Exploration Term and Contract Learning News!

The first day of ETerm Classes is Tuesday, January 3. All classes meet at 1:00pm. A list of January 3 meeting rooms is available here.
A list of meeting rooms for January 4-31 is available here.
The last day to add or drop ETerm Classes is Thursday, January 5.

The Exploration Term Drop/Add/Late Registration Form is available here.
The Spring Contract Deadline Is February 20, 2011.

The Exploration Term and Contract Learning at BSC

Exposure, Experience, Enlightenment

What does hiking through Patagonia, swimming with dolphins, working with elementary school students in Harlem, or sailing a classic tall ship through the Caribbean have to do with college? If you ask this question in January, the answer is . . . plenty.

Birmingham-Southern College offers a mini-term between the fall and spring academic semesters. This four-week January term, known as the "Exploration Term," extends the classroom by giving students time away from traditional academics and activities and allowing them to engage in creative opportunities both on- and off-campus. Interim at sea

Exploration Term

BSC's Exploration Term program allows students to explore one topic or interest for the month of January. The focus of this intensive period is experiential learning, with the intention of enhancing the liberal arts education through hands-on practical experience and in-depth, personal knowledge. Students may choose from on- and off-campus projects, independent study or research, group and individual study-travel experiences, and challenging internships. Off-campus opportunities include service learning projects, which give students the opportunity to work with others in local, national, or international communities.

Specialized Exploration Term courses across BSC's academic departments are offered on campus each year. One Exploration Term project is required for each full year a student is enrolled, and students receive academic credit for their experiences. Interim in France

As a complement to Exploration Term courses, the faculty and staff sponsor numerous extracurricular activities during the Exploration Term in order to foster an atmosphere of exploration and learning on campus. The upcoming calendar of Exploration Term activities will appear here soon.

Contract Learning

Students who are interested in participating in an independent study or an internship for academic credit during the Exploration Term must complete a contract under the supervision of a BSC faculty member. BSC students have done all sorts of individualized projects, ranging from photographing the American West to investigating jazz music in New Orleans to compiling an oral history of the homeless.

Students usually contract projects during January, but contract-learning opportunities are available throughout the academic year.