Mar 29, 2024  
2018-2019 Scripps Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Scripps Catalog THIS IS AN ARCHIVED CATALOG. LINKS MAY NO LONGER BE ACTIVE AND CONTENT MAY BE OUT OF DATE!

Revised Courses 2018-2019


Revised Courses Approved FA18


ART 122  SC (change in title)
Systems: Expanded Ceramic Process

Formerly: Intermediate and Advanced Ceramics

 

ART 143  SC (change in title/description)
Advanced Digital Art

Formerly: Intermediate and Advanced Photography

Advanced Digital Art is an in-depth study of motion graphics and its applications in fine art and design. Projects will focus on developing design concepts and strategies and the creation of projects varying from a short form video for (animated shapes and text) social media platforms; design and rig a character to composite into an experimental video; animate 3D type; and 3D character modeling with integration into Cinema 4D. By the end of the semester, students will have a comprehensive body of work that will demonstrate their own unique point of view. Prerequisite: Art 141, Art 142. Laboratory fee: $75.

 

BIOL138 and 138L KS (change in title/description)
Applied Ecology and Conservation
Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab

Formerly: Applied Ecology and Conservation with Lab

BIOL138 KS: This course covers advanced topics in population biology, community ecology, and population genetics as applied to conservation and resource management and with an emphasis on quantitative methods. Prerequisite: BIOL044L KS or EA 030L KS.

BIOL138L KS: In this optional lab component to BIOL138 KS (adds no additional credit), students will learn basic programming skills through the development and analysis of models addressing problems in conservation research and management. Prerequisite: BIOL044L KS.

 

BIOL140  KS (change in description)
Selected Topics in Neuroscience

A half-credit seminar course in which students will read current primary literature in neuroscience. Each class will cover new topics.

 

CORE002  SC (change in description)
Why Punish?

Given the fact that, in 2018, nearly seven million Americans were subject to some form of “correctional supervision,” and over two million Americans were incarcerated, we might think that there must be very compelling answers to the question that serves as this course’s title; and while most of us will agree that particular impositions of punishment are unjust, few of us are likely to dispute the justification of the institution of legal punishment, per se. We aim during the semester to investigate the telling and disorientating relationship between various theories of legal punishment and the realities of legal punishment. We begin with an investigation of a number of influential justifications of punishment and then turn to various accounts and analyses of the shape legal punishment takes in contemporary America. Coursework includes attending writing workshops at the local women’s prison on several Tuesday evenings. Students must be available on Tuesdays, 4:30-8:30 p.m.

 

CORE002  SC (change in title/description)
Shakespeare Then and Now

Formerly: Shakespeare’s Tragedies Then and now

We will study Shakespeare’s plays by pushing against the common wisdom that they are inaccessible and obsolete. We will read closely to add historical perspective to themes introduced in Core, and imagine how his dramas might come to life in our time. We will consider how these old plays script ideas and questions that we live with today, such as Twelfth Night’s festive yet skeptical presentation of gender and love, Henry V’s exploration of the strange and bloody pull of nationalism, Othello’s treatment of race relations and rhetorical power, Macbeth’s raw account of political terror and psychological trauma, and Lear’s astonishing, anguished vision of relentless cruelty, abjection, and suffering. (The exact reading list will vary each year.) Secondary readings will be drawn from literary criticism, history, psychology, and philosophy.

 

CORE002  SC (change in description)
What Is Happiness?

The paradox of happiness is that most people want it, but few people can define it. Most people seem to agree that happiness is one of life’s most important goals, yet they do not know how to achieve it. Recent studies have shown that people in the US tend to overestimate their degree of happiness, yet as a society, we have never consumed more “happy” pills, like Prozac, than we do today. What are we to make of these apparent contradictions? What is it about happiness that makes the concept and perhaps its reality so elusive? How can a concept that seems so central to our lives, whose pursuit we hold to be an inalienable right, be so hard to pin down?

Through an exploration of the ways in which thinkers across time, across cultures, and across disciplines have tried to answer the question “What is happiness?,” this course aims to provide students with a set of conceptual tools and research findings that can inform their own reflections on what it might mean to be happy.

 

ENGL115  SC (change in description)
Milton

This course is an in-depth study of the poetry and major prose of John Milton. At the heart of the course is “Paradise Lost,” the epic poem for which Milton is most famous and whose influence is perceptible across and beyond the Western literary canon. Alongside this we will consider Milton’s early lyric and late dramatic poetry and the sources that shaped it, as well as examples of his polemical prose writing on subjects ranging from divorce to the freedom of the press. Our discussions will explore Milton’s literary engagement with such issues as political tyranny, the status and rights of women, scientific innovation, human agency and free will, and the role of poetry itself in a rapidly changing world.

 

ENGL193  SC (change in title/description)
Introduction to Fiction Writing

Formerly: Fiction Writing Workshop

This course is an in-depth study of the poetry and major prose of John Milton. At the heart of the course is “Paradise Lost,” the epic poem for which Milton is most famous and whose influence is perceptible across and beyond the Western literary canon. Alongside this we will consider Milton’s early lyric and late dramatic poetry and the sources that shaped it, as well as examples of his polemical prose writing on subjects ranging from divorce to the freedom of the press. Our discussions will explore Milton’s literary engagement with such issues as political tyranny, the status and rights of women, scientific innovation, human agency and free will, and the role of poetry itself in a rapidly changing world.

 

FREN124  SC (change in title/description)
Writings of Freedom and Desire

Formerly: The Novelist and Society in France

This course examines the journeys of desire at the heart of four profoundly diverse French texts dating from the 17th to the 20th century. From Mme de Lafayette’s courtly Versailles novel to the Balzacian salon; and through the eyes of Colette’s “Gigi” and the passions of Marguerite Duras’ “Lover”, we will examine the protagonists’ quests for freedom from shiny rings, golden cages, and strict expectations. Underpinning the construction of feminine identity central to each of the texts will be a charting of the evolution of French fiction.

 

GERM044  SC (change in description)
Advanced German

Emphasis on grammar review, correct idiomatic writing and speaking. Weekly conversation classes with a native speaker. Prerequisite: GERM 033 or equivalent.

 

HIST166  SC (change in description)
Political and Cultural Criticism in the U.S.

This course focuses on political and cultural criticism in the U.S. since the turn of the 20th century as means of activism and critique. How did writers and other activists respond to the events of their day? What can we learn from them about our own? We will read fiction, memoirs, and social scientific, philosophical, and political essays that sought to understand and transform society. Topics include the relationship between the individual and society, the possibility of community, the challenge of democracy, aesthetics and politics, the rise of science and the cult of expertise, violence and technocracy, alienation and the desire for engagement, exile and national identity.

 

HIST108  SC (change in course number)
History of Economic Thought

Formerly: HIST197C

 

HUM 195J SC (change in title/description)
Humanities Institute Fellows Seminar: Ignorance in the Age of Information

Formerly: Humanities Institute Fellow Seminar: Global Migration and Immigration

Spring 2019:  We will read and discuss work recommended by the speakers on the program as well as some background material. Students will be expected to attend all Humanities Institute events. The theme for Spring 2019 is “Ignorance in the Age of Information:” Information is more accessible to more people than ever. Yet, one of the central concerns in the public consciousness today is that we seem especially susceptible to deceit and manipulation via our sources of information, including both the internet in its various forms and more traditional news media. This year, the Humanities Institute will focus on this concern, regarding both content (like “fake news” and other misinformation), and form (like the “echo chamber” or “filter bubble” of social media news feeds).

 

PSYC182/NEUR182  SC (change in title/description)
Machine Learning Using Neural Signals

Formerly: Network Science and Machine Learning Using Neural Signals

This course teaches students the theory and practice of computational analyses of machine learning applied to neural signals for cognitive and neural classification. We will use real neural signals (e.g., spikes, EEG data, fMRI data, diffusion MRI data) in Python, Matlab, and R, so some computer programming experience is required (e.g., BIOL133L, PHYS108, PSYC123L, or equivalent). In this course, students will receive an overview of machine learning theory, an introduction to the concepts and practices of primary machine learning algorithms, and how to apply machine learning to information resulting from signal processing of neural signals. Each class meeting will involve theory and practical applications using active learning, giving students conceptual and computational capabilities that they can use for their own scholarly inquiry and computational applications.

 

SPAN100  SC (change in title/description)
Cultural Competence in the Health Professions

Formerly: Sciences and Cultural Competence

Development of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills at an advanced level on topics related to the health professions and medicine within a socio-historical context, through discussion of visual media and arts, culture theory, histories, testimonios, and scientific scholarship in Spanish stemming from specific geographical and historical contingencies in the Americas and in Spain to enhance cross cultural understanding.

 

WRIT175  SC (change in title/description)
Social Action Writing and Rhetoric

Formerly: Protest Writing and Rhetoric

This course examines the tradition of oral, visual, and written arguments intended to support social action. We will examine highlights of U.S. social action rhetoric in four genres: manifestos, speeches, literature, and zines. Students will examine the tactics, ideology, and context of pieces and then attempt to create these forms.

Revised Courses Approved SP19


ARHI186C SC (change in title/description)
Topics in Asian Art - Asian Arts: Urban Life in Japanese Prints

Topic for fall 2019:  Seminar on images of urban life in Japanese prints 19th-21st centuries, with a focus on Edo/Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Student will examine, analyze and research woodblock prints depicting city life. Students will also curate an exhibition for the Clark Humanities Museum. This course will parallel and meet occasionally with a Japanese literature seminar exploring texts about Japanese city life. Prerequisite: College course(s) on Japanese culture.


ART 121  SC (change in description)
Introduction to Ceramic Sculpture

This course is an introduction to contemporary sculptural practices in clay. Topics covered include hand-building technique, conceptual development, firing, glazing, ceramic history and contemporary artistic practices. Classes will consist of technical demonstrations, lectures, work time and critiques. $75 course fee.


ART 122  SC (change in title/description)
Systems: Expanded Ceramic Process

Formerly: Intermediate and Advanced Ceramics

This course expands upon the techniques and concepts introduced in Art121. This includes a refinement of the basics, with the possible addition of wheel throwing, mold making/slip casting, and transferring images onto clay. Classes will consist of technical demonstrations, lectures, assigned and self-directed projects, and critiques. This course may be taken twice for credit. $75 course fee.


ART 125  SC (change in description)
Sculpture

This course is an introduction to contemporary sculpture. Assignments guide students through the process of conceptual development and self-expression in mediums such as clay, plaster, and wood. Classes will consist of technical demonstrations, lectures, work time and critiques. $75 course fee.


ART 135  SC (change in title/description)
Letterpress & Book Arts

Formerly: Typography and Book Arts

Working in collaboration, students create a limited-edition, letterpress-printed book under the Scripps College Press imprint. Through library visits and archival research, students develop original texts, generate imagery, set metal and wooden type, print on antique presses, and bind approximately 100 copies of an original book. $75 course fee.


ART 148  SC (change in description/prerequisities)
Introduction to Video Art

A studio course introducing students to the basic techniques of digital video production: camerawork, audio recording, lighting, and non-linear editing. Production is augmented by critiques, screenings, and discussions of conceptual and formal ideas. $75 course fee.


ART 149  SC (change in description)
Intermediate Video Art

Students continue to develop digital video projects and experiment with expanded video practices such as creating motion graphics for video using Adobe software; projections, installations, and additional video forms. Production is augmented by critiques, screenings, and discussions of conceptual and formal ideas. This course may be taken twice for credit. Prerequisite: ART148 SC or equivalent. $75 course fee.


ART 181G SC (change in title/description)
Topics Seminar in Studio Art: Beauty & Abject: Race/Gender/Art

Formerly: Topics Seminar in Studio Art: From Beauty to the Abject, Race, Whiteness and Modernism

This course will highlight the intersection of modern and contemporary art criticism with race and gender issues in contemporary U.S. culture. This course fulfills the art theory requirement for Scripps Art, and/or Media Studies majors. Though not restricted to art majors, this seminar course is intended to help prepare majors for their capstone project. In addition to presentations and exams, students will be expected to produce a final research project/paper.


CLAS012  SC (change in title/description)
Greek Tragedy/Modern World

Formerly: Greek Tragedy

We explore the strange world of Greek tragedy through a reading of selected plays (e.g., Sophocles, Euripides) and modern adaptations (plays and films). Why have these ancient plays been so influential? Students also learn about Dionysiac rituals, performance styles, theater archaeology, and reception theory. No prior knowledge necessary. Students will also have the opportunity to act out/direct/assist with scenes from ancient/modern plays.


CORE003  SC (formerly Core 2)
Walls, Borders, Fences

How can we think about borders, walls, and fences as both material boundaries and networks of historical, ideological, political, and economic conditions that define nation-states, communities, and collectivities? How are borders being reconfigured in the contemporary world in ways that change how we think about sovereignty, power, citizenship, and violence? How do borders shape the relationships between space and identity? This class explores the relationships between social, spatial, and political divisions in different historical and geographic contexts including the U.S. It addresses issues including ongoing forms of settler-colonialism, anti-immigration policies and rhetoric, and state-sponsored or sanctioned violence in border zones. *Note: if this course was taken as Core 2 in spring 2019, it may not be enrolled in again.


CORE003  SC (change in title/description)
Mobilizing Art

Formerly: Mobilizing Art: Creating Activist Performances

This course will survey and analyze activist and political art strategies, theories and case studies, from the 20th and 21st centuries. In parallel with our study of current and past models, we will construct a toolbox of techniques for addressing current issues, spanning multiple arts disciplines, and deploy them in activist art projects generated and led by class members. Some meetings of this class will take place in incarcerated spaces. Final class project: Members of the class will create a musical performance together with the women of Crossroads, a transitional housing project for formerly incarcerated women. Although musical skills are not a prerequisite for initial registration, the class will be creating and performing music together. Everyone in class will participate in the final project as performers.


CORE003  SC (change in title/description)
Capitalism/Anti-Capitalism

Formerly: Capitalism and Critique

Capitalism is the air we breathe. It can thus be easy not to evaluate critically the role of capital and class relations in daily life. Topics include the origins of capitalism, Marxist critiques, neoliberalism, the transformation of values and practices by the free market, the relationship between capitalism and culture, and possibilities for change (primarily in the context of the US and Europe). Students will have the opportunity to work with campus groups and community organizations.
 

HIST117  SC (change in title/description)
The Economic History of the Western World I: The Rise of Capitalism

Formerly: Capitalism in the Renaissance

This course examines the economic history of the Western world from the decline of Rome to the mid-eighteenth century. A principal goal is to understand the institutional, technological, and cultural transformations associated with the rise of capitalism, in addition to examining the sources and methods of premodern economic history. Cross listing in Economics. Prerequisites for Economics elective credit: ECON051 SC and ECON052 SC. This is the first of a two-part sequence. Part two will be offered as ECONXXX in the spring.


HIST174  SC (change in title)
The U.S. in the 1960s

Formerly: The “American” 1960s


HMSC133  SC (change in title/description)
Modernity and the Unconscious

Formerly: Freud/Derrida

Beyond the theme of sexuality, Freud’s discovery of repression and the unconscious has been enormously influential in challenging the foundations of modern experience. This course brings Freud’s central analytic concepts into conversation with those of the twentieth-century philosopher Jacques Derrida in order to explore how the vision of a mind characterized by the unconscious has profoundly shaped aspects of modern experience. Topics to be addressed: scientific thought, love, death, identity.


POLI113  SC (change in description)
People & Power in the Modern Middle East

How have political identities, ideologies, institutions, public spheres and avenues for participation evolved in major Arab states, and how have people experienced power and exercised agency through them? This class explores opposition politics, social movements, youth politics, Islamism, gendered mobilizations, informal urban politics, cultural resistance, and the uprisings of 2011 Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Palestine, and the Gulf states.


WRIT109  SC (change in description)
Writing Studio

In this writing workshop, students develop their understanding of the academic writing process, including prompts and disciplinary conventions; invention, brainstorming, and prewriting; drafting, revision, and editing; peer response; critical thinking; research; and oral presentation. Students discuss academic genres and writing conventions as well as rhetorical framing and audience expectations of individual essays of any kind (including senior thesis chapters), which they workshop as a group.


WRIT160  SC (change in description)
Theories & Pedagogies of Writing

This course is an advanced introduction to composition studies. We will examine influential essays from our discipline, mostly theory and case studies on teaching writing. In addition, we will observe and conduct mock tutorial sessions, practice responses to student writing, and present and discuss examples of particularly good or bad instructional sessions.