Amherst College 2010-11 Catalog Current as of July 23, 2010 View the catalog online for the most up-to-date course listings at: https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/registrar/ac_catalog or https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/departments 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 1 8/5/10 2:48 PM DIRECTIONS FOR CORRESPONDENCE The post office address of the College is Amherst, Massachusetts, 01002-5000. The telephone number for all departments is (413) 542-2000. General information about Amherst College is available upon request from the Public Affairs Office, Amherst College, AC #2202, P.O. Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002-5000. Specific inquiries on the following subjects should be addressed to the of- ficers named below: Admission of students Office of Admission and catalog requests Alumni Elizabeth Cannon Smith, Alumni Secretary and Executive Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Business matters Peter J. Shea, Treasurer Development Megan E. Morey, Chief Advancement Officer Financial aid Joe Paul Case, Dean of Financial Aid Public Affairs Peter Rooney, Director of Public Affairs Student affairs Allen J. Hart, Dean of Students Title IX Coordinator Charri J. Boykin-East, Senior Associate Dean of Students Transcripts and records Kathleen Goff, Registrar Amherst College does not discriminate in its admission or employment policies and practices on the basis of factors such as race, sex, sexual orientation, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, or status as a veteran of the Vietnam War era or as a disabled veteran. The College complies with federal and state legislation and regulations regard- ing non-dscrimination. Inquiries should be addressed to the Affirmative Action Officer, Amherst College, P.O. Box 5000, Amherst, Mass. 01002-5000. 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 2 8/5/10 2:48 PM Contents I MISSION STATEMENT 5 CALENDAR 6 THE CORPORATION 8 FACULTY 10 ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS 30 II AMHERST COLLEGE 41 III ADMISSION 51 TUITION AND FEES 54 FINANCIAL AID 56 IV GENERAL REGULATIONS 63 DEGREE REQUIREMENTS 72 V COURSES OF INSTRUCTION 81 VI PROFESSORSHIPS AND READERSHIPS 475 LECTURESHIPS 481 HONORS 483 FELLOWSHIPS 485 FELLOWS 489 PRIZES AND AWARDS 498 ENROLLMENT 510 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 1 8/5/10 2:48 PM 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 2 8/5/10 2:48 PM I MISSION STATEMENT CALENDAR THE CORPORATION FACULTY ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 3 8/5/10 2:48 PM 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 4 8/5/10 2:48 PM The Mission of Amherst College Terras irradient “Let them give light to the world.” 1821 Amherst College educates men and women of exceptional potential from all backgrounds so that they may seek, value, and advance knowledge, engage the world around them, and lead principled lives of consequence. Amherst brings together the most promising students, whatever their financial need, in order to promote diversity of experience and ideas within a purposefully small residential community. Working with faculty, staff, and administrators dedicated to intellectual freedom and the highest standards of instruction in the liberal arts, Amherst undergraduates assume substantial responsibility for undertaking inquiry and for shaping their education within and beyond the curriculum. Amherst College is committed to learning through close colloquy and to expanding the realm of knowledge through scholarly research and artistic creation at the highest level. Its graduates link learning with leadership—in service to the College, to their communities, and to the world beyond. 5 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 5 8/5/10 2:48 PM AMHERST COLLEGE College Calendar 2010 August 29, Sunday. New student orientation begins; first-year residences open at 9 a.m. September 2, Thursday. Residences open for upper-class students at 9 a.m. (Keys at Campus Police.) September 6, Monday. Opening Convocation. September 7, Tuesday. Fall semester classes begin. September 8, Wednesday. Monday classes will be held. September 15, Wednesday. Last day to add/drop courses for fall semester. October 9-12, Saturday-Tuesday. Midsemester break. Residence halls and dining hall remain open. October 27, Wednesday. Last day for Class of 2011E to take comprehensive exams. October 29-31, Friday-Sunday. Family Weekend. November 1, Monday. Deadline for students to apply for spring 2011 withdrawal, readmission, and off-campus housing. November 2, Tuesday. Last day for first-year students and first-semester transfer students to obtain permission to withdraw from a course without penalty. November 11-17, Thursday-Wednesday. Preregistration for spring semester. November 12-14, Friday-Sunday. Homecoming Weekend. November 20-28, Saturday-Sunday. Thanksgiving vacation. December 1, Wednesday. Deadline for students to request housing extensions af- ter December 23. (Moore Dormitory will remain open.) December 14, Tuesday. Senior honors theses due in Registrar’s Office. December 15, Wednesday. Last day of fall semester classes. December 16-17, Thursday-Friday. Reading/Study period. December 18-22, Saturday-Wednesday. Fall semester examination period. December 22, Wednesday. Deadline for Class of 13E to declare major at Registrar’s Office. Dining hall closes after dinner. December 23, Thursday. Residences (except Moore Dormitory) close at 5 p.m. 2011 January 2, Sunday. Residences reopen at 9 a.m. January 3, Monday. Fall semester grades due on ACData. Dining hall reopens with breakfast. January 3-21, Monday-Friday. Interterm. January 7, Friday. Students leaving campus for spring semester must vacate resi- dences by 5 p.m. 6 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 6 8/5/10 2:48 PM COLLEGE CALENDAR January 14, Friday. Students returning to campus after absence may access hous- ing at 9 a.m. January 17, Monday. Dining hall resumes regular hours. January 18, Tuesday. First day of spring classes at University of Massachusetts. January 24, Monday. Spring semester classes begin at Amherst College. February 2, Wednesday. Last day to add/drop courses for spring semester. March 11, Friday. Last day for graduating seniors to take comprehensive exams. Dining hall closes after dinner. March 12-20, Saturday-Sunday. Spring recess. March 15, Tuesday. Deadline for applications for room draw; off-campus hous- ing; fall ’11 Study Abroad, educational leave, withdrawal, and readmission; and special program proposals. March 25, Friday. Last day for first-year and first-semester transfer students to obtain permission to withdraw from a course without penalty. April 4-8, Monday-Friday. Preregistration for fall semester. April 12-14, Tuesday-Thursday. Room Draw. April 15, Friday. Deadline for students to submit spring ’12 Study Abroad and other educational leave requests. April 25, Monday. Deadline for upperclass students to apply to renew financial aid. April 30, Saturday. Deadline for students to submit Commencement/Reunion housing applications, May 1, Sunday. Deadline for students to request housing extensions after May 14. May 5, Thursday. Senior honors theses due in Registrar’s Office at 4 p.m. May 6, Friday. Last day of spring semester classes. Senior Assembly. Deadline for students to submit summer housing applications. Deadline for RCs to post summer storage hours. May 7-8, Saturday-Sunday. Reading/Study Period. May 9-13, Monday-Friday. Spring semester examination period. May 14, Saturday. Residences close for non-graduating students at 5 p.m. Dining Hall closes after dinner. May 16, Monday. Senior grades due at 9 a.m. May 18, Wednesday. Grades due for non-seniors at 4 p.m. May 22, Sunday. Commencement. Residences close for graduates at 5 p.m. May 25-29, Wednesday-Sunday. Alumni Holiday and Reunion. June 1, Wednesday. Deadline for upperclass students to request early return in September. This calendar is available online at www.amherst.edu/calendar. 7 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 7 8/5/10 2:48 PM AMHERST COLLEGE The Corporation Chairman of the Corporation Jide J. Zeitlin ’85, M.B.A., New York, New York President of the College Anthony W. Marx, Ph.D., Amherst, Massachusetts Trustees Danielle S. Allen, Ph.D., Princeton, New Jersey Wei Sun Christianson ’85, J.D., Beijing, China Brian J. Conway ’80, M.B.A., Boston, Massachusetts William E. Ford ’83, M.B.A., New York, New York Howard E. Gardner, Ph.D., Cambridge, Massachusetts David A. Kessler ’73, M.D., San Francisco, California Richard S. LeFrak ’67, J.D., New York, New York Christopher S. Lehane ’90, J.D., San Francisco, California John S. Middleton ’77, M.B.A., Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Cullen Murphy ’74, A.B., Medfield, Massachusetts Andrew J. Nussbaum ’85, J.D., New York, New York Hope E. Pascucci ’90, A.B., Needham, Massachusetts Sarah Bloom Raskin ’83, J.D., Takoma Park, Maryland Paula K. Rauch ’77, M.D., Boston, Massachusetts Joseph E. Stiglitz ’64, Ph.D., New York, New York Blair H. Taylor ’85, Los Angeles, California Scott F. Turow ’70, J.D., Chicago, Illinois Laura J. Yerkovich ’80, M.B.A., Riverside, Connecticut Life Trustees K. Frank Austen ’50, M.D., Boston, Massachusetts George B. Beitzel ’50*, M.B.A., Ridgefield, Connecticut Martha L. Byorum, M.B.A., New York, New York Rosanne M. Haggerty ’82, A.B., New York, New York Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. ’58*, M.B.A., Boston, Massachusetts Charles A. Lewis ’64, M.B.A., Evanston, Illinois Charles R. Longsworth ’51*, M.B.A., Royalston, Massachusetts Robert J. McKean, Jr. ’50, LL.B., Lantana, Florida Mary Patterson McPherson, Ph.D., Rosemont, Pennsylvania Peter A. Nadosy, M.B.A., New York, New York Edward N. Ney ’46, A.B., New York, New York Edward E. Phillips ’52, LL.B., Weston, Massachusetts H. Axel Schupf ’57, M.B.A., New York, New York George L. Shinn ’45*, Ph.D., Scarborough, Maine John I. Williams, Jr. ’75, J.D., Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Philip S. Winterer ’53, LL.B., New York, New York *Chair Emeritus 8 29743 Amherst 2010-11.indd 8 8/5/10 2:48 PM THE CORPORATION Trustees Emeriti John E.