This course provides a theoretical foundation in critical dialogue around issues of power and systemic oppression in relation to socially just leadership and designing for social change. Students explore early messages, personal narratives, identity formation, the intersection of identity and leadership and how these categories relate to creating an equitable and inclusive community.

In this course, students test different integrative paths of their own design, tell their own story, and collect their work in a portfolio. They learn to articulate connections between their work in and outside of the classroom, and explain how Smith is preparing them to engage with the world beyond. This course is for students who are starting their Smith journey, embarking on or returning from an immersive experience abroad, weaving their interests through a concentration or self-designed major, or wrestling with expressing what a Smith education has prepared them to do. S/U only.

In this course, students test different integrative paths of their own design, tell their own story, and collect their work in a portfolio. They learn to articulate connections between their work in and outside of the classroom, and explain how Smith is preparing them to engage with the world beyond. This course is for students who are starting their Smith journey, embarking on or returning from an immersive experience abroad, weaving their interests through a concentration or self-designed major, or wrestling with expressing what a Smith education has prepared them to do. S/U only.

In this course, students test different integrative paths of their own design, tell their own story, and collect their work in a portfolio. They learn to articulate connections between their work in and outside of the classroom, and explain how Smith is preparing them to engage with the world beyond. This course is for students who are starting their Smith journey, embarking on or returning from an immersive experience abroad, weaving their interests through a concentration or self-designed major, or wrestling with expressing what a Smith education has prepared them to do. S/U only.

Personal Academic Tactical Help (PATH) is a course designed to help students find information and strategies to help them achieve their academic goals. The PATH curriculum explores strategies for success and ways to understand the underlying psychology (how students think) and biology (how human brains work) that can contribute to, or distract from, success. In this course, students learn strategies for effective learning while planning weekly applications of these strategies to their other courses. S/U only. Prerequisite: IDP 115. Restrictions: AEMES scholars only. Enrollment limited to 20.

This course focuses on the transition from high school to college-level learning by facilitating processes of exploration, awareness, empowerment, communication and community. These are strengthening qualities--necessary for academic success at Smith. The course offers opportunities to continue to develop these strengths. The work of cultivating these strengths within the course takes place when given opportunities to explore and share thought processes, biases and "real" and "false" beliefs, especially as they relate to ascribed social identities as well as chosen ones.

This course is a series of workshops that situate particular making techniques that take place in Smith’s many “makerspaces” within social, economic, ecological, historical and cultural contexts. Students connect their making practice to the ways making informs their liberal arts education. This course also serves to introduce students to the faculty and staff who facilitate making at the many different making spaces across the college. S/U only. Enrollment limited to 18.

This course is designed to immerse students in drone avionics, photogrammetry, image processing, surveying/mapping and aerial photography, and videography. The course encourages teamwork, curiosity, critical thinking, perseverance and creativity, as well as collaboration and etiquette regarding fieldwork and community-based research. Students learn practical techniques for acquiring and analyzing aerial data and have an opportunity to improve Smith’s approach to teaching and research with drones. S/U only. Enrollment limited to 12.

A consideration of how the study of history, broadly conceived, gets translated into curriculum for middle and secondary schools. Addressing a range of topics in American history, students develop lesson and unit plans using primary and secondary resources, films, videos and internet materials. Discussions focus on both the historical content and the pedagogy used to teach it. Does not count for seminar credit in the history major. Restrictions: Juniors, seniors and graduate students only. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission required.

The history of students of color at Smith College. Draws from readings about African American, Latinx, Asian American, Indigenous, international and other students of color in higher education. Explores the Smith College archives for documents, ephemera and oral histories. Students also familiarize themselves with archival materials compiled by student activists and scour The Sophian (Smith’s weekly newspaper) to uncover the histories of racial policy, racism, community-building, social justice and activism at Smith College.