2022-2023 Off-Campus Courses

Wilderness and the Arts—ENG 347

Professor Hankins

The class will immerse in the glorious September outdoors at the fairly primitive Field Station on Low Lake, and thoughtfully consider concepts of the wilderness in our culture as we incorporate art and meditation into those conceptual frames. We canoe, make art, write wilderness journals, read and discuss literature, contemplate paintings (the vibrant forest paintings and journals of Emily Carr), and photography by Tokihiro Sato, Jim Brandenberg and others). We cultivate awareness of our own encounters with the wilderness and the artworks about the wilderness that we study. The class will learn to do Japanese suminigashi, floating ink marbling, and make journals using Japanese stab binding. We will reflect upon art and meditation as ways of relating to the wilderness; we will read fiction and poetry in the wild, keep journals/portfolios of projects involving writing, literature, meditation, and photography (projects inspired by Sato and Brandenberg).

Open to seasoned campers & neophytes.

Course Cost (includes transportation, lodging, activities, and meals): $1,260*
*Students who submit a complete application through Ingenuity in Action are guaranteed to pay a final course cost of $760 or less

Topics: Anthropology of the Environment at the Wilderness Field Station—ANT 256

Professor Davis

This course takes place in Minnesota at the Wilderness Field Station located on Low Lake in the Superior National Forest, adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). The BWCA is a unique, extensive chain of nationally protected freshwater lakes in which motorized vehicles are prohibited and development is restricted. Conflicts over land use, however, have been a part of this region since before its designation as the BWCA, and restrictions are continually contested. Whether sulfide mining should be permitted, where motorized vehicles should be allowed, and how wolf hunting ought to be regulated, are all examples of ongoing debates. Through the lens of environmental anthropology, our course will examine the cultural politics of land use and human-environment interactions. If we hope to solve immanent environmental dilemmas, we must consider the socio-cultural context through which these dilemmas take shape. Our course will consider persistent debates over environmental meanings, regulative authority, and environmental political action in the Boundary Waters and beyond.

Activities include canoeing, hiking, possible camping expeditions, meeting with local activists and organizations, visiting museums and heritage centers, and generally engaging in a variety of immersive events in order to better understand the environmental and socio-cultural conflicts and triumphs associated with the region.

Course Cost (includes transportation, lodging, activities, and meals): $1,260*
*Students who submit a complete application through Ingenuity in Action are guaranteed to pay a final course cost of $760 or less

Holocaust and Human Rights in Europe—POL 244

Professor Yamanishi

This course addresses the history, politics, and lived experience of the Holocaust and other significant human rights abuse in Europe, from the points of view of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. We will work to understand why and how human rights come to be abused, how abuse affects the victims, and when and how post-conflict communities work to resolve differences and learn from periods of abuse. We will visit Holocaust and other human rights sites – museums, memorials, and sites of violence – in and near European cities such as Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and Sarajevo.

This course will involve significant walking and use of stairs, sometimes with our luggage. 

Course cost: $3,500

Advanced Topics: Geology of Utah—GEO 360

Professor Denniston

Application of geologic principles in the field to explore the geology of southern Utah and northern Arizona: stratigraphy, structure, geomorphology, and tectonic history. Development of field mapping methods, construction and interpretation of geologic maps, reading and discussion of primary literature. Based primarily in Cedar City, Utah. Registration entails additional costs. Alternate years.

Prerequisites: GEO 214, GEO 306, or permission of instructor.

Course Cost (includes transportation, lodging, activities, and meals): $2,800*
*Students who submit a complete application through Ingenuity in Action are guaranteed to pay a final course cost of $1,000 or less

Intermediate/Advance Spanish Conversation Abroad—SPA 206/302

Professor Mosier

Taught in Mexico, students will develop their knowledge of Spanish language and culture in a classroom setting, in daily interactions with native speakers from the local community, and in excursions to culturally rich sites. Includes a homestay. Registration entails additional costs.

Prerequisites: SPA 103 and permission of instructor.

Course cost: $2,900

Traveling Economists in China Seminar—ECB 334

Professor Knoop

There is no better setting to obtain a deeper understanding of growth, poverty, and economic development than China today. In this class we will examine both the theoretical and empirical foundations that shape the way economists understand economic growth in China and around the globe. We will talk with local experts in Chinese development and business, visit local Chinese firms and factories, have a class exchanges with Chinese college students studying at Chinese Universities, visit local schools, and travel to multiple regions of China—both very rich and urban as well as poor and rural. In addition, we will refine our abilities to think like economists by focusing on the ways that incentives shape behavior, and examine the new insights economists have gained into the determinants of difference across people, cultures, societies, countries, and time. In this class in which we travel and learn economics, our goal is to become both better economists and the kinds of travelers that get the most out of their experiences.

Prerequisite: ECB 101

Course cost: $5,400

Theater and the Arts in New York—THE 348

Professor Olinger

Study theatrical performance and production in the commercial capital of American Theatre, New York City! Attend more than fourteen plays and events across roughly two weeks, from Broadway mega-hits to small experimental productions, with museum visits and professional workshops in between. Make professional connections by meeting alumni and local working artists, and go backstage at some of the most fascinating productions in the city. Discuss and debate how plays make meaning, and what makes a production successful. Taught in NYC.

This course will entail light exercise such as walking tours, museum visits, climbing stairs backstage, etc.

Course cost: $3,800

Topics in Kinesiology: Movement Across Cultures—KIN 355

Professor Meyer

This course provides an immersive investigation into movement in the life and culture of the Bahamas. We will explore the intersections of various aspects of physical activity (exercise, sports, physical education, cultural expression) with Bahamian history, culture, education, wellness, tourism, and the environment. Specific research topics may include environmental impacts of movement-based tourism, education of movement within and outside of the Bahamas school system, the meaning and quantification of movement during Junkanoo, the impacts of sports tourism, and a comparison of the history of movement between the indigenous Lucayan tribes, colonial and loyalist plantations, and present day communities. A significant portion of the course (two weeks) will be conducted in Nassau and at the Gerace Research Centre on the island of San Salvador, Bahamas.

Field activities will include hiking, snorkeling, swimming, exploring historic sites, spelunking, community engagement with local residents and practitioners, and experiencing the local culture. 

Prerequisites: KIN 328 or Permission of Instructor

Course cost: $3,300

Biological Problems - BIO/BMB 485

Professor Tepper and Professor Christie-Pope

This is a capstone course involving both students and faculty in collaborative research. Students participate in a multifaceted on-going research project focused on how climate change affects coral reefs. Fire coral and their algal symbionts are used as a model system to explore responses to thermal stress and coral bleaching. The course takes place on South Water Caye, a 12-acre Caribbean island surrounded by mangroves, tidal seagrass flats, and pristine coral reefs teeming with marine life located on the Belize barrier reef.

Daily activities include laboratory research and snorkeling coral reefs. 

Couse cost (includes transportation, lodging, activities, and meals): $3300

If this course is unable to travel to Belize due to COVID-19 restrictions, the class will be offered in the Bahamas. This decision will likely be finalized by Summer 2022; questions related to this course may be direct to Craig Tepper

History, Traditions, and Identities in Aix-en-Provence—FRE 206/302

Professor Wines

In order to explore questions of history, identity, and tradition, students will be immersed in Provençal culture for the duration of the block. This extended stay in southern France will provide them with the opportunity to gain an understanding of life in Aix-en-Provence and achieve greater fluency in French by living with local families and interacting daily with native speakers from the community. They will be able to discover local traditions through experiential activities, perhaps a cheese tasting, a market visit, and/or a cooking class. Excursions may include day trips to Marseille or Avignon, or shorter site visits to a World War Two transit camp or the painter Cezanne’s workshop. These outings will instruct students about area history, culture, and identity; guest lectures will further augment students’ knowledge of the course’s themes. In addition to such experiences, there will be group discussions and selected readings designed to examine the inter-relations of history, tradition, and identity in this small city and its surrounding region.

Please note this course entails significant amounts of walking. 

Course cost: $3,300

Rome Reborn: Caput Mundi in Ancient, Renaissance, and Modern Contexts—ART 364

Professor Penn-Goetsch

This upper level course, traces the history of the Eternal City from antiquity and the world of Julius Caesar and Augustus to the Rome of the early modern popes and the imperialist vision of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Topics include the evolution of the ancient city into the capital of the Roman Empire, the Christianization of Rome and the Church Triumphant of the Counter Reformation as well as urban planning and reconstruction under Mussolini. This course is particularly appropriate for students interested in the use of art, architecture, and urban design as persuasive or visual rhetoric. No S/U Option.

Prerequisite: junior or senior standing or completion of a 200-level art history course.

Course cost: $3,800

Biological Problems Madagascar—BIO/ENV 485

Professor Mildenstein

Investigation of a biological problem, including a review of the literature, collection and interpretation of data, and writing of a research report. May be repeated once for credit. Intended for seniors or advanced juniors, this is a capstone experience for Biology majors. Arrangements must be made with the instructor before registering. May be repeated once for credit.

Prerequisites: declared BIO major and junior standing.

Course cost: $4,000

Gender and Development in India—POL 246

Professor Thomas

This is a comparative politics course on gender and development issues among rural and urban Indian women. The course is also cross listed with GSS. Broadly speaking, course goals include analyzing various issues that affect women such as social, cultural, health, economic, and political issues. As such, it is fairly interdisciplinary and appeals to students from a variety of disciplines. We will spend the block in India, in both urban and rural settings.

The course involves a moderate amount of walking. 

Course cost (includes transportation, lodging, and meals): $4,200

Changing Ireland - ANT 222

Professor Quill

Although Ireland is still a place of rocky cliff beaches, quaint villages and country lanes, it is also a modern European nation with a high-tech economy and an increasingly multicultural people. In this course, we will travel across Ireland to learn about its history, culture, famous hospitality, and musical traditions as well as the contemporary changes that connect the island nation to the European Union (and to the rest of the world) through immigration, jobs, refugees, the Covid-19 pandemic, and global economic crises.

We will visit Dublin, Galway, the Ring of Kerry, the Aran Islands and famous sites like Newgrange and Trinity College.

Prerequisites: ANT 101 and permission of Instructor.

Course cost: $4,000