3 hrs. sem. CMP, LIT, CW Blended (R. Russi)
FYSE 1513 Reading and Writing Contemporary Art (CRN: 92623)
How do we understand art produced in the present day? How does this art help us understand the world?
In this course we will consider multiple objects designated by the term “contemporary art”: a global
industry, an art-historical discourse, a set of cultural practices evolving in dialogue with technology, a
symbolic arena for the consideration of political values. We will familiarize ourselves with notable works
in contemporary art’s unfinished canon and pursue the challenge of writing about the visual. Goals
include writing and revising college-level essays, learning effective research techniques, and analyzing
the culture of the contemporary art world. 3 hrs. sem. ART, CW Blended (R. White)
FYSE 1514 Refugee Stories (CRN: 92625)
“Stories are just things we fabricate,” says a character in Viet Nguyen’s The Refugees. “We search for
them in a world besides our own, then leave them here to be found, garments shed by ghosts.” In this
course students will find stories by and about a paradigmatic modern figure: the displaced refugee seeking
asylum in unfamiliar lands. Highlighting literary and visual representations, we will also draw from
history, sociology, anthropology, environmental studies, and feminist critique. Beginning with the Syrian
refugee crisis, we will circle back to the Vietnam War and the lingering questions it poses to today’s
social justice movement. 3 hrs. sem. LIT, CW Blended (B. Graves)
FYSE 1535 Literary Borders (CRN: 91800)
This course examines the imaginative possibilities of the border in literary and visual texts. We will
consider how writers portray cultural, national, temporal, and linguistic frontiers; how literature embodies
the experience of crossing or dwelling within borderlands; how texts reinforce or transgress the
boundaries at which we are positioned as readers; and how writing itself can construct and bridge
differences. Reading poems and stories of liminal figures—em/immigrants, expatriates, exiles, animals,
misfits, racial others, queers, and adventurers—we will analyze how borders challenge our ideas about
place, body, identity, language, and text. In encounters with hybrid genres and multimedia texts that
disrupt the way we read, we will explore the edges of language. For a broader picture of the border in the
human imagination, we will also turn to films and other arts. Texts may include Alison Bechdel’s Fun
Home, Justin Torres’ We the Animals, James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, and Claudia Rankine’s Citizen,
among others. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, LIT, CW Blended (S. Cassarino)
FYSE 1540 Reward for Being: Emily Dickinson and Her Influence (CRN: 92622)
In this seminar we will focus on Emily Dickinson, the 19th century American poet whose work, as
scholar Susan Howe writes, “penetrates to the indefinite limits of written communication.” We will
immerse ourselves in the letters and poems of Dickinson, with a particular focus on her relationship to her
own literary vocation. We will also investigate the influence Dickinson has had on American poets in the
20th and 21st centuries. Texts will include primary sources as well as a biography of and critical work on
Dickinson. 3 hrs. sem. LIT, CW Blended (K. Gottshall)
13
FYSE 1561 How Do I Improvise? (CRN: 92573)
Have you ever watched a friend while they jam away on their guitar, awed that they can make things up
on the spot? Perhaps you would like to learn how to improvise. In “How Do I Improvise” students will
learn how to best express what they hear and see in an improvised performance. We will explore how to
write about improvisation through study of contemporaneous accounts and scholarship about the work of
famous improvisers in music, theater, and more. In addition to writing about improvisation, students will
participate in their own jams. Open to all students, novice to expert. ART, CW Blended (M. Taylor)
FYSE 1563 Landscapes of Central America: Past, Present and Future (CRN: 92575)
Central America has been at the crossroads of the Americas since closure of the isthmus of Panama
around three million years ago. In this course we will study Central America through an interdisciplinary
lens of natural history and human history (prehistoric through modern), including fiction and non-fiction
by Central American authors, journal articles, popular science writing, and poetry. We will explore the
geological origins of Central America as well as human-landscape interactions, notably volcanism, early
agriculture, and trade routes. Our readings will also require us to think about current and future socio-
political systems and their relationships to landscape. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, CW Blended (P. Ryan)
FYSE 1565 Growing up in Italy: 1950 to Present (CRN: 92615)
What is the role of a liberal arts education in the lives we lead? This question is central to several
international blockbusters dramatizing their Italian protagonists’ growth from adolescence into adulthood:
Marco Tullio Giordana’s mini-series, The Best of Youth (film, 2003), Elena Ferrante’s novels My Brilliant
Friend (2011-12) and The Story of a New Name (2012-13), and Saverio Costanzo’s HBO film series
(2019-20). We will consider these works’ stories of personal evolution against Italian and Western
historical developments from 1950 to the present: post-war reconstruction; economic expansion;
educational reform; reform in the care of the mentally ill; student and worker movements; feminism; left-
and right-wing terrorism; the Mafia. No previous knowledge of Italy or Italian is required. 3 hrs. sem.
CW, EUR, HIS Blended (P. Zupan)
FYSE 1566 American Revolutions: Reacting to the Past (CRN: 92628)
In this course we will be examining four moments of intellectual and cultural conflict in the United States,
including: 1)The Revolution in NYC, 1775-76, 2)The Fate of John Brown, 1859, 3)Greenwich Village,
1913 (Suffrage, Labor and the New Woman) and, 4)Chicago, 1968. We will dive deep into these
moments of revolution via Reacting to the Past games, in which you’ll present the perspectives
of historical characters—sometimes with values quite different than your own--in lively debate. These
games do not have a fixed script: you’ll find yourself researching classic documents, collaborating,
making public speeches, plotting—and in the end, perhaps even rewriting history. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, HIS,
CW Blended (D. Evans)
FYSE 1567 Education in the Anthropocene (CRN: 92626)
Traditionally, a liberal arts education has placed humans at the center of study. But, what if we decentered
humans in order to explore how to live not as overseer, but as an embodied expression of a much larger,
shared Earthscape? What is the balance of liberty and social justice in such a paradigm? What if this new,
required spacing between us is not a barrier to our engagement, but the opening possibility of a larger,
shared consciousness? Using a conceptual framework of land-body-spirit-mind, we will engage learning
at the crossroads of these questions. Is six feet really the distance between when your breath ends and
mine begins? 3 hrs. sem. PHL, CW In-person (J. Miller-Lane)
14
First-Year Seminar Registration Information Fall 2020
Registration Window: Wednesday, July 15 at 12:00 p.m. through Tuesday, July 21 at 5:00 p.m.
(Eastern time)
Welcome Class of 2024. You will register your First-Year Seminar choices in Banner 9, which you can access via this URL: https://reg-prod.ec.middlebury.edu/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registration. All students will enter 6 seminar choices in preferential order, from your first choice to your last choice. Students attending remotely may only choose from those seminars listed as Scheduled Online. You must submit all 6 choices at the same time since you will not be able to log back in, so please proofread your choices carefully before you submit. This is not a first-come, first-served registration. Students are assigned a seminar based on the availability of their choices only after the registration window closes. Notification of which First Year Seminar you have been enrolled in will be sent via email (Middlebury email account) prior to your arrival in August. If you do not have access to the web during the registration period, you may email your ranked First-Year Seminar choices to Claire Wilkinson, Associate Registrar (contact information below). BannerWeb registration is preferable, but if your selections are received by the July 21 deadline it makes no difference to your seminar assignment how or when you register during the registration window.
E-mail: [email protected] If you have questions, please contact:
Amy Morsman: Director of the First-Year Program, with seminar-related questions; 802.443.3223 [email protected]
Claire Wilkinson: Associate Registrar, with registration questions; 802.443.5354
https://reg-prod.ec.middlebury.edu/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registrationmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
15
Instructions on Registering for your First Year Seminar Choices:
1. Begin by navigating to Banner 9: https://reg-prod.ec.middlebury.edu/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registration
We recommend using Firefox on either your Mac or PC. Your login credentials are your Middlebury email and password.
To protect your privacy, always exit and close your browser after each use.
2. To Register for your First-Year Seminar choices, you will first select the “Register for Classes” link.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------
3. Log in to Banner 9. Your login credentials are your Middlebury email and password.
Select “Register for Classes”
Enter Middlebury Email
Enter Password
https://reg-prod.ec.middlebury.edu/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registration
16
4. Select the appropriate term by clicking on the drop down menu and highlight the “First Year Seminar
Choices” link
Then press “Continue”
Select “First Year Seminar Choices” Link
Select “Continue”
17
5. Click in the “Subject” window and type “First Year Seminar” then press “search”
Read carefully before proceeding to enter your First Year Seminar choices:
When adding your First-Year Seminar choices, you must enter your top 6 seminar choices in order of preference from your top choice to your last choice. You must submit all 6 at the same time. Please proofread these carefully before you submit, as you will not be able to resubmit these choices and retain the priority you wanted. Please enter only 6 choices.
Continue on to step 6.
Select the “First Year Seminar” link.
Press “Search”
18
6. Search Results window: A listing of available First Year Seminar (FYS) courses will appear.
Your task is to click the “Add” button next to each FYSE in your order of preference Figure 2.
Note: If you are a remote learner this Fall make sure each of your 6 FYSE choices are online seminars.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Click the “Add” button in the order of your first year seminar course preference. For instance: 1st Choice: The Poets 2nd Choice: Faith and Reason 3rd Choice: Identity/Difference etc..
Click on Title for Course Details
Click on Title for Course Details
1
3
2
19
7. Summary Window: The 6 First Year Seminar courses you have selected will appear in the “Summary” window
(A) located on the bottom right hand corner of your screen. Each course will be marked as “Pending” (B) in
the status column and will be in order of preference starting at the bottom of the Summary screen
progressing up.
A. Summary Window
B. Pending
20
8. When you have listed all 6 First Year Seminar choices please click “Submit”. Successful submission will result
in the “Status” of each course changing from “Pending” to “Registered”.
Thank you very much for registering your seminar choices in BannerWeb.
“Registered” indicates
successful submission of
your FYS course selections
21
2020-2021 ADVANCED PLACEMENT POLICY STATEMENT
Subject/Exam AP
Score
Credit Equivalent
Courses*
Additional Information
Biology 5 1 unit n/a Advanced placement credit does not exempt a student from any
of the published requirements for the Biology major, minor, or
joint majors.
Chemistry 4 or 5 1 unit CHEM 0103 Placement in CHEM 0107 recommended.
Chinese 4 or 5 1 unit n/a CHNS 0301 or higher must be the first Chinese course taken at
Middlebury. Must complete CHNS 301 or higher with a B or
better to receive credit.
Computer Science A 4 or 5 1 unit CSCI 0145
Economics
Macro 4 1 unit ECON 0150 Must complete ECON 0250 with B- or better to receive credit.
5 1 unit ECON 0150
Micro 4 1 unit ECON 0155 Must complete ECON 0255 with B- or better to receive credit.
5 1 unit ECON 0155
English & American
Literatures
4 or 5 1 unit n/a Only one English exam will receive credit; this cannot be used
toward the English & American Literatures major.
French
(Lang. or Lit.)
4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must complete FREN 0209 or above with a B- or better to
receive credit. FREN 0209 or above must be the first French
course taken. Only one French exam will receive credit.
Geography
Human Geography 5 1 unit n/a The AP score of a 5 substitutes as a 200 level elective course for
students who declare as geography majors.
German 4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must take the departmental placement test, place into a 300+
course and complete that class with at least a B to receive credit.
History Up to two AP history credits can count toward the major but
cannot be used to fulfill any specific requirements.
European 4 or 5 1 unit HIST 103 or 104
U.S. 4 or 5 1 unit HIST 203 or 204
World 4 or 5 1 unit n/a
History of Art 4 or 5 1 unit HARC 0100
Italian 4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must complete Italian course at 0300-level to receive credit.
Latin (Classics Dept.) 4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must complete Latin course (LATN 0201 level or above) with
grade of B or better to receive credit towards graduation (not the
major). Note: No more than one course credit will be granted,
whether the student presents one or two AP exams.
Mathematics
Calculus AB 4 or 5 1 unit MATH 0121
Calculus BC 4 or 5 2 units MATH 0121 and
MATH 0122
Calculus BC 3 or AB
sub-score
of 4 or 5
1 unit MATH 0121
Music Theory 4 or 5 1 unit MUSC 0160 Must also complete the music department's advanced placement
exam with a C or better to receive credit.
Physics
Physics C
(Mechanics)
4 or 5 1 unit PHYS 0109
Psychology 4 or 5 1 unit PSYC 0105
Spanish (Lang./Lit.) 4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must complete Spanish course at the 0300 level or above to
receive credit. Only one Spanish exam will receive credit.
Statistics
4
5
1 unit
1 unit
ECON 0210
ECON 0210
Must complete ECON 0211 with B- or better to receive credit.
*Students who choose to take a course equivalent to the AP exam noted on the Policy will forfeit the related AP credit.
Advanced placement credits may be used to anticipate course work at Middlebury. AP credits applied toward graduation will be counted toward the 16-course
limit in the department granting the credit unless the department specifically states that the credits do not count toward the major. AP credits do not fulfill
distribution requirements. Only two AP credits may count towards the 36 credits required for graduation. Furthermore, AP credits count as non-standard
grading courses, a total of only five of which may count towards the credits required for graduation. The category of “non-standard grading” includes courses elected under the Pass/D/Fail option; AP, IB, A-Level, and other pre-college testing credits; and credit-bearing internships. Official AP Score reports must be
reported to Middlebury College no later than the end of the student’s second semester.
22
23
Placement Examination Information: Fall 2020 Incoming students planning to enroll in courses in the departments listed below must take placement exams.
Review the chart below for information about exam formats, instructions, locations, and availability. Some exams will be offered online
beginning August 1, 2020. Other exams will be offered on Tuesday, September 8 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
You may complete any online placement exams in August before you arrive on campus, using a computer with internet access.
Follow the “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page. If you do not have internet access, you can take your online
placement exams on campus Tuesday, September 8, 2020.
To view websites for Middlebury academic departments, visit go.middlebury.edu/depts.
All telephone extensions listed below are preceded by the College’s general number: 802-443-(4-digit extension).
Department and
exam location
Who should take the placement exam?
Exam
components
Exam
length
Contact with
questions
Arabic
Voter Hall
lower level
Room 016
• All students who studied Arabic and wish to place into Arabic 103 or higher are required to take a placement exam.
• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.
Oral and
written exam
15-minute
interview
and
45-minute
written
test
Professor
Usama Soltan,
x5869, [email protected]
Chemistry and
Biochemistry
Exam available
online – follow
instructions on
last page
• All students wishing to take chemistry during their first year are required to take the chemistry placement test, except for those who have received credit based on the AP
exam, International Baccalaureate HL exam, or British A levels. The Placement Exam
will assist the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in determining whether
placement in CHEM 0103 or CHEM 0104 is more appropriate. Students who enter
with advanced placement should register for CHEM 0107.
• After you have completed the online placement exam, go to http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-
results, to interpret your results.
• If you have questions about your results, contact Molly Costanza-Robinson ([email protected]) to discuss the best placement for you.
• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.
Computer-
based written
test; may use
a calculator
60–90
minutes Professor Molly Costanza-
Robinson, x5571, [email protected]
u or Department Coordinator
Judy Mayer,
x5451,
du
Department and
exam location
Who should take the placement exam? Exam
components
Exam
length
Contact with
questions
http://www.go.middlebury.edu/deptsmailto:[email protected]://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-resultshttp://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-resultsmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
24
Chinese
Sunderland 110
• All students who have learned some Mandarin (at home, in the classroom, and/or abroad) and who wish to continue their study of Mandarin at Middlebury at any level other than the Fall Semester Beginning Chinese (CHNS 0101) are required to take the placement exam and
should do so during the orientation week of their first semester at Middlebury.
Students who have studied Mandarin but who wish to start over at the beginning in
the Fall (CHNS 0101) do not need to take the placement exam.
• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.
Interview;
reading comp.
and writing
evaluation as
necessary
60
minutes Professor
Thomas Moran, x5870, [email protected]
Computer
Science 75 SHS, 2nd Floor
East Lounge
• No placement exam is offered for computer science. Students wishing to enroll in Middlebury CS courses beyond the 100-level should go 75 SHS, Second Floor East
Lounge on Tuesday, September 8, any time between 12 p.m. (noon) and 1 p.m., to
meet with CS faculty and determine appropriate placement.
None; meet with
faculty if
wishing to enroll
in CS beyond
the 100-level
Professor Matthew
Dickerson, x5460,
du
Economics
Warner Hall 201
• There is no placement exam in Economics. However, students with IB score of 6 or higher on the IB Higher Level economics or a grade of A on A-Level Economics that can be used to
fulfill the intro (macro and/or micro) economics course requirements should contact Amy
Holbrook about getting a “placement” code added to their record for the purpose of registration.
Students with a score of 6 or higher on the IB Higher Level economics or a grade of A on A-
Level Economics receive course credit for one intro (macro or micro) economics course. The
other credit must be made up with an additional elective.
• Students with IB Statistics, or a grade of B or better on A-Level Statistics, that can be used to fulfill the ECON 0210 Economic Statistics prerequisite should contact Amy Holbrook about
getting a “placement” code added to their record for the purpose of registration for courses with
ECON 0210 as a prerequisite.
• Since Banner Web does not recognize transfer credits, students who have other transfer credits that can be used as an econ course equivalent should contact Amy Holbrook about getting a
prerequisite override for the purpose of registration.
• Students with an AP score of 4 or 5 in macro and/or micro economics will receive one credit per AP score after they are officially submitted to the Registrar’s Office and according to the
rules outlined on the Economics Department Requirement’s page.
• For any of the circumstances listed above, if the credits have not been officially transferred to your Middlebury record please plan to do so immediately and, in the meantime, be prepared to
show proof of your scores to Amy Holbrook to get the appropriate override or “placement”
code added to your record for the purpose of registration. Students failing to transfer credits
towards the minimum total for the major will be required to take additional electives to meet the
minimum number of 11 economics courses.
• For more detailed information on IB, A-Levels, and Transfer of Credit, please refer to the economics department’s Requirement page,
http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/econ/requirements or set up a time to meet with Amy
Holbrook.
None; Meet
with
Department
Coordinator
Professor
Jeff Carpenter, x3241, [email protected]
or Department
Coordinator Amy
Holbrook, x5327, [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.middlebury.edu/academics/econ/requirementsmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]
25
Department and
exam location
Who should take the placement exam?
Exam
components
Exam
length
Contact with
questions
French and
Francophone
Studies
Exam available
online – follow
instructions on
last page
• Students interested in beginning French at Middlebury (FREN 0101) should consult with French faculty during the orientation period or at Academic Forum.
• All continuing students of French must take a placement exam. We strongly encourage you to do so before arriving on campus.
• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.
• Placement results will be available at Academic Forum prior to registration. Faculty will be available to advise students of their placement.
Computer-
based written
test
50
minutes
Professor William Poulin-Deltour,
x5248, [email protected],
or
Department Coordinator
Jolene Newton,
x5527, [email protected]
German
FIC Cook 2
• Students with a background in German are invited to take the test.
• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.
Written test 60
minutes Professor Florence
Feiereisen, x5820,
Italian
Voter Hall 115
• All students who have studied Italian and wish to place into ITAL 0103 or higher are required to take the placement exam.
Interview
15
minutes Professor Stefano Mula, x5530,
Japanese
Studies
Freeman
Seminar Room 2
• All students who have had some Japanese and are planning to study Japanese should take
the exam.
• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.
Interview
followed by
placement
exam
60
minutes
Professor
Masahiro Takahashi,
x3251, [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
26
Department and
exam location
Who should take the placement exam? Exam
components
Exam
length Contact with questions
Latin
Exam available
online – follow
instructions on
last page
• Any students interested in continuing their study of Latin should take this test.
• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.
Computer-
based
written
exam; may
use a
dictionary
45
minutes
Professor Randall Ganiban,
x5888,
Mathematics
Warner 309
• No placement exam is offered for mathematics; each student will receive an e-mail when they arrive on campus for orientation, based upon review of high school
transcripts. Students will only be able to register for the courses into which they were
placed in this e-mail. Should any concerns arise regarding math placement, or if no
placement has been determined, students are invited to discuss this with the
Department of Mathematics, either in Warner 309 during the placement exam period or
at Academic Forum.
• Advanced placement in the department is offered to first-year students whose secondary training indicates they can commonly bypass one or more of the beginning
courses in mathematics. Students who have earned grades on advanced placement
calculus exams that are eligible for credit may not register for the equivalent course at
Middlebury College. Thus, students who have earned 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB exam
or a 3 on the Calculus BC exam may not register for MATH 0121, and students who
have earned 4 or 5 on the Calculus BC exam may not register for MATH 0121 or
MATH 0122. This policy applies irrespective of whether students choose to use their
AP credits toward meeting Middlebury’s graduation requirements. The following
international credentials carry the same credit as a 4 or 5 on the Calculus BC Exam: A-
level exam with a mathematics grade of A, B, or C; or IB Higher Level Mathematics
with a grade of 6 or 7.
None;
placement
indicated in
Professor
Steve Abbott,
x2256,
or Department Coordinator
Jen Nuceder, x5565, [email protected]
Music
Mahaney Arts
Center 306
• All students who wish to place out of Music 0160, Music Theory I: Fundamentals, should take this exam. A score of C or better is required to receive placement into any courses that have MUSC 0160 as a prerequisite.
• Students with an AP score of 4 or 5 in music theory may take this exam. If they receive a grade of C or better, they will receive credit for MUSC 0160 and placement into any
courses that have MUSC 0160 as a prerequisite.
Written test
30
minutes
Professor Matthew Taylor, x5696, [email protected]
Department and
exam location
Who should take the placement exam? Exam
components
Exam
length Contact with questions
Physics • No placement exam is offered for physics. Students wishing to enroll in physics courses at Middlebury should go to McCardell Bicentennial Hall 525 on Tuesday,
September 8 any time between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., to meet with physics faculty
None; meet
with faculty
Professor Susan Watson,
X5958,
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
27
McCardell
Bicentennial
Hall 525
and determine their appropriate placement.
(Luso-Hispanic
Studies)
Portuguese
• Students wishing to take Beginning Portuguese for Romance Language Speakers need to have taken either FREN 0205, ITAL 0251, or SPAN 0220; OR have taken the
French, Italian, or Spanish placement exam and be placed at FREN 0210, ITAL 0252,
or SPAN 0300 or above.
• Students wishing to study Portuguese in any other course must contact Professor Enrique Garcia ([email protected]) to set up a personal interview.
Professor
Enrique Garcia, x5272,
Psychology
McCardell
Bicentennial
Hall 286
(Psychology
Suite)
• Students with an AP score of 4 or 5 in psychology, or a score of 6 or 7 on the IB Higher Level Psychology exam, do not need to take the placement exam. If the AP or
IB credit has already been transferred to Middlebury, students automatically receive
one course credit for PSYC 0105, Introductory Psychology. If the AP credit hasn’t
been transferred yet, please talk to Professor Arndt about getting the credit temporarily
added to your record for the purpose of registration. Students with lower AP/IB scores
or who have done previous psychology course work may choose to take the department
placement exam. A passing score on the placement exam means that students may
enroll in courses that have a PSYC 0105 prerequisite, but it does not provide credit
toward the major/minor, graduation or other College requirements.
Short test
15–25
minutes Professor Jason Arndt, x3404,
or Department Coordinator
Tanya Hershey, x5838,
Russian
Exam available
online – follow
instructions on
last page
• Only students who have studied Russian and plan to take Russian should take this exam.
• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.
• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.
• All students who have completed the exam should come to the Freeman Seminar Room 1 on Tuesday, September 8 anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for an oral
interview.
Computer-
based
written
exam and
oral
interview
45–60
minutes Professor Kevin Moss, x5786,
(Luso-Hispanic
Studies)
Spanish
• All students who have taken Spanish before must take a placement exam in order to determine which level is most appropriate for them.
• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.
• Students should complete the online placement exam before their arrival on campus. Results will be communicated during orientation week.
*Exam available online – follow instructions on last page
Computer-
based
written
exam
50-75
minutes Professor
Enrique Garcia, x5272,
or Department Coordinator
Jen Nuceder, x5565,
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
28
Online Placement Exam Instructions: Chemistry and Biochemistry, French, Latin, Russian, and Spanish
Requirements for Online Placement
Exams • Your Middlebury College ID number and
Middlebury email address (ending in @middlebury.edu)
• An Internet connection with web access and a speed of at least 512kbps
• A computer that meets these minimum specifications (tablets and mobile devices are not recommended)
Operating System: Windows 7 and
newer, Mac OS X 10.6 and newer, or
Linux Chrome OS
Computer Speed and Processor (use
a computer 5 years old or newer when
possible): 1GB of RAM, 2GHz
processor
Supported Browsers: Chrome 52 and
53, Firefox 48 and 49 (Extended
Releases are not supported), or Safari
9 and 10 (Macintosh only). Internet
Explorer is not recommended for
placement exams.
For technical questions on these exams:
Please contact the Technology Helpdesk,
802-443-2200 or
Middlebury offers online placement exams beginning August 1, 2020 through Canvas. Complete your exam(s) BEFORE
you arrive on campus.* Read these instructions completely before you begin.
Step 1: Activate your Middlebury user account. If you have already activated your account, proceed to
Step 2. If you have not activated your account, open your web browser and enter this URL: go.middlebury.edu/activate, then
follow the on-screen instructions provided.
Step 2: Login to Canvas. Open your web browser and enter the URL that corresponds to your exam.
Exam Name URL
Chemistry and Biochemistry https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/FK3JH3
French https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/GGLCRA
Latin https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/CAHR3H
Russian https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/4TBTX8
Spanish https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/6PKHCM
Note: If you are not already logged in, you will be taken to a login screen. When prompted, enter your Middlebury College
username (first part of your e-mail address) and password to proceed to the exam.
Step 3: Enroll in the exam. You will arrive at the enrollment screen. It indicates the name of the exam that you will be
taking with the heading, Enroll in____Placement Exam. Click once on the Enroll in Course button at the upper right corner
of the screen to continue. The screen will change to indicate that you have successfully enrolled, and two buttons, Go to
your Dashboard and Go to the Course, will appear.
Step 4: Complete the exam. Click once on the Go to the Course button at the top right. A screen with the exam name and
instructions will appear. Read the instructions completely, then click where indicated to begin.
• Chemistry and Biochemistry. After you have completed the exam, please go to http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-results, to interpret your results.
• French. There are two parts to the exam: The first asks background information about you and the second is the actual exam. Make sure to complete both sections in order. Once you begin a section, you must complete it; you cannot return to a section of the exam after you have begun. The purpose of this exam is to assist in optimal placement at Middlebury, so do not use a dictionary or other materials to assist you.
• Latin. You may use a dictionary. There are two parts to the exam: 1) Latin Studies Background and 2) Latin Placement Exam. The placement exam should take about 45 minutes to complete and involves translating two passages. More instructions will be available online.
• Russian. All students who have taken the exam, whether in advance or after arrival, should come to Freeman Seminar Room 1 on Tuesday, September 8 any time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., for an oral interview.
• Spanish. Do not click the “Submit” button until you have completed the entire exam. You must complete the exam in one sitting, or you will get closed out. It should take 30–60 minutes. Results will be posted during orientation week.
Step 5: Log out. After completing the exam, click once on the Account icon in the left sidebar. Then click once on the grey
Logout button that appears in the slide-out menu.
*If you are unable to take your exam
before you come to Middlebury: Go to
Computer Lab Axinn 105 on Tuesday,
September 8 at 11 a.m. Bring your ID
number and Middlebury email address.
Computers will be provided. You may
bring and use your own laptop if you
prefer.
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Placement%20Exam%20Help%20Neededhttp://www.go.middlebury.edu/activatehttps://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/FK3JH3https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/GGLCRAhttps://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/CAHR3Hhttps://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/4TBTX8https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/6PKHCMhttp://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-results
29
DEPARTMENTS OF INSTRUCTION
INFORMATION FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
During Orientation in September, students will register for three Fall 2020 courses. The information below provides
an overview of the departmental offerings available to first-year students. You are encouraged to take courses from
across the curriculum and are not permitted to take two courses within the same department [Your FYS course does
not count as a departmental course]. Additionally, any course outside of the first-year seminar that is listed as
College Writing (CW) (writing-intensive) cannot be taken during the Fall semester.
Each academic department and program has its own curricular structure. Some are arranged hierarchically, with
gateway courses required as the first step for new students, before they can move into higher-level courses. Other
departments have courses that are accessible for first-year students even at the 300 level. The information here
offers a general sense of how each department engages with first-year students, but you are encouraged to visit
specific departmental websites for further information. As you consider possible courses to take, it is important to
remember that there is no “one size fits all” here at Middlebury. Knowing the various paths you can take through
different departments and programs will expand your course options before registration.
AMERICAN STUDIES The Program of American Studies offers 100-and 200-level courses that are especially intended for students earlier in their
academic path, but unless a course catalog description says that prior knowledge is needed through a prerequisite course, first-
year students can even flourish in 300-level courses without having prior disciplinary or content knowledge. First-year
students are welcome to enroll in any course within this program outside of AMST 400 and the 700 courses. Students can
expect higher-numbered courses to involve more complex approaches to topics.
ANTHROPOLOGY The Department of Anthropology offers courses open to first-year students, at the 100 and 200 level, space permitting. Please
examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have
prerequisites.
ARABIC The Program in Arabic offers a range of courses for first-year students, space permitting, but ARBC 0101 is the place to start
or gain permission to pass through. First-year students who have a background in Modern Standard Arabic must take a
placement exam during Orientation Week to determine if they meet the equivalency requirement for any course in the Arabic
language sequence beyond ARBC 0101 (ARBC 0101 assumes no prior knowledge of Arabic and is open to all first-year
students).
First-year, native Arabic speakers with a background in Modern Standard Arabic may wish to take one of the 400-level courses
taught in Arabic or one of the 200-level courses taught in English; students wishing to do so should contact the course
instructor at the start of the semester.
Students who wish to begin their study of Arabic at Middlebury are strongly encouraged to do so in the fall semester of their
first year. (Students entering in February are strongly encouraged to start their Arabic study during their first fall term.) To be
able to study abroad in Jordan or Morocco, students are required to have completed at least two years of Arabic. This
requirement may be met by attending the Middlebury summer Arabic language school or a similarly intensive summer study
program.
ART: See HISTORY OF ART & ARCHITECTURE or STUDIO ART
30
BIOLOGY The Department of Biology offers the following courses for first-year students, space permitting:
BIOL 0140 Ecology and Evolution (Fall, Spring)
BIOL 0145 Cell Biology and Genetics (Fall, Spring)
Students intending to major in Biology should ideally take BIOL 0140 and BIOL 0145 during their first year. These courses
can be taken in either order. First semester general chemistry (CHEM 0103) or equivalent is a pre-requisite for BIOL 0145. AP
credit for Biology does not allow students to place out of the introductory courses. Biology majors usually complete at least the
core course requirements (BIOL 0140, BIOL 0145), and one of the “organismal” courses (BIOL 0201, BIOL0202, BIOL 0203,
BIOL 0310) by the end of the sophomore year. We also strongly encourage Biology majors to take Experimental Design and
Analysis (BIOL 0211) by the end of their sophomore year.
BLACK STUDIES The Program of Black Studies offers courses for first-year students (space permitting) that draw from a wide range of
disciplines. Please examine the program’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if
courses have prerequisites.
CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers the following courses for first-year students, space permitting:
CHEM 0103 General Chemistry I (Fall, Spring)
CHEM 0104 General Chemistry II (Fall, Spring)
CHEM 0107 Advanced General Chemistry (Fall)
Students intending to major in Chemistry or Biochemistry are strongly encouraged to complete CHEM 0104 or CHEM 0107
by the end of their first year. Likewise, students with interests in any of the Health Professions (medical school, dental school,
or veterinary school), particularly if study abroad is contemplated, have many more options available if they complete CHEM
0104 or CHEM 0107 by the end of their first year. Both groups of students can then take Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 0203)
by their second year. Delaying Organic Chemistry until the third year, though workable in some cases, limits scheduling
flexibility for other courses and interests.
CHINESE The Greenberg-Starr Department of Chinese Language and Literature offers courses in Mandarin Chinese language and
courses taught in English on Chinese literature and culture. The courses in beginning Mandarin Chinese language (CHNS 0101
– 0103) are open for first-year students, space permitting.
First-year students may register for Chinese language courses at the 2nd-year level (Fall CHNS 0201 and Spring CHNS 0202)
or above only by permission after the placement exam given in orientation week. Chinese language courses at Middlebury are
not intended for native speakers of Chinese.
Students who wish to begin their study of the Chinese language at Middlebury should do so at the earliest opportunity,
preferably in the fall semester of the first year. Before studying abroad, students must have completed at least two years (and
preferably three) of Chinese language at Middlebury (or the equivalent).
The Chinese Department offers the following courses on Chinese literature and culture taught in English that are open to first-
year students, space permitting:
CHNS 0219 The Chinese Literary Tradition (Fall)
CHNS 0220 Modern China through Literature (Spring)
CLASSICS The Eve Adler Department of Classics is offering courses at the 100 level for first-year students, space permitting. Please
examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have
prerequisites.
(Students wishing to begin Greek and Latin, or to join upper level courses in Greek and/or Latin, please see the listings under
“Greek” and “Latin” respectively.)
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE The Comparative Literature Program offers courses for first-year students at the 100, 200, and 300 level, space permitting.
Please examine the program’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have
prerequisites. CMLT 0101 is a gateway course to all students interested in literature and in particular to Comparative Literature
majors. The course is open to students who have completed their first-year seminar.
31
COMPUTER SCIENCE The Department of Computer Science is offering courses at the 100 level and a couple courses at the 200 level for first-year
students, space permitting. Please examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions
carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.
None of the 100-level courses have any prerequisites. CSCI 0105 and CSCI 0110 do not count towards the computer science
major and are appropriate for students with no prior experience with any sort of programming. Most students who begin with
CSCI 0145 or CSCI 0150 are comfortable with deductive reasoning skills or have had some prior experience with a
programming language. The computer science major begins with CSCI 0145 or CSCI 0150. However, students with the
appropriate background may be able to start at the 200 level; please contact the department chair.
DANCE The Department of Theatre and Dance offers courses for first-year students at the 100, 200 and 300 level, space permitting.
Please examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have
prerequisites.
ECONOMICS The Department of Economics offers the courses at the 100 and 200 level for first-year students, space permitting. Please
examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have
prerequisites.
Students majoring in economics ideally should complete both macroeconomics and microeconomics in their first year. This is
especially important for those students who plan to spend the junior year abroad. Entering students who have done college-
level work (including AP, IB and A-Levels) in microeconomics, macroeconomics, or statistics may take more advanced
courses in economics if their transfer credits meet the transfer criteria, or if given approval by the chair of economics. *Note:
ECON 0240 does not count towards the economics major requirements.
EDUCATION STUDIES The Program in Education Studies offers the following courses for first-year students, space permitting:
EDST 0115 Education in the USA (Fall, Spring)
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURES/CREATIVE WRITING The Department of English and American Literatures offers courses in ENAM at the 100-, 200-, and 300-level and in CRWR
at the 100 and 200 level for first-year students, space permitting. Please examine the department’s course offerings and the
corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.
Students planning to major in English and American Literatures should take ENAM 0103 (Reading Literature) before the end
of their sophomore year. This course is open to first-year students who have completed the first-year seminar requirement, and
who intend to major in English and American Literatures, Comparative Literature, or Literary Studies, and to other students,
space permitting.
32
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES The environmental studies program is an interdisciplinary major that draws upon the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and
social sciences to understand and explore the relationship between human and the environment. The environmental studies
major is composed of course work in four areas: four environmental studies core courses; 7-8 courses in a focus area; two
environmental cognate courses; and an integrative capstone experience.
The following focus areas are available for ES majors:
• Arts division foci: Architecture, Dance, Studio Art, Theatre
• Humanities division foci: History, Literature, Writing, Religion/Philosophy
• Natural Science division foci: Biology, Chemistry, Geology
• Social Science division foci: Psychology, Economics, Justice, Policy, Geography, Anthropology
Of the core courses, we recommend that student begin in ENVS 0112 for which there are reliably seats available for first-year
students. ENVS 0211 and ENVS 0215 are also appropriate for first-year students, but seats for first-years are not reliably
available.
ENVS 0112 Natural Science and the Environment (Fall, Spring)
ENVS 0211 Conservation and Environmental Policy (Fall, Spring)
ENVS/ENAM 0215 Contested Grounds: U.S. Cultures and Environments (Fall, Spring)
First-year students interested in the environment should also consider the following fall 2020 environmental cognate courses,
which may count toward fulfilling the cognate requirement in the major. Cognates are required to be in an academic division
outside the division of the student’s focus area (see above). If you are considering an ES focus in the social sciences (e.g.,
environmental policy) you might consider taking a cognate outside the social sciences.
Course Human. Nat. Sci. (lab
courses noted)
Social
Sci.
AMST 0214 Mastodons, Mermaids, and Dioramas:
Capturing Nature in America
ENAM 0227 Encounters with the Wild: Nature, Culture,
Poetry
ENVS 0220 Conversations with Environmental Icons
Yes
BIOL 0140 Ecology & Evolution
GEOL 0112 Environmental Geology
Satisfy the lab
science
requirement
*ECON 0265 Environmental Economics
GEOG 0209 Human Geography of Hazards
Yes
*Only open to arriving students who earned a Microeconomics AP score of 4 or better.
FILM AND MEDIA CULTURE The Department of Film and Media Culture offers courses at the 100 and 200 level for first-year students, space permitting.
Please examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have
prerequisites.
FRENCH The Department of French offers courses (taught in French, at increasing levels of difficulty) at the 100 and 200 level for first-
year students, space permitting. Please examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions
carefully, noting if courses require FREN 0101 or other courses as prerequisites.
GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND FEMINIST STUDIES Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies is an interdisciplinary major that employs gender as a fundamental category of
analysis. The major requires three introductory-level courses, a junior seminar in feminist theory, and a senior thesis or essay.
The major also requires fulfilling breadth requirements and electives at the 0300 and 0400-levels. The Program offers courses
at the 100, 200, and 300 level for first-year students, space permitting. Please examine the program’s course offerings and the
corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.
https://catalog.middlebury.edu/courses/view/catalog/catalog%2FMCUG/course/course%2FECON0265
33
GEOGRAPHY The Department of Geography offers courses for first-year students at the 100 and 200 level, space permitting. Please examine
the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.
GEOLOGY The Geology Department offers courses for first-year students at the 100 level, space permitting. Please examine the
department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.
Student with an interest in majoring in Geology, or pursuing a joint major in Environmental Geology, are encouraged to take
either GEOL 0112, GEOL 0161, or GEOL 0170 as their intr