FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR: Studies in Human Experience

In 1953, Bard College inaugurated an experimental “Common Course” designed to show how the question of human freedom can be approached through a liberal arts education. Sixty years later, the Common Course continues to engage the individual experiences of first-year students, and to relate those experiences to extraordinary works of literature, philosophy, religion, politics, science and the arts. In this way, the course introduces students to important intellectual, cultural, and artistic ideas that serve as a common foundation in liberal arts education. The core texts for the fall semester include Biblical texts and works by Plato, Mencius, Xunzi, Lucretius, Augustine, Ibn Tufayl, Montaigne, Luther, Descartes, Galileo, Milton and Weber. The core texts for the spring semester include works by Locke, Rousseau, Equiano, Kant, Mary Shelley, Büchner, Marx, Nietzsche, Melville, Freud, Faulkner, and Arendt. Plenary sessions, guest lectures, panel presentations, performances, and student organized symposia events provide a collective forum where students and faculty come together to investigate and test the ideas explored in the classroom. 

Mandatory Symposium Workshops will be held on Mondays, 4:45 – 6:00.

CRN		SECTION	PROFESSOR		SCHEDULE		LOCATION
11521	FSEM II	SK	Stephanie	Kufner	. T . Th .	8:30 am -9:50 am	OLINLC 206
12017	FSEM II	JE	Jay	Elliott	M . W . .	10:10 am - 11:30 am	OLIN 308
11783	FSEM II	SR	Susan	Rogers	. T . Th .	10:10 am - 11:30 am	OLIN 303
11973	FSEM II	TVP	Tatjana	von Prittwitz und Gaffron	. T . Th .	10:10 am - 11:30 am	BITO 210
11743	FSEM II	HG	Helena	Gibbs	M . W . .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 304
11526	FSEM II	AK	Alex	Kitnick	M . W . .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 303
12016	FSEM II	NL	Nicholas	Lewis	M . W . .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 308
11529	FSEM II	CM	Christopher	McIntosh	M . W . .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 306
12019	FSEM II	RN	Ruby	Namdar	M . W . .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	RKC 111
11980	FSEM II	RW	Robert	Weston	M . W . .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	HEG 106
11983	FSEM II	WC	Wout	Cornelissen	. T . Th .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	HEG 106
11947	FSEM II	MFD	Miriam	Felton-Dansky	. T . Th .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 305
11982	FSEM II	SG2	Simon	Gilhooley	. T . Th .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 308
11890	FSEM II	MM	Matthew	Mutter	. T . Th .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 310
11665	FSEM II	OC	Miles	Rodriguez	. T . Th .	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 304
11566	FSEM II	BH	Benjamin	Hale	. . W . F	11:50 am -1:10 pm	OLIN 310
11742	FSEM II	HG2	Helena	Gibbs	M . W . .	1:30 pm -2:50 pm	OLIN 304
11715	FSEM II	SG	Stephen	Graham	M . W . .	1:30 pm -2:50 pm	HEG 201
11538	FSEM II	CH	Cole	Heinowitz	M . W . .	1:30 pm -2:50 pm	OLIN 309
11586	FSEM II	PLG	Patricia	Lopez-Gay	M . W . .	1:30 pm -2:50 pm	OLIN 306
11658	FSEM II	IS	Irene	Sunwoo	M . W . .	1:30 pm -2:50 pm	OLIN 307
12018	FSEM II	YYH	Yu-Yin	Hsu	. T . Th .	1:30 pm -2:50 pm	OLIN 304
11966	FSEM II	NS	Nathan	Shockey	. T . Th .	1:30 pm -2:50 pm	HEG 300
12035	FSEM II	IH	Irfana	Hashmi	. . W . F	1:30 pm -2:50 pm	OLIN 305/201
11987	FSEM II	JGA	James	Green-Armytage	M . W . .	3:10 pm -4:30 pm	ALBEE 106/OLIN 305
11986	FSEM II	B/F	Leon	Botstein / Marjorie Folkman	M . W . .	3:10 pm –4:30 pm	OLIN 309
11984	FSEM II	PL	Peter	Laki	M . W . .	3:10 pm -4:30 pm	HEG 201
11981	FSEM II	TW	Thomas	Wild	M . W . .	3:10 pm -4:30 pm	OLIN 306
11985	FSEM II	SE	Sarah	Egan	. T . Th .	3:10 pm -4:30 pm	RKC 102
12036	FSEM II	OM	Oleg	Minin	. T . Th .	3:10 pm – 4:30 pm	HEG 300
11979	FSEM II	EK	Erica	Kaufman	. T . Th .	4:40 pm -6:00 pm	OLINLC 118
12055	FSEM II	JW	Jean	Wagner	. T . Th .	4:40 pm -6:00 pm	OLIN 107
11980	FSEM II	RW	Bill	Walker	. T Th .	4:40 pm – 6:00 pm	OLIN 301