About

Academics

Admissions

Community

Resources

Contact

• Academics

  • Academic Requirements
  • Advising
  • Areas of Study & Degree Fields
  • Clear Writing Program
  • Courses
  • Faculty
  • International Opportunities
  • Plan of Concentration

Coursebook and Plan Guide

The goal of Marlboro College is to teach students to think clearly and to learn independently through engagement in a structured program of liberal studies. Students are expected to develop a command of concise and correct English and to strive for academic excellence informed by intellectual and artistic creativity; they are encouraged to acquire a passion for learning, discerning judgment, and a global perspective. The College promotes independence by requiring students to participate in the planning of their own programs of study and to act responsibly within a self-governing community.
(Marlboro College Mission Statement)

What is a structured program of liberal studies? Knowledge is, by its nature, diverse. Liberal studies are founded on the idea that learning progresses through various ways of knowing. The liberal arts approach to education furthers a student’s ability to more fully understand, enjoy and take meaningful action in life. At Marlboro College students are asked to engage in several ways of knowing. Particularly in the first two years but continuing through the Plan of Concentration, students are encouraged to study in various disciplines and, in doing so, engage the world from several points of view. Most colleges rely on distribution requirements to ensure that students do this. At Marlboro faculty and students collaborate through the advising process to structure individual programs of study that have, as a basic tenet, the value of broad study.

This Course Book and Plan Guide is designed to facilitate the process of developing individual programs of study in the liberal arts.

The disciplines that we teach are roughly divided into five groups: the Arts (Ceramics, Dance, Music, Painting, Photography, Theater, Sculpture and Film/Video Studies, Visual Arts); Cross-Disciplinary and World Studies (American Studies, Asian Studies, Cultural History, Development Studies, Environmental Studies); the Humanities (Art History, Classics, History, Languages, Literature, Philosophy, Religion, and Writing); the Natural Sciences (Astronomy, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics); and the Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology).

When choosing courses it’s important to engage each of these areas of intellectual life so that over time, you will structure a broad education grounded in the liberal arts. This process is a collaborative endeavor that a student embarks upon with their advisor and Plan sponsor. You will be discussing your goals, your choices, and your options with your advisor throughout your time at Marlboro. Together, you will map out a program semester by semester, but in the end, it’s all up to you. As you progress through your program, the collaborative advising process will foster your intellectual independence and confidence. Open wide the doors of a liberal arts education, and have fun.

Generally speaking, each course at Marlboro requires a minimum number of contact hours with teaching faculty based on the credits to be earned. Usually fifty minutes or more of weekly contact time per credit earned is required. Contact time is provided through formal in-class instruction as well as other instructional activities facilitated by the teaching faculty member.

First Year: Transition and Discovery

The first year is a time to build on your strengths and to develop new skills.

Develop Your Academic Skills: You’ll want to work on improving your writing, critical reading and thinking, class participation, and research. There are a variety of resources in place at Marlboro to help you in this endeavor.

• Sharpen your study skills by taking advantage of study skills workshops provided by the Director of Academic Support Services.
• Take a writing seminar or designated writing course and submit a portfolio at the end of your first semester.
• For research help, talk to a librarian. They can explain what’s available in Marlboro’s library, and they’re willing to assist you in accessing print and electronic sources.
• Talk to your advisor, other teachers, as well as the Director of Academic Support Services if you’d like pointers on critical reading, note taking, or how to effectively participate in class discussions.

Explore the Curriculum: Study across the curriculum; take electives in at least three academic areas, including one that might provide foundation for future Plan work. Exploring various disciplines will enable you to discover different modes of learning, to become familiar with faculty, and to build a foundation for future study.

Plan Ahead: Discuss educational goals with your advisor (Topics for Advisors and Advisees). Review course requirements for individual fields of study to get a sense of direction and the parameters of a discipline.

Sophomore Year: Laying a Foundation and Charting a Course

Sharpen Your Academic Skills: In anticipation of Plan work, continue to work on your writing by taking a designated writing course. Also, avail yourself of the research methods workshops and individual guidance provided by the library.

Explore the Curriculum: As you continue to study across the curriculum, possible directions for Plan will emerge. Carefully choose courses that will be expected for Plan work in the degree fields you’re interested in. In this way you will build a strong foundation for Plan.

Plan ahead:

• Discuss your vision of the coming years and future educational plans (including graduate school) with your advisor (see Topics for Advisors and Advisees).
• Attend current students’ Plan Presentations and the Plan Workshop.
• Complete the Preliminary Plan Application in the second semester of your sophomore year.

Complete the Sophomore Review: The Sophomore Review is an opportunity for assessment of your program to date and discussion of your intentions for Plan. If you take it seriously, the Sophomore Review can prove to be a helpful tool in your Plan preparations. Though you can find a more thorough description of the process on the Marlboro website or from your advisor, here’s an overview.

The goals of the Sophomore Review are:

• To engage you in a discussion of the structure and goals of your higher education at its midpoint
• To assess the character and quality of your education during the first two years
• To support the values of broad study, global perspective, and good writing
• To anticipate the needs of your Plan of Concentration

Besides reflecting on your academic direction, you are asked to examine your choices as they relate to the following educational goals:

• Breadth of study
• Developing a global perspective
• Writing
• Preparation for a Plan of Concentration

You’ll be asked to write a Review Statement in consultation with your advisor, which you should complete before the major break (either Thanksgiving or Spring Break) in the second semester of your sophomore year. Junior transfer students have until the end of their first semester at Marlboro.

Junior Year: Embarking on Plan

As junior year begins you will be expected to assume even more responsibility for your academic program. It is important to balance your schedule, which should include tutorials and regular coursework. You and your Plan sponsor(s) will collaborate on books to read and the direction for your research. You may not know exactly where you are headed, but in the course of the year it will become clearer.

Develop Your Academic Skills: Take courses to improve in areas you still have difficulty with or to fulfill the requirements that are necessary for the completion of your Plan. Take a writing-intensive course to hone your skills.

Consider Study Abroad and Internships: Consider/prepare for an internship or other off-campus experience in the second semester. Consult the Associate Director of World Studies regarding study abroad opportunities.

Complete the Final Plan Application: Submit the Final Plan Application by the end of the second semester of your junior year. Make sure you begin the process early, giving yourself time for revisions as you and your sponsor(s) deem necessary. (See Section Three: The Plan of Concentration).

Senior Year: Completing Your Plan

This is the year in which you will write your Plan and complete most of your work in tutorial with your Plan sponsor(s). Since you are not likely to be subject to the structure of many regular classes, one of your greatest challenges will be to manage your time productively between tutorials. Ask for the feedback that you need on your writing, and keep the lines of communication open between yourself and your Plan sponsor(s), especially if you are studying with more than one Plan sponsor.

Continue to Sharpen Your Skills: Take a Plan writing seminar. Consult with the Director of Academic Support Services for help with time management.
Consider taking one class unrelated to your Plan, for variety.

Plan Ahead: Create a timeline with your Plan sponsor(s), based on a schedule that works for you: set daily, weekly, or monthly deadlines for yourself. Do this in the first semester of your senior year; re-visit it at the end of that term and decide how to proceed.

Meet with Plan Sponsor(s): Meet weekly with your Plan sponsor(s); if you are doing a cross-disciplinary or interdisciplinary Plan, you should have group meetings at least twice a semester.

Topics for Advisors and Advisees

Freshman 1
One of the most important things advisors can do for incoming students is make them aware of is how Marlboro works—in the general, liberal-arts sense, and also in a more unambiguous fashion: who they can go to if they need help doing research, or what to do if they’re sick. Let advisees know from the start what will be expected of them as Marlboro students (requirements, disciplinary action, etc.), as well as what resources are available—both on and off campus. Encourage students to become involved in all facets of life at Marlboro. Some specific things to do in your advising discussions:

• Take the time to get to know your advisees, and let them know what they can expect from you.
• Encourage community participation: explain Town Meeting and other campus activities and traditions.
• Encourage advisees to spend time off campus. Let them know what resources are available outside of Marlboro: in Brattleboro, at surrounding colleges, etc.
• Explain Marlboro’s academic structure. Urge advisees to study broadly, but also to take notice of what interests them most.
• Explain WSP, and direct interested students toward the appropriate people and resources.
• Discuss Marlboro’s requirements and expectations: Clear Writing (explain the Writers’ Block), the Sophomore Review, academic integrity, disciplinary action, etc.
• Have a discussion about Plan; give them a basic timeline of Plan-related deadlines and requirements, and answer any questions they may have.
• Point them toward relevant resources: online College handbooks and descriptions of areas of study, as well as the THC, Writers’ Block, Dean of Students, and the library.

Freshman 2
Second-semester first year students are fairly well acquainted with how Marlboro works, so it will be most helpful to base your discussions around how their first semester went, and what they need to start thinking about in the immediate future. Some suggested topics:

• The results of their first semester: course results, Clear Writing results, and how they are becoming involved on campus. Give advice and guidance where it seems they need it most.
• Begin talking seriously with them about the Sophomore Review. Describe its purpose and process, and direct them toward the Handbook description and other relevant resources.
• In Dedicated Hour, have upper-class students talk to first year students about their first year at Marlboro: their choices, struggles, and successes.
• Go over the basics again: degree field requirements, important deadlines, studying broadly, etc. Reminding advisees of all this will keep them planning ahead.

Sophomore 1
First-semester sophomores are beginning to think concretely about Plan, but they’re also still studying broadly and figuring out exactly what it is they want to do. They need to begin the Plan process (workshops, paperwork, etc.) but not become so over-focused as to limit their options. Some things to talk about in Dedicated Hour and advising meetings:

• The Clear Writing Requirement. Emphasize its importance and usefulness to those who haven’t passed yet, and encourage them to take more writing courses as preparation for Plan work. Encourage them to visit the Writers’ Block.
• Continue discussing the process and purpose behind the Sophomore Review and Preliminary Plan Application. Encourage advisees to begin working early on both of these.
• Keep encouraging broad study, and discuss how each student’s course choices are reflective of their deeper interests.
• As Plan ideas emerge, encourage advisees to think broadly about their subject: at this stage, emphasize the idea of ‘degree field’ over that of ‘Plan project’.
• Encourage advisees to attend Plan workshops and to talk with their teachers and upper-class students about what to expect in the coming semesters.

Sophomore 2
Sophomore 2s are starting to narrow their focus, and it will be helpful for them to put their interests down on paper and begin thinking about how they’ll continue to work on what they find meaningful. This is where Plan starts to be at the forefront of their academic choices, so guide them accordingly. Some things you’ll want to discuss with them:

• Important paperwork: Sophomore Review and Preliminary Plan Application. Students should begin drafting each of these documents early in the semester. Apprise them of the due dates well in advance, and let them know who else they can talk to if they need help.
• Plan sponsors: As advisees work on their Preliminary Plan Application, help them make connections with appropriate faculty members. Advise them to begin (or continue) studying with professors who may later become Plan sponsors.
• After everyone involved has read the written statement portion of the advisee’s Preliminary Plan Application, work with the student to set up a meeting with you and their potential Plan sponsor(s).
• Explain how Plan tutorials work: structure, expectations, credit load, how to set a tutorial up, etc.
• Encourage foreign study where appropriate, either during the summer or during the semester. Also encourage advisees to take on summer reading and research in preparation for their junior year.

Junior 1
Juniors need to begin doing Plan-specific research and writing, but they also have to keep up with their regular coursework; they’re budgeting their academic time differently than in previous years. Advisors should emphasize this balance of tutorials and continued regular coursework, while also becoming familiar with new Plan advisees’ specific interests and concerns. Some ways to do this:

• Begin the semester by laying out what advisees will need to do in the next two years; give them a basic Plan timeline. Help them pin down a degree field(s) and guide them in finding appropriate resources.
• Make sure WSP students are working on their internship plans and are aware of how time-sensitive the process is.
• Encourage all advisees to begin or continue gathering research materials well in advance of their senior year—and encourage them to begin Plan-related writing.

Junior 2
At this point, students are making sure they’ve got everything in place for their final year. They’ll want details on all the intricacies of Plan: paperwork, percentages, etc., so that they can move ahead confidently. Some ways to facilitate this process:

• Help all advisees complete Final Plan Applications.
• Make sure WSP students have finalized the details of their internships.
• Discuss the structure of Plan in detail: components, independent projects, percentages, and orals.
• Explain the grading system for seniors.

Senior 1
First-semester seniors have, ideally, begun work on their Plan projects, and are in the midst of in-depth research. They’re figuring out how to budget their time between courses/tutorials, research and writing, and are likely feeling overwhelmed. Things to take into consideration when advising senior 1s:

• Again, give advisees detailed explanations of the different components of Plan. This will help to demystify the process, and make them a little less anxious.
• Let them know how different components will be evaluated: discuss oral exams and outside examiners.
• Help advisees set anticipated Plan percentages—and make sure they know that there’s still time to adjust them next semester.
• Work with advisees to set appropriate and feasible objectives and deadlines. This will make the process seem less overwhelming.

Senior 2
As Senior 2s, most advisees know what’s expected of them in terms of Plan percentages and paperwork, and they’ve got a lot of momentum where their projects are concerned. They’ll want feedback on their writing (and other work), as well as advice on more obscure Plan requirements—like their abstract, copy responsibilities, and mail dates.

• Touch base with advisees at least every week for writing advice, research questions, etc.
• Encourage participation in Plan-writing seminars, which provide writing advice and support.
• Finalize Plan percentages by midterm.
• Choose an outside examiner, and let students know what to expect during orals and how to prepare for them.
• Inform advisees of all the loose ends they might need to take care of: writing an abstract, giving the library and the registrar copies of their plans, letters of recommendation, etc. Tell them about the details early in the semester, so it won’t become a source of stress just as students are about to mail.
• Discuss post-Marlboro goals and plans.

The Basics

Credit Load: You need an average of 15 credits per semester. Twelve credits is the minimum allowed for full-time work. 120 credits are necessary for degree completion; 50 of these must be designated as Plan credits. If you are a first year student, you are advised not to take the limit of 18 credits in your first semester. We want you to be challenged but not overwhelmed. It is wise to learn the expectations of your professors— as well as your own limits. Solicit advice from your advisor and the Director of Academic Advising. You’ll know by the end of your first semester or year whether or not 18 credits is an appropriate load for you.

Writing: Good writing is the foundation of a successful Plan; with this in mind, all students are required to pass the Clear Writing Requirement within their first three semesters. Successfully completing the Clear Writing Requirement is an achievement that lets you and the faculty know that you’re ready to continue with more involved research and writing; it’s an important stepping stone, and an incredibly helpful one. Therefore, all entering students should take either a writing seminar or a designated writing course during their first semester. The writing course you choose will depend on the results of your writing placement exam and your advisor’s recommendation. Even once you have met the Clear Writing Requirement, you should continue to take at least one course each semester that will give you regular opportunities to write.

Recommended courses: Although Marlboro does not have any requirements, per se, all areas of the curriculum necessitate a certain foundation of courses in preparation for Plan-level work. The information in each degree field will inform you of these guidelines. If you are in the World Studies Program, you will need to take the required courses at the appropriate time. (See the World Studies Handbook)

Courses are offered at the introductory, intermediate and advanced level. Tutorials are necessarily advanced and are designed for juniors and seniors on Plan. Tutorials include: one-on-one tutorials in a student’s specific field in preparation for Plan work, group tutorials with several students who have similar interests, and Plan-writing tutorials in the senior year focusing on analyzing information and completing Plan papers.

Foundation work: This is important in the area(s) you are especially interested in. You may reach your first semester on Plan and realize you should have taken a course in anthropology or music history. You’ll spend part of your junior year on Plan playing catch-up, but the better informed you are about course work needed from the beginning, the better off you’ll be when it comes time to submit your preliminary Plan application at the end of your sophomore year.

Mathematics: Knowledge of mathematical concepts is necessary for any field that requires quantitative research. This includes work in psychology, sociology, economics, environmental studies, and political science, as well as the natural sciences. Furthermore, knowledge of mathematics is essential for musical composition and is handy with technical work for theatre.

Language study:The study of languages is highly recommended not only for broadening your perspective of the world but in the interest of cross- cultural communication. In addition, if graduate school is a goal, you will probably need to demonstrate competence in at least one if not two foreign languages.

Electives: To ensure that your program is fully grounded in the liberal arts, remember to study in each area of the curriculum.

Transfer Students

We recognize that transferring into Marlboro as a sophomore or junior may feel as if you have to hit the ground running. We expect you will need time to get to know faculty and decide what you are going to do on Plan. So…

Think ahead.
Before you even come to Marlboro, try to have a working idea of what you’d like to study: have a degree field (or two, or three) in mind. This is especially important if you’re coming to Marlboro as a junior; knowing what you’re interested in, and being able to talk about it with your advisor and potential Plan sponsor(s), will help you get started.

Work closely with your advisor.
Because you are new to Marlboro and have a relatively short learning curve before you go on Plan, regular meetings with your advisor or a potential Plan sponsor are essential.

Take time to get to know faculty.
You may be shifting gears from where you were before. If you were on a narrow track in biology at the University of Arizona and you have decided to study literature and philosophy at Marlboro, you’ll have some catching up to do. Go to as many of the introductory course sessions during the first two days of class as you can. Take courses that speak to your interests, but also talk to your advisor; talk to your professors. Become familiar with the faculty members who teach in your area of interest, so that you can decide early in the process who you really want to work with.

Attend Plan Presentations and Workshops.
You will not only get critical information about the process of going on Plan, but in small group sessions you will be able to ask questions of current Plan students and faculty who have years of experience with all varieties of Plans. You’ll find out how to approach a faculty member about a tutorial, how tutorials work, and the differences between the Sophomore Review, Preliminary Plan Application, and Final Plan Application.

Submit a portfolio for the Clear Writing Requirement.
It is essential that you submit for the Clear Writing Requirement during your first semester, since you will likely be beginning your preparations for Plan.

Submit a portfolio for the Clear Writing Requirement.
It is essential that you submit for the Clear Writing Requirement during your first semester, since you will likely be beginning your preparations for Plan.

Continue to explore.
You may not have the flexibility in course choices that first year students do, but explore as broadly as possible.

Talk
Talk to your professors, your dorm-mates, Plan students, other students who have transferred to Marlboro, and the Director of Academic Advising. Ask for help when you need it.