Sophomore students continue their participation in the Society of College Scholars program by enrolling in 1 credit courses called College Scholars Circles. Program requirements include completion of two (2) terms of these 1 hour per week Circle seminars. Like the Colloquia required of freshmen participants, the Circles are organized by general academic areas Ð humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences Ð and continue to cultivate interest in and involvement with the life of the mind and the research mission of the UO, but with a slightly different emphasis. The Circles are devoted to developing an appreciation of major themes and threads of research in each area and an awareness of the kinds of methods used to put forward and test ideas in these areas. There will be continued access to research-intensive and undergraduate savvy regular faculty, who will visit sections in connection with the academic themes developed by students and the faculty leader.

Here's just one example. In the social sciences, the interaction of individual and the group/larger society is a pervasive theme that runs across the various disciplines. So, the Social Sciences College Scholars Circle professor might spend one or two classes to lay out that general theme. In following sessions, he might invite an anthropologist to discuss how individual group needs are handled in different kinds of cultures, or an economist to contrast micro- and macro-economics, or a historian to discuss the creation and defense of the U.S. Bill of Rights.

In addition to assisting students to develop your own skills of inquiry, the Circles can help to lay the groundwork for a systematic transition into departmental honors programs tied to your major. Options for internships available to you as a junior continuing in the College Scholars program will also be discussed.

All three of our College Scholars Circle faculty for 2008-09 are highly active and successful research scholars who have devoted considerable energy to improving undergraduate education.

The Humanities Circle will continue to be led by John Nicols, Professor of History and of Classics. Professor NicolsÕ work on Roman social history and historical cartography has been supported by many grants including most recently a senior fellowship from the German Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. For more information on the professor and his courses, go to: http://klio.uoregon.edu

The Sciences Circle will be led this year by Pat McDowell, Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies. She is a geomorphologist who studies rivers, fish habitat, and human impacts on them. Much of her research is focused on eastern Oregon rivers and is funded by state and federal agencies. She also has a keen interest in water policy/politics, and incorporates this into her courses.

The Social Sciences Circle will continue to be led by Michael Dreiling, Associate Professor of Sociology. Professor Dreiling has worked on social and political issues tied to globalization and political conflicts over the NAFTA. He also studies nonviolence and nonviolent communication and has published an article about the use of nonviolence in the college classroom.

Fall 2008 Registration via DuckWeb begins for students with sophomore standing as early as May 23, 2008.

CRN	SOCIETY OF COLLEGE SCHOLARS	DAY & TIME	PROFESSOR	PLACE
11199	CAS 210 - HUMANITIES Circle	W 1500-1550	John Nicols	122 Knight Lib
11200	CAS 220 - SCIENCES Circle	M 1600-1650	Pat McDowell	112 Willamette
11201	CAS 230 - SOCIAL SCIENCES Circle	W 1400-1450	Michael Dreiling	122 Knight Lib

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OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Link to DuckWeb: https://duckweb.uoregon.edu   

Link to College Scholars website for program details, future course offerings, upcoming special
events, and other information of interest to participants. http://scs.uoregon.edu

Contact for questions or comments regarding the Society of College Scholars program:
collegescholars@cas.uoregon.edu  or call Lexy Wellman at 346-3286.