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
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, 2012)
Kenneth Patrick Ruscio, Ph.D., President of the University
Robert A. Strong, Ph.D., Interim Provost
Suzanne P. Keen, Ph.D., Dean of The College
Marcia France, 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 and Science Librarian
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 of Art History
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
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
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
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 and Senior Reference Librarian
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
Kwangsoo Han, M.L.I.S, M.A., Assistant Professor and Systems Librarian
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
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
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 History
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
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
Jacob A. Siehler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Haley Sigler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education
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
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
Nathaniel 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
Fiona Watson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology
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 |