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TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 College and Its Mission 6 Admissions 10 Student Life 19 Expenses and Financial Aid 27 Liberal Arts Curriculum 38 Academic Policies 50 Interpreting Course Listings 51 Majors, Minors, Other Programs of Study, Course Descriptions 203 Honors and Awards 213 International Education, National Student Exchange, International Students 217 Academic Internships 218 Lifelong Learning, Non-Degree Students, and Summer Session 220 Affiliations 221 Facilities 223 Directory of Trustees, Faculty, and Staff 245 Appendix 246 Index Accreditation: St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104; Telephone 215-662-5606. SMCM was first accredited in November 1959; its latest re-accreditation was June 2011. The programs at St. Mary’s College of Maryland have been approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission for the education of veterans and other eligible dependents. Non-Discrimination Policy: St. Mary’s College of Maryland does not discriminate or condone discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender/gender identity and expression, color, religion, creed, age, genetic information, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or marital status. The College also does not discriminate on the basis of sex and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1681, et seq., requires the College not discriminate in such a manner. Prohibited sex discrimination covers sexual harassment, including sexual violence. Examples of the types of conduct prohibited include but are not limited to the following: non-consensual sexual penetration, non-consensual sexual contact, non-consensual sexual exploitation, and/or examples found in the College’s sexual harassment policy. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the College’s Title IX coordinator or to the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights or the College’s Title IX coordinator: Melvin McClintock, Assistant Director of Human Resources/AA/EEO Officer St. Mary’s College of Maryland Glendening Hall 170 18952 E. Fisher Road, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686 240-895-4309 (phone) [email protected] (email) Reservation of the Right to Modify: The provisions of this catalog are not to be regarded as an irrevocable contract between the College and the student, or between the College and the parents of a student. The College reserves the right to change any provisions or requirements at any time, but not to make such changes retroactive. While all efforts are made to ensure the completeness and accuracy of this catalog, the regulations and policies of the College are not changed by typographical or other errors. In compliance with the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act, Public law 101-542, St. Mary’s College of Maryland will make available, upon request, a report on graduation rates and/or public safety. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), disclosure of student information, including financial and academic, is restricted. Release of information other than “directory information” to anyone other than the student requires written consent from the student. 1 LINK TO ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2011-2012 2 THE COLLEGE AND ITS MISSION THE MISSION OF THE COLLEGE St. Mary’s College of Maryland, designated the state’s honors college, is an independent public institution in the liberal arts tradition. We promote scholarship and creativity by challenging our students to achieve academic excellence through close relationships with faculty, classroom activities, and experiential learning. Our faculty and staff foster intellectual, social, and ethical development within a community dedicated to diversity and accessibility. We provide students with opportunities to understand and serve local, national, and global communities and to accomplish social change. Founded on the site of Maryland’s first capital, the College stands as a living legacy to the ideals of tolerance. Our beautiful residential campus on the banks of the St. Mary’s River inspires our work, our play, and our commitment to the environment. St. Mary’s College of Maryland values: • Creative and intellectual exploration • Diversity in all its forms • Social responsibility and civic-mindedness • Global engagement • Environmental stewardship • A spirit of community revolving around our students St. Mary’s College of Maryland pursues the following goals: • Maintaining a high standard of academic excellence • Strengthening student/faculty interaction through small classes and close collaborations • Enhancing accessibility, affordability, and diversity • Providing an integrative curriculum and fostering intellectual autonomy • Expanding global engagement opportunities for our students and faculty • Promoting and maintaining a community built on respect • Offering a variety of educational, cultural, and recreational experiences for the campus and local communities DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLEGE Nonsectarian since its founding in 1840, St. Mary’s enjoys a unique status in higher education as Maryland’s public honors college. Because it is a state college, St. Mary’s is committed to the ideals of affordability, accessibility, and diversity. As Maryland’s public honors college, St. Mary’s offers an undergraduate liberal arts education and small-college experience like those found at exceptional private colleges. St. Mary’s shares the hallmarks of private institutions: an outstanding faculty, talented students, high academic standards, a challenging curriculum, small classes, a sense of community, and a spirit of intellectual inquiry. By combining the virtues of public and private education, St. Mary’s provides a unique alternative for students and their families. Its spectacular waterfront setting in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay region, 70 miles southeast of Washington, D.C., and 95 miles south of Baltimore, also enhances the College’s uniqueness. The St. Mary’s campus is one of uncommon charm, inspiring a powerful sense of belonging. Designated the state’s public honors college by the Maryland legislature in 1992, St. Mary’s has won widespread recognition for the friendly, caring quality of campus life and the academic excellence of its faculty and students. The College is consistently ranked as one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Kiplinger’s and The Princeton Review. As a public institution offering the benefits of fine private colleges, St. Mary’s promotes excellence in every facet of campus life. Its first-rate faculty of teachers and scholars has gleaned their own educations at many of the world’s finest colleges and universities, and approximately 98 percent of core faculty holds a Ph.D. or other terminal academic degrees. St. Mary’s professors are exceptionally active in research and writing. Eleven of the current faculty have received Fulbright awards. Yet the faculty’s primary interest and central concern is teaching. Small classes (the student-faculty ratio is 13 to 1), dedicated teachers, and an informal atmosphere encourage faculty and students to share in the intellectual life of the College, both in and out of the classroom. Professors serve as academic advisers, work with students in extracurricular programs, involve students in research, and mentor them in individualized projects. 3 Academic excellence extends to the student body. St. Mary’s is home to the Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa. In recent years, the College’s incoming first-year class has had one of the highest average SAT scores in Maryland’s public higher education system. St. Mary’s alumni have distinguished themselves in every academic field and creative pursuit. They have achieved success in the nation’s top graduate schools, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, as well as in the working world. When the State of Maryland surveys graduates of its public colleges and universities, St. Mary’s alumni consistently report higher levels of satisfaction with their education. • St. Mary’s success is rooted in its identity as a small, coed, residential community of scholars. About 2,000 men and women attend St. Mary’s; about 85 percent of students live on campus. • The College is dedicated to the liberal arts with a curriculum designed to give students an excellent general education and help them develop keen intellectual skills that will serve them throughout their lives. The College’s guiding premise is that the best preparation for a life of value is an education in the humanities: the arts, the sciences, and the social sciences. Moreover, the St. Mary’s curriculum stresses the links between disciplines while allowing for individual specialization in particular academic fields. • St. Mary’s College focuses on the individual, offering numerous opportunities for intellectual interaction, fostering a supportive learning environment, and encouraging scholarly experimentation and personal growth. The College community promotes individual development through a variety of experiences inside and beyond the classroom. The St. Mary’s experience encourages students to give meaningful expression to their lives by becoming involved in community service, attending the many guest lectures, theatrical performances, concerts, and other cultural programs presented