D-Term courses are focused, experiential learning classes not offered during the academic year. Classes are small in size and led by a Lawrence faculty member.

On-campus courses include workshops, fieldwork, or travel to sites or activities within a day’s drive of Lawrence. Travel courses take you to locations around the world for hands-on learning in an immersive setting. Look for courses coded DECM when registering.

Current D-Term Offerings

Check back as more courses are being added.

On-Campus Courses*

DECM 122 Food Politics and Culture (William Hixon)

This course examines political and cultural forces that shape what we eat as well as implications for public health and the environment. Course material includes academic writing, food writing, and popular commentary, and students will undertake cooking projects based on course themes.

DECM 137 Writing Your Life (Helen Boyd-Kramer)

An intensive writing seminar for those seeking to write memoirs, creative non-fiction, or other self-reflective prose. We will be writing, reading, and editing shorter daily pieces while developing a major theme or idea.

DECM 141 Improve Learning & Memory (Bob Williams)

In this seminar, students will study findings from the learning sciences and apply them in exercises designed to enhance learning and memory. Students will use the results of these exercises to explore the success of various learning strategies and discuss how they might be applied in their other Lawrence courses.

DECM 148 Intro to Tropes and Stereotype (Austin Rose)

Tropes and character types have come down through the advent of Western theatre and media to the present day. These characters have represented, and often embarrassed, those they portray from the earliest theatrical performances through international blockbuster films worldwide. Exploring their use and evolution of the good, the bad, and the ugly of various stereotypes will enlighten their perpetuation or suppression in future media.

DECM 150 World Energy Markets (David Gerard)

Amidst the dual threats of war in Western Europe and the prospects of catastrophic climate change, energy systems are at the fore of world attention. This course surveys world energy systems and markets, particularly the U.S. electricity system. The focus will be on a quantitative characterization of world energy sources and uses, along with theoretical and qualitative treatments of the economics and politics of world energy integration. Pending availability, classes will feature guests from business, government, and the academy.

DECM 153 Exploring Radio Drama (Tim Troy)

In our workshop, we will listen to and review scripts from the Golden Age of radio drama (1940s-1960s) and continue into the vibrant era of BBC productions (1970s-1980s). We will then sample from popular podcast-based dramas. Our experience culminates in writing and producing a short, original radio play created by each student; using each other as actors and collaborators

DECM 155 Dramatic Worldbuilding (Aaron Sherkow)

In this workshop course, we will explore how worlds and settings are created for audiences in a variety of media, including theatre, games, art, movies, and novels. Dramatic Worlds are the exciting homes for some of our favorite stories. To succeed, they need to be both evocative and understandable. Students will study worlds they love and create their own. No experience is necessary; curiosity is required.

DECM 238 AI Winter (Acacia Ackles)

In the 1960s and again in the 1990s, AI research reached a fever pitch, and then abruptly collapsed in a so-called “AI winter”. In this course, we will discuss the AI climate that led to winters of the past, examine the “AI Spring” of the present, and ask ourselves: is another winter around the corner? Discussion-based seminar. No prior experience in computer science is required.

*Non-travel courses with less than 5 students enrolled by October 23 will be canceled.

Travel Courses**

DECM 128 Urban Cultures – Bueno Aires (Gustavo Fares)

An introduction to Buenos Aires urban culture, this travel course will provide students with an experiential learning opportunity through a series of itineraries related to the city’s historical, political, literary, artistic, and musical scenes. The course will emphasize cultural exchange, engagement with the space, and personal transformation. Knowledge of Spanish helpful but not required. Travel cost: $3500. To secure your seat a $500 deposit by is due August 1, 2024. E-mail professor to request approval to register. PREREQUISITES: Instructor's approval and a series of readings

DECM 236 Newberry Library (Elizabeth Carlson)

The Newberry is an independent research library in Chicago with rich humanities collections ranging from the 15th century to the present. This seminar-style class will explore an interdisciplinary humanities topic in-person using the Newberry's collections, local cultural and historical sites and institutions, and/or other resources in the city of Chicago. The course topic and required projects will vary depending on the instructor(s). Travel cost: $1700. To secure your seat a $300 deposit is due by August 1, 2024. E-mail professor to request approval to register. PREREQUISITES: Previous course in the humanities.

DECM 237 Defiant City: A Natural and Social History of New Orleans (Alyssa Hakes and Elizabeth Schlabach)

This course is an interdisciplinary and immersive exploration of New Orleans. It examines core themes in New Orleans' social history, including the city's French founding, Spanish constructions of racial identity, antebellum enslavement, 20th-century migration and immigration trends, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also examines core themes in New Orleans' natural history, including the unique ecosystems surrounding the city and the environmental challenges of climate change, wetland loss, and flooding. Students will spend ten days fully immersed in New Orleans visiting sites of environmental and historical importance. Students will leave having achieved a greater understanding of New Orleans's unique challenges, what has made it America's most unique and defiant city. Travel cost: $2,000. To secure your seat a $300 deposit is due by August 1, 2024. E-mail professor to request approval to register.

**Travel courses that do not meet enrollment by September 20 will be canceled.