Below you will find the Sterling College course catalog.
Sterling College reserves the right to make changes in course offerings, degree requirements, policies, and procedures in this catalog as educational and financial considerations require, consistent with procedures for making such changes, as established and overseen by the Academic Council and the Dean of Academics and published in the Student Handbook.
This course catalog includes courses offered Summer 2020 through Summer 2021. Click on the button below for a breakdown of courses being offered this semester.
Students are responsible for knowing and complying with all requirements for their respective degrees as stated in the catalog. Sterling College academic policies can be found in the Student Handbook.
The Sterling College academic calendar can be found here.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Laura Spence, Dean of Academics.
Course Catalog
sortrow | Title | Course ID | Credits | Semester | Start Term | Faculty |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Practicum in Environmental Stewardship: Nursery, Fruit & Berry Management |
Practicum in Environmental Stewardship: Nursery, Fruit & Berry ManagementThe Farm Between (TFB) is offering full time, 10 week, 6 credit internships. There are two internships focused on Nursery and Fruit and Berry Management. The internships begin on May… |
SS300A | 6 | Summer | Full Semester: May 31- August 15 | Charlotte Rosendahl |
Practicum in Environmental Stewardship: Ecological Landscape Management |
Practicum in Environmental Stewardship: Ecological Landscape ManagementThe Farm Between (TFB) is offering full time, 10 week, 6 credit internships, one internship focused on Ecological Landscape Management. The internships begin on May 31 and end on Aug… |
SS300B | 6 | Summer | Full Semester: May 31- August 15 | Charlotte Rosendahl Laura Spence |
Perennial Fruit and Berry Production in the Temperate Zone |
Perennial Fruit and Berry Production in the Temperate ZonePerennial plants have always played a large role in the human diet and are a very dominant group in natural plant communities. Often the production of these perennial crops are… |
NS272B | 3 | Spring | May Intensive | Charlotte Rosendahl |
Pod: Spirituality of Place & Fundamentals of Green Woodworking |
Pod: Spirituality of Place & Fundamentals of Green WoodworkingEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. This pod includes the following courses: Spirituality of Place 3 cr This experiential course examines the importance… |
HM271E & AS195A | 5 Total | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Julian Sharp Adrian Owens |
Forest to Fork Pod: Agroforestry & Value-Added Food Production |
Forest to Fork Pod: Agroforestry & Value-Added Food ProductionEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod will live and learn at The Farm Between in Jeffersonville, VT. Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. This pod… |
NS372 & AS212 | 6 Total | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Charlotte Rosendahl |
Pod: Nature Writing & Ecology and Film |
Pod: Nature Writing & Ecology and FilmEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. This pod includes the following courses: Nature Writing 3 cr This course explores the idea of American… |
HM326 & HM270Ia | 6 Total | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Carol Dickson |
Oikos: Environmental & Economic Justice |
![]() Oikos: Environmental & Economic JusticeIn its English translation as “house” or “household,” the Greek word Oikos provides the shared prefix for both ecology and economy. This common root encourages attentiveness to the equitable care… |
SS381D & INT472 | 6 Total | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Tony Van Winkle & Farley Brown |
Pod: Expedition Planning and Management & Gear Design and Repair |
Pod: Expedition Planning and Management & Gear Design and RepairEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. Students interested in this pod are also encouraged to enroll in the Expedition Planning Trip during May… |
AS372 & AS272D | 6 Total | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Princess van Gulden Josh Bossin |
Expedition Planning Trip |
Expedition Planning TripThis 2-credit course is an add-on experience for students in the Expedition Planning and Management Pod. Registration priority will be given to students in that pod, but there may be… |
AS272E | 2 | Spring | May Intensive: May 6-21 | Josh Bossin |
Pod: Foundations of Outdoor Education & Environmental Education |
Pod: Foundations of Outdoor Education & Environmental EducationEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. This pod includes the following courses: Foundations of Outdoor Education 3 cr In this course students explore… |
SS108 & NS/SS255 | 5-6 Total | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Anne Morse John Zaber |
Vertebrates and Verses Pod: Vertebrate Natural History & Creative Writing Poetry |
Vertebrates and Verses Pod: Vertebrate Natural History & Creative Writing PoetryThis pod brings together natural science and humanities through the transdisciplinary study of natural history and the creative process of writing poetry. We move from deep time to present as… |
NS328 & HM320B | 6 Total | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Emily Brodsky & Carol Potter |
Pod: Soil, Plants, Microbes I & Nordic Skiing |
Pod: Soil, Plants, Microbes I & Nordic SkiingEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. This pod includes the following courses: Soil, Plants, Microbes I 3 cr This course gives students an… |
AS264A & NS247 | 5 Total | Spring | Block One: February 15-March 22 | Jeff Richardson Laura Spence |
Pod: Race and Gender in the Images of American West & Wheel-Thrown Pottery |
Pod: Race and Gender in the Images of American West & Wheel-Thrown PotteryEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. Race and Gender in Images of the American West will meet for the first 2.5 weeks followed… |
HM272G & HM391 | 5 Total | Spring | Block One: February 15-March 22 | Carol Dickson |
Scale & Sustainability: Food, Farms, and Technological Limits Pod: Foundations of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, Draft Animal Power Systems I & Introduction to Fiber Arts |
Scale & Sustainability: Food, Farms, and Technological Limits Pod: Foundations of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, Draft Animal Power Systems I & Introduction to Fiber ArtsEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. Students may enroll in two of courses in this pod. This pod includes the following courses: Introduction… |
INT107, AS174A, HM230A | 6 Total | Spring | Block One: February 15-March 22 | Gwyneth Harris Rickey G. Thomas Tony VanWinkle |
Pod: Ice Climbing & Adaptive Recreation |
![]() Pod: Ice Climbing & Adaptive RecreationEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online course work with instructor permission. Commuter students may only enroll in this course with instructor permission. This pod… |
AS225 and AS372A | 6 Total | Spring | Block One: February 15-March 22 | Josh Bossin |
Education and Learning Theory |
![]() Education and Learning TheoryThis is a survey course designed to explore a variety of educational theories providing a baseline for the development of one’s own pedagogical approach. The class format includes guest speakers,… |
SS240 | 3 | Spring | Online Block: February 1-April 30 | John Zaber |
Pod: Ecology of the Agricultural Landscape |
![]() Pod: Ecology of the Agricultural LandscapeEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod can enroll in online courses, Senior Year Research Project, or Independent Study work. Students may not TA this course. This pod includes… |
INT415 | 3 | Spring | Block One: February 15-March 22 | Jeff Richardson |
Eco-Art & Activism II |
Eco-Art & Activism IIThis course focuses on collaboration and contemplation through the production of art that is place-based and/or responds to social issues. We will engage in aesthetic experimentation and dialogue about the… |
HM271J | 2 | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Fereshteh Toosi |
Eco-Art & Activism I |
Eco-Art & Activism IThis course focuses on collaboration and contemplation through the production of art that is place-based and/or responds to social issues. We will engage in aesthetic experimentation and dialogue about the… |
HM271I | 2 | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Fereshteh Toosi |
Farming on the Margins: WBFP in Henry County, Kentucky |
![]() Farming on the Margins: WBFP in Henry County, KentuckyIn the essay “The Making of a Marginal Farm,” Wendell Berry writes about his family’s efforts to restore and nurture a place that had been hard used, a marginal farm… |
SS380/SS382A, SS416, SS317, INT422, NS247 | 15-18 Credits Total | Fall | Fall Intensive through Long Block + Optional December Intensive | Rickey G. Thomas Leah Bayens Ed Fredrickson |
The Horse in Human History: A brief introduction to the past six thousand years of human-equine relations |
![]() The Horse in Human History: A brief introduction to the past six thousand years of human-equine relationsThis course hopes to demonstrate the complex relationship between horses and humans through time. Of the animals which have captured the imagination of humans, the horse as Pita Kelenkna describes,… |
HM271H | 2 | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Rickey G. Thomas |
History of Social Movements |
![]() History of Social MovementsThis course explores how activists and ordinary citizens have come together to create mass movements toward cultural, political, social, and economic change. This course will investigate campaigns from three social… |
SS381C | 3 | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Julian Sharp |
Pod: Resilient Ecological Farm Planning Within a Landscape and its People |
![]() Pod: Resilient Ecological Farm Planning Within a Landscape and its PeopleThis pod will focus on planning a farm through a permacultural lense integrated with business planning and marketing. Even though this class is focused on planning a production oriented farm … |
AS310 & SS416 | 7 Total | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Charlotte Rosendahl |
Pod: Foundations of Ecology and Fiber Arts |
![]() Pod: Foundations of Ecology and Fiber ArtsStudents in this pod will take Foundations of Ecology and Introduction to Fiber Arts, and will be based on campus. Enrollment Requirements and Options: Student are not required to enroll… |
HM230A & NS107A | 7 Total | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Princess van Gulden Emily Brodsky |
Pod: Food: Community Provisioning and Action |
![]() Pod: Food: Community Provisioning and ActionThis pod will combine closely related actions of food preservation and processing food while taking action to meet food needs in our community. Enrollment Requirements and Options: Student are not… |
AS270G & ss239 | 5 Total | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Nancy Van Winkle |
Pod: Expedition II: Winter Outdoor Challenge |
![]() Pod: Expedition II: Winter Outdoor ChallengeThis course explores how people work in groups when facing challenging or unfamiliar situations. Personal development focuses on self-confidence, trusting teammates, and communication. Leadership and group problems solving exercises accompany… |
SS106A | 3 | Fall | Block Three: November 30- December 11, 2020 | Anne Morse Adrian Owens |
Pod: Traditional Ecological Knowledge & Technologies |
![]() Pod: Traditional Ecological Knowledge & TechnologiesThrough these complementary courses, students will explore “kin-centric” relationships between humans, plants, and the natural world, particularly as these are expressed through indigenous and/or traditional subsistence knowledges, technologies, and histories…. |
HM271G & SS336 | 6 Total | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Princess van Gulden Tony VanWinkle |
Pod: Forest Work |
![]() Pod: Forest WorkThis pod combines three 2-credit classes that were taught separately last year – Forestry Techniques, Woodlot Practices, and some parts of Log Building Techniques. Basic forest measurements and small scale… |
AS120 | 4 | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Adrian Owens |
Pod: Land Uses Practices Within The Watershed: Ecosystems Analysis & Draft Power |
![]() Pod: Land Uses Practices Within The Watershed: Ecosystems Analysis & Draft PowerOur land uses have the potential to impact the ecological stability of our watersheds. In this pod we will explore the intersection of agricultural practices and the health of the… |
AS174A, AS285 & NS200 | 6 Total | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Farley Brown |
Pod: Seeing the Unseen |
![]() Pod: Seeing the UnseenThis combination of classes will immerse students in experiential activities helping them to understand the diversity, distribution, function, and interactions of plants, fungi, bacteria and other microbes. Over the whole… |
NS348 & NS381C | 8 Total | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Laura Spence Charlotte Rosendahl |
Pod: The People's Stories: Art and Culture |
![]() Pod: The People's Stories: Art and CultureIn The People’s Stories: Art and Culture, students will establish foundational understandings in the ways cultures express their personal and collective beliefs and interactions with the natural world through the… |
HM107 & HM/SS245 | 6 Total | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Laura Beebe Julian Sharp |
Pod: Wildlife, Wetlands, and Conservation in the Northeastern Highlands of Vermont |
![]() Pod: Wildlife, Wetlands, and Conservation in the Northeastern Highlands of VermontLocated in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, the Northeastern Highlands biophysical region is composed of unique natural features, rare wildlife species, and a rich cultural history. The… |
HM255B, NS319 & NS305 | 7 Total | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Emily Brodsky Farley Brown |
Pod: The Designed Experience |
![]() Pod: The Designed ExperienceStudents interested in this pod will find adventure on the rocks of Vermont & New Hampshire, learn of and gain certification in the principles of Leave No Trace, and engage… |
AS108, AS190, AS230 & SS330 | 7 Total | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Josh Bossin John Zaber |
Pod: Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems |
![]() Pod: Agroecology and Sustainable Food SystemsThis pod will use an agroecological lens to introduce students to the foundations of ecology, agriculture, and food systems. Enrollment Requirements and Options: Students are strongly encouraged though not required… |
INT107 & NS107A | 7 Total | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Tony VanWinkle Jeff Richardson |
Pod: Nature and the Human Spirit |
![]() Pod: Nature and the Human SpiritIn Nature and the Human Spirit we explore the human relationship with the natural world from the Pleistocene to the present. We investigate primal worldview, the development of classical wisdom… |
HM382 & HM472B | 6 Total | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Laura Beebe David Scott Gilligan |
Pod: Reading the Northwoods Landscape |
![]() Pod: Reading the Northwoods LandscapeIn Reading the Northwoods Landscape we develop the naturalist skills of field observation, descriptive ecology and landscape interpretation while exploring the forests and geologic wonders of Northern New England. … |
NS235 & NS260 | 7 Total | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | David Scott Gilligan |
Pod: Making and Meaning |
![]() Pod: Making and MeaningThe Making & Meaning pod offers the opportunity both to create and to examine cultural objects. The Meaning of Things considers broadly how we value and give meaning to material… |
HM272G & HM481B | 6 Total | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24 | Carol Dickson |
Pod: Leadership and Lakes |
![]() Pod: Leadership and LakesBuild your personal skills in leadership, group facilitation, knot tying and belaying, paddling strokes, woodworking, and awareness of environmental issues in a supportive group setting. Facilitation and leadership happens mostly… |
SS107 & AS220A | 6 Total | Fall | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Adrian Owens Anne Morse |
Horse Care |
![]() Horse CareAccording to Stephen Budiansky, “Horses have been enveloped in human dreams, myths, ambitions, and sentiments for so long that the story we have come to think of as theirs is… |
AS165 | 1 | Summer | June 22 - 26, 2020 | Rickey G. Thomas |
Provisioning Your Pantry (ST) |
![]() Provisioning Your Pantry (ST)Food preservation can help you put by the bounty of the harvest for winter months, as well as adding value to raw food products. Most of all, preservation can transform… |
AS270G | 1 | Summer | June 15-19, 2020 | Allison Van Akkeren and Elizabeth Chadwick |
Introduction to Foraging Ecology (ST) |
![]() Introduction to Foraging Ecology (ST)According to most estimates, 47% of the Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems are grazed. In this survey we take a holistic view of grazed ecosystems and their interacting components, including biotic and… |
AS270F | 1 | Summer | June 8-12, 2020 | Gwyneth Harris Ed Fredrickson |
A Sense of Place | INT100 | 1 | Spring | Intensive | John Zaber | |
Course Assistant for A Sense of Place |
![]() Course Assistant for A Sense of PlaceStudents in this course will help to support faculty and students enrolled in A Sense of Place as they develop skills and group dynamics throughout the intensive. Students will work… |
INT320 | 3 | Fall/Spring | Intensive | John Zaber Josh Bossin |
Whole Farm Planning (WBFP) |
![]() Whole Farm Planning (WBFP)Whole Farm Planning This course will expose students to the complexity of whole farm planning by combining business planning and management with policy and ecology in development of farm models… |
SS416-WBFP | 3 | TBA | ||
Small Business Management (WBFP) |
![]() Small Business Management (WBFP)Small Business Management Students in this course will gain an understanding of basic economic and management principles necessary to successfully operate a farm business. Students will also develop familiarity with… |
SS317-WBFP | 4 | TBA | ||
Holistic Livestock Husbandry (WBFP) |
![]() Holistic Livestock Husbandry (WBFP)Holistic Livestock Husbandry & Grazing Holistic Livestock Husbandry highlights tried and true management techniques and explores new directions for managing the small diversified livestock farm for healthy, contented livestock. The… |
INT203-WBFP | 3 | Ed Fredrickson | ||
Livestock Systems Management (WBFP) |
![]() Livestock Systems Management (WBFP)Livestock Systems Management Livestock Systems Management will provide students with the knowledge and skills to assess housing, and forage production and storage needs, for a wide variety of livestock types…. |
AS204-WBFP | 3 | Ed Fredrickson | ||
Watershed Ecosystems Analysis (WBFP) |
![]() Watershed Ecosystems Analysis (WBFP)Watershed Ecosystems Analysis The course will provide students with an understanding of the ecological, social, and political aspects of a watershed. Combining a study of stream ecology and land use,… |
NS200-WBFP | 3 | Fall | TBA | |
U.S. Farm and Food Policy (WBFP) |
![]() U.S. Farm and Food Policy (WBFP)U.S. Farm and Food Policy This course offers a broad introduction to food the policy and food culture of the United States. It surveys the history of food regulation in… |
SS312A-WBFP | 3 | Spring | TBA | |
Agroforestry (ST) (WBFP) |
![]() Agroforestry (ST) (WBFP)Agroforestry Agroforestry embodies the middle road between agriculture and forestry land uses by combining agronomic cropping and livestock systems along with perennial tree crop production. Founded on ancient food production, ecological principles,… |
NS372-WBFP | 4 | Spring | TBA | |
Literature of the Rural Experience (WBFP) |
![]() Literature of the Rural Experience (WBFP)Literature of the Rural Experience Like their urban counterparts, rural areas have historically been a nexus of cultural intersection-places where migrants and immigrants have come for work, farming the land,… |
HM345-WBFP | 3 | Fall | Long Block | Leah Bayens |
Draft Animal Power System III: Farming with Draft Horses (WBFP) |
![]() Draft Animal Power System III: Farming with Draft Horses (WBFP)Draft Animal Power System III: Farming with Draft Horses Draft Animal Power Systems III allows students the opportunity to explore the challenges associated with farming systems where horses are the… |
AS285A-WBFP | 2 | Fall | Intensive | Rickey G. Thomas |
Draft Animal Power Systems II: Work Applications (WBFP) |
![]() Draft Animal Power Systems II: Work Applications (WBFP)Draft Animal Power Systems II: Work Applications In this course, students use horsepower to actively manage the College’s farm and forest. Typical work applications include equipment maintenance, logging, sugaring, soil… |
AS179-WBFP | 3 | Spring | Rickey G. Thomas | |
Draft Animal Power Systems I: Driving Principles (WBFP) |
![]() Draft Animal Power Systems I: Driving Principles (WBFP)Draft Animal Power Systems I: Driving Principles This course introduces students to the systems required to safely manage and work a team of draft horses or oxen. Topics include the… |
AS174A-WBFP | 3 | Fall | Rickey G. Thomas | |
Agroecology (WBFP) |
![]() Agroecology (WBFP)Agroecology This course examines the ecological foundations of sustainable agriculture practice to foster an understanding of the management and design of sustainable agroecosystems. Using a whole-system and multi-disciplinary approach students… |
INT415-WBFP | 3 | Spring | Ed Fredrickson | |
Restorative Forestry (WBFP) |
![]() Restorative Forestry (WBFP)Restorative Forestry Due to past forest-product harvesting systems the need to restore habitat and rebuild forest ecology structure and function is recognized throughout the southern Appalachian region as a significant… |
AS274-WBFP | 4 | Spring | TBA | |
Introduction to Sustainable Living |
Introduction to Sustainable LivingThe flow of the course is defined by stages of the one comprehensive writing assignment. The writing process is focused on through multiple drafts and peer review. The course starts… |
INT272B | 2 | Spring | May Intensive: May 6-21 | Adrian Owens |
Anthropology of Food |
Anthropology of FoodBeing necessary to our basic biological survival, food is a human universal. Indeed, the paired technological revolutions of fire and cooking are central features of a common human experience reaching… |
SS272A | 3 | Spring | May Intensive: May 6-21 | Tony VanWinkle |
Homecoming I: Good Work Is Membership (WBFP) |
![]() Homecoming I: Good Work Is Membership (WBFP)Homecoming I: Good Work Is Membership Homecoming I: Good Work Is Membership is a two-week intensive, field-based course of the Wendell Berry Farming Program of Sterling College (WBFP). It introduces… |
INT242 | 4 | Fall | Rickey G. Thomas Leah Bayens | |
Dimensions of Ethnobotany |
![]() Dimensions of EthnobotanyThis course bridges the fields of ecology, food systems, cultural studies and humanities, and provides students with an investigation into the diverse relationships between humans and plants. The course will… |
INT380C | 3 | Summer | June 1-July 3, 2020 | Laura Beebe |
Artisan Breadmaking & Heritage Grains |
![]() Artisan Breadmaking & Heritage GrainsArtisan Breadmaking & Heritage Grains June 22-26, 2020 Faculty: Richard Miscovich Connecting to the origins of sustenance, students in Sterling College’s Artisan Bread-making course will practice the art of breadmaking… |
INT270/CE228 | 2 CEU/2 credits | Summer | June 22-26, 2020 | Richard Miscovich |
Orienteering Sports (ST) |
![]() Orienteering Sports (ST)Experience the thrill of racing through the woods and fields with just your wits and map and compass to guide you. Whether it is team adventure racing, foot orienteering, or… |
AS271A | 2 | Summer | Block 2: July 12-August 15 | Adrian Owens |
Desert Expedition and Field Camp Skills (Field Semester) |
![]() Desert Expedition and Field Camp Skills (Field Semester)This field course builds on foundational outdoor skills and trains students in all aspects of wilderness trip design and implementation, as well as both front country and back country field… |
AS333 | 4 | Spring | SW Term: February 2- May 2 | David Scott Gilligan Laura Beebe |
Natural History of the Southwest: Ecology, Botany, Geology (Field Semester) |
![]() Natural History of the Southwest: Ecology, Botany, Geology (Field Semester)This course is a field-based exploration of the flora and vegetation of the American Southwest and the physical factors such as climate and geologic history that shape the region. Emphasis… |
NS204 | 5 | Spring | Field Semester | David Scott Gilligan Laura Beebe |
Ancestral Lifeways of the Southwest (Field Semester) |
![]() Ancestral Lifeways of the Southwest (Field Semester)This field course is an experiential immersion into the culture of ancient peoples of the present-day American Southwest. We will explore migration patterns and creation stories of peoples in the… |
INT380 | 4 | Spring | SW Term: February 2- May 2 | David Scott Gilligan Laura Beebe |
Field School in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems |
![]() Field School in Sustainable Agriculture and Food SystemsOrganized around the triad, Production, Protection, and Provisioning, the summer Field School in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems provides students with field-tested skills and knowledge necessary to engage in ecologically… |
INT201, INT203, INT204, & SS2xx | 12 Total | Summer | Full Semester: May 31- August 15 | Tony VanWinkle Charlotte Rosendahl |
The Art of Fermentation |
![]() The Art of FermentationThe Art of Fermentation July 20-24, 2020 Faculty: Sandor Katz Have a question about this course? World-renowned fermentation educator and author Sandor Katz leads this effervescent exploration of the… |
INT270/CE233 | 2 CEU/2 credits | Summer | July 20-24, 2020 | Sandor Katz |
U.S. Farm and Food Policy |
![]() U.S. Farm and Food PolicyThis course offers a broad introduction to food the policy and food culture of the United States. It surveys the history of food regulation in the US, as well as… |
SS312A | 3 | Spring | Online Block: February 1-April 30 | Kelly Nuckolls |
Self Design Major Workshop |
![]() Self Design Major WorkshopThe Self-Designed Major Workshop serves to guide and support students who are planning to complete a self-designed major proposal. Students should be prepared to meet weekly, to share drafts of… |
INT399 | 1 | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Carol Dickson |
Quantitative Skills |
![]() Quantitative SkillsThis class will meet in person twice per week, probably in the evening to avoid conflicts with Block 2 pods. Smaller group study sessions can also be scheduled. Class material is reinforced… |
NS050 | 1 | Spring | Block Two: March 29- April 30 | Adrian Owens |
Field Ornithology |
![]() Field OrnithologyThe course is a field-based exploration of birds with a dual emphasis on developing and refining field identification and classification skills and gaining an understanding of the evolution and ecology… |
NS312 | 3 | Every other Summer (Even Years) | July 20-September 4, 2020 | Emily Brodsky |
Wetlands Ecology |
![]() Wetlands EcologyWetlands are often called “keystone natural communities” because of the important role many wetlands play in biogeochemical cycling, the control of flooding, the support of extensive and rich food chains,… |
NS305 | 3 | Summer | Block One: May 31-July 2 | Emily Brodsky |
Field Botany of Flowering Plants |
![]() Field Botany of Flowering PlantsThis course is a field-based botanical study of flowering plants with a focus on spring and summer wildflowers. Students learn plant systematics and advanced field identification skills through intensive field… |
NS314 | 3 | Every other Summer (Even Years) | July 20-September 4, 2020 | David Scott Gilligan |
Botany of Cryptogams: Mosses and Ferns (ST) |
![]() Botany of Cryptogams: Mosses and Ferns (ST)This course is an advanced field and lab-based exploration of spore-producing plants, including mosses, liverworts, quillworts, club-mosses, ferns, and horsetails. Emphasis will be on field- based identification and ecology of… |
NS380A | 3 | Summer- Odd Years | Block One: May 31-July 2 | Michael Tessler |
Practicum in Environmental Stewardship |
![]() Practicum in Environmental StewardshipPracticum in Environmental Stewardship (4-6 credits) offers students the opportunity to direct their own learning while working full-time in a field of interest. While the structure of this course of… |
SS300 | 6 | Summer, Fall, Spring | Long Block | Carol Dickson |
Senior Year Research Project I |
![]() Senior Year Research Project ISenior Year Research Project I is the first in a two-course sequence that gives students the opportunity to pursue a particular question in significant depth and explore an area of… |
INT422 | 3-6 | Summer, Fall, Spring | All | Various |
College Teaching Experience |
![]() College Teaching ExperienceEntails serving as a teaching assistant in a course previously completed with a satisfactory grade. Introduces strategies for the planning, preparation, presentation, and evaluation required for teaching at the college… |
AS/HM/INT/NS/SS410 | Various | Summer, Fall, Spring | Intensive, Block I, Block II | Various |
Senior Year Research Project II |
![]() Senior Year Research Project IIA continuation of Senior Year Research Project I, Senior Year Research Project II enables students to continue work on the project. Students in SYRP II typically work on finishing research,… |
INT423 | 3-6 | Summer, Fall, Spring | All | Various |
Introduction to Weaving |
Introduction to WeavingMaking fabrics on a variety of looms. Students learn to design and weave beautiful and practical textiles with looms from many traditions. Possibilities include European floor looms, South American backstrap… |
HM325A | 3 | Spring | May Intensive: May 6-21 | Princess Van Gulden |
Education and Culture |
![]() Education and CultureIn seminar style students will examine their personal relationship to education and culture while exploring topics of race, privilege, power and cultural identify. Cultural influences will be examined to better… |
SS425 | 3 | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | John Zaber |
Land Use Planning |
Land Use PlanningOver the semester we will explore historical and current, as well as future, land use planning in our communities with hopes of better understanding the social and ecological implications of… |
SS310 | 3 | Spring | May Intensive: May 6-21 | Farley Brown |
Conflict Management, Justice Paradigms, and Mediation |
Conflict Management, Justice Paradigms, and MediationStudents will gain an introductory understanding of conflict theory, effective models for conflict management and mediation, a context for critical analysis of societal institutions and paradigms in relation to conflict… |
SS280 | 2 | Spring | May Intensive: May 6-21 | Anne Morse |
Conservation Biology |
![]() Conservation BiologyEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. This pod includes the following courses: Conservation Biology 3 cr This course aims to prepare students to… |
NS402 | 3 | Spring | Block One: February 15-March 22 | Farley Brown |
A Sense of Place: Expedition I |
![]() A Sense of Place: Expedition IThis course is designed to help students develop a sense of place as they begin their Sterling college careers. The course allows participants to develop bonds with other incoming students… |
INT100A | 3 | Fall | Intensive | John Zaber Josh Bossin Adrian Owens Laura Spence Laura Beebe David Scott Gilligan Jeff Richardson |
Black River Sketches |
![]() Black River SketchesPlein air painting and drawing allows us to explore the local landscape with a new perspective using natural light and its changing, ephemeral qualities. Landscape art heightens our understanding of… |
HM275 | 2 | Summer | Block 2: July 12-August 15 | Farley Brown |
Pod: Leadership and Social Change |
![]() Pod: Leadership and Social ChangeThis course focuses on the intersection of climate change and social justice. The course objectives are to provide historical perspective on current issues through examining an array of social justice… |
SS335 | 3 | Fall | Block Two: October 21 - November 24, 2020 | Anne Morse |
Introduction to GIS |
Introduction to GISGeographic Information Systems (GIS) is a computerized framework for gathering, managing, analyzing, and presenting spatial data. GIS is a standard tool for planning and problem-solving in conservation and natural resources… |
SS308 | 2 | Spring | Online Block: February 1-April 30 | Jeff Richardson |
Small Group Dynamics |
![]() Small Group DynamicsThis class is based on the premise that anyone who intends to contribute positively to a community, whether through being an educator, a family member, or simply a citizen in… |
SS233 | 2 | Spring | SW Term: February 2- May 2 | Anne Morse Laura Beebe |
Renewable Energy Design and Analysis |
Renewable Energy Design and AnalysisTeaches the skills and knowledge necessary for the design and analysis of renewable energy designs that are applicable on a variety of scales. The tiny house exemplifies the approach of… |
NS335 | 3 | Every other Fall | Long Block | Adrian Owens |
Field Ecology |
![]() Field EcologyThis course introduces students to the complete process of investigating field-based ecological questions. In this class, students will pose questions about ecological phenomena, develop hypotheses, design experimental and/or observational studies,… |
NS301 | 4 | Summer | Block 2: July 12-August 15 | Laura Spence |
Agroecology |
![]() AgroecologyEnrollment Requirements and Options: Students in this pod may enroll in online coursework. This pod includes the following courses: Agroecology 3 cr This course examines the ecological foundations of sustainable… |
INT415 | 3 | Spring | Block One: February 15-March 22 | Jeff Richardson |
Literature of the Rural Experience |
![]() Literature of the Rural ExperienceLike their urban counterparts, rural areas have historically been a nexus of cultural intersection-places where migrants and immigrants have come for work, farming the land, mining resources, harvesting timber, and… |
HM345 | 3 | Every other Fall - even years | Block One: September 11-October 15, 2020 | Carol Dickson |
College Teaching Experience: A Sense of Place |
![]() College Teaching Experience: A Sense of PlaceEntails serving as a teaching assistant in a course previously completed with a satisfactory grade. Introduces strategies for the planning, preparation, presentation, and evaluation required for teaching at the college… |
INT410 | Various | Fall, Spring | Intensive | John Zaber Josh Bossin |
Course Assistant for Expedition II |
![]() Course Assistant for Expedition IIStudents in this course will help to support faculty and students enrolled in Expedition II as they develop skills and group dynamics through the second half of the fall semester… |
AS320 | Various | Fall | Block Two | Adrian Owens Anne Morse |
Wilderness First Responder |
![]() Wilderness First ResponderThis course is a comprehensive and in-depth look at the standards and skills dealing with backcountry emergency care. The Patient Assessment System is the foundation from which we learn the… |
AS256 | 4 | Spring | May Intensive: May 6-21 | Andrea Kane |