FIRST-YEAR REGISTRATION BOOKLET

Fall 2020

2

July 13, 2020

Dear Members of the Class of 2024,

Welcome to Middlebury! The information in this booklet will assist you in signing up for

your First Year Seminar between July 15th and July 21st, and in preparing to register for

the rest of your first-semester courses in early September.

The First Year Seminar, a mandatory, writing-intensive course limited to fifteen students

per section, is the first course for which you will register at Middlebury. Your seminar

instructor will serve as your academic advisor at the beginning of your undergraduate

career and will stay with you as a guide until you select an advisor within your academic

major. They have each envisioned a seminar that reflects their own expertise and

interests, and they have designed their course to empower you to take an active role in

your intellectual development. You will work closely with your FYS instructor and

peers, gaining through this special course a sense of the expectations and opportunities

involved in college-level work in the liberal arts. Some of the seminars described in this

booklet offer interdisciplinary perspectives; some include activities outside the

classroom; all are intended to help you develop your skills in thinking, writing, and

speaking and your confidence in working with others.

Please look over the “First-Year Seminars, Fall, 2020 Course Descriptions” within this

booklet and identify the seminars that appeal to you. You will be submitting your choices

of seminars, ranked 1-6, online. Instructions for that process begin on page 14. Please

read these instructions carefully before online seminar registration opens on Wednesday,

July 15th. If you do not have access to the web, you will need to submit your seminar

choices to Claire Wilkinson in the Registrar’s Office, as noted in the instructions. The

deadline for submission of seminar choices is Tuesday, July 21st. All choices received

by that date will be treated equally. This is not a first-come, first-serve situation for

students who submit their preferences by July 21st. Please make sure that each of your

six choices interests you, as it is not possible to switch after seminars have been assigned.

3

You will be notified of your seminar assignment in early August. You can then begin to

think about your other possible course choices for the Fall, which you will discuss at greater

length with your FYS instructor/advisor during orientation week. [Note: first-semester

students should enroll in a total of four courses.] To help you prepare for that conversation,

this booklet features information about degree requirements, departmental policies regarding

majors, courses necessary for admission to health professions schools, advanced placement

credit, placement examinations, and the kinds of courses recommended for first-year

students.

You will hear from us and from your First Year Seminar instructor in the coming weeks. In

the meantime, please examine this booklet thoroughly, as it reflects updates to our regular

processes that have had to shift because of the COVID emergency. Because of the unusual

circumstances you are navigating as new students entering Middlebury under COVID

conditions, we are hosting a First-Year Town Hall Gathering on Academics via zoom on

Tuesday, July 14th. You should have received on Friday, July 10th an email invitation to that

event for you and your families. We look forward to addressing there your questions about

the First Year Seminar Program and academics in your first year.

Feel free to contact us (fysd@middlebury.edu) if you have questions that this booklet or the

Town Hall did not answer or that cannot wait until you meet with your advisor.

Sincerely,

Your FYS Team

Amy Morsman, Director

Amit Prakash, Assistant Director

Nikolina Dobreva, Assistant Director

mailto:fysd@middlebury.edu

Contents

First-Year Seminars, Fall 2020……………………………………………………… 5

Registration Information…………………………………………………………….. 14

Advanced Placement Policy Statement……………………………………………… 21

Placement Examination Information………………………………………………… 23

Departments of Instruction – Information for First-Year Students………………….. 29

Degree Requirements………………………………………………………………… 38

Study Abroad………………………………………………………………………… 40

Professional School Requirements for Health Care Professions.................…………. 41

Middlebury College Calendar 2020-21……………………………………………… 43

5

FIRST YEAR SEMINARS, FALL 2020

Course Descriptions

In these next nine pages, you will find information about every First Year Seminar being offered this

Fall. We hope these seminar descriptions will intrigue you and help you select your course

preferences.

Due to the changes happening on campus in response to the COVID crisis and the need to follow state

health protocols, you will see that many of the seminars have some online component to them, though

some will continue to be taught entirely in person – if conditions allow – until the Thanksgiving

recess. Because the course schedule is still being finalized, you will not see here a meeting time listed

for each seminar. You will be able to see, though, how each instructor plans to teach their class – in-

person, in a blended format, or fully online. Please see the chart below for a description of these

course modalities and the specific terms we are using to signal them in the course descriptions.

In-person The course offers all of its meetings in person on campus. The instructor may use digital

technologies for sharing information or for some

class assignments, but in-person interaction, with

safe physical distancing, is expected throughout

the semester.

Blended The course offers some in-person and some online class meetings, as determined by the

instructor. Online interactions may be

synchronous or asynchronous.

Scheduled Online The course has synchronous and asynchronous interactions, but no in-person meetings. Some or

all synchronous class meetings are required (e.g.

discussions via Zoom) and are scheduled based

on the academic course schedule.

Part I.

Seminars where the professor will be teaching entirely online are listed here.

For the small group of students who know or think that they might be studying remotely in the Fall,

these seminars are for your choosing; please select from this list of courses. Students planning to be

on campus this Fall may consider these seminars within their course options.

FYSE 1063 Creative Power (CRN: 92612)

In this course students will have the opportunity to dig deeply into their own creativity and explore the

processes by which ideas emerge and are given shape in the arts. This is an experiential course,

integrating cognition and action, mind and body. Students will create projects exploring sound,

movement, text, and visual art. Students will engage a range of modes of discovering, knowing, and

communicating, which are designed to push them beyond their present state of awareness and level of

confidence in their creative power. Practical work will be closely accompanied by readings, weekly

writing assignments, journaling, and will culminate in the creation of a short performance project as well

as a final research paper. 3 hrs. sem. ART, CW Scheduled Online (M. Biancosino)

6

FYSE 1376 Postwar Japanese History in Film and Literature (CRN: 92565)

In this seminar we will study the history of postwar Japan (1945 to the present), focusing on how

literature and film have engaged the defining historical and political questions of this period. The

seminar is organized around specific themes, including trauma and war memory, the Allied

occupation, the cold war in East Asia, high economic growth in the 1960s, political protest, post-

coloniality, and a resurgent nationalism. Students will learn postwar Japanese history while also

considering the possibilities of pursuing historical analysis through translated literature and narrative

film. 3 hrs. sem. AAL, CW, HIS Scheduled Online (M. Ward)

FYSE 1439 Language and Ethnic Identity (CRN: 92559)

Language is a central feature of human identity. In this seminar we will explore the multiple ways in

which language is used in society to express, create, and perform these identities. We will analyze—from

a sociolinguistic perspective—how variation in speakers’ linguistic resources (e.g., pronunciation, syntax,

word choice, language choice) can serve as tools to shape, stereotype, or subvert national, regional, and

other types of ethnic identities. We will draw examples from linguistic research, literature, film,

television, political discourse, popular songs, the internet, and other media in the United States as well as

in other societies. 3 hrs. sem. + some film screenings. CW, SOC Scheduled Online (B. Baird)

FYSE 1464 The Empire Writes Back: Politics and Literature from Postcolonial Africa, the

Caribbean, and South Asia (CRN: 91646)

A hundred years ago, Britain ruled about a quarter of the world’s population, and the British Empire

covered approximately a quarter of the earth’s land surface. Though most of the colonies have won

formal independence, the effects of global imperialism continue to be felt, and arguably Empire has taken

on other forms. In this seminar we will discuss fiction, poetry, and drama by postcolonial writers such as

J. M. Coetzee, Derek Walcott, Daljit Nagra, Wole Soyinka, Mahashweta Devi, Jean Rhys, Arundhati Roy,

Edward Said, and Frantz Fanon, addressing questions about the nature and effects of colonization, anti-

colonial resistance, representation, agency, and power. 3 hrs. sem. CMP, CW, SOA Scheduled Online

(Y. Siddiqi)

FYSE 1496 Reason, Morality, and Cultural Difference (CRN: 92557)

Different cultures have different standards of what counts as true, rational, and moral. Are all of these

standards equally good? Which considerations could possibly support this position? Furthermore, should

we accept the consequences that follow from the claim that all of these standards are equally good—for

example, that the structure of the universe changes in accordance with a culture’s commitments to modern

science, or that it is morally acceptable for some cultures to engage in genocide? By reading, discussing,

and writing about contemporary philosophical readings on these topics, we will address these questions.

CW, PHL Scheduled Online (K. Khalifa)

FYSE 1542 It's not you, it's me. Autobiographical Explorations in Film (CRN: 92569)

In this seminar we will study a range of autobiographical practices in audiovisual media to examine how

filmmakers have used the self as a starting point to explore universal issues like the essence of family

bonds, finding love, or understanding their identity. Experimental practices (like Jonas Mekas’ Diaries),

fictionalized accounts (Mike Mills’ Beginners), and documentary strategies (Daniel Khan’s My Architect

and Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell) will inform our own creative processes and explorations. Through

close readings, critical papers, and our own pieces, we will attempt to better understand the world and

who we are in it. Note to students: this course involves substantial streaming of films for assigned

viewing. 3 hrs. sem. ART, CW Scheduled Online (D. Miranda Hardy)

7

FYSE 1568 Play and the Politics of Childhood (CRN: 92621)

In this seminar we will examine the culture of the United States through the lens of childhood play and

how it reflects and challenges mainstream conceptions of social control, freedom, and political power.

This includes investigating the history of children’s rights and the social boundaries we build around

young people. Drawing from the rich field of “playwork” we will interrogate the social messages

conveyed by play environments and play objects (aka “toys”) and what those messages may indicate

about the society from which they emerge. Through essays and texts, documentary films and podcasts,

lectures, guest speakers and personal reflection we will interrogate the purpose of play in our culture. 3

hrs. sem. SOC, CW Scheduled Online (E. Davis)

_________________________

Part II.

Seminars where the professor will be teaching in person or using a combination of online and

in-person instruction (“Blended”) are listed here. Students should only select from this list of

courses if they know they will be on campus for the Fall term.

FYSE 1028 Identity and Difference (CRN: 92571)

How do we use categories of identity and difference? How does culture determine how we perceive and

perform gender and ethnic identity: male/female, gay/straight, East/West, black/white? We will look at

constructions of gender and sexual identity in various cultures and consider how they intersect with

national and ethnic identity. Literature and film will be our primary focus. We will read Euripides’

Bacchae, Forster’s Passage to India, and Hwang’s Madame Butterfly and view films like Kiss of the

Spiderwoman and Europa Europa that problematize sexual and gender identity. 3 hrs. sem. + online film

screenings. CMP, CW, SOC Blended (K. Moss)

FYSE 1105 The Poet’s ‘I’: Poetry and Autobiography (CRN: 92561)

In this seminar we will work to discover the sometimes-subtle connections between the "objective" events

of a poets’ lives and the poems that they produced. Emily Dickinson and Gerard Manley Hopkins are

known as reticent, self-concealing poets; nonetheless their poems tell their life stories. John Berryman is a

"confessional" poet; yet questions about the relationship between his poems and his life are similar. Lyn

Hejinian is a postmodern poet who complicates all of those questions. We will read a great many poems,

as well as letters, diaries, drafts, published biographies, and autobiographical prose by each poet. 3 hrs.

sem./disc. CW, LIT Blended (B. Millier)

FYSE 1119 The U.S. American Left: Past, Present, and Future (CRN: 92491)

This course is an introduction to the politics, ideas, and institutions of the U.S. American Left. We

will cover the labor movement, the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, the New Left of the

sixties, and the academic Left that has paid increasing attention to race and gender. Later we turn to

the protest movements against climate change, free trade, and growing inequality. The course also

focuses on contemporary resistance to Trump, and the resurgent popularity of Marxism and socialism

in the United States. Students will leave the course with an understanding of the complex history and

possible futures of Left politics today. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, CW, SOC Blended (J. McCallum)

8

FYSE 1133 Faith and Reason (CRN: 92577)

In this seminar we will explore perennial and contemporary questions in the philosophy of religion: Is

there a God? Are objective proofs of God possible, or is religious belief founded on subjective

feelings? What is faith? The modern period has been a time of unprecedented crisis for religion, and

we will focus in particular on these challenges and responses to them. Is religion, as Freud thought,

just wish-fulfillment? Is religious belief compatible with science? Can any religion claim to be the

true religion given the plurality of religious faiths? Readings will include works by St. Augustine, St.

Anselm, Kant, Kierkegaard, William James, Freud, and contemporary philosophers. 3 hrs. sem. CW,

PHL Blended (J. Spackman)

FYSE 1154 Euripides and Athens (CRN: 92558)

Was the tragic genius of Euripides (480?-406 BC) corrupted by the atheistic rationalism of the sophists

and the philosophy of Socrates, as their Athenian contemporary, the comic poet Aristophanes, alleged?

Nietzsche makes that view the basis of his attack on Socrates in The Birth of Tragedy. Or, was Euripides

in fact "the most tragic of the poets," as Aristotle argued in his Poetics, written during the half century

after Euripides' death in 406 BC? In this course we discuss twelve of Euripides' extant plays in the context

of 5th c. BC Greek political and intellectual history, with the help of Aristotle, Nietzsche, and modern

critics. 3 hrs. sem. CW, EUR, LIT Blended (M. Witkin)

FYSE 1181 American President Biographies (CRN: 92568)

In this course we will examine biographies, both written and filmed, of several American presidents,

including those who are well known – Madison, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt – and those who are

less well known – Cleveland, Polk, Van Buren, John Quincy Adams, and McKinley. What, if anything,

prepared these men for the nation’s highest office? What explains their successes? Their failures? Why do

we consider some great, and others not so great? What do these biographies reveal about how Americans

evaluate their leaders? 3 hr. sem. AMR, CW, HIS Blended (M. Dickinson and Gov. James Douglas)

FYSE 1184 The Journey Within: The Spiritual Pursuit in Literary and Mystical Traditions (CRN:

92627) A fundamental teaching of the world’s religious traditions is that the source of love, the

fulfillment of life, and the treasure of heaven are found within. With texts from antiquity to the present as

our guides, we shall explore themes such as the concept of the soul, the discovery of a deeper self, the

spiritual awakening, and the nature of the mystical experience. We shall consider questions related to

religious and psychological experience such as: Where does the self reside? Why is it important to “know

thyself”? What is the state of consciousness described as enlightenment? How does one rise above the

sorrows and struggles of the world? Finally, we shall try to understand how turning within does not mean

fleeing from the world, but engaging in the world around us in a more profound and meaningful way.

Readings will include works from the Upanishads, Plato, Marcus Aurelius, St. Teresa of Avila, Tolstoy,

Emily Dickinson, Herman Hesse, and J.D. Salinger. 3 hrs. sem. CMP, PHL, CW Blended

(M. Hatjigeorgiou)

FYSE 1186 Printmaking in the Time of Rembrandt (CRN: 92487)

In this course we will study a selection of seventeenth-century Dutch prints from the collection of the

Middlebury College Museum of Art, which includes etchings and engravings by artists such as Hendrick

Golztius, Rembrandt van Rijn, Adriaen van Ostade, Nicolaes Berchem, and Cornelis Dusart, among

others. Students will learn and write about the history of printmaking in the Dutch Republic by

working virtually with the objects in the collection, as well as other primary and secondary

sources. Students in this course will also write short essays to be included in an online catalogue of the

Museum’s collection of seventeenth-century Dutch prints. 3 hrs. sem. ART, CW, EUR Blended

(C. Anderson)

9

FYSE 1203 The Beast in the Jungle (CRN: 92560)

In this course we will explore some literary texts in which the practice of exploration itself yields a

complex confrontation with, and often breakdown of, identity and will. Westerners’ longing to separate

themselves from home and make contact with a foreign “other” arises from the high purposes that set

imperial adventures in motion in the first place. Readings will include Conrad’s Heart of Darkness,

Forster’s Passage to India, Waugh’s Handful of Dust, Bowles’ Sheltering Sky, Stone’s Dog Soldiers,

Duras’ The Lover, Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case. 3 hrs. sem. CW, LIT Blended (R. Cohen)

FYSE 1207 Your Brain at College (CRN: 92488)

You are embarking on a four-year journey in which the actions you take, material you study, and people

you interact with will collectively produce lasting changes to your brain (and by extension, fundamentally

alter who you are). Utilizing research from psychology and neuroscience, our course will explore a

diverse set of mechanisms (e.g. sleep, learning/memory, emotion/stress) that contribute to persistent

changes in brain structure and function. In doing so, you will develop 1) an appreciation for the

complexity of the brain and 2) strategies to help your own brain successfully navigate the college

experience. 3 hrs. sem. CW, SCI Blended (M. Dash)

FYSE 1216 Mathematics of Board Games (CRN: 92490)

People have been playing games since as early as 2000 B.C. Since then, avid players have devised

strategies to maximize their chances of winning. In this course we will dissect a variety of modern

board games and analyze various strategies for each game using mathematics, computers, and

intuition. We will further discuss whether an optimal strategy exists for each game and propose

modifications to existing rules and scoring schemes. The course will culminate with a project to

construct a board game. All are welcome regardless of mathematical background. 3 hrs. sem. CW,

DED In-person (A. Lyford)

FYSE 1221 American Kitsch (CRN: 92489)

Kitsch is trash. Kitsch is the opposite of art. Kitsch is the mass-produced, cheap substitute for objects

made in good taste. To study kitsch is to study the unspoken social boundaries created by a modern world

transformed by industrial production. In this seminar we will explore the formation of taste through

focused studies of kitschy things paired with readings from social theorists. Our studies will range from

popular culture to politics and religion across several national contexts. We will develop tools to critically

assess how judgements of taste are embedded in the intersecting systems of race, class, and gender. 3 hrs.

sem. CW, SOC In-person (J. Doran)

FYSE 1223 Communication: From Analog to Digital and Back Again (CRN: 92492)

In this seminar we will undertake an interdisciplinary study of the nearly ubiquitous process of

communication—that is, the transmission and receipt of information. This will run the gamut from

oral to written to digital language; from humans to cells to subatomic particles; from hearing to sight

to touch; and from its first origins into the modern day. Throughout, we will observe the interplay

between the analog world in which we physically live and the increasingly digital world that humanity

has created through modern technology, and we will attempt to gain a larger perspective on the

transformation that has taken place, along with its effects. 3 hrs. sem. CW In-person (F. Swenton)

10

FYSE 1322 The Moral of the Story: Exploring Ethics through Literature and Music (CRN: 92572)

Ethics is the study of how we ought to live, as individuals and in society. For millennia theologians and

philosophers have constructed ethical arguments, but for much longer people have shared songs and

stories to convey and contest moral values. In this course we will study selected English-language novels,

poems, and music as moral expressions. We will explore the ethical issues they raise, including

considerations of what it means to be human, what justice demands, and how we should balance

individual freedom and social duty. Works we will examine include Shelley’s Frankenstein, Asimov’s I,

Robot, and the African-American spiritual tradition. 3 hrs. sem. CW, PHL Blended (J.C. Davis)

FYSE 1344 Time Around A Table: A Culinary History of Italy (CRN: 92581)

Food is a window into the culture and values of any society. In this seminar we will explore the history of

Italian culture by investigating the ever-changing issues relating to food, through books, articles, films,

recipes, and cooking. How did production and consumption change over time? What did the Ancient

Romans eat? What was Italian cuisine like before pasta and tomatoes? What triggered the Italian appetite

to change? Such questions allow us to examine what culinary choices reveal about today’s Italy. 3 hrs.

sem. CW, EUR, HIS Blended (I. Brancoli Busdraghi)

FYSE 1347 Singing Communities (CRN: 92562)

Humans have used their voices in expressive communication for thousands of years, singing for work,

comfort, love, praise, and many other purposes. In this course we will explore the role of singing in

human communities to address questions about human need. Why do people sing together? Can singing

enhance quality of life, and build community? We will sing, research singing traditions, and lead singing

engagement activities in the Middlebury community. We will discuss our work with each other and write

about our experience. Interest in group vocal music is encouraged. No prior vocal experience required.

3hrs/lecture. ART, CW Blended (J. Buettner)

FYSE 1378 American Environmentalisms After 1960 (CRN: 92564)

Environmentalism emerged as a political and cultural force in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.

In this seminar we will study the historical development and transformation of contested

“environmentalisms” after 1960 through primary documents including books, magazines, photographs,

advertisements, and films. We will analyze portrayals of the environment in crisis, as well as criticisms of

different strands of environmentalism for their challenges to ideas of economic growth and their struggles

to address social inequalities, particularly those of class and race. Student work will include essays, oral

presentations, and independent and group research projects. 3 hrs. sem. CW, HIS, NOR In-Person

(K. Morse)

FYSE 1407 Gender and the Making of Space (CRN: 92556)

In this seminar we will investigate the complex relationship between gender and architecture, examining

how the design of the built environment (buildings, urban spaces, etc.) can reinforce or undermine ideas

about the respective roles of women and men in society, from the creation of masculine and feminine

spaces to the gendered nature of the architectural profession. By looking at both visual evidence and

textual sources, we will also uncover how the social construction of gender roles and gendered spaces

are—and continue to be—inflected by race, class, and sexuality. 3 hrs. sem. CW, HIS, NOR Blended

(E. Sassin)

11

FYSE 1433 Biology of Attraction (CRN: 92587)

Why is one person attracted to another? We will explore both the evolutionary origins of mate choice

and the physiological mechanisms that underlie attraction. The process of sexual selection, first

proposed by Charles Darwin, shapes the mating decisions and courtship displays in all animal species,

and we will consider how the same process shapes human preferences and potentially human

intelligence more broadly. Based on recent research with rodents, we will also consider how neural

connections and hormone levels influence feelings of love and lust. The Evolution of Beauty and The

Chemistry Between Us will be our primary texts, supplemented by journal articles. 3 hrs. sem. CW,

SCI In-Person (M. Spritzer)

FYSE 1453 Karma (CRN: 92566)

Why do things happen to us as they do? For many throughout Asia, the answer is or has been karma, the

ancient Indian notion that over multiple lifetimes individuals reap the effects of past actions. We will

examine this powerful idea of moral causality in depth, considering strikingly varied versions in classical

Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, and the wealth of practices believed to improve future lives (and

ultimately lead to liberation). We will also investigate the diverse and surprising consequences of karma

in some Asian societies—including the justification of social hierarchy, the mistreatment of some groups,

and the emergence of vegetarianism—as well as the role of karma in literature and film, especially in East

Asia. 3 hrs. sem. AAL, CW, PHL Blended (E. Morrison)

FYSE 1458 Pyramid Schemes, Bubbles, and Crashes (CRN: 92570)

In this seminar we will study the anthropology of exchange, then use it to analyze ethnographies of

financial speculators, labor migrants, microcredit borrowers, and other agents and victims of global

capitalism. We will focus on conflicting obligations to kin and to creditors, on how people in different

cultures and social classes juggle these obligations, and how the growth of financial debt can turn social

relationships into commodities. Studying debt and how it is leveraged in different societies and historical

eras will show why capitalism is so vulnerable to speculative booms, swindles, and collapses. 3 hrs. sem.

CMP, CW, SOC Blended (D. Stoll)

FYSE 1459 Money, Morals, and Madmen in Global Politics (CRN: 92567)

Non-state actors bring resources (money), new norms (morals), and revisionist aims (madmen) to global

governance. In this seminar we will look at how private actors, including corporations, non-governmental

organizations, and terrorist groups, have shaped development and conflict around the world. Throughout,

we will reflect on how these groups represent societal interests and work to improve or undermine state

sovereignty and global governance. 3 hrs. sem. CW, SOC Blended (S. Stroup)

FYSE 1482 Marx and Marxism (CRN: 92563)

Is Marxism still relevant in a world that has witnessed the collapse of most self-declared Marxist states?

To address this question, we will explore the development of central Marxist concepts (including class

struggle, alienation, revolution) both in Marx’s own words and in the writings and actions of those he

inspired. Central to our inquiry will be consideration of the historical relationship between Marxist theory

and practice (in a range of geographic and cultural contexts) and the adaptation of Marxist ideas for

cultural and political critiques in the West. 3 hrs. sem. CW, CMP, HIS Blended (R. Mitchell)

12

FYSE 1511 Once Upon a Time – Folk Fairy Tales of the World (CRN: 92624)

Tell me a story! We will examine the complex, inter-connected folk fairy tale traditions found in every

society. Comparing fairy tale variants from around the world, we will explore their convoluted and fertile

relationships as observed in the rise of fairytale collections in 15th Century Europe, reaching a

culmination in the Brothers Grimm collection, often synonymous with the fairy tale itself. To attain a

more dispassionate critical stance we will explore theoretical approaches to the fairy tales by such authors

as Jack Zipes, Ruth Bottigheimer, Maria Tatar, and Kay Stone, and conclude by examining modern

variants in prose, poetry, and film. 3 hrs. sem. CMP, LIT, CW Blended (R. Russi)

FYSE 1513 Reading and Writing Contemporary Art (CRN: 92623)

How do we understand art produced in the present day? How does this art help us understand the world?

In this course we will consider multiple objects designated by the term “contemporary art”: a global

industry, an art-historical discourse, a set of cultural practices evolving in dialogue with technology, a

symbolic arena for the consideration of political values. We will familiarize ourselves with notable works

in contemporary art’s unfinished canon and pursue the challenge of writing about the visual. Goals

include writing and revising college-level essays, learning effective research techniques, and analyzing

the culture of the contemporary art world. 3 hrs. sem. ART, CW Blended (R. White)

FYSE 1514 Refugee Stories (CRN: 92625)

“Stories are just things we fabricate,” says a character in Viet Nguyen’s The Refugees. “We search for

them in a world besides our own, then leave them here to be found, garments shed by ghosts.” In this

course students will find stories by and about a paradigmatic modern figure: the displaced refugee seeking

asylum in unfamiliar lands. Highlighting literary and visual representations, we will also draw from

history, sociology, anthropology, environmental studies, and feminist critique. Beginning with the Syrian

refugee crisis, we will circle back to the Vietnam War and the lingering questions it poses to today’s

social justice movement. 3 hrs. sem. LIT, CW Blended (B. Graves)

FYSE 1535 Literary Borders (CRN: 91800)

This course examines the imaginative possibilities of the border in literary and visual texts. We will

consider how writers portray cultural, national, temporal, and linguistic frontiers; how literature embodies

the experience of crossing or dwelling within borderlands; how texts reinforce or transgress the

boundaries at which we are positioned as readers; and how writing itself can construct and bridge

differences. Reading poems and stories of liminal figures—em/immigrants, expatriates, exiles, animals,

misfits, racial others, queers, and adventurers—we will analyze how borders challenge our ideas about

place, body, identity, language, and text. In encounters with hybrid genres and multimedia texts that

disrupt the way we read, we will explore the edges of language. For a broader picture of the border in the

human imagination, we will also turn to films and other arts. Texts may include Alison Bechdel’s Fun

Home, Justin Torres’ We the Animals, James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, and Claudia Rankine’s Citizen,

among others. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, LIT, CW Blended (S. Cassarino)

FYSE 1540 Reward for Being: Emily Dickinson and Her Influence (CRN: 92622)

In this seminar we will focus on Emily Dickinson, the 19th century American poet whose work, as

scholar Susan Howe writes, “penetrates to the indefinite limits of written communication.” We will

immerse ourselves in the letters and poems of Dickinson, with a particular focus on her relationship to her

own literary vocation. We will also investigate the influence Dickinson has had on American poets in the

20th and 21st centuries. Texts will include primary sources as well as a biography of and critical work on

Dickinson. 3 hrs. sem. LIT, CW Blended (K. Gottshall)

13

FYSE 1561 How Do I Improvise? (CRN: 92573)

Have you ever watched a friend while they jam away on their guitar, awed that they can make things up

on the spot? Perhaps you would like to learn how to improvise. In “How Do I Improvise” students will

learn how to best express what they hear and see in an improvised performance. We will explore how to

write about improvisation through study of contemporaneous accounts and scholarship about the work of

famous improvisers in music, theater, and more. In addition to writing about improvisation, students will

participate in their own jams. Open to all students, novice to expert. ART, CW Blended (M. Taylor)

FYSE 1563 Landscapes of Central America: Past, Present and Future (CRN: 92575)

Central America has been at the crossroads of the Americas since closure of the isthmus of Panama

around three million years ago. In this course we will study Central America through an interdisciplinary

lens of natural history and human history (prehistoric through modern), including fiction and non-fiction

by Central American authors, journal articles, popular science writing, and poetry. We will explore the

geological origins of Central America as well as human-landscape interactions, notably volcanism, early

agriculture, and trade routes. Our readings will also require us to think about current and future socio-

political systems and their relationships to landscape. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, CW Blended (P. Ryan)

FYSE 1565 Growing up in Italy: 1950 to Present (CRN: 92615)

What is the role of a liberal arts education in the lives we lead? This question is central to several

international blockbusters dramatizing their Italian protagonists’ growth from adolescence into adulthood:

Marco Tullio Giordana’s mini-series, The Best of Youth (film, 2003), Elena Ferrante’s novels My Brilliant

Friend (2011-12) and The Story of a New Name (2012-13), and Saverio Costanzo’s HBO film series

(2019-20). We will consider these works’ stories of personal evolution against Italian and Western

historical developments from 1950 to the present: post-war reconstruction; economic expansion;

educational reform; reform in the care of the mentally ill; student and worker movements; feminism; left-

and right-wing terrorism; the Mafia. No previous knowledge of Italy or Italian is required. 3 hrs. sem.

CW, EUR, HIS Blended (P. Zupan)

FYSE 1566 American Revolutions: Reacting to the Past (CRN: 92628)

In this course we will be examining four moments of intellectual and cultural conflict in the United States,

including: 1)The Revolution in NYC, 1775-76, 2)The Fate of John Brown, 1859, 3)Greenwich Village,

1913 (Suffrage, Labor and the New Woman) and, 4)Chicago, 1968. We will dive deep into these

moments of revolution via Reacting to the Past games, in which you’ll present the perspectives

of historical characters—sometimes with values quite different than your own--in lively debate. These

games do not have a fixed script: you’ll find yourself researching classic documents, collaborating,

making public speeches, plotting—and in the end, perhaps even rewriting history. 3 hrs. sem. AMR, HIS,

CW Blended (D. Evans)

FYSE 1567 Education in the Anthropocene (CRN: 92626)

Traditionally, a liberal arts education has placed humans at the center of study. But, what if we decentered

humans in order to explore how to live not as overseer, but as an embodied expression of a much larger,

shared Earthscape? What is the balance of liberty and social justice in such a paradigm? What if this new,

required spacing between us is not a barrier to our engagement, but the opening possibility of a larger,

shared consciousness? Using a conceptual framework of land-body-spirit-mind, we will engage learning

at the crossroads of these questions. Is six feet really the distance between when your breath ends and

mine begins? 3 hrs. sem. PHL, CW In-person (J. Miller-Lane)

14

First-Year Seminar Registration Information Fall 2020

Registration Window: Wednesday, July 15 at 12:00 p.m. through Tuesday, July 21 at 5:00 p.m.

(Eastern time)

Welcome Class of 2024. You will register your First-Year Seminar choices in Banner 9, which you can access via this URL: https://reg-prod.ec.middlebury.edu/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registration. All students will enter 6 seminar choices in preferential order, from your first choice to your last choice. Students attending remotely may only choose from those seminars listed as Scheduled Online. You must submit all 6 choices at the same time since you will not be able to log back in, so please proofread your choices carefully before you submit. This is not a first-come, first-served registration. Students are assigned a seminar based on the availability of their choices only after the registration window closes. Notification of which First Year Seminar you have been enrolled in will be sent via email (Middlebury email account) prior to your arrival in August. If you do not have access to the web during the registration period, you may email your ranked First-Year Seminar choices to Claire Wilkinson, Associate Registrar (contact information below). BannerWeb registration is preferable, but if your selections are received by the July 21 deadline it makes no difference to your seminar assignment how or when you register during the registration window.

E-mail: cwilkinson@middlebury.edu If you have questions, please contact:

Amy Morsman: Director of the First-Year Program, with seminar-related questions; 802.443.3223 fysd@middlebury.edu

Claire Wilkinson: Associate Registrar, with registration questions; 802.443.5354

cwilkinson@middlebury.edu

https://reg-prod.ec.middlebury.edu/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registrationmailto:cwilkinson@middlebury.edumailto:fysd@middlebury.edumailto:cwilkinson@middlebury.edu

15

Instructions on Registering for your First Year Seminar Choices:

1. Begin by navigating to Banner 9: https://reg-prod.ec.middlebury.edu/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registration

We recommend using Firefox on either your Mac or PC. Your login credentials are your Middlebury email and password.

To protect your privacy, always exit and close your browser after each use.

2. To Register for your First-Year Seminar choices, you will first select the “Register for Classes” link.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------

3. Log in to Banner 9. Your login credentials are your Middlebury email and password.

Select “Register for Classes”

Enter Middlebury Email

Enter Password

https://reg-prod.ec.middlebury.edu/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registration

16

4. Select the appropriate term by clicking on the drop down menu and highlight the “First Year Seminar

Choices” link

Then press “Continue”

Select “First Year Seminar Choices” Link

Select “Continue”

17

5. Click in the “Subject” window and type “First Year Seminar” then press “search”

Read carefully before proceeding to enter your First Year Seminar choices:

When adding your First-Year Seminar choices, you must enter your top 6 seminar choices in order of preference from your top choice to your last choice. You must submit all 6 at the same time. Please proofread these carefully before you submit, as you will not be able to resubmit these choices and retain the priority you wanted. Please enter only 6 choices.

Continue on to step 6.

Select the “First Year Seminar” link.

Press “Search”

18

6. Search Results window: A listing of available First Year Seminar (FYS) courses will appear.

Your task is to click the “Add” button next to each FYSE in your order of preference Figure 2.

Note: If you are a remote learner this Fall make sure each of your 6 FYSE choices are online seminars.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Click the “Add” button in the order of your first year seminar course preference. For instance: 1st Choice: The Poets 2nd Choice: Faith and Reason 3rd Choice: Identity/Difference etc..

Click on Title for Course Details

Click on Title for Course Details

1

3

2

19

7. Summary Window: The 6 First Year Seminar courses you have selected will appear in the “Summary” window

(A) located on the bottom right hand corner of your screen. Each course will be marked as “Pending” (B) in

the status column and will be in order of preference starting at the bottom of the Summary screen

progressing up.

A. Summary Window

B. Pending

20

8. When you have listed all 6 First Year Seminar choices please click “Submit”. Successful submission will result

in the “Status” of each course changing from “Pending” to “Registered”.

Thank you very much for registering your seminar choices in BannerWeb.

“Registered” indicates

successful submission of

your FYS course selections

21

2020-2021 ADVANCED PLACEMENT POLICY STATEMENT

Subject/Exam AP

Score

Credit Equivalent

Courses*

Additional Information

Biology 5 1 unit n/a Advanced placement credit does not exempt a student from any

of the published requirements for the Biology major, minor, or

joint majors.

Chemistry 4 or 5 1 unit CHEM 0103 Placement in CHEM 0107 recommended.

Chinese 4 or 5 1 unit n/a CHNS 0301 or higher must be the first Chinese course taken at

Middlebury. Must complete CHNS 301 or higher with a B or

better to receive credit.

Computer Science A 4 or 5 1 unit CSCI 0145

Economics

Macro 4 1 unit ECON 0150 Must complete ECON 0250 with B- or better to receive credit.

5 1 unit ECON 0150

Micro 4 1 unit ECON 0155 Must complete ECON 0255 with B- or better to receive credit.

5 1 unit ECON 0155

English & American

Literatures

4 or 5 1 unit n/a Only one English exam will receive credit; this cannot be used

toward the English & American Literatures major.

French

(Lang. or Lit.)

4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must complete FREN 0209 or above with a B- or better to

receive credit. FREN 0209 or above must be the first French

course taken. Only one French exam will receive credit.

Geography

Human Geography 5 1 unit n/a The AP score of a 5 substitutes as a 200 level elective course for

students who declare as geography majors.

German 4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must take the departmental placement test, place into a 300+

course and complete that class with at least a B to receive credit.

History Up to two AP history credits can count toward the major but

cannot be used to fulfill any specific requirements.

European 4 or 5 1 unit HIST 103 or 104

U.S. 4 or 5 1 unit HIST 203 or 204

World 4 or 5 1 unit n/a

History of Art 4 or 5 1 unit HARC 0100

Italian 4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must complete Italian course at 0300-level to receive credit.

Latin (Classics Dept.) 4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must complete Latin course (LATN 0201 level or above) with

grade of B or better to receive credit towards graduation (not the

major). Note: No more than one course credit will be granted,

whether the student presents one or two AP exams.

Mathematics

Calculus AB 4 or 5 1 unit MATH 0121

Calculus BC 4 or 5 2 units MATH 0121 and

MATH 0122

Calculus BC 3 or AB

sub-score

of 4 or 5

1 unit MATH 0121

Music Theory 4 or 5 1 unit MUSC 0160 Must also complete the music department's advanced placement

exam with a C or better to receive credit.

Physics

Physics C

(Mechanics)

4 or 5 1 unit PHYS 0109

Psychology 4 or 5 1 unit PSYC 0105

Spanish (Lang./Lit.) 4 or 5 1 unit n/a Must complete Spanish course at the 0300 level or above to

receive credit. Only one Spanish exam will receive credit.

Statistics

4

5

1 unit

1 unit

ECON 0210

ECON 0210

Must complete ECON 0211 with B- or better to receive credit.

*Students who choose to take a course equivalent to the AP exam noted on the Policy will forfeit the related AP credit.

Advanced placement credits may be used to anticipate course work at Middlebury. AP credits applied toward graduation will be counted toward the 16-course

limit in the department granting the credit unless the department specifically states that the credits do not count toward the major. AP credits do not fulfill

distribution requirements. Only two AP credits may count towards the 36 credits required for graduation. Furthermore, AP credits count as non-standard

grading courses, a total of only five of which may count towards the credits required for graduation. The category of “non-standard grading” includes courses elected under the Pass/D/Fail option; AP, IB, A-Level, and other pre-college testing credits; and credit-bearing internships. Official AP Score reports must be

reported to Middlebury College no later than the end of the student’s second semester.

22

23

Placement Examination Information: Fall 2020 Incoming students planning to enroll in courses in the departments listed below must take placement exams.

Review the chart below for information about exam formats, instructions, locations, and availability. Some exams will be offered online

beginning August 1, 2020. Other exams will be offered on Tuesday, September 8 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

You may complete any online placement exams in August before you arrive on campus, using a computer with internet access.

Follow the “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page. If you do not have internet access, you can take your online

placement exams on campus Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

To view websites for Middlebury academic departments, visit go.middlebury.edu/depts.

All telephone extensions listed below are preceded by the College’s general number: 802-443-(4-digit extension).

Department and

exam location

Who should take the placement exam?

Exam

components

Exam

length

Contact with

questions

Arabic

Voter Hall

lower level

Room 016

• All students who studied Arabic and wish to place into Arabic 103 or higher are required to take a placement exam.

• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.

Oral and

written exam

15-minute

interview

and

45-minute

written

test

Professor

Usama Soltan,

x5869, usoltan@middlebury.edu

Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Exam available

online – follow

instructions on

last page

• All students wishing to take chemistry during their first year are required to take the chemistry placement test, except for those who have received credit based on the AP

exam, International Baccalaureate HL exam, or British A levels. The Placement Exam

will assist the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in determining whether

placement in CHEM 0103 or CHEM 0104 is more appropriate. Students who enter

with advanced placement should register for CHEM 0107.

• After you have completed the online placement exam, go to http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-

results, to interpret your results.

• If you have questions about your results, contact Molly Costanza-Robinson (mcostanz@middlebury.edu) to discuss the best placement for you.

• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.

Computer-

based written

test; may use

a calculator

60–90

minutes Professor Molly Costanza-

Robinson, x5571, mcostanz@middlebury.ed

u or Department Coordinator

Judy Mayer,

x5451,

jmayer@middlebury.e

du

Department and

exam location

Who should take the placement exam? Exam

components

Exam

length

Contact with

questions

http://www.go.middlebury.edu/deptsmailto:usoltan@middlebury.eduhttp://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-resultshttp://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-resultsmailto:mcostanz@middlebury.edumailto:mcostanz@middlebury.edumailto:mcostanz@middlebury.edumailto:jmayer@middlebury.edumailto:jmayer@middlebury.edu

24

Chinese

Sunderland 110

• All students who have learned some Mandarin (at home, in the classroom, and/or abroad) and who wish to continue their study of Mandarin at Middlebury at any level other than the Fall Semester Beginning Chinese (CHNS 0101) are required to take the placement exam and

should do so during the orientation week of their first semester at Middlebury.

Students who have studied Mandarin but who wish to start over at the beginning in

the Fall (CHNS 0101) do not need to take the placement exam.

• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.

Interview;

reading comp.

and writing

evaluation as

necessary

60

minutes Professor

Thomas Moran, x5870, moran@middlebury.edu

Computer

Science 75 SHS, 2nd Floor

East Lounge

• No placement exam is offered for computer science. Students wishing to enroll in Middlebury CS courses beyond the 100-level should go 75 SHS, Second Floor East

Lounge on Tuesday, September 8, any time between 12 p.m. (noon) and 1 p.m., to

meet with CS faculty and determine appropriate placement.

None; meet with

faculty if

wishing to enroll

in CS beyond

the 100-level

Professor Matthew

Dickerson, x5460,

dickerso@middlebury.e

du

Economics

Warner Hall 201

• There is no placement exam in Economics. However, students with IB score of 6 or higher on the IB Higher Level economics or a grade of A on A-Level Economics that can be used to

fulfill the intro (macro and/or micro) economics course requirements should contact Amy

Holbrook about getting a “placement” code added to their record for the purpose of registration.

Students with a score of 6 or higher on the IB Higher Level economics or a grade of A on A-

Level Economics receive course credit for one intro (macro or micro) economics course. The

other credit must be made up with an additional elective.

• Students with IB Statistics, or a grade of B or better on A-Level Statistics, that can be used to fulfill the ECON 0210 Economic Statistics prerequisite should contact Amy Holbrook about

getting a “placement” code added to their record for the purpose of registration for courses with

ECON 0210 as a prerequisite.

• Since Banner Web does not recognize transfer credits, students who have other transfer credits that can be used as an econ course equivalent should contact Amy Holbrook about getting a

prerequisite override for the purpose of registration.

• Students with an AP score of 4 or 5 in macro and/or micro economics will receive one credit per AP score after they are officially submitted to the Registrar’s Office and according to the

rules outlined on the Economics Department Requirement’s page.

• For any of the circumstances listed above, if the credits have not been officially transferred to your Middlebury record please plan to do so immediately and, in the meantime, be prepared to

show proof of your scores to Amy Holbrook to get the appropriate override or “placement”

code added to your record for the purpose of registration. Students failing to transfer credits

towards the minimum total for the major will be required to take additional electives to meet the

minimum number of 11 economics courses.

• For more detailed information on IB, A-Levels, and Transfer of Credit, please refer to the economics department’s Requirement page,

http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/econ/requirements or set up a time to meet with Amy

Holbrook.

None; Meet

with

Department

Coordinator

Professor

Jeff Carpenter, x3241, jcarpent@middlebury.edu

or Department

Coordinator Amy

Holbrook, x5327, holbrook@middlebury.edu

mailto:moran@middlebury.edumailto:dickerso@middlebury.edumailto:dickerso@middlebury.eduhttp://www.middlebury.edu/academics/econ/requirementsmailto:jcarpent@middlebury.edumailto:holbrook@middlebury.edu

25

Department and

exam location

Who should take the placement exam?

Exam

components

Exam

length

Contact with

questions

French and

Francophone

Studies

Exam available

online – follow

instructions on

last page

• Students interested in beginning French at Middlebury (FREN 0101) should consult with French faculty during the orientation period or at Academic Forum.

• All continuing students of French must take a placement exam. We strongly encourage you to do so before arriving on campus.

• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.

• Placement results will be available at Academic Forum prior to registration. Faculty will be available to advise students of their placement.

Computer-

based written

test

50

minutes

Professor William Poulin-Deltour,

x5248, wpoulind@middlebury.edu,

or

Department Coordinator

Jolene Newton,

x5527, jynewton@middlebury.edu

German

FIC Cook 2

• Students with a background in German are invited to take the test.

• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.

Written test 60

minutes Professor Florence

Feiereisen, x5820,

ffeierei@middlebury.edu

Italian

Voter Hall 115

• All students who have studied Italian and wish to place into ITAL 0103 or higher are required to take the placement exam.

Interview

15

minutes Professor Stefano Mula, x5530,

smula@middlebury.edu

Japanese

Studies

Freeman

Seminar Room 2

• All students who have had some Japanese and are planning to study Japanese should take

the exam.

• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.

Interview

followed by

placement

exam

60

minutes

Professor

Masahiro Takahashi,

x3251, mtakahas@middlebury.edu

mailto:wpoulind@middlebury.edumailto:jynewton@middlebury.edumailto:ffeierei@middlebury.edumailto:smula@middlebury.edumailto:mtakahas@middlebury.edu

26

Department and

exam location

Who should take the placement exam? Exam

components

Exam

length Contact with questions

Latin

Exam available

online – follow

instructions on

last page

• Any students interested in continuing their study of Latin should take this test.

• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.

Computer-

based

written

exam; may

use a

dictionary

45

minutes

Professor Randall Ganiban,

x5888,

ganiban@middlebury.edu

Mathematics

Warner 309

• No placement exam is offered for mathematics; each student will receive an e-mail when they arrive on campus for orientation, based upon review of high school

transcripts. Students will only be able to register for the courses into which they were

placed in this e-mail. Should any concerns arise regarding math placement, or if no

placement has been determined, students are invited to discuss this with the

Department of Mathematics, either in Warner 309 during the placement exam period or

at Academic Forum.

• Advanced placement in the department is offered to first-year students whose secondary training indicates they can commonly bypass one or more of the beginning

courses in mathematics. Students who have earned grades on advanced placement

calculus exams that are eligible for credit may not register for the equivalent course at

Middlebury College. Thus, students who have earned 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB exam

or a 3 on the Calculus BC exam may not register for MATH 0121, and students who

have earned 4 or 5 on the Calculus BC exam may not register for MATH 0121 or

MATH 0122. This policy applies irrespective of whether students choose to use their

AP credits toward meeting Middlebury’s graduation requirements. The following

international credentials carry the same credit as a 4 or 5 on the Calculus BC Exam: A-

level exam with a mathematics grade of A, B, or C; or IB Higher Level Mathematics

with a grade of 6 or 7.

None;

placement

indicated in

email

Professor

Steve Abbott,

x2256,

abbott@middlebury.edu

or Department Coordinator

Jen Nuceder, x5565, jmnucede@middlebury.edu

Music

Mahaney Arts

Center 306

• All students who wish to place out of Music 0160, Music Theory I: Fundamentals, should take this exam. A score of C or better is required to receive placement into any courses that have MUSC 0160 as a prerequisite.

• Students with an AP score of 4 or 5 in music theory may take this exam. If they receive a grade of C or better, they will receive credit for MUSC 0160 and placement into any

courses that have MUSC 0160 as a prerequisite.

Written test

30

minutes

Professor Matthew Taylor, x5696, matthewt@middlebury.edu

Department and

exam location

Who should take the placement exam? Exam

components

Exam

length Contact with questions

Physics • No placement exam is offered for physics. Students wishing to enroll in physics courses at Middlebury should go to McCardell Bicentennial Hall 525 on Tuesday,

September 8 any time between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., to meet with physics faculty

None; meet

with faculty

Professor Susan Watson,

X5958,

pdc@middlebury.edu

mailto:ganiban@middlebury.edumailto:abbott@middlebury.edumailto:jmnucede@middlebury.edumailto:matthewt@middlebury.edumailto:pdc@middlebury.edu

27

McCardell

Bicentennial

Hall 525

and determine their appropriate placement.

(Luso-Hispanic

Studies)

Portuguese

• Students wishing to take Beginning Portuguese for Romance Language Speakers need to have taken either FREN 0205, ITAL 0251, or SPAN 0220; OR have taken the

French, Italian, or Spanish placement exam and be placed at FREN 0210, ITAL 0252,

or SPAN 0300 or above.

• Students wishing to study Portuguese in any other course must contact Professor Enrique Garcia (egarcia@middlebury.edu) to set up a personal interview.

Professor

Enrique Garcia, x5272,

egarcia@middlebury.edu

Psychology

McCardell

Bicentennial

Hall 286

(Psychology

Suite)

• Students with an AP score of 4 or 5 in psychology, or a score of 6 or 7 on the IB Higher Level Psychology exam, do not need to take the placement exam. If the AP or

IB credit has already been transferred to Middlebury, students automatically receive

one course credit for PSYC 0105, Introductory Psychology. If the AP credit hasn’t

been transferred yet, please talk to Professor Arndt about getting the credit temporarily

added to your record for the purpose of registration. Students with lower AP/IB scores

or who have done previous psychology course work may choose to take the department

placement exam. A passing score on the placement exam means that students may

enroll in courses that have a PSYC 0105 prerequisite, but it does not provide credit

toward the major/minor, graduation or other College requirements.

Short test

15–25

minutes Professor Jason Arndt, x3404,

jarndt@middlebury.edu

or Department Coordinator

Tanya Hershey, x5838,

tshershey@middlebury.edu

Russian

Exam available

online – follow

instructions on

last page

• Only students who have studied Russian and plan to take Russian should take this exam.

• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.

• Placement exam results alone cannot earn College credit.

• All students who have completed the exam should come to the Freeman Seminar Room 1 on Tuesday, September 8 anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for an oral

interview.

Computer-

based

written

exam and

oral

interview

45–60

minutes Professor Kevin Moss, x5786,

moss@middlebury.edu

(Luso-Hispanic

Studies)

Spanish

• All students who have taken Spanish before must take a placement exam in order to determine which level is most appropriate for them.

• See “Instructions for Online Placement Exams” on the last page.

• Students should complete the online placement exam before their arrival on campus. Results will be communicated during orientation week.

*Exam available online – follow instructions on last page

Computer-

based

written

exam

50-75

minutes Professor

Enrique Garcia, x5272,

egarcia@middlebury.edu

or Department Coordinator

Jen Nuceder, x5565,

jmnucede@middlebury.edu

mailto:egarcia@middlebury.edumailto:egarcia@middlebury.edumailto:jarndt@middlebury.edumailto:tshershey@middlebury.edumailto:moss@middlebury.edumailto:egarcia@middlebury.edumailto:jmnucede@middlebury.edu

28

Online Placement Exam Instructions: Chemistry and Biochemistry, French, Latin, Russian, and Spanish

Requirements for Online Placement

Exams • Your Middlebury College ID number and

Middlebury email address (ending in @middlebury.edu)

• An Internet connection with web access and a speed of at least 512kbps

• A computer that meets these minimum specifications (tablets and mobile devices are not recommended)

Operating System: Windows 7 and

newer, Mac OS X 10.6 and newer, or

Linux Chrome OS

Computer Speed and Processor (use

a computer 5 years old or newer when

possible): 1GB of RAM, 2GHz

processor

Supported Browsers: Chrome 52 and

53, Firefox 48 and 49 (Extended

Releases are not supported), or Safari

9 and 10 (Macintosh only). Internet

Explorer is not recommended for

placement exams.

For technical questions on these exams:

Please contact the Technology Helpdesk,

802-443-2200 or

helpdesk@middlebury.edu

Middlebury offers online placement exams beginning August 1, 2020 through Canvas. Complete your exam(s) BEFORE

you arrive on campus.* Read these instructions completely before you begin.

Step 1: Activate your Middlebury user account. If you have already activated your account, proceed to

Step 2. If you have not activated your account, open your web browser and enter this URL: go.middlebury.edu/activate, then

follow the on-screen instructions provided.

Step 2: Login to Canvas. Open your web browser and enter the URL that corresponds to your exam.

Exam Name URL

Chemistry and Biochemistry https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/FK3JH3

French https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/GGLCRA

Latin https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/CAHR3H

Russian https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/4TBTX8

Spanish https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/6PKHCM

Note: If you are not already logged in, you will be taken to a login screen. When prompted, enter your Middlebury College

username (first part of your e-mail address) and password to proceed to the exam.

Step 3: Enroll in the exam. You will arrive at the enrollment screen. It indicates the name of the exam that you will be

taking with the heading, Enroll in____Placement Exam. Click once on the Enroll in Course button at the upper right corner

of the screen to continue. The screen will change to indicate that you have successfully enrolled, and two buttons, Go to

your Dashboard and Go to the Course, will appear.

Step 4: Complete the exam. Click once on the Go to the Course button at the top right. A screen with the exam name and

instructions will appear. Read the instructions completely, then click where indicated to begin.

• Chemistry and Biochemistry. After you have completed the exam, please go to http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-results, to interpret your results.

• French. There are two parts to the exam: The first asks background information about you and the second is the actual exam. Make sure to complete both sections in order. Once you begin a section, you must complete it; you cannot return to a section of the exam after you have begun. The purpose of this exam is to assist in optimal placement at Middlebury, so do not use a dictionary or other materials to assist you.

• Latin. You may use a dictionary. There are two parts to the exam: 1) Latin Studies Background and 2) Latin Placement Exam. The placement exam should take about 45 minutes to complete and involves translating two passages. More instructions will be available online.

• Russian. All students who have taken the exam, whether in advance or after arrival, should come to Freeman Seminar Room 1 on Tuesday, September 8 any time between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., for an oral interview.

• Spanish. Do not click the “Submit” button until you have completed the entire exam. You must complete the exam in one sitting, or you will get closed out. It should take 30–60 minutes. Results will be posted during orientation week.

Step 5: Log out. After completing the exam, click once on the Account icon in the left sidebar. Then click once on the grey

Logout button that appears in the slide-out menu.

*If you are unable to take your exam

before you come to Middlebury: Go to

Computer Lab Axinn 105 on Tuesday,

September 8 at 11 a.m. Bring your ID

number and Middlebury email address.

Computers will be provided. You may

bring and use your own laptop if you

prefer.

mailto:helpdesk@middlebury.edu?subject=Placement%20Exam%20Help%20Neededhttp://www.go.middlebury.edu/activatehttps://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/FK3JH3https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/GGLCRAhttps://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/CAHR3Hhttps://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/4TBTX8https://middlebury.instructure.com/enroll/6PKHCMhttp://www.middlebury.edu/academics/chem/resources/placementexam/chem-exam-results

29

DEPARTMENTS OF INSTRUCTION

INFORMATION FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS

During Orientation in September, students will register for three Fall 2020 courses. The information below provides

an overview of the departmental offerings available to first-year students. You are encouraged to take courses from

across the curriculum and are not permitted to take two courses within the same department [Your FYS course does

not count as a departmental course]. Additionally, any course outside of the first-year seminar that is listed as

College Writing (CW) (writing-intensive) cannot be taken during the Fall semester.

Each academic department and program has its own curricular structure. Some are arranged hierarchically, with

gateway courses required as the first step for new students, before they can move into higher-level courses. Other

departments have courses that are accessible for first-year students even at the 300 level. The information here

offers a general sense of how each department engages with first-year students, but you are encouraged to visit

specific departmental websites for further information. As you consider possible courses to take, it is important to

remember that there is no “one size fits all” here at Middlebury. Knowing the various paths you can take through

different departments and programs will expand your course options before registration.

AMERICAN STUDIES The Program of American Studies offers 100-and 200-level courses that are especially intended for students earlier in their

academic path, but unless a course catalog description says that prior knowledge is needed through a prerequisite course, first-

year students can even flourish in 300-level courses without having prior disciplinary or content knowledge. First-year

students are welcome to enroll in any course within this program outside of AMST 400 and the 700 courses. Students can

expect higher-numbered courses to involve more complex approaches to topics.

ANTHROPOLOGY The Department of Anthropology offers courses open to first-year students, at the 100 and 200 level, space permitting. Please

examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have

prerequisites.

ARABIC The Program in Arabic offers a range of courses for first-year students, space permitting, but ARBC 0101 is the place to start

or gain permission to pass through. First-year students who have a background in Modern Standard Arabic must take a

placement exam during Orientation Week to determine if they meet the equivalency requirement for any course in the Arabic

language sequence beyond ARBC 0101 (ARBC 0101 assumes no prior knowledge of Arabic and is open to all first-year

students).

First-year, native Arabic speakers with a background in Modern Standard Arabic may wish to take one of the 400-level courses

taught in Arabic or one of the 200-level courses taught in English; students wishing to do so should contact the course

instructor at the start of the semester.

Students who wish to begin their study of Arabic at Middlebury are strongly encouraged to do so in the fall semester of their

first year. (Students entering in February are strongly encouraged to start their Arabic study during their first fall term.) To be

able to study abroad in Jordan or Morocco, students are required to have completed at least two years of Arabic. This

requirement may be met by attending the Middlebury summer Arabic language school or a similarly intensive summer study

program.

ART: See HISTORY OF ART & ARCHITECTURE or STUDIO ART

30

BIOLOGY The Department of Biology offers the following courses for first-year students, space permitting:

BIOL 0140 Ecology and Evolution (Fall, Spring)

BIOL 0145 Cell Biology and Genetics (Fall, Spring)

Students intending to major in Biology should ideally take BIOL 0140 and BIOL 0145 during their first year. These courses

can be taken in either order. First semester general chemistry (CHEM 0103) or equivalent is a pre-requisite for BIOL 0145. AP

credit for Biology does not allow students to place out of the introductory courses. Biology majors usually complete at least the

core course requirements (BIOL 0140, BIOL 0145), and one of the “organismal” courses (BIOL 0201, BIOL0202, BIOL 0203,

BIOL 0310) by the end of the sophomore year. We also strongly encourage Biology majors to take Experimental Design and

Analysis (BIOL 0211) by the end of their sophomore year.

BLACK STUDIES The Program of Black Studies offers courses for first-year students (space permitting) that draw from a wide range of

disciplines. Please examine the program’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if

courses have prerequisites.

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers the following courses for first-year students, space permitting:

CHEM 0103 General Chemistry I (Fall, Spring)

CHEM 0104 General Chemistry II (Fall, Spring)

CHEM 0107 Advanced General Chemistry (Fall)

Students intending to major in Chemistry or Biochemistry are strongly encouraged to complete CHEM 0104 or CHEM 0107

by the end of their first year. Likewise, students with interests in any of the Health Professions (medical school, dental school,

or veterinary school), particularly if study abroad is contemplated, have many more options available if they complete CHEM

0104 or CHEM 0107 by the end of their first year. Both groups of students can then take Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 0203)

by their second year. Delaying Organic Chemistry until the third year, though workable in some cases, limits scheduling

flexibility for other courses and interests.

CHINESE The Greenberg-Starr Department of Chinese Language and Literature offers courses in Mandarin Chinese language and

courses taught in English on Chinese literature and culture. The courses in beginning Mandarin Chinese language (CHNS 0101

– 0103) are open for first-year students, space permitting.

First-year students may register for Chinese language courses at the 2nd-year level (Fall CHNS 0201 and Spring CHNS 0202)

or above only by permission after the placement exam given in orientation week. Chinese language courses at Middlebury are

not intended for native speakers of Chinese.

Students who wish to begin their study of the Chinese language at Middlebury should do so at the earliest opportunity,

preferably in the fall semester of the first year. Before studying abroad, students must have completed at least two years (and

preferably three) of Chinese language at Middlebury (or the equivalent).

The Chinese Department offers the following courses on Chinese literature and culture taught in English that are open to first-

year students, space permitting:

CHNS 0219 The Chinese Literary Tradition (Fall)

CHNS 0220 Modern China through Literature (Spring)

CLASSICS The Eve Adler Department of Classics is offering courses at the 100 level for first-year students, space permitting. Please

examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have

prerequisites.

(Students wishing to begin Greek and Latin, or to join upper level courses in Greek and/or Latin, please see the listings under

“Greek” and “Latin” respectively.)

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE The Comparative Literature Program offers courses for first-year students at the 100, 200, and 300 level, space permitting.

Please examine the program’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have

prerequisites. CMLT 0101 is a gateway course to all students interested in literature and in particular to Comparative Literature

majors. The course is open to students who have completed their first-year seminar.

31

COMPUTER SCIENCE The Department of Computer Science is offering courses at the 100 level and a couple courses at the 200 level for first-year

students, space permitting. Please examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions

carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.

None of the 100-level courses have any prerequisites. CSCI 0105 and CSCI 0110 do not count towards the computer science

major and are appropriate for students with no prior experience with any sort of programming. Most students who begin with

CSCI 0145 or CSCI 0150 are comfortable with deductive reasoning skills or have had some prior experience with a

programming language. The computer science major begins with CSCI 0145 or CSCI 0150. However, students with the

appropriate background may be able to start at the 200 level; please contact the department chair.

DANCE The Department of Theatre and Dance offers courses for first-year students at the 100, 200 and 300 level, space permitting.

Please examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have

prerequisites.

ECONOMICS The Department of Economics offers the courses at the 100 and 200 level for first-year students, space permitting. Please

examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have

prerequisites.

Students majoring in economics ideally should complete both macroeconomics and microeconomics in their first year. This is

especially important for those students who plan to spend the junior year abroad. Entering students who have done college-

level work (including AP, IB and A-Levels) in microeconomics, macroeconomics, or statistics may take more advanced

courses in economics if their transfer credits meet the transfer criteria, or if given approval by the chair of economics. *Note:

ECON 0240 does not count towards the economics major requirements.

EDUCATION STUDIES The Program in Education Studies offers the following courses for first-year students, space permitting:

EDST 0115 Education in the USA (Fall, Spring)

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURES/CREATIVE WRITING The Department of English and American Literatures offers courses in ENAM at the 100-, 200-, and 300-level and in CRWR

at the 100 and 200 level for first-year students, space permitting. Please examine the department’s course offerings and the

corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.

Students planning to major in English and American Literatures should take ENAM 0103 (Reading Literature) before the end

of their sophomore year. This course is open to first-year students who have completed the first-year seminar requirement, and

who intend to major in English and American Literatures, Comparative Literature, or Literary Studies, and to other students,

space permitting.

32

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES The environmental studies program is an interdisciplinary major that draws upon the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and

social sciences to understand and explore the relationship between human and the environment. The environmental studies

major is composed of course work in four areas: four environmental studies core courses; 7-8 courses in a focus area; two

environmental cognate courses; and an integrative capstone experience.

The following focus areas are available for ES majors:

• Arts division foci: Architecture, Dance, Studio Art, Theatre

• Humanities division foci: History, Literature, Writing, Religion/Philosophy

• Natural Science division foci: Biology, Chemistry, Geology

• Social Science division foci: Psychology, Economics, Justice, Policy, Geography, Anthropology

Of the core courses, we recommend that student begin in ENVS 0112 for which there are reliably seats available for first-year

students. ENVS 0211 and ENVS 0215 are also appropriate for first-year students, but seats for first-years are not reliably

available.

ENVS 0112 Natural Science and the Environment (Fall, Spring)

ENVS 0211 Conservation and Environmental Policy (Fall, Spring)

ENVS/ENAM 0215 Contested Grounds: U.S. Cultures and Environments (Fall, Spring)

First-year students interested in the environment should also consider the following fall 2020 environmental cognate courses,

which may count toward fulfilling the cognate requirement in the major. Cognates are required to be in an academic division

outside the division of the student’s focus area (see above). If you are considering an ES focus in the social sciences (e.g.,

environmental policy) you might consider taking a cognate outside the social sciences.

Course Human. Nat. Sci. (lab

courses noted)

Social

Sci.

AMST 0214 Mastodons, Mermaids, and Dioramas:

Capturing Nature in America

ENAM 0227 Encounters with the Wild: Nature, Culture,

Poetry

ENVS 0220 Conversations with Environmental Icons

Yes

BIOL 0140 Ecology & Evolution

GEOL 0112 Environmental Geology

Satisfy the lab

science

requirement

*ECON 0265 Environmental Economics

GEOG 0209 Human Geography of Hazards

Yes

*Only open to arriving students who earned a Microeconomics AP score of 4 or better.

FILM AND MEDIA CULTURE The Department of Film and Media Culture offers courses at the 100 and 200 level for first-year students, space permitting.

Please examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have

prerequisites.

FRENCH The Department of French offers courses (taught in French, at increasing levels of difficulty) at the 100 and 200 level for first-

year students, space permitting. Please examine the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions

carefully, noting if courses require FREN 0101 or other courses as prerequisites.

GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND FEMINIST STUDIES Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies is an interdisciplinary major that employs gender as a fundamental category of

analysis. The major requires three introductory-level courses, a junior seminar in feminist theory, and a senior thesis or essay.

The major also requires fulfilling breadth requirements and electives at the 0300 and 0400-levels. The Program offers courses

at the 100, 200, and 300 level for first-year students, space permitting. Please examine the program’s course offerings and the

corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.

https://catalog.middlebury.edu/courses/view/catalog/catalog%2FMCUG/course/course%2FECON0265

33

GEOGRAPHY The Department of Geography offers courses for first-year students at the 100 and 200 level, space permitting. Please examine

the department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.

GEOLOGY The Geology Department offers courses for first-year students at the 100 level, space permitting. Please examine the

department’s course offerings and the corresponding course descriptions carefully, noting if courses have prerequisites.

Student with an interest in majoring in Geology, or pursuing a joint major in Environmental Geology, are encouraged to take

either GEOL 0112, GEOL 0161, or GEOL 0170 as their intr