Current Seminars
Sharpe courses are designed by university faculty to equip our students with community-based participatory research skills. Our courses immerse students in real-world engagement with social issues by asking big questions about society and examining the practical relevance of knowledge and community engagement for addressing issues. Sharpe courses train students to working ethically with and within communities through scholarship, action, and participation.
- All Sharpe COLL150 or COLL100 Courses are restricted to Sharpe Scholars.
Fall 2025 Courses
*All Sharpe Seminars fulfill either the COLL 150 or COLL100 requirement.*
SOCL 100 Populating Early 20th Century Black Williamsburg (Dr. Amy Quark)In this course, students will explore a key moment in the making of Williamsburg and its image in the world: the creation of Colonial Williamsburg from the 1920s to the 1960s. This construction of an historical tourism destination was cast as a critical turning point in the national pursuit of democracy: the creation of an ambitious “national shrine…dedicated to the lives of the "nation-builders” in the “cradle of democracy.” Yet, the wave of Black communities displaced in the name of this landscape of commemoration reveals how white supremacy remained the underpinning structure limiting the achievement of this ideal. This course will provide Sharpe students with opportunities to develop career-ready skills. Sharpe students will gain hands-on experience generating public-facing research designed to engage diverse voices in pressing debates over democracy. In the process, they will develop a powerful toolkit of analytical and methodological skills that have wide application to diverse career paths. Students will develop skills in identifying and collecting publicly available data from digital and physical archives, analyzing data to construct a historical narrative, and presenting this data in a compelling, public-facing product. |
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ENSP 100 Mapping for Community Nature Rx (Dr. Dorothy Ibes)Th |
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HIST 150 Southern Queer Theatre Research (Dr. Jay Watkins)Th |
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BIOL 100 From Knowledge to Discovery (Dr. Margaret Saha)一个 Please note that this course is for potential STEM majors. Co-enrollment with (or placement out of) introductory biology, chemistry, or physics is required. |
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