2011-2012 University Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2011-2012 University Catalog archived

The College


 (under review: Dobin)

 

thecollege.wlu.edu

The College Mission

The College provides a liberal education in the arts and sciences and fosters a collaborative environment for faculty and student inquiry. Dedicated faculty members challenge students to sharpen their critical thinking skills and to develop their capacities for clear communication and creative expression. The College faculty is committed to advancing our teaching, curriculum, and campus culture in order to meet the educational needs and aspirations of students in a rapidly changing world.

The hallmarks of a graduate of The College include:

  • A resourceful intellect and talent for independent thinking
  • The capacity to evaluate information critically and to convey it effectively
  • Competence in many methods of defining, approaching and solving problems
  • A lively curiosity about and mature respect for varied cultures and intellectual perspectives
  • A lifelong commitment to learning, to health and well-being, and to the values that inform a W&L education.

Purposes

The purposes of The College are several: to provide the essentials of a liberal education to all undergraduates before they separate into their fields of specialization; to offer courses and majors leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science; to encourage  independent work and scholarly investigation; and to present courses preliminary to professional training in such fields as engineering, journalism, law and health.

All new undergraduates are members of The College. Their work will be taken in those studies which, in the opinion of the faculty, provide the fundamentals of a liberal arts education. The prescriptions of this first year make possible an intelligent freedom in later years of study and a wise choice of a major field. All first-years will consult with their faculty advisers in the selection of their courses for their sophomore year.

The aim of the work of the first two years is the achievement of breadth; the work of the junior and senior years is directed toward the mastery of a particular study. Students who expect to receive the degree of Bachelor of Arts will do their major work in the liberal arts and humanities, the social sciences, or the natural sciences; students who expect to receive the degree of Bachelor of Science will take specialized work in the natural sciences.

Departments

The Departments of Art and Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Computer Science, East Asian Languages and Literatures, English, Geology, German and Russian, History, Journalism and Mass Communications, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physical Education, Physics and Engineering, Psychology, Religion, Romance Languages, Sociology and Anthropology, and Theater and Dance comprise the College. The Teacher Education program is also included in The College.

Degrees, Majors, and Minors Offered

The College offers the Bachelor of Arts degree, the Bachelor of Science degree, and the Bachelor of Science degree with Special Attainments in Chemistry. Candidates for a degree with a major listed below will find departmental requirements outlined under those departments in the “Courses of Study” section.

Bachelor of Arts Degree

The College offers the following majors leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree:

Art History 
Biology 
Chemistry 
Classics 
Computer Science 
East Asian Languages and Literatures 
English 
Environmental Studies 
French 
Geology 
German Language 
German Literature 
History 
Independent Work
Journalism and Mass Communications 
Mathematics 
Medieval and Renaissance Studies 
Music 
Philosophy 
Psychology 
Religion 
Romance Languages major, with a French emphasis 
Romance Languages major, with a Spanish emphasis 
Russian Area Studies 
Sociology and Anthropology 
Spanish 
Studio Art 
Theater 

Bachelor of Science Degree

The College offers the following majors leading to the Bachelor of Science degree:

Biology 
Biochemistry 
Chemistry 
Chemistry-Engineering 
Computer Science 
Geology  
Independent Work
Mathematics 
Neuroscience 
Physics 
Physics-Engineering 
Psychology 

Bachelor of Science with Special Attainments in Chemistry Degree

The College offers the following major leading to the Bachelor of Science with Special Attainments in Chemistry degree:

Chemistry  

Minors


The College offers the following minors:

African-American Studies minor  
Art History minor   

Classics minor  
Computer Science minor  
Creative Writing minor   
Dance minor 
East Asian Studies minor  
Environmental Studies minor 
French minor    
German minor 
Latin American and Caribbean Studies minor  
Mass Communications minor   
Mathematics minor 
Museum Studies minor  
Music minor    
Philosophy minor   
Russian Language and Culture  
Studio Art minor  
Theater minor   
Women’s and Gender Studies minor 

 

Advice For First-Year Students

Entering students are expected to select courses which will assist them to begin satisfying Foundation and Distribution Requirements (FDRs) and enable them to explore possibilities for a major or to continue study in a field of special interest. To assist in the selection of courses, new students are assigned initial faculty advisers with whom they confer during the first week of the academic year and who remain available for consultation until a major is chosen. In certain fields, placement tests will be offered on an optional basis to entering first-years, and their results, along with any advanced placement reports, will be used in determining the level of work which should be pursued.

In choosing courses, first-year students should consider that the skills in mathematics and language study they have acquired may deteriorate if they do not continue work in them immediately. They should also be sure to take the courses prerequisite to later work they desire. If  they are interested in working for the degree of Bachelor of Science or for the Bachelor of Arts with a major in science, including premedical work, they should register for mathematics and the appropriate introductory science sequence in their initial year. In most circumstances, students should not take two laboratory sciences simultaneously during the first year. All students, in planning their first year, should examine the requirements for any major of potential interest listed under “Courses of Study.”

Students considering graduate work should consult their advisers with regard to possible language and mathematics requirements for advanced degrees.

 

Administration of The College

(as of July 1, 2011)

 

Kenneth Patrick Ruscio, Ph.D., President of the University

Robert A. Strong, Ph.D., Interim Provost

Howard N. (Hank) Dobin, Ph.D., Dean of The College

Alison Bell, Ph.D., Associate Dean of The College

Wendy Price, J.D., Assistant Dean of The College

The College Faculty

Adedayo O. L. Abah, M.S., Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications

Scott Abell, M.A., Assistant Professor of Physical Education

Mary M. Abdoney, M.A., Assistant Professor

Andrea Abry, B.A., Instructor of Chemistry and, Supervisor of Laboratories

Edward Adams, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English

Lisa T. Alty, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry

Claudette G. Artwick, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications

Nadia Ayoub, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology

Matthew Bailey, Ph.D., Professor of Romance Languages

Jeffrey C. Barnett, Ph.D., Professor of Romance Languages

Harlan Ray Beckley, Ph.D., Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor of Religion

Alison Bell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology

N. Melina Bell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy

David Bello, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History

Rebecca R. Benefiel, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Classics

George R. Bent, Ph.D., Sidney Gause Childress Professor in the Arts

Richard M. Bidlack, Ph.D., Professor of History

Laurent Boetsch Jr., D.M.L., Professor of Romance Languages

Bruce Boller, Ph.D., Visiting Professor of Physics

Sarah Bond, Ph.D., Mellon Junior Faculty Fellow in History of the Ancient World

Monica B. Botta, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Romance Languages

Christa K. Bowden, M.F.A., Associate Professor of Art

Theresa Braunschneider, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English

John Brodie, D.M.A., Visiting Associate Professor of Music

Alexandra R. Brown, Ph.D., Jessie Ball duPont Professor of Religion

Paul R. Cabe, Ph.D., Professor of Biology

Gwyn E. Campbell, Ph.D., Professor of Romance Languages

Miriam C. Carlisle, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Classics

George P. Carras, D.Phil., Senior Research Professor

Katie Chenoweth, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Romance Languages

Owen M. Collins, M.F.A., Associate Professor of Theater

J. Gavin Colliton, M.Ed., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Marc C. Conner, Ph.D., Professor of English

Christopher D. Connors, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geology

Gregory J. Cooper, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Professional Ethics

Roger A. Crockett, Ph.D., Professor of German

Kevin Crotty, J.D., Ph.D., Professor of Classics

Katherine D. Crowley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Douglas O. Cumming, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Journalism and, Mass Communications

Elizabeth Cumming, M.S., Instructor in Physics and Engineering and Laboratory Supervisor

Neil Cunningham, M.S., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Jasmin Darznik, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English

Jenefer Davies, M.F.A., Assistant Professor of Dance

Theodore C. DeLaney, Ph.D., Harry E. and Mary Jane W. Redenbaugh Term Professor of History

Robert Joseph de Maria, M.S., Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications

Steven G. Desjardins, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry

David Detwiler, B.A., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Sean Devlin, M.A., Staff Archeologist and Instructor, Sociology and Anthropology

Brooke Diamond, M.S., Assistant Professor of Physical Education

Howard N. Dobin, Ph.D., Professor of English

Gregory P. Dresden, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics

Wayne M. Dymàček, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics

Jonathan R. Eastwood, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology

Jonathan Erickson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Engineering

Michael J. Evans, Ph.D., Rupert and Lillian Radford Professor of Mathematics

Shawn Paul Evans, M.F.A., Assistant Professor of Theater

Nathan S. Feldman, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics

Carrie Finch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Marcia B. France, Ph.D., John T. Henwick, M.D. Professor, of Chemistry

Gary Ray Franke, M.S., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Françoise Frégnac-Clave, Ph.D., Professor of Romance Languages

Hongchu Fu, Ph.D., Professor of East Asian, Languages

Megan Fulcher, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology

Kateri Gardner, M.S., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Timothy Gaylard, Ph.D., Professor of Music

Genelle C. Gertz, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English

Nathaniel Goldberg, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy

Sascha L. Goluboff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology

Monica Gonzalez. Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Spanish

Richard F. Grefe, M.L.S., Associate Professor

Lisa Greer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geology

Paul A. Gregory, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy

E. William Hamilton III, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology

David Jorgensen Harbor, Ph.D., Professor of Geology

Patrick Hatcher, M.A., Assistant Professor of Religion

Janine M. Hathorn, M.A., Professor of Physical Education

Kristina Hoey, B.S, Associate Professor of Physical Education

Nathan D. Hoey, B.S., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Sarah Horowitz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History

Paul Humke, Ph.D., Visiting Professor of Mathematics

Robert Humston, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology

Lawrence E. Hurd, Ph.D., John T. Herwick, M.D. Professor of Biology

Adam B. Hutchinson, M.S., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Helen I’Anson, Ph.D., Professor of Biology

Janet Ikeda, Ph.D., Associate Professor of East Asian Languages

Eric Ishida, B.P.E., Assistant Professor of Physical Education

Krzysztof Jasiewicz, Ph.D., William P. Ames Jr. Professor of Sociology

Christian Jennings, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History

Kimberly Jew, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theater

Curtis Jirsa, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English

Dan Johnson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology

Mohamed Kamara, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Romance Languages

Suzanne P. Keen, Ph.D., Thomas H. Broadus Jr. Professor of English

Melissa Kerin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Art

Mandy L. King, B.S., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Elizabeth P. Knapp, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Geology

Barry H. Kolman, D.A., Professor of Music

Jeffrey L. Kosky, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Religion

Daniel J. Kramer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of German

Joel Kuehner, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics

Kenneth A. Lambert, Ph.D., Professor of Computer Science

John A. Lambeth, Ph.D., Professor of Romance Languages

Frederick J. LaRiviere, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Andrea Lepage, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Art

Shana Levine, J.D., Assistant Professor of Physical Education

Simon D. Levy, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science

Toni Locy, M.S.L., Reynolds Professor of Legal Reporting

Tyler S. Lorig, Ph.D., Ruth Parmly Professor of Psychology

Timothy Lubin, Ph.D., Professor of Religion

Pamela K. Luecke, M.A., M.B.A., Donald W. Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism

Shane Lynch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music

James Mahon, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy

Harvey Markowitz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology

Richard G. Marks, Ph.D., Professor of Religion

David M. Marsh, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology

Joseph Martinez, Dip. R.A.D.A., Associate Professor of Theater

Ellen C. Mayock, Ph.D., Professor of Romance Languages

Dan Mazilu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physics

Irina Mazilu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics

Eugene M. McCabe, M.A., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Greta McCaughrin, M.A., Instructor in Russian

Alan McRae, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics

John Holt Merchant Jr., Ph.D., Martin and Brooke Stein Professor of History

Yolanda D. Merrill, M.L.S., Associate Professor

Molly Michelmore, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History

Deborah Miranda, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English

Frank S. Miriello, B.S., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Karla K. Murdock, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology

David Robert Novack, Ph.D., Abigail Grigsby Urquhart ‘11 Term Professor of Sociology

Brendan O’Brien, Assistant Professor of Physical Education

Lenna Ojure, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Education

Kathleen Olson-Janjic, M.F.A., Professor of Fine Arts

Wendy C. Orrison, B.A., Associate Professor of Physical Education

William Patch, Ph.D., William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of History

David S. Peterson, Ph.D., Professor of History

Holly C. Pickett, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English

Rolf G. Piranian, B.A., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Michael A. Pleva, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry

Debra Prager, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of German

Domnica V. Radulescu, Ph.D., Professor of Romance Languages

Jeffrey M. Rahl, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Geology

Antonio Reyes, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Romance Languages

Brian E. Richardson, Ph.D., Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications

Nicolaas Rupke, Ph.D., Johnson Professor of History

Christopher E. Schall, M.A., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Rachel Schnepper, Ph.D., Mellon Junior Faculty Fellow in History

Roberta H. Senechal, Ph.D., Professor of History

Frank A. Settle Jr., Ph.D., Visiting Professor of Chemistry

Joel E. Shinofield, B.A., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Jacob A. Siehler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Haley Sigler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education

Pamela Hemenway Simpson, Ph.D., Ernest Williams II Professor of Art History

Maryanne C. Simurda, Ph.D., Professor of Biology

Angela Smith, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy

Kary D. Smout, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English

Bryan L. Snyder, B.S., Associate Professor of Physical, Education

Indira Somani, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communications

Gordon Philip Spice, Ph.D., Edwin A. Morris Professor of Music

Sara Sprenkle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Science

C. Vaughan Stanley, M.A., M.A., Associate Professor

Larry M. Stene, M.F.A., Professor of Art

Robert E. Stewart, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology

M. Jeffries Stickley, M.Ed., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Nat St. Laurent, M.A., Assistant Professor of Physical Education

Joshua Stough, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Science

David W. Sukow, Ph.D., Professor of Physics and Engineering

John W. Tombarge, M.L.S., Associate Professor

Matthew F. Tuchler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry

John A. Tucker, M.S., Associate Professor of Physical Education

Laura Speirs Turner, M.L.S., Associate Professor

Erich S. Uffelman, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry

Ken’ichi Ujie, M.A., Associate Professor of East Asian Languages

Florentien Verhage, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Terry Vosbein, D.M.A., Professor of Music

James Perrin Warren, Ph.D., S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English

Edward Wasserman, Ph.D., John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Professor of Journalism Ethics

Fiona Watson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology

Cecile West-Settle, Ph.D., Professor of Romance Languages

Lesley M. Wheeler, Ph.D., Henry S. Fox Jr. Professor of English

Wythe L. Whiting IV, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology

Gregg Whitworth, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology

Josh Williamson, M.S., Assistant Professor of Physical Education

Charles Winder, M.S., Instructor of Biology and Laboratory Supervisor

Julie A. Woodzicka, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology

Yanhong Zhu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chinese