May 06, 2024  
2018-2019 Catalogue 
    
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2018-2019 Catalogue [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

Course Numbering

The College of Wooster uses a five-digit course numbering system. The first three digits indicate the primary course number. The next two digits are the secondary course number and indicate whether there is a special focus for the course. For example:

The first letters are the department or program abbreviation. The next three digits are the primary course number (101 is the primary course number for all Introduction to Historial Study courses). The last two digits are the secondary course number. These two digits indicate that the special focus for this HIST 101 course is The History of Islam. A course with a given three-digit primary course number can only be taken once for credit unless specifically indicated otherwise by the department.

The following policy has been used in assigning primary course numbers:

  • 100-level courses are usually introductory courses; some 100-level courses do have prerequisites, and students are advised to consult the description for each course.
  • 200-level courses are usually beyond the introductory level, although many 200-level courses are open to first-year students and to majors and non-majors.
  • 300-level courses are seminars and courses primarily for majors but open to other students with the consent of the instructor.
  • The following numbers are for Independent Study: I.S. 40100 (Junior Independent Study), I.S. 45100 and I.S. 45200 (Senior Independent Study).

In addition to the regular course offerings, many departments offer individual tutorials under the number 40000 and internships under 41000. On occasion, departments will offer a course on a special topic as approved by the Educational Policy Committee, designated 19900, 29900, or 39900.

Abbreviation

In keeping with the general education requirements of the College’s curriculum
(see Degree Requirements ), course listings employ the following abbreviations:

W Writing Intensive 

C Studies in Cultural Difference

R Religious Perspectives

Q Quantitative Reasoning

AH Learning Across the Disciplines: Arts and Humanities

HSS Learning Across the Disciplines: History and Social Sciences 

MNS Learning Across the Disciplines: Mathematical and Natural Sciences

Except where otherwise noted, all courses carry one course credit.
 

Environmental Studies
  

  • ENVS 10000 - Key Concepts in Environmental Studies

    Course Credit: 1
    KEY CONCEPTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES This course introduces students to some of the core theories and concepts in the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies. The goal of the course is to help develop the critical thinking skills and theoretical background to analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, and competing claims about the environment and society. It seeks to explore these basic questions through a variety of lenses: Why do major environmental problems arise? Why do they persist? How do we frame and understand the existence of environmental problems? What are possible solutions, and how do we evaluate their feasibility? Annually.
  

  • ENVS 11000 - Science, Society & Environment

    Course Credit: 1
    SCIENCE, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT This course introduces students to the fundamental processes of the flow and cycling of key components of the biosphere - with a focus on carbon and water - and how such processes underlie the most important environmental problems of our time. We discuss the natural stocks and cycles and how they are disrupted by human activity, either by overdrawing existing resources (depletion) or overburdening natural waste processing mechanisms (pollution). Simultaneously students will practice the skills necessary to translate these concepts for a general audience, through a variety of writing, audio recording, and oral presentation projects. Emphasis will also be given to reading other outstanding pieces of environmental writing. Annually. [W]
  

  • ENVS 12000 - Ecology and the Environment

    Course Credit: 1
    Ecology and the Environment To properly understand the complexity of humankind’s interaction with the environment requires an understanding of the natural world as seen through the eyes of science. This course is a content-based introduction to this particular space, where ecology, earth science and environmental studies intersect. The goal is to understand basic processes of ecosystem dynamics, material cycling, and energy flows, through the lens of humanity’s relationship with the environment. Thus a key branch of environmental science is placed in the context of potential natural disturbances and human impacts on the natural world. Content analysis and reflection are accomplished through readings, discussion of case studies, and class activities. [MNS]
  

  • ENVS 16000 - The Science of Environmental Issues

    Course Credit: 1
    The Science of Environmental Issues This course provides an overview of key environmental issues facing our society today. Topics include climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, as well as concerns about our food, water, soil, material and energy resources. Emphasis will be on an in-depth study of the environmental science (physical, chemical and biological) informing us about the causes, connections, scope, scale, and impacts of these issues as well as the feasibility of potential solutions. Science in the context of social, political and economic perspectives on these issues will also be addressed through readings, writing assignments, and class discussions. [MNS]
  

  • ENVS 19900 - Topics in Environmental Studie

    Course Credit: 1
    TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE [MNS]
  

  • ENVS 19902 - The Science of Environmental Issues

    Course Credit: 1
    THE SCIENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES This course provides an overview of key environmental issues facing our society today. Topics include climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, as well as concerns about our food, water, soil, material and energy resources. Emphasis will be on an in-depth study of the environmental science (physical, chemical and biological) informing us about the causes, connections, scope, scale, and impacts of these issues as well as the feasibility of potential solutions. Science in the context of social, political and economic perspectives on these issues will also be addressed through readings, writing assignments, and class discussions. [MNS]
  

  • ENVS 20000 - Environmental Analysis & Action

    Course Credit: 1
    ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND ACTION Presents a multidisciplinary perspective on environmental topics by examining in depth an issue of global and/or local significance from the perspectives of the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. Students will apply fundamental concepts from various disciplines to understand, formulate and evaluate solutions to environmental issues. Topics rotate each year. May be repeated. Prerequisite(s): At least one science course from the approved ENVS list, and one course from the ENVS list in either social sciences or humanities. Annually. Spring.
  

  • ENVS 20003 - Environmental Contamination & Waste

    Course Credit: 1
    ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND WASTE A wide-ranging analysis of contamination of the environment by plastic, other forms of trash, and persistent synthetic chemicals. Emphasis will be placed on an interdisciplinary understanding of waste, including philosophical and social science interpretations of waste and its impact. Prerequisite(s): At least one science course from the approved ENVS list, and one course from the ENVS list in either social sciences or humanities.
  

  • ENVS 20004 - Sustainability

    Course Credit: 1
    SUSTAINABILITY: Presents a multidisciplinary perspective on environmental topics by examining in depth an issue of global and local significance from the perspectives of the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. Students will apply fundamental concepts from various disciplines to understand, formulate and evaluate solutions to environmental issues. The spring 2016 section will focus on sustainability; we will consider various ways of defining sustainability, and discuss ways of moving toward sustainability, both in the world at large and on campus. Prerequisite(s): At least 1 course from the cross-listed courses accepted for ENVS credit AND 1 course from the cross-listed courses accepted for ENVS credit in either Social Sciences or Humanities.
  

  • ENVS 22000 - Farm to Table: Understanding Food System

    Course Credit: 1
    FROM FARM TO TABLE: UNDERSTANDING THE FOOD SYSTEM The production and consumption of food interface with disciplines from biology and chemistry to political economy, sociology, and business management. The aim of this course is to introduce students to this broad, multidisciplinary analysis of the food system and get them thinking critically about where our food comes from, where it goes, and how to make the entire system more sustainable. [HSS]
  

  • ENVS 23000 - Sustainable Agriculture: Theory/Practice

    Course Credit: 1
    SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: THEORY AND PRACTICE Agroecology is the science of sustainable agriculture. It serves as the scientific basis for devising more natural, less environmentally harmful farming practices that build soil fertility and plant resilience while maintaining adequate production levels. The goal of this course is to introduce students to a broad suite of sustainable agriculture principles and practices and to investigate the scienti?c basis for those practices. Students will learn agroecology techniques by actually practicing them in the campus Learning Garden. Students registering for the course are required to simultaneously register for ENVS 23000L: the associated lab. Annually.
  

  • ENVS 23500 - Gardening Practicum

    Course Credit: 0.25
    GARDENING PRACTICUM An experiential, quarter-credit practicum that meets once per week for three hours at a time, for half the semester only (when offered in the fall, it will meet for the first 7 weeks; when offered in the spring, it will meet all weeks after spring break).
  

  • ENVS 31000 - Sustainable Dev: Principles & Practices

    Course Credit: 1
    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES This course will explore the intersection of development and sustainability. We will begin with a historical understanding of the idea of sustainable development, then shift to a more applied and experiential focus with an emphasis on case studies from around the world. Students will be come away with a deeper understanding of concepts that underlie sustainability, including the tragedy of the commons, the interface between population growth and resource use, societal solutions for increasing energy efficiency, and ecological economics. [HSS]
  

  • ENVS 39901 - Agricultural Entomology

    Course Credit: 1
    (BIOL)
    AGRICULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY Insects are a vital component of any farm system or agroecosystem. While common perception has deemed insects to be pests, insects often take on multi-faceted roles in the functioning of agroecosystems. In this class, we will explore the relationships between humans and arthropods in agriculture and understand how we can manage these relationships in the pursuit of sustainable food production. We will understand the general bases of insect biology, morphology and behavior; critically assess the ecology of arthropods in agroecosystems; and learn the theory and practices of environmentally sound pest management.
  

  • ENVS 40000 - Tutorial

    Course Credit: 0.25
    Maximum Credit: 1
    May be repeated.
  

  • ENVS 41000 - Internship

    Course Credit: 0.25
    Maximum Credit: 1
    INTERNSHIP In consultation with a faculty member associated with the program, students may arrange academic credit for supervised work in an applied setting that is relevant to topics in environmental studies. Placement may be on- or off-campus. Examples of on-campus internships might include work through the physical plant, exploring energy use on campus; through campus grounds, investigating aspects of campus plantings and land use; or through campus dining services, examining ways to promote local foods, reduce energy use, reduce food waste, or develop a composting program. In addition to the work, an internship will include an appropriate set of academic readings and written assignments, developed in consultation with the supervising faculty member, that will allow the student to reflect critically on his or her experience. ( May be repeated. S/NC.