Amherst College 2009-10 Catalog Current as of July 23, 2009 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 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 Benson Lieber, Dean of Students Title IX Coordinator Frances E. Tuleja, 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. Contents I MISSION STATEMENT 5 CALENDAR 6 THE CORPORATION 8 FACULTY 10 ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS 29 II AMHERST COLLEGE 41 III ADMISSION 51 TUITION AND FEES 54 FINANCIAL AID 56 IV GENERAL REGULATIONS 63 DEGREE REQUIREMENTS 71 V COURSES OF INSTRUCTION 81 VI PROFESSORSHIPS AND READERSHIPS 433 LECTURESHIPS 439 HONORS 441 FELLOWSHIPS 443 FELLOWS 447 PRIZES AND AWARDS 456 ENROLLMENT 468 I MISSION STATEMENT CALENDAR THE CORPORATION FACULTY ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS 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 AMHERST COLLEGE College Calendar 2009 August 30, Sunday. New student orientation begins; first-year residences open. September 3, Thursday. Residences open for upperclass students at 9 a.m. September 8, Tuesday. Fall semester classes begin. Monday classes will be held. September 16, Wednesday. Last day to add/drop courses for fall semester. October 10-12, Saturday-Monday. Midsemester break. October 23-25, Friday-Sunday. Homecoming Weekend. November 2, Monday. Deadline for students to submit spring 2010 withdrawal requests, readmission applications, and off-campus housing applications. November 3, Tuesday. Last day for first-year students and first-semester transfer students to obtain permission to withdraw from a course without penalty. November 6-8, Friday-Sunday. Family Weekend. November 12-18, Thursday-Wednesday. Preregistration for spring semester. November 21-29, Saturday-Sunday. Thanksgiving vacation. December 1, Tuesday. Deadline for students to request housing extensions after December 23. (Moore Dormitory will remain open.) December 15, Tuesday. Last day of fall semester classes. December 18-22, Friday-Tuesday. Fall semester examination period. December 23, Wednesday. Residences (except Moore Dormitory) close at 5 p.m. 2010 January 3, Sunday. Residences reopen at 9 a.m. January 4, Monday. Fall semester grades due. Dining Services resume with breakfast. January 4-22, Monday-Friday. Interterm. January 8, Friday. Students leaving campus for spring semester must vacate residences by 5 p.m. January 15, Friday. Students returning to campus after being away fall semester may access housing at 9 a.m. January 25, Monday. Spring semester classes begin. February 3, Wednesday. Last day to add/drop courses for spring semester. March 13-21, Saturday-Sunday. Spring recess. March 15, Monday. Deadline for students to submit fall 2010 special program proposals, readmission applications, room draw applications, and fall and full-year study abroad and other leave requests. Deadline for off-campus housing applications for fall semester. 6 COLLEGE CALENDAR March 26, Friday. Last day for first-year and first-semester transfer students to obtain permission to withdraw from a course without penalty. April 5-9, Monday-Friday. Preregistration for fall semester 2010. April 15, Thursday. Deadline for students to submit spring 2011 study abroad and other leave requests. April 30, Friday. Deadline for students to submit commencement/reunion housing applications, and for upperclass students to apply for financial aid. May 1, Saturday. Deadline for students to request housing extensions after May 16. May 7, Friday. Last day of spring semester classes. Deadline for students to submit summer housing applications. May 10-14, Monday-Friday. Spring semester examination period. May 15, Saturday. Residences close for non-graduating students at 5 p.m. May 17, Monday. Senior grades due, 9 a.m. May 19, Wednesday. Underclass grades due. May 23, Sunday. Commencement. Residences close for seniors at 5 p.m. The calendar is available online at www.amherst.edu/calendar 7 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 Alan S. Bernstein ’63, M.B.A., Coral Gables, Florida Brian J. Conway ’80, M.B.A., Boston, Massachusetts Colin S. Diver ’65, LL.B., Portland, Oregon 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 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 Diana Chapman Walsh, Ph.D., Brookline, Massachusetts 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 Theodore L. Cross ’46, J.D., Princeton, New Jersey 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