New Courses Added for 2020-2021 Academic Year

By: Kaylee Chen, Lina Huang and Ava Yu

The Academy recently released the 2020-2021 Courses of Instruction (COI) booklet. This year’s edition features changes to history course sequencing and the addition of eight new courses. The Health Department’s contentious four-year requirement will also be instituted next year, after a one-year delay.

In the History Department, course sequencing has been modified to draw distinctions between different levels of courses. “The proposal recently adopted by our department and the larger faculty will require incoming four-year students to take each level of history offered by the department,” History Department Chair Kent McConnell said. “Most students are already following this path, but we wanted to make sure this was the course of action taken by all students (there are some variations depending upon what grade you enter PEA) so that we can better coordinate our assessments and course content.” 

The Art Department will introduce ART690: Capstone Intensive Studio to their course offerings next year. The course expands on ART500 by emphasizing publication and research on contemporary art history and theory. Students taking the course will work on individual projects, present a final show and create an edition of a collaborative artist book. 

“We hope to cater to students who may have never taken an art class before, as well as to sophisticated artists that are creating above college-level masterpieces,” Art Department Chair Carla Collins said. “All courses are taught by practicing artists that understand students’ need to explore, create and build skills. We hope to provide a lot more flexibility and artistic freedom for student artists in the 400-600 level classes.”

The Art Department has also opted to begin excluding art fees from the booklet, citing the need to provide an equitable experience for students. “We look at an art fee similar to buying a Biology textbook, where financial aid treats the art fees just like they do for books,” Collins said.

In the English Department, courses ENG590: Bookmaking as Feminist Archival Practice: Reinscribing Histories, ENG539: Fences, Tattoos and Streetcars: Introduction to Dramatic Literature and ENG540: Her Story, His Story: Plath, Hughes and the Two Ariels have been added. All three courses are offered in either senior winter (ENG590 and ENG539) or spring (ENG540).

The French Department has also added FRE590: Francophone Digital Media, a course which focuses on current events portrayed through digital media.

MUS050: Emerging Media Composers Collective has been added to the Music Department, an evening ensemble meeting two nights a week. Students will present live or recorded works of digital music or related media for this course.

The Academy is also offering a new Exeter Innovation course, EXI535: Asian American History and Literature. The course will be taught by English Instructor Wei-Ling Woo and History Instructor Hannah Lim. According to the course description, the course “aims to help students appreciate Asian American history as a social process by learning about the emergence of the social movement.” 

The Asian affinity group Asian Voices (AV) advocated for the introduction of an Asian-American based course in years past. “I think this class will provide students who are… wanting to learn about the Asian American experience a comprehensive way to do so,” senior and AV co-head David Kim said. “In previous years, this kind of course was not listed for Asian Americans like myself, and it’s a shame I can’t take it. If I had the opportunity to learn about the Asian American experience around a Harkness table, I would enroll immediately... [The club] had high hopes for it.”

Upon hearing the news, many alumni noted their joy to see the course finally added to the COI. “Exeter having an Asian American course has been a long time coming. Asian-American have one of the largest, yet overlooked presences on campus,” AV co-founder Nick Song ‘18 said. “Having a specific course dedicated to studying history and culture helps legitimize the community on campus. I remember taking Mr. Caldwell's course on Viet Thanh Nguyen, and it was amazing to be in a classroom setting full of other people interested in Asian-America.”

Course changes, except for Exeter Innovation courses, are made when new courses are proposed and voted on by the full faculty, after an initial vote by the Department Heads. Prerequisite changes are made similarly, except Department Heads may ask for a full faculty vote if the change might significantly affect other departments. 

The COI’s class nomenclature was also changed, and students are now primarily designated by grade level. “This is partly out of the confusion generated by our non-standard nomenclature for the classes, as this book is read by incoming students and parents,” Director of Studies Scott Saltman said. “Additionally, ‘prep’ has taken on some derogatory meaning and we didn’t think we should promote that by keeping it in this document.”

In addition, Senior Projects will not be offered in the fall term due to the coronavirus pandemic. An announcement regarding this change was made to all uppers on April 8 by Dean of Academic Affairs Laura Marshall. This is a temporary change not included in the COI booklet.

“You should begin thinking about whether you are interested in proposing a senior project for the winter or spring terms. Winter term proposals will be due around the end of September,” Marshall added. “Some of you have talked with your college counselors about doing a senior project. Please continue these conversations with your college counselors and advisers, as it can still be a part of your overall portfolio that you present to colleges.” 

Saltman hoped that the new COI would reflect the interests and values of the Exeter community. “We should be thinking about what is important to us and what is important for our very capable and motivated high school students to be learning,” he said.