History
Major and minor offered

History is more than a catalog of events and actors; it is an ongoing process of discovery and interpretation. All facets of human experience have a historical dimension — the power struggles of monarchs and presidents; the working lives of farmers, sailors and seamstresses; the spiritual lives of slaves; the cultural assumptions of colonizers; the intimate relationships of families, to name only a few. Even the telling of history has a historical dimension, since historians often disagree about exactly how things happened and why.

The variety of sources through which we understand history can encompass the full range of human expression as well — written documents, clothing, household items, artwork, advertisements, songs, buildings and public monuments, among others. By studying primary materials and divergent interpretations of history, students acquire and develop analytical and expository skills: they learn to critique and interpret sources, sift through and organize information, formulate persuasive arguments, and express themselves with clarity and elegance. In addition to graduate study, these skills are indispensable for work in law, journalism, education, government, non-governmental organizations and business. The study of history affords many additional benefits. It expands and enriches our understanding of the diversity of human lives over time across such boundaries as gender, culture, class, race, region and religion. It helps us think about how and why the world we know came to be and about our own places in it.

The history department at St. Lawrence offers courses in African, Asian, European, Latin American/Caribbean and North American history. Additional opportunities are available to students for independent study in areas not directly covered by the curriculum. History majors can build on their interests through off-campus study by participation in local internships, semester or year-abroad programs, summer travel courses, and fellowships. In addition to working in and teaching languages other than English, many of us are actively involved in area studies, gender studies and global studies, which offer minor concentrations for history majors.

Major Requirements

The requirements for the major in history are flexible enough to enable a student to pursue personal interests and goals and at the same time foster an appreciation for the diversity of the human experience. To qualify for a major in history the following minimum requirements must be met:

1. A minimum of 10 history courses must be completed.
2. At least four courses (at any level) must be drawn from four of the following broad categories into which the history curriculum is divided: (a) Europe and the ancient world, (b) North America, (c) Africa, (d) Central Asia/Eurasia/East Asia/Middle East, (e) Latin America and the Caribbean.
3. At least one of the 10 courses must be a 299 pro-seminar.
4. At least one of the 10 courses must be Senior-Year Experience (SYE) that may be fulfilled by a 400-level research seminar involving a substantial research project, by the two-semester Honors Project or by a 400-level independent study (see below).
5. No more than three courses at the introductory level may be credited toward the major.
6. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in the major.

Minor Requirements

A minor in history provides students with an opportunity to select courses that satisfy their interest in the field while learning the tools of the historian's craft. To qualify for a minor in history the following minimum requirements must be met:

1. At least six history courses, five of which must be at the intermediate or advanced level.

2. At least one of these courses must be a 299 pro-seminar.

3. At least one of these courses must be an SYE course.

4. Only one of these courses may be at the introductory level

5. Among the minimum of six courses, not more than one may be an independent study (489,490) or an internship (481,482).

6. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in courses in the minor.

Honors

The honors program in history enables qualified students to engage in intensive original work in the senior year. Admission to the program, at the discretion of the department, requires an -average of at least 3.5 in major courses. Students seeking admission must apply to the chair of the department during the spring semester of the junior year. Honors are granted upon the successful completion of an honors thesis written under the direction of a faculty advisor. Work on the honors thesis may earn two credits toward the major (History 498 and 499) and fulfills the SYE requirement. Completion of an acceptable first draft by the end of the fall semester (History 498) is required for admission to History 499 in the spring.

Certification to Teach Social Studies

Students seeking initial certification as a 7-12 social studies teacher can major in history. In addition to completing the certification minor in education, students majoring in history must also take: one economics course (Economics 100 Introduction to Economic is recommended if only one economics course is taken) and one government course (Government 103: Introduction to American Politics is recommended if only one government course is taken). Students must concentrate their studies in the major on courses that illuminate U.S. and/or world history and geography. Students are also encouraged to take courses in other social sciences and area studies to broaden their preparation for teaching social studies.

History majors intending to complete student teaching after graduation in the University’s Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program must complete the educational studies minor in education as undergraduates (or its equivalent) and all of the social science requirements listed above (or their equivalents). Consult the Education section of this Catalog and/or speak to the coordinator of the teacher -education program in the education department as early as possible.

Faculty

William Alfred Hunt, B.A., Wesleyan; M.A., Ph.D., Harvard
Professor of History

Anne A. Csete, B.A., SUNY Oswego; Ph.D., SUNY Buffalo
Associate Professor of History and Coordinator of Asian Studies

Judith A. DeGroat, B.A., M.A., Wisconsin ( Milwaukee); Ph.D., Rochester
Associate Professor of History and Chair of Department

David Tyrrell Lloyd, B.A., Eastern Nazarene; M.A., Penn State; Ph.D., UCLA
Associate Professor of History

Elizabeth A. Regosin, B.A., California (Berkeley); M.A., Ph.D., California ( Irvine)
Associate Professor of History, Associate Dean for Faculty, and Director of Academic Advising

Donna Alvah, B.A., California ( Irvine); M.A., Ph.D., California ( Davis)
Assistant Professor and Margaret Vilas Chair of History

Evelyn Powell Jennings, B.A., SUNY Oswego; M.A., SUNY Stony Brook; Ph.D., Rochester
Assistant Professor and Margaret Vilas Chair of History and Coordinator of Caribbean and Latin American Studies

Elun Gabriel, B.A., Haverford; M.A., Ph.D., California (Davis)
Assistant Professor of History

Melissane Parm Schrems, B.S.F.S., Georgetown; M.A., Ph.D., Boston University
Assistant Professor of History

Mary Jane Smith, B.A., Georgia; M.A., Ph.D., Louisiana State
Assistant Professor of History and Coordinator of U.S. Cultural and Ethnic Studies