Overview
Humanities At Davidson
The Humanities program was established in 1962 as a synthetic, interdisciplinary approach to liberal education that combined formal lectures and smaller discussion groups in a survey of key texts. In the current course offering, Connections and Conflicts in the Humanities I & II (HUM 103 and 104), students access a massive repository of ideas concerning the human experience. Some of the ideas will get expressed using words, others by using musical sounds, or dancers on a stage, or paint on a canvas, or celluloid flickers on a screen, or by objects in a space. HUM 103/104 is a full-year course for first-year students only.
By signing up for HUM 103/104, students will learn to:
- understand and appreciate a wide array of humanistic texts, including music, novels, paintings, poetry, films, theater, sculptures, buildings, and digital media
- observe patterns and create compelling connections between seemingly disparate texts
- speak and write with precision and persuasion
- read more carefully and critically
- take part in a required pre-orientation retreat and study trips, all fully paid
The course is collaborative and team-taught, with plenary lectures by both the humanities faculty teaching the course and by other scholars and artists from Davidson and beyond. Some visiting scholars and artists will also take part in discussions and workshops.
Humanities Fellows
The course includes Davidson Humanities Fellows, veteran students dedicated specifically to the course as writing tutors, discussion leaders, project organizers, and activities conveners. They are trained writing tutors. The Humanities Fellows are the backbone of the Humes community of teaching and learning in the course. The Fellows immerse themselves fully in the course, attending all the course meetings and doing all the readings alongside the students in the course.
Study Trips-Fall 2023 optional
In order to enroll in the Humanities Program students must commit to participate in the pre-orientation and study trips throughout the year. The pre-orientation retreat and the study trips are fully paid; students have no costs beyond modest spending money.
Course Fulfillment
HUM 103/104 is a three-credit course. Students enrolled in HUM 103/104 normally take two other courses in the fall, three other courses in the spring. Students that choose to not take HUM 104 must take WRI 101 instead, and will earn credit for HUM 101=1 credit istead of HUM 103=2 credits. Learn more about course fulfillment.
Contact
Please contact Program Chair Patricio Boyer at paboyer@davidson.edu with any questions.
FAQ’s
- What is the Humanities Program?
Humanities is a two-semester sequence that explores big questions from many different perspectives. It’s also a community of students and faculty who explore ideas together and hone their skills as speakers and writers. It’s the essence of a liberal arts education.
- Why should I sign up for Humanities?
- You’ll learn how to do college-level thinking and writing, working within a tight-knit community of teachers and learners exploring important ideas together.
- You’ll satisfy three graduation requirements in two semesters.
- You’ll develop your skills as a writer, speaker, and web designer.
- You’ll improve your readiness for upper-level courses in multiple disciplines.
- You’ll learn skills employers value, including working independently and in teams, thinking for yourself, and seeing the big picture.
- What makes Humes different from other first-year experiences?
Most college courses explore the world from a particular perspective. The Humanities Program is interdisciplinary, which means you’ll be looking at big questions from multiple perspectives: literature, history, art, science, philosophy, religion, and more.
Humes has an off-campus pre-orientation event in the North Carolina mountains. You’ll arrive at orientation with friends and mentors already in place. (This pre-orientation does not prevent you from participating in other pre-orientation activities.)
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