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