“Some speak of a return to nature. I wonder where they could have been.”
— Frederick Sommer
“The whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The language of landscape is our native language. Landscape was the original dwelling; humans
evolved among plants and animals, under the sky, upon the earth, near water. Everyone carries
that legacy in body and mind. Humans touched, saw, heard, smelled, tasted, lived in, and shaped
landscapes before the species had words to describe what it did. Landscapes were the first human
tests, read before the invention of other signs and symbols.”
— Ann Whiston Spirn, The Language of Landscape
The Center for the Arts and Humanities invites applications for course-development stipends for
courses that will support the 2015-16 Annual Humanities Theme (AHT), “Human/Nature.”
Successful applicants will receive a $2,500 stipend (minus taxes, FICA, etc.) and have the
opportunity to access up to $500 for purchase of relevant books or other materials.
We invite courses that incorporate a wide range of topics including but not limited to:
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our relationship to nature at different times in human history
the relationship to nature of different cultures around the globe
Mainers’ relationship to nature
the depiction of nature in the creative arts
the representation of nature in literature
the connections between human actions and global change
different structures and systems of power that alter natural systems
patterns of human behavior that impact affect our natural environment
ethical and philosophical approaches to our relationship to the environment
the reciprocal relationship between society and environment
the economics of conservation versus exploitation
religious perspectives on nature
Proposals are invited from all departments and programs in the College.
Courses must be taught in the 2015-16 academic year.
Applicants should submit a proposal that includes:
 name and department or program affiliation
 proposed title and level of the course (100, 200, 300, 400)
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the term in 2015-16 in which the course will be offered (fall, Jan Plan, spring)
a description of how the course will address the theme
(if the course is not completely new) a detailed description of how substantively it will be
changed
goals and objectives of the course
a preliminary list of works or texts
information on any outside speakers or events that might accompany the course
confirmation from department chair that the proposed course will be taught in 2015-16
The AHT co-sponsors, Gary Green (Art), Loren McClenachan (Environmental Studies), and
Steve Wurtzler (Cinema Studies), invite all interested faculty to work through the Center to
organize a wide range of speakers, artists, productions, and exhibits related to the theme. Coursedevelopment stipend recipients are expected to encourage or require their students to participate
in theme-related programming on campus.
The deadline for application is February 27, 2015. Decisions will be made by March 10.
Applications will be reviewed by the Center’s Faculty Coordinating Committee. Please email
applications and any questions to Megan Fossa (mefossa@colby.edu).