Students Seek Courses Between Semesters

From the October/November 2006 Issue of infocus

Beth Coulter, Accounting Senior in the OU Price College of Business and Mark Pelfrey, Intersession Coordinator, at University Outreach, College of Continuing Education, discuss the December Intersession schedule.

Photo courtesy of University of Oklahoma

To many exam-weary students, taking a class between fall and spring semesters is not exactly their idea of a fun way to spend time off-and understandably so after the conclusion of a busy semester. Yet, a growing number of students are seeking educational offerings during their winter breaks. These students may want to lighten an academic load during a regular semester or simply investigate an area of study beyond the normal curriculum. In response, institutions are offering diverse-and often very intriguing-course options.

Winter at Home or Abroad

"It's a win-win situation," says Carol Wilson, Director of InterSession and Special Academic Programs at the University of Miami (UM). "Intersession classes are a revenue generator-and they allow students to pick up extra courses." UM offers a variety of winter intersession courses in study areas ranging from business to music. A number of courses relate to the region, such as Miami's Multicultural Musical Heritage, Sports Industry in South Florida, and The Architectures of Miami, which are offered in December and January. "It's a really wonderful way for students to explore some new options," explains Wilson.

These options also include travel. A three-credit course on geological studies in the Grand Canyon is open to graduate and undergraduate students in January 2007. It includes backpacking, camping and hiking to observe the structural geology of the Canyon up close. UM also has a robust study abroad program, which includes an Intersession Abroad. The 10-day courses, coordinated through The University of Miami's Office of International Education and Exchange Programs, can be taken for credit and are faculty-led. The countries included in the program vary from year to year. For winter intersession 2007, visits to Italy, Egypt and Mexico are planned. The offerings depend on the interest of the instructors and approval of course material by faculty committees and have limited enrollment.

Intersession Helps Students at OU Finish in Four

Intersession at University of Oklahoma (OU) has a decades-long history, yet administrators are seeing a recent rise in interest.

"Intersession is gaining popularity. In the mid 1990s enrollment in winter was around 600 or 700. Now enrollment is hovering around 1100," explains Mark Pelfrey, Intersession Coordinator, at University Outreach, College of Continuing Education at OU

Instructors see intersession as an opportunity to introduce new topics, apart from those featured in the fall, spring, or summer sessions. Course proposals for winter intersession are sent out to all teaching faculty and returned in mid to late September. Select ones are proposed to the Chair and then approved by the Dean.

"Although we have grown to expect some repeat classes, each year it can be a different catalog of courses," explains Pelfrey. "We've had some interesting course titles from the History and Philosophy departments. We've even offered an Ethics of Star Trek course," he says. Between December 18, 2006 and January 13, 2007, students have a choice of nearly 60 courses, with intriguing titles, such as Hip Hop and the Media, and Sunken Continents, Lost Tribes, & Aliens: Science & Pseudoscience in Archaeology. Students can earn three credits during the three-week courses. Online courses are also offered.

OU has December, May and August intersessions. Students can take the classes for credit or audit them, and all courses are open to CE students. However, marketing for OU Intersession is currently geared towards traditional students as part of a university-wide campaign to encourage timely degree completion.

"Facilitating Intersession courses provides an opportunity for the College of Continuing Education to support the University's 'Finish in 4' initiative and keep in touch with traditional students in the main campus environment," said James Pappas, PhD, Vice President for University Outreach and Dean of the College of Liberal Studies.

Students at Brown University can travel to Hawaii during their winter break and study native life systems.

Photo courtesy of Brown University

Students Push for Winter Program at Brown

At Brown University, fostering community is a prime goal of the intersession program. January@Brown, a student-initiated, noncredit winter intersession program, will take place for the first time January 8, 2007-January 19, 2007.

"This was completely a student movement. The project had been on the docket at the University's Undergraduate Council of Students for little more than a year. The student group got it moved to the President's desk and got it approved," explains Karen Sibley, Dean of Summer and Continuing Studies at Brown.

Having a noncredit winter program is not entirely new territory for Brown-they have a noncredit winter travel study program to the big island of Hawaii-yet January@Brown is the first of its kind at the University. The pilot program offers 6 courses and enrollment is limited to 100 students. To further the sense of community, all students will be housed in a single residence hall and will dine on campus. Organized non-academic events and cultural activities will be offered. Like The University of Miami, Brown, located in Providence, R.I., will feature a seminar with a regional flavor: Storytelling and Urban Engagement: Providence Narratives.

Only five days after registration opened, the enrollment was nearly half full. Although budget constraints must keep enrollment numbers in check for now, future expansion of the program is not off the table. Sibley adds, "Let's do the pilot and see where we are."

—Kandace Gilligan