This planning studio course brings together students with a variety of skills and knowledge and provides an opportunity to apply their accumulated expertise to a real problem facing an island community. The intent is for students to realize the potential of a truly interdisciplinary approach to problem solving. A major challenge facing the town of Bar Harbor is how to grow in a way that fosters a healthy year round economy, protects the environment, doesn't overload the existing public services and infrastructure, and provides potential for affordable housing. Growth areas have been designated in the town's proposed comprehensive plan, but just how and what type of growth is desirable and how to regulate and foster it have yet to be determined. Students will work closely with town leaders and citizens using ArcGIS software and the geographic data base developed for the island, computer imaging and modeling, land use planning methodologies, policy planning and design skills on specific sites to assist decision makers in developing regulations and policies to enhance the quality of life. Level: Advanced. Prerequisites: Community Planning and Decision Making and/or Land Use Planning. Other recommended courses include any one or more of the following: G.I.S., Architectural or Landscape Architectural Design Studio, Digital Photography or Introduction to the Legal Process.

Isabel Mancinelli
Gordon Longsworth

This course focuses on the segment of the human life span from puberty to early adulthood. In this class we will examine the physical, cognitive, social, and moral aspects of adolescent growth and development. Issues to be considered include adolescent relationships (peers, family, romantic), adolescent issues (identity formation, at risk behavior, schooling, and stereotypes), and critical reflection on one's own adolescent experience. The main objectives of this course are to: 1) provide students with a working knowledge of the theories of psychology which pertain to early adolescent development; 2) help students develop the ability to critically analyze information and common assumptions about the development of adolescents; 3) consider contemporary issues and concerns of the field; and 4) to afford students the opportunity to explore their own adolescent development. Course work entails lecture, discussion, extensive case analysis, and a field component. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisite: Educational Psychology, Personality, or other introductory level psychology. *HS* *ED*

Ken Hill

This course will examine essential questions about how groups function, whether the group is a committee involved in institutional governance, a class of adolescents, or a cohort of business colleagues. Readings, activities, and assignments will weigh traditional and alternative conceptions of leadership, power, authority, community, diversity, membership, and exclusion. Students will engage in case discussions, writing (including autobiography and creative writing), and research activities. A major component of the course will be the observation and analysis of a group (e.g., in a community organization, business, or school). The final paper will be the creation and analysis of a case. Evaluation will be based on class participation, responses to readings, facilitation of a case discussion, an autobiographical essay, a short story, reports of observations, and the final paper. P/F grading only. Students will be expected to take the course Pass/Fail, with special arrangement to made for those needing to take it for a grade. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 15. Lab fee: $50. *HS* *ED*

Bonnie Tai

This course pivots around two central questions: How does gender influence students learning and experiences of school, curriculum and instruction, teacher-student relationships, school culture and administration? And how do schools perpetuate, resist, and construct gendered identities and gender roles? In this course we will investigate research on gender differences and school achievement, the feminization of the teaching profession, and the effects of gender on school culture, considering evidence from and questions posed by biologists, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, historians, and educators. The major objective of the course is to examine how notions of femininity, masculinity, and androgyny have influenced and are influenced by schooling historically and globally. Activities include a historical case study, media critique, fieldwork in an educational setting, a literature review, and curriculum development. Students will conduct research on self-chosen topics such as gender identity development, gender differences in learning styles, sexual harassment in schools, or school sports programs, among others. Evaluation will be based on class participation, historical case, media analysis, oral presentation of fieldwork, written synthesis of literature, and two lesson plans. Level: Intermediate. Offered every other year. Class limit: 15. *HS* *ED*

Bonnie Tai

Educators in and outside of the U.S. teach in increasingly culturally heterogeneous classrooms, schools, and communities. This course explores some challenges and possibilities in education as a result of historical inequities in the distribution of power, knowledge, and resources, and the increasing mobility of peoples in a global economy. We will consider questions such as: What is multicultural, intercultural, and global education? How do culturally different teaching and learning styles impact notions of academic achievement, school success, and teacher quality? How can student assessments and performance standards respond effectively to cultural differences? How can educators effectively communicate and partner with parents and community members across cultural differences? What are the legal and moral obligations of teachers in providing equal educational opportunity according to federal and state laws? We will read theory and research on educating across and about cultural difference, reflect on our own cultural affiliations, and actively explore the dynamics of identity, culture, and power in the teaching-learning relationship and in educational institutions through case discussions and other group activities. Investigations of the education of self and other will take place through class activities, readings, autobiographical and fiction writing, reflective logs, media analysis, and a field research or curriculum project. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: An introductory sociology, anthropology, cultural psychology, or education course. Offered every other year. Class limit: 15. Lab fee: $20. *ED* *HS*

Bonnie Tai

Even before John Dewey published Experience and Education in 1938, experiential education had been practiced in various forms around the world. This course explores the philosophy of experiential education and its diverse practices in the realms of adventure education, service learning, workplace learning, environmental education, museum education, and school reform. Group activities and fieldtrips will provide opportunities to participate as both learner and teacher in a variety of teacher-led and student-designed experiences. The final project involves researching an existing experiential education program, its philosophy, and its practices. Evaluation is based on class and fieldtrip participation (including one multi-day fieldtrip), reflective logs, curriculum design, service-learning journal, an oral presentation of the service-learning, and a final essay that articulates a philosophy of experience in education. Level: Introductory. Offered every other year. Lab fee: $100. Class limit: 15. *ED* *HS*

Bonnie Tai

Human ecologists who educate, embrace not only the interdisciplinarity of knowledge, but also the complexity of individual student development in political school environments. This course focuses on two essential nuts and bolts of teaching: curriculum design and assessment. How can a teacher learn what students know, how they think, and what they have learned? How can a teacher use this knowledge of students and subject matter to plan learning experiences that will engage diverse interests, adapt to a wide range of learning styles and preferences, accommodate exceptional needs, and meet state-mandated curriculum standards? This course is a required course for prospective secondary school teachers that provides an introduction to the backward design process and diverse assessment strategies. Students will engage in examining theory and practice designing and implementing curricula and assessments. A service-learning component will provide students with the opportunity to observe and participate in a variety of assessment methods in the subject they aim to teach. The final project will be a collaboratively designed, integrated curriculum unit, including lesson plans and assessments. Evaluation will be based on participation, reflective writing, individually designed lesson plans and assessments, and the final project. Level: Advanced. Prerequisite: Exceptionalities. Class Limit: 12. *HS* *ED*

Bonnie Tai

How can an integrated curriculum for elementary school students help to deepen the relationships children and young adolescents construct with the natural and social worlds in a way that promotes their capacity to know themselves and the communities in which they act? For those preparing to be elementary school educators (grades K-8), this three-credit residency provides an intensive guided apprenticeship that prepares the student-teacher with the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to design an integrated math, science, and social studies curriculum, create and maintain a constructive learning environment, teach diverse learners using appropriate learning technologies and a variety of strategies, and assess student learning. Learning objectives include all ten of the Maine Initial Teacher Certification Standards as well as familiarity with the Maine Learning Results for Math, Science, and Social Studies. Students will participate in a ten-week service-learning practicum observing and participating in elementary classrooms as well as planning and teaching in vacation school during the local school union's spring break. Readings and discussions in a daily seminar will complement the service-learning component. Evaluation will be based on reflection on service-learning, participation in seminar discussions of readings and service-learning, curriculum and assessment design and implementation, and professional performance in vacation school and at the practicum site. Partial credit may be awarded based on completed work and demonstrated learning. Level: Advanced, 3-credit Residency. Prerequisites: Learning Theory, Exceptionalities, and Integrated Elementary Methods: Reading and Writing. Class limit: 12. *HS* *ED*

Bonnie Tai

This course is designed to prepare secondary teacher candidates to meet the learning needs of diverse populations of students. Students spend one day a week in a local high school working with faculty in the subject area in which they are being certified. These school-based experiences are integrated into class discussions where students analyze the elements needed for successful teaching, learning, and assessing in their own content area and across disciplines. The purposes, problems, issues, strategies, and materials involved in teaching high school students will be examined critically through class discussions, individual and group work, reflections on field experiences and peer teaching. Students will incorporate the content, inquiry tools and structures of the discipline they will teach into a 4-week unit that may be used in their student teaching. Evaluation will be based on weekly reflective response journals, completion of the service learning component (one day a week in classroom), completion of readings and entry slips, and the 4-week unit of study. Level: Advanced. Class limit: 12. *ED*

Judith Cox

How have schools changed and how should schools change to ensure "the good life"? This interdisciplinary, team-taught course examines the potential and limits of a human ecological education as an instrument of enlightened progress and lasting positive social, cultural, and environmental change. It explores three essential questions about education and its relationship to human development and social progress. Looking at the role of formal educational institutions and their relationship to government and other social institutions: What is the role of schools in development and social change? Considering the role of teachers as agents of change: What is the role of the teacher in school/organizational change and community development? And finally, reflecting on our subjective motives for working in the field of education: Why do you want to become an educator? Through course activities such as service-learning in schools and group project work on a contemporary educational phenomenon (e.g., school choice, new technologies for learning, single-sex education), students will learn how educational policy at the federal, state, and local levels impacts teaching and learning, investigate the moral dimensions of the teacher-student relationship, and reflect on the construct of teacher-learners. Students will be introduced to a variety of educational research methods (i.e, ethnography, case study, quasi-experimental, correlational) that will allow for critical analysis of the knowledge base that strives to impact educational policy and practice. Evaluation will be based on participation, reflective writing, service learning, and group projects and presentations. Level: Introductory. Class limit: 15. Offered every other year. Lab fee: $20. *HS* *ED*

Bonnie Tai
Judith Cox

The student teaching internship represents the student teaching requirement for COA'S teacher certification candidates. Success in this experience is a pivotal criterion in the student's certification candidacy. The student is placed in a school, usually in the immediate region, with a cooperating teacher who teaches subjects and grade levels that match the certification goals of the student. The roles of student teacher, cooperating teacher, school principal, and COA supervisor are discussed and agreed upon in advance. Incrementally, the student teacher becomes familiar with class routines and gradually takes responsibility for teaching. Within the 15-week experience, the student teacher must take on a full load (all classes and all duties) for the number of weeks agreed upon by all parties. This period of time varies with subjects, grade level and specific student goals. The COA supervisor visits the schools in a liaison capacity, and also evaluates the student teacher's performance a minimum of eight times in the term. Student teachers meet together regularly to discuss such issues as curriculum planning, instruction, best teaching practices, classroom learning environment and broader educational issues. Students may use student teaching to fulfill the COA internship requirement if it is completed prior to graduation. Level: Advanced. *ED*

Judith Cox

Human Ecology is the interdisciplinary study of the relationships between humans and their natural and cultural environments. The purpose of this course is to build a community of learners that explores the question of human ecology from the perspectives of the arts, humanities and sciences, both in and outside the classroom. By the end of the course students should be familiar with how differently these three broad areas ask questions, pose solutions, and become inextricably intertwined when theoretical ideas are put into practice. In the end, we want students to be better prepared to create your own human ecology degree through a more in depth exploration of the courses offered at College of the Atlantic. We will approach this central goal through a series of directed readings and activities. Level: Introductory. Lab fee: TBA. *HE*

John Anderson
Elmer Beal
Rich Borden
Colin Capers
Ken Cline
Dru Colbert
Sean Todd
Candice Stover
John Cooper
J. Gray Cox
Jamie McKown
Suzanne R. Morse
Bonnie Tai
Ken Hill

This course has two goals: 1) to aid the student in developing and refining a style and 2) to make the student cognizant of the interaction between style, content, and audience. To achieve these goals, students write several short papers or one or two longer ones, meet regularly with the instructor to go over these, edit and discuss the exercises in Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams, and participate in review sessions. Level: Advanced. Prerequisites: Writing Seminar II, Signature of instructor. Offered every winter. Class limit: 12. *W*

Anne Kozak

This course uses autobiography as a literary form to examine the lives of certain significant people and then to examine our own lives, concentrating particularly on understanding the effects of early home and community environments. In the first half of the term, students read and report on two autobiographical works chosen from a list including Beryl Markham, Carl Jung, Margaret Mead, Maya Angelou, Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf, Vincent Van Gogh, W. B. Yeats, and Pete Rose. In the second half, students write their own autobiographies, working in small groups and frequent tutorial meetings with the instructor. The product is an autobiographical examination of the student's own development. This course should consume 15 hours per week outside of class, more at the end of the term when finishing the autobiography. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Course involving literature and writing and Instructor Signature. Offered every other year. Class limit: 8. *HS*

William Carpenter

This course is an introduction to the unconscious. It begins with the problem of knowing something which by definition is unknown. It then proceeds to examine two classic approaches to the unconscious: dreams and love. Students are expected to keep dream notebooks and to recognize their own unconscious life in the light of readings. Readings start with the unconscious in its classical formulation according to Freud and Jung. We read The Interpretation of Dreams and Two Essays in Analytical Psychology. We consider these themes in fiction using Henry James' The Beast in the Jungle. We then move to more contemporary writers, particularly James Hillman's The Dream and the Underworld, Michel Foucault's History of Sexuality, and finally consider some of the negative implications of the material in Elaine Scarry's The Body in Pain. The writing part of this course is done in pairs, with groups of two students cross-examining each other's dream notebooks and self-analysis. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: A course in literature or psychology. Offered every other year. Class limit: 20. Lab fee: $20. *HS*

William Carpenter

This course introduces concepts in anthropology, explores the relationship of the collective aspects of culture to the individual, and examines behavior as a consequence of biology or culture. Half the classes focus on a text (An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, 5th ed. by Marvin Harris) which compares aspects of human culture at different times and in different parts of the world. The other classes focus on three novels: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx, and The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. These novels are read as sources of cultural information about individuals from different societies. Two autobiographical papers examine students' own enculturation. Evaluation is based on participation in class, the two papers, a mid-term and a final exam. Offered every fall. Level: Introductory. Class limit: 20. *HS*

Elmer Beal

This is a research course focusing on methods of (and attitudes toward) controlling population growth rates in different cultures. Participants are expected to examine a set of hypotheses which relate several variables in the biological and cultural ecosystem, including population growth rates, environmental depletion, technological change and intraspecies violence. Each student then researches the literature on a different society and presents the findings to the group. Evaluation is based on class participation and a paper summarizing the project. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisites: Contemporary Culture and the Self or signature of instructor. Offered every other year. *HS*

Elmer Beal

How has human history shaped and been shaped by "the environment"? Environmental history is one of the most exciting new fields in history. In this course we examine world history from Mesopotamia to the present to see the role such things as resource scarcity, mythology, philosophy, imperialism, land policy, theology, plagues, scientific revolutions, the discovery of the new world, the industrial revolution, etc. on the natural, social, and built environments. Level: Introductory. *HS* *HY*

Todd Little-Siebold

This course provides an overview of environmental law and the role of law in shaping environmental policy. We examine, as background, the nature and scope of environmental, energy, and resource problems and evaluate the various legal mechanisms available to address those problems. The course attempts to have students critically analyze the role of law in setting and implementing environmental policy. We explore traditional common law remedies, procedural statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act, intricate regulatory schemes, and market-based strategies that have been adopted to control pollution and protect natural resources. Students are exposed to a wide range of environmental law problems in order to appreciate both the advantages and limitations of law in this context. Special attention is given to policy debates currently underway and the use of the legal process to foster the development of a sustainable society in the United States. Students are required to complete four problem sets in which they apply legal principles to a given fact scenario. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisites: Introduction to the Legal Process or Philosophy of the Constitution strongly recommended. Offered at least every other year. Class limit: 20. Lab fee $20. *HS*

Ken Cline

Regular classroom sessions include new material concerning basic journalistic tenets such as types of stories, approaches, writing style and voice, review of writing assignments, and critiques of how competing local, state, and national print and electronic media cover the same stories or issues. Other topics include investigative techniques, fairness, freedom of information, the business side of journalism, avoiding conflicts of interest, staying away from news writing pitfalls, powers of observation, use of recording devices, and the differing production and writing requirements of working in electronic media. Along with stories, each student leads discussion on a question concerning editorial judgment or journalistic ethics selected from the text: Doing Ethics in Journalism, a handbook with case studies by Jay Black, Bob Steele, and Ralph Barney. The course brings in people from the profession to share their expertise and experiences with the class. Students may collaborate with the computer-aided Page Design and Publication class and with the Group Study in photography to develop and produce an end-of-term publication. Students may also have the opportunity to have stories published in the Bar Harbor Times or Ellsworth Weekly. This course meets the first year writing requirement. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisites: Writing Seminar I or Signature of Writing Program Director. Class limit 15. *W*

Earl Brechlin

The "law" affects every aspect of human activity. As human ecologists we must garner some basic understanding of how law is used (or misused) to shape society and human behavior. This course examines two aspects of the American legal system: 1) the judicial process or how we resolve disputes; and 2) the legislative process or how we enact policy. Course readings cover everything from classic jurisprudence essays to the daily newspaper. We use current environmental and social issues to illustrate specific applications of the legal process. Legal brief preparation, mock courtroom presentations, lobbying visits to the Maine legislature, and guest lectures are used to give a practical dimension to course subjects. Students analyze Federal Election Commission documents to understand the impact of campaign financing on public policy and look closely at other current issues facing the legislative and judicial systems. Evaluation is based upon two papers and several other exercises. Level: Introductory. Offered every other year. Lab fee $20. *HS*

Ken Cline

A survey of Anglo-American literature from the Scientific Revolution to the present. Focuses on the ongoing debate about the role of science in Western culture, the potential benefits and dangers of scientific experimentation, the spiritual, religious, social and political issues that come about with the Ages of Discovery and Reason, and their treatment in literature. Specific debates include concerns over what is "natural," whether knowledge is dangerous, the perils of objectivity, and the mind/body dichotomy; works include Shelley's Frankenstein, Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, Brecht's Galileo, Lightman's Einstein's Dreams and Naylor's Mama Day as well as short stories and poems. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Prerequisite: Writing Seminar I, Signature of instructor. Offered every two or three years. Lab fee: $10. *HS*

Karen Waldron

This course, part of the education sequence, provides a theoretical and practical look at the emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioral development of humans. It covers the full life span of human development with some special concentration on school-age children. Topics of prenatal development and personality disorders are also presented. In addition, the course focuses on several of the more popular learning, social-learning, and educational theories. During the first part of the course, readings are selected from original sources and discussed (e.g. Erikson, Freud, Adler, Gilligan). Later the discussions become directed more toward specific social and development issues (e.g. sex roles, the family, education, personal growth, death and dying). Participation in the discussions and three papers are required. Level: Introductory. No prerequisites. Offered every year. *HS* *ED*

Rich Borden

Because of the number of serious environmental problems that face the modern world, the theories and images that guide our interaction with nature have become problematic. This course examines various attempts to arrive at a new understanding of our role in the natural world and compares them with the philosophies of nature that have guided other peoples in other times and other places. Topics range from taoism and native american philosophies to deep ecology and scientific ecological models. Readings include such books as Uncommon Ground, Walden, and Practice of the Wild. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Offered occasionally. . Class limit 25. *HS*

John Visvader

John Visvader

This course examines both the nature of science and its role in molding the modern world. The historic origins of science are explored from the late middle ages through the 18th century, in order to present clearly the development of key concepts and to contrast science with other views of the world it displaced. Particular attention is paid to the work of Galileo and Newton. General issues covered include theory formation, laws, confirmation and evidence, reductionism, determinism and teleology. Philosophical problems raised by such areas as evolution theory, quantum mechanics, feminist theory, and modern cosmology provide additional topics as interest dictates and time permits. Level: Intermediate. Offered occasionally. Class limit: 20. *HS*

John Visvader

Since Anne Bradstreet in the seventeenth century, American poets have responded to the natural environment and its human transformation. Poets have learned to see by their exposure to nature, then in turn have used their techniques of vision, music and metaphor to teach us how to see who and where we are. This class considers poets of the Romantic and Transcendental movements, spends some time with Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson, then focuses on the twentieth century, especially T.S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens, Robert Frost, Robinson Jeffers, and Elizabeth Bishop. We end with some contemporaries: Robert Hass, Charles Simic, Gary Snyder, and Mary Oliver. Students may write either an analytical paper or a collection of their own poetry. Class meetings are supplemented by additional workshop sessions for student poets. Level: Intermediate. *HS*

William Carpenter

In this course we consider problems concerning the nature of ethics and the explanation of behavior as they arose in Greek philosophy and culture and as they are considered in contemporary discussions of ethics. The main text is M. Nussbaum's The Fragility of Goodness, and the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and the Greek dramatists are also explored. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisites: Two philosophy courses or permission of the instructor. Class limit: 15. *HS*

John Visvader

This seminar traces the historical development of human ecology. We begin by reviewing the seminal works in human ecology, the contributions from biology, and the development of human ecology as a multidisciplinary concept. Along these lines we compare the various brands of human ecology that have developed through sociology (the Chicago school), anthropology and cultural ecology, ecological psychology, and economics, as well as human ecological themes in the humanities, architecture, design, and planning. This background is then used to compare the COA brand of Human Ecology with other programs in this country and elsewhere around the world. Our final purpose is to look at new ideas coming from philosophy, the humanities, biological ecology, and other areas for future possibilities for human ecology. Evaluations are based on presentations and papers. Advanced. Open only to third and fourth level students. Offered every other year. Class size limited to 15. *HS*

Rich Borden

This course develops intermediate and advanced skills in verb use, idiom, and vocabulary. It emphasizes development of those language competencies that are most relevant to Mexican cultural settings that are commonly encountered, distinctive, and/or important. It also focuses on developing language competencies directly relevant to projects people are interested in pursuing in Spanish speaking environments, e.g. research on wall murals, coral reefs, or indigenous land rights. It is especially appropriate for students planning to participate in the Winter term courses in the Yucatan. This course presupposes competence in the simple tenses and a basic vocabulary. Class meets for two one-and- one-half hour sessions per week plus Wednesday conversation at dinner at the college. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Class limit: 15.

Karla Pena

This course examines the origin and aesthetics of violence in western culture. We begin with the question: what are the long-term human effects of a civilization dominated by the image of a murdered god? We develop the focus on representations of violence in classical and contemporary literature and film. For theory we read Aristotle's Poetics, Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy, Ren, Girard's Violence and the Sacred. We study classical tragedy (Oedipus Rex, The Bacchae, Medea) along with Shakespeare's Macbeth, Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Brett Easton Ellis' American Psycho. Discussions are supplemented by a film series clarifying the debate over contemporary film violence by placing it in mythic context. Natural Born Killers, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Ride the High Country, and Clockwork Orange are among works studied. Student reports bring us up-to-date on current issues and cases of domestic and serial violence, as well as the politics of censorship, the representation of violence in visual art, the issue of pornography and the myth of the victim hero. To clarify the issue of real versus represented violence we make a class field trip to the Bangor Auditorium for a professional wrestling match. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 25. *HS*

William Carpenter

This course represents a contextual approach to the study of the history of philosophy and combines the critical evaluation of philosophical theories with an examination of the cultural conditions which either influence or are conditioned by them. The course examines the crucial role played by the philosophies and institutions of 17th and 18th century Europe in forming the nature of the modern world and focuses in particular on those aspects of the culture that are of special concern to contemporary critics of modern culture. The work of Bacon, Hobbes, Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant are examined in the context of the development of the scientific, industrial, and democratic revolutions. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class limit: 20. *HS* *HY*

John Visvader
Todd Little-Siebold

By using the theme of the understanding of human nature this course explores the central aspects of several major philosophical systems. A theory of human nature involves a vision of the individual self, its relation to the social community, and its relation to the natural world. This tripartite theme is traced through a range of philosophies ancient and modern, eastern and western, religious and scientific in order to remind ourselves of the range of human possibilities and to clarify the presumptions of our present image of ourselves. The results of this investigation are used to approach the problem of formulating a philosophy of human ecology. Particular readings used change each time the course is given. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Class limit: 20. *HS*

John Visvader

This course is intended to give a view of how different peoples of the world live and what their homes, dress, customs, and work are like, the kinds of technologies employed in various environments and the population levels they support. The text is Ethnographic Film by Heider. The class views a sampling of anthropological films made over the last fifty years. Students are expected to view twenty films and write critiques of fifteen. Evaluation is based on participation and the fifteen reviews. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Contemporary Culture and the Self or equivalent. Offered every year. Lab fee $20. *HS*

Elmer Beal

While individual sections of this class may adhere to a specific theme such as nature, culture, or biological sciences, this course is designed primarily to prepare students to write academic papers. Designed to serve the overall academic program, this course focuses on formal writing based on rhetorical principles of exposition and concentrates on the writing process: prewriting, writing, and rewriting. Assigned readings both illustrate how to use these principles and develop students' analytical skills. Through a research paper or case study, this course introduces students to library research and documentation of an academic paper. Each section emphasizes peer review, revision, regular conferences, and some class presentations. Level: Introductory. Class limit: 15. *W*

Katharine Turok

This survey of African American literature from its origins in the slave narrative to the present vivid prose of some of America's best writers considers the impact of slavery and race consciousness on literary form and power. Readings include letters, essays, poems, short stories, and novels of some of the following authors: Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Pauline Hopkins, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: A previous literature course, Signature of the instructor. Class limit: 15. Offered every other year. *HS*

Karen Waldron

This class focuses on American fiction from the realist/naturalist period (roughly 1860-1920), a time when enormous changes were occurring in and on the American landscape. Increasing urbanization, immigration, and industrialization corresponded both with a desire for 'realistic' fiction of social problems, and nostalgic stories of a more 'realistic' rural life. For the first time there was a national literature, resulting from the capabilities of large publishing houses, urban centers and mass production - but this national literature was acutely self-conscious of regional differences, and especially of the tension between city and country. As writers tried to paint the American landscape in literature, their works subsumed major social issues to place and formal arguments about the true nature of realistic description. Examining works that portray factory towns, urban tenements, midwestern prairies, New England villages, and the broad spectrum of American landscapes, we look at how a complex, turbulent, multi-ethnic, and simultaneously urban and rural American culture defined itself, its realism, and thus its gender, class, race, and social relations and sense of values, against these landscapes. There are two extra, evening classes during week 7 (Short Fiction Week), and a modest lab fee. Evaluation is based on weekly response papers, two short papers, and a short fiction project, as well as class participation. Introductory/Intermediate. Prerequisite: Writing Seminar I (or the equivalent). Class limit: 15. *HS*

Karen Waldron

This course selects from among the most interesting, diverse and well-written of contemporary women's fiction to focus on questions of women's writing (and how/whether it can be treated as a literary and formal category), gender identity and women's issues, and the tension between sameness and difference among women's experiences, and narrations of women's experience, around the world. The course begins by examining two relatively unknown yet rather extraordinary novels from earlier in the twentieth century: Alexandra Kollantai's Love of Worker Bees (1927) and Sawako Ariyoshi's The Doctor's Wife (1967). After these, we read from truly contemporary authors and quite varied authors published within the last twenty years, like Buchi Emecheta, Gloria Naylor, Ursula Hegi, Nawal El Saadawi, Sue Grafton, Graciela Limon, Tsitsi Dargarembga, Barara Yoshimoto, Dorothy Allison, Rose Tremain, Julia Alvarez, Leslie Feinberg, April Sinclair, and Achy Obejas. Students each choose an additional author to study and read a novel outside of class. An extensive list of authors is included in the syllabus. Evaluation be based on class participation, either two short papers or one long paper on works discussed in class, a presentation to the class of the outside novel, and a final evaluation essay. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisite: a previous literature course and signature of the instructor. Offered every other year. *HS*

Karen Waldron

This course is a history of Latin America from Native American contact cultures through the contemporary period covering socio-political processes. An emphasis is placed on the fusion of pre-contact societies into a new socio-cultural formation in the colonial period, and then the shared yet divergent history of the region after the collapse of colonial rule. In the second half the class emphasizes the rise of the nation state in Latin America with particular emphasis on dictatorship and rebellions. The course uses traditional texts, novels, and film to explore this huge geographical and chronological expanse. Level: Introductory. *HS* *HY*

Todd Little-Siebold

This course not only gives students knowledge and understanding of rhetorical theory and practice so they can work effectively with developing writers, but also provides them with a review of grammar, methods of evaluating writing, and strategies for teaching exposition, argument, and persuasion. Students put this knowledge to practical use by working as peer tutors in the Writing Center. Students participate in this course for one academic year and receive one credit. In addition to Williams' Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace and Irmscher's Teaching Expository Writing, students read numerous articles from College Composition and Communication, College English, The Writing Instructor, Language Arts, and English Journal, and Research in the Teaching of English as well as a text dealing with teaching writing in their specialty, e.g. Writing Themes about Literature or a Short Guide to Writing about Biology. Level: Advanced. Prerequisites: Working knowledge of grammar and usage, excellent writing skills, ability to work closely with people, and signature of faculty member in writing or education. Class limit: 15. *ED* *W*

Anne Kozak

Wilderness has been the clarion call for generations of environmentalists. Henry David Thoreau once said, "In wildness is the preservation of the world." That single sentence and the controversy surrounding that idea provides the central focus of our explorations over the term. This course examines the question of wilderness from multiple perspectives in the hopes of providing an understanding of the concept and real spaces that constitute wilderness. Starting with a week-long canoe trip down Maine's Allagash Wilderness Waterway, we look at historical and contemporary accounts of the value of wilderness, biological, and cultural arguments for wilderness, and the legal and policy difficulties of "protecting" wilderness. Considerable time is spent evaluating current criticisms of the wilderness idea and practice. Students are involved in a term-long project involving potential wilderness protection in Maine. This involves some weekend travel and work in the Maine Woods. Classwork emphasizes hands-on projects as well as theoretical discussions. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Introduction to the Legal Process, Signature of instructor. Class limit: 14. Lab fee: $200. *HS*

Ken Cline

This course presents an integrated view of the environment, both cultural and natural, in which Maine men and women working in the timber industry operate and adapt. Topics covered include: the physical environment as a limiting factor, the resources (their nature and abundance), and the cultural mechanisms which mediate the workers' access to and use of the resources (technology, economy, social organization, belief systems). The course makes use of numerous field trips and visitors. Each student is asked to keep detailed notes in a journal of all classes, field trips, and interviews. There is also a mid-term exam. (Note: this course parallels Cultural Ecology of Maine Fishing in method and theoretical outline, but is not redundant.) The objective is to know what people in the industry think, why they think it, and where the industry is going. Level: Intermediate. Offered every other year. Lab fee: $20. *HS*

Elmer Beal

A new course in fall 1999, this expository writing course, which is limited to second and third-year students, focuses on writing as a process, audience awareness, syntax and analysis. Through class discussion of readings, students gain an understanding of how others use the various principles of exposition to explain, clarify, and analyze. By writing several drafts of papers, topics may be chosen by students, students develop prewriting and revision skills. Through peer review sessions, students apply what they have learned in analyzing the writings of others to the writing of their peers. The portfolio students turn in at the end of the term should contain several drafts and the final version of two shorter papers, drafts and final copy of a library-based research paper, and an annotated bibliography. This course meets the first year writing requirement. Level: Introductory. Class limit: 15. *W*

Colin Capers
Anne Kozak
Katharine Turok

Karen Waldron

Karen Waldron

This course will cover the politics and policy of regional and global environmental issues, including many of the major environmental treaties that have been negotiated to date (Montreal Protocol, Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity). Students will gain both practical and theoretical understandings of how treaties are negotiated and implemented, through case studies of the climate change convention and the Cartagena protocol on biosafety. We will draw on both mainstream and critical theories of international relations when analyzing these negotiations. Students will become familiar with the range of political stances on different treaties of various nations and blocs, and the political, economic, cultural, and scientific reasons for diverging and converging views. We will pay special attention to the growing role played by non-governmental organizations in global environmental politics. We will conclude the course with discussions of some current controversial areas in international environmental politics. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 15. Lab Fee $10.00 *HS*

Doreen Stabinsky

The rise and development of technology is perhaps the most dramatic factor influencing the nature of the modern world. This seminar provides an opportunity to investigate the dynamics of a "technological society" with particular emphasis on the problem of changing conceptions of time and the development of the modern and most-modern concept of the self. An investigation of these issues are achieved by a close reading of several of Heidegger's essays on technology and language and by an examination of the views of classical philosophers such as Kierkegaard and Nietzsche and contemporary thinkers including Gadamer, Habermas and Rorty. Discussion classes with student presentation and a final research paper. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Prerequisite: A course in Philosophy. Class limit: 15. *HS*

John Visvader

How does organic farming fit into American culture? Who are the people who do it? How did they learn what they need to know? Are they different in any significant way from other Americans? If so, on what is that difference based? What role does culture play in the ecosystems of organic farms? In this course we explore the relationship between culture and ecosystem through field experience. Though the culture of the USA has many shared elements, it also contains distinctive elements, some of which are based on the subsistence activities of sub-cultural groups. We hypothesize that particular subsistence activities and the other ecosystem elements in which those activities take place may make specific demands on the sub-culture in the realm of values, ideology, social organization, kinship and marriage, language, technology, and so on. While most Americans don*t earn their livings from natural resources, there is a growing concern with health of natural systems. And those who do make their livings from natural resouces may possess knowledge and perspectives about nature which are neither understood nor appreciated by the general populace. The assumption is made that many students have not been exposed to the sub-culture of organic farmers, and so these must be contacted in person, a relationship established, questions asked, answers recorded. This entails preparation for field-work - understanding of the basic concepts of culture, enculturation, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, and some elements of interviewing. Further, many of the ideas, both philosophical and practical, which may seem commonplace to many organic growers will be new to us, and so will be explored in the reading and class discussions. Field trips are organized to meet people with whom the instructor has already established a rapport.. Each interview entails a full class session of preparation which is followed on alternate class days by a field trip.

Elmer Beal

There was a long standing tradition in both China and Japan of wandering poets and mountain hermits who expressed their experiences in nature in poetic terms. In this class we take an overview of the major styles of poetry in both of these countries and sample some of the work of their major poets. After a brief introduction to the use of dictionaries and various language tools available in books and on the internet, students will be invited to try their hand at translating some of the Chinese poems and rendering them into good poems in english. Level: Intermediate. Students will be expected to take the course on a Pass/Fail basis, with special arrangement made for those needing to take it for a grade. Class limit 12. *HS*

John Visvader
Candice Stover

How does conflict arise and how is it best dealt with? What is peace and how is it best arrived at or practiced? This course combines a study of major theoretical perspectives with lab work practicing skills and disciplines associated with different traditions of conflict resolution, conflict transformation and peacemaking. Readings will include Roger Fisher, William Ury, Gandhi, Thich Nhat Hanh, Walter Wink, Gene Sharp, Dorothy Day, Elise Boulding, Gray Cox and others. Lab work will involve role plays, case studies, workshops with visitors, and field work. The course will also involve one, mandatory, weekend long workshop. Level: Intermediate. Offered every other year. *HS*

J. Gray Cox

This is an introductory level course that will expose students to basic concepts and controversies in international politics and serve as background for more advanced work in the area of international studies. Through historical readings and current events discussions we will answer questions fundamental to understanding global politics today, such as: What are the different roles that nation-states and non-governmental organizations play in international politics? How important are various international institutions (the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund ) in shaping the global political landscape? What exactly is civil society? Inequity defines many political relationships between actors in the global system: between developed and developing countries; between the rich and poor within those countries; between autonomous political groups and the nation-states in which they reside. To more deeply understand these relationships, we will examine some of the processes that have led to inequities in the current world political economy, touching on such topics as: colonialism and national liberation movements of the 20th century, the debt crisis, and the formalization of the international trading system. We will consider the topics from a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, including political ecology, international political economy, and economic geography. Evaluation will be based on participation in class discussions, several short and long papers written over the course of the term, and a final project and its presentation to the class. Level: Introductory. Lab fee: $20. *HS*

Doreen Stabinsky

In this course students will gain practical experience and skills to prepare them to work in advocacy positions for environmental and/or social justice organizations. Through project-based work, we will pay attention to developing such skills as: interacting with the media; interpreting technical information and report writing; lobbying and other political work; grant-writing and other types of fundraising; and non-profit administration and management, including strategic planning, program development, board management, and non-profit legal issues. Student interest will determine the exact topics covered over the term. To begin, we will survey models of organizational structure, from small grassroots, single-issue groups, to large, international, multi-issue organizations. We will also survey various modes of operation, critically analyzing different strategies, tactics, and types of activist/advocacy campaigns, including: non-violent direct action, student organizing campaigns, consumer boycotts, legislative campaigns, and voter initiatives. Local professionals will join us throughout the course to provide expert input on various topics, and to inform students about the types of jobs available in environmental advocacy and the range of skills needed for each. There will be a large emphasis placed on hands-on work on student-defined projects. Students will be evaluated based on class participation as well as completion of course projects. Level: Introductory. Lab fee: $30. *HS* Class limit 15.

Doreen Stabinsky

This course looks at some of the key philosophies behind alternative political systems people around the world use to govern themselves or propose to use in the future. The aims of the course are: 1.) to increase specific knowledge about some important examples of alternative political philosophies and systems that embody them and 2) to develop analytic skills for understanding key systematic features of these alternatives, for evaluating their key merits and flaws, and for advocating alternatives. Readings will include Plato's Republic, The Communist Manifesto, selections from fascist, liberal, and anarchist writers as well as some case study readings in comparative politics. There will be a strong emphasis on discussion skills and writing. Evaluation will be based on class participation and a series of short papers. Especially recommended for people interested in community organizing, public policy work and education. Level: Introductory/intermediate. Class limit: none. *HS*

J. Gray Cox

Joseph Schumpeter in 1942 used the phrase "creative destruction" to describe the process by which capitalism creates vibrant economic growth and new technologies and modes of production, but in doing so destroys organizations and relationships linked to older technologies and modes of production, often with adverse effects on individuals and communities. Many observers feel that Schumpeter's description is even more appropriate today, as information technologies and the long arm of multinational capitalism create vast new potential for economic growth and improvement in living standards, while rapidly altering social and environmental relationships, marginalizing those communities unable or unwilling to adapt, and exacerbating existing inequalities. This course gives the student currency in the dynamic issues surrounding 21st Century capitalist economies (including "advanced," developing, and robber/crony capitalisms) using an institutionalist approach; as such, the course focuses more on using a variety of approaches to understanding economic phenomena, and less on imparting the standard body of neoclassical theory (although the latter will be used where appropriate). Fundamental capitalistic structures and processes are examined and contrasted with traditional and command economies. Major attention is given to the role of multinational corporations in the global economy. Other topics include technology, stock markets and investing, money and central banks such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, business cycles, unemployment and inflation, trade and currency issues, consumerism and the nature of work, and whatever other topics students collectively wish to explore. Student evaluation is via multiple diagnostic tools, possibly including quizzes, reading questions, a current event portfolio, written book reviews or issue analysis, and oral exams. Level: Introductory. Lab fee:$20. *HS*

Davis F. Taylor

Humans have an inherent need to make sense of their lives. Their search may be simply to improve everyday experience or it may involve a life-long quest for meaning and wisdom. Nonetheless, in every age, they have found written advice to address these perennial needs: ranging from the Bhagavad-Gita and the Bible, through Marcus Aurelieus' Meditations and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance AF to the ever-popular, self-help book. In the past half-century of the New York Times' Best Sellers List, there has usually been one or more popular psychology books on the list. Hundreds of millions have been sold and read. Some focus on how to improve relationships, raise children, or build wealth; others promise ways to discover happiness, expand memory, or find a deeper self. Their authors may be serious scholars, well-known psychologists, insightful leaders, or shallow self promoters. The purpose of this course is to critically examine the literature of popular psychology: to explore why people are or are not so drawn to this literary genre and to analyze its deeper psychological significance. A further goal is to evaluate how and when they do work or why they don't. These questions will be guided by an in depth evaluation of the implicit structure of each book, as well as a comparative mapping of it within the theories and methods of professional psychology. In order to investigate a broad cross-section of styles and themes, we begin with several 'classic' popular books as a common foundation. Thereafter, we move on to more varied approaches within small groups and individually. Evaluations will be based on participation in class discussions, several short papers, shared book reviews, and final paper comparing popular and academic psychology. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class Limit: 15. Lab fee: $25 *HS*

Rich Borden

This is an intermediate to advanced creative writing class for those interested in an intensive approach to writing longer fiction. It would also be useful to the novel reader as a insider's approach to the structure and purpose of fiction, the relation of author to character, and issues of intentionality. We will be reading first chapters from current novels and studying their opening strategies, then each student will develop plot, character, style and setting ideas for a first novel, followed by writing and revising fifty or sixty pages of their projected work. Other concerns will be narrative viewpoint, handling of time, levels of realism, dialogue techniques, writing habits, motivation & self-discipline, and the relation of fiction to personal experience. Background in creative writing or narrative theory would be helpful but not essential. Evaluation will be based on class participation, strength of the concept, and the quality of the student's writtern work. Level: Intermediate/Advanced *HS* Limit 10.

William Carpenter

When groups organize others to promote social change, what alternative strategies do they employ and how effective are they in varying circumstances? Can any general principles or methods for social change be gleaned from the successes and difficulties encountered in various social movements around the world? We will use Bill Moyer's DOING DEMOCRACY and a series of other theoretical readings to look at general models and strategies. And we will use a series of case studies including, for instance, the Zapatistas, Moveon.org, the liberation of Eastern Europe, the U. S. Civil Rights Movement, the anti-Globalizaton movement, the Breast Cancer Social Movement and the Gay and Lesbian movement. Students will write a series of short analyses of cases considered in class and do extended case studies on their own. Evaluation will be based on the qulaity of class participation, research and writing. Level: Intermediate. *HS* *HY*

J. Gray Cox

This is intended as a survey course that will overview the contemporary theories, issues, and techniques of professional counseling. In brief, topics to be considered in this course include; a) legal and ethical responsibilities associated with professional counseling); b) assessments of differing therapeutic approaches (theories and techniques) to the counseling 3 in a complex world. Collaborativeprocess; and c) reflection on the changing perspectives and practices in counseling including pluralism and diversity models. Students will begin to develop their own perspective of counseling through lectures and discussion, demonstrations, guest speakers, case studies, mock counseling sessions, reading, and writing papers. Experiential learning, through mock counseling sessions, with feedback from classmates and the instructor, will be stressed. Evaluation will be based on written assignments, class participation, and independent research. Level: Advanced. Class limit: 15. Prerequisites: A psychology class. Signature of instructor. *HS*

Ken Hill

Katharine Turok

This course explores current theories, research and ideas in psychology. The core themes of 'body', 'mind' and 'soul' all have a long history of psychological inquiry associated with them. Yet they are every bit as vital and important today. Some of the most influential authors in the field continue to struggle with these classical philosophical questions --- and with ways to incorporate state-of-the-art research on them. In this class, we will read and discuss at least one major new book on each theme. Ideas from these perspectives will be compared, contrasted and critiqued. In the final portion of the class, we will look especially at ways in which all three themes can be integrated -- not only in academic psychology -- but within our own experience. Evaluations will be based on careful reading of all materials, class participation, a series of short papers, and an end-of-term presentation and final paper in each student's area of personal interest. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisite: Some background in psychology. Lab Fee: $25. Class limit 15. *HS*

Rich Borden

The Philosophical Investigations is one of the most important philosophy books published in the 20th century. It is the clearest expression of Ludwig Wittgenstein's revolutionary views of language, mind and meaning and has become a source of ideas for a fundamental reinterpretation of both the natural and social sciences. His intense and imaginative writing style with its short paragraphs and countless examples has inspired many poets and novelists and not a few film directors. For anyone interested in a critical appraisal of the intellectual disciplines, this is the one book to master. The class will be conducted in seminar style with student presentations of the material and a final term paper. Level: Advanced. Class limit: 15. *HS*

John Visvader

This class focuses on U.S. fiction from the realist/naturalist period (roughly 1860-1920), a time when enormous changes were occurring in and on the landscape. Increasing urbanization, immigration, and industrialization corresponded both with a desire for 'realistic' fiction of social problems, and nostalgic stories of a more 'realistic' rural life. For the first time there was a national literature, resulting from the capabilities of large publishing houses, urban centers and mass production -- but this national literature was acutely self-conscious of regional differences, and especially of the tension between city and country. As writers tried to paint the American landscape in literature, their works subsumed major social issues to place and formal arguments about the true nature of realistic description. Examining works that portray factory towns, urban tenements, midwestern prairies, New England villages, and the broad spectrum of U.S. landscapes of the period, we look at how a complex, turbulent, multi-ethnic, and simultaneously urban and rural American culture defined itself, its realism, and thus its gender, class, race, and social relations and sense of values, against these landscapes. While there is a strong emphasis on reading and discussion -- the class covers a lot of intellectual and historical ground -- the course has an additional emphasis on writing. As a writing-focused class, City/Country will involve four short papers, at least four rewrites, and one longer essay. Students will meet at least biweekly with the faculty in writing conferences and there will be a continual emphasis on writing as process, revision, and the kind of analytic work required for sophisticated literary analyses. Writing workshops will be scheduled at the discretion of the class and instructor. There are also two extra, evening classes during week 7 (Short Fiction Week), and a modest lab fee. Students will be expected to have a writing handbook for reference.

Karen Waldron

This course is for students who have had no contact with Latin American culture, do not possess basic Spanish language structures and expressions, and have no Spanish vocabulary. The emphasis is on development of the basic skills required in any language - listening, speaking, writing, and reading comprehension. Objective: Students will be able to express themselves orally and through writing, using vocabulary and simple construction of Spanish in the indicative tense. This includes present tense study, vocabulary, numbers, proper nouns, salutations and presentations, present perfect tense, action verbs, the usage of "to be" and "is", future tense, vocabulary, and some usage of "for". Evaluation Criteria: two Compositions, two auditory tests, two writing tests covering grammar, two oral tests, assignments/ homework, class participation. Level: Introductory. Offered every fall. Class limit: 10. Lab fee: $20.

Karla Pena

This course is intended for students with a basic knowledge of grammar, using common vocabulary that is needed for every day situations. Objective: The students will be able to express themselves orally and through writing using subject-verb agreement, basic form in the indicative tense, and an introduction to the imperative moods. It includes a review of the present and future tenses, study of the imperfect tense, action verbs, direct object, proper nouns, the indicative tense, the use of the "to be" and "is" verbs, and an introduction to prepositions. Evaluation Criteria: two Compositions, two auditory tests, two writing tests covering grammar, two oral tests, assignments/ homework, class participation. Level: Introductory. Offered every fall. Class limited 10. Lab fee: $20.

Karla Pena

This course is for students who are competent in the use of basic Spanish structures, of the simple and compound of the indicative tenses, and some forms of the imperative tense. Objective: The students will be able to express themselves orally and through writing using a variety of vocabulary, the indicative and imperative moods, and some applications of the subjunctive mood. This includes a review of the present, preterite, future imperfect, preterite imperfect tenses, pronouns of object direct and indirect, imperative mood, expanded use of the "to be" and "is" verbs, the prepositions and simple conditional, the study and practice of the compound tenses of the indicative mood, present perfect, plus perfect, and future perfect. They will also study the subjunctive mood and verbs that express emotion. Evaluation Criteria: two compositions, two auditory tests, two writing tests covering grammar, two oral tests, assignments/ homework, class participation. Level: Intermediate. Offered every fall. Class limit: 10. Lab fee: $20

Karla Pena

This course explores the rich history of Guatemala through the lens of two vital products, corn and coffee.  The crops provide insight into the global and local dimensions of both historical and contemporary reality there.  The course will cover the history of Guatemala from pre-contact native society through the myriad changes wrought by colonialism, decolonization, the rise of the modern nation state, and the transformations associated with the rise of coffee as a major export crop.  Corn and coffee provide a convenient vantage point from which to examine the social, economic, and cultural dynamics of native society on the one hand and the globally- connected production of coffee on the other.  The course moves from a broad macro perspective on each crop to an intensive exploration of how both are produced in Guatemala.  In this way, class participants will be able to look at how global historical trends in consumption have played themselves out in local communities.  The class will simultaneously be able to look at the processes at work in pueblos throughout Guatemala that root the corn economy into rich cultural and social dynamics that are at the core of communal life.  Using these two crops as a starting point, the class will allow students to develop a holistic and synthetic understanding how Guatemalans live their everyday lives embedded in intensely local realities even as they experience much larger national and international processes.  The course emphasizes attention to the broad global dimensions of corn and coffee's production as well as the fine-grained study of Guatemala's socio-cultural life in historical and anthropological perspective. Through discussions of the books, this seminar-style course seeks to provide students with deep insights into the history of Guatemala while maintaining a sense of the global and regional context.  Intensive readings will provide students with a snapshot of trends in both history and ethnography while broader synthetic analyses of both corn and coffee will embody more popular approaches to the topic.  Students will lead discussions of the readings, write short synthetic essays, and undertake a research project for the class.

Level: Advanced.   Prerequisites: Signature of the instructor, Any of the following courses: Native Empires to Nation States; Articulated Identities; American Worlds.  Class Limit 12. Lab fee $30. *HS* *HY*

Todd Little-Siebold

This course is for students who use the simple and compound structures of the indicative mood. Objective: The students will express themselves orally and through writing using the appropriate vocabulary and complex sentence structure in the indicative, subjunctive, and imperative moods, adverb clauses and more sophisticated idioms. Evaluation Criteria: two compositions, two auditory tests, two writing test covering grammar, two oral tests, assignments/ homework, class participation. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 10.

Karla Pena

This tutorial enables upper-division students to improve their writing styles using papers they are working on in other courses or writing they are doing as part of their senior project. The tutorial focuses on acquiring a better understanding not only of writing as process but also of syntax. Through exercises, peer review, and conferences, students will learn strategies for making their writing more cohesive and focused. In particular, they will look at the role pace, emphasis, and flow play in enabling them to draft pieces that are both readable and engage the intended audience. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Signature of the Writing Program Director. Class limit: 5. *W*

Anne Kozak
Katharine Turok

This class concentrates on the theory and practice of poetry and short fiction, though there will also be a place for "Starting Your Novel" students to finish up. Our goal is to develop the skills of verbal craftsmanship and self-criticism. Class meetings combine the analysis and critque of individual students writing with the discussions of published works by other writers. We also frequently discuss matters of standards, the creative process, and the situation of the writer in the contemporary world. Students are expected to submit one piece each week, to participate in class response to fellow writers, to make revisions on all work, and to contribute their best pieces to the printed class anthoogy at the end of the term. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Class limit: 10. *HS*

William Carpenter

Albert Einstein once observed that "no problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew". If Einstein's idea is accurate about how humans understand the universe, it is likewise true of how we plan and manage our relationships with the environment. One of the primary aims of human ecology is to explore new ways to envision human environment relations. Within its integrative perspective, scientific knowledge and human aesthetics can be combined in ways that enrich human communities as well as value and protect the rest of the living world. The purpose of this course is to provide students with a foundation of theory and practical skills in ecological policy and community planning. A broad range of ideas and methodologies will be explored. Using real examples of current issues - such as sprawl, smart growth, gateway communities, watershed based regional planning, land trusts, and alternative transportation systems. We will be joined by the actual leaders of these changes locally and state wide in Maine. We will also examine emerging methodologies that emphasize participatory planning, community capacity-building, and empowering marginalized groups. These models and ideas will be further compared with prominent approaches and case studies from elsewhere around the country. As a part of current ideas about community planning and policy, the course also introduces small group collaboration techniques, and the use of computers to enhance complex decision processes. A field component will take advantage of varied external opportunities - including town meetings, conferences, and public events. Evaluations will be based on class participation, several short research papers, and end of term small group projects. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Lab Fee: $40. *HS*

Rich Borden
Isabel Mancinelli

Doreen Stabinsky

This introductory course will explore the construction and reproduction of gender inequality in a global perspective. We will study the social position and relations of women and men (political, economic, cultural and familial) in comparative and cross-cultural perspective. Using the United States and various non-western case studies, the course will seek to explore the topic broadly. In so doing, students will learn about the diversity of women's and men's experiences across class, racial-ethnic groups, sexualities, cultures, and regions. This class will also provide students with an overview of the different theoretical perspectives that are sometimes used to explain and understand women's and men's experiences. This class will be taught via a combination of lecture and discussion. Students will be evaluated on class participation, several short papers, and a final project. Level: Introductory. Lab Fee: $10. Class limit 15. *HS*

Lucy Creevey

Ever-rising numbers of people and their impact on the Earth's finite resources could lead to disaster, not only for wildlife and ecosystems but also for human populations. As researchers gather and publish more data, GIS becomes vital to graphically revealing the inter-relationships between human actions and environmental degradation. Much of what threatens the earth and its inhabitants is placed-based. Solutions require tools to help visualize these places and prescribe solutions. This is what GIS is about. Built on digital mapping, geography, databases, spatial analysis, and cartography, GIS works as a system to enable people to better work together using the best information possible. For these reasons, some level of competency is often expected for entry into many graduate programs and jobs, particularly in natural resources, planning and policy, and human studies. The flow of this course has two tracts, technical and applied. The course begins with training in the basics of the technology. Then, skills are applied to projects that address real-world issues. Project work composes the majority of course work and each student has the opportunity to develop their own project. Because GIS provides tools to help address many kinds of issues, GIS lends itself well to the theory of thinking globally and acting locally. Projects often utilize the extensive data library for the Acadia region developed by students since the lab was founded in 1988. The GIS Lab acts as a service provider to outside organizations and students can tap into the resources of a broad network of groups and individuals working towards a more sustainable future. Course evaluations are partially based on the on-time completion of exercises and problem sets. Most of the evaluation is based on critique of student independent final project work and related documentation. Level: Introductory/Intermediate, Pre-requisites: Basic computer literacy. Class Limit: 8. Lab Fee: $75.

Gordon Longsworth

Ken Cline

Ken Cline

This course is intended to provide students with an immersion experience in the language and culture of Spanish speakers in the Yucatan Peninsula. The objectives are to increase their abilities to navigate the linguistic and cultural terrain of another society in sensitive, ethical, and effective ways. Class sessions, visiting lecturers, field trips, and readings will provide background on the history and anthropology of Yucatecan culture. Immersion experiences, living with a family, will provide one important source of experiential learning. A second will be provided by an independent project or activity developed for each student based on the student's interests. This independent project will include a practicum experience in some institutional setting that might be a class room (e. g. an art class at the local university), a bakery, an internet cafe, a church group, or some other place for social service or other work relevant to a student's interests. This practicum experience will involve weekly activities during the term and more intensive work during the last three weeks. Evaluation will be based on participation in weekly class discussions and on weekly reflective papers written in Spanish. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class limit: 10. Lab fee: $TBA

Karla Pena

This course will take students through the process of transforming fieldwork and qualitative research into a completed final product. With a particular emphasis on allowing students who have undertaken extensive research in international and intercultural settings to follow through in a guided writing process, the course seeks to support the last phase of research by highlighting synthetic and analytical approaches to writing. The course will pay particular attention to the process of synthesizing research materials into a compelling and carefully-polished written format. Students will have the opportunity to draft, redraft, and revise multiple versions of their work. The course will provide the context for workshopping drafts, discussing research problems, and processing the complex task of synthetic writing. The course is designed to ensure students who have undertaken extensive research have the opportunity to engage a community of peers facing similar intellectual issues and dedicate themselves to finishing their projects. Students will be evaluated on the progress they make towards a powerful written version of their work and the evidence of improvement in the successive drafts they craft. A goal is for each student to develop a clear sense of the writing strategies that work for them as well as how to seek constructive external feedback on their writing. Peer evaluation and self evaluation will be important tools. The course will be limited to students who have completed substantial international or intercultural research in the previous term and who are ready to write. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Signature of instructor required.

Todd Little-Siebold

Where is the largest population of humpback whales in the world, the largest caribou herd in North America, the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America, and Paleozoic water bottled for consumption? The remote Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador presents a stunning landscape, an astoundingly rich ecological setting, and a tragic history of poverty amidst an incredible natural resource, the northern cod fishery, that was ultimately destroyed. The province has been alternately invaded or occupied by different groups of Native Americans along with Norseman, Basques, French, British, and the U.S. military, because of its strategic location and rich fishing and hunting grounds. One of the first and one of the last British colonies, this richest of fisheries produced a very class based society, composed of a wealthy few urban merchants and an highly exploited population of fishing families often living on the edge of survival. But within the past 50 years, Newfoundland society has been forced to evolve. The provincial government looks towards oil and mineral exploitation to turn around the economy, while ex-fishermen consider eco- and cultural tourism with growing ambivalence. This then is our setting, and background, for an intense examination of the human ecology of this province; the relationship between humans and their environment, sometimes successful, sometimes otherwise, the struggle between the tenuous grasp of civilization and this marvelous, terrible place. To do this we will discuss various readings, examine case studies and review the natural and human history of this unique province. Our learning will culminate with a two-week trip to Newfoundland to examine its issues firsthand. Evaluation will be based on class and field trip participation, responses to reading questions, a field journal, and a final project. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Prerequisites: Signature of Instructor. Lab fee: $850. Class limit 15 *HS*

Davis F. Taylor
Sean Todd

This class will provide a broad introductory overview of the history, practice, and theories that encompass political campaign communication. The overall goals of the course are three-fold. First, to provide a broad survey of the history of political campaign communication and advertising as it has developed in the United States. Secondly, to confront some of the pragmatic issues that go into producing political communication strategies for electoral candidates. Thirdly, to empower the student to read and critically analyze political campaign communication materials they confront in their daily lives. This class will include a specific emphasis on radio, television, and "new media" vehicles as sources of messaging. While we will focus heavily on the last 60 years of presidential elections, students will also apply their work to local, state, and national campaigns currently underway. The class will be highly interactive with discussion being the primary mode of instruction. Final evaluation will based on a combination of class participation, a series of analytical response papers, an in-class presentation, and a final comprehensive project dealing with a contemporary political campaign. This class will include a weekly 3 hour lab that will involve the screening of multimedia campaign texts, some practical work in designing messaging strategies, and the occasional outsider speaker. The class is open to all students, regardless of their experience in politics or their knowledge of American history. It is well suited for introductory students in their first years of study, but would also be equally valuable to advanced students interested in the topic. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class limit: 18. Lab fee: $25. *HS* *HY*

Jamie McKown

This colloquium-style course will provide an intensive examination of the modern political history of Latin America with a particular emphasis on the specific mechanisms of power used by state actors, local communities, and individuals. The course seeks to provide students with appropriate theoretical tools as well as concrete historical cases from which to examine power dynamics in contemporary Mexico, Central America, and the Andes. The course also highlights a concrete set of cases through which students can examine the history of political upheaval, revolution, and contestation that has defined the region since independence. The chronological scope of the class will be from the early nineteenth century up to the late twentieth century. Students will be asked to take theoretical works about state formation, nationalism and power and examine how such questions could be turned into research projects. Students will write a series of analytical essays on the course readings to problematize each author's treatment of power and the state. A final project on one author's theoretical and empirical contribution to the field will serve as a capstone. The course will focus on discussion of the texts, and students will be evaluated on their discussion skills, reading notes, and written work. This course is intended for students with prior coursework on Latin American history (e.g. From Native Empires to Nation States, Articulated Identities, and Seminar in Guatemalan History and Culture), and courses in social theory would also be helpful. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Class limit: 15. *HS*

Todd Little-Siebold

This intermediate-to-advanced level course, which is interdisciplinary, teaches students not only to write clear, precise, and unambiguous memos, reports, executive sumaries, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents, but also to write collaboratively for an actual client. The practice-oriented approach gives students the opportunity to acquire skills they will need as professionals and to learn to communicate data effectively and concisely to specific audiences. Students choose one of two collaborative projects -- an analysis of signs on motor roads in Acadia National Park or an analysis of survey results from carriage-road users in Acadia. Offered every other year. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisits: An introductory writing course, Signature of instructor. Class limit: 15. *W*

Anne Kozak

A logical sequence to Writing Seminar I and Writing Seminar, this course emphasizes argument and persuasion. The assigned readings show students not only how others passionately and creatively argue points but how argument and persuasion are integral to writing effective papers on topics ranging from the need to diversify the student body to protecting Atlantic salmon. Like Writing Seminar I, this course also requires library research and an understanding of different forms of documentation. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Prerequisites: Signature of Writing Program Director. Offered every year. Class limit: 15. *W*

Katharine Turok
Karen Waldron

Perhaps one of the most widely evoked figures in modern history, Abraham Lincoln is frequently written about, quoted, and held up as an iconic example in contemporary public debate. Yet most people know little about Lincoln beyond a summary biographical sketch and a short speech or two. This is especially true as it relates to Lincoln's political life before the presidency despite the fact that these early years that offer us a wealth of moments which speak not only to the issues of the period, but also to broader questions of political action, compromise, and idealism. This class is an intensive exploration into Lincoln's political career prior to his election to the presidency in 1860. Students will explore Lincoln's activities as they relate to the debate over slavery, the death of the Whig party, and the ascendancy of the newly formed Republican Party. Class reading and discussion will be driven by a threefold examination of broad historical contexts, biographical materials, and public speech texts. Students will spend an extended period of time on the analysis of the 1858 Senate debates between Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. While the class will focus intensely on the political events of the 1850's, the class will simultaneously track broader questions of political action in the context of a democratic society. As a result, students will have the opportunity both to acquire a richer understanding the historical moment that led to Lincoln's rise to power, as well as an opportunity to reflect on the larger issue of putting "truth" into political practice. This course is intended for students with an interest in American history, political action, and public debate. Familiarity with these issues is not a pre-requisite for the class. The class will be held in a seminar style environment and will be driven primarily by in-class discussion. There will be an intensive reading load as well as an intensive writing component to the class. Final evaluation wi

Jamie McKown

The class will attempt to tackle the issue of ethical political action in a democratic society from the level of individual practice. Utilizing a series of dialogues between philosophers and "sophists" from the Classical Greek period as a springboard, students will explore a wide variety of topics related to civic engagement and public debate. Though the readings for class will be thousands of years old, students who successfully complete the course will be able to make linkages to problems contemporary to their own daily lives including: does truth speak for itself, what is the role of the speaker in society, where is the line between "spin" and effective persuasion, and are all politicians nothing more than "con artists?" Included in the readings will be works by Gorgias, Plato, Aristotle, and Isocrates. Students will also go outside of the assigned readings to apply these ancient debates to modern social/political questions. This is an introductory-intermediate level course for students with an interest in philosophy, political action, governance, and public persuasion. Familiarity with these issues is not a pre-requisite for the class. In class activities will be driven primarily by student discussion centered on flashpoints within the readings. There will be an intensive reading load as well as an intensive writing component to the class. Students will also be occasionally asked to "perform" sections of dialogue in class. Final evaluation will be based on a number of varied writing assignments, participation in class discussion, and several independent reports on contemporary social questions Level: Introductory. *HS*

Jamie McKown

Loren Eisely once remarked, "If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water." Eisely's observation is an underlying premise of this course - that there is something very special about moving water. This course is taught in a seminar format in which students will read and discuss ecological, historical, sociological, political and legal aspects of river conservation and watershed protection. Special emphasis is placed on understanding the policy issues surrounding dams, river protection, and watershed planning. In conjunction with readings and class discussions, students will use a term-long study of a local stream to learn about the threats facing rivers in the United States and the legal and policy mechanisms for addressing these threats. In addition, the class will take an extended field trip to western Massachusetts to gain first-hand knowledge of the tremendous impact river manipulation can have on a social and ecological landscape. We will spend time looking at historically industrialized and now nationally protected rivers in the region. Through weekly excursions on Maine rivers, students will also develop skills to enable them to paddle a tandem canoe in intermediate whitewater. Evaluation will be based on problem sets, role-playing exercises, contribution to the class, short essays, and paddling skills. Weekly excursions to area rivers entail special scheduling constraints as we will be in the field all day on Fridays. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Signature of instructor. Class limit: 11. Lab fee: $100.

Ken Cline

Justice Marshall once observed that "History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure." In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the federal government shifted its focus to national security concerns and the "war on terrorism". Many argue that the seriousness of the terrorist threat mandates increased security measures even at the cost of heretofore sacrosanct civil liberties. Others contend that fundamental liberties are at stake and the principal aim of our constitutional democracy is to protect these threatened individual rights. The inherent tension between liberty and security is a timeless one, and poses challenges even in times of peace. As Marshall observed, wars and other threats to security, however, dramatically increase this tension. Through an examination of Supreme Court cases and some secondary material, we will consider the legal, political, and historical context of the current "war on terrorism". In addition to the threshold question of whether the conflict with al Qaeda is even a "war" under the constitution, we will examine military tribunals, the detention of citizens and non-citizens without trial, the legality of domestic spying by the NSA, the torture debate, ethnic and religious profiling, the role of international law, and the various constitutional issues arising out of the USA PATRIOT Act. Fundamental questions about constitutional separation of powers also arise as an overarching theme from the legal challenges to the Bush Administration's "war on terrorism." Students will be evaluated on the basis of participation in class discussions, several short papers, and a term-long moot court project. Level: Intermediate. *WF* *HS*

Ken Cline

What is the best way to insure that communities can provide dependable, well-paying jobs to their citizens? Why does Coca Cola spend millions of dollars to advertise a product with which most people are already very familiar? What can the game of blackjack tell us about how industries are structured? How can we get coal-burning power utilities to reduce their carbon emissions while they save millions of dollars in the process? How can we provide much better health care to all Americans, at much less cost, while making it easier for small businesses to grow? All of these questions, and many more like them, are answered by microeconomic theory. This intermediate-level course exposes students to basic microeconomic theories, models, and concepts that shed insight on the economic behavior of businesses, individuals, governments and politicians, and international organizations. We will emphasize approaches that have numerous overlapping applications to both business and policy evaluation: markets, pricing, firm structure and decision-making, strategic behavior (using game theory), consumer behavior, externalities (such as greenhouse gas emissions) and the provision of public goods (such as military, education, and environmental conservation). We will pay special attention to the economics of asymmetrical information (adverse selection, moral hazard, and principal-agent situations) that have a wide range of applications, including issues such as the ineffectiveness of the American health care system, the structuring of business finance, and the hiring and paying of employees. This will be a non-calculus course, but will give students exposure to technical economic modeling, with heavy emphasis on graphical modeling of complex social phenomena. We will use a lab period to conduct extensive experiments and games that illustrate or test economic concepts and hypotheses. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Signature of instructor or 1 course in economics or business. *HS

Davis F. Taylor

How can - and should - questions of ethics get resolved in the contexts of interdisciplinary and multiperspectival dialogue, conflict and decision making - as when two communities need to resolve disputes and each have different paradigms of thought and action? These questions may come up in dealing with human ecological problems when people from different professions, religions, or other cultural and social settings need to deal with each other to address common problems and opportunities. They also arise in business, government and NGO work when people pursue socially responsible projects and policies of a variety of sorts. This course will look at the common strategies in normative ethics for dealing with these problems as well as explore ways in which methods of negotiation and conflict transformation can also be helpful. Readings will include classic texts from Aristotle, the Bible, Mill, Kant, Nietzsche, and Buber as well as contemporary readings in professional ethics, in conflict transformation, and philosophical ethics (such as Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue). Students will write a series of short papers on texts and case studies and develop a final project in which they work to identify and resolve an ethical problem. Evaluation will be based on class participation, papers, and the final project Level: Introductory/Intermediate. *HS*

J. Gray Cox

Mysticism is an important current in almost all religions and marks an attempt on the part of the mystic to experience a union with the deepest nature of reality. This course offers an examination of the nature and types of mystical experience with a particular emphasis on the paradoxical language that many mystics use. Language is thought to be inadequate to describe the nature of the real and yet language is the only tool to communicate with others. Contradictory and paradoxical expressions and descriptions are used in an attempt to point beyond language directly at reality. While drawing primarily on Western religions of the Greek, Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions, questions are raised concerning the degree to which Eastern traditions, such as Buddhism, can be meaningfully regarded as mystical. Some of the mystics examined in detail include Plotinus, Ibn Arabi, Meister Eckhart, Marguerite Porete, St John and St. Teresa. Students will be evaluated on their participation in discussions and the ability to convey their understanding of mysticism in both mid-term and final take-home exams. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 20. *HS*

John Visvader

How do motion pictures express ideas? Why do we respond to them in the ways we do? Film theorists have approached these questions from contexts as diverse as formal composition (sound, mise-en-scene, color, cinematography and editing), signs and symbols (semiotics), cultural and/or gender concerns, and psychoanalysis. In this class, we will practice using these and other theories to understand and analyze moving pictures. Each week we will screen one or two feature length movies as well as a number of short films. Screenings will be complemented by source texts from critics, theorists, artists/filmmakers and cinephiles. Students may choose to take this course as writing intensive; those who do will be required to write and revise three or four critical response essays based in analytical frameworks covered in the course. All students will be required to complete a final research paper and presentation. Students should expect to spend 7-9 hours a week in class meetings, labs and screenings (in addition to writing, research). Students will be evaluated on papers, final project and participation in discussions. Level: Introductory/intermediate. Previous art class recommended. Class limit: 12. Lab fee: $30

Colin Capers

Why do fairy tales capture the attention of adults and children all over the world and endure in popular literary and cinematic forms? What do they reveal to psychologists, biologists, historians, linguists, artists, anthropologists, and educators? Do they politicize or de-politicize? socialize or subvert? What is the postfeminist, postmodern response to the Brothers Grimm? What do fairy tales convey about animal behavior, entomology, and cosmology? How might the tales shape human limitations, moral values, and aspirations? This course will explore the story-telling and re-telling of literary, cultural, and scientific stories from a comparative perspective, imagining their interpretations and how they may be re-told with an eye toward new understandings of human interrelationships, of a given sociohistorical moment, the culture of COA, and the larger culture. Students will read fairy tales, view three films--"The Little Mermaid" (USA), "Chunhyang" (Korea), and "Pan's Labyrinth" (Spain)--and discuss academic pieces by writers such as Cristina Bacchilega, Bruno Bettelheim, Ruth Bottigheimer, Michel Butor, Italo Calvino, Claude Levi-Strauss, and Jack Zipes. Reflections may include distinctions between fairy tale and myth; recurrent motifs and patterns; the history and variations of individual tales and motifs; social, sexual, moral, scientific and political content, with emphasis on race, gender, and class structure; and contemporary works inspired by traditional tales. Students will be evaluated on two short papers; one creative project that may be expressed in writing, visual art, music, or dance; and a final assignment that will take the form of a class project. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class limit: 15.

Katharine Turok

Bringing critical theory directly to the gates of human ecology, this class will approach the central issue of how discourses of government, biopower, and geopower have intertwined and infused themselves within the representations of "environments" in popular debate. With a specific nod to Foucault, Marx, Baudrillard, Luke, and other critical social theorists, we will tackle the various complexities that arise when "ecology" become a site for political and economic expertization. Topics to be covered include the formation of knowledge/power/discourse, systems of environmentality, the rise of hyperecology, the valorization of ecodisciplinarians, and, as Timothy Luke puts it: "how discourses of nature, ecology or the environment, as disciplinary articulations of ecoknowledge, can be mobilized by professional-technical experts in contemporary polyarchies to generate geopower over nature for the megatechnical governance of modern economies and societies." The class will also address the question of "moving forward", and how these critiques can open productive spaces for new ways of representing modernity and ecology. The class will be highly interactive; discussion will be the primary mode instruction, and students will have considerable influence on the exact topics covered. Final evaluation will based on a combination of class participation, a series of analytical response papers, and two long form essays. While the class is open to all students, those with some background in critical theory, philosophy, or economic theory are encouraged to attend. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Class limit: 12. *HS*

Jamie McKown

This course will be Writing Focused. It will study the American novel as written by women of the nineteenth century. It focuses on how women's issues and styles change over the course of the century, with its revolutionary economic, technological, social and political shifts, as well as on enduring questions. As we read from among the wide selection of nineteenth-century American women novelists (who outnumbered and outsold male authors) -- such as Rowson, Foster, Child, Cooke, Fern, Stowe, Phelps, Jewett, Chopin, and Gilman -- we consider how they have shaped the tradition of the novel and social values Americans encounter today. Students will write and revise four short essays and one longer research paper. Evaluation will be based on class participation, quality and improvement of writing, and the depth of analysis brought to the research project. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Prerequisites: Writing Seminar I or signature of the instructor. Offered every other year. Class limit: 15. *WF* *HS*

Karen Waldron

This course is a challenging introduction to several centuries of Native American literature, the relevance of historical and cultural facts to its literary forms, and the challenges of bridging oral and written traditions. Authors include such writers as Silko, Erdrich, Harjo, Vizenor, and McNickle as well as earlier speeches and short stories. We also consider non-native readings and appropriation of Native American styles, material and world views. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Class limit: 12. Pre-requisite: Signature of Instructor. Lab fee: $10. *HS*

Karen Waldron

Antoine de Saint-Exupery - World War II French pilot and author of The Little Prince - once noted: "There is but one problem - the problem of human relations....There is no hope or joy except in human relations." Beneath this sanguine notion, however, dwells a complex web of ideas and questions. The purpose of this team-taught course is to explore these underlying issues from two different, but overlapping, perspectives. On the one hand, we will review foundational theories and research from intra-psychic, social and organizational psychology - emphasizing topic areas such as attitude theory and change, social influence, group dynamics, conflict resolution and leadership. On the other hand, we will simultaneously draw on real-world case studies from business and organizational management. The emphasis here will be on issues of personnel assessment and management, market performance, negotiation, crisis management and the role self-knowledge in the "inside game" of commercial enterprise. Connections between these two realms will be drawn via class discussions, presentations from the instructors, and selected visitors with significant backgrounds from a range organizational, business and government settings. Lessons derived from failure events and the 'cost of not knowing' will be investigated, as well as examples from models of successful human relations experiences. The overall aim of the class will be guided by the ideals and practices of: the psychologist Abraham Maslow, who advised "The best way to see everything is to consider the whole darn thing" and Steve Jobs - founder and CEO of Apple - who expressed his success succinctly as "It was small teams of great people doing wonderful things". Student evaluations will be based on multiple criteria, including class participation, several individual papers and research reports and contribution to team projects. Level: Introductory. Lab Fee: $40. Class limit: 15. *HS*

Rich Borden
Jay Friedlander

This course will involve close readings of some of the major texts of the Daoist and Buddhist traditions in China. Amongst the texts dealt with will be Original Tao (Inward Training), Tao Te Ching, Chuang tzu and the Platform Suttra. There will also be some readings in secondary sources dealing with the texts and Daoism and Buddhism in general. The classes will be in seminar discussion style with students being responsible for presenting material. Basic use of the Chinese dictionary will be taught so that students can deal with problematic passages in the original language. There will be a research paper required by the end of the term. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Class limit: 15.

John Visvader

This class will be conducted as a workshop with an emphasis on students producing increasingly advanced speeches for public performance and/or consumption. We will cover a wide variety of areas including those related to constructing the speech in advance (invention and arrangement), as well as those related to the actual performance of the text (style, memory, and execution). While the primary goal of the class is to create an environment in which students can improve these vital public communication skills, another important goal is to cultivate critical and respectful listening skills (which are themselves vital public communication skills). A wide variety of speaking genres will be covered during the term, though there will be a strong emphasis on public advocacy and persuasion: This class is designed for students with varying levels of public speaking backgrounds. A diverse array of experiences, skills, and strengths helps foster a collaborative and supportive speaking environment. Throughout the term students will work on individual projects, in pairs, and in larger collaborative groups. There will be a minimal focus on theoretical questions in favor of a "hands on" approach to constructing speeches. Students will be evaluated on a number of "process" oriented assignments. Final evaluation will be relative to individual participation in the process and not to an objective scale of public speaking talent. As such, students who feel that they are less proficient in the area of public communication should not be worried that this would somehow disadvantage them in terms of grading. In order to facilitate a vibrant working environment, a lab session and fee will be a component of the class. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 10. Lab fee: $10. *HS*

Jamie McKown

Greetings and salutations! This course is designed for those who still believe in writing letters or perhaps are curious because they've abandoned (or never even tried?) the act-and art-this genre offers us to connect with a writer's audience, material, and voices living on the page. "How we communicate is the nature of who we are," Sven Birkerts wrote in his 1994 book The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age. Almost two decades later, when e-mail, text-messaging, and blogging punctuate the day and put not a handwritten page, but the world, at our fingertips, is letter-writing really dead? The mail we'll open in collections we'll read includes letters from a writer born on Gott's Island (Ruth Moore), writers finding themselves between roots in New England and travels to New York City and Brazil (E.B. White and Elizabeth Bishop), writers witnessing in war zones (Virginia Woolf and George Orwell), and a painter, poet, and social activist articulating some of the passions and questions of their vocations (van Gogh, Rilke, and Jessica Mitford). In addition to reading these letters, out loud and on the page, we'll learn some epistolary vocabulary and practice the art of all it can express as we gather our own collections of letters describing our origins, locating ourselves between travels, claiming our politics and our hearts' convictions, doing our business, and revealing the times we live in at perhaps another pace and value of resonance. Reading responses, mid-term conference, and final portfolio required. Level: Introductory/intermediate. Class limit: 12.

Candice Stover

Feminism and Fundamentalism is a seminar in which principal issues surrounding the impacts of extreme religious conservatism on the power and status of women, and the reactions against this of women seeking to establish their own rights in society, are considered. The topic is relevant to all religions and all countries. Assigned reading includes much material on Islam and Hinduism. However, students will read about Christianity and Judaism as well and may choose to do their papers on any country and any religion. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 15.

Lucy Creevey
Karen Waldron

A phrase, an idiom, a perception. Who does it (walk the talk) and what exactly does it mean when we say someone is or isn't doing it? To explore this question is to trace a line between someone's speech and actions: how revealing, how congruent is that line? With what integrity, what deviation, and why? This section of Classic Shorts invites us to consider these questions as the stories we read present us with a range of characters speaking their truths, on the move, and held to the light of fiction: a runaway boy turns to poetry, a barefoot woman murders her rival, a car-jacked couple scatter the ashes of their child. The walks we'll share will take us into the wild, into history (and, of course, its politics), into war zones and across borders into diaries and dreams. Traveling through this genre that one of its writers (William Trevor) calls "the art of the glimpse," how will we walk our own talk between these pages and what we discover about the art of claiming a point of view, creating a character, speaking through dialogue, making a scene, and naming the metaphor that holds its ground and knows its way home? Please come prepared to read closely, discuss openly, and experiment in the art of the glimpse in motion. Critical inquiries, mid-term conference, and final paper (original short-story option encouraged) required. Level: Introductory/intermediate. Class limited: 15. *HS*

Candice Stover

Leadership skills that help people come together to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities are essential in a complex world. This course will provide a context for collaborative (or facilitative) leadership, drawing examples from community settings, non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses. Collaborative leadership leads to productive and supportive relationships, jointly developed goals and structure and shared responsibility for achievement. We will study useful strategies and techniques for involving stakeholders, building consensus, laying out a problem-solving process, facilitation of that process and drawing in the full experience, knowledge and wisdom of participants. Students will write a final paper (or participate in a group project) to integrate results from interviews and opportunities to shadow local leaders, class discussions with guests and the instructor, and material from assigned readings. This course is designed to include both COA students and community members. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Lab fee: $20.

Ron Beard

Apparently grave environmental and resource challenges, growing human population, astoundingly disparate global consumption levels, uncertain prospects for technological change, and a host of other issues increasingly give rise to questions regarding "sustainability." Yet despite its evident centrality to the future of humanity (not to mention non-human species), the meaning, application, and achievement of "sustainability" seems elusive. This course explores definitions, dimensions, movements toward, and prospects for achieving sustainability. We will start by examining the many, often conflicting, paradigms, conceptions, and definitions of sustainability, along with supporting concepts such as entropy, carrying capacity, natural capital, precautionary principles and ecological footprint. We will then review the status of interrelated physical, environmental, demographic, social, economic, and psychological dimensions of sustainability, including, energy, agriculture, fisheries, forests, fresh water, biodiversity, climate change, human population, industry, economic growth and globalization, consumption, and justice/equity. The latter half of the course will focus on responses to sustainability issues at the international, national, and local levels, including international cooperation, conservation, addressing consumption, emerging technologies (renewable energies, dematerialization, bioremediation, etc.), closed-loop design ("waste equals food"), localization (of food systems, economies, etc.), "green" business, and other responses identified by students. Locally-available site visits and/or guest speakers will be utilized as much as possible. The course will place an emphasis on critical thinking (evidence, clarity, accuracy, precision, assumptions, relevance, point of view, depth, logic, and fallacy). Evaluation will be based on classroom participation, responses to reading questions, and an individual final project to be presented to the class. HS. Level: I

Davis F. Taylor

This course will focus on the cases of Iran, Nigeria, China and India and explore the common and divergent factors that shape political and social change in these countries. The ultimate question - to be tackled if not answered - is whether there is a common path that all nations pursue as their economy grows and society modernizes or whether, in fact, cultural, contextual and circumstantial differences lead to many possible outcomes, some of which will not at all resemble the Western model of a democratic state. In pursuing these questions, students will consider the persistent effects of colonialism and neocolonialism, the importance of culture and religion, the results of mass education and the spread of advanced technology. Students will also consider the ways in which popular demands are expressed -and heard - in the four very different political systems and the extent to which women and minorities are able to fully participate in the political process. This class will be taught via a combination of lecture and discussions. Students will be evaluated on the basis of participation in discussion, two short papers, and a final exam. Students will read two texts and a range of articles updating the political events in the four countries. They will also read commentaries challenging the perspective presented in the texts chosen. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 15.

Lucy Creevey

The Maine Woods are arguably the greatest remaining wildland in the Eastern United States, however, the ecological and economic viability of the region is threatened by trends within and without the State of Maine.  Using historic texts, contemporary writings, and our class's experience in the Maine Woods, we will examine the forces of change and the cultural and policy responses to those forces. Conservation issues such as forestry practices, residential development, energy generation projects, ownership models, and incompatible recreational demands will provide a focus to connect broad conservation themes to current policy conflicts. Conversations with people intimately connected to the region and its traditions will give a human context to these policy debates. Evaluation is based on class and fieldtrip participation, reflective journals, position papers and/or role-playing, and an integrated service-learning project that combines two out of the three course elements: applied ecological research, conservation history and policy, or experiential education.

This course is part of a three-credit group of courses that integrates three areas of study and action: field-based ecological research, conservation, and education, with a focus on the Maine Woods.  Students will gain an understanding of applied ecological research and conservation history and policy of the Maine Woods.  Students will acquire skills in conducting field studies, using data to inform conservation policy, reflecting on experiential and place-based education, facilitating group processes, and leading outdoor education groups.  Explicit attention will also be given to the psychology of experiential learning and the philosophy and pedagogies of experiential and place-based education.  Students interested in this course must also register for ED 114, Experience and Place in Education and ES 497, Applied Amphibian Biology.  Students taking this course Fall 2008 must commit to participating in a two-week canoeing expedition in the Maine Woods tentatively scheduled from September 21st through October 4th.

Level: Introductory/Intermediate.  Lab fee $450 (covers food and transportation for expedition). Pre-requisite: Signature of instructor.  

Ken Cline

This course seeks to give students advanced knowledge of macroeconomic theories, models, and concepts, with a focus on those that relate directly or indirectly to international trade. The course is designed for those students who seek a relatively formalized presentation of neo-classical perspectives and methodologies. Emphasis will be evenly placed on both formal modeling (mostly through graphs, but occasionally with the use of calculus) and intuitive approaches to understanding economic phenomena. Topics will include unemployment and inflation, fiscal and monetary policy, consumption and savings, economic growth and business cycles, monetary theory and banking systems, along with topics of student interest. Evaluation will be determined by student participation, a midterm paper, and a final exam (the format of which will be determined by the class). Students should be comfortable with graphical modeling, and have familiarity with calculus. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisites: Economics course, Signature of Instructor. Class limit: 12. *HS*

Davis F. Taylor

Although Southern Africa is known primarily by those in the North for its colonial, postcolonial, and racial conflicts in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, and Angola, it has inspired a wealth of literature, visual and performing arts, and music. This course explores the relationship between people, indigenous and colonists, and the land - from the Namib and Kalahari deserts, the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, and the Okavango Delta to the Cape of Good Hope. In particular, we will be looking at changing gender roles and race relations as Zulus, Tswana, Swazi, Shona, Ovambo, Macua, Basotho, and others grapple with age-old ethnic differences and newer postcolonial identities. The questions that inspire this course include the following: How have colonization, militarism, capitalism, and modernity impacted gender roles? How do race and ethnicity impact the development of national, political, economic, and cultural identities? What adaptations or transformations of traditional ecological and cultural knowledge in this region shed light on healthy and thriving postcolonial identities and communities? How do the differences in colonial attitudes and practices by the English, Dutch, and Portuguese impact contemporary race and gender relations? Class activities will include music, films, guest speakers, and lively discussions. Readings will draw from historical, anthropological, sociological, political, and literary sources. Students will be evaluated on class participation, a variety of short assignments showing engagement with the materials of the course in historical and contemporary representations of the region, and an interdisciplinary research project (e.g., on a theme or topic, place or community, phenomenon, social movement, or cultural tradition), including a public presentation.

Level: Intermediate. Recommended prerequisite: a course in history, anthropology, politics, women or gender studies, sociology, or literature. Class limit: 15. Lab fee: $30. *

Karen Waldron
Bonnie Tai

This course will cover the process of new venture creation for students interested in creating businesses or non-profits with substantial social and environmental benefit. It is designed for student teams who have an idea and want to go through the formal process of examining and launching the enterprise. Topics covered in this course will include: opportunity recognition, market research, creating a business plan, producing financial projections and venture financing. As part of the course, all students will submit their ideas to the Social Innovation Competition. In addition, students will make a formal business plan presentation. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Signature of instructor. Class limit: 12.

Jay Friedlander

This is a course for students who want to use history, anthropology and social science research in their work on community organizing, social change efforts or public policy advocacy. Human ecological approaches to such problems and studies require using interdisciplinary methods to integrate different points of view and different theories in a more comprehensive understanding of a person, text, situation or problem.  But how can we do that? What sorts of things are “methods”, “theories” and “disciplines” and how can they be integrated?  How is theoretical research related to practical action? How should we deal with the ethical issues that come up in research?  How do modern vs. post-modern or neo-liberal vs. neo-Marxist or hermeneutic vs. quantitative views of these things differ?     

The aim of this course is to develop students’ abilities to articulate different ways of framing these questions and answering and to develop their abilities to apply those questions and answers in projects in human ecology – including in internships, residencies and senior projects.  The class will examine a series of texts that provide case studies that address these problems at a practical as well as philosophical and methodological level. Work for the class will include a series of short papers and exercises that provide descriptions and critical analyses of texts read in class and provide applications of theories and methods to a project.

Texts used may include, for instance: ALBION’S SEED by David Hackett Fischer, THE EVALUATION OF CULTURAL ACTION by Howard Richards, THE ETHNOGRAPHIC METHOD by James Spradley, THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW by Wade Davis, THE TWO MILPAS OF CHAN KOM by Alicia Re Cruz, INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH: PROCESS AND THEORY by Allen F. Repko, and a series of other short articles and chapters.

NOTE: This course is especially recommended for sophomores and juniors interested in pursuing advance work in Human Studies. A more advanced tutorial is available which is designed for students who are currently doing an internship, residency or senior project – including those who are off campus and would like to take part through distance learning. (See “Tutorial in Numbers, Names and Narratives: Challenges Mixing Methods, Theories, Planning Processes and Ethics in Human Ecology Projects”)

Final evaluations will be based on class participation,  (20%), short papers and homework exercises through the term (40%), and work on a final project (40%).

Level: Intermediate.  Lab fee $25.  *HS*

J. Gray Cox

This is an advanced tutorial for students who want to use history, anthropology and social science research in their work on community organizing, social change efforts or public policy advocacy. Human ecological approaches to such problems and studies require using interdisciplinary methods to integrate different points of view and different theories in a more comprehensive understanding of a person, text, situation or problem.  But how can we do that? What sorts of things are “methods”, “theories” and “disciplines” and how can they be integrated?  How is theoretical research related to practical action? How should we deal with the ethical issues that come up in research?  How do modern vs. post-modern or neo-liberal vs. neo-Marxist or hermeneutic vs. quantitative views of these things differ?     

The aim of this tutorial is to cultivate students’ abilities to deal with these questions in sophisticated and effective ways in the context of on going research and action projects in human ecology. It deals with challenges in choosing and using methods of research, the construction and application of theories in interdisciplinary contexts, and the negotiation of issues arising in planning and pursing a research process or action project and dealing with ethical issues that arise in it. It is specifically designed to support student work in internships, residencies, senior projects and master’s theses. It presupposes familiarity with the practice of at least two disciplines in the humanities and public policy areas (e. g. history and political science, literature and economics or ethnography and agro-ecology).

Students will meet once a week as a learning group and also once a week, independently, with the professor. Tutorial sessions will focus on two kinds of readings: 1.) a selection of articles and chapters dealing with methodological, theoretical, ethical and other aspects of  research processes and action projects and 2.) case study materials focused on the projects students are working on including writings by students or pieces  directly relevant to understanding their work. Readings from the first category will be selected to be most appropriate for student projects and may range widely but will in any case include a core of texts dealing with the challenges of ethnography, quantitative social studies, and historical narratives in the context of working in participatory ways on community based projects.

Some of the readings will may include, for example, sections from: ALBION’S SEED by David Hackett Fischer, THE EVALUATION OF CULTURAL ACTION by Howard Richards, THE ETHNOGRAPHIC METHOD by James Spradley, THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW by Wade Davis, THE TWO MILPAS OF CHAN KOM by Alicia Re Cruz, and INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH: PROCESS AND THEORY by Allen F. Repko

Work for the class will include a series of short reflection pieces on readings and their relevance to their projects and then pieces associated with planning and pursing their project.
Evaluation: Final evaluations will be based on class participation and one on one meetings,  (25%), journal writing and short papers through the term (35%), progress on individual project (40%).

This tutorial is designed to allow for distance learning for students who are off campus. They will be able to take part in both the tutorial sessions and the one-on-one meetings through use of Skype.

Level:  Intermediate/Advanced.  Signature of Instructor.  Lab fee: $25.  *HS*

J. Gray Cox

This course will introduce students to - and give them practice working with - some of the central concerns, concepts, and philosophical methods associated with the continental European traditions that grow out of and respond to the transcendental idealism initiated by Kant. Ways in which understandings of objects, the Self, freedom and relations with others vary will be used as central themes to explore connections and contrasts between these philosophers. The central texts focused on will include include material from Kant's FIRST CRITIQUE and his moral philosophy, Hegel's PHENOMENOLOGY, Kierkegaard's FEAR AND TREMBLING, Martin Buber's I AND THOU and Foucault's THE HISTORY OF SEXUALITY, PART I. Other texts that may be read in excerpts include, 20th century writings on phenomenology and existentialism Tillich, Freire, Sartre, de Beauvoir. Class format will alternate between lecture, discussion and seminar style textual exegesis. Evaluations will be based on a series of short papers and a final paper on an independent reading agreed upon. Class discussions will include occasional examination of passages in the original language of the primary texts. Students with fluency in German, French, Spanish or Danish will be encouraged to practice exegesis in the original language. The level will be introductory to intermediate but students wishing to take the course at a more advanced level with more extended work in exegesis of difficult texts may arrange to do so. Level: Introductory. Lab fee $20. Class limit: 20. *HS*

J. Gray Cox

Economic growth in the developing world has lifted millions out of poverty at the same time that misguided attempts at widespread application of generic economic development theories has impoverished millions. As a result of this tragedy, new approaches and methodologies to economic development are emerging, and represent some of the most important, dynamic, and controversial theories in all of economics. This course examines these new perspectives on economic development. We will briefly contextualize the new by reviewing "old" economic development, then move on to theories that emphasize very place-based, country-specific approaches to how economies develop; this will involve examining the specific roles of capital accumulation, capital flows (including foreign exchange, portfolio capital, foreign direct investment, and microfinance), human capital, governance, institutions (especially property rights, legal systems, and corruption), geography and natural resource endowments, industrial policy (e.g. free trade versus dirigiste policies), and spillovers, clustering, and entrepreneurship. The course will involve a rigorous mix of economic modeling, careful application of empirical data (including both historical analysis and cross-sectional studies; students with no exposure to econometrics will receive a brief introduction) and country studies. Evaluation will be based on classroom participation, responses to reading questions, short essays, and a final project consisting of an economic development country study of the student's choice that demonstrates application of theoretical concepts to the real world. Level: Intermediate/ Advanced; Prerequisites: One economics course, signature of signature. *HS*

Davis F. Taylor

By definition "public lands" belong to all of us, yet public lands in this country have a history of use (and abuse) by special interests and a shocking absence of any coherent management strategy for long-term sustainability. This course is taught in seminar format in which students read and discuss several environmental policy and history texts that concern the history and future of our federal lands. We also use primary historic documents and texts to understand the origins of public ownership and management. We examine the legal, philosophical, ecological, and political problems that have faced our National Parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other public lands. An effort is made to sort out the tangle of laws and conflicting policies that govern these public resources. Special attention is given to the historic roots of current policy debates. Evaluation is based upon response papers, a class presentation, participation in class discussions, and a group project looking closely at the historical context and policy implications of a management issue facing a nearby public land unit. Level: Intermediate. Prerequisite: Introductory history or policy class recommended. Lab fee $15. *HS* *HY*

Ken Cline

Jean-Luc Godard is a crucial figure in the history and aesthetic development of cinema. His generation was the first to clearly and systematically situate the art of filmmaking as a cultural tradition and to try to assimilate the full history of this form into their own work. From his beginnings as a critic for the influential "Cahiers du cinema," Godard has always maintained that true criticism is as valid a form of filmmaking as the creation of an original work in the medium of film (or, more recently, video). This seminar will look at the ongoing role his films and writings play in cinematic discourse - we will examine the work of his fellow filmmaker/critics of the nouvelle vague, the theories and work of those who have influenced him, and the multiple threads of influence he has had on disparate styles and cultures of artistic creation and political engagement. Works viewed for this class will be, in part, chosen by the group to accommodate the directions we choose to explore together, but will likely include works by Rivette, Varda, Duras, Marker, Akerman, Kiarostami, Farocki, Aoyama and Wong. The primary visual text will be Godard's late-period, self-reflexive masterpiece "Histoire(s) du cinema." Some prior familiarity with Godard's work is expected. For course assignments, students will have the choice between writing critical essays, creating original video work, or combining the two. Level: Advanced. Prerequisites: Film History, coursework in critical theory. Signature of instructor. Class limit: 10. Lab fee: $50. *HS*

Colin Capers

The internet continues to revolutionize our society and economy, creating new opportunities for people around the globe. In both for-profit and non-profit sectors, the internet has leveled the playing field, allowing small organizations to reach previously inaccessible markets. Viral marketing, geo-targeting, adwords are a few of them many strategies that these organizations are using to build awareness of their cause or products and services. The course will engage in an emarketing project to promote a new book "our daily tread" that benefits Safe Passage. Safe Passage is a Maine based non-profit which provides education for children who scavenge garbage dumps to provide income to their families. We will seek to boost book awareness and sales. Level: Advanced. Pre-requisites: A business course. Lab fee: $50. Class limit: 20. *HS*

Jay Friedlander

As the largest business sector in the world economy, the Travel & Tourism industry is responsible for over 230 million jobs and over 10% of the gross domestic product worldwide. Maine has been a tourist destination since "rusticators," following in the footsteps of Thoreau and others, came to Maine in the late 1800s and early 1900s seeking a respite from the city. Today, tourism is the largest industry in Maine and for better and worse, the economic engine of the Bar Harbor community. Unfortunately, tourism as presently practiced often ends up wreaking havoc on cultural heritage, environmentally significant areas and reducing the local economy to one based on low-wage seasonal jobs. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) offers an alternative to conventional tourism. TIES defines ecotourism as, "Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." Using text books, articles, presentations by business owners and research, the course will examine both the principles and practice of how Bar Harbor and other tourist destinations can form a sustainable economy. Evaluation will be based on oral presentations of proposed ecotourism ventures, class participation as well as other assignments Level: Intermediate. Lab fee: $50. Class limit: 18. *HS*

Jay Friedlander

This course will introduce students to all dimensions of ethnographic research from ethical issues and theory to the practical skills necessary to undertake fieldwork. A primary goal is to provide students with the ability to conceptualize, plan and undertake ethnographic fieldwork. The course will use readings, discussions, and most importantly fieldwork to explore the complex processes of working with people "in the field." We will use readings of ethnographies to examine the creative/research process from proposal to writing up and beyond. The course will also examine the vexed question of ethnographic work and then the researcher's representation of what they have learned from their conversations, observations, and personal reflections in the field. Students will undertake short projects that require them to use a wide range of ethnographic techniques, and all students will have an opportunity to undertake a recorded interview, transcribe it, and interpret their "findings" as well a keep detailed ethnographic fieldnotes. Readings will include "classical" ethnographic works, fieldnotes of enthnographers, scholarly articles, and some reflective ethnographic pieces. Students will be evaluated on mini-ethnographies, field exercises, short essays, and a term-long ethnographic project. This course is appropriate for students who are interested in community-based research generally, and would be particularly helpful for students who intend to undertake some sort of fieldwork. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class limit: 20. Lab fee: $25. *HS*

Todd Little-Siebold

This class will be conducted as a workshop with an emphasis on providing students with an opportunity to engage in various forms of public debate and argumentation. The majority of work related to the class will be spent participating in "hands on" debate and argument practice. Students will get the chance to take part in wide array of debate formats covering a broad spectrum of topics and themes. In many instances decisions about topics will be student driven and guided by events external to the class. Along with the instructor, students will work together to refine argument structure, strategic argument selection, research practices, presentation skills, and audience analysis. In addition, students will also examine various historical accounts of academic debate practices and the theoretical/social context that gave rise to them. Previous debate and/or public speaking experience is not required. Students of all academic interests and backgrounds are encouraged to participate. Students will be evaluated on their participation in class, completion of process-based assignments, collaboration on team projects, and several individual reports that require outside research. At no point will the final evaluation of students be tied to any standard of what constitutes a "good" debater in a competitive sense. Students who feel that they are less proficient in the areas of argument and public communication should not be worried that this would somehow disadvantage them in terms of grading. While there is no set "lab", this class will require a good deal of time commitment outside of the traditional "classroom" environment. This includes research on the debate topics as well as actual performance time. Level: Introductory. Class limit: 10. *HS*

Jamie McKown

This course provides a broad historical overview of the early years of the "Cold War" period that shaped global politics generally and American foreign policy specifically. Beginning in the 1940's and leading up to Richard Nixon's election in 1968 we will examine the diplomatic relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union and how this relationship has impacted state actors, economic policies, cultural production, and conceptions of identity. While there will be a heavy focus on traditional state-level diplomatic history, students will also explore a broad array of methodological approaches. Class sessions will include a mix of traditional lecture formats, class discussion, and outside presentations. An evening lab is scheduled in order to screen a variety of cultural artifacts from the various periods we will cover. The primary goal is to give students an intensive 10-week crash course into key events, concepts, figures, etc.. that defined the early decades of Cold War diplomacy. At the same time there is also time allocated for students to explore their own independent research interests. Given the far-reaching force of Cold War politics into everyday life, individuals with widely varying academic interests will find the course informative and productive. Evaluation will be based on a mix of class participation, individual research assignments, and exams. All students, regardless of their backgrounds, previous coursework, or interests are welcome. Level: Intermediate. Class limit: 20. Lab fee: $20. *HS* *HY*

Jamie McKown

Karen Waldron

This course is designed to provide an overview of the use of international law in solving transnational environmental problems and shaping international behavior. We examine, as background, the nature and limitations of international law as a force for change. The course will then explore customary law, the relationship between soft and hard law, enforcement of international law, implementation mechanisms, and the effectiveness of multilateral environmental agreements. Special attention is given to existing international environmental law frameworks addressing climate change, Arctic and Antarctic development, ozone depletion, biological diversity, forest loss, export of toxic chemicals, and the host of issues raised by the 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development and subsequent environmental fora. Students will also consider the interface between international environmental law and other important international forces such as the Bretton Woods institutions, human rights frameworks, and international development entities. Students will be evaluated on the quality of their classroom comments and several analytical problem sets given during the term. Students will also be asked to complete a major research project examining the effectiveness of a treaty or a proposed international environmental legal arrangement. Level: Advanced. Prerequisites: Environmental Law and Policy, Global Environmental Politics, or Signature of Instructor. Class limit: 10. *HS*

Ken Cline

Anyone who is involved with for profit or non-profit enterprises needs to understand a wide variety of interdisciplinary skills. This introductory course will introduce students to marketing, finance, leadership, strategy and other essential areas of knowledge needed to run or participate in any venture. This course is meant to build basic skills and expose students to a variety of business disciplines and is REQUIRED for all future business courses. Level: Introductory. Class limit: 18. *HS*

Jay Friedlander

A young woman who needs a job. A boy who steals. The ethics of a corporate franchise across cultures; an elder who will give away a cure for snakebite-but not sell it. The cost of electricity in Islamabad. A clash of values between brothers. A gamble. A bet. These are some of the characters and incidents we'll encounter in this section of Classic Shorts, as well as the questions they lead us to weigh and contemplate. What would-or wouldn't-you do for money? Have you ever cheated anyone? What do you consider priceless in the green, green worlds of this fragile planet we share? How do you define "rich," "poor," "enough"? Our focus on this genre-the one William Trevor calls "the art of the glimpse"-may not take us all the way to Moneta, that temple of Juno in Rome where money was coined, but it will invite us into the literary territory of how writers develop a scene, secure a metaphor, and offer us as readers the tremendous wealth of discovering and naming some of fiction's truths. Please come prepared to read closely, discuss openly, and experiment in the art of the glimpse. Critical inquiries, midterm conference, and final paper (original short-story option encouraged) required. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Class limited: 15.

Candice Stover

This class is an introductory exploration of the transformations in Europe from roughly 1400 to the sixteenth century wrought by the changing religious, political, and social thought. Taking as its point of departure the transformation of European society provoked by the "new" ideas of the Renaissance, the course will focus on the phenomena of humanism and the challenges to religious orthodoxy and political hierarchies it represented. The course will use a wide range of secondary and primary sources to examine the social, spiritual and political implications of the challenges to the Catholic Church's preeminence in the Christian west. We will examine the idea of the Renaissance and its various expressions in the world of ideas, art, and the emergent practice of "science." Student will develop an understanding of Catholic theology and the various Protestant challenges to it as well as developing a sense of the political reworking of Europe provoked by the theological debates. We will read social histories of the period, use films to provide context, and read primary texts by thinkers such as Erasmus of Rotterdam, Jean Calvin, Martin Luther, Teresa of Avila, Galileo, and Bartolome de las Casas. Students will be evaluated on mastery of readings, class discussions, short essays, and a final project. Level: Introductory. Class limit: None. *HS* *HY*

Todd Little-Siebold

In December 2009, representatives of the world's governments, as well as business, labor, religious, environmental, and youth leaders will convene in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The event is significant, as government negotiators will likely be hammering out the final wording of an agreement on national and international actions to address the most serious environmental threat of our time: climate change. In this seminar-style course, students will prepare themselves to be part of this historic gathering. Using the actual negotiating texts, students will become familiar with the most important issues under negotiation. Each student, alone or in pairs, will also be responsible for becoming the class expert(s) on at least one of the issues - understanding the negotiating history, the range of political positions being expressed in the negotiations, and the technical specifics of the various proposals being considered. Students will share their expertise throughout the term with the entire class through one or more formal presentations. Some attention will also be given throughout the term to the contributions of various non-governmental constituencies - in particular, business, environmental NGOs, and youth - to the global politics of climate change, examining how, and how effectively, they engage in the process to enable a meaningful outcome to the governmental negotiations that will culminate at the summit in Copenhagen. Students will be evaluated based on participation in class discussions, their formal in-class presentations, as well as contributions to a collective public blog that will document their experiences at the meeting in Copenhagen. Course level: Intermediate/Advanced. Pre-requisites: Signature of instructor. Lab fee: $10.

Doreen Stabinsky

Surveying the role and historical development of beliefs, practices, and persecution of witches and witchcraft in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Unites States from medieval to modern eras, this tutorial is an advanced study that will involve extensive reading across cultures and genres. The impact of influences on the West from Africa and the Caribbean will be explored, as will depictions of witches in religious and legal documents, mass media, visual art, popular tales, fiction, and drama. Central questions are: How have attitudes toward and images of witches and magic reflected commonly shared fears, biases, beliefs, and hopes of various cultures? Why did witch hunts and interrogations utilizing torture intensify during various periods? Why were those exhibiting special powers or knowledge--such as healers or "entrancers"-greeted with rage, fear, and severity through the ages? Did different social classes harbor similar or disparate views of witches? In what ways did the public equate "bewitching" with control or usurpation of personal identity and responsibility? This course will meet regularly; students may select two topics for short papers and a third for more intensive treatment as a final project which may be in mixed media. Level: Advanced

Katharine Turok

Yucatan is the region of Mexico with a large Yucatec Maya population and a complex history shaped by conquest, colonialism, separatism, and revolutionary upheaval. This course, which will serve as a pre-requisite for the winter term Yucatan program, seeks to familiarize students with the contextual knowledge they will need to work in rural communities of the Peninsula's Zona Maya, or Maya zone. The course is designed around the question of what you need to know before undertaking research or advocacy in an international setting such as Yucatan as well as preparing students to work in other people's communities. Readings, exercises, and discussion will provide a rigorous interdisciplinary introduction to the historical and ethnographic scholarship on Yucatan with a particular emphasis on helping students to recognize and master relevant contextual knowledge and specific fieldwork techniques. Students will learn about the history of the region from the conquest to the present as well as learning to examine the dominant historiographies which have shaped scholars' accounts of that history. Similarly, the class will provide an in-depth insight into Yucatec society through a series of classic ethnographic works even as we critically examine ethnographic presumptions and practices. A final research proposal will be a primary product of the course, and it will be the basis of eight-week independent student work in Yucatan. Students will also be evaluated on participation in discussion, discussion leadership, and short essays. Course is limited to students accepted to the Yucatan program. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. *HS* *HY*

Todd Little-Siebold

Ken Cline

Todd Little-Siebold

William Carpenter

Colin Capers

Colin Capers

William Carpenter

Jamie McKown

Davis F. Taylor

Jay Friedlander

John Visvader

Jamie McKown

Lucy Creevey

Earl Brechlin

J. Gray Cox

Todd Little-Siebold

Todd Little-Siebold

J. Gray Cox

J. Gray Cox

Jamie McKown

Colin Capers

This course will examine food systems and efforts to make them more sustainable by increasing their health, environmental and social impacts. Students will be introduced to different approaches to food system reform including voluntary corporate social responsibility; rights-based approaches; boycotts and other resistance strategies; and building alternatives such as food coops, farmers? markets and community-supported agriculture (CSAs). They will also study several different methodologies for understanding the full impacts of food systems (life-cycle analysis, ecological and social footprinting, contextual analysis, social return on investment, indicator reports). Students will work in teams to investigate a reform strategy that especially interests them, applying an analytical frame and critiquing its usefulness. The course will include at least one Saturday field trip to visit sites that are implementing food system reforms.

Level: Intermediate. Class limit 20. Lab fee $20. *HS*

Molly Anderson

Candice Stover

John Visvader

Rich Borden

William Carpenter

Anne Kozak

Davis F. Taylor

Doreen Stabinsky

J. Gray Cox

Jay Friedlander

Candice Stover

Jay Friedlander

Molly Anderson

Davis F. Taylor

Jamie McKown

Ron Beard

According to the Chair of the Pew Oceans Commission, "America's oceans are in a state of crisis. Pollution, unplanned coastal development, and the loss of fisheries, habitat, and wildlife threaten the health of the oceans and the tens of thousands of jobs that form the backbone of coastal communities." This course will provide a general understanding of both marine resources and current regional, national, and international policy regarding these resources. Because oceans and the life they support transcend national and state boundaries, the course will explore international, national, and local oceanpolicy-making frameworks, including specific legislation addressing fisheries, coastal development, species protection, pollution, and resource extraction. We will examine some of the controversies that exist in marine environments today using historical case studies of ocean management policy. These case studies include management of Atlantic salmon, tuna-dolphin interactions, off-shore oil drilling, and New England fisheries. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of these problems, it is necessary to understand how scientists and policy makers think about the same issues, how they attempt to solve problems, and how these two views can be brought together successfully. Assessment will include several question sets, a final small group paper and presentation that investigates a current marine policy issue, and class participation. Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Prerequisites: Background in the biological sciences and environmental policy and permission of Instructors. Course fee $20.

Ken Cline
Chris Petersen

Just as we thought we had reached "the end of history," it reappeared with new strangeness and complexity. From the collapse of communism to the fall of the World Trade Center and beyond, this course will use outstanding recent works of non-fiction, fiction, fim and art to illuminate the meaning of our own time as it unfolds into history. We will use web resources to track international media on a daily basis, and outside speakers to broaden the context into such areas as music, political science and defense policy. Focus will be on the background of current world events in recent history. Readings will include Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History," Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations," Benjamin Barber's "Jihad vs. McWorld," Nadine Gordimer's "The Pickup," Anne Patchett's "Bel Canto." The instructional team of three teachers from 3 COA resource areas will ensure an interdisciplinary approach, and they will be augmented by several outside speakers representing military history, Middle Eastern and women's studies,music and anthropology.Students will be expected to stay current with daily readings from "The New York Times Online" and other media. Short and long papers will provide material for evaluation and allow each student to develop an area of expertise. Level: Introductory/Intermediate. Lab fee: $20. *HY*

John Anderson
William Carpenter

Ken Cline
Chris Petersen

John Anderson

Matthew Drennan