This course introduces the literatures of French-speaking countries outside Europe. Readings include tales, novels, plays, and poetry from Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, and other areas. Discussions and short papers examine the texts as literary works as well as keys to the understanding of varied cultures. Students will be asked to do formal oral and written presentations.

The primary purpose of this course is to familiarize students with contemporary issues in French culture as they are represented in French-speaking media of today. This course will introduce students to contemporary popular culture, through the study of texts, popular music, and feature films. Students will be asked to participate actively in class discussion, do oral presentations, and converse with an exchange partner.

We will study the structure, function and evolution of the diversity of structures that allow vertebrates, including humans, to perform basic functions. We will connect these functions with day-to-day challenges for vertebrates, and we will discuss functional disruption such as disease and trauma. Students are expected to work in groups, as well as view most lectures before class. Class time will be used for active discussion and occasional guest lectures. During lab time, we will dissect many vertebrates and comfort with working with preserved and often smelly specimens is a must.

This course explores writings by women in French-speaking Africa from its early beginnings in the late 1970s to the present. Special attention will be given to social, political, gender, and aesthetic issues.

In this course, we will explore the rich natural history of our region, focusing on organisms in their natural habitat and contemplating questions and approaches we might employ to better understand them and the ways in which they live. We will place particular emphasis on developing the habits of close and curious observation and coupling those habits with the skills and methods of scientific hypothesis development, experimental design, and field ecology.