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 years 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, Mississippis 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 GWs 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 theyd 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 havent 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 years 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 Trachtenbergs 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. Its
an opportunity to put word out to the public about GWs strengths,
such as our location in the middle of Washington, DC.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
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Related Link
Summer
Sessions Web Site
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