High School Seminars

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Each year since 1959, Colgate has given area high school students a taste of the college experience. Faculty and administrators teach four sessions, meeting for three classes each, during the academic year.

The university’s mission is to provide a demanding, expansive educational experience to a select group of diverse, talented, intellectually sophisticated students who are capable of challenging themselves, their peers, and their teachers in a setting that brings together living and learning.

The mission of the High School Seminar Program is to use Colgate’s resources to benefit the region by introducing area high school students to college-level topics that are not available at their schools and to encourage college attendance by providing them with the opportunity to experience a taste of life on a college campus.

Daily Schedule

Arrival: Buses unload students at Merrill House at approximately 3:45 p.m.
Classes begin: 4 p.m.
Dinner break: 5⁠–⁠5:45 p.m.
Classes resume: 5:50⁠–⁠6:30 p.m.
Departure: 6:30 p.m., students board buses at Campus Safety's parking lot.

High School Seminar Dates for Spring Session IV, 2025

  • Wednesday, March 26
  • Wednesday, April 2
  • Wednesday, April 9
  • Alternative weather date: Wednesday, April 16

Please email ramann@colgate.edu with any questions.

Current Course Descriptions

Chloe Walker, Assistant Archivist, Assistant Professor in the University Libraries, Colgate University

This course aims to introduce students to collection practices implemented in different repositories including galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM). We will explore what makes these repositories different, the subsets of each, and the organizational methods used in community and institutional collections. One of the classes will focus on handling materials and using primary resources in Colgate’s Special Collections and University Archives and University Museums. There will be an emphasis on storytelling through artifacts, historic preservation practice, and the collector's voice. The students will be guided in creating a personal collection of their own and how to organize and maintain it digitally. 

Wendy Llorente, Lecturer, University Studies, Colgate University

This course introduces high school students to the fascinating world of Spanglish. It explores the blend of English and Spanish languages, its usage, and cultural significance widely used by bilingual individuals across the United States. Students will explore loanwords in Spanish and code-switching between the two languages within sentences or conversations. Finally, We'll explore how Spanglish shapes Latinx identities in the U.S., particularly among first and second-generation immigrants.


Kyle Hutchinson, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Colgate University

This seminar focuses on the musical Wicked (recently adapted into a two-part film) and the ways in which music theory can illuminate several different aspects of the show’s musical score. In the class, we will learn some basic music theory terms and approaches and then use them to approach the musical in three different ways: through themes and motifs, relationships across its large-scale key structure, and its musical relationship to the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz. No prior music theory knowledge or experience is necessary (though a basic fluency with musical note names is helpful).

Jennifer Ostojski, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science, Colgate University

Along with the United States and China, the European Union is one of the major players in global politics. Why is that? This seminar will give students a solid overview of where the European Union came from, how it works, why it matters today in global politics, and why we should care about the organization here on the other side of the Atlantic. 

The Network and Nicole Blidy, Assistant Director of Haven, Colgate University

This 3-part course will bring in age-appropriate media examples and activities to explore healthy relationships. Together, we will work to define healthy and unhealthy relationships, understand consent, and imagine what a culture of consent looks like. We will work to validate one another's feelings and experiences, as well as establish practices and tools for healthy relationships. 

David McCabe, Richard J. and Joan Head Chair in Philosophy, Colgate University

We face ethical decisions, large and small, all the time.  What should I do with my life?  What goals are worth pursuing?  How do I balance my responsibility to help those near me with the plight of the unfortunate around the world?  Are the consequences of my actions all that matter, or are there other considerations that are also important?  In this class we'll explore these and related issues.

Session 1 will be a public lecture by Jeff McArn, former Chaplain at Hamilton College, entitled "Seeking Our Way in a Cynical Time"

Registration