Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Maymester

Maymester runs from Monday, May 20 through Friday, June 7, 2024. Current students and non-matriculated students will be able to take one course with an HWS faculty member for 3.5 hours, five days a week. Classes are scheduled in the mornings (9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) or afternoons (1:30 – 5 p.m.).

2024 Courses

• BIO 105 Scientific Reasoning in a Data-driven World
• ENV 216 Birds in Our Landscape
• GLS 101 Introduction to Global Studies: Alcohol
• HIST 200 Quantitative Methods for Historians
• MDSC 100 Intro to Media and Society
• MDSC 309 Media Industries and Alternatives
• PSY 201 Statistics

BIO 105 Scientific Reasoning in a Data-driven World
Online Course
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Biology
Professor Jesse Borden
Quantitative Reasoning (Substantial)
Scientific Inquiry (Substantial)

This is an introductory course for both STEM and non-STEM majors alike to explore the complexities and strength of scientific knowledge and understanding. The aim of the course is to empower students to grasp more deeply what science is and how it works, to be able to evaluate scientific claims, detect false information, and critically engage with public dialogues around science. Course topics will include the scientific method and the cycle of scientific thinking, the merit of science, evaluating science vs pseudoscience, interpreting scientific claims in popular media, discussing other knowledge systems, and broadly exploring how scientific understanding is advanced. This course will be fully online and a combination of synchronous and asynchronous lectures, discussions, and activities.This will be an interdisciplinary course incorporating readings, lectures, discussions, and activities across the disciplines of science, philosophy, and statistics.

ENV 216 Birds in Our Landscape
Online Course
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Biology
Professor Mark Deutschlander
Scientific Inquiry (Substantial)

Birds are an apparent and familiar part of our environments, whether hiking in a national forest or spending time in our own backyards. From pristine natural areas to the most urban settings, birds are ubiquitous and serve as sentinels for the health of the environment. Examining population trends and geographical distributions of birds can help us understand the impacts of urbanization, pollution and pesticides, climate change, and more. In this course, you will learn how distributions of birds inform scientists about environmental change and the impacts of change on the function of ecosystems. You will learn, firsthand through field excursions and exercises, to identify local bird species and how to conduct some basic field techniques for direct monitoring of birds. You will learn how scientists collect distribution data on birds using remote sensing and how citizen science has greatly advanced our ability to understand the distributions and movements of birds. You will also learn how scientists communicate their findings by reviewing scientific publications, which we will use as case studies of how birds in our landscape impact us and tell us about our environments.

GLS 101 Introduction to Global Studies: Alcohol
Online Course
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Global Studies
Professor David Galloway
Social Inequality (Substantial)
Cultural Difference (Substantial)

For over nine thousand years human beings have produced alcoholic drinks in various forms. While some theories say our ancestors started to do so millions of years ago in a quest for calories, now alcohol is many things to many people: indispensable beverage, religious obligation or prohibition, sign of high or low culture, curse or blessing, and more. We will consider the historical, cultural, and political roles alcohol has played in multiple contexts as we engage the question of how this substance has both driven human development and also reflects the cultures which consume (or refuse to consume) it.

HIST 200 Quantitative Methods for Historians
Online Course
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
History
Professor Sarah Whitten
Quantitative Reasoning (Substantial)

Historians use big data sets and quantitative tools to understand the past especially in the fields of demography, economic history, and environmental history. This course provides an introduction to the quantitative tools used by historians including basic statistical methods, visual presentations of data sets, and regression analysis. Students will examine how this quantitative data is used make historical arguments as well as the limits of these methods. Lastly, students will explore how these tools and historical arguments are relevant to the contemporary world. Individual courses will investigate different topics, but all courses will have the same methodological approach.

MDSC 100 Intro to Media and Society
Online Course
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Media and Society
Professor Leah Shafer
Artistic Process (Partial)
Social Inequality (Partial)
Cultural Difference (Partial)

This course provides an introduction to various media and their modes, methods, and themes. We will explore the role of the media in shaping social consciousness, global economies, and material culture. Examples drawn from film, television, print media, and digital environments will be contextualized, analyzed, and theorized as crucial elements of our media culture. Students will gain an appreciation for the social, cultural, economic, and political influences of global communications while performing close readings of conventional media objects. Writing assignments, exams, and projects will help to cement insights gained through close investigation of films, TV shows, advertisements, video games, music videos, and more.

MDSC 309 Media Industries and Alternatives
Online Course
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Media and Society
Professor Lisa Patti
Social Inequality (Substantial)
Quantitative Reasoning (Partial)
Ethical Judgment (Partial)

At the end of a film, television show, or other media text, a credit sequence may list hundreds of individuals and companies. What roles do they play? How do changing economic conditions, labor practices, federal and state policies, new technologies, and consumer habits influence their work? How do media industries affect us as consumers and citizens? This course analyzes multiple contemporary media industries in the US (including film, television, streaming, social media, gaming, journalism, and marketing) and their points of intersection. We explore the impact of digitization, globalization, and corporate consolidation on the production, promotion, distribution, and reception of media, examining the roles of various institutions (including studios, networks, publishers, platforms, and unions) and individuals (including executives, directors, writers, publicists, agents, critics, and activists). Our case studies, drawn from recent and emerging media trends and issues, focus on the social inequalities generated, sustained, or challenged by the media industries. Students collect and analyze data that reflect current patterns of representation in the media industries and draft original policy proposals in response. Throughout the semester, we learn from alumni working in the media industries who share their perspectives during visits to our classes.

PSY 201 Statistics
Online Course
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Psychological Science
Professor Michelle Rizzella
Quantitative Reasoning (Substantial)
Scientific Inquiry (Partial)

A survey of basic procedures for the analysis of psychological data. Topics in this course include basic univariate and bivariate descriptive statistics; hypothesis testing; and a variety of analyses used to examine data of single group, between group, within group, and factorial designs.