First-year residents who select Academic Fusion LLCs will be automatically enrolled in one of Mills' introductory courses. Participants in each Academic Fusion LLC will take the course connected to their theme together and reside in close proximity to one another in Warren Olney Hall or Orchard Meadow Hall. Generally, the professor for this class will also serve as their first-year advisor. Over the course of the fall term, the professor, students, and a specially assigned member of the Division of Student Life will attend lectures, films, museum exhibitions, and other activities related to the central theme of their LLC. Finally, some classes will have an upper division student assigned as a teaching assistant who will offer help with coursework throughout the semester. The fall 2009 Academic Fusion LLC topics include: Ethnic Studies, French, Spanish, Philosophy, Music, History, and Pre-nursing. Please indicate your interest on your Mills College Freshwoman Residence Application/Agreement Form and rank your preference among the choices. Mills College will make an effort to place every student in the course and community of her choice, but please note that only a limited number of students can be accommodated in each class. The fall 2009 LLCs are described in greater detail below.

Please note: students in Pre-Nursing Program will be automatically enrolled in the Nursing Leadership LLC.

Ethnic Studies Living Learning Community
Course: Ethnic Studies 51: Introduction to Ethnic Studies: An introduction to the history, concepts, and issues concerning Ethnic Studies

The course compares the experiences of African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and Chicanas(os)/Latinas(os) within a global context. Historical, social, economic, cultural, and environmental resources are employed in analyzing the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Class activities include lectures, discussion, films, and guest speakers.

Professor: Déborah Berman Santana, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley
Professor Santana's research interests include economic sustainability, political sovereignty and environmental justice, theory and practice of community activism, political ecology, historical legacy of racism and colonialism, militarism and the environment, Latin America, the Caribbean, and U.S. Latinas(os).

French Living Learning Community
Course: French 1: Elementary French or French 3: Intermediate French

This LLC is open to all students interested in French language and culture. Students will be placed in either elementary or intermediate French based on an assessment of their preparation given during incoming student orientation.

Professor: Christian Marouby, License and Maitrise, l'Universite de Paris, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley

Professor Marouby's research interests include Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-century French literature and culture, with special interest extending to other periods, anthropology and cultural history.

History Living Learning Community
Course: History 11: The West and its Cultural Traditions I
This course offers an introduction to the history of the Western world, focusing on political, social, economic, religious, and scientific developments. It covers the period from prehistory to the coming of the modern era in the late 16th century.
Professor: Bertram Gordon, Ph.D. Rutgers University

Professor's scholarly interests include Modern European history, French history, the European right, cuisine history, history of travel and tourism, and the history of Mills College.

Music Living Learning Community
Course: Music I, Exploring Music: Performance, Creation and Cultural Practice

This course provides an introduction to music from the perspectives of performer, composer, improviser, instrument-maker, and scholar. Music will be studied as a social art, as a performance practice, as acoustic architecture and as spontaneous creation, as historical artifact and as cultural signifier. Projects for the class include playing music, listening and analysis, composing, recording, and writing. No knowledge of music, notation, or instrumental skill is necessary.

Professor: Fred Frith, MA, Cambridge University

Professor Frith's interests include Composition and songwriting; the performance of both composed and improvised music; collaboration in the fields of theater, dance and film; and improvisation pedagogy.

Nursing Leadership Living-Learning Community
(All pre-nursing students living on campus will be automatically enrolled in this LLC)

The Nursing Leadership Program (NLP) builds on students' coursework by providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to aspire to leadership roles within the nursing profession. Throughout the year, nursing students will participate in co-curricular, interdisciplinary leadership seminars and workshops. Some events provide "narratives of leadership" by inviting leaders in the nursing field to campus to speak to students about their career trajectories and self-initiated projects that exemplify leadership in action. Other events focus on skill-building such as empathy, conflict resolution, and self-advocacy. Students take most of their courses together and will be assigned a special advisor for this program.

Philosophy Living Learning Community
Course: Philosophy 10: Ancient Philosophy: History of European philosophy from the Pre-Socratics through the Stoics, with primary emphasis on Plato and Aristotle

Topics include the relation of philosophy to mythology; early scientific speculation on the origin of the cosmos; the problem of the one and the many; Socratic irony; Platonic and Aristotelian theories of the Forms; the nature of the good and the beautiful; Aristotle's theory of science; and the role of social and historical forces in shaping Greek philosophy.

Professor: Jay Gupta, Ph.D. University of Toronto

Professor Gupta's research interest include Nineteenth century European philosophy (particularly Hegel and Nietzsche); aesthetics; critical theory/political philosophy; and philosophy of mind.

Spanish for Spanish Speakers Living Learning Community
Course: Spanish 51: Spanish for Spanish Speakers: Language, Culture, Identity

This course is designed for Spanish speakers who demonstrate an ability to understand and produce Spanish but who lack significant previous formal instruction in the language. The main goal is to capitalize upon students' home-background and existing language skills, expanding the knowledge base and developing reading and writing skills. Special attention is given to the diverse cultural contexts and dimensions of Spanish as components in the recovery and development of students' identity formation process. (Open to Heritage/Home Background Spanish Speakers only.)

Professor: Hector Mario Cavallari, Ph.D. University of California, Irvine

Professor Cavallari studies Contemporary Latin American literature, Hispanic cultures, literary criticism, critical theory, Hispanic cinema, and cultural studies.

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Scholars in Action Living Learning Communities (SA-LLCs)
First-year residents who select Scholars in Action LLCs will live in Warren Olney Hall or Orchard Meadow Hall. Descriptions of each community can be found below. Each community will have its own faculty advisor and leader from the Division of Student Life.

Adventure Education Community
The Adventure Education Community provides residents the opportunity to explore the beautiful landscape of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Adventure Education uses outdoor experiences as a forum for teaching important skills and abilities applicable to all aspects of life at Mills College and beyond. Community experiences may include hiking, camping, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting. Adventure Education supports growth in integrity, leadership, social awareness, and appreciation of diverse ways of knowing and being. As a resident of the Adventure Education LLC, students will have opportunities to:

• broaden their capabilities, 
• develop their outdoor leadership, decision-making, and technical skills, and
• enhance their understanding of the relationship between people and nature.

Students who select to live in the Adventure Education Community should possess the desire to enjoy and learn from outdoor experiences. Prior experience with outdoor activities is not required.

Education Living Learning Community
The Education LLC brings together people interested in teaching, school reform, and community-based initiatives to foster powerful learning, greater equity in student achievement, and a more democratic society. Students will learn about schools, teaching, and education realities and reform in Oakland and the Bay Area, and will meet faculty in the Mills School of Education and learn about their research and practice to transform schools. Work with Bay Area teachers and will demonstrate how they are agents of change.

For students who are thinking of teaching, are concerned about schools and the state of K-12 education, or want to develop greater connections to the local community, this LLC offers those opportunities as well as the chance to live with like-minded classmates.

Leadership and Management Skills Community
This LLC is for students interested in becoming leaders in business or non-profit organizations. Students will engage in activities that enhance their understanding of leadership, and begin to acquire the skills needed to run an organization effectively. This LLC is also an ideal way to explore the 4+1 MBA. The 4+1 MBA is a joint Bachelor's and Master's in Business Administration (MBA), a professional degree that signals readiness to lead. Students in any major can earn a 4+1 MBA by including eight foundation courses in their undergraduate coursework, and adding a special internship and a year of graduate study.

Leadership and Social Justice Community
Mills women change the world in many ways. Students who choose to live in the Leadership and Social Justice Community will have the opportunity to develop their visions for creating change. Residents in this LLC will cultivate their potential for leadership, critical thinking, and civic engagement. Programming for the Leadership and Social Justice Community may include coordination of campus roundtables, teach-ins, and participation in bay area political actions. Using the Social Change Model of Leadership Development, participants will gain the critical life-skill of transforming theory into practice.

Science Living Learning Community
This LLC is a good starting point for students considering majoring in any of the scientific disciplines. It will provide an opportunity to live and work with students who are enthusiastic about science, but who have a range of interests from medicine to environmental science. While there is not a specific class associated with this LLC, most students in this LLC will take one (or more!) of Biology 4, Chemistry 4, Chemistry 17 or Calculus I in their first semester.

Spirituality Living Learning Community
Students who choose the Spirituality LLC are invited to bring with them an open mind, an interest in spirituality, and a willingness to contribute to the group's shared process. In an inclusive environment of respect, this LLC will explore varied spiritual and religious paths (including visiting local spiritual and religious communities), all the while being mindful that Mills is, as a reflection of our wider world, a religiously pluralistic community. In addition, students will participate in floor activities, and will have the opportunity to be involved in campus-wide spiritual and religious programs and events, as well as in student organizations. Come and learn from each other, as together we seek to build a community of inquiry, connection and celebration!

Sustainability Living Learning Community
The Sustainability LLC brings together residents interested in exploring their ideals, assumptions and awareness regarding how personal practices can foster a healthy environment. Students will have the opportunity to develop community leadership skills in promoting energy and water conservation, waste reduction, recycling and local food connections. Participation includes field trips to Bay Area off-campus organizations working to incorporate sustainability into community values or their businesses. Engaging with both on- and off-campus communities encourages exploration of the many different approaches to reinforcing a culture that respects, protects and sustains the environment.

Wellness Community
The Wellness Community is designed for students interested in living a physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually balanced lifestyle. Creating balance can be a critical component of success during college. Through participation in floor activities, residents will explore and create their own wellness philosophy. To promote healthy sleep patterns, this floor will observe extended quiet hours from 8:00 pm-8:00 am. Residents who select this community are expected to refrain from possession or use of alcohol and tobacco products while residing on the Wellness floor.

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