John B. Hurford '60Center for the Arts and Humanities

Designed and run by students, Student Seminars explore topics through an interdisciplinary and collaborative lens.

Each spring, students are invited to propose a seminar to take place the following year in either the following fall or spring semester on a topic of their choosing. They are supported by a faculty advisor who helps in the development of the seminar curriculum and structure. Proposals may include site visits or inviting guest speakers to campus. Once accepted and approved, the Center issues a call for participation to all students and selects participants with a diversity of disciplinary perspectives and experiences. These not-for-credit seminars typically meet four to five times, and all books, materials, trips, and refreshments are funded by the Center.

Seminar participants are considered Undergraduate Humanities Fellows and eligible for a $150 stipend at the conclusion of the seminar to purchase other texts or materials related to the seminar once the final report is submitted.

New for 2023-24: This year, the Center is considering proposals that both work within the format of past student seminars, as well as proposals for seminars that take a different form and experiment with new ways of gathering and learning together. Possible formats could include:

• A series of trips to archives, museums, galleries, and other cultural organizations that explore a common theme
• Film screenings organized on- and off-campus that explore a common theme
• And many other possibilities!

Seminars can receive up to $2000 to support these trips, speakers, and creative elements. Students are asked to submit a preliminary budget as part of their applications.

To discuss your idea, contact Hurford Center Program Manager Kelly Jung to set up a meeting.

View Past Student Seminars

Fall 2025 Seminar

The ACT of Poetry: Analyzing, Creating, and Transforming Our World(s)

Seminar Leader: Shay O’Connor ‘27
Faculty Advisor: Brooke Bastie, English Department

In her 1919 work titled “Poetry,” Marianne Moore compares poems to “imaginary gardens with real toads in them.” True to this spirit, this seminar will investigate the dynamic power of poetry. We will both read and “do” poetry to address a range of important topics. Through discussions and interactive activities, we’ll use a variety of disciplinary lenses to engage with poems that represent different genres and perspectives. For example, we might look at how AI can contribute to the poetic process, meditate on the chemical composition of styrofoam, or consider the experiences of refugees fleeing conflict. We’ll use both analytical and creative frameworks to explore different poetic approaches. All students are encouraged to join, and no prior poetic experience is necessary since we will seek to make poetry personal and relevant. Ultimately, our goal will be to create a vision of poetry that goes beyond the limits of the page to consider how poetry can shape our World and our own personal worlds.

Seminar Leader Guidelines

• All student seminar leaders will meet with HCAH Program Manager Kelly Jung prior to the start of the seminar. They will work with leader(s) and participants to set a schedule of meetings and review responsibilities and processes.
• Groups should be composed of leader(s) plus six or seven students from a variety of disciplines.
• All seminar participants will meet as a group at least four times during the semester. Full participation is essential. Student seminar leader(s) will work with their peers at the beginning of the semester to create a schedule of meetings.
• The faculty advisor will assist seminar members in choosing reading materials and organizing a speaker event if so desired. The advisor will also serve as an engaged mentor throughout the process and can attend a planning meeting one of the seminar meetings during the fall semester.
• After the reading list is finalized, the Center will purchase and send the texts to students.
• Participants will provide a final assessment of the seminar experience in a form determined by the group.
• All books/materials/refreshments will be funded by the Hurford Center.
• Each student receives a $150 stipend to purchase books or materials broadly related to the seminar topic once the report has been turned in to the Center.
• The Center may also fund a visiting speaker who will address both the seminar group and the campus as a whole.

Purchasing and Procurement

Once a seminar proposal has been approved, the student leader will provide a detailed budget request. They will then work with the Program Manager to request materials related to the seminar and manage the seminar budget over the summer preceding the seminar.

Food/Refreshments

The Center will provide up to $25 per meeting for food. Leader(s) should save receipts for the duration of the Seminar, and submit them to Hurford Center Financial Administrator Assistant Kerry Nelson in VCAM 104 as soon as possible.

Speaker

The Center can support a visiting speaker to campus in the fall semester the seminar takes place. It is recommended but not required that the student leader works closely with a faculty advisor to develop a list of potential speakers and assure that the invited guests understand the character of this visit.

Reports & Undergraduate Fellow Book Allowance

Each Undergraduate Fellow receives an individual $150 stipend for books and materials related to the seminar topic once their report has been turned in.