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Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences

Civic Engagement in the Classroom and the Community
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  • ELAS Courses
  • OSUN Courses 
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  • Certificate in Civic Engagement
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What are ELAS courses?

What are ELAS courses?

ELAS courses are designed to link academic work with community engagement activities that contextualize course materials and enhance learning. ELAS courses challenge students to develop creative and practical approaches to social, cultural, and scientific issues while partnering with community organizations. A significant portion of ELAS learning takes place through student involvement in surrounding communities or with Bard's national and international partners.

Did you know?

In the past seven years, more than 1,400 Bard students have enrolled in over 130 ELAS courses, during which they collaborated with more than 70 community organizations and agencies.

Recent ELAS Courses
 

Explore Courses →

  • Argentine Tango I: Exploring Human Connection 
    Chungin Goodstein

    All Politics Is Local 
    Erin Cannan and Malia du Mont

    Landscape Studies: The Hudson River Valley 
    Jana Mader

    Visual Storytelling 
    Adam Stepan

    Social Entrepreneurship Practicum 
    Alejandro Crawford and Eliza Edge

    Introduction to Geography and GeoSciences
    Jordan Ayala

    Video Advocacy: Clemency 
    Brent Green and Thomas Keenan

    Sociology of Knowledge 
    Jussara dos Santos Raxlen

    Food Microbiology 
    Gabriel Perron
  • Reproductive Health and Human Rights 
    Helen Epstein

    LGBTQ+ Issues in US Education 
    Michael Sadowski

    Disability Rights in Education 
    Erin Brasselmann

    Rooted and Mobile: The World of Natural Dyes 
    Heeryoon Shin, Beka Goedde, Simeen Sattar and Thena Tak

    Global Perspectives on Mental Health 
    Elena Kim

    Children, Youth, and Society 
    Jomaira Salas Pujols

    Memory and Enslavement 
    Myra Armstead

    US and the Modern Middle East 
    Fred Hof

    Ancient Peoples before the Bard Lands 
    Christophe Lindner

In Their Own Words

“A lot of fieldwork requires an element of civic engagement. I think that it was really important that each of us were given the opportunity to lead our own projects in that direction, and were encouraged to do so.” —ELAS student in Anthropology of Institutions

Course Spotlight

Women and Leadership
Faculty members: Erin Cannan, Deirdre D’Albertis, and Michelle Murray
Why aren’t there more women in leadership positions? According to a Pew Research Center report, the majority of American men and women acknowledge the capacity of women to lead. Yet in certain domains—most notably politics and business—they continue to be under-represented at the top and& the American public remains skeptical that gender parity can be achieved.

Course Spotlight

Recent elections have galvanized the electorate around constructions of gender in particularly dramatic ways. If we are living in a post-feminist society (as some claim), why do these questions and conflicts continue to arise? Identity is an urgent conversation in 21st-century politics and everyday life, and this includes awareness of how intersectionality shapes gendered experiences. What are the stories that we tell ourselves and each other about inclusion, representation, privilege, freedom, authority, and success? How do these inflect real-world outcomes for individuals and societies? In this two-credit course we will explore some of the stories that circulate in our culture around women and power, both from an academic and from a practical, real-world perspective. What does it mean to lead? How do we use a language of empowerment? Why has the United States embraced certain narratives of gender neutrality and success as opposed to those being created in other countries and cultures? We will focus on learning from women who are committed to making a difference in the world through their personal and professional choices, hearing their stories, and reading texts that have been particularly important to them in their lives and work. So too, we will engage with stories from the past (archival research), from across disciplines (government, politics, the military, higher education, STEM, the arts, tech, media) and from a wide range of perspectives. As an Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences course, this seminar will provide students with the unique opportunity to bring theory and practice together in a very immediate sense: by the end of the term you will have identified a story only you can tell, whether it is based in political activism, community engagement, or work experience. Drawing on the rich resources here in Annandale as well as through Bard’s other campuses we will reach out to groups and organizations with a shared focus on gender. Network building is something we will explicitly address.

Community Partner Proposals

Are you a local organization interested in working with Bard College ELAS students and faculty developing a project, collaborating on research, or sharing resources? Reach out to us via email at [email protected] for assistance or additional information.
ELAS Fellows

ELAS Fellows

Work closely with students and faculty throughout the semester as the ELAS course develops! ELAS fellows bring their personal experience and expertise as engaged, intellectual mediators between the College and the community to benefit all parties involved. Tap into your creativity as an ELAS fellow by documenting the progress of student involvement with community partners.

Requirements:
  • Successful completion of the class to which the ELAS fellow is applying.
  • Approval from the professor of the class to which they are applying.
  • Certification as a Bard driver*
*Note: We highly suggest students who have a license apply, but this is not a strictly decisive factor

Benefits of ELAS

  • For Students
    • Increases relevant coursework by bringing academic instruction to life.
    • Develops meaningful involvement with the local and regional communities.
    • Prepares individuals to participate in internships and research.
  • For Faculty
    • Enriches and enlivens teaching by providing a new understanding of how learning occurs.
    • Identifies new areas for research and publication, and thus increases opportunities for professional recognition and reward.
    • Enhances student learning and teaching qualities.
  • For the Community
    • Enhances positive relationships with the College. 
    • Provides awareness-building of community issues, agencies, and constituents.
    • Contributes to positive exposure in the community.
    • Creates ways to expand current services.

Contact Us

ELAS Staff
Jovanny Suriel Director of Career Development, Assistant Dean of Civic Engagement
Arghawan Bani Experiential Learning Coordinator

For general inquiries, please contact us at [email protected].
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