Department of Sociology

SOCY 015b, Social Relations and Society.

A study of how social roles and social status are constituted by social relations in everyday life; how boundaries between groups of people are constructed and maintained; and how group membership structures the opportunities and well-being of individuals. Consideration of the conditions under which individuals and groups engage in collective action and the resulting characteristics of contemporary societies. May count toward the Sociology major as an intermediate course.

SOCY 025 01 (21723), Reproduction in Global Contexts.

Final exam scheduled (Group 27) 05/06/2009 W 2.00

Examination of the ways in which societies organize reproduction. Historical and geopolitical differences in fertility levels and in access to family planning services and maternal care; fertility enhancement technologies; abortion prevalence and politics; eugenics and population policy; early and late childbearing, infertility, and adoption. May count toward the Sociology major as an intermediate course. Enrollment limited to freshmen. Preregistration required; see under Freshman Seminar Program. May count toward the Sociology major as an intermediate course. Enrollment limited to freshmen. Preregistration required; see under Freshman Seminar Program.

SOCY 041a, Sociology of Social Control and Criminal Justice.

The criminal justice system from a sociological perspective. Transformations in social control arising with the onset of modernity. Topics include policing, courts, the law, and prisons; costs and benefits of various contemporary solutions to the problem of social control; and the role of power and culture in shaping current policy and activity. Enrollment limited to freshmen. Preregistration required; see under Freshman Seminar Program.

SOCY 086a, Chinese Society Since Mao.

An overview of the major social institutions in contemporary China, with a focus on the changing relationship between individual and society. Use of print and visual sources to explore the social consequences of China's recent retreat from socialism and its rapid integration into the global economy. May count toward the Sociology major as an intermediate course.

SOCY 092b, Health, Culture and Society.

A study of conceptions of health, using race, ethnicity, class, and gender as primary categories of inquiry. Emphasis on analytical paradigms for understanding the relationship between biological and sociocultural definitions of health, illness, and disease. Topics include human rights, social justice, illness narratives, and community health. Enrollment limited to Freshmen. May count toward the Sociology major as an intermediate course. Also: AFAM 092b.

SOCY 110b, Human Societies.

An introduction to the sociological imagination — that is, the ways in which a sociologist recognizes and analyzes the underlying social structures that condition our interactions with each other and with groups, institutions, and society as a whole. Classical social theory applied to issues of race, gender, family structure, crime and deviance, poverty, technological change, the “culture wars,” and other contemporary issues.

SOCY 115b, Contemporary American Society.

The major demographics and central dynamics of contemporary U.S. society. Use of sociological theory to analyze social macrostructures and their historical change. Major fault lines in American society; how social structures shape social landscapes. Population and migration, social class, education and social mobility, gender, family and the life course, race, ethnicity and urban poverty, social movements and popular culture, and religion and community.

SOCY 118 01 (21724), Numbers and Society.

Overview of quantitative approaches in the social sciences. Topics include social networks, demography, and social inequality and mobility.

SOCY 121b, The Sociological Imagination.

Introduction to the study of modernity and sociology. Topics include the dramatic rise of capitalism and colonialism, new forms of social inequality, the advent of democracy and bureaucracy, and the contested role of religion in modernity. Readings from contemporary writings on postmodern social life that are informed by, and react against, the classical sociological tradition. Preference to freshmen and sophomores.

SOCY 130a, Social Problems.

Examination of social problems as a constituent part of public discourse. Overview of theories of social problems. Attention to the role of organizations and media of mass communication in the production of social problems and in the elaboration of policies to address these problems domestically and globally.

SOCY 131b, Sociology of the Arts and Popular Culture.

An introduction to sociological perspectives on the arts and popular culture. Topics include the relationship between culture and society; the role and meaning of the arts from a sociological perspective; mass culture and the culture industry; culture and commerce, art, and politics. Analysis of artworks, classical and popular music, film, and literature. Offered in Beijing, China. For application procedures see under Peking University-Yale University Joint Undergraduate Program.

SOCY 133a, Computers, Networks and Society.

Comparison of major algorithm-centered approaches to the analysis of complex social network and organizational data. Fundamental principles for developing a disciplined and coherent perspective on the effects of modern information technology on societies worldwide. Software warfare and algorithm sabotage; blockmodeling and privacy; legal, ethical, and policy issues. No prior experience with computers required.

SOCY 134b, Sex and Gender in Society.

Introduction to the social processes through which people are categorized in terms of sex and gender, and how these social processes shape individual experiences of the world. Sex and gender in relation to race/ethnicity, class, sexuality, nationality, education, work, family, reproduction, and health.

SOCY 135, Islamic Societies, Culture, and Politics.

The historical development of the global Muslim community, from its origins in seventh-century Arabia through its spread over subsequent centuries into the Middle East, Africa, Central and South/Southeast Asia, and the West. The tremendous variation and complexity expressed in society, culture, and politics across the Islamic world; Islam as a unifying factor on critical issues such as religious practice, political structure and activism, gender, and cultural expression.

SOCY S135, Society and Politics of North Africa (Taught in Morocco).

This two-credit course provides an overview of North African societies and politics (encompassing Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya). Topics covered include colonialism and nationalism, ethnicity, political systems and democratization, Sufism, political Islam, migration, development, gender, urban planning, environmental issues, and popular culture. Taught in Morocco, the course immerses students in the subject matter through multiple field trips (including Fez, Meknes, Rabat, and Marrakesh), meetings with local experts, and optional home stays with Moroccan families.

SOCY 140b, Four Giants of the Modern World: A Comparison of Societies.

An introduction to comparative sociology through study of selected issues in contemporary China, France, Japan, and the United States. Focus on the relationships between individuals and society across the life course. Topics include the transition from school to work, marriage and parenthood, and support of the elderly.

SOCY 141b, Sociology of Crime and Deviance.

An introduction to sociological approaches to crime and deviance. Review of the patterns of criminal and deviant activity within society; exploration of major theoretical accounts. Topics include drug use, violence, and white-collar crime.

SOCY 143a, Race and Ethnicity.

An introduction to the study of race and ethnicity from a sociological perspective. Focus on how racial and ethnic differences are constituted and affect individual life outcomes. Attention to both local and national communities, as well as the political and economic bases of ethnic and race relations in the history of the United States.

SOCY 147b, Introduction to Social Policy Analysis.

Introduction to how policy is carried out – both nationwide and on a smaller scale – using the tools of markets, networks, bureaucracy, and legislation. Capabilities and limitations of those tools with respect to social structure, economics and the law.

SOCY 148b, Varieties of Capitalism.

An introduction to the political economy of dictatorship and democracy, economic growth, and varieties of economic systems around the world and throughout history.

SOCY 150a, New Haven and the American City

New Haven as a window on the problems and promise of American urbanism. New Haven compared with New York, New Orleans, Louisville, Cleveland, Houston, Denver, and San Francisco. Emphasis on the historical development of transportation, manufacturing, housing, governance, and culture. Problems of planning, education, class, and race.

Open to all students without prerequisite.

SOCY 151a, Foundations of Modern Social Theory.

Major works of social thought from the beginning of the modern era through the 1920s. Attention to social and intellectual contexts, conceptual frameworks and methods, and contributions to contemporary social analysis. Writers include Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Adam Smith, Marx, Weber, and Durkheim.

SOCY 152b, Topics in Contemporary Theory.

Overview of developments in social theory since the 1950s. Theories considered include structural functionalism, hermeneutical approaches, interactionist and phenomenological perspectives, rational choice, network theory, the new institutionalism, and theories of globalization.

SOCY 160b, Methods of Inquiry.

The theory, philosophy, and practice of research design in the social sciences. Modes of observation that social scientists employ; measuring and sampling techniques; debates over how to 'do' social science; ethical quandaries involved in social research. No background in social research assumed.

SOCY 161a, Survey Methods.

SOCY 162, Methods in Quantitative Sociology.

Permission of instructor required Introduction to methods for reading and conducting quantitative sociological research. Data description and graphical approaches to data analysis; elementary probability theory; assumptions and properties of bivariate and multivariate linear regression; regression diagnostics.

SOCY 166b, Method and Practice of Field Work.

A practical introduction to theoretical and methodological issues in qualitative sociology. Recommended preparation: SOCY 160a.

SOCY 168a, Historical Explanation.

Provides an overview of the how-to, and the payoff, of a historical approach to the study of politics. Covers a wide range of topics, from the classics of political science and sociology up to recent comparative historical work.

SOCY 183 02 (12026), Urban America

No regular final examination. Introduction to urban sociology and to the study of American urban society over the past half century. Emphasis on the economic, political, and cultural dimensions of urban growth and inequality; processes of class, racial, and ethnic group formation; urban social problems and policy; and local community organization and politics.

SOCY 188b, Religion and Politics.

Challenges to the view of religion as an archaic force destined to dwindle away in a secularized society. A historical and comparative investigation of the relationship between religion and politics in Europe and the United States, with comparisons to the Muslim world.

SOCY 196a, Urban Sociology.

An introduction to the sociological study of cities, reviewing its early history in Europe and in North America, particularly in Philadelphia and Chicago.

SOCY 197b, Issues in Contemporary Social and Cultural Theory.

This course provides a comprehensive examination of core issues in contemporary social and cultural theory. We will read some of the most influential authors in their attempt to grasp the changes occurring in the modern world since the Second World War. The theoretical perspectives include critical theory, conservative humanism, post-structuralism, post-modernism and post-colonialism

SOCY 198b, Health Social Movements.

Examination of how and why groups coalesce around issues of health and illness. Issues include racial discrimination and health; women“s health and reproductive rights; sickle-cell anemia; environmental justice; breast cancer; and HIV/AIDS.

SOCY 206b, Public Health in India.

This course explores the basic contours of the structure of public health in India through a socio-medical perspective. This will include an engagement with seminal theoretical, empirical and critical research on (1) Burden of disease; Communicable, Non-communicable and Unintentional Injuries (2) Management, governance and delivery of various health services to populations across the country and (3) Policies and Future challenges for the Indian government to promote the goal of universal health

SOCY 210, Sociology of the Welfare State.

SOCY 211a, Health and Inequality in India.

This course will explore the basic contours of the structure of inequality and health in India through engagement with seminal theoretical, empirical and critical research (1) on inequalities in society and medicine - natural and constructed - that influence health outcomes; (2) Health disparities that shape social and medical institutions and relationships and (3) research that evaluates and proposes health and social policy models for effectively tackling the relationship between inequalities in health and society.

SOCY 212a, Social Science, Law and Public Policy.

Critical assessment of social science research and its uses in public policy and law. Case studies illustrate interrelated themes: what social science research tells us about a problem; frameworks used in the legal/political discourse to address a question; and how social science is used in these frameworks to create law and policy.

SOCY 214b, Gender Inequality.

Survey of theory and research on gender inequality. Topics include the dimensions of gender inequality; work, fertility, and family; status quo and social change; gender and the welfare state; women in higher education; and labor market inequality in cross-national comparison.

SOCY 216a, Social Movements.

An introduction to sociological perspectives on social movements and collective action, exploring civil rights, student movements, global justice, nationalism, and radical fundamentalism.

SOCY 217b, Social and Economic Mobility: The Transmission of Advantage and Disadvantage between Generations.

This course will review research and theory in the study of intergenerational social mobility and intergenerational income mobility. It will focus on the US but place it in an international perspective. We will be concerned with what we know about social and economic mobility, how we know it (and how reliable what we think we know is), how we can understand it, and what light it sheds on questions of meritocracy and inequality of opportunity.

SOCY 218a, Youth and Social Change in South Africa.

The role of young people in the history of postcolonial Africa. The South African liberation struggle used as a case study. Historical review of the youth-led Soweto Uprising, with an assessment of first-hand evidence of participants; the rise of Black Consciousness ideology; youthful confrontation with and reaction to major social threats such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, and gender inequality.

SOCY 219a, Economic Sociology.

An introduction to the field of economic sociology, with attention to understandings of economic institutions and processes. Focus on the works of Karl Marx and Max Weber. Neoclassical economic theories contrasted with neoclassical sociological theories of economic, political, and ideological outcomes, including processes of globalization and racial identity formation.

SOCY 221b, Sex and Romance in Adolescence.

Sexuality - making decisions about when and with whom to have sex, understanding of risk, and measures taken to reduce risk - analyzed as a fundamentally social aspect of human development. Themes include cultural, socioeconomic, institutional, and relational determinants of adolescent sexual development and behavior; courtship processes; relationship formation and dissolution; sociological versus biological perspectives on sexual orientation; review and evaluation of interventions to promote sexual health.

Enrollment limited to sophomores except with permission of instructor. The prerequisite for intermediate courses is one introductory Sociology course or permission of the instructor.

SOCY 224a, Marriage and Family.

Sociological approaches to the study of the family, emphasizing both historical and recent change. Topics include social, economic, demographic, and cultural dimensions of family life; families and households in a global perspective; influence of public policy on family life; alternative institutional arrangements for sexual and emotional care and reproductive labor; family roles, responsibilities, and obligations over the life span.

SOCY 228a, Norms and Deviance.

A sociological analysis of the origins, development, and reactions surrounding deviance in contemporary society. Group labeling, stigma, power, and competing notions of propriety.

SOCY 232, Islamic Social Movements

Social movement and network theory used to analyze the emergence and evolution of Islamic movements from the early twentieth century to the present. Organization, mobilization, and framing of political, nonpolitical, militant, and nonmilitant movements; transnational dimensions of Islamic activism. Case studies include the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Hizbollah, Al-Qaeda, Al-Adl wa-Ihsann, and Tablighi Jama'at.

SOCY 246b, Sociology of Religion

Introduction to the main theoretical traditions and research problems in the sociology of religion. Focus on the role of religion in political conflict.

SOCY 247a, Collective Action and Social Movements.

The emergence and evolution of various forms of protest, including strikes, demonstrations, and revolutions. Case studies include the civil rights movement, the women’s movement in the United States, and social movement in Central America, South Africa, and elsewhere. Theoretical approaches range from ethnographic to mathematical models.

SOCY 306a, Empires and Imperialism.

Empire as a territorial organization of political power. Comparison of empires in historical periods from antiquity to European overseas expansion in the fifteenth through twentieth centuries, and in different geographic contexts in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Economic, political, and cultural theories of imperialism, colonialism, and decolonization.

SOCY 309a, Religious Nationalism.

Religious nationalism past and present, East and West; the normative issues the phenomenon raises. Religious roots of Western nationalism; nationalistic propensities of different religious traditions; conditions under which religious nationalism turns violent; and whether religion, nationalism, pluralism, and democracy are compatible.

SOCY 311 01 (11927) /SOCY547/WGSS301, Gender, Race, and Genetic Testing.

Overview of sociological approaches to genetics, including gene/environment interactions and the history of genetic medicine. A focus on genetic testing in Huntington's disease, pregnancy, cancer, and psychological disorders to explore how genetic information is provided to patients, and how patients experience genetic risk. Discussion of commercial firms offering direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

SOCY 312 01 (21318) Identity and Inequality in Urban America

No regular final examination. Permission of instructor required. Contemporary and historical manifestations of American cities; focus on ways in which inequality and identity shape urban landscapes, demographics, and lifestyles. The influence of race and class on politics, planning, housing, employment, community organization, and life opportunities.

SOCY 314, Inequality in America.

Course examines empirical, theoretical, and methodological issues involved in the study of social inequality in US. Readings will cover inequalities in education, income, health, housing/neighborhoods and wealth. We’ll also consider differences by gender, race/ethnicity, and the transmission of status across generations.

SOCY 316b, Genocide Studies: The African Experience.

Examination of the social foundations of and changes in knowledge regimes, epistemic cultures, and the value of knowledge. Topics include discursive orders, disciplines, and experts; the economic significance of knowledge; and dynamics of innovation, property rights, and the governance of science.

SOCY 320a, Knowledge in Society.

Examination of the social foundations of and changes in knowledge regimes, epistemic cultures, and the value of knowledge. Topics include discursive orders, disciplines, and experts; the economic significance of knowledge; and dynamics of innovation, property rights, and the governance of science.

SOCY 324a, African Americans and Social Thought.

Exploration of historical and contemporary writings by theorists of African American life, focusing on kinship, root-seeking, and diaspora.

SOCY 325b, Civil Society in China.

Discussion of the social and political consequences of China's entry into the global economy. Focus on patterns of inequality and the success of individuals and communities seeking greater social autonomy and political freedoms.

Prerequisite: at least one course focused on China after 1911. Knowledge of modern Chinese desirable but not necessary. Optional discussion section conducted in Chinese.

SOCY 327a, Sociological Views on Modern Art.

Exploration of sociological approaches to the analysis of art worlds and works of art. Discussion of visual art as a social field. Topics include the role of artists, markets, and institutions; modernity and avant-garde; art consumption as positional good; art as a self-regulating communicative system; the demise of beauty and the sublime as aesthetic concepts; and conceptual (minimal) art and the work of Gerhard Richter as beacons of postmodernity.

SOCY 330a, Civil Society and Democracy.

Normative and sociological theories of civil society and its role in democracy, with special attention to cultural discourses. The 1960s civil rights movements, the 1980s gay and lesbian movement, and more recent controversies over immigration; the role of mass media; power and the 2008 presidential election; issues of global civil society.

SOCY 335b, Sociology of Education.

Exploration of the central issues surrounding educational organization and policies, drawing on both theoretical conceptions and empirical evidence. Topics include the social stratification and segmentation of schools and colleges, inequalities and equity, governance and accountability, market forces and choice, institutional reforms, and strategic change.

SOCY 337b, Urban Poverty and Policy

Aspects of urban poverty such as unemployment, homelessness, welfare dependence, isolation, and educational deprivation in the context of recent, current, and proposed policies.

SOCY 338a, Social Interaction: Modeling the Emergence of Social Structure. .

In this course we will focus on some formal approaches to studying social interactions and building empirically testable models of sociological phenomena. Much of the course deals with game theory, in both its classical and evolutionary varieties, and we look in detail at some examples of sociological game theory and at how evolutionary game theory has developed into the approach sometimes called social, or endogenous, interaction models. We spend some time looking at these endogenous interaction models and their variants, such as diffusion and threshold models. Finally we look briefly at the use of agent based models and other simulation techniques in building models of social phenomena. The emphasis throughout is on applications: that is to say, the construction of explanatory models and their testing against empirical data.

SOCY 339b, Imperialism, Insurgency, and State Building in the Middle East.

Permission of instructor required

The historical evolution of political order from Morocco to Central Asia in the past two centuries. Focus on relationships between imperialism, insurgency, and state building. Ottoman, European, and nationalist strategies for state building; modes of local resistance; recent transnational developments; American counterinsurgency and nation-building initiatives in the region.

SOCY 344b, Religious Pluralism and Politics.

Consideration of the proper place for religious communities within democratic polities and the role that faith should play in politics. Review of the normative visions advanced by social and political philosophers (liberal, conservative, communitarian, and multicultural) in light of the historical experiences of pluralistic democracies (especially the United States and India, but also France and Germany).

SOCY 348a, Consumption and Chinese Culture.

Examination of how and why consumption and consumer behavior have varied in China since 1949, both to gain a broad overview of six decades of social change and to trace the shifting balance of power between Chinese citizens and the communist party-state. Extensive use of primary and online sources.
Optional discussion section conducted in Chinese.

SOCY 352a, Material Culture and Iconic Consciousness .

Exploration of how and why modern and postmodern societies have continued to sustain material symbolism and iconic consciousness. Study of theoretical approaches to debates about icons and symbols in philosophy, sociology, linguistics, pyschoanalysis, and semiotics. Use of case studies to analyze modern iconography in advertisements and branding, food and bodies, nature, fashion, celebrities, popular culture, art, and politics.

SOCY 353a, Technology, Identity, and Culture.

The social dynamics of information technology, focusing on issues of labor, class, gender, and race. Readings are drawn from the sociology of scientific knowledge, sociology of science and technology, and contemporary cultural theory.

SOCY 355b, Classical Social Theory: The Marx Weber Debate.

Close reading of critical texts by Marx and Weber. Evaluation of the authors“ differences and similarities.

SOCY 361, Demography Gender and Health.

Comparative survey of research in demography. The interplay of population processes and socioeconomic development; trends in fertility, mortality, aging, and health in both richer and poorer nations; the relationship between women's status and health and demographic outcomes. Readings from a variety of fields, including demography/sociology, economics, epidemiology, and public health.

SOCY 363a, Genocide and Ethnic Conflict.

Genocide and violent ethnic conflict in the past fifty years, including contributory historical and political elements. Consideration of ways to prevent or resolve such conflicts. Discussion of identity, religion, class, and nationhood as related to violence and conflict. Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia used as case studies to develop an analytical framework.

SOCY 366b, Race, Racisms and Social Theory.

Historical and theoretical issues deriving from the comparative study of races and racisms, with special attention to the relationship between the category of “race” and the development of the human sciences. A core consideration of “race” as a problem in the sociology of knowledge is supplemented by material from other disciplines: history, philosophy, economics, politics, and literature.

SOCY 367b, Citizenship and Civic Engagement.

Citizenship as a complex phenomenon; an instrument of social closure, a determinant of social policies, a normative ideal in political philosophy, and a model for political participation. Meaning and forms of citizenship and civic engagement in historical and theoretical perspective. Debates on the decline of civic participation and on the emergence of global civil society.

SOCY 369b, Welfare States across Nations.

Different societal solutions for dealing with social inequality and protecting citizens against the risks of old age, sickness, disability, unemployment, and poverty. Typologies of welfare state regimes, the politics of the welfare state, and the moral concepts that shape the welfare state.

SOCY 372a, Comparative Nationalism in North Africa and the Middle East..

The rise of nationalism in the Maghreb (or Arab West) and Mashriq (or Arab East). Introduction to major debates about nationalism; the influence of transnational (pan-Islamic and pan-Arab) ideologies, ethnicity, gender, and religion. Case studies from North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) and the Middle East (Syria/Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq).

SOCY 385b, Race, Gender and the African-American Experience.

Social constructs of race and gender as they affect individual and collective black experiences within social institutions such as education, family, criminal justice, media and entertainment, politics, and the economy. Ways in which these institutions produce and are constituted by race and gender inequality. Focus on theories of discrimination and on social movements that both differentiate and unite the black experience along gender lines.

SOCY 395a, Wealth and Poverty in Modern China.

Permission of instructor required; Meets during reading period.

Discussion of how access to property, capital, education, and political power have affected poverty and the distribution of wealth in China since 1911, with emphasis on contemporary inequality and social stratification. Extensive use of documentary and online sources. Optional discussion section conducted in Chinese..

AFST 401/501, Research Methods in African Studies.

The course considers disciplinary and interdisciplinary research methodologies in African studies. The focus of the course is on field methods and archival research in the social sciences and humanities. Topics include use of African studies and disciplinary sources (including bibliographical databases and African studies archives), research design, interviewing, survey methods, analysis of sources, and the development of databases and research collections.

SOCY 471a, Individual Study.

Permission of instructor required

Individual study for qualified juniors and seniors under faculty supervision. To register for this course, each student must submit a written plan of study approved by the adviser to the director of undergraduate studies.

SOCY 472b, Individual Study.

Permission of instructor required

Individual study for qualified juniors and seniors under faculty supervision. To register for this course, each student must submit a written plan of study approved by the adviser to the director of undergraduate studies.

SOCY 491a, Senior Essay and Colloquium for Nonintensive Majors.

Independent library-based research under faculty supervision. To register for this course, students must submit a written plan of study approved by a faculty adviser to the director of undergraduate studies no later than the end of registration period during the last term in which the senior essay is to be written. The course meets biweekly, beginning on Tuesday, September 9, in the fall term and Tuesday, January 13, in the spring term.

SOCY 492b, Senior Essay and Colloquium for Nonintensive Majors.

Independent library-based research under faculty supervision. To register for this course, students must submit a written plan of study approved by a faculty adviser to the director of undergraduate studies no later than the end of registration period in the term in which the senior essay is to be written. The course meets biweekly, beginning on Tuesday, September 8, in the fall term and Tuesday, January 12, in the spring term.

SOCY 493a, Senior Essay and Colloquium for Intensive Majors.

Independent research under faculty direction, involving empirical research and resulting in a substantial paper. Workshop meets biweekly to discuss various stages of the research process and to share experiences in gathering and analyzing data. The first meeting is on Tuesday, September 15, in the fall term and Tuesday, January 19, in the spring term..

SOCY 494b, Senior Essay and Colloquium for Intensive Majors.

Independent research under faculty direction, involving empirical research and resulting in a substantial paper. Workshop meets biweekly to discuss various stages of the research process and to share experiences in gathering and analyzing data. The first meeting is on Tuesday, September 15, in the fall term and Tuesday, January 19, in the spring term.