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Summer Session Course Information

Summer Session 2020 Enrollment Is Now Closed

Announcements

June 4, 2020: Drop, Pass/No Pass, and Withdrawal deadlines have now been posted for Summer Session 2020. The last day to drop without record is June 5. The last day to elect a Pass/No Pass (standard P/NP policies apply) is June 12. The last day to withdraw with a "W" on the transcript is June 26.

May 19, 2020: The second round of Financial Aid applications will close this Friday, May 22, 2020.  No further aid applications will be accepted after this date.

May 11, 2020: The following courses have been cancelled:  CHEM 199, CSCI 110, PHIL 111, and SOCL 200.  The Summer Session Course Request Form has also been closed.

May 4, 2020:  The Summer Session Financial Aid Form has now been open for a second round of applications.  Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, and decisions will be made within one week.

April 30, 2020:  Holy Cross is now using a new payment method for Summer Session deposits.  Holy Cross students must use TouchNet to submit new deposits. The relevant authorization code has been emailed to Holy Cross students.  If any issues occur, please email summersession@holycross.edu immediately.

April 28, 2020:  Additional seats will be added to all closed courses on Friday, May 1, 2020 at 4 p.m. (EDT).  This will come in the form of a second section for HIST 149 (MTR 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) and HIST 122 (MWR 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.).  All other courses will have additional seats added to the existing section

April 27, 2020:  The first round of Summer Session Financial Aid applications has now closed. If you have questions about Summer Session, we encourage you to view the Summer Session Zoom Informational Webinar.  The password is:  2I%3+.6$  We recommend copying and pasting this directly.

April 23, 2020: Holy Cross is in the process of adding the following courses to STAR for Summer Session 2020.  Additional details about each course can be found in the Courses section at the bottom of this webpage.

BIOL 117 "Environmental Science" with Professor Kelly Wolfe-Bellin
PHIL 111 "Intro to Africana Philosophy" with Professor Jameliah Shorter-Bourhanou
PHIL 299 "Troubled Minds: Ethics of Trauma" with Professor MaryCatherine McDonald
RELS 230 "Theological Perspectives on Medical Ethics" with Professor Mary Doyle Roche
RELS 280 "Liberation Theology" with Professor Matthew Eggemeier
VAST 105 "Digital Art Studio 1" with Professor Rachelle Beaudoin  

April 15, 2020: Holy Cross has made the difficult decision that Summer Session 2020 will be conducted via distance-learning format.  All existing 6-week Summer Session courses have been converted to the distance-learning format, and some Summer Session courses have had time changes due to this conversion.

There may be additional distance-learning courses added, depending on demand.  If you are interested in a specific course that is not listed, or if you would like to fulfill a requirement that cannot be satisfied by any of the courses currently being offered, please submit a request for your class of interest using the Summer Session Course Request Form.  This form will remain open through May 4, 2020.
 

Quick Facts

  • Six week session runs June 1 - July 10, 2020.
  • Course options to be posted in mid-January.
  • Courses taught, with office hours, by Holy Cross faculty.
  • Courses have same standards/expectations as seen during academic year.
  • Tuition: $2,395 per 1.0-unit course (plus additional fees, where appropriate).
  • Non-refundable deposit of $250 is required to enroll. 
  • No federal financial aid available; very limited Holy Cross financial aid is available to Holy Cross students by application.
  • Permission to take two courses requires the approval of a class dean.
  • Course can be taken P/NP at same cost (but do not count toward 32 course requirement unless uncovered before graduation).
  • Course grade factors into Holy Cross GPA if taken for letter grade.
  • Each course must have a minimum number of students enrolled to run.
  • After tuition due date, it will be determined if each course will run. If enrollment does not reach the necessary minimum by mid-May, the course will be canceled.

Enrollment

Enrollment by applicants who are not currently matriculated students at Holy Cross is subject to acceptance by the College, available seating in courses, and approval by the individual professors.

For Holy Cross students, the first step to enable enrollment for Summer Session is to submit a $250 non-refundable deposit to the Bursar's Office. See the "Paying the Deposit" section for further details on how to do this either online or by mail. Deposits will be processed within 1-2 business days of submission and then students will be emailed further instructions regarding enrollment.

Enrollment begins February 21st for Holy Cross students and extends through May 29th. Enrollment begins February 28th for students from other Colleges/Universities and these students will need to submit a completed authorization form from their home institution; this form will need to be approved by Holy Cross before enrollment is permitted.  No students will be able to enroll until the non-refundable deposit has been paid. Within one business day of the deposit being credited to your account, the Registrar’s Office will activate you for summer session and you will be able to enroll in a course through STAR. You will be notified by the Registrar’s Office as soon as you have been activated to enroll for summer. Non Holy Cross students will be enrolled by the Registrar's Office and will receive an email confirmation once enrollment has been completed.

Deposit

Students are required to pay a $250 non-refundable deposit to be able to enroll in a class. Only under the following circumstances will a refund of the deposit be allowed:

  1. The class is canceled by the College and there is not another class the student wishes to enroll in.
  2. The student attempts to enroll in a class within one week of making the deposit and the class is full.

The deposit will not be refunded if the student decides not to enroll in a summer class or if the student attempts to enroll in class more than one week after making the deposit and the class is full.

Paying the Deposit

There are three options for paying the deposit:

  1. Electronically - a link will be available beginning February 21st. Online payments must now be made via TouchNet. To submit a deposit, scroll to the bottom of the TouchNet page, and click "Summer Session Acceptance".   On the subsequent pages click "Add to cart" and then enter the requested student information.  The "Authorization" code has been emailed directly to Holy Cross students.  Should you run into any issues, please email summersession@holycross.edu.
  2. By mail – send check or money order to the Bursar’s Office – be sure to specify that it is a deposit for summer: Bursar’s Office, One College Street, Worcester, MA 01610

Please note: the deposit cannot be made via wire transfer.

Financial Aid

There is no federal financial aid available for summer courses. There will be very limited Holy Cross summer aid for Holy Cross students.  Aid will ordinarily be considered for only one course. The second round of Summer Session Financial Aid applications will close Friday, May 22, 2020. Applications received by this deadline will be reviewed upon receipt, and decisions will be made within one week. No further applications for aid will be accepted after May 22.

If you require financial aid to be able to take a summer course, we advise that you not pay a deposit until after you know your financial aid status.  Remember, the deposit is non-refundable.

Important Dates and Deadlines

  • Deposits accepted beginning – February 21
  • Open enrollment for Holy Cross students beginning –  February 21
  • Open enrollment for students from other colleges/universities (authorization form required) beginning - February 28
  • Financial Aid application for Holy Cross students available – February 21
  • Financial Aid application due –  April 24 @ 12 p.m. (noon)
  • Financial Aid decisions announced - end of April
  • Full tuition payment due – May 15
  • You may add a course up to the beginning of the second day of class.
  • Last day to drop without record - June 5
  • Last day to elect Pass/No Pass (standard P/NP policies apply)– June 12
  • Last day to withdraw, with W posted to transcript - June 26

Tuition

Tuition is due by May 15. Once your Summer Session tuition charge has been posted to your bill, you can make an online payment from a checking or savings account via your TouchNet Bill+Payment account. If you run into any issues, please reach out to summersession@holycross.edu immediately. You will be dropped from the course for nonpayment and will not receive your deposit back. 

To enroll after May 15, full payment of tuition (which included the $250 non-refundable deposit) within one day of enrollment is required. You will be dropped from the course for nonpayment. You need to contact Kelly O’Brien at kobrien@holycross.edu so that you can be activated to enroll. 

Tuition Refunds

If the College cancels a class, the tuition will be refunded 100% (including deposit)
If you decide to drop the course before the second class meeting, you will receive 100% of the tuition (minus the $250 deposit) 
If you decide to drop the course before the third class meeting you will receive 50% of the tuition (minus the $250 deposit) 
If you decide to drop the course on/after the third day of class, you will not receive a refund.

Costs/Fees

Tuition - $2,395 per 1.0-unit course

Contact Information

For additional information or questions, email us at: summersession@holycross.edu

Courses

The following courses are planned for Summer 2020.

BIOL 117 "Environmental Science" - ***BIOL 117 IS FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW ENROLLMENTS***

Class Meeting Times: MTRF 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Kelly Wolfe-Bellin
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Natural Science Common Area; Environmental Studies Major/Minor
Note: This class cannot be used toward the Biology Major or Health Professions.
Required Book: "Environmental Science: A Global Concern" (14th ed.) by William P. Cunningham & Mary Ann Cunningham (Published:  2018 by McGraw Hill.    ISBN 13:  9781260153125)

The goal of this course is to provide an understanding of major environmental problems by studying their biological bases. Basic and applied material will be integrated in most sections. Basic topics include ecosystem structure, energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, community ecology, and population growth and regulation. Applied topics include human population growth, agriculture and food production, biodiversity and conservation biology, water and air pollution, energy use, and climate change.

CHEM 199 "The Science of Color" - ***CHEM 199 HAS BEEN CANCELLED***

Class Meeting Times: TRF 3 - 4:15p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Sarah Petty
Prerequisites: Students who have taken Professor Petty's Montserrat courses may not enroll in CHEM 199 "The Science of Color".
Requirements Fulfilled: Natural Science Common Area
Note: This class cannot be used toward the Chemistry Major.

Did color exist before animals could see? Why do leaves change color in the fall? If flamingoes are pink because of their diet of shrimp, could we feed them blueberries to turn them blue? The natural world is rich in color and we experience that color daily without questioning (or fully understanding) its origin. Beginning with a discussion of Newton’s rainbow and culminating in an understanding of the chemistry of modern paints, this course will explore the evolution of color from a scientific perspective. The measurable physical properties of light, the chemical structures of pigments and dyes, and the ways in which biological systems use these things will be discussed to provide an objective introduction to the science of color.

CLAS 145 "The Classics and Conflict in the United States"


Class Meeting Times: TR 2 - 4 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Timothy Joseph
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Historical Studies or Literature Common Area
Required Book: Contact professor

What have the works of the ancient Greeks and Romans meant to Americans? How have Classical texts and ideas been used, misused, and abused in the United States? This course provides a broad introduction to the Classical world and then surveys American engagement with Classical ideas and models in the revolutionary and constitutional periods, in debates about slavery and the abolitionist movements of the nineteenth century, and in discussions about race, gender, and class identity in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Students pursuing all majors are encouraged to bring their perspectives to the course.

CSCI 110 "Survey of Computer Science" - ***CSCI 110 HAS BEEN CANCELLED***

Class Meeting Times:  MWF 1 - 4 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor:  Saba Kadady
Prerequisites:  Mathematics and Sciences majors are not eligible to take this course.
Requirements Fulfilled:  Mathematical Science Common Area

This course is intended for students who are not planning to take further courses in Computer Science, but who would like a basic introduction to computers and programming. Students who are thinking of majoring or minoring in Computer Science or majoring in Mathematics or one of the sciences are strongly advised to take CSCI 131 instead of CSCI 110. This course provides an overview of some fundamental concepts in Computer Science. Topics include basic programming in the computer language Python, the digital building blocks of computers, computer networks. Half of the course is an introduction to computer programming. Emphasis is placed upon language independent topics such as structured programming, good programming style, the use of subprograms, and algorithm construction in general. The other half of the course explores how computers are built, how they operate, and what their fundamental limitations are. This is not a computer literacy course. We will not be covering how to use specific computer applications, such as web-browsers, spreadsheets or word processors.

ECON 149 "Statistical Analysis" - ***BOTH SECTIONS OF ECON 149 ARE FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW ENROLLMENTS***

Section 01 Meeting Times: MTR 1 - 2:30 p.m. (EDT)
Section 02 Meeting Times: MTR 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Robert Baumann
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Mathematical Science Common Area; Statistics requirements for Economics/Accounting, Anthropology/Sociology, Psychology Majors/Minors/Health Professors; and this Summer Session only, Statistics requirement for Biology Major
Required Book:  "Essentials of Statistics for Business and Economics" (8th ed.) by Anderson, Sweeney, Williams, Camm & Cochran (Published:  by Cengage)

This course introduces probability and statistics. After covering the basic summary statistics, the course transitions into the construction and the rules of probability, such as the permutations and combinations, addition law, multiplication law, conditional probabilities, and Bayes's Theorem. This knowledge is necessary for the study of random variables, which is the focus of the remainder of the course. Within random variables, topics include discrete random variables, continuous random variables, probability distribution functions, cumulative probability distribution functions, expected values, variances, sampling, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and the Central Limit Theorem. The course concludes with an introduction of least squares estimation that focuses on interpretation of the estimates and goodness-of-fit. 

HIST 122 "Food, Power, & Environment"

Section 01 Meeting Times: MWR 7:15 - 8:30 p.m. (EDT)
Section 02 Meeting Times: MWR 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Christopher Staysniak
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Historical Studies Common Area
Required Book: Contact professor

This class covers the history of American food from farm to fork with breaks from the past to explore a present snapshot of greater Worcester's food system, including the challenges and changes presented by our current extraordinary moment. This will include a mix of lectures, cooking (from home!), and presentations from a variety of industry and non-profit guest speakers. Mealtime will never be the same!

PHIL 111 "Intro to Africana Philosophy" - ***PHIL 111 HAS BEEN CANCELLED***

Class Meeting Times: MTW 12:30 - 1:45 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Jameliah Shorter-Bourhanou
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Cross-cultural Studies or Philosophical Studies Common Area

Africana theorists (whether they have degrees in philosophy) have views on existence, ethics, society, politics, feminism, and race. However, one may wonder why Africana ideology should be regarded as philosophical discourse. The goal of this course is to help students understand the value and contribution of Africana voices in the discipline of philosophy. Some of the theories that will be discussed in this course are Black Feminism and Womanism, Black Theology, Pan-Africanism, and race philosophy.

PHIL 299 "Troubled Minds:  Ethics of Trauma"

Class Meeting Times:  TR 12 - 2 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: MaryCatherine McDonald
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Philosophical Studies Common Area; Neuroscience Major/Minor (philosophical/historical requirement)
Required Book: Contact professor

After trauma, we can find traces of the past in the way we see the world, in our behavior as we relate to others, and even in our genes. But what, exactly, is trauma? And what does it mean to be traumatized? This course examines the very nature of trauma from the perspectives of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. While looking critically at the history of the study of trauma, we will turn our focus on the ethical dimensions of understanding and treating trauma. What can we - and what ought we - to do about trauma and our troubled minds? Students pursing all majors are encouraged to take this course.

PHYS 199 "Introduction to Meteorology" - ***PHYS 199 IS FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW ENROLLMENTS***

Class Meeting Times: MTWR 10 - 11:15 a.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Robert Garvey
Prerequisites: Sciences Majors are not eligible to take this course.
Requirements Fulfilled: Natural Science Common Area
Required Book: Contact professor

The goal of this course is to help students who are not science majors arrive at an understanding of the causes of a wide variety of weather phenomena that occur around the globe.  Providing students with such an understanding entails devoting about one-third of the course to introducing students to the physics they’ll need to become familiar with in order to grasp the connection between science and the weather.  
I assume the students have no previous knowledge of physics and very little memory of whatever math they were taught in high school. 

POLS 214 "Presidential Selection"


Class Meeting Times: MTWR 9 - 11 a.m.
Instructor: Donald Brand
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Social Science Common Area (1 of 2 courses required); Political Science Major
Required Book: Contact professor

This course will examine the way the United States chooses its president. While we will focus considerable attention on the current campaign for the presidency, we will also seek to understand this campaign within its institutional and historical context beginning with an analysis of the selection process designed by the American Framers. The selection process is divided into two major components, the nomination stage and the general election stage. We will examine issues associated with each and a variety of reform proposals: frontloading of primaries, contrasting levels of participation in primaries and caucuses, the role of the Electoral College in federalizing presidential elections, a national primary day, direct popular election of the president, voter ID laws and voter suppression. Each student will be assigned a historical presidential election to analyze.

PSYC 100 "Introduction to Psychology" - ***PSYC 100 IS NOW BY PERMISSION ONLY; PLEASE CONTACT SUMMERSESSION@HOLYCROSS.EDU FOR FURTHER INFORMATION***

Class Meeting Times: TWR 3:30 - 4:45 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Stephenie Chaudoir
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Social Science Common Area (1 of 2 courses required); Psychology Major; Health Professions requirement in psychology
Required Book: Contact professor

This course is designed to provide you with a foundation for understanding human behavior. From conformity and consciousness to morality and mental illness, you will learn how psychologists deploy diverse theoretical perspectives and scientific methods to understand why we do what we do. In this special summer offering of the course, we will also consider how biopsychosocial phenomena such as stigma-related stress contribute to physical health and illness.

SOCL 101 "The Sociological Perspective"

Class Meeting Times: TWR 10 - 11:15 a.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Renee Beard
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Social Science Common Area (1 of 2 courses required); Sociology Major; Health Professions requirements in sociology
Required Book: Contact professor

Drawing on what C. Wright Mills called the Sociological Imagination, this course will introduce students to the research methods, core concepts, and theories in the discipline of sociology. In addition to outlining the key methodological tools and theoretical frameworks employed by the field, the course readings and assignments will have a substantive focus on health, including macro dynamics like the social determinants of health as well as micro-level variables like the illness narratives of autism, depression, and cancer.

PSYC 199 "Introduction to Psychology & Sociology" (Summer Session exclusive) - ***PSYC 199 IS NOW BY PERMISSION ONLY; PLEASE CONTACT SUMMERSESSION@HOLYCROSS.EDU FOR FURTHER INFORMATION***
 

Class Meeting Times: TR 10 - 11:15 a.m. (EDT) and TR 3:30 - 4:45 p.m. (EDT)
Instructors: Renee Beard and Stephenie Chaudoir
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Social Science Common Area (1 of 2 courses required); Psychology Major; Sociology Major; Health Professions requirements in both psychology and sociology
Required Book: Contact professor

This course will introduce students to the research methods, core concepts, theories and disciplinary approaches of psychology and sociology. In addition to the seminal materials from each field, the overlap component will make comparisons across sociology and psychology and highlight important differences. Through the lens of social psychology and a focus on topics related to health and illness, the class will examine factors such as stress, stigma, deviance and social control.

RELS 230 "Theological Perspectives on Medical Ethics"


Class Meeting Times:  MTR 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Mary Doyle Roche
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Studies in Religion Common Area; Religious Studies Major/Minor elective; Catholic Studies elective; Health Studies ethics requirement
Required Book: Contact professor

This course will examine important developments in contemporary medical and health care ethics through the lens of Christian moral traditions.  It will introduce sources and methods of Christian ethics and the major themes of Catholic social teaching as they pertain to medicine and healthcare.  We will consider the challenges presented by COVID-19 together with other issues including public health priorities, care at the beginning and end of life, the ethical conduct of research, and healthcare access. We will ask, what are the theological and ethical implications of health as a personal and common good?

RELS 280 "Liberation Theology"

Class Meeting Times: TWR 12 - 1:15 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Matthew Eggemeier
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Studies in Religion Common Area; International Studies (Conflict & Conflict Resolution); Gender, Sexuality, & Women's Studies Concentration; Latin American, Latinx, & Caribbean Studies Concentration; Peace & Conflict Studies Concentraiton; Catholic Studies elective
Required Book: Contact professor

Based on the principle of God's special identification with history's oppressed, liberation theology explores the problems of biblical interpretation, church teaching and Christian commitment in the contemporary world. This course examines the relationship between the socio-political consciousness of marginalized peoples and their Christian faith. This course has three primary sections: (1) Black Theology (with a focus on structural racism and the relationship between Black Theology, Black Lives Matter, and mass incarceration); (2) Latin American Liberation Theology (with a focus on global poverty, immigration, and deportation); (3) Feminist Theology (with a focus on sexual violence, ecofeminism, and gender/sexuality).

SOCL 299 "Social Science Research Methods"- ***SOCL 299 HAS BEEN CANCELLED***

Class Meeting Times: MW 2 - 4 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Jeff Dixon
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Social Science Common Area Requirement. For the Summer 2020 semester, “Social Science Research Methods” fulfills the research methods (SOCL 223) requirement for Sociology majors and an elective for Political Science majors.

In this course, we will discuss social science research on a variety of topics, such as race, ethnicity, gender, class, sports, social media, health, politics, deviance and crime. You will learn how to read and evaluate research, as well as conduct your own research. Along the way, you’ll receive research ethics training through the Collaborative Institute Training Initiative (CITI). Planned components of the course include developing a survey, performing basic quantitative analysis, and conducting qualitative data analysis.

SPAN 100 "Elements of Spanish" – suitable for students with 0-2 years of high school Spanish; (SPAN 101/105 equivalent; prepares students to take SPAN 102, next course in sequence)
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Class Meeting Times: TWR 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. (EDT) and  TWR 2 - 3:30 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Elizabeth O'Connell-Inman
Prerequisites: None. Students may not enroll in this course if they have taken a higher level of Spanish. Students must complete the Spanish Background Questionnaire and, if appropriate, Spanish Placement Test in Moodle to determine if they are the appropriate level for this course.
Requirements Fulfilled: Language Common Area (1 of 2 courses required)
Required Book: MindTap for Hershberger/Navey-Davis/Guiomarr's "Plazas", 1 term Printed Access Card 5th edition (ISBN: 9780357424124)

This course is designed for students with 0-2 years of previous Spanish study. It provides a review of basic grammar and foundational vocabulary preparing students for study at the Elementary 2 level. Students will work on developing their listening, reading, speaking and writing skills and use cultural readings and videos that are designed to enhance critical thinking skills and encourage cross-cultural connections.

VAST 105 "Digital Art Studio 1"

Class Meeting Times: MW 1 - 3 p.m. (EDT)
Instructor: Rachelle Beaudoin
Prerequisites: None
Requirements Fulfilled: Arts Common Area; Visual Art: Studio Major
Required Book: Contact professor

A hands-on introduction to digital art making processes on computers. Generate and manipulate images and files within an artistic context. Think creatively, work digitally and examine the potential of digital art making as a new form of art. In addition to class projects and critiques, students discuss contemporary artists who use the computer in their work. Students are required to obtain an Adobe CC license for the duration of the course.