Interim and Contract Learning News!

A list of planned projects for Interim 2011 is now available!

Check out the exciting Study Travel Projects planned for Interim 2011.

Contracts for Summer 2011 are due by June 9, 2010.

The Interim 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 "Interim 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

Interim

BSC's Interim 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 Interim courses across BSC's academic departments are offered on campus each year. One Interim 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 Interim courses, the faculty and staff sponsor numerous extracurricular activities during the Interim term in order to foster an atmosphere of exploration and learning on campus. The upcoming calendar of Interim 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 Interim 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.