The music of Sewanee, the surrounding Plateau, and the Southern Appalachians resounds with the interplay of locals and outsiders. In the songs heard here--from bluegrass to traditional ballads, from shape-note hymns to string bands--musicians incorporate far-flung styles while cultivating local traditions. In the words of a well-known video featuring this music, no matter where the musicians get their start, eventually they come "Down from the Mountain." In this course students listen to, study, and interact with these musicians and their music. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the region, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. Capstone projects provide opportunities for in-depth exploration. This course is not repeatable for credit.
This course examines the many aspects of "place" revealed by the stories told about it. The readings illustrate disparate views of those born and those who choose to move into an environment. Students learn how stories shape and expose the culture of place through images of the land, language, and common legends and analyze the tensions evoked by different cultures living in close proximity. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the region, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. Journal response and revision lets students integrate their own narratives into the story of this place. Capstone projects provide opportunities for in-depth exploration. This course is not repeatable for credit.
This course considers Sewanee in the twenty-first century in light of ancient texts about place and placelessness, especially Virgil's Aeneid. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the region, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. Capstone projects provide opportunities for in-depth exploration. This course is not repeatable for credit.
This course introduces students to people, places, and events that helped shape the history, culture, and environment of the South Cumberland Plateau. Students explore multiple cultural, historical, and political narratives that tell the story of the region. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of historical and current land-use in shaping local environmental attitudes and perceptions. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the region, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. Capstone projects provide opportunities for in-depth exploration. This course is not repeatable for credit.
We all have our stories, and those stories shape who we are, what we believe, and how we engage with others. This course allows students to consider and reflect on their own identities and the lived experiences they bring with them as new members of the Sewanee community while also examining the lived experiences of diverse community members in both Sewanee and in Selma, Alabama. Through local travel as well as a group trip to Selma, Alabama, students will engage in hands-on learning through relationship building, service-learning, and public history collection. The course will culminate with a group project supporting the Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation.
This course places Indigenous topics at the center of the Domain, introducing students to the history of the Native South and building conversations about the ongoing importance of Native America. Course content will feature readings on Indigenous worldviews and lifeways; our local history of Cherokee Removal; policies of erasure and strategies of Native resilience; and Indigenous representation in modern film and media. Coursework will include a collaborative project on the Bell Route of the Trail of Tears. Course discussions will focus on current topics including land acknowledgments, Native representation and inclusion, and allyship through Sewanee’s Indigenous Engagement Initiative.
This course places Indigenous topics at the center of the Domain, introducing students to the history of the Native South and building conversations about the ongoing importance of Native America. Course content will feature readings on Indigenous worldviews and lifeways; our local history of Cherokee Removal; policies of erasure and strategies of Native resilience; and Indigenous representation in modern film and media. Coursework will include a collaborative project on the Bell Route of the Trail of Tears. Course discussions will focus on current topics including land acknowledgments, Native representation and inclusion, and allyship through Sewanee’s Indigenous Engagement Initiative.
Forestry
An environmental survey course which addresses the important features, processes, and issues of forested landscapes. Topics include major tree species, forest biology and ecology, tree structure and function, silviculture, forest management, forest products, and U.S. forest policy and laws. The focus on North American forests is set within a context of global forest issues. Lab exercises emphasize fieldwork, utilizing the diverse array of local forest types present on the Cumberland Plateau and nearby Appalachian Mountains. Lecture, three hours, laboratory and field trips.
An environmental survey course which addresses the important features, processes, and issues of forested landscapes. Topics include major tree species, forest biology and ecology, tree structure and function, silviculture, forest management, forest products, and U.S. forest policy and laws. The focus on North American forests is set within a context of global forest issues. Lab exercises emphasize fieldwork, utilizing the diverse array of local forest types present on the Cumberland Plateau and nearby Appalachian Mountains. Lecture, three hours, laboratory and field trips.
An exploration of the wide range of edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful forest products found in forests of western and eastern North America, including the forests of Sewanee. In addition to learning about the biology and distribution of these plants, and about how they are gathered and processed, students discuss the ecological implications of harvesting these interesting plants and fungi. Note: The class involves some eating.
A study of soils as they relate to land use, bedrock and geomorphology, site quality, and vegetation processes. Emphasizes field interpretation of soils as one component of terrestrial ecosystems. Lecture, three hours; laboratory and field trips.
A study of soils as they relate to land use, bedrock and geomorphology, site quality, and vegetation processes. Emphasizes field interpretation of soils as one component of terrestrial ecosystems. Lecture, three hours; laboratory and field trips.
Oral presentations of important topics and published data in forestry, geology, and other environmental sciences. Course goal is to train students through practice to give and critique oral presentations appropriate for scientific or other professional research. Each student gives several presentations and formally critiques other presentations as part of the course.
French and French Studies
An intensive course in the basic elements of the language: pronunciation, structure of sentences, conversation, and reading. Use of language laboratory required. Four hours of class per week.
An intensive course in the basic elements of the language: pronunciation, structure of sentences, conversation, and reading. Use of language laboratory required. Four hours of class per week.
An intensive course in more advanced elements of the language: pronunciation, structure of sentences, conversation, and reading. Use of language laboratory required. Four hours of class per week.
An intensive course in more advanced elements of the language: pronunciation, structure of sentences, conversation, and reading. Use of language laboratory required. Four hours of class per week.
A continuation of the study of advanced French language, leading to readings from various authors, periods, genres, and Francophone countries. Specific grammatical structures are studied parallel to the readings, and progress in oral and written French is also stressed.
Advanced language review and emphasis on accuracy of expression with intensive writing on diverse themes. Development of oral expression and vocabulary expansion; materials used include audio, video, and electronic sources, as well as readings.
Readings in representative authors, themes and periods from France and from other Francophone countries.