Goals:
During this week, you will write a short statement, "Beginning my Liberal Education." This statement will help you to reflect on your own understanding of a liberal education and its implications for your coursework at Grinnell. It will also (I hope) help you decide what classes to take this fall.
You will turn in a first draft of this statement at the beginning of class on Thursday, August 28. I will keep a copy of this statement in your advising folder.
Instructions for this assignment follow below.
Before your first meeting with me on either Monday the 25th or Tuesday the 26th, please do the following. (Be careful---this is exciting and it could take a long time!)
Read the "Mission Statement" on page 1 of the Grinnell College 2007-2009 Academic Catalog, and then read the section on "Education in the Liberal Arts" (pp. 1-32), paying particular attention to sections on "Elements of a Liberal Education," "Ways of Learning," "The First Year," "The Later Years," and "Academic Skills Services." Finally, read the description of the "Core Values of Grinnell College" (p. 275).
Begin your statement by writing a paragraph that explains what a liberal education means to you. This first paragraph should be brief, and can even begin, "For me, a liberal education means..." You should keep in mind Dean Skerrett's talk on Saturday, as well as the documents from the college catalog that define the liberal arts at Grinnell.
The goal of this first paragraph is not simply to parrot or mimic the language of Grinnell's definitions, nor do I expect you to uncritically accept those ideas as your own. Rather, the paragraph should present your own understanding of what a liberal education means in general or for you personally.
Having reflected on the goals of a liberal education at Grinnell, and for yourself, you should then take some time to ponder which courses to take in addition to our tutorial. Use your course schedule booklet and supplemental handouts (syllabus summaries and open/closed/cancelled courses) to make choices and consider alternatives.
Use your "Four Years at a Glance" folder to chart out a possible plan for your first two years. For the next two years, leading to your declaration of a major, we will be working together as advisor and advisee. I want you to begin thinking about the courses you definitely want to take in these two years, as well as the courses you need to take soon as prerequisites for other courses. Consider also the types of courses you might want to explore just because they sound interesting or lead to a possible major.
I strongly encourage you to consider taking a math class, a foreign language, or both during your first semester. Many majors require such study, and many students find it easier to continue without interruption from high school than to start again after a hiatus.
Creating this plan should be a fun activity that allows you to imagine your first two years at Grinnell. You will not be held to this initial plan (so write it in pencil, not pen!). The plan is not a commitment, but an opportunity to record at this moment your goals and hopes for the first two years.
Write down your top three courses, and at least one alternative for each. (You can use your sample registration card or any alternative format.) This means you come to me with a "Plan A" that includes three courses, as well as at least three additional courses that also sound like a good fit for you in your first semester to serve as backups in case you do not get your first choices.
Please also list any "extra" 1- or 2-credit courses you want to take, such as Reading Lab, Writing Lab, physical education, or music performance.
We will discuss your course choices in detail during our thirty-minute conference on either Monday or Tuesday. To prepare for our discussion, I want you to write a second paragraph in your statement, "Beginning my Liberal Education." The second paragraph of your statement should describe your educational goals for this first semester and explain how the courses that you have identified will help you to achieve those goals and get your liberal education off to a good start.
Gold course schedule book
Sample registration card or other list of first semester courses.
"Four years at a glance" form with the first two years completed.
A draft of your statement, "Beginning my Liberal Education." Includes the first paragraph defining a liberal education and the second paragraph explaining how your plans for the first semester relate to that idea of a liberal education.
To prepare for class, do the following.
Read the article on e-Reserve for our course by Hokanson called "Main Street and the Railroad", the short article by Quindlen called "Life of the Closed Mind", and the "Introduction" of They Say, I Say.
Be ready to discuss "Main Street and the Railroad" in the context of the topic of our course: Technology and Place.
Bring three copies of your draft of "Beginning my Liberal Education." Add a third paragraph to your statement that addresses one of these questions:
We will spend part of class working to revise and improve your statements.
Janet Davis (davisjan@cs.grinnell.edu)
Created August 20, 2008, with thanks to Kent McClelland