Academics

The Plan of Concentration

Read past students' Plan descriptions

A. Introduction

What is a Plan?

It is an integrated study that focuses on an area of the curriculum or on a set of related questions or issues that cross disciplinary boundaries. Plan is:

How do you choose a field of study?

The field, or fields, chosen for your Plan should reflect your strengths and the subject(s) you enjoy studying. Your idea may come from a class you especially enjoyed, a paper that sparked an idea, or interest fostered by discussion in a class. The Plan should be an exciting adventure of your own, in which you explore matters of considerable interest to you, and in which you can observe your own development of confidence and maturity. A well-designed and well-focused Plan will be your best friend during your junior and senior years at Marlboro, and will help assure a most satisfying final result.

What are the fields of study/degree fields?

American Studies
Anthropology
Art History
Asian Studies
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Biology
Ceramics
Chemistry
Classics
Computer Science
Cultural History

 Dance
Development Studies Economics
Environmental Studies Film/Video Studies
History
Languages
Literature
Mathematics
Music
Painting
Philosophy		 Photography
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Religion
Sculpture
Sociology
Theater
Visual Arts
Writing

When does a student go on Plan?

At the end of second semester of the sophomore year; you must have accumulated at least 55 credits to go on Plan.

How?

By filling out and filing a Preliminary Plan Application in collaboration with a Plan sponsor or sponsors. Applications are available online or in the bin outside the Registrar’s office.

How do you find a sponsor?

Talk with your advisor about your ideas; talk with teachers with whom you have worked; talk with current Plan students; talk with your friends, and consult s Section Two of this guide about faculty Areas of Interest for Plan-level Work. Discuss your preliminary ideas with whomever on the faculty seems appropriate. If the faculty member is willing to work with you, then you enter into an agreement in the form of a Preliminary Plan Application.

How many credits do you need to earn on Plan?

50: You may apply up to 8 credits from the first year and sophomore years toward the 50 credits. You should average 15 credits per semester throughout the two years on Plan.

What is the academic structure like in the junior year?

What is the academic structure like in the senior year?

How are you evaluated?

By a Board of Evaluators made up of

How do you do a Cross-Disciplinary Plan?

Carefully. Such Plans involve study in two or three different fields, sometimes with fairly equal distribution of weight, sometimes with one field clearly dominant. Whatever the structure, a cross-disciplinary Plan should have the same goal as a single-field Plan. That goal is the investigation in-depth of a single problem or a set of clearly related problems. In cross-disciplinary Plans, it is the notion of clearly related that determines the success of the Plan in meeting the stated goal. Any student who ignores or forgets this essential Plan concept risks considerable disappointment when the whole is finally evaluated.

Credit and Residency Requirement:

The Plan of Concentration consists of a minimum of 50 credits, not more than 8 of which may have been earned prior to the junior year. Students are expected to be in residence during the senior year, although sponsors may occasionally recommend a nonresidential term. Such terms must be approved by the Dean of Faculty. Students are required to register as full-time for the final senior semester.

B. Plan Applications and Deadlines

Preliminary Plan Application

This Application serves as the student’s formal request for permission to embark on the first year of the Plan. The junior year is normally devoted to courses, which are preparatory to Project work.

Final Plan Application

The Final Plan Application specifically defines the Plan objective and the Project. It lists work completed during junior year and work projected for senior year. The deadline for submission and distribution of the Final Plan Application is two semesters prior to the anticipated date of completion of the Plan. Applications submitted at the end of the semester must be distributed to the faculty no later than two weeks before the final faculty meeting. Students who fail to submit Final Plan Applications on time may be required to spend an extra semester at Marlboro before they can graduate.

Both the Preliminary and Final Plan Application must first be approved by the Dean of Faculty and reviewed by the full faculty. Copies of the Final Plan Application are circulated to all faculty for final approval once the Dean has signed them. This process takes time so be sure to get your application to the Dean’s office well in advance of the deadline.

I. The Preliminary Plan Application

When do you file a Preliminary Plan Application?

At the end of the second semester of your sophomore year OR at the end of the semester in which you will have earned 55 credits. The Registrar will post the deadline each semester.
Junior transfers will need to submit the Preliminary Plan Application by the end of their first semester at Marlboro.

Guidelines for filling out the Preliminary Plan Application

The Preliminary Plan Application is your formal request for permission to embark on the first year of your Plan. It follows completion of the Sophomore Review.

The purpose of the Preliminary Plan Application is to:

  1. articulate your goals;
  2. organize your work for the next two semesters; and
  3. inform the faculty of your goals and plans.

Before you fill out your application:

  1. Attend the Plan workshop for all second semester sophomores and transfers. It provides helpful information and an orientation to the process.
  2. Obtain a copy of your unofficial transcript and Area Breakdown from the Registrar's Office.
  3. If you are a WSP student, confer with the Director of WSP or your advisor to determine whether you have met the WSP requirements.
  4. Review the courses you have taken, by area, referring to the Degree Fields to be sure you have the foundation coursework necessary. Your Plan work should grow out of the courses you’ve taken and the interests you have developed.
  5. Consider the faculty with whom you have studied. Your Plan depends on a good working relationship with a faculty member.
  6. Select a Plan sponsor (or sponsors) according to where your interests intersect with the fields of expertise of faculty (see Degree Fields). (Consult with your advisor or the Director of Advising if you are unsure.) Remember: No faculty member is obligated to sponsor a Plan and usually will not if there has been no prior classroom contact with you. However, even faculty with whom you have had little classroom contact may have useful suggestions.
  7. Discuss your ideas with many people, including students.

The Preliminary Plan application form is available at http://marlboro.edu/offices/registrar/forms/prelimplanapp1.pdf You will have to print it out and write in your information.
Paper forms are also available in the form rack outside of the Registrar’s Office in Mather.

Steps to complete your Preliminary Plan application

  1. Prepare your Plan application in consultation with your Plan sponsor(s). Since this is a permanent record of the College, it must be legible and written in ink.
    Plan statement: You will be coming up with a simple statement of your intentions. Remember, this is a Preliminary Plan application. We don’t expect to see a lot of specific detail. Details will emerge by the end of your junior year. "A study (exploration, examination) of _______________ with a focus on __________" may suffice. See sample statements below or contact the Director of Advising, Catherine O’Callaghan, at cocallag@marlboro.edu or x235).
    Courses and tutorials: With your Plan sponsor(s), come up with a list of courses and tutorials for your first year on Plan, including any classes that would fill in the needed gaps.
  2. Obtain signatures from your Plan sponsor(s) and, if you are a WSP student, the WSP director.
  3. Drop off the form at the Registrar's Office, who will forward it to the Dean of Faculty.
  4. Once the Dean has approved your Plan application (which could require further communication with you or your sponsor[s]), she will forward the application to the Registrar. The Registrar’s Office will input the information into the student database and will provide copies of both the original application and the computer version to you and your Plan sponsor(s). The Registrar’s Office then distributes a copy of the application to all faculty two weeks prior to the next faculty meeting. The faculty have an opportunity to comment on Plan proposals during this time.
  5. The Dean of Faculty will notify you if there are any questions about your proposal.

II. The Final Plan Application

When do you file a Final Plan Application?

Two semesters before date of graduation, usually at the end of the junior year. The Registrar will post the deadline each semester.

Guidelines for filling out the Final Plan Application

Filling out the Form: Consult with your Plan Sponsor(s) as you go through the process of filling out your Final Plan Application and use the explanations of the numbered sections (see below) to help you. It is helpful to do a draft in pencil first. If you have technical questions, consult the College Handbook (online) or see the Director of Academic Advising, WSP Director or Associate Director (if you are a WSP student), and/or the Dean of Faculty, as appropriate.
Approval: After you have completely filled out and signed the application, obtain signatures of approval from (1) your sponsor(s) and (2) the WSP Director (if appropriate) and submit the form to the Registrar's Office. The Registrar submits the application to the Dean of Faculty for review. The Registrar's Office receives the final approved application for inputting into the database and distributes copies of the Plan and Project summaries to the faculty. During that time faculty have an opportunity to comment on Plan proposals.

Step-by-Step Explanation of the Numbered Sections of the Final Plan Application:

  1. Faculty Sponsor: The faculty member named first is the Primary Plan Sponsor of record for administrative purposes. It is appropriate to have a Co-Sponsor only if another faculty member makes major contributions to the Plan. It is also recommended that the sponsors match the degree fields, that is, your Primary Plan Sponsor should oversee the degree field that appears first in all capital letters. Faculty who are not sponsors or co-sponsors should be asked to be part of the committee for the oral examination, especially if you have only one Plan Sponsor (see #8).
  2. Field(s) of Study: Fields must be selected from the degree fields approved by the faculty and should be written on your application in ALL CAPS. These fields, from the liberal arts, are listed above.
    When appropriate, the degree field may be followed by descriptive subfields in lower-case letters (e.g., ART HISTORY/Renaissance Painting; BIOLOGY/Ornithology; HISTORY & LITERATURE/Shakespeare; CERAMICS/Chemistry).
  3. Summary of Plan and Project: The Plan is a coherent program of study that may have multidisciplinary components.
    A Plan Summary is a statement about the areas – topics and/or theoretical issues – you want to focus on and the objectives you have formulated; it is not a list of the work that will be submitted for evaluation. This will be asked for in #7.
    The Project Summary is a brief description of the work you will do in-depth to address the concerns expressed in the Plan Summary. This work should use the theories and methods appropriate to your field of study. Project work may take the form of a major paper or set of papers based on library, laboratory, or field research; a presentation in the performing or creative arts; or any other effort or combination of efforts appropriate to the liberal arts.
    What is the difference between the Plan and the Project? The Project is the focused piece of work or the "depth" within the discipline-based Plan, or the "breadth."
  4. Background Work: Non-Plan courses or work experience that is considered to be essential background work for a Plan.
  5. Preliminary Work on Plan: A list of courses, internships, and tutorials taken in your junior year that are part of your Plan, totaling approximately 25 credits. Remember, up to 8 credits taken prior to your junior year may be, but are not necessarily, applied.
  6. Final Year Work on Plan: A list of Plan courses and tutorials you intend to take in your senior year, which will result in a minimum of 50 credits on Plan. Note: Do not list non-Plan courses (courses that will not be part of the Plan evaluation process).
  7. Work to be Evaluated and Proportional Weights: All work on Plan is subject to final evaluation. Percentages should be roughly consistent with the time spent on each element. NOTE: At least one element must consist of formal written prose. This section is distinct from #3 above, where the Plan and Project summaries are given. There the aim was to give a description of the goals and methods of your work. This section details the specific work to be done (i.e., a paper, exam or exhibit) and the percentages for each part. For each weighted element, there is a 120-character limit, including spaces; if the text exceeds 120 characters, it will need to be edited by the student and sponsor(s) at the earliest possible date.
    What are Plan Percentages? They show how the different components of your Plan are divided up:
    • Project: usually 25%-50% of the total Plan, but not less than 15% or more than 75%. (Less than 25% or more than 50% requires written justification and permission of the Dean of Faculty.)
    • Written work: at least 20% formal written prose.
    • Independent work: at least 20% prepared without faculty guidance (e.g., an exam, a paper). Independent work may include a lecture only in extraordinary circumstances; check with the Dean of Faculty.
    Percentages should be roughly consistent with the time spent on each element. The Plan Project is often weighted heavily because it is supported by several courses and tutorials that are not evaluated separately. The Project may be weighted between 15% and 75%, although any weight less that 25% or more than 50% requires written justification and permission from the Dean of Faculty. Although the Project may have separate elements, it is, by definition, a coherent effort that bears a single percentage weight and, upon evaluation, receives a single grade. At least one element must consist of formal written prose and must comprise at least 20% of the weighting. In addition, at least 20% of the material presented for evaluation must be in a form prepared by the student independent of faculty guidance, and all independent work must be available to the Outside Evaluator. Such independent work normally covers aspects of the major fields or subfields of study or areas of the Plan not addressed explicitly by the Project and supporting work. Independent work must be supported by coursework or tutorials taken on Plan.
    Upon the recommendation of the Plan Sponsor, the Project may consist of a set of written examinations on a clearly defined topic or topics.
    NOTE: Changes to the percentage weights must be made by the Friday before midterm faculty meeting of the final semester on Plan. Changes must be approved by the Plan Sponsor(s) and submitted to the Dean of Faculty by this deadline. Clarifying changes in wording may be made after this deadline only as deemed appropriate by the Dean of Faculty in consultation with faculty sponsor(s). Students on extension are completing Plans already subject to final modification; no further substantive changes may be made.
    On the form you will be asked to fill in the following categories:
    a. Plan work prepared under faculty guidance:
    i. PLAN PROJECT: Permission of the Dean of Faculty is required if the percentage total for all elements of the Plan project is larger than 50%. A percentage total above 75% is not permitted. If your Plan project consists of distinct parts, you may list them individually but they must have a single percentage.
    ii. OTHER PLAN COMPONENTS: You should include here all other components related to your Plan Project. While this may include complementary work in another discipline, background work for your Plan Project(s) (e.g. historical, technical, etc.), or comparative work, the relationship to the main topic or question of your Plan should be very clear. Please note if the work is a paper, exam, exhibit, etc.


    b. Examinations and other Plan work prepared independently of faculty guidance:
    At least 20% of the material presented for evaluation must be in a form prepared by you without faculty assistance and be available to your Outside Evaluator. Such independent work or examinations normally cover the major fields or subfields of study; they may also cover areas of the Plan not addressed explicitly by the Plan project and supporting work.
  8. Oral Evaluation: List at least two Marlboro College faculty members, your Plan Sponsor and Co-Sponsor if you have one. If you do not have a Co-Sponsor list a Marlboro faculty member who you have worked with on Plan. NOTE: You do not need to list your Outside Evaluator here.
    The Dean of Faculty appoints an Outside Evaluator upon recommendation of the Plan sponsor; students are encouraged to suggest names of possible Outside Evaluators.
    At least one week before the oral evaluation, the Outside Evaluator must have copies of all exams, papers, journals, etc., which are part of the Plan. The Outside Evaluator should have the opportunity to evaluate all elements of the Plan and must have the opportunity to evaluate at least 90% of Plan work and all work prepared independently of faculty guidance. However, when a student teaches, performs, or gives a public lecture, the outside evaluator may not be available. Therefore, such elements with weightings of more than 10%, or which are included as independent work, must be documented in a form available to the entire community. For this reason such elements should not be included under work done independently of faculty guidance, as at least 20% of such work must be available to the Outside Evaluator. Weightings for a public lecture or class teaching must be kept to 10% or less. If such elements comprise more than 10%, special arrangements must be made with the Dean of Faculty. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the Dean of Faculty, upon advice from the Curriculum Committee.

Other Things to Think about when you are On Plan:

C. Sample Plan Applications

D. Sample Plan Descriptions


AREA: Performing Arts

MUSIC/Historical musicology & voice
Bachelor of Arts
Amialya Elder
PLAN: A study of English music drama in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, with a special emphasis on Handel’s operas and the role of the castrato singer.
PROJECT: A paper in several parts concerning the introduction of Italian opera to London’s audiences in the first decade of the eighteenth century.
Sponsors: Stanley Charkey, Luis C. Batlle
THEATER/Dramaturgy
Kristen Lee Olsson
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A study of the role of alternative dramaturgies in theater. Complementary studies examine the work of Bertolt Brecht, Vsevold Meyerhold and others.
PROJECT: Dramaturgical exercises as prepared for two faculty productions, When 3 It’s Night and Scene 9.
Sponsors: Paul D. Nelsen, Holly Derr
THEATRE/Directing & CULTURAL HISTORY/Performance Studies
Katherine Jane Osborn
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An exploration of the relationship between audience and performer, with particular attention given to the works of Bertolt Brecht.
PROJECT: A paper and a theater production. The paper examines the centrality of audience in Brecht’s conception of Epic Theater. The production is an original adaptation of Brecht’s Mother Courage which attempts to further understand the examined theories through the application of personal directorial skills.
Sponsors: Paul Nelsen, Dana Howell, Eric Bass

AREA: Visual Arts

CERAMICS
Georgeana Alice Hill
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: Study in the ceramic arts that involves wheel-thrown vessel forms and an examination of the origin and effects of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
PROJECT: An exhibition of ceramic work and a paper on the Arts and Crafts Movement with a particular focus on ceramics and the women involved.
Sponsors: Michael Boylen, Timothy J. Segar
VISUAL ARTS/ Installation & Art Criticism
Katey Carr
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An exploration of the relationship between solitude and the creative process, the visual language and tools of writing as well as the art of Agnes Martin as a basis for visual action and thought.
PROJECT: An installation of original artwork that explores the visual language of writing as a means of creative expression. A paper about the life and work of Agnes Martin.
Sponsors: Cathy Osman, Felicity Ratté, Tim Segar
VISUAL ARTS & WRITING/Fiction
Erin Jade Casey
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN An exploration of themes of identity and communication in visual art and creative writing with supporting research on visual poetry.
PROJECT: A portfolio of artists’ books and fiction writing, and a research paperon visual poetry, focusing on the Canadian poet B.P. Nichol.
Sponsor: Cathy Osman
PAINTING & BIOLOGY/Ecology
Dea Denison
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An exploration of the relationship between art and current ecological issues.
Project: An exhibition of original artwork that explores the selective perceptions of the natural environment through a series of abstract paintings supported by two papers. The first paper explores relevant works and philosophies of artist Joseph Beuys. The second paper is an interpretation of how science and environmental issues have influenced personal perspectives and artwork.
Sponsors: Cathy Osman, Bob Engel
PHILOSOPHY/Aesthetics & PHOTOGRAPHY
Lakshmi Mireille Luthra
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An investigation of the role of art in the present age, especially the ability, or inability, of art to express truth.
PROJECT: A paper on the aesthetics of Heidegger, looking at how he understands art in relationship to technology and Being, and a photography project, which aims to connect the task of photographing with the experience of illness and the physical space and history of Brattleboro.
Sponsors: John Willis, Neal O. Weiner
AMERICAN STUDIES/Gender Studies/Media Studies & VISUAL ARTS/Photography
Laura Renata Martin
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An examination of representations of gender and race in U.S. visual culture, with a focus on ideological and political implications thereof.
PROJECT: Two papers: The first is an analysis of the discourse of postfeminism as articulated through the mass media; the second is an examination of the political implications of photographer Lorna Simpson’s images of black women. An exhibit of original photography drawing upon feminist themes.
Sponsors: Felicity Ratté, Kathryn E. Ratcliff, John Willis
PHOTOGRAPHY & PHYSICS
Teal Ashley Pulsifer
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An investigation of electrophotography, integrating history, physics and aesthetics.
PROJECT: A paper tracing the history of electrophotography, emphasizing its place in the discourse of science. A paper detailing the physics of gas discharges in the creation of electrophotographic images. A gallery exhibition of photographs produced by the "Kirlian" electrophotographic technique.
Sponsors: John Willis, Travis Norsen, John Sheehy
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Eliot Goodwin
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A study of environmental valuation and environmental building design.
PROJECT: A paper on economic valuation of the environment with a focus on contingent valuation studies.
Sponsors: James A. Tober, Timothy J. Segar
VISUAL ARTS/Woodworking
Merrall III MacNeille
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A study of the wood infilled metal hand plane. Apprenticeship with Karl Hotley, Finmere, England.
PROJECT: Four hand planes: Plough, two shoulder planes, and a smoother. Sponsor: Timothy J. Segar
VISUAL ARTS
Jennifer Musi
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An investigation of primal forms in both ceramic sculpture and printmaking.
PROJECT: A series of sculptures and prints that investigate primal shapes and figures. Two papers. The first paper examines Robert Rauschenberg’s methods to create an integrated pictorial surface. The second paper is a visual and iconographic analysis of the ceramic sculpture of ancient west Mexico (Jalisco, Nayarit and Colima) with an emphasis on female figures.
Sponsors: Timothy J. Segar, Cathy Osman, Michael Boylen
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES & VISUAL ARTS
Elham Shahidi
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A study in ecology and art, focusing on issues of understanding and representing aspects of the environment.
PROJECT: An exploration of the work of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, culminating in a proposed landscape design for the Marlboro College septic area.
Sponsors: Jennifer Ramstetter, Timothy J. Segar
VISUAL ARTS
Marta Terrell Willgoose
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An exploration of visual arts and writing of sensory perception, language, and metaphors of interior and exterior space.
PROJECT: An exhibition of installation art, artist’s books and multi-media works on paper, supported by a paper on the contemporary installation artist, Ann Hamilton.
Sponsors: Cathy Osman, Timothy J. Segar

AREA: Cross-Disciplinary/World Studies

POLITICAL SCIENCE/French & Women’s Studies
Emily Wendlake
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
PLAN: An exploration of issues of women and development.
PROJECT: An investigation into strategies for creating the capacity for politics in women’s lives.
Sponsors: Meg Mott, Laura D’Angelo, Lynette Rummel
POLITICAL SCIENCE/International Relations
Sokol Shtylla
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
PLAN: A study of international relations theory and its applications to the case study of U.S. – Albanian relations.
PROJECT: Three papers: A study of the major schools of thought in international relations theory; a historical overview of U.S. – Albanian relations from 1912 to the present; and a final paper exploring U.S. foreign policy in Kosova.
Sponsors: Lynette Rummel
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES & BIOLOGY
Lara Knudsen
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
PLAN: A study of development with a focus on women’s reproductive health in Uganda and an investigation of the immune response induced by the malaria parasite in pregnant women.
PROJECT: An exploration of the Ugandan healthcare system, with particular attention to family planning, based on research done while in the field for eight months.
Sponsors: Lynette Rummel, Robert Engel
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES/Environmental Policy
Michael Crane
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
PLAN: The role of wildlife in community development.
PROJECT: A detailed investigation of the CAMPFIRE (Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources) program of Zimbabwe. A supporting paper on wildlife valuation methods. An examination in resource economics, a photography exhibit, and a public lecture.
Sponsor: James A. Tober
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Jennifer Fleming
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An interdisciplinary study of community-based resource management.
PROJECT: A paper surveying the literature on "The Tragedy of the Commons" and common property resource management.
Sponsors: James A. Tober, Carol E. Hendrickson, Jennifer Ramstetter

AREA: Humanities

LITERATURE/ Russian
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A study in literature focusing on the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Albert Camus with supporting work on the philosopher Richard Rorty. An exploration of ethical and moral questions within selected works, with emphasis on the questions, "If there is no God and no absolutes, how then can the individual survive to create meaning, justify knowledge and live morally?"
PROJECT: A paper in three chapters exploring the limits of faith in Dostoevsky's novels The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov, and Demons. Supporting papers on Albert Camus and Richard Rorty. (Skye Allen)
Sponsors: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, Jet Thomas, John Sheehy
AMERICAN STUDIES & LITERATURE
PLAN: A study of U. S. women writers, with attention to their social and historical contexts.
PROJECT: An exploration of several works by 20th century U. S. women writers with emphasis on representations of marriage and community. (Megan Hamilton)
Sponsors: Kate Ratcliff, Gloria Biamonte
LITERATURE
PLAN: A study of American culture and society in the Gilded Age focusing on the life and works of Mark Twain.
PROJECT: Three papers: "Bound to Rise: the Success Ideal in 19 th c. Literature;" "The River Home? Gender Roles in two 19th c. Coming-of-Age Novels;" and "Man's Inhumanity to Man: Contradictions in 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'" (Alyssa Guldager)
Sponsors: Laura Stevenson, Kate Ratcliff.
LITERATURE
PLAN: An examination of twentieth century fiction with a focus on characters attempting to formulate a sense of identity and an ethical code during periods of social crisis.
PROJECT: Three major papers: the first addresses the works of Dostoevsky; the second examines the works of Albert Camus; and the third examines the French Resistance during World War II. A photography project embodies some of the major themes of the literary works. The final portion of the Plan is a series of examinations. (Jon Gitelson)
Sponsor: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle
LITERATURE
PLAN: A study of classic and contemporary children's literature.
PROJECT: A brief history of children's literature and adult perceptions of youth. An exploration of realism in children's fiction, 1900-1990. Supporting papers on classic and contemporary children's authors. (Catherine Ellyson)
Sponsor: Laura Stevenson
WRITING, LITERATURE & SOCIOLOGY
PLAN: An exploration of Utopian and Dystopian themes in literature.
PROJECT: An original Utopian novel, supported by two papers examining Thomas More's Utopia and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and an independent project analyzing problems inherent in the Utopian genre. Research includes study of the social theory underlying these particular literary themes. (Krista Haimovitch)
Sponsors: Laura Stevenson, Jerry Levy
LITERATURE/ AMERICAN STUDIES/ WRITING
PLAN: An exploration of the concepts of language, identity, family, and sense of place in American literature. Analyses of concepts raised in narrative frame, voices and descriptions, with a focus on mothers and daughters.
PROJECT: Study of Asian American women in history and theory. Study of Asian American literature exploring the concepts of language, identity, family, and sense of place. (Misha Stone)
Sponsors: Geraldine Pittman de Batlle, Kate Ratcliff
LITERATURE/ PHOTOGRAPHY
PLAN: An investigation of memory, narrative and the past in the literature of American slavery and of related themes in making photographic work.
PROJECT: A paper discussing Toni Morrison's exploration of memory, narrative and the past in Beloved, with a supporting discussion of the formation of story in the classic slave narrative. An exhibit using photography to build narrative in personal work and through working with young people in various situations and at the In-Sight Photography Project. (Erin Barnard).
Sponsors: Gloria Biamone, John Willis
PHOTOGRAPHY/ LITERATURE PLAN: A study of the way people portray themselves in literature and image. PROJECT: Two papers: the first is on the memoirs of Terry Tempest Williams; the second is on art and family. Two artists' books and a photo exhibition of collaborative portraits of three models. (Esther Wakefield). Sponsors: John Willis, Gloria Biamonte

AREA: Natural Science

BIOLOGY/Developmental Cell Biology
Tenley C. Archer
Bachelor of Science
PLAN: A study of the techniques used in developmental biology to control and understand cell differentiation, growth, and structure, with a particular focus on stem cells.
PROJECT: A paper reviewing the field of stem cell biology, including historical and current perspectives.
Sponsor: Todd Smith
BIOCHEMISTRY/Neuroscience
Philip David Pool
Bachelor of Science
PLAN: A combined study of biochemistry and neuroscience focusing on cell-to-cell communication during neural differentiation.
PROJECT: An exploration of the biochemical events mediating the creation of new neurons, including: mechanisms that influence neural development in the early embryo, independent laboratory research on the developmental pathway Notch, and the therapeutic potential of the adult brain’s capacity to produce new neurons.
Sponsor: Todd Smith
COMPUTER SCIENCE/Software Engineering
Kevin Douglas Clark
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A program of study combining Computer Science, Physics, and Biology in an examination of the cross-disciplinary field of Artificial Life.
PROJECT: The construction of a computer simulation modeling a population of evolving creatures using a genetic algorithm to model natural selection and population dynamics. Two accompanying papers.
Sponsors: Mark Francillon, Jim Mahoney
COMPUTER SCIENCE/Geoinformatics
Gary W. Johnson Jr.
Bachelor of Science
PLAN: A broad study of computer science with an emphasis on geographic information systems, linux and open source software.
PROJECT: A Web application and associated tools which use open source GIS software and handheld GPS receivers to create digital maps.
Sponsors: Jim Mahoney, Robert E. Engel
LANGUAGES & COMPUTER SCIENCE/Translation
Laura Joan Roberts
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An analysis of the skills used in literary translation and computer programming, with a discussion of the limitations of computer translation.
PROJECT: A short story translated from French to English and the creation of a language-tutorial computer program.
Sponsors: Veronica Brelsford, Mark Francillon, Richard House
COMPUTER SCIENCE & DANCE/Performance and Computer Media
Ian Erik Smith-Heisters
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A study of the intersection of information technology and dance with emphasis on experimentation with the audience/performer relationship and how informal human/computer interfaces can facilitate such experimentation.
PROJECT: A three part dance performance exploring one theme with varying amounts of technology. The first emphasizes choreographic and stylistic composition, the second uses performance and interactive technologies and the third uses only interactive technologies.
Sponsors: Jim Mahoney, Dana Holby
POLITICAL SCIENCE & ECONOMICS
Kelly Jean Bergstrand
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies
PLAN: A study of political science and economics with a focus on the international political economy.
PROJECT: A two-part examination of the Bretton Woods institutions, their historical development and contemporary challenges. The first paper investigates the Bretton Woods Conference and the creation and early history of the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The second paper examines issues of trade and the environment in the World Trade Organization.
Internship: London, United Kingdom
Sponsors: Lynette Rummel, James A. Tober
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES/Buddhist Studies & ECONOMICS
Charlie Maddox
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An exploration of environmental economics, policy and environmental activism in developing nations.
PROJECT: A paper investigating the development of land conservation and environmental activism in Thailand through the analysis of two recent policy controversies.
Sponsor: James A. Tober
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES/Environmental Policy
Parisa Bonita Norouzi
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An exploration of public lands policy and interest group politics in the United States.
PROJECT: An examination of interest group influence on national forest policy, as revealed through a case study analyzing the history and current politics of national forest revenue sharing.
Sponsor: James A. Tober

AREA: Social Sciences

ANTHROPOLOGY & DANCE/Ethnographic Studies
Edward Augustyn
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A broad study of the social sciences and humanities with an emphasis on current ethnographic methods and writing in anthropology, as well as an exploration of choreography.
PROJECT: A paper that explores the embodiment of identity within beginning and retiring dancers through theoretical studies of "place," Bordieu’s "habitus," and Lave and Wengers’s "situated learning." Original choreographic work and a personal essay.
Sponsors: Carol E. Hendrickson, Dana Holby, Gloria Biamonte
AMERICAN STUDIES & ANTHROPOLOGY/Museum Studies
Kimberly Ann Fox
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An exploration of the theory and practice of museum work with a focus on Latin American case studies.
PROJECT: One paper provides an overview of contemporary museum studies theory. Two exhibition scripts. The first for an on-line exhibit analyzing race, class and gender issues in 19th century Mexico; the second for a gallery exhibit investigating the intersection of religion and tourism in Afro-Cuban dance performance.
Sponsors: Kathryn E. Ratcliff, Carol E. Hendrickson
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES & SOCIOLOGY
Rachelle Ackerman
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: An exploration of Third World development theories as they apply to health care policy, with an emphasis on the incorporation of traditional/ indigenous medicine into primary health care strategies.
PROJECT: A case study of traditional medicine and health care policy in Zimbabwe, incorporating a theoretical overview of influential approaches to development within an historical analysis of primary health care.
Sponsors: Lynette Rummel, Jerry Levy
SOCIOLOGY/International Education
Deidre Cleere
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A sociological study of internationally mobile adolescents.
PROJECT: An ethnography of an international school in Indonesia. A research paper focusing on the adjustment of internationally mobile adolescents to their home countries after childhoods spent abroad. An examination paper exploring themes of national identity in Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s modern Indonesian novels.
Sponsors: Jerry Levy, Carol Hendrickson
SOCIOLOGY/Creative Writing
Carol Hammond
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A study of disenfranchised youth in contemporary society through the perspectives of sociology and creative writing.
PROJECT: Two papers and a collection of short fiction with a focus on the theme of youth. The first paper examines the marginalization of adolescents placed in mental health in-patient facilities. The other discusses a youth writing group.
Sponsors: Jerry Levy, T. Hunter Wilson
SOCIOLOGY & HISTORY
Maria Smith
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: A study of the sociological dimensions of adjustment of Jewish teenagers from the former Soviet Union to life in the United States.
PROJECT: A paper examining the sociological dimensions of adjustment of Russian Jewish teenagers to life in the United States with a focus on the Russian Jewish community in Boston. A supporting paper: an overview of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union.
Sponsors: Jerry Levy, Tim Little
PSYCHOLOGY & SOCIOLOGY
Dana Webber
Bachelor of Arts
PLAN: The acquisition of sufficient knowledge of psychology and sociology to be able to examine critically the delivery of mental health care in an institutional setting.
PROJECT: a major paper examines the impact of political and economic factors on the delivery of inpatient psychiatric care. A supporting paper discusses the history of post-traumatic stress disorder as a diagnosis in order to examine the role of political factors in the creation of psychiatric knowledge. A third paper examines treatment of adult victims of childhood sexual abuse.
Sponsors: Tom Toleno, Jerry Levy