INTRODUCTION
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PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
A Liberal Arts Curriculum
We believe the best educational experiences we can provide for you
are those that allow you to develop skills that will serve you throughout
a lifetime of learning. Consequently, we offer a curriculum founded
upon a rich and acknowledged liberal arts tradition. All of our bachelor
degree programs provide a common foundation of general education
requirements designed to support the educational goals of the College.
You may choose to major in any of the recognized disciplinary or inter-
disciplinary areas or, in consultation with a faculty committee, you may
design your own major to aid in any specific academic interest or goal you
might have. This option for allowing students to participate in designing
their own academic programs is one that we believe not only encourages
enthusiasm and responsibility but also adds to the intellectual vitality of
the College. We also provide for tutorials and independent study in which
you may pursue a topic of special interest in close cooperation with a
faculty member.
There is historically recognized a common body of knowledge and
skills possessed by well-educated people. Our degree requirements are
framed with that body of knowledge and skills in mind, and our courses
are intended to foster and preserve it. At the same time, we work hard to
keep our programs flexible, our courses up-to-date, and our outlook toward
education innovative. Therefore, three other types of learning experience
are available: practicums and internships in off-campus and non-traditional
settings, international experiences, and exploration term projects.
The College operates on a four-one-four academic calendar, which
means that students enroll in four courses in the fall, one in the winter,
and four in the spring. The exploration term each January offers students
an opportunity for intense investigation of a particular subject for a period
of approximately four weeks. It may be a project proposed by a faculty
member or one designed personally by you and a faculty sponsor; it
may be held on campus or anywhere off campus, domestic or foreign; it
may be an overall introduction to a subject area or a specialized interest
investigated in depth. Whatever the project you choose, exploration term
is a time intended to provide you with a unique opportunity for creative,
experiential, and independent study.
Statement On Academic Freedom
It is the policy of Birmingham-Southern College to adhere to the
principles of academic freedom and tenure expressed in the “1940
Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure” agreed upon by
representatives of the Association of American Colleges and the American
Association of University Professors, and subsequently endorsed officially
