Ad Hoc Committee on Winter Study Teaching and Learning

Committee Members:

  • Anne Reinhardt, Professor of History (chair)
  • Charlie Doret, Associate Professor of Physics
  • Sara Dubow, Associate Dean of the Faculty, Professor of History
  • Marion Min-Barron, Lecturer in Public Health
  • Christopher Nugent, Professor of Chinese
  • Paula Consolini, Adam Falk Director of the Center for Learning in Action
  • Danielle Carr Ramdath, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Engagement
  • Emily Gubin, ’24
  • Cara Sturdevant, ’25

Committee charge

Winter Study at Williams College provides students with a diverse set of curricular opportunities and experiences.  These include intense and focused study for some and exploration and rejuvenation for others.  Many WSP projects are characterized by experiential learning, educational risk-taking, and instruction from a diverse group of faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the College.  The College’s Strategic Plan affirms the value of this program, while inviting us to approach it more intentionally, to revisit and articulate its educational goals, and to find ways to help Winter Study offerings advance students education, needs, and interests, broadly conceived.

Winter Study oversight, administrative support, and curriculum have all evolved in recent years.  The spring 2021 Winter Study Ad Hoc Working Group and the Winter Study Program Committee have both been engaged in clarifying the scope and goals of the Winter Study curriculum.  The role of the Ad Hoc Committee on Winter Study Teaching and Learning is to investigate further possible changes to the Winter Study program to pursue the goals articulated above, including complementing fall and spring semester curricula and experiences; supporting the existing curriculum as well as offering new curricular initiatives; and providing more teaching opportunities for alumni, staff, and other instructors.  The committee will also consider the appropriate role for faculty in the teaching and governance of Winter Study.

The committee has been formed by the Faculty Steering Committee in consultation with the President, and will make its recommendations to the Faculty and the Senior Staff of the College

Additional Information

Timeline

The committee will begin meeting in early 2022 and will issue an update to the faculty on its progress in spring of 2022, with the goal of completing a final report before the end of calendar year 2022

Ideas and Suggestions from College community members:

A significant part of the committee’s charge is outreach to different constituencies in the College community for suggestions.  As we undertake this project, we welcome your ideas at any time.  Please fill out the form below, or reach out to any of the committee members.

Link to Update Presented at the Faculty Meeting, May 11, 2022

Update for Faculty Meeting 5.22

Report on the Committee’s Work, February-December 2022

Report on the Committee’s Work