Introduction to Neuroscience will be a comprehensive survey course that explores the brain and the biological basis of behavior. We will examine the anatomy of the nervous system and the unique properties of the cells that make up the brain. We will discuss the mechanisms by which individual brains cells communicate with each other, and how small networks of cells underlie more complex processes such as perception,learning, and behavior. In labs, students will perform experiments that expand upon and reinforce these ideas through hands-on exercises.

Community-based learning that effectively develops civic leaders and engages purposefully in community development requires students to develop networking, reflection, and analytic practices. Readings on civic engagement, discussions and exercises will advance campus and community networks, writing and oral reflection on field experiences, and information-sharing so students will better understand themselves and communities. This course is designed to facilitate learning and impact for CBL Program student staff pursuing concurrent fellowships and mentorships. Students in C.A.U.S.E.

This speaking-intensive course will help students reflect on, learn from, and speak about their unique Mount Holyoke experiences as they transition into their next steps after graduation. Using the same techniques that professional actors use to relax, focus their message and connect with their audience, students will improve their ability to communicate with confidence, express themselves authentically and inspire others.

This speaking-intensive course will help students reflect on, learn from, and speak about their unique Mount Holyoke experiences as they transition into their next steps after graduation. Using the same techniques that professional actors use to relax, focus their message and connect with their audience, students will improve their ability to communicate with confidence, express themselves authentically and inspire others.

A survey of world performance history, including: the evolution of human language and consciousness; the rise of oral, ritual, and shamanic performance; religious and civic festivals; and imperial theatre practices that position the stage at the dangerous intersection of religious worship, public taste, royal patronage, and government censure. Understanding performance as both artistic practice and social institution, this course emphasizes the role performance has played in changing audiences and as a cultural and political force in various societies.

We will study defining periods in Russian and world history with an emphasis on the powerful Russian monarchs who shaped them: in particular, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Alexander II, and Nicholas II. Russia's tsarist system raises important questions about the nature of the monarchy. The Russian case shows how monarchies can change and develop, and why, ultimately, many of them failed. Why did the Romanovs fail when their relatives, the House of Windsor, did not? Could Russia have survived as a constitutional monarchy? What is the role of a royal dynasty in defining nationhood?

We will study defining periods in Russian and world history with an emphasis on the powerful Russian monarchs who shaped them: in particular, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Alexander II, and Nicholas II. Russia's tsarist system raises important questions about the nature of the monarchy. The Russian case shows how monarchies can change and develop, and why, ultimately, many of them failed. Why did the Romanovs fail when their relatives, the House of Windsor, did not? Could Russia have survived as a constitutional monarchy? What is the role of a royal dynasty in defining nationhood?

A study of some of Shakespeare's plays emphasizing the poetic and dramatic aspects of his art, with attention to the historical context and close, careful reading of the language. Eight or nine plays.