2016-17 Pomona College Catalog 
    
    Apr 19, 2024  
2016-17 Pomona College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG] Use the dropdown above to select the current 2023-24 catalog.

New and Revised Courses


New Courses for 2016-17


Revised Courses for spring 2017


ART 126B PO. Sculpture II-Casting: One & Many. M. O’Malley. This course expands the technical, conceptual and expressive skills through individually designed projects. Students learn specific technical skills inherent to casting in a range of materials–plaster, wax, rubber, aluminum and bronze. Emphasis on pattern making and mold making using CNC Router and traditional techniques.  Introduces a visual and theoretical awareness of contemporary art. Letter grade only. Prerequisites: Any previous art course.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Spring 2017.

 

BIOL162  PO. Genetic Analysis. J. Moore. This course examines classic and more recent discoveries using genetic approaches. Students in this class will learn the approaches geneticists use to address biological problems, will come to a greater appreciation of about fundamental biological processes, and will gain the skills of reading, interpreting, discussing, and critically evaluating the biological literature.  Among others, past topics have included the molecular nature of disease, the cell cycle with ties to cancer, important molecular genetic techniques, evolutionary genetics, and genetic regulation. Prerequisites: BIOL040  PO and BIOL041C PO or by permission of the instructor.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Spring 2017.

 

BIOL173  PO. Genomics & Bioinformatics with Laboratory. A. Cavalcanti. This course provides an introduction to the analysis of genomic datasets using computer programs and primary literature. Topics include: Models of sequence evolution, sequence alignment, similarity searching, biological databases, phylogenetic reconstruction, analyses of microarray data and next-gen sequencing data. Laboratory incorporates the analysis of datasets using widely available software tools. No programming experience is required. Prerequisites: BIOL041C PO or BIOL041E PO.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Each spring. 

 

BIOL189Y PO. Structural Biology. R. Sung. Primary literature-based seminar course in which students will present and critically discuss classic foundational papers as well as examples from the current literature that have advanced our understanding of macromolecule structure and function. Prerequisites: CHEM115  PO.

Credit: 0.5

When offered: One-time only; spring 2017.

 

CLAS022  PO. Epic: Gods and Heroes. S. Eccleston. As the most prestigious form of literary and oral expression in the Greco-Roman world, epic poetry educated, validated and entertained ancient audiences from Greek mountainsides to the city of Rome and beyond. Our discussions will explore the heroes, gods and empires that populate these texts to better understand the cultures that both produced and consumed them.  We will also examine how and why modern authors from a variety of socio-political, ethnic and cultural contexts continue to engage with Greco-Roman epic. Previously offered as CLAS010  PO.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Offered alternate years; next offered spring 2017.

 

CSCI062  PO. Data Structures Advanced Programming. P. Mawhorter, K. Bruce. Key topics include abstract data types (including stacks, queues, trees, priority queues and dynamic dictionaries), analysis of algorithms (including worst-case, average-case and amortized analysis) and program verification. Extensive practice in Java. Includes an introduction to manual memory management in C++. Serves the same role as HM 70 as a prerequisite for upper-division computer science courses at any of The Claremont Colleges. Prerequisites: CSCI051  PO and CSCI052  PO.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Each semester.

 

HIST041  AF. Africa in World Politics, 1884 to 2000. O. Traore. Attention given to developing a broad understanding of the political, economic, and social changes in Africa after the arrival of Europeans on the continent. The course analyzes the long-lasting socio-political impacts of the Berlin Conference in present-day Africa in terms of governance and ethnic conflicts. We will also bring into sharper focus the Cold War, the rise of strongmen, development issues, new forms of civil society, and democratization processes in Africa. Letter grade only.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Each spring. 

 

HIST110S CH. Latina/o Oral Histories (CP). T. Sandoval. Introduces students to community history in Chicanx/Latinx Studies through the theory, ethics, and practice of oral history. In partnership with local high schools, students read and discuss foundational texts; record and archive oral histories with local Latinx communities; and build a public archive for future generations. Culminates in a research paper using these sources. Letter grade only. May be repeated twice for credit.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Each spring.  

 

HIST140  PO. Empire and Colonialism in the Middle East and South Asia. A. Khazeni. A history of empire and imperialism in the modern Middle East, South Asia, and the Indian Ocean, examining the emergence of European colonialism in these interconnected world regions during the nineteenth century.  The course explores contacts, encounters, and exchanges between cultures in an era of global transformation. (Africa/African Diaspora, South Asia, and the Middle East)   

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Each spring. 

 

LGCS106  PO. Semantics & Pragmatics. M. Landman. Language users manage to communicate complex thoughts and ideas within rapidly changing and evolving contexts, often with incredible ease. How are we able to locate linguistic meanings in such rich and elusive contexts? What is the relationship between the meaning of a word or expression and its linguistic form? What are the rules or processes that determine how more complex meanings are created from their parts, and how do these processes relate to other cognitive or mental processes? This course introduces both theoretical and practical tools to build an abstract theory of linguistic meaning that addresses these questions, among others. Letter grade only. Prerequisites: LGCS010  PO or CSCI030  PO.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Spring 2017. 

 

LGCS122  PO. Experimental Methods in Language Research. R. Melnick. This course offers in-depth and practical experience with experimental research in language production, comprehension, and processing through original class and group projects. Methods discussed include questionnaire design, reaction-time studies, and eye-movement paradigms, among others, as well as the basic statistics needed to interpret and report results.  Letter grade only. Prerequisites: LGCS010  PO.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Spring 2017.

 

MUS 054  PO. Music and National Identity. W. Peterson. A study of music and national identity from the French Revolution through World War I.  We will explore a wide range of musical genres in the period from 1780 to 1920, including symphonic music, piano music, opera, song, chamber music, and organ music.  The list of composers includes Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Wagner, Musorgsky, Smetana, Dvořák, Brahms, Ives, Stravinsky, Debussy, Ravel, and Janáček.  We will draw on scholarly work from a number of fields: we will examine musical compositions from national, transnational, and transcultural perspectives.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Spring 2017.

 

PE  011A  PO. Facilitation and Leadership on the Challenge Course. C. Weyant, M. Crawford. Challenge courses create more accessible “pinnacle” experiences and have the potential to increase self-efficacy and self-esteem for their participants. This course is an introduction to facilitating such experiences.  Specifically, students will learn and apply the technical, safety, leadership and facilitation skills essential to safe and effective ropes course programming. Emphasis is given to understanding the technical and interpersonal components of challenge course facilitation. With respect to Analyzing Difference, class discussions will include outdoor recreation participation among traditionally marginalized communities and accessibility for differently abled bodies. Pass/No Credit grading only.

Credit: 0.5

When offered: Each semester.

 

POLI136   PO. Environmental Justice and Public Policy. R. Worthington. This course examines the political-economic context of environmental justice and public policies that aim to improve it. Topics include movements that have come at environmental issues from a social justice perspective, theories and evidence about these movements, and their role in the policy system.  In the first half of the course the origins and evolution of the environmental justice movement are examined with special emphasis on California, which is at the forefront of EJ developments nationally. The last half of the course will be conducted as a policy clinic in collaboration with an environmental justice organization. Past collaborators have included Communities for a Better Environment, Labor/Community Strategy Center, and Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice. Letter grade only. Prerequisites: EA  010  PO or POLI003  PO or PPA 001  PO or STS 001  PO. Previously offered as POLI039  PO.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Each spring.

 

POLI167   JT. The Arab Spring and the Remaking of the Middle East. M. Boduszynski, S. Pahwa. Why did the Arab Spring end in authoritarian reassertion or state disintegration (with Tunisia as the sole success)?  Starting with the lineages of state formation and divergent trajectories of populist-authoritarianism, rentierism, praetorianism, and Islamist-secular polarization, we explore how various Arab states adapted to challenges in the 1980s-1990s and explore what led to the 2011 uprisings.  We ask what structural legacies and key choices set states on track for democratization, coups, civil war or monarchical reassertion after 2011, assess the influence of outside actors, and consider prospects for stability and democracy in the region. Letter grade only.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Spring 2017.

 

PHYS139  PO. Mathematical Methods of Physics. E. Quetin. A survey of mathematical methods and concepts in linear algebra, partial differential equations and complex analysis underlying theoretical and applied Physics.  Topics will include properties of vector spaces and operators, tensor analysis, eigenvalue problems, spectral decomposition, Sturm-Liouville systems, special functions, boundary-value problems, spherical harmonics, Green’s functions, calculus of variations, complex plane, contour integration, conformal mapping, Fourier and Laplace transforms. Prerequisites: MATH032  PO or MATH067  PO or MATH060  PO or equivalents. Previously offered as PHYS180  PO.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Offered alternate years; next offered spring 2017.

 

THEA012  PO. Intermediate Acting: Scene Study & Voice. C. Ratteray.  Scene study and voice work. Rehearsal and studio performance of selected scenes. Students gain an understanding of the actor’s work of character analysis through the use of objectives, inner monologues and character research. Prerequisites: THEA 001A PO or THEA 001G PO. Concurrent Requisites: THEA054C PO.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Spring 2017.

 

THEA054C PO. The Speaking Voice. M. Kemp. Doctors, lawyers, physicists, and actors require special skills for speaking expressively.  In today’s world simply knowing your subject isn’t enough.  In this experience based class you will learn techniques to access the mind body connection that will allow you to release your unique and expressive voice.  You will leave the class with skills that will enhance your life and career.  Topics include, breath support, optimal sound, clear articulation, speaking on camera and at the podium. Pass/No credit grading only. May be repeated four times for credit.

Credit: 0.25

When offered: Each semester.

 

THEA054H PO. The Speaking Voice & Pedagogy. M. Kemp. Doctors, lawyers, physicists, and actors require special skills for speaking expressively.  In today’s world simply knowing your subject isn’t enough.  In this experience based class you will learn techniques to access the mind body connection that will allow you to release your unique and expressive voice.  You will leave the class with skills that will enhance your life and career.  Topics include, breath support, optimal sound, clear articulation, speaking on camera and at the podium. Same course as THEA 054C PO, but with reading of critical texts, discussion and written assignments. Pass/No credit grading only. May be repeated four times for credit.

Credit: 0.5

When offered: Each semester.

 

THEA091  PO. Musical Theatre Performance. G. Ortega. A variety of musical theatre explorations designed to enhance knowledge and performance skills that incorporate acting in musical scenes, learning dance techniques, and singing solos as well as choral numbers. Students are challenged to infuse their performances with an in-depth specificity to build a repertoire of material suited to their individual strengths. Guest artists are also invited to conduct workshops as well as speak about their experience as a professional in the field. Elements of the course will be developed into a culmination of a studio performance at the end of the semester. Prerequisites: THEA001A PO or DANC010  PO or by permission of the instructor.

Credit: 1.0

When offered: Spring 2017.