Bates College announced on May 1 that its Short Term program will run from May 4 to May 27, offering students a chance to focus on one course over three and a half weeks. The program features more than 100 courses covering topics such as business, natural resources, test preparation, and pop culture.
Short Term is designed to allow students to engage deeply with a single subject area and expand their learning beyond the traditional campus setting. Many of the courses are taught by practitioners who bring real-world experience into the classroom as visiting instructors. Some courses include off-campus fieldwork in locations like Arizona, Zambia, Hungary, Poland, and Italy.
Courses highlighted this year include “Biological Skills: Field Ecology” led by Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Brecia Despard; “Cooking Up French Culture” with Professor of French and Francophone Studies Mary T. Rice-DeFosse; “Feminist Political Theory (Taylor’s Version)” taught by Assistant Professor of Politics Lucy Britt; and “Lewiston: A History of a Place,” led by Visiting Assistant Professor of History Frances Bell. Other offerings focus on Maine’s marine resources, pit firing ceramics using ancient techniques, business consulting in partnership with alumni from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business, mediation and restorative practices workshops with experienced practitioners-in-residence, public health practicums addressing local challenges in Lewiston under the guidance of Leah Elsmore ’12 from North Highland consultancy firm, and LSAT preparation at no cost for juniors and seniors planning law school.
The college said that these practitioner-taught courses help students gain practical skills while exploring subjects outside their core liberal arts curriculum. For example, the business consulting course is led by Peter Friedman ’92 along with other Tuck-affiliated instructors for its second consecutive year at Bates.
As part of Short Term traditions at Bates College, students also participate in showcases where they present projects developed during their intensive studies.
