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2020-2021 Academic Catalog 
    
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2020-2021 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

Course Numbering System

The following lists include all courses normally offered at Albion College. However, not all courses are offered every year. When possible, courses offered in alternate years are designated. For details, students should consult the Class Schedule for each semester, available online at: www.albion.edu/registrar. The College reserves the right to add or withdraw courses without prior announcement, as conditions may require.

Unless otherwise stated, 100 level courses are intended for freshmen, 200 level for sophomores, 300 and 400 level for juniors and seniors.

A list of courses which meet the core and category requirements, organized by departments, is available online at www.albion.edu/registrar.

Further information may be obtained at the Registrar’s Office in the Ferguson Student, Technology, and Administrative Services Building.
 

Theatre
  

  • THEA 188: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 189: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 209: Dramatic Analysis

    (1 Unit)
    An introduction to dramatic and theatrical analysis, focusing on how a theatre text works both on the page and on the stage. Students discover “how a play means” by exploring different theoretical approaches and dramatic traditions and performing both dramatic and theatrical analyses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 210: Women in the American Theatre

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of the contributions of women in all aspects of the American Theatre; a study of the images of women as portrayed in American drama; an introduction to feminist theory and criticism as it relates to theatre and drama. Staff.
  

  • THEA 211: Stagecraft and Theatrical Technology

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: THEA 111 , THEA 209  or permission of instructor.
    This course will provide an introduction to, and give students  practical working knowledge of, the technical skills used in theatre.  Specially, scenic construction, painting, lighting, and sound technology. Klain.
  

  • THEA 220: Costume and Prop Craft

    (1 Unit)
    An introduction to aspects of costume and theatrical property design and artisanship including professional presentation skills, basic sewing, millinery (hat making), apparel and textiles terminology, painting and dying science, leatherwork, wig styling, and armor work. Includes costume lab work and hands-on design and construction projects. Staff.
  

  • THEA 251: Acting I

    (1 Unit)
    For the student with previous acting experience. Explores exercises, games and pantomimes to expand the physical, mental and emotional awareness used in acting. Includes script analysis and scene work. Fischer
  

  • THEA 280: Historical Perspectives: Pre-Greek Theatre to Theatres of Absolutism

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of the major periods of theatre history, theatre architecture and conventions, and dramatic literature of oral and ancient cultures through the theatres of Absolutism. Offered alternate semesters with THEA 281. Offered periodically. Staff.
  

  • THEA 281: Historical Perspectives: Sentimental Theatre to the Present

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of the major periods of theatre history, theatre architecture and conventions, and dramatic literature of oral and ancient cultures through the theatres of Absolutism. Offered alternate semesters with THEA 280. Offered periodically. Staff.
  

  • THEA 285: Ethnicity in Musical Theatre

    (1 Unit)
    Examines the growth and development of the musical, starting with the nineteenth-century influences: minstrel shows, the black crook and subsequent evolutions. Examines the structure of the musical from its earliest iterations, the influence of operetta, ethnic comedians, Tin Pan Alley composers and the Golden Age, to the concept musical model prevalent today. Looks at racial minorities as subjects, contributors and sources for musicals. Relates the development of the musical to changes in popular music, as indicative of changes in society, and considers the musical as an agent of social change. Starko.
  

  • THEA 287: Selected Topics

    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 288: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 289: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 314: Stage Management

    (1/2 Unit)
    Covers the mechanics and methods of theatrical stage management/production management, including running rehearsals and performances, and the rules of the Actors’ Equity Association. Presents the basics of production stage management such as scheduling and budgeting. Offered periodically. Staff.
  

  • THEA 315: Scenic, Lighting, and Sound Design for the Theatre

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: THEA 211  and the permission of instructor
    A theoretical and practical course in designing scenery, lighting, and sound for the theatre. Students design projects in realistic and non-realistic production styles and in various media. Staff.
  

  • THEA 333: Plays of the 21st Century

    (1 unit)
    Prerequisite:  THEA 209.
    Focusing on plays of the last twenty years, we will delve into how they are changing the theatrical landscape. Are we in fact in a new golden age of American playwrighting? We will intensely analyze the playwrights, the developing styles and trends, as well as the issues raised by these recent works. We will also explore the difficulties of producing these works and the changing theatrical audience. Staff.
  

  • THEA 350: Play Direction

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisites: THEA 209 , THEA 211 , and THEA 251 , or permission of instructor.
    An examination of the role of the director in the theatre, with emphasis on the relationship between the director and the actor and the technical problems which arise in rehearsal and performance. Starko.
  

  • THEA 361: Vocal Technique and Movement

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: THEA 251  or permission of instructor.
    An advanced acting course designed to give students greater control over their vocal and physical expression. The course includes individual assessment of strengths and weaknesses coupled with exercises to broaden individual students’ abilities. In addition, students will prepare monologues for future auditions. Starko.
  

  • THEA 365: Acting Shakespeare Process & Performance

    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: THEA 251  or permission of instructor.
    This class will develop a specific methodology and practice for the actor approaching a Shakespearean character. Students will learn to fuse Shakespeare’s heightened
    language and verse with the contemporary psychologically-driven approach to acting. Emphasis will be placed on extensive “table work” prior to performance, where etymology, language mechanics, and scansion will be mined for playable action and nuance. The ultimate goal of the semester is to empower actors with a systematic, repeatable process for engaging any classical text with confidence and boldness. Staff.
  

  • THEA 366: Acting II

    (1 unit)
    Prerequisite: THEA 251  or permission of instructor.
    This course continues the exploration of concepts and methods introduced in Acting I, with specific emphasis on textual analysis and character interpretation in plays from various periods and genres. Students will deepen their characterization abilities, facility with language, and audition technique through scene study and physical and vocal exercises.  Fischer.
  

  • THEA 375: Shakespeare I

    (1 Unit)
    Same as ENGL 375 . Staff.
  

  • THEA 376: Shakespeare II

    (1 Unit)
    Same as ENGL 376 . Staff.
  

  • THEA 387: Selected Topics

    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 388: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 389: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • THEA 391: Internship

    (1/2 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  

  • THEA 392: Internship

    (1 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  

  • THEA 402: Seminar

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing or permission of instructor.
    Detailed study of significant and relevant problems in theatre. Specific topic for consideration each year will be determined before fall registration. Staff.
  

  • THEA 411: Directed Study

    (1/2 Unit)
    Staff.
  

  • THEA 412: Directed Study

    (1 Unit)
    Staff.

Theatre: Practicum
  

  • THEA 175: Theatre

    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    Acting, direction, assistant direction, production design. Staff.
  

  • THEA 176: Theatre

    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
    Acting, direction, assistant direction, production design. Staff.

Wellness

A maximum of four activity courses (100 level, 1/4 unit) in physical education and theatre (dance) may be used toward completing the 32 units required for graduation.
  

  • WELL 123: Riding—English

    (1/4 Unit)
    English riding skills, with a strong emphasis on safety and confidence-building in the saddle. Lessons are taught at the Held Center twice a week. Students are assessed on their first day to determine their experience and ability. Students may ride their own horse or use a school horse. Riders must wear an ASTM/SEI certified helmet, which may be borrowed from the Held Center. Appropriate attire and footwear are required for lessons. All riders must pass a simple physical fitness test given at the beginning of the semester. (Course fee.) Staff.
  

  • WELL 124: Riding—Western

    (.25 Unit)
    Western riding skills, with a strong emphasis on safety and confidence-building in the saddle. Lessons are taught at the Held Center twice a week.  Students are assessed on their first day to determine their experience and ability. Students may ride their own horse or use a College horse.  Riders must wear an ASTM/SEI certified helmet, which may be borrowed from the Held Center.  Appropriate attire and footwear are required for lessons. All riders must pass a simple physical fitness test given at the beginning of the semester. (Course fee.) Staff.
  

  • WELL 131: Scuba

    (1/4 Unit)
    The development of skills, knowledge and activity for certification in scuba. (Course fee.) Staff.
  

  • WELL 141: Aquatics

    (1/4 Unit)
    Beginner through advanced levels of swimming and or diving. Staff.
  

  • WELL 147: Body Building and Development

    (1/4 Unit)
    Prescribed and therapeutic exercises designed to develop the body to a high degree of physical efficiency. Staff.
  

  • WELL 152: Meditation

    (1/4 Unit)
    Explores a variety of meditation and mindful practices designed to offer a way of dealing with stress and build a foundation for understanding the inner self to maintain balance and offer new possibilities of being in the world. Staff.
  

  • WELL 153: Yoga I

    (1/4 Unit)
    Introduces the use of yoga for health. Emphasizes the physical aspects of the practice through stretching and strengthening the muscles, joints, and spine, and directing blood and oxygen to the internal organs. Staff.
  

  • WELL 154: Pilates I

    (1/4 Unit)
    An introduction to this wellness program based on the use of breathing techniques, concentration, body control, self-centering, precision movements and flow. Staff.
  

  • WELL 156: Yoga II

    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: WELL 153  or permission of instructor.
    A continuation of WELL 153 . Staff.
  

  • WELL 157: Pilates II

    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: WELL 154  or permission of instructor.
    A continuation of WELL 154 . Staff.
  

  • WELL 158: Disc Golf

    (1/4 Unit)
    An introduction to the skills, equipment, rules and strategies for playing disc golf. Staff.
  

  • WELL 163: Racquetball

    (1/4 Unit)
    Basic strokes, rules, equipment, game tactics and strategy. The history and traditions of racquetball. Eye protection and playing equipment not provided. Staff.
  

  • WELL 165: Badminton and Tennis

    (1/4 Unit)
    The development of badminton and tennis skills, strokes, principles and strategies. Staff.
  

  • WELL 166: Beginning Tennis

    (1/4 Unit)
    The development of tennis skills, strokes, principles and strategies. Staff.
  

  • WELL 167: Beginning Golf

    (1/4 Unit)
    The development of basic golf skills, knowledge and strategies. Staff.
  

  • WELL 168: Intermediate Golf

    (1/4 Unit)
    Staff.
  

  • WELL 169: Intermediate Tennis

    (1/4 Unit)
    The development of stroke consistency, shot direction, and singles and doubles strategy. Staff.
  

  • WELL 170: Advanced Tennis

    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: WELL 169  or permission of instructor.
    Repetition of strokes, charting, match play, percentage play, singles strategy, doubles strategy, tournament play, conditioning and sportsmanship. Staff.
  

  • WELL 172: Bowling

    (1/4 Unit)
    The development of basic bowling skills. Bowling fees will be charged. May.
  

  • WELL 178: Canoeing

    (1/4 Unit)
    Recreational and racing canoe skills, terminology and river reading. Class meets first eight weeks. (Course fee.) Staff.
  

  • WELL 181: Life Guarding

    (1/4 Unit)
    Prerequisite: American Red Cross swimmer or equivalent.
    American Red Cross certification in CPR, standard first aid and lifeguarding can be earned. (Course fee.) Staff.
  

  • WELL 182: Life Guarding

    (1/2 Unit)
    Prerequisite: American Red Cross swimmer or equivalent.
    American Red Cross certification in CPR, standard first aid and lifeguarding can be earned. (Course fee.) Staff.
  

  • WELL 192: Cardiovascular Conditioning

    (1/4 Unit)
    Various motor activities are used to stress the cardiovascular system. Designed to strengthen and improve the efficiency and endurance of the cardiovascular system. Appropriate shoes required. Staff.

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  

  • WGS 111: Introduction to Women, Gender and Sexuality

    (1 Unit)
    The goal of this interdisciplinary course is to introduce students to the fields of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Students will learn core concepts and historical and current theories that analyze women’s positions, gender realities and sexual identities and cultures. This course also has a particular focus on social construction of differences and how these central issues interact with race, class, ethnicity, culture, age and abilities. Each semester students will explore four topics in depth: intersectional identities, violence, public policy and economics/work. They will also apply WGS analyses to current events and the media. Franzen.
  

  • WGS 187: Selected Topics

    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 188: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 189: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 240: Sexualities, Histories and Culture

    (1 Unit)
    Examines how sexuality has emerged as the basis for academic inquiry and numerous identities in the late twentieth century. Part I examines the historical research on sexuality across various cultures, considering what changes, from economic through technological, have fostered the development of sexuality-related laws, restrictions, identities and opportunities. Part II traces the theories about contemporary identities that emerged from women’s and gender studies research, assessing medical, academic, religious and legal institutions as well as the grassroots resistance and alternative naming presented by individuals and communities. In Part III, students in each class have the opportunity to determine some of the topics covered. Franzen.
  

  • WGS 250: Gender and the Global Garden

    Which environmentalists have won the Nobel Peace Prize? Who are the writers and scholars shaping our analyses of our food systems? Who are the global farmers? Where do gender and other identity issues fit into our responses to these questions? This class is situated at the junction of gender, environmental and food studies. Using interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches, this course examines how gender shapes our views of the environment, agriculture and food. We consider the leaders, scholars, innovators, and activists of these movements; what brought them to their commitments; and how their identities might have shaped their interests, activities and goals. The course asks how we come to see and hear certain individuals and groups while others remain hidden and how these issues of visibility and invisibility influence public opinions and public activism. We will take our own gender analysis skills into our local garden, farm and food systems. We will study relevant Michigan programs and work with the Wildcat Garden. Franzen.
  

  • WGS 287: Selected Topics

    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 288: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 289: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 360: Feminist Theory

    (1 Unit)
    Prerequisite: WGS 106 or WGS 116 or permission of instructor.
    Explores twentieth-century feminist thought from the United States and Great Britain with some attention to other influences. Grounds feminist theory within the grassroots women’s movement, a social, cultural and political movement for change. Tracing the influence of feminism in the academy, the course surveys not only the critical and analytical foundations of the field of women’s studies but also the impact of women and gender-centered scholarship on the traditional disciplines. The challenges to feminist theory raised by U.S. women of color, working-class women, lesbians and other women who have experienced multiple oppressions are explored along with the women’s examinations of the intersections of sexism and racism, classism, homophobia and other systems of power. Franzen, Collar.
  

  • WGS 387: Selected Topics

    (1/4 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 388: Selected Topics

    (1/2 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 389: Selected Topics

    (1 Unit)
    An examination of subjects or areas not included in other courses. Staff.
  

  • WGS 391: Internship

    (1/2 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  

  • WGS 392: Internship

    (1 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  

  • WGS 398: Practicum

    (1/2 Unit)
    Offered on a credit/no credit basis. Staff.
  

  • WGS 401: Seminar

    (1/2 Unit)
    Staff.
  

  • WGS 402: Seminar

    (1 Unit)
    Staff.
  

  • WGS 411: Directed Study

    (1/2 Unit)
    Directed studies generally are reserved for those students who have schedule conflicts between two majors. They are also available for students pursuing honors theses. In specific cases, students may request directed studies that cover topics beyond the scope of the current curriculum. These students are expected to present their proposed plan of study to the instructor for approval well in advance of registration. Staff
  

  • WGS 412: Directed Study

    (1 Unit)
    Directed studies generally are reserved for those students who have schedule conflicts between two majors. They are also available for students pursuing honors theses. In specific cases, students may request directed studies that cover topics beyond the scope of the current curriculum. These students are expected to present their proposed plan of study to the instructor for approval well in advance of registration. Staff
 

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