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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2016-2017
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(4) Connectivity.
Creative insight and generative problem solving frequently occur by
connecting previously disconnected areas of thought. In this vein, we expect students to
be able to identify and employ connections within one academic area, among academic
areas, and between the academy and the wider world. Two courses, one at the beginning
and one at the conclusion of the Explorations curriculum, assist in developing this ability:
one designated first-year explorations in scholarship seminar (ES)
one connection in scholarship senior experience, which serves as the capstone within
the major and includes a required public presentation
(5) Self-Directed Teaching and Learning.
In any exploration, unplanned, unscripted, or
non-routine events frequently provide the most memorable experience. Recognizing the
difficulty in scripting the unscripted, we hope to foster such unplanned insights by
providing a space for students to engage in independent study, seek out new opportunities
and experiences, and actively pursue those experiences based on their own interests and
concerns by enrolling in three units beyond their other general education requirements
and outside the disciplines of the major. Partial-unit activity courses in DA, MS, MU, and
THA may be grouped to equal one unit of the same experience. Approved independent
study (-93) and internship experiences (-97) may count.
Exploration Term
Exploration term refers to a period of four weeks during January that provides an
opportunity for innovation and experimentation for both students and faculty. The
projects offered during the Exploration term may vary in content and technique, but they
all share the goal of providing an opportunity for exploration not possible during a
regular term, including opportunities for study-travel or focused creative production. In
addition to faculty-led projects, students are encouraged to use initiative and imagination
to develop their own contracted projects through the Office of Exploration Term and
Contract Learning.
First-year students must enroll in an Exploration term project listed in the
Exploration
Term Bulletin
. They may not contract individualized Exploration term projects.
Following the first year of study, students may contract individualized Exploration term
projects. Contracted projects meet the same academic standards as projects listed in the
Exploration Term Bulletin
and must be supervised by faculty members from
Birmingham-Southern College. Each contracted project must be approved by the project
sponsor, the student’s faculty advisor, the appropriate department chair, and the
Exploration Term and Contract Learning Committee.
Students must complete at least two Exploration terms. Each project counts as a full unit.
Projects used to fulfill Explorations curriculum requirements must receive a letter grade.
For those majors where the Exploration term is used for the senior project, the senior
project must receive a letter grade. A transfer student who meets only the minimum
residency requirements for a degree must complete two Exploration term projects.