ByGeorge!

April 20, 2004

A Study in Summer

GW Expands Undergraduate “Summer Institutes” to Spotlight Strengths


Registration has begun for on-campus summer sessions, a growing academic initiative at GW that incorporates unique programs, distance learning and required classes attracting thousands of students.

An expansion of undergraduate “summer institutes” highlights this year’s selection of classes, as these thematically linked courses offer a unique learning environment that includes guest lectures, small classes and intensive study with distinguished faculty members. Growing from just two programs last year, nine special topics will be offered in 2004, ranging from human rights, international communication and world security to the original special programs of “Broadcast Summer” and the “US Foreign Policy Institute.”

“We had a few trial balloons last year, so we went into it a little more systematically this year and got started earlier,” said Donna Scarboro, assistant vice president for special academic programs. “A couple of these programs really give students a jump start on a major or a minor that interests them. Others are just pulled together because of a thematic opportunity, such as the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education session.”

The Brown v. Board of Education program revolves around four sociology classes that will review the role of race in American society since the 1954 Supreme Court decision that outlawed “separate but equal” education. Courses will be taught by four distinguished professionals working on civil rights, including the national education director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). A complementary lecture series includes Julian Bond, NAACP chair, and William Winter, Mississippi’s former governor.

“This summer institute will reveal to students the ongoing role of race in dividing our country and the many costs we continue to pay for that division,” said Gregory Squires, professor of sociology and chair of the department. “It is a unique opportunity that we look forward to sharing with students at George Washington and others in the Washington, DC, area.”

Another example of an intense, four-class special program is the “International Communication” session, which will help undergraduates in the Elliott School of International Affairs gain a better understanding of the topic from global, government and private sector perspectives. One particular class will focus on the rise of Arab media outlets and the implications for social change in the Middle East. Steve Livingston, associate professor of media and public affairs and international affairs, directs this program and he has recruited four professors with unique backgrounds to lead each course, including ex-US Department of State officials and a former corporate government affairs director.

Another burgeoning arm of GW’s summer sessions is the distance learning component, which has grown from two to 30 offerings, according to Timothy Terpstra, director of summer sessions. Students take these online classes at their convenience with GW curriculum and GW faculty members instructing. Scarboro said that not only does the distance learning provide flexibility for students in taking classes whenever they’d like to during the day, but faculty members also benefit.

“The summer is a great opportunity for faculty to take the time to experiment with a new way of teaching that they haven’t worked into their schedule before,” Scarboro said. “We try to make sure some of what we learn from distance learning opportunities gets folded back into the year’s offerings. So the courses during the year may not be online courses, but many of the components developed can be used to do assignments and research projects.”

Scarboro said many of the students taking the online courses are actually on campus during the summer, but they are perhaps taking another classroom session and/or interning.

In addition to the special programs and online opportunities, GW offers regular undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as study abroad options. Terpstra said about 500 main campus courses will be offered this summer, along with 100 internships, readings and independent studies. He said most students come from the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

For all summer sessions, GW students comprise about 85 percent of the total number enrolled, according to Scarboro.

The summer session focus at the University will continue to grow, Scarboro said, partly due to President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg’s goal of utilizing facilities year-round. One of the features of the trimester proposal was making a summer session a requirement for all GW students. Scarboro said the University is now trying to take that idea and think of it not as a requirement, but as a well-designed summer program.

“Summer is often a time when the institution can try out ideas that, in many cases, do become normalized over time,” Scarboro said. “It’s an opportunity to put word out to the public about GW’s strengths, such as our location in the middle of Washington, DC.”


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