About First Year Seminars

The first-year seminar program introduces students to the idea of the liberal arts.  At the center of the program are the courses themselves.  We highly recommend that all entering students enroll in a first-year seminar.  These courses are small, usually limited to entering students, and designed to teach college-level thinking, writing and discussion. Most of the seminars are also structured to demonstrate connections between the disciplines.

In choosing a first-year seminar, we recommend that you pick a topic that is not directly related to the subject in which you plan to major.   It is best to think of this as an opportunity to broaden your education, so pick a course which is something about which you have always wondered, but never had the opportunity to explore.

The program as a whole also includes a lecture series which will introduce first-year students to a wide array of interesting topics. The lecturers in this series are among the best at Mount Holyoke and the topics are things about which all educated people should know regardless of their major.

Detailed descriptions of all first-year seminars will be listed on ISIS, with all other classes.  If you have any questions about the seminar program, please contact the Director of the Program, Professor Jim Hartley at jhartley@mtholyoke.edu.

First-Year Seminar Lecture Series 2009

All lectures take place in Hooker Auditorium from 4-5 pm and are free, accessible, and open to the public.

9/21: Jon Western, Five College Associate Professor of International Relations, "Afghanistan"

9/28: Paul Staiti, Professor of Fine Arts on the Alumnae Foundation, "Image v. Person: Who Is That Man on the One-Dollar Bill?"

10/5: Frank Brownlow, Gwen and Allen Smith Professor of English, "Shakespeare"

10/19: Indira Peterson, David B. Truman Professor of Asian Studies, "The Ramayana and the Mahabharata"

10/26: Gary Gillis, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, "Living in a Material World"

11/2: Lucas Wilson, Associate Professor of African American Studies and Economics, "Dewey"

11/9: Margaret Robinson, Professor of Mathematics, "Public Key Encryption"

11/16: Nicole Vaget, Reverend Joseph Paradis Professor of French, "French, American, and Haitian Revolutions"