A Visit to Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York Fall Semester 2004 Anders Bengtsson1 April 29, 2005 1School of Engineering, University College of Bor˚as,All´egatan1, SE-50190 Bor˚as,Sweden. e-mail:
[email protected]. Abstract This report tells the story of my visit to Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York. I went there as a STINT1 ”Excellence in Teaching” fellow during the fall semester of the academic year 2004. 1The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Edu- cation. Contents 1 The Planning Trip 8 1.1Prelude.............................. 8 1.2HowIgotthere.......................... 9 1.3 What I did before the trip . 10 1.4 The first day in Saratoga Springs, April 19 . 11 1.5April20,Tuesday......................... 13 1.6April21,Wednesday....................... 16 1.7April22,Thursday........................ 19 1.8April23,Friday.......................... 20 1.9April24,Saturday........................ 21 1.10 The last day in Saratoga Springs, April 24 . 22 1.11 Summarizing the planning trip . 23 2 After the planning trip 25 2.1 Why write such a report? . 25 2.2Abroadercontext?........................ 26 2.3MeandAmerica......................... 27 2.4 Practical things ] ......................... 29 2.5Thesummer............................ 33 2.6 My proposed Skidmore course ] ................. 34 3 The visit 37 3.1Thefirsteightweeks....................... 37 3.2Thefirstweek........................... 38 3.3Thesecondweek......................... 44 3.4AtriptoNewYorkCity..................... 49 3.5Thethirdweek.......................... 51 3.6Thefourthweek......................... 57 3.7 Crash course on Quantum Mechanics ] ............. 62 2 3.8Thefifthweek........................... 64 3.9Thesixthweek.......................... 66 3.10 Skidmore College - some of the facts ] ............. 69 3.11 Skidmore College - my impressions ] .............. 70 3.12 Liberal arts at Skidmore College ] ............... 72 3.13 Skidmore College in transition ] ................. 73 3.14Theseventhweek........................