Environmental Science & Policy

AMS 229 Native New England (4 Credits)

This course interrogates the space now known as New England by learning about it as a land with histories, peoples and life ways that predate and exceed the former English colonies and current United States. Students study the cultural distinctiveness of the Native peoples of New England, for example, the Mohawk, Mohegan, Abenaki, Wampanoag and Schaghticoke peoples, and the historical processes of encounter, adaptation, resistance and renewal that have characterized Native life in the area for centuries. This course explores the histories of the pre- and post-contact period through the perspectives of various Native communities, and discusses the legacies of these histories for Native New England today. {H}{L}{S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

AMS 245 Feminist & Indigenous Science (4 Credits)

This course considers such questions as: What does one know and how does one know it? What knowledges count as science? How is knowledge culturally situated? How has science been central to colonialism and capitalism, and what would it mean to decolonize science(s)? Is feminist science possible? The course looks at key sites and situations in media and popular culture; science writing; sociological accounts of science; creation stories; and traditional knowledges in which knowledge around the categories of race, gender, sex, sexuality, sovereignty and dis/ability are produced, contested and made meaningful. Enrollment limited to 35. {H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

AMS 302 Seminar: The Material Culture of New England, 1630–1860 (4 Credits)

This course examines the material culture of everyday life in New England from the earliest colonial settlements to the Victorian era. It introduces students to the growing body of material culture studies and the ways in which historic landscapes, architecture, furniture, textiles, metalwork, ceramics, foodways and domestic environments are interpreted as cultural documents and as historical evidence. Offered on-site at Historic Deerfield (with transportation available from the Smith campus), the course offers students a unique opportunity to study the museum’s world-famous collections in a hands-on, interactive setting with curators and historians. Utilizing the disciplines of history, art and architectural history, anthropology, and archaeology, students explore the relationships between objects and ideas and the ways in which items of material culture both individually and collectively convey patterns of everyday life. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {A}{H}

Spring

ANT 130 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (4 Credits)

What does it mean to be human? What is culture, and how does it shape the way humans see the world? Why are some forms of cultural difference tolerated, while others are not? As the holistic study of the human experience, cultural anthropology addresses these questions in a world shaped by human migration, climate change, capitalist extraction and global inequality. This course provides an overview of the discipline’s history, its distinctive method of ethnography and the breadth of topics it addresses, including public health, race, the environment, gender, language, nationalism, software design, the body, music, cities, government and more. Restrictions: First-years and sophomores only. Enrollment limited to 25. {S}

Fall, Spring

ANT 224/ ENV 224 Anthropos in the Anthropocene (4 Credits)

Offered as ANT 224 and ENV 224. Anthropology seeks to understand human life in all its complexity, but what constitutes the human is far from straightforward. This course examines the changing ways that Anthropos is being understood in an era of rapid global climate change and our planet’s sixth mass extinction event, both driven by human activities. We review perspectives on the relationship between humans and their environment from various cultural perspectives, considering how they engage notions of race, class, and gender, and what they imply for nature conservation. Topics include modernity, pets, cyborgs, kinship, symbiosis, extinction, species invasions, settler colonialism and the Anthropocene concept. Enrollment limited to 30. {S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

ANT 226 Archaeology of Food (4 Credits)

This course explores (1) how and why humans across the globe began to domesticate plant and animal resources approximately 10,000 years ago, and (2) new directions in the archaeology of food across time and space. The first part of the semester focuses on the types of archaeological data and analytical methods used to understand the agricultural revolution. Case studies from both centers and noncenters of domestication are used to investigate the biological, economic and social implications of changing foodways. During the remainder of the semester, emphasis is placed on exploring a number of food-related topics within archaeology, such as the relationship between agriculture and sedentism, food and gender, the politics of feasting, and methods for integrating archaeological and ethnographic approaches to the study of food across the globe. Enrollment limited to 30. {S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

ANT 229 Africa and the Environment (4 Credits)

In Western discourses, African environments are defined by violence, famine and degradation. These characteristics are depicted as symptoms of an African resistance to Western values such as private property, democracy and environmentalism. This course encourages students to think critically about such portrayals by learning about specific environments in Africa and how humans have interacted with them across time. The syllabus is anchored in cultural anthropology, but includes units on human evolution, the origins and spread of pastoralism, the history of colonial conservation science and more. Discussions covered include gender, race, land grabbing, indigenous knowledge, the commons, the cattle complex, desertification, oil, dams and nationalism. {H}{N}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

ANT 258/ MUS 258 Performing Culture (4 Credits)

Offered as MUS 258 and ANT 258. This course analyzes cultural performances as sites for the expression and formation of social identity. Students study various performance genres such as rituals, festivals, parades, cultural shows, music, dance and theater. Topics include expressive culture as resistance; debates around authenticity and heritage; the performance of race, class and ethnic identities; the construction of national identity; and the effects of globalization on indigenous performances. Enrollment limited to 30. {A}{S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

ARS 280 Introduction to Architectural Design Studio: Analog Processes - Ground (4 Credits)

In nurturing architecture’s foundational principles of visual, material and conceptual experimentation, this course lays the foundation for subsequent studios, lifelong learning and curiosity for architectural design processes. It probes the material, organizational and spatial qualities of the ground, a shared horizontal territory inhabited by plants, people and buildings--one that is as much cultural as it is natural. Through iterative and analog processes, students integrate drawing and making to construct and reconstruct lines in the ground. Probing the physical and conceptual ground for natural or constructed patterns, students develop foundation-level design skills within the context of larger environmental and cultural discourses. Core studio materials are provided. Students are responsible for the purchase of additional supplies required for individual projects. Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken ARS 283. Enrollment limited to 15. Prerequisite: ARH 110 or equivalent. Instructor permission required. {A}

Fall, Spring, Annually

ARS 389/ LSS 389 Broad-Scale Design and Planning Studio (4 Credits)

Offered as LSS 389 and ARS 389. This class is for students who have taken introductory landscape studios and are interested in exploring more sophisticated projects. It is also for architecture and urbanism majors who have a strong interest in landscape architecture or urban design. In a design studio format, the students analyze and propose interventions for the built environment on a broad scale, considering multiple factors (including ecological, economic, political, sociological and historical) in their engagement of the site. The majority of the semester is spent working on one complex project. Students use digital tools as well as traditional design media and physical model building within a liberal arts-based conceptual studio that encourages extensive research and in-depth theoretic inquiry. Previous studio experience and two architecture or landscape studies courses suggested. Priority given to LSS minors and ARU majors. Enrollment limited to 14. Instructor permission required. {A}

Fall, Spring, Variable

DAN 171 Dance History: Political Bodies From the Stage to the Page (4 Credits)

This course excavates the artistic, social and cultural trends that have driven the histories of ballet, jazz dance, modern dance and postmodern dance throughout the 20th & 21st centuries. The course looks critically at artists such as Isadora Duncan, Rudolf Laban, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Katherine Dunham, Alvin Ailey, Anna Halprin, Pina Bausch and Bill T. Jones. Through readings, discussions, dance viewings, movement activities and sessions in the Museum of Art, Josten Library and Sophia Smith Collection, students examine how notions of race, nationality, gender, sexuality and political ideology inform dance. Students conduct historical research on a topic of their choice. Enrollment limited to 20. {A}{H}

Fall, Spring

DAN 339 Movement, Ecology and Performance in the Smith Landscape (4 Credits)

This course offers an opportunity to explore how place and landscape offer inspiration and opportunities for dance, performance and embodied experience. Place can include natural landscapes, buildings, parks, pathways, stairways, living rooms and the place of bodies. The goal of this course is to create bridges between the ecological and the poetic realms of human experience. Students explore how creativity is being in relationship to things, beings, environments and the historical and cultural contexts. This course includes a series of public performances and is open to students interested in engaging in creative collaborative process. Enrollment limited to 18. {A}

Spring, Alternate Years

ECO 150 Introductory Microeconomics (4 Credits)

How and how well do markets work? What should government do in a market economy? How do markets set prices, determine what is produced and decide who gets the goods? This course considers important economic issues including preserving the environment, free trade, taxation, (de)regulation and poverty. Enrollment limited to 40. {S}

Fall, Spring

ECO 220 Introduction to Statistics and Econometrics (5 Credits)

Summarizing, interpreting and analyzing empirical data. Attention to descriptive statistics and statistical inference. Topics include elementary sampling, probability, sampling distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing and regression. Assignments include use of statistical software to analyze labor market and other economic data. Prerequisite: ECO 150 or ECO 153. Restrictions: Students do not normally earn credit for more than one course on this list: ECO 220, GOV 203, MTH 220, PSY 201, SDS 201, SDS 220 or SOC 204. Enrollment limited to 55. {M}{S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

ECO 224 Environmental Economics (4 Credits)

The economic causes of environmental degradation and the role that markets can play in both causing and solving pollution and resource allocation problems. Topics include resource allocation and sustainability, cost-benefit analysis, pollution standards, taxes, permits, public goods and common property resources. Prerequisite: ECO 150. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

ECO 271 The Economics of Climate Change (4 Credits)

Climate change has been recognized as "the major, overriding environmental issue of our time, and the single greatest challenge facing environmental regulators” by the United Nations Secretary General. This course uses the tools of economics to analyze and understand the many challenges of climate change. Discussions include climate damages, market failure and externalities, emissions standards and taxes, cap and trade, discounting, risk and uncertainty, mitigation and integrated assessment models, adaptation, development, and gender. Prerequisites: ECO 220 and ECO 250. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

ECO 324nr Seminar: Topics in the Economics of the Environment-Natural Resources (4 Credits)

How do competitive markets allocate natural resources? Do market systems result in excess pollution? Can market outcomes be improved in relation to the environment and natural resources? If so, what are the relative strengths and weaknesses of different approaches? This course examines these issues through discussion of the economic theories of externalities, common property and public goods, and their implications for the allocation of resources. The course explores these questions by analyzing specific policy issues and debates related to the environment and resource use including: climate change, pollution, biodiversity, energy, sustainability, land use and fishing rights. Through this exploration, the course touches upon a number of other theories and techniques including dynamic optimization and intertemporal choice, price vs. quantity regulation, nonmarket valuation, cost-benefit analysis and the use of incentive-based regulation. Prerequisites: ECO 220 and ECO 250. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

ENG 135pt/ WRT 135pt Topics: Introduction to Writing Creative Nonfiction-Writing about Travel, Place and Time (4 Credits)

Offered as ENG 135pt and WRT 135pt. Writing and reading assignments in this creative nonfiction course draw from the linked themes of place and travel. Students need not be a seasoned traveler to join the course; they can write about any place at all, including home. The class also uses the Smith campus and Northampton to create travel narratives and works with images and creative walking exercises ("performance writing"). Students should be prepared to write frequently in class and out, read well, participate in class discussion and be ready to explore the world with new eyes. Prerequisite: One WI course. Restrictions: ENG 135/ WRT 135 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 16.

Spring

ENG 135ws/ WRT 135ws Topics: Introduction to Writing Creative Nonfiction-Writing about the Senses (4 Credits)

Offered as ENG 135ws and WRT 135ws. Sight, sound, touch, smell, taste: Everything humans know is reached through their senses. Humans share a world filtered through a million sensibilities - finding the words to convey what is heard, seen, smelled, tasted and felt is one of the most fundamental skills a writer can develop. In this class, students hone their descriptive powers to go beyond the obvious and uncover language that delights and surprises. Students learn to use one sense to write about another, combine them in powerful metaphors and explore how senses shape the narratives that drive us. Prerequisite: One WI course. Restrictions: ENG 135/ WRT 135 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 16.

Spring

ENG 237 Colloquium: Environmental Poetry and Ecological Thought (4 Credits)

This course considers how literature represents environmental change and crisis, and shapes our understanding of the natural world. How can poetry provide new ways for thinking through extinction, conservation, and environmental justice? We explore these issues by reading a selection of environmental poetry in conversation with key texts from the environmental humanities. Central to the discussions: the sublime and the aesthetics of landscape and wilderness; garbage and the poetics of waste; the ethics of representing animal and plant life; the relation between landscape, labor, and power; and how eco-poetry intervenes in debates about climate change. {L}

Fall, Spring, Variable

ENG 363 Seminar: Race and Environment (4 Credits)

What is the role of literature and culture in the face of global environmental crisis? How do writers, artists and filmmakers represent the toxic ecologies of a globalized world? And in what ways do the categories of race, gender, class and ability determine one's vulnerability to environmental degradation? Through literacy and cultural analysis, this course explores these questions as they intersect with issues of environmental racism, racialized disablement, neo/colonialism, ecofeminism, food justice, globalization and urban ecologies. The course examines literary and cultural engagement with diverse environmental topics: nuclear waste sites, slum ecologies, petro-capitalism, industrialized food production and indigenous rights. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {L}

Fall, Spring, Variable

FYS 141 Reading, Writing and Placemaking: Landscape Studies (4 Credits)

Landscape studies is the interdisciplinary consideration of how humans view, define and use the land, whether it be a backyard, a moonscape or a national park. How does land become a landscape? How does space become a place? Scientists study and manipulate landscapes as do politicians, builders, hunters, children, artists and writers, among others. In this course, students examine how writers, in particular, participate in placemaking, and how the landscape influences and inhabits literary texts. The course includes some landscape history and theory, visits by people who study landscape from nonliterary angles, and the discovery of how landscape works in texts in transforming and surprising ways. Restrictions: First years only; students are limited to one first-year seminar. Enrollment limited to 16. WI

Fall, Spring, Variable

FYS 151 Our Mill River (4 Credits)

The Mill River flows through campus and connects the landscapes upstream and downstream of Smith. From its headwaters in Goshen, MA, to its mouth where it joins the Connecticut River on the Northampton/Easthampton line, the Mill River defines a region of communities that are all here as a result of its waters. Students gain important insight into Smith’s context by exploring and reflecting on the natural and cultural landscape of the Mill River. Weekly field experiences are complemented by readings, map work, historical collections, a sampling of local delicacies, guest experts and class discussions. This course is writing intensive and based in field experiences. Restrictions: First years only; students are limited to one first-year seminar. Enrollment limited to 16. WI

Fall, Spring, Variable

GER 250 Advanced Intermediate German: Environmental Culture (4 Credits)

Discussion of modern German culture, society and technology, with an emphasis on environmental issues. Introduction and practice of more advanced elements of grammar, work on expanding vocabulary specific for academic fields, and weekly writing and oral assignments. Students who successfully complete GER 250 are eligible for the year-long Study Abroad Program in Hamburg. Prerequisite: GER 200 or equivalent, or by placement. {F}

Fall, Spring, Variable

GOV 200 Introduction to American Government (4 Credits)

A study of the politics and governance in the United States. Special emphasis is placed on how the major institutions of American government are influenced by public opinion and citizen behavior, and how all of these forces interact in the determination of government policy. Designation: American. {S}

Spring

GOV 203 Empirical Methods in Political Science (5 Credits)

The fundamental problems in summarizing, interpreting and analyzing empirical data. Discussions include research design and measurement, descriptive statistics, sampling, significance tests, correlation and regression. Special attention is paid to survey data and to data analysis using computer software. Restrictions: Students do not normally earn credit for more than one course on this list: ECO 220, GOV 203, MTH 220, PSY 201, SDS 201, SDS 220 or SOC 204. Enrollment limited to 75. {M}{S}

Spring

GOV 207 Politics of Public Policy (4 Credits)

A thorough introduction to the study of public policy in the United States. A theoretical overview of the policy process provides the framework for an analysis of several substantive policy areas, to be announced at the beginning of the term. Designation: American. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

GOV 220 Introduction to Comparative Politics (4 Credits)

This course introduces students to comparative political analysis and provides a foundation to better understand major political, economic and social forces in a diverse set of countries. The course first focuses on key methods and concepts such as state and nation, asking where states come from and how are nations built. Students then address questions including: Why are some countries democratic and others authoritarian? How do states promote or stymie economic development? What role do civil society and social groups play in political and economic transition? The course combines theoretical and conceptual analysis with cases drawn from around the world. Designation: Comparative. {S}

Fall, Spring

GOV 239 Social Justice Movements in Latin America (4 Credits)

This course examines the relationship between social movements and the state in Latin America. There is a focus on environmental, gender, and indigenous issues and movements and their relationship with state institutions. Designation: Comparative. {S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

GOV 241 Introduction to International Politics (4 Credits)

An introduction to the theoretical and empirical analysis of the interactions of states in the international system. Emphasis is given to the historical evolution of the international system, security politics, the role of international norms in shaping behavior and the influence of the world economy on international relations. Not a course in current events. Designation: International Relations. Enrollment limited to 50. {S}

Fall, Spring

GOV 242 International Political Economy (4 Credits)

This course begins with an examination of the broad theoretical paradigms in international political economy (IPE), including the liberal, economic nationalist, structuralist and Marxist perspectives. The course analyzes critical debates in the post-World War II period, including the role of the Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank group and IMF), international trade and development, the debt question, poverty and global inequality, and the broad question of "globalization." Designation: International Relations. Prerequisite: GOV 241 or equivalent. First-year students may enroll only if they have completed GOV 241. Enrollment limited to 40. {S}

Fall, Spring, Annually

GOV 276 Political Visions of Nature (4 Credits)

Upon what visions of nature does modern political thought rest? When one looks back to the history of political thought, does one only find ideas of human dominion over nature or are there also buried alternatives? And what might these diverging pathways have to teach in the present moment? This course surveys the history of Western political thought from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century from the vantage point of the present ecological crises to track and understand these diverging pathways. Students read texts from agrarian republicanism, liberalism, socialism, anarchism, transcendentalism and other lesser-known schools of political thought. Prerequisite: GOV 100. Enrollment limited to 40. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

GOV 347cm Seminar: Topics in International and Comparative Politics-Climate Migration (4 Credits)

Humans have long migrated in response to environmental change, but in recent decades (in the context of climate change), “climate migration” has become the focus of intense ideological, normative and empirical debates. This seminar approaches these debates, how they have evolved, and what is at stake. The course treats the implications for various policy domains and issue areas – e.g., border control, refugee reception, adaptation to climate change already in the pipeline, reparations, constructions of ideological whiteness, future scenario-building and apocalypticism. The course focuses primarily on social science analyses, but also engages novels and feature and documentary films. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

GOV 347es Seminar: Topics in International and Comparative Politics-Environmental Security (4 Credits)

This advanced seminar examines the political implications of treating environmental events and trends as matters of (inter)national security. It approaches the issue historically—examining the conceptual evolution of security over time and the relatively recent incorporation of environmental issues into security frameworks. Primary focus is devoted to climate change, but other ecological issues are examined as well: development, natural resource use, waste and pollution, biodiversity, etc. Prerequisite: GOV 241, GOV 242, GOV 244 or GOV 252. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

ITL 205 Savoring Italy: Recipes and Thoughts on Italian Cuisine and Culture (2 Credits)

This course examines Italy’s varied geography, history and artistic tradition to further appreciate Italy’s rich, delicious, yet simple cuisine. In our travels we move from the caffè to the pizzeria, to the trattoria, to the pasticceria, to the enoteca to probe the cultural impact Italian cuisine has on promoting a holistic philosophy for eating/drinking/speaking best reflected by the now renowned Italian Slow Food Movement. Taught in English. S/U only. Enrollment limited to 100. {L}

Fall, Spring, Variable

LAS 201br Colloquium: Topics in Latin American and Latino/a/x Studies-Banana Republics: Crops and Capitalism (4 Credits)

This colloquium explores the socio-environmental trajectories of four crops in Latin America. From the deep history of potatoes to the dawn of transgenics, this course centers crops as a pivotal lens for examining the dynamics of capitalist development in the hemisphere. The first unit studies the potato and its contribution to the major demographic trends that remade the modern world. The second unit discusses histories of colonialism, sugar, slavery and racialized capitalism. The third unit examines the establishment of banana agriculture as a mechanism of empire-making. The final unit unveils the emergence of GMOs and the centrality of Mexican maize. Restrictions: LAS 201 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 20. {H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

LAS 201cc Colloquium: Topics in Latin American and Latino/a/x Studies-Climate and Conflict (4 Credits)

This class examines the intersections of climate trends and conflict dynamics in Latin America and the world. Recent climate change and global warming developments have triggered a multidisciplinary reflection on the remaking of twenty-first century geographies of social conflict. This course discusses the region's centrality in understanding the historical roots of the convergence of climate and conflict, the emergence of environmental refugees and displacement, the rise of indigenous environmental activism and grassroots movements, and the enduring experiences of environmental suffering. Restrictions: LAS 201 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 20. {H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

LAS 201el Colloquium: Topics in Latin American and Latino/a/x Studies-Environmental Legacies and Ecological Futures in Latin America (4 Credits)

Latin America is often signaled as both a region of biological diversity and a space of daunting environmental degradation. This course explores the ecological and environmental relationships between nature and society in Latin America from pre-conquest to contemporary times. Students examine socioenvironmental issues, integrating knowledge from the sciences and the humanities. Through readings, discussions and academic research, students reflect on their disciplinary assumptions about critical issues such as ecological crises, the human perils of extractive industrial activities, environmental determinism, activism and social justice. Restrictions: LAS 201 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 20.

Fall, Spring, Variable

LAS 301ae Seminar: Topics in Latin American and Latino/a Studies-Contesting Space: Art, Ecology, Activism (4 Credits)

What do artists have to say to activists and scientists? This course immerses students in case studies drawn from Latin American and Latinx geographies (1970s to the present) to explore the promises and pitfalls of cultural experiments across boundaries of knowledge-making in art, ecology and activism. The class works with a range of public culture technologies--including digital storytelling, social and print media--to illuminate these “activist ecologies” for diverse publics outside academia. Prerequisite: Some background in the study of the Latinx/Latin America(s). Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {A}{H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

LAS 301hw Seminar: Topics in Latin American and Latino/a Studies-Deep History of Water (4 Credits)

The earth is largely covered by water. Physical bodies are considerably made of water. Channeled water is a primary sign of civilization, and there is a search of water beyond planetary frontiers. This course interrogates how hydric and hydraulic narratives may inform the understanding of past, present and future visions of power and society. Grounded in Latin America and global in its aim, this course is structured in four larger sections: the hydraulic origins of ancient city states, colonialism and the control of waterscapes, the hydric demise of nation-states and the future quest for water. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required.

Fall, Spring, Variable

LSS 230 Urban Landscapes (4 Credits)

Students in this course investigate the production of the built environment and the landscape of cities, focusing on key actors such as neighborhood activists, real estate developers, city officials, and environmentalists, among other advocates and interested parties. Organized thematically and supplemented by readings in urban theory and related fields, the course tackles questions of how urban places are made, why different cities look and feel the way they do, and who shapes the city. Prerequisites: LSS 100 or LSS 105 or equivalent. Enrollment limited to 20. {A}{H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

LSS 250 Studio: Landscape and Narrative (4 Credits)

Landscapes guide their use and reveal their past. This landscape design studio asks students to consider the landscape as a location of evolving cultural and ecological patterns, processes and histories. Students work through a series of site-specific projects that engage with the narrative potential of landscape and critically consider the environment as socially and culturally constructed. A variety of media are used in the design process including drawing, model-making, collage and photography. Priority given to LSS minors and ARU majors. Enrollment limited to 14. {A}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

LSS 255 Art and Ecology (4 Credits)

Environmental designers are in the unique and challenging position of bridging the science of ecology and the art of place-making. This landscape design studio emphasizes the dual necessity for solutions to ecological problems that are artfully designed and artistic expressions that reveal ecological processes. Beginning with readings, precedent studies and in-depth site analysis, students design a series of projects that explore the potential for melding art and ecology. Enrollment limited to 14. {A}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

LSS 300 Seminar: Rethinking Landscape (4 Credits)

This capstone course in the study of the built environment brings history and theory alive for those students with interests in diverse fields such as art, architecture, American studies, engineering and the natural sciences. Designed as an advanced-level seminar, it explores key concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the interdisciplinary field of landscape studies. In particular, students investigate how the field has changed over time and critically consider where it is likely to go in the future. Classic texts from thinkers such as J.B. Jackson, Yi-Fu Tuan, John Stilgoe, Anne Spirn and Dolores Hayden are paired with contemporary critiques and new approaches to the study of space and place. Independent research work and participation in class discussion are strongly emphasized. Prerequisite: one 200-level course in LSS, or equivalent. Priority given to LSS minors, and seniors and juniors. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {A}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

LSS 315 Seminar:Urban Ecological Design (4 Credits)

This seminar course examines how designers and planners have theorized the interaction of natural processes and human-constructed systems in cities. Major themes include: how planners, architects, landscape architects, and engineers put ecological knowledge and scientific expertise into action to address complex problems; how an ecologically-based reading of the urban landscape differs from typical approaches to city design; relationships between land form, land use, and built environment; and, conceptions of urban nature and “design with nature.” Topics may include sea-level rise; urban infrastructures; access to parks and open spaces; the combined sewer overflow problem; and heat, health, and urban forestry. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {H}{N}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

PHI 221 Ethics and Society (4 Credits)

What does morality demand of us in the real world? How does ethical reflection inform our social, economic and personal lives? Every informed citizen must ask these questions. This course addresses issues that arise in the context of environmental ethics (preserving species and places, genetically modified foods, global warming); animal rights (vegetarianism, vivisection, experimentation); biomedical ethics (abortion, euthanasia, reproductive technologies); business ethics (advertising, accounting, whistle-blowing, globalism); sexual ethics (harassment, coercion, homosexuality); social justice (war, affirmative action, poverty, criminal justice); and other such topics. {H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

PHI 224 Philosophy of Science (4 Credits)

Case studies in the history of science are used to examine philosophical issues as they arise in scientific practice. Topics include the relative importance of theories, models and experiments; realism; explanation; confirmation of theories and hypotheses; causes; and the role of values in science. {M}{N}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

PHI 238 Environmental Philosophy (4 Credits)

This course prepares students to understand and critically evaluate various ethical perspectives on human beings’ interactions with nature and these perspectives’ applications to environmental issues. The principal ethical perspectives studied are anthropocentrism, biocentric individualism, environmental holism and environmental pragmatism. The class studies representative descriptions and defenses of these perspectives and examine in particular whether they can validly and effectively help us resolve environmental problems. Students study controversies about biodiversity, wilderness protection, global climate change and pollution. Enrollment limited to 40. {H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

PHI 315sb Seminar: Topics in the Philosophy of Science-Sustainability (4 Credits)

An examination of the conceptual and moral underpinnings of sustainability. Questions to be discussed include: What exactly is sustainability? On what conceptions of the world (as resource, as machine, as something with functional integrity, etc.) does sustainability rely, and are these conceptions justifiable? How is sustainability related to future people? What values are affirmed by sustainability, and how can those values be endorsed? How does sustainability compare with environmental objectives of longer standing such as conservation? Preference given to majors in either philosophy or environmental science and policy. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {H}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

PPL 220 Public Policy Analysis (4 Credits)

Analysis of the institutions and processes of public policy formation and implementation. Explores models designed to explain policy and also those whose purpose is to "improve" policy. Develops and uses analytical tools of formal policy analysis. Examines the debate over the possible and proper uses of these analytic tools. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

PSY 201 Statistical Methods for Undergraduate Research (5 Credits)

An overview of the statistical methods needed for undergraduate research emphasizing methods for data collection, data description and statistical inference including an introduction to study design, confidence intervals, testing hypotheses, analysis of variance and regression analysis. Techniques for analyzing both quantitative and categorical data are discussed. Applications are emphasized, and students use R and other statistical software for data analysis. This course satisfies the basis requirement for the psychology major. Students who have taken MTH 111 or the equivalent or who have taken AP STAT should take SDS 220, which also satisfies the major requirement. Restrictions: Students do not normally earn credit for more than one course on this list: ECO 220, GOV 203, MTH 220, PSY 201, SDS 201, SDS 220 or SOC 204. Enrollment limited to 40. {M}

Fall, Spring, Variable

REL 305vn Seminar: Advanced Topics in Religion-Violence, Non-violence and Revolution (4 Credits)

How do religious traditions justify acts of violence? And when and why do they embrace nonviolence? And what happens when these choices lead to revolution? This course considers the logic and practice of violence and non-violence in a variety of religious traditions around the world, as well as the ethical, social, and political consequences of these phenomena. Topics include suicide bombing and self-immolating, Gandhi’s ahimsa and Martin Luther King’s agape, spiritual ecology and ecoterrorism, and much more. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {H}{L}{S}

Fall, Spring, Variable

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology (4 Credits)

Perspectives on society, culture and social interaction. Topics may include the self, emotions, culture, community, class, race and ethnicity, family, gender and economy. Restrictions: first-years and sophomores only. Open to juniors and seniors with permission of the course director. Enrollment limited to 30. {S}

Fall, Spring

SOC 204 Statistics and Quantitative Research Methods for Sociology (5 Credits)

This project-based course covers the study of statistics for the analysis of sociological data and the study of methods for quantitative sociological research more generally. Topics in statistics include descriptive statistics, probability theory, correlation, deduction and induction, error and bias, confidence intervals and simple linear regression. Topics in research methods include positivism, research design, measurement, sampling methods and survey design. All students participate in a lab which emphasizes the use of computer software to analyze real data. Students design and complete a survey research project over the course of the semester. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Students do not normally earn credit for more than one course on this list: ECO 220, GOV 203, MTH 220, PSY 201, SDS 201, SDS 220 or SOC 204. Enrollment limited to 40. {M}{S}

Fall

SOC 230 Sociology of Food (4 Credits)

Using theoretical frameworks from environmental sociology, political and economic sociology, and sociology of culture, this course examines how social structures shape the way food is produced, prepared and consumed. This course investigates political and environmental dynamics that structure food systems and practices and considers inequalities related to food at the local and global levels. Finally, students explore food movements and investigate ideas for creating more equitable and sustainable practices. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 232 World Population (4 Credits)

This course introduces students to environmental, economic, feminist and nationalist perspectives on population growth and decline. The course examines current population trends and processes (fertility, mortality and migration) and considers the social, political, economic and environmental implications of those trends. The course also provides an overview of various sources of demographic data as well as basic demographic methods. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 233 Sociology of Climate Change (4 Credits)

The effects of climate change put great strain on societies, testing the very structures that organize people’s lives and livelihoods. Using sociological frameworks and theories of globalization, inequality, intersectionality, science and technology, policy, migration, sustainability, environmental justice, social movements, and human rights, this course will examine the social, political, and economic impacts of climate change, as well as the ways that local and global groups prepare, mitigate, deny, adapt to, and organize in the face of climate change and its impacts. Prerequisite: SOC 101.Enrollment limited to 35. {S}

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SOC 333 Seminar: Social Justice, the Environment and the Corporation (4 Credits)

Over the last century, the reach of corporations has gradually extended into all facets of life, yet most people rarely stop to think about the corporation as a social entity. This course focuses on the social, economic and legal foundations that both shape its power and provide a dominant logic for its actions. We examine the implications of corporate power and processes for communities, workers and the environment. We also focus on the ways that governments and various social groups have sought to change corporate assumptions and behaviors concerning their social and environmental responsibilities. Prerequisite: SOC 101. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required.

Fall, Spring, Alternate Years

SPN 230cv Topics in Latin American and Peninsular Culture and Society-Climate Voices (4 Credits)

Climate change is a planetary crisis, yet its impacts and the responses to it vary both geographically and culturally. This course examines climate change and cultural-ecological narratives produced in Spanish-speaking regions of the world, with particular interest in alternative, non-mainstream media. These include community radio broadcasts and theater, participatory video, photography, graphic novels and transmedia texts that uplift minority voices. In this course students work independently and collaboratively to explore who creates these narratives, why, and where and how they do so. As a final project, students create their own climate change narratives using the texts studied as examples of alternative ways of communicating knowledge. Restrictions: SPN 230 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 20. {F}{L}

Fall, Spring, Variable

SWG 150 Introduction to the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (4 Credits)

This course is an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Students learn key concepts and theories of the field by analyzing the social construction of sex, gender and sexuality as they intersect with race, class, nationality and (dis)ability at the individual, institutional and ideological levels, and in national and global contexts. The course examines the historical roots of feminist movements and thinking, and engages with contemporary movements for social justice. Texts include archival materials, films, personal narratives, theory, scholarly works, poetry, fiction, art, and popular writing and culture. Students learn interdisciplinary methodologies of archival research, historical analysis, literary and visual analysis, and theoretical analysis. Primarily for first- and second-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. {H}{S}

Fall, Spring

SWG 227 Colloquium: Feminist and Queer Disability Studies (4 Credits)

In the essay "A Burst of Light: Living with Cancer," writer-activist Audre Lorde forges pioneering connections between the work of social justice and the environmental, gendered, and healthcare inequities that circumscribe black and brown lives. Following Lorde’s intervention, this course examines contemporary feminist/queer expressive culture, writing, and theory that centrally engages the category of dis/ability. It will familiarize students with feminist and queer scholarship that resists the medical pathologization of embodied difference; foreground dis/ability’s intersections with questions of race, class, and nation; and ask what political and social liberation might look like when able-bodiedness is no longer privileged. Prerequisite: SWG 150. Enrollment limited to 20. {A}{L}

Fall, Spring, Variable

SWG 230 Gender, Land and Food Movements (4 Credits)

The class begins this course by working alongside Gardening the Community, a youth-based and anti-racist food and land movement in Springfield, MA. Students center their studies on both regional and transnational women’s movements across the globe to develop their understanding about current economic trends in globalization processes. Through the insights of transnational feminist analysis, students map the history of land and food to imagine a more equitable present and future. Students develop a community-based research project that spans issues of climate change, environmentalism, critical race analysis and feminism. Prerequisite: SWG 150. {H}{S}

Fall

SWG 321 Seminar: Marxist Feminism (4 Credits)

Marxist feminism as a theory and a politics both imagines alternate, liberatory futures and critiques present social orders. Beginning with a simple insight: capitalism relies on the class politics of unpaid, reproductive "women’s work," Marxist feminists in the 19th century sought to imagine new social connections, sexualities and desire to overthrow patriarchy, slavery, feudalism and colonialism. Today, queer of color and decolonial feminist theory, alongside abolition, environmental and reproduction justice movements, rejuvenate this tradition of Marxist feminism. This seminar focuses on theoretical writings from around the world to better understand radical social movements from the past and the present. Prerequisite: SWG 150. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {H}{L}

Fall, Spring, Variable

WRT 118lf Colloquium: Topics in Writing-Liberating the Future (4 Credits)

In the era of rapid climate change, global migration, enormous income disparities driven by capitalism’s greed for profit and a pandemic that disproportionately affects Black, Brown and low-income people, the future has become an urgent concern. Although media reports can feel apocalyptic, this concern has also inspired visions of a world free from capitalism, police and injustice. This course delves into innovative, liberating responses to this moment of crisis, including Black feminist lessons from marine mammals and Indigenous peoples’ restorative responses to climate change. Our readings foreground African American, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ voices in various nonfiction genres. Restrictions: WRT 118 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 15. WI

Fall, Spring, Variable

WRT 118nw Colloquium: Topics in Writing-Nature and Wilderness: Science, Meaning and Space (4 Credits)

The human relationship with nature is one of the most important questions in the world. Are humans part of nature? Are humans destroying it? Can humans save it? Can nature save humanity? And what is nature, anyway? Is it the opposite of “human” or is it the truth at the core of humanity? This course delves into these philosophical and practical questions, entering into ongoing conversations in the humanities, science, literature and activism on topics ranging from the value of “wilderness” to controversies around GMOs and the question of what harm humans may do by “colonizing” uninhabited planets. Restrictions: WRT 118 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 15. (E) WI

Fall

WRT 118wt Colloquium: Topics in Writing-Water:Science & Politics (4 Credits)

The management of global water resources presents a major challenge for the 21st century. Water defines the boundaries of the livable world. It’s crucial for drinking, energy, travel, irrigation and food. But water can also transmit disease, flood homes and spread contamination. Students in this course hone their science-writing skills while exploring contemporary problems related to water. They focus on presenting scientific data, reasoning and controversies in accurate but lively language, while learning and writing about the politics surrounding water use. Sources include scientific research papers, government reports, newspaper articles, and op-ed pieces. Restrictions: WRT 118 may be repeated once with a different topic. Enrollment limited to 15. WI

Fall, Spring, Variable

WRT 119rp Colloquium: Writing Roundtable Topics-Restoring the Planet (4 Credits)

Climate change affects everyone, but Black, Indigenous, and low-income populations are especially vulnerable to its impact. These populations have also led the efforts to combat climate change by protesting capitalist extraction, building food sovereignty and leading ecological restoration projects. This course centers Indigenous and Black climate action, especially efforts to restore traditional, anti-capitalist and decolonial practices of land and water stewardship, fishing and farming. This course includes visits to the Smith College Art Museum, the Botanic Garden, the Boutelle-Day Poetry Center and the MacLeish Field Station. Prerequisite: One writing intensive course. Enrollment limited to 15. (E) WI

Fall, Spring, Variable

BIO 130 Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation (4 Credits)

Students in this course investigate the origin, nature, and importance of the diversity of life on Earth, key ecological processes, and interactions that create and maintain communities and ecosystems, principal threats to biodiversity, and emerging conservation strategies to protect the elements and processes upon which humans depend. Throughout the semester, the course emphasizes the relevance of diversity and ecological studies in conservation. Concurrent registration in BIO 131 is recommended but not required. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Fall, Spring

BIO 131 Research in Biodiversity, Ecology, and Conservation (1 Credit)

Students pull on their boots and explore local habitats that may include the Mill River, MacLeish Field Station, Smith campus Botanic Gardens and local hemlock forests. Students gain experience with a diversity of organisms by conducting research projects that can enhance their understanding of ecology and conservation. Students practice the scientific process and document their work in a lab notebook. Research skills developed include hypothesis development, data collection, statistical analysis and presentation of results. Because research projects vary seasonally, please see the Department of Biological Sciences website for more information. Concurrent registration in BIO 130 recommended.Enrollment limited to 16. {N}

Fall, Spring

BIO 206 Plant Physiology (4 Credits)

How do plants work? This course explores key processes in plant physiology and how these processes interact with the (changing) environment. Key concepts include photosynthesis/carbon sequestration, water and nutrient uptake and transport, growth and carbon allocation, and plant-soil interactions. The course encourages students to think about these processes in an environmental justice context e.g. food justice, urban tree resilience and natural climate solutions. Corequisite: BIO 207. Prerequisites: A course in ecology, organismal biology or environmental science. {N}

Spring, Variable

BIO 207 Plant Physiology Lab (1 Credit)

This laboratory is both a survey of plant physiological techniques and a course-based research experience in plant physiological research. Field trips are taken to MacLeish Field Station and experiments are conducted in Lyman Plant House. Students gain hands-on experience with sophisticated instrumentation and techniques used to measure micro-climate, plant-water relations and gas exchange (photosynthetic rate and respiration). Corequisite: BIO 206. {N}

Spring, Variable

BIO 260 Invertebrate Diversity (3 Credits)

Invertebrate animals account for the vast majority of species on earth. Although sometimes inconspicuous, invertebrates are vital members of ecological communities. They provide protein, important ecosystem services, biomedical and biotechnological products, and aesthetic value to humans. Today, many invertebrate populations are threatened by human activities. This course surveys the extraordinary diversity and importance of invertebrates, emphasizing their form and function in ecological and evolutionary contexts. Corequisite: BIO 261. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Spring, Variable

BIO 261 Invertebrate Diversity Laboratory (2 Credits)

This laboratory examines relationships between invertebrate form and function and compares diversity within and among major body plans using live and preserved material. Students observe and document invertebrate structure, life cycles, locomotion, feeding and other behaviors. Corequisite: BIO 260. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Spring, Variable

BIO 264 Plant Diversity and Evolution (4 Credits)

This course explores the diversity of plant life and investigates its evolutionary origins and history through a mixture of lecture, lab, and discussion activities. A key focus of the course is the ecological and environmental context of major evolutionary developments in the Land Plants, including their adaptations to various abiotic challenges, as well as antagonistic and mutualistic interactions with other organisms. The survey of plant diversity is guided by recent phylogenetic studies, and students make use of the outstanding living collections in the Lyman Plant House. Corequisite: BIO 265. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Spring, Alternate Years

BIO 265 Plant Diversity and Evolution Laboratory (1 Credit)

This lab introduces students to plant morphology and identification through hands-on work with plant material. In addition, the class focuses on local native plants and the outstanding botanical collections in the Lyman Plant House. Includes field trips to other sites of botanical interest in the region. Corequisite: BIO 264. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Spring, Alternate Years

BIO 266 Ecology: Principles and Applications (4 Credits)

This general ecology course provides a conceptual foundation for understanding ecological processes from population dynamics to ecosystem function. Fundamental ecological concepts are covered within the context of current environmental challenges arising from global change. This framing illuminates how population dynamics, community composition and trophic interactions affect ecosystem function and ecosystem services. Corequisite: BIO 267. Prerequisite: BIO 130 or an equivalent course in ecology or environmental science. Enrollment limited to 18. {N}

Fall, Variable

BIO 267 Ecology: Principles and Applications Laboratory (1 Credit)

This general ecology laboratory course provides hands-on experience in the execution of ecological experiments in the field. Students participate in study design, data curation, analysis and interpretation. All statistical analyses is conducted in R. Corequisite: BIO 266. Enrollment limited to 18. {N}

Fall, Variable

BIO 268 Marine Ecology (3 Credits)

The oceans cover over 75 percent of the Earth and are home to enormous biodiversity. Marine Ecology explores a variety of coastal and oceanic systems, focusing on natural and human-induced factors that affect biodiversity and the ecological balance in marine habitats. Using case studies, the class studies some successful conservation and management strategies, including Marine Protected Areas. This course uses a variety of readings, group activities and short writing assignments to develop vital skills such as effective oral, graphical and written communication; critical thinking; and problem solving. Enrollment limited to 24. Corequisite: BIO 269. {N}

Fall

BIO 269 Marine Ecology Laboratory (2 Credits)

The laboratory applies concepts discussed in lecture and uses several small-group projects in the field and laboratory to develop relevant skills for conducting marine-related research. Students learn to design and analyze experiments and to write in the scientific style. Field trips to Rhode Island and Cape Cod, MA provide hands-on experience with marine organisms in their natural habitats. Corequisite: BIO 268. Enrollment limited to 12. {N}

Fall

BIO 272 Vertebrate Biology (4 Credits)

A review of the evolutionary origins, adaptations and trends in the biology of vertebrates. BIO 273 is recommended but not required. No Prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 25. {N}

Spring, Variable

BIO 273 Vertebrate Biology Laboratory (1 Credit)

A largely anatomical exploration of the evolutionary origins, adaptations and trends in the biology of vertebrates. Corequisite: BIO 272. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Spring, Variable

BIO 364 Plant Ecology (3 Credits)

This course surveys the environmental factors, historical processes and ecological interactions that influence the distribution and abundance of plant species in the landscape and informs conservation of rare and threatened plant species. The class examines how plant communities are assembled and what processes influence their structure and diversity, including past and present human activities, climate change and exotic species. The class focuses in particular on plants and plant communities of the Northeast U.S., using examples from the local landscape to illustrate key ecological concepts and approaches to plant conservation. Corequisite: BIO 365. Prerequisite: a course in plant biology, ecology or environmental science; statistics is recommended (e.g., SDS 220). Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Fall, Variable

BIO 365 Plant Ecology Laboratory (2 Credits)

This lab course involves field and laboratory investigations of plant ecology and conservation, with an emphasis on Northeastern plant species and plant communities. The labs explore interactions between plants and insects, visit wetland and upland habitats and investigate plant population dynamics at sites around western Massachusetts. Students gain hands-on experience with descriptive and experimental research approaches used to investigate ecological processes in plant communities and inform conservation of plant biodiversity. Corequisite: BIO 364. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Fall, Variable

BIO 366 Biogeography (4 Credits)

A study of major patterns of distribution of life and of the environmental and geological factors underlying these patterns. The role of phenomena such as sea-level fluctuations, plate tectonics, oceanic currents, biological invasions and climate change in determining past, present and future global patterns of biodiversity are considered. Fundamental differences between terrestrial and marine biogeography are highlighted. Prerequisite: a course in ecology, evolution, or organismal biology or equivalent. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Spring, Alternate Years

BIO 390cb Seminar: Topics in Environmental Biology-Investigations in Conservation Biology (3 Credits)

Conservation biology combines ecological and evolutionary principles with resource management, the social sciences and ethics to understand, manage and maintain biodiversity. This seminar is designed to familiarize students with the questions conservation biologists ask and the methods they use to conserve life on Earth. Students engage in problem-solving exercises that examine conservation-related questions at the genetic, population, community, landscape or ecosystem levels and employ suitable analytical techniques or strategies to address the questions. Students discuss a related article from the primary literature to illustrate the use of each technique. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

BIO 390cr Seminar: Topics in Environmental Biology-Coral Reef Ecology and Conservation (3 Credits)

Coral reefs occupy a small portion of Earth’s surface, but their importance to the marine ecosystem is great. This course considers the geologic importance and ecological interactions of coral reefs. It focuses on the status of coral reefs worldwide, considering effects of environmental and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., major storms, eutrophication, acidification, overfishing). Methods for reef conservation are examined. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required. {N}

Spring, Variable

CHM 108/ ENV 108 Environmental Chemistry (4 Credits)

Offered as CHM 108 and ENV 108. An introduction to environmental chemistry, applying chemical concepts to topics such as acid rain, greenhouse gases, air quality, pesticides and waste treatment. Chemical concepts are developed as needed. {N}

Spring

CHM 111 Chemistry I: General Chemistry (4 Credits)

The first semester of our core chemistry curriculum introduces the language(s) of chemistry and explores atoms, molecules and their reactions. Discussions include electronic structures of atoms, structure shape and properties of molecules; reactions and stoichiometry. Enrollment limited to 16 per lab section. Multiple sections are offered at different times, as detailed in the Schedule of Classes. At the time of registration students must register for both a lecture and a lab section that fit their course schedule. Corequisite: CHM 111L. Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken CHM 118. {N}

Fall

CHM 111L Chemistry I Lab: General Chemistry Lab (1 Credit)

Lab Section. The first semester of our core chemistry curriculum introduces the language(s) of chemistry and explores atoms, molecules and their reactions. Topics covered include electronic structures of atoms, structure shape and properties of molecules; reactions and stoichiometry. Multiple sections are offered at different times, as detailed in the Schedule of Classes. At the time of registration students must register for both a lecture and a lab section that fit their course schedule. Corequisite: CHM 111. Enrollment limited to 16. {N}

Fall

CHM 118 Advanced General Chemistry (4 Credits)

This course is for students with a very strong background in chemistry. The elementary theories of stoichiometry, atomic structure, bonding, structure, energetics and reactions are quickly reviewed. The major portions of the course involve a detailed analysis of atomic theory and bonding from an orbital concept, an examination of the concepts behind thermodynamic arguments in chemical systems, and an investigation of chemical reactions and kinetics. The laboratory deals with synthesis, physical properties and kinetics. The course prepares students for CHM 222 and CHM 223, and replaces both CHM 111 and CHM 224. Corequisite: CHM 118L. Restrictions: Not open to students who have passed either CHM 111 or CHM 224. Enrollment limited to 48. {N}

Fall

CHM 118L Advanced General Chemistry Laboratory (1 Credit)

Lab course for CHM 118.  This course is for students with a very strong background in chemistry and provides a foundation in basic lab technique, particularly for quantitative analytical measurements. It begins with an introduction to light as a tool for investigating aspects of chemical systems such as acid/base behavior and metal-ligand chemistry. The second half of the lab consists of a project module where students develop greater independence in their chemistry skills while investigating the behavior of one particular chemical system in depth. Each student also learns to keep a laboratory notebook, prepare scientific reports and presentations, and work safely in a chemical environment. Corequisite: CHM 118. Enrollment limited to 16. {N}

Fall

CHM 346 Environmental Analytical Chemistry (4 Credits)

An introduction to some common environmental chemical processes in air, soil and water, coupled with a study of the crucial role of accurate chemical measurement of these processes. Lecture and laboratory featuring modern chemical instrumentation for spectroscopy (atomic and molecular) high performance chromatographic separations (both gas and liquid), electrochemistry as well as microwave- and ultrasound-assisted sample preparation, and a short project linked to local faculty research interests. Oral presentations and formal laboratory reports required. Prerequisite: CHM 118 or CHM 224 or equivalent. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Fall

EGR 100ee Topics: Engineering for Everyone-Energy and the Environment (4 Credits)

Through readings, discussion, labs and lectures, students learn about human activity related to energy usage and the consequences to Earth’s environment. This knowledge is applied to motivate, design and build scale models of net-zero energy buildings. Through simple lab exercises, students learn to program microcontrollers that measure temperatures and control features within their model buildings, and corresponding analyses enable students to demonstrate how energy from the sun can be utilized in design to reduce carbon-based energy sources. Restrictions: EGR 100 may not be repeated. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

EGR 100sw Topics: Engineering for Everyone-Sustainable Water Resources (4 Credits)

Students in this course investigate and design water resources infrastructure – for hydropower, water supply, wastewater treatment, stormwater management and irrigation. Those technologies are introduced through historical and contemporary examples, along with a theme of the importance of place in engineering design. In contrast to design as invention, this course puts the emphasis on the adaptation of common designs to particular places, as influenced by climate, physical geography, culture, history, economics, politics and legal frameworks. Examples include the historic Mill River, Northampton’s water resources, Boston’s Deer Island wastewater treatment facility, San Francisco’s water supply system, California’s State Water Project and the Bay-Delta system, the Colorado River and water recycling and reclamation. Restrictions: EGR 100 may not be repeated. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

EGR 312 Seminar: Atmospheric Processes (4 Credits)

This course explores key topics including atmospheric circulation, global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion and urban air pollution. How does ground-level ozone form and why is it harmful to people and agriculture? What are high-pressure systems and why are they associated with fair weather? How do clouds form and what impact do they have on the climate? What instruments are being used to measure the properties of the atmosphere and how do these instruments work? This course is recommended for anyone with a solid grounding in math and science and is for students who want a better understanding of the environment. Prerequisites: CHM 111, EGR 110 and EGR 374 (may be concurrent) or equivalent. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only; Engineering majors only. Enrollment limited to 12. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

EGR 314 Seminar: Contaminants in Aquatic Systems (4 Credits)

Chemical and microbiological contamination of freshwater is a growing concern around the world. Understanding how these contaminants behave in the environment is essential when considering ecosystem implications and engineering approaches towards remediation. Topics covered include water chemistry, water policy and regulation and chemical contaminant partitioning. The class explores how contaminants enter the ecosystem, the fate of these contaminants due to environmental action and the potential for remediation to help restore freshwater health using a course based research approach. In addition, current and historical water quality events are reviewed as case studies. Through the research-based course project, students have an opportunity to explore a chosen topic of interest related to water quality and/or aquatic chemical or microbiological contamination. Prerequisites: CHM 111 and one of SDS 201, SDS 220 or MTH 246. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only; Engineering majors only. Enrollment limited to 12. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

EGR 315 Seminar: Ecohydrology (4 Credits)

This seminar focuses on the measurement and modeling of hydrologic processes and their interplay with ecosystems. Material includes the statistical and mathematical representation of infiltration, evapotranspiration, plant uptake and runoff over a range of scales (plot to watershed). The course addresses characterization of the temporal and spatial variability of environmental parameters and representation of the processes. The course introduces students to the Pioneer Valley, the cloud forests of Costa Rica and African savannas. Prerequisite: MTH 112 and SDS 201, SDS 220 or MTH 246. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only; Engineering majors only. Enrollment limited to 12.

Fall, Spring, Variable

EGR 316 Seminar: Advanced Topics in Engineering-Green Infrastructure for Water Resources (4 Credits)

Green infrastructure, which integrates natural and engineered components, is becoming increasingly popular to manage water quality and quantity.  Green infrastructure examples include permeable pavement, bioretention basins, treatment wetlands and riverbank filtration.  This course covers the science and engineering related to green infrastructure design, such as open-channel flow, hydraulics and filtration.  Additionally, it investigates how such designs are realized, with attention to siting, specifications and effects on communities.  A case study approach is used to evaluate green infrastructure performance. Prerequisites: EGR 374, GEO 209 or GEO 301, or equivalent. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

EGR 325 Seminar: Sustainable Electric Power Systems (4 Credits)

Electric power systems across the globe, from continental to neighborhood-sized grids-are undergoing a comprehensive shift referred to as "The Energy Transition." In this course, students learn modeling and analysis tools for integrating alternative energy sources (including geothermal and new storage technologies), as well as conventional technologies, into power systems. The class  discusses barriers and possible solutions to the widespread desire to electrify everything, when the electric power grid itself is not yet sustainable, clean or reliable enough to absorb the new demand for electricity. Prerequisite: EGR 220, PHY 215 or ENV 323. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 12. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

EGR 326 Dynamic Systems and Introduction to Control Theory (4 Credits)

Dynamic systems are systems that evolve with time, such as plants growing, populations migrating, systems storing energy (RLC circuits, rolling carts, heated building), national economic behavior, etc. They occur throughout nature and the built environment. Understanding dynamic systems leads to the ability to control them, so they behave according to the engineer's design. This course introduces students to both linear dynamic systems and modern control theories, so that students are able to design and control simple dynamic systems. Through design projects, students gain practical experience in designing a simple controller for a dynamic system. Prerequisites: (EGR 220 or MTH 211) and one of CSC 110, CSC 120, CSC 205/ MTH 205, CSC 210 or CSC 220. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Fall, Spring, Annually

EGR 388 Seminar: Photovoltaic and Fuel Cell System Design (4 Credits)

This seminar applies fundamental principles of thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and semi-conductor physics to the design, modeling, and analysis of renewable energy power systems. Concepts covered in this course include extraterrestrial radiation, solar geometry, atmospheric effects, polarization curve characteristics, system components and configurations, stand-alone and hybrid system design, and load interactions. This course applies these theoretical concepts in a laboratory setting involving the design and testing of fuel cell and photovoltaic systems. Corequisite: EGR 290. Prerequisite: EGR 220; and CHM 111 or CHM 118. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only; EGR majors only. Enrollment limited to 12. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

EGR 390ge Seminar: Advanced Topics in Engineering-Geothermal Engineering (4 Credits)

Roughly two thirds of the energy used in a typical home in the United States is for heating and cooling.  Most often, this energy is produced by burning fossil fuels or pulling electricity from the grid to power inefficient space heaters or air conditioners.  Geothermal systems have been used since the 1970s to efficiently provide environmentally sustainable heating and cooling capacity for structures as small as homes or as large as hospitals.  Discussions include the different types of geothermal systems used for heating and cooling, calculating heat exchange, evaluation of site geothermal potential, design of geothermal systems, as well as construction techniques and considerations.  Course activities include discussions, design projects and field trips to ongoing geothermal construction sites (when possible).  Prerequisites: EGR 290. Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only; engineering majors only. Enrollment limited to 12. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

ENV 150/ GEO 150 Mapping our World: An Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4 Credits)

Offered as GEO 150 and ENV 150. A geographic information system (GIS) enables data and maps to be overlain, queried and visualized in order to solve problems in many diverse fields. This course provides an introduction to the fundamental elements of GIS and applies the analysis of spatial data to issues in geoscience, environmental science and public policy. Students gain expertise in ArcGIS--the industry standard GIS software--and online mapping platforms, and carry out semester-long projects in partnership with campus offices or local conservation organizations. Enrollment limited to 20. {N}

Fall

ENX 301 Seminar: Environmental Concentration Capstone (4 Credits)

Restrictions: Juniors and seniors only. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission required.

Fall

GEO 101 Introduction to Earth Processes and History (4 Credits)

Geology is a study of the Earth. In this course, students examine the processes that formed the Earth and that have continued to change the planet during its 4.57 billion year history. In rocks, minerals and the landscape, geologists see puzzles that tell a story about Earth’s past. Students develop their geologic observation skills. The class investigates the origins of minerals and rocks and the dynamic processes that form volcanoes, cause earthquakes, shape landscapes, create natural resources and control the climate—today as well as during the Earth’s past. Students learn to view the Earth with a new perspective and appreciate how the planet is constantly changing, even if at extremely slow rates. Students planning to major in geosciences should take GEO 102 concurrently. {N}

Fall

GEO 102 Exploring the Local Geologic Landscape (2 Credits)

The Connecticut Valley region is rich with geologic features that can be reached by a short van ride from Smith. This is a field-based course that explores geology through weekly trips and associated assignments during which we examine evidence for volcanoes, dinosaurs, glaciers, rifting continents, and Himalayan-size mountains in Western Massachusetts. This class, when taken in conjunction with any other 100-level course, can serve as a pathway to the Geoscience major. Preference given to students taking GEO 101 concurrently and students who have previously taken a Geoscience course. Enrollment limited to 17. {N}

Fall

GEO 104 Global Climate Change: Exploring the Past, the Present and Options for the Future (4 Credits)

This course provides the basic scientific background on how human activity is altering the planet. The class examines the modern climate system, how it has changed throughout the course of Earth’s history, and how to predict what might happen in the future. Students answer questions such as “What did the planet look like the last time carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere were this high?” and “What on Earth is geoengineering?”. The goal of this class is to provide the context and scientific understanding needed to address climate change effectively. {N}

Fall

GEO 108 Oceanography: An Introduction to the Marine Environment (4 Credits)

An introduction to the global marine environment, with emphasis on the carbon cycle, seafloor dynamics, submarine topography and sediments, the nature and circulation of oceanic waters, ocean-atmosphere-climate interactions and global climate change, coastal processes, marine biologic productivity, and issues of ocean pollution and the sustainable utilization of marine resources by humans. One required field trip. {N}

Spring

GEO 231 Invertebrate Paleontology and the History of Life (5 Credits)

A study of the major evolutionary events in the history of life, with a special focus on marine invertebrates. Special topics include evolution, functional adaptations, paleoenvironments, the origin of life, mass extinction and origination, and how life has changed through time. One weekend field trip (optional). Prerequisite: GEO 101 and GEO 102; GEO 108; or GEO 102 with any other GEO 100-level course. GEO 102 can be taken concurrently; open also to students who have fulfilled the basis for the BIO major. Enrollment limited to 18. {N}

Fall

GEO 232 Sedimentary Geology (5 Credits)

A project-oriented study of the processes and products of sediment formation, transport, deposition and lithification. Modern sediments and depositional environments of the Massachusetts coast are examined and compared with ancient sedimentary rocks of the Connecticut River Valley and eastern New York. Field and laboratory analyses focus on the description and classification of sedimentary rocks, and on the interpretation of their origin. The results provide unique insights into the geologic history of eastern North America. Two weekend field trips. Prerequisites: GEO 101 and GEO 102; GEO 108; or GEO 102 with any other GEO 100-level course. GEO 102 can be taken concurrently. Enrollment limited to 22. {N}

Fall

GEO 251 Geomorphology (5 Credits)

The study of landforms and their significance in terms of the processes that form them. Selected reference is made to examples in the New England region and the classic landforms of the world. During the first part of the semester laboratories involve learning to use geographic information system (GIS) software to analyze landforms. During the second part of the semester laboratories include field trips to examine landforms in the local area. Prerequisite: GEO 101, GEO 102, GEO 108 or FYS 103. Enrollment limited to 18. {N}

Spring

GEO 301 Aqueous Geochemistry (5 Credits)

This project-based course examines the geochemical reactions between water and the natural system. Water and soil samples collected from a weekend field trip serve as the basis for understanding principles of pH, alkalinity, equilibrium thermodynamics, mineral solubility, soil chemistry, redox reactions, acid rain and acid mine drainage. The laboratory emphasizes wet-chemistry analytical techniques. One weekend field trip. Prerequisites: One geoscience course and (CHM 108 or CHM 111). Enrollment limited to 16. {N}

Spring

GEO 334 Carbonate Sedimentology (5 Credits)

Students in this class engage in detailed studies of the formation of carbonate sediments and rocks through participation in a required 7-10 day field trip to one of the modern tropical carbonate-producing environments (such as the Bahamas) during January interterm, followed by semester-long research projects based on the data and specimens collected in the field. Students present their results at Celebrating Collaborations in April. Class discussion topics include the history of carbonate rocks from the Precambrian to the present. Interested students should contact the course instructor. Students are responsible to partially cover expenses associated with the January trip. Prerequisite: GEO 231 or GEO 232. Enrollment limited to 8. Instructor permission required. {N}

Spring, Variable

PHY 110 Energy, Environment and Climate (4 Credits)

Earth’s reliance on carbon-based, non-renewable energy sources comes at a severe environmental, economic and political cost. Are there alternatives? This course offers a hands-on exploration of renewable energy technologies with an emphasis on understanding the underlying scientific principles. Students assess worldwide energy demand; study the limits to improved energy efficiency; explore the science and technology of solar, wind and hydropower; understand the science behind global warming; investigate climate models; and evaluate strategies for a sustainable future. This course also includes in-class experiments and field trips. {N}

Fall, Spring, Variable

SDS 201 Statistical Methods for Undergraduates (4 Credits)

(Formerly MTH 201/ PSY 201). An overview of the statistical methods needed for undergraduate research, emphasizing methods for data collection, data description and statistical inference, including an introduction to study design, confidence intervals, testing hypotheses, analysis of variance and regression analysis. Techniques for analyzing both quantitative and categorical data are discussed. Applications are emphasized and students use R for data analysis. This course satisfies the basic requirement for the psychology major. Students who have taken MTH 111 or equivalent should take SDS 220, which also satisfies the basic requirement. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in SDS 100 required for students who have not completed SDS 192, SDS 220, SDS 290 or SDS 291. Restrictions: Students do not normally earn credit for more than one course on this list: ECO 220, GOV 203, MTH 220, PSY 201, SDS 201, SDS 220 or SOC 204. Enrollment limited to 40. {M}

Fall, Spring

SDS 220 Introduction to Probability and Statistics (4 Credits)

(Formerly MTH 220/SDS 220). An application-oriented introduction to modern statistical inference: study design, descriptive statistics, random variables, probability and sampling distributions, point and interval estimates, hypothesis tests, resampling procedures, and multiple regression. A wide variety of applications from the natural and social sciences are used. This course satisfies the basic requirement for biological science, engineering, environmental science, neuroscience, and psychology. Prerequisite: MTH 111, or equivalent; SDS 100 must be taken concurrently for students who have not completed SDS 192, SDS 201, SDS 290 or SDS 291. Restrictions: Students do not normally earn credit for more than one course on this list: ECO 220, GOV 203, MTH 220, PSY 201, SDS 201, SDS 220 or SOC 204. Enrollment limited to 40. {M}

Fall, Spring