Educational Policy Committee Guidelines for Creating Connections
The Educational Policy Committee reviews and approves all Connections. Please send Connections Proposals to the Provost's Office.
All Wheaton students must complete one 3-course or two 2-course Connections as part of their General Education requirements. These sets of courses focus on a shared topic, area, issue, concept, problem, or historical era.
Each set of connected courses must include courses from at least two of the following six areas:
Creative Arts
Humanities
History
Social Sciences
Natural Sciences
Math/Computer Science
One goal of Connections is to expose students to a wide range of disciplines. Consequently, if a student's connection(s) do not include at least one course from the three divisions of Arts/Humanities (A/H), Social Sciences (SS), and Natural Sciences (NS), the student is required to take a course in the area not covered.
Connections Proposals submitted to the Educational Policy Committee should include the following (you may download the Connections Proposal Form):
1. Connections Title, course names and numbers, areas represented, and names of faculty involved.
Brief titles are recommended. Examples: "Victorian Era", "Food", "Elections", "Evolution", "South Asia".
Breadth: Indicate how many of the three divisions are included.
2. Rationale
Provide a brief overview of the topic and how the courses will be interconnected conceptually.
Explain how different disciplinary perspectives or modes of inquiry will be illuminated.
3. Structure
Describe the model by which the courses will be connected. In Paired Courses either students may be required to take both courses, or students taking the Connection may be a subset of students taking the individual courses. Linked Courses are sets of three or more courses.
Indicate any prerequisites that may limit accessibility of the Connection.
Normally, Connections courses are taught in the same semester or in contiguous semesters (fall-spring or spring-fall).
Note that it is possible for a course to be part of more that one Connection. It is also possible for a Connection to include some choice (for example a Connection could include one humanities course, one science course, and one of several social science courses.) Please be specific about all aspects of the structure so that the Registrar and Advising can formulate a workable registration process.
4. Development
Indicate the extent of modification needed in the courses in order to create this Connection. Modifications may range from minor revisions in the syllabi to the development of out-of-classroom shared experiences (speakers, fieldtrips, etc.) to full scale transformation of courses and the creation of new courses. Connections requiring extensive faculty development can be supported by Curriculum Tranformation Funds.
5. Foundations/Infusion
Specify if you expect any of the Connections courses to fill a Foundations requirement (FYS, Quantitative Analysis, Foreign Language or Beyond the West). Briefly indicate whether/how this Connection might contribute to our overall Infusion effort.
6. Syllabi
Please attach relevant course syllabi. If a new course is to be developed please give a summary description and indicate how it will fit into the departmental offerings.
7. Departmental Comment
Please include a brief comment by the relevant department chairs as to how the proposed connected course will affect departmental offerings and programs.
The Peer Tutoring Program offers group learning and individual sessions with trained student tutors. Schedules for Fall 2009 are posted below and are updated as needed.