Science, Technology, and Society Requirements
Science, Technology, and Society (STS) is an innovative, cross-disciplinary field of study focused not only on how science and technology shape the world but also how social and cultural developments shape science and technology. Drawing on work in sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, media studies, literary history, and other fields, STS examines the deep cultural roots of our techno-scientific society and addresses pressing public policy issues. STS majors take courses across the natural, computational, and social sciences and the humanities to gain a well-rounded perspective on issues of science and technology. The STS major is excellent preparation for employment opportunities in both public service and the private sector, with recent graduates gaining employment in finance, tech, marketing, environment and sustainability, and government and policy career areas, among others.
Students planning to major or minor in STS should take ST112 (Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society) as soon as possible. Thereafter, STS students should take ST236 (Concepts and Methods in STS). STS students choose from a variety of electives and complete a yearlong senior research project.
Faculty
Chair, Tanya Sheehan, Ellerton M. and Edith K. Jetté Professor of Art
Core Faculty: Assistant Professor of Science, Technology, and Society Ashton Wesner; Lecturer of Science, Technology, and Society Thom Klepach
Affiliated Faculty: Assistant Professor of Philosophy Ben Baker; Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Justin Becknell; Associate Professor of English Aaron Hanlon; Faculty Librarian Kara Kugelmeyer; Assistant Professor of Anthropology Farah Qureshi; Ellerton M. and Edith K. Jetté Professor of Art Tanya Sheehan
Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Science, Technology, and Society
The STS major requires a total of 10 courses:
- One introductory course (ST112: Introduction to STS)
- One methods course (ST236: Concepts and Methods in STS or any of AM293: Methods in American Studies; SO271: Intro. to Sociological Research Methods; SC212: Intro. to Statistics and Data Science; or AY313: Researching Cultural Diversity)
- One 200-level or higher course in natural or computer science beyond the all-College N requirement; may be an N but need not be; may be a lab but need not be
- Two ST- or ST-approved courses focused on Technoscience Ethics and Justice (TEJ)
- Three additional ST- or ST-approved courses as electives
- One additional 300-level or above elective
- One STS senior seminar (ST485)
The following rules also apply:
- All courses not listed or cross-listed ST- in the catalogue must be from the approved courses list to count for STS credit.
- Courses taken abroad require the approval of the STS chair. No more than two courses for a semester abroad or four courses for a year abroad may be counted toward the major.
- No more than two 100-level courses beyond ST112 may be counted toward the major.
- Students with at least a 3.5 GPA in the major and at least a 3.25 GPA overall may request permission to undertake an honors thesis.
Honors in Science, Technology, and Society
The Department of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) provides an opportunity for students of high academic standing and excellent independent research skills to earn honors in the STS major. The Honors Program involves enrolling in four credits (via STS 483, 484), researching and writing an honors thesis, and presenting the thesis project to the Colby community. It is a significant undertaking that requires invitation, application, acceptance, and assessment by the department.
Honors Program Guidelines
STS majors who hold at least a 3.5 GPA in the major and at least a 3.25 major overall at the college will be invited to apply for the Honors Program in the spring of their junior year. If accepted into the program, students undertake preparatory reading and research during the summer and continue researching and writing in the fall of their senior year. They present their research to the Colby community and submit their final projects for assessment in the spring.
The Honors Program requires that students enroll in two courses totaling four credits during their senior year: ST483 in the fall (a CR/NC course) and ST484 (a graded course) in the spring. These courses do not count toward the total number of courses required for the STS major. To graduate with honors in the major, the thesis project must receive a final grade of A- or higher.
The honors thesis typically consists of a 50-page analytical essay based on independent research employing the critical methods and frameworks of STS, and is expected to make an original contribution to the field. Alternatively, a thesis project may take the form of a shorter essay (approximately 20-25 pages) if accompanied by significant community programming, original multimedia work (such as a documentary video), a public installation, or another presentation format appropriate to the topic and methods. Each thesis is reviewed and assessed by the thesis advisor (primary reader) at the college and a secondary reader at or beyond the college. The thesis advisor should have some expertise in the student’s area of research and may be any faculty member with an appointment in STS, a current member of the STS Faculty Advisory Board, the current department chair, or another Colby faculty member approved by the department chair. It is crucial that students receive agreement from a faculty member to serve in the role of thesis advisor before submitting their Honors Program application for approval. While the thesis advisor meets with their advisee at least monthly and is to be consulted on all aspects of the project that require faculty input (e.g., topic, sources, methods, argument), the second reader may be asked to consult on the thesis as needed during the spring semester of senior year. This secondary reader will typically be faculty in any department at Colby, but when appropriate can be a practitioner in non-academic fields, or a community member/leader with applicable experience/expertise.
An application to the Honors Program will include the name of the project’s faculty advisor; a project title; a project description of approximately 500 words; the student’s reflection on their educational preparedness for the proposed project; a preliminary bibliography; and a detailed work plan. The review committee for each application will consist of the department chair and the project’s proposed thesis advisor.
Timeline (JY = Junior Year; SY = Senior Year)
January JY Department chair invites students who meet the eligibility criteria to consider applying for the Honors Program.
Feb-Mar JY Invitees consult their major advisor and/or department chair about the Honors Program, possible thesis topics, and potential thesis advisors.
April 15 JY Invitees submit their Honors Program application to the department (via the Google Form provided) and submit online the college’s required Honors Program application (available on my.colby).
May JY Department chair and proposed faculty advisors review the applications received; communicate feedback and decisions to students.
Jun-Aug JY Honors Program students undertake preparatory reading and research for their thesis project; register for ST483, taken concurrently with ST485 (Senior Seminar).
Sept 1 SY Honors Program students submit a report to their thesis advisor summarizing their summer research, updating the project bibliography, and revising the work plan as needed.
Sept-Dec SY Honors Program students begin researching and writing their thesis; meet with their thesis advisor at least once a month to discuss the direction and progress of their work.
Nov SY Honors Program students register for ST484 with the approval of their thesis advisor and department chair.
Jan SY Honors Program students may elect to use this time to pursue off-campus research in support of their thesis project.
Feb SY In consultation with their thesis advisors, Honors Program students secure the services of a second thesis reader.
Feb-Apr SY Honors Program students continue working on their honors thesis and meeting with their thesis advisor. The focus at this stage will be on synthesizing research, refining the argument, and crafting writing. Students are strongly encouraged to share their work with other thesis writers in the department and with the experienced peer tutors at the Farnham Writers Center.
Mar 15 SY Honors Program students submit an abstract of their thesis project (150-200 words) to the department chair to begin marketing the end-of-semester research presentation.
Apr 15 SY Honors Program students submit the completed thesis to both the thesis advisor and the second thesis reader for final assessment.
Apr/May SY Honors Program students present their project to the Colby community, either in a session at the Colby Liberal Arts Symposium or in a departmental event.
May SY By the last day of spring semester classes, Honors Program students deposit the final version of their honors thesis to the department chair, adhering to the formatting guidelines provided.
Contact
For more information, please contact the department chair, Professor Tanya Sheehan, [email protected].
Requirements for the Minor in Science, Technology, and Society
Track 1. Social-Cultural (for majors in humanities, interdisciplinary studies, and social science): ST112: Introduction to STS; ST4xx: STS Senior Seminar (in senior fall or spring); five other ST- or ST-approved courses.
or
Track 2. Human Dimensions of Science (for natural science majors): ST112: Introduction to STS; ST4xx: STS Senior Seminar (in senior fall or spring); three other ST- or ST-approved courses; a two-course thematic cluster consisting of at least one 300-level or higher natural science, computer science, or mathematics course. The thematic cluster must be approved in advance by the STS chair in consultation with the relevant department(s). The final paper in ST4xx: STS Senior Seminar must integrate the thematic cluster with its social and cultural implications.
List of STS-Approved Courses
Please reference this list for STS-approved courses.