Purposeful Work Infusion Project

Through the Purposeful Work Infusion Project, faculty members explicitly connect course content to discussions of meaning, purpose, work and/or careers.

These courses help students appreciate and articulate connections between what they’re learning in class with career, purpose, and meaningful work. Purposeful Work Infusion courses are designed to explicitly address the question, “so how does this relate to the world beyond college?”

Over 100 members of the Bates faculty have infused courses with discussions, readings, reflective writing assignments, and guest speakers or other activities since the project began in 2014. Courses in every academic department and program have been a part of the project, reaching virtually all Bates students by the time they graduate. Most students take multiple Purposeful Work Infusion Courses.

Faculty: Click here for information about infusing your courses with Purposeful Work

Students: Find courses in the Garnet Gateway using Course Attribute “Purposeful Work”

What do Purposeful Work Infusion courses include? Every Purposeful Work Infusion course includes three elements about the connection between course content and meaning, purpose, work and/or careers:  1) a class discussion that comprises at least one class session; 2) a reading assignment; and 3) a self-reflective writing assignment, which may be ungraded. Many Purposeful Work courses include guest speakers, such as alumni or other practitioners who work in a field related to course content, who receive honoraria through the Infusion project.

Fall 2024 Semester Purposeful Work Infusion Courses:
ANTH 101: Cultural Anthropology with Joyce Bennett
BIMA 255: Mathematical Models in Biology with Meredith Greer
BIO202: Cellular Basis of Life with Larissa Williams
EDSO 380: Education, Reform, and Politics with Mara Tieken
EDUC 231: Perspectives on Education with Mara Tieken
EDUC 231: Perspectives on Education with Bill Wallace
EDUC 235: Teaching in The Sciences with Bill Wallace
EDUC 343: Learning & Teaching: Theories and Practice with Bronwyn Sale
EDUC 362: Basic Concepts in Special Education with Anita Charles
EDUC 460: Student Teaching I with Anita Charles
FYS571: Gender without Borders: a Transnational Odyssey with Seulgie Lim
PHYS211 Newtonian Mechanics with Casey Berger
PLTC210: International Human Rights in Africa with Seulgie Lim
PSYC 262: Community-Based Research Methods with Su Langdon
PSYC 323 Counseling Psychology with Yun Garrison
PSYC 467-B Senior Thesis/Community-Based Research with Yun Garrison
RFSS240: Film Theory with Jon Cavallero
DANC151: Making Dances With Brian Evans
DANC262: Embodying Activism: Performing a Living Definition with Brian Evans
MATH301: Real Analysis with Katy Ott
BIO137: The Science of Stress with Jacob Krause
FYS505: STEM Scholars with April Horton
EXDS215A: Sophomore STEM Scholars with April Horton
PLTC125: States and Markets with Rafael de Mello
PLTC222: International Political Economy with Rafael de Mello

+Past Purposeful Work Infusion Courses Across the Curriculum

AAGS 201: Race, Ethnicity, and Feminist Thought with Leslie Hill

AAS 100: Introduction to African American Studies with Baltasar Fra-Molinero & Theri Pickens

AAWS 201: Race, Ethnicity and Feminist Thought with Leslie Hill

AFAM 227: #BlackLivesMatter with Cassandra Shepard

AFSO 221: Sociology of Immigration with Marcelle Medford

ANLS 205: Citizenship, Borders, and Belonging with Jacqueline Lyon

ANTH 339: Production and Reproduction with Elizabeth Eames

ANTH s34: Place-Making, Community-Building and Transformation in Kingston, Jamaica with Charles Carnegie

ANTH s10: Encountering Community with Danny Danforth

ANTH S12 – Race, Gender, and the Practices and Politics That Move Videogames From Imagination to Reality with Joshua Rubin

ANTH s12: Imagining Videogames: An Introduction to the Practices and Politics that Make Videogames Happen with Josh Rubin

ANWS 275: Gender Relations in Comparative Perspective with Elizabeth Eames

ASEC 242: Work and Workers in China with Maggie Maurer-Fazio

ASPY 260: Cultural Psychology with Helen Boucher

AVC 361: Museum Internship with Rebecca Corrie

AVC s26: Museum Studies with Rebecca Corrie

AVC s31: Museum Internship with Rebecca Corrie

AVCM 265: Florence to Bruges with Rebecca Corrie

AVCM 376CSiena: Art and Social Memory with Rebecca Corrie

AVCM 376E: The Medieval Manuscript with Rebecca Corrie

BIEA 113: Marine Science with Katie Dobkowski

BIES 246: Conservation Biology with Carla Essenberg

BIES 302: Restoration Ecology with Carla Essenberg

BIES 303: Restoration Ecology with Carla Essenberg

BIGE 113: Marine Science with Katie Dobkowski

BIMA 255: Mathematical Models in Biology with Meredith Greer

BINS 308: Neurobiology with Nancy Kleckner

BIO 102: Sensory Biology with Nancy Kleckner

BIO 103: Sensory Biology with Nancy Kleckner

BIO 117: Plants and Human Affairs with Allyson Eller

BIO 126: Science Communication with Andrew Mountcastle

BIO 127: Emerging and Reemerging Infections across the Globe with Karen Palin

BIO 128: Out of the Sea with April Horton

BIO 195: Lab-Based Biological Inquiry with Andrew Mountcastle, Carla Essenberg, Katie Dobkowski, Lori Banks

BIO 202: Cellular Basis of Life with Larissa Williams, April Horton, Lori Banks

BIO 203: Bioinspiration and Biomemetics with Andrew Mountcastle

BIO 204: Biological Research Experience: Molecules to Ecosystems with Brett Huggett, Larissa Williams, April Horton, Louise Brogan

BIO 213: Marine Botany with Katie Dobkowski

BIO 218: Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Bruno Salazar-Perea

BIO 242: Cellular and Molecular Biology with Larissa Williams, Martin Kruse, Louise Brogan, Nancy Kleckner

BIO 246: Conservation Biology with Carla Essenberg

BIO 270: Ecology and Evolution with Katie Dobkowski

BIO 311: Comparative Anatomy of Chordates with Andrew Mountcastle

BIO 313: Marine Ecology with Katie Dobkowski

BIO 314: Virology with Lee Abrahamsen

BIO 315 Microbiology Lab with Lori Banks

BIO 315: Bacteriology with Lee Abrahamsen

BIO 321: Cell Biochemistry with Daniel Slane, Martin Kruse, Lori Banks, Nancy Kleckner

BIO 328: Developmental Biology with Larissa Williams

BIO 331 Molecular Biology/Lab with Larissa Williams, Subshri Sahu

BIO 340: Introduction to Epidemiology with Karen Palin

BIO 460: Junior Seminar with Brett Huggett, Larissa Williams, Carla Essenberg, Martin Kruse, Katie Dobkowski

BIO 477: Seminar and Research in Microbiology/Lab with Lee Abrahamsen, Lori Banks

BIO 480: Senior Seminar with Larissa Williams

BIO s32: Biology of the Galapagos with Larissa Williams

BIO s37: North Woods with Brett Huggett

BIO/MATH 255: Mathematical Models in Biology with Meredith Greer

CHEM 108: Chemical Reactivity with Lynn Mandeltort, Geneva Laurita, Cici Xu

CHEM 215 Intro to Inorganic Chemistry with Geneva Laurita

CHEM 316: Advanced Topics in Inorganic Chemistry with Geneva Laurita

CHEM 457: Thesis with Geneva Laurita

CHEM s11: The Natural Science of Honeybees with Paula Schlax

CHIN401: Advanced Chinese with Zhenzhen Lu

CMEN 277 Med. Literatures of Resistance with Sylvia Federico

CMEN 344: Chaucer and His Context with Sylvia Federico

CMPL 271: Ancient Greek Philosophy with Susan Stark

CMRE 235: Introduction to Hebrew Bible with Cynthia Baker

CMS/RS 264: Islamic Civilization with Ali Akhtar

DANC 151: Intro to Dance Composition with Carol Dilley

DANC 250 Early Modern Dance with Carol Dilley

DANC 251 Making Dances II with Carol Dilley

DANC s32: Building a Dance Practice with Tristan Koepke, Rachel Boggia

DCS 202: The Nature of Data with Matt Jadud

DCS 210: Programming for Data Analysis and Visualization with Laurie Baker

DCS 304: Community Organizing in a Digital World with Carrie Diaz Eaton

DCS/MATH316: PIC Math: Community Engaged Data Science with Carrie Diaz Eaton, Adriana Salerno

DN/ED 265: Teaching through the Arts with Bronwyn Sale

EACS 341: Stable Isotope Geochemistry with Anne Fetrow

ECON 222: Environmental Economics & Policy with Lynne Lewis

ECON 316: Fat Tails and Tipping Points with Lynne Lewis

ECON 325: Prices, Property, and the Problem of the Commons with Lynne Lewis

ECON 331: Labor Economics with Maggie Maurer-Fazio

ECRE s23: Making Housing Affordable with Tom Tracy & Lynne Lewis

EDES 222: Community Writing and Gardens with Stephanie Wade

EDPY 262: Community-Bates Research Methods with Kathy Low

EDSO 242: Race and Education with Mara Tieken

EDSO 380: Education, Reform, & Politics with Mara Tieken

EDUC 231: Perspectives on Education with Bronwyn Sale, Bill Wallace, Mara Tieken, Anita Charles, Stacy Smith

EDUC 235: Teaching in the Sciences with Bill Wallace

EDUC 245: Literacy in Early and Elementary Years with Anita Charles

EDUC 255: Adolescent Literacy with Anita Charles

EDUC 263: Comparative Education with Anita Charles, Bronwyn Sale

EDUC 290: Internship in Education with Patti Buck

EDUC 343: Learning & Teaching: Theories and Practice with Bronwyn Sale

EDUC 362: Basic Concepts in Special Education with Anita Charles

EDUC 447: Curriculum and Methods with Mara Tieken, Bronwyn Sale

EDUC 448: Senior Seminar: Reflection and Engagement with Bronwyn Sale, Mara Tieken, Anita Charles

EDUC 450: Seminar in Educational Studies with Patti Buck, William Wallace

EDUC 460: Student Teaching with Mara Tieken, Anita Charles, Bronwyn Sale

EDUC 461: Student Teaching II with Mara Tieken

EDUC s31: Teaching English in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with Patti Buck

ENG 121L: Modern Short Stories with Tiffany Salter

ENG 152A: American Writers since 1900 with Tiffany Salter

ENG 214: Shakespeare with Jose Villagrana

ENG 392: Advanced Poetry Writing with Eden Osucha

ENVR 124: Managing the Gulf of Maine with Caitlin Cleaver

ENVR 204: Environment & Society with Francis Eanes

ENVR 209: Sustainable Cities with Francis Eanes

ENVR 221: Ecology of Food and Farming with Carissa Aoki

ENVR 238: Visualizing Data: Design, Power, Truth with Carissa Aoki

ENVR 251: Ecology and Policy with Carissa Aoki

ENVR 308: Urban and Regional Food Systems with Francis Eanes

ENVR 319: Imagining Climate Change with Jane Costlow

ENVR 334: The Question of the Animal with Jane Costlow

ENVR 340: Literatures of Agriculture with Misty Beck

ENVR 350: Environmental Justice in the Americas with Melinda Plastas

ENVR 417: Community Engaged Research with Francis Eanes, Carissa Aoki

ENVR 450: Environmental Writing in the Public Sphere with Jane Costlow, Francis Eanes, Misty Beck

ESGE 226: Hydrogeology with Bev Johnson

ESPL 214: Ethics and Environmental Issues with Paul Schofield

EUS 215: Jewish Lives in Eastern Europe with Raluca Cernahoschi-Condurateanu

EUS 261: Slavic Europe with Dennis Browne

EUS101: Introduction to Europe with Raluca Cernahoschi

EXDS116: STEM Scholars with April Hill

EXDS 201: Writing Tutoring: Supporting Your Peers as Writers, Thinkers, & Communicators with Bridget Fullerton

EXDS 215: Sophomore STEM Scholars with April Hill, Barry Lawson

EXDS 216: STEM Scholars II with Larissa Williams, April Hill, Lori Banks

EXDS s21: Life Architecture with Rebecca Fraser-Thill, Susan Mangan

FRE 240F: Borders and Disorders with Alex Dauge-Roth, Madeline Bedecarre

FYS 262: Stealth Infections with Karen Palin

FYS 266: Fakers, Forgers, Looters and Thieves with Rebecca Corrie

FYS 288: Luck and the Moral LIfe with Susan Stark

FYS 300: Exploring Education through Narratives with Bronwyn Sale, Mara Tieken

FYS 308 Searching for the Good Life with Michael Sargent

FYS 309: Matters of Life and Death with Tom Tracy

FYS 395 The Sporting Life The Sporting Life with Su Langdon

FYS 419: Tobacco in History and Culture with Melinda Plastas

FYS 437: Making Performance with Carol Dilley

FYS 443: Heroes or Villains? Columbus and Fidel (Castro) with Baltasar Fra-Molinero

FYS 445: The Nature of Spirituality with Cynthia Baker

FYS 450: Race, Justice, and Policy in 21st Century U.S with Leslie Hill

FYS 455: Neuroscience Fiction with Nancy Koven

FYS460: Environmentalism, Social Justice, and Education with William Wallace

FYS 465: Communicating Science to the Public with Andrew Mountcastle

FYS 470 Life Beyond Capitalism with Ethan Miller

FYS 487 Politics and Performance on Stage and Screen with Clifford Odle

FYS 492 Environmental Protection with Laura Sewall

FYS 505: Bates STEM Scholars with April Horton, John Smedley, Malcolm Hill

FYS 515: Food Systems and Food Justice with Francis Eanes

FYS 517: Epidemics with Karen Palin

FYS 544 The Study and Practice of Human Cooperation with Sandra Goff

FYS 551: Purpose, Work, and College with Marianne Cowan

FYS 557: Learning Math Using Crafts, Coding, and Games with Meredith Greer

GEO 107 Katahdin to Acadia with Dyk Eusden

GEO 109 Global Change with Bev Johnson

GEO 240 Environmental Geochemistry with Bev Johnson

GEO 340: Stable Isotope Geochemistry with Bev Johnson

GER 201 Intermediate German Language and Culture I with Raluca Cernahoschi-Condurateanu

GER 201: Inter German Language & Culture I with Raluca Cernahoschi-Condurateanu

GER 350: Margins and Migrations with Raluca Cernahoschi-Condurateanu

GER 358: Literature and Film of the German Democratic Republic with Raluca Cernahoschi-Condurateanu

GSPL 262: Philosophy and Feminism with Susan Stark

GSPT 254: Gender Matters: US Women and Politics with Leslie Hill

GSPT 282: Constitutional Law II with Steve Engel

GSPT 347: Gender and State with Leslie Hill

GSPY 343: Women, Culture, and Health with Su Langdon

GSS 335: Tobacco: Gender Matters with Melinda Plastas

GSS 356: Marriage in America with Rebecca Herzig

GSS 400: Global Feminisms with Melinda Plastas, Rebecca Herzig, Leslie Hill

GSS400: Understanding Disease with Rebecca Herzig

HIRE 320: Religion and Government in the Middle East with Ali Akhtar

HIWS 260: Women and Gender in Middle Eastern and North African History with Libby Nutting

INDS 100 African Perspectives on Justice, Human Rights & Renewal with Elizabeth Eames, Alex Dauge-Roth, Leslie Hill, Patrick Otim 

INDS 221: Venice to Tokyo with Ali Akhtar

INDS 301Z Race and U.S. Women’s Movements with Melinda Plastas

INDS s15: Health, Culture and Community with Karen Palin

JPN 102: Beginning Japanese II with Keiko Koneoda

JPN 302: Intermediate Japanese IV with Keiko Konoeda

JPN 401: Advanced Japanese I with Keiko Koneoda

JPN 350 Topics in Advanced Japanese with Keiko Koneoda, Hanna McGaughey

LATIN 102: Elementary Latin with Lisa Maurizio

MABI 255A: Mathematical Models in Biology with Meredith Greer

MATH 101: Working with Data with Scott Balcomb

MATH 105: Calculus I with Adriana Salerno

MATH 106 Calculus II with Katy Ott, Henry Boateng

MATH 110: Great Ideas in Mathematics with Adriana Salerno, Scott Balcomb

MATH 255F: Agent-Based Modeling with NetLogo with Meredith Greer

MATH 301: Real Analysis with Katy Ott, Meredith Greer

MATH 302: Topics in Analysis with Katy Ott

MATH 355: Numerical Analysis with Katy Ott

MUS 231: Music Theory I with Janet Bourne

MUS 232: Music Theory II with Janet Bourne

MUS 332: Mus Theory IV with Janet Bourne

NRSC 461: Psychoendocrinology Research Seminar with Nancy Koven

NSPY 463: Capstone Seminar on Human Cognitive Neuroscience with Michelle Greene

PE : Strength & Conditioning with Michaela Holland

PE: Indoor Soccer with Kelsy Ross

PE: Introduction to Weight Training with Mike Leonard

PHIL 213: Biomedical Ethics with David Cummiskey

PHIL 214: Ethics and Environmental Issues with Tom Tracy

PHIL 256: Moral Philosophy with Susan Stark

PHIL 257 Moral Luck and Social Identity with Susan Stark

PHIL 258: Philosophy of Law with David Cummiskey

PHIL 262: Philosophy and Feminism with Susan Stark

PHIL 324: Virtue Ethics with Susan Stark

PHIL 324E: Virtue and Emotions with Susan Stark

PHYS 106: Energy and Environment with John Smedley

PHYS 211: Newtonian Mechanics with Erin De Pree

PHYS 218: Engineering Physics with Mark Semon

PHYS 308 Introductory Quantum Mechanics with Erin De Pree

PHYS 409: Quantum Theory with Mark Semon

PLTC 125 States and Markets with Alyssa Maraj Grahame

PLTC 203 Colorblind or Racialized? Law and Policy in the Making of Race with Leslie Hill

PLTC 206: Politics of Development in Africa with Jeffrey Paller

PLTC 285 The Politics of U.S. Law with Ryan Williams

PLTC 290: Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa with Leslie Hill

PLTC 314: Space is the Place with Kate Bedecarre

PSYC 101: Principles of Psychology with Su Langdon, Susan Mangan, Rebecca Fraser-Thill

PSYC 210: Social Psychology with Helen Boucher, Michael Sargent

PSYC 211: Psych of Personality with Kathy Low

PSYC 218: Statistics with Amy Douglass

PSYC 235: Abnormal Psychology with Josh Goodman, Rebecca Fraser-Thill, Kate White

PSYC 236: Forensic Psychology with Luke Douglass

PSYC 240 Developmental Psychology with Rebecca Fraser-Thill, Georgia Nigro, Kate Snyder

PSY 274: Educational Psychology with Kate Snyder

PSYC 275: Psychology of Sport and Exercise with Su Langdon

PSYC 280: Emerging Adulthood with Jill Reich

PSYC 303: Health Psychology with Su Langdon, Kathy Low

PSYC 306: Positive Psychology with Helen Boucher, Susan Mangan

PSYC 323: Counseling Psychology with Yun Garrison

PSYC 340: Infancy with Rebecca Fraser-Thill

PSYC 341: Advanced Topics in Developmental Psychology with Rebecca Fraser-Thill

PSYC 342: Theories of Psychotherapy with Josh Goodman

PSYC 350: Examining College Life with Jill Reich

PSYC 378: Experiencing the Power of Picture Books with Krista Aronson

PSYC 381: The Self with Helen Boucher

PSYC 457: Community Based Research Thesis Seminar with Su Langdon

PSYC 457: Empirical Thesis Seminar with Rebecca Fraser-Thill

PSYC 458: Empirical Thesis Seminar with Michael Sargent

PTSO 291: Black Rebellions in the U.S. with Kate Bedecarre

PTWS 155: Women, Power and Political Systems with Melinda Plastas

PTWS 220: Gender, War, and Peace with Melinda Plastas

PYWS 343: Women, Culture, and Health with Su Langdon

REL 120: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism of the Middle East with Ali Akhtar

REL 133: Religion, Violence, and Nonviolence with Cynthia Baker

REL 235: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible with Cynthia Baker

REL 313: Human Suffering with Cynthia Baker

RFSS 120: Intro to Screens with Jonathan Cavallero

RFSS 240: Film Theory with Jonathan Cavallero

RFSS 391: Film Festival Studies with Jon Cavallero

RHET 100: What is Rhetoric? with Stephanie Kelley-Romano

RHET 120: Introduction to Screen Studies with Jonathan Cavallaro

SOC 101: Principles of Sociology with Marcelle Medford, Benjamin Moodie

SOC 217: Correcting and Controlling Behavior with Mike Rocque

SOC 206: Thinking Sociologically with Numbers with Michael Rocque

SOC 211: Crime, Justice and Society with Michael Rocque

SOC 217: Correcting and Controlling Behavior with Mike Rocque

SOC 236A: Urban Sociology with Marcelle Medford

SOC 236B: Urban Sociology with Marcelle Medford

SOC 350: Race, Crime, and Punishment in America with Michael Rocque

SOC 395R: Crime and Justice over the Life-Course with Michael Rocque

SPAN 210: Writing Spanish with Stephanie Pridgeon

SPAN 224: Protest and Justice with David George, Stephanie Pridgeon

SPAN 344: Gendering Social Awareness in Contemporary Spain with Francisca Lopez

Stem Scholars II with Lori Banks

THEA 132: Theater Technology with Michael Reidy

THEA 232: Lighting Design: The Aesthetics of Light with Michael Reidy

THEA 295: Stage Management with Justin Moriarty

THEA 362: Advanced Acting with Timothy Dugan

THEA 370: Directing with Timothy Dugan

WGST 100: Introduction to Women and Gender Studies with Melinda Plastas

WGST 355: Tobacco: Gender Matters with Melinda Plastas

WGST 400C: Understanding Disease with Rebecca Herzig

WGST 400D: Global Feminisms with Rebecca Herzig