Whittier Scholars Program courses challenge a student's thinking and create the foundation for their personal Educational Design.
For detailed information about each course's pre-requirements and credits, see the College Catalog.
Educational Design
Each Educational Design includes:
- One or two majors, which may be created by the student or taken from the College Catalog
- Up to two minors, which may be created by the student or taken from the College Catalog
- At least one off-campus experience
- A long-term faculty-sponsored, research-based project
- At least two courses from each of Whittier's academic divisions: natural sciences, social sciences, humanities & arts
- A college writing seminar
- A college math course
- Courses and other learning experiences that provide the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and respect differences among groups of people
- Competence in professional skills including initiative, intentionality, collaboration, and innovation/integrative thinking
- At least one methodological course
Courses
WSP 101 Individual, Identity, Community
This gateway course for the Scholars Program asks students to explore enduring questions such as; the relationship between the individual and the community; the role of education and the life of the mind; and the ways in which values and affect influence the formation of our questions. The course is designed to help students discern their own goals for their education and to yield fundamental research, communication, and problem-solving skills. With Director’s permission, waived for advanced transfer students.
WSP 201 Designing Your Education
This course requires students to think about their educational choices in the context of their own values, interests, aspirations, and aptitudes. Students define specific educational goals as well as pathways to achieve them. In-class examples, discussion, and reflection guide students as they develop their Educational Design Portfolio, which maps educational goals onto courses and experiences to be acquired during their academic journey. The course culminates in the Educational Design Defense, which typically takes place during or in the semester immediately following WSP 201.
WSP 299 Internship Reflection
This course, which must be taken simultaneously with an off-campus internship, provides the opportunity for students to reflect on their internship experiences, deliberately and consistently connecting their experiences to their academic learning objectives, and comparing experiences with those of their classmates. The goal of the course is to enhance the extent to which internships provide a learning opportunity for students. Director’s permission required.
WSP 301 Project and Portfolio Design
In this course, students practice research skills and create an action plan for their Whittier Scholars senior project, which may include a capstone project in a major. Through peer interaction and with the mentorship of a faculty sponsor, students define the shape and scope of their project, and prepare a bibliography, timeline, and proposal for the project. Additionally, seven students revise their Educational Design Portfolio to integrate evidence of progress toward their educational goals.
WSP 399 Praxis Reflection
This course, which must be taken upon completion of a non-internship off-campus experience, provides space to process and reflect on the experience. Through peer interaction, students will conceptually integrate their individual off-campus experience into their Educational Design Portfolio, and plan their next steps for off-campus learning during or beyond college. Must be taken in the term following the completion of the non-internship off-campus experience. Permission required if a student has already taken WSP299. Pre-req: WSP101 or junior standing.
WSP 401 Senior Project Workshop
In this workshop, students review their peers’ senior projects as works-in-progress while they complete their own senior project. Pre-req: WSP301. WSP 495 - Interdisciplinary Independent Study 1-4 credit Students for whom no course is offered that will serve as a senior seminar may take this independent study course with either the project sponsor or another faculty member, as decided in the Progress Report meeting.
WSP 498 Project Workshop & Symposium
In this workshop, students review their peers’ senior projects as works-in-progress while they complete their own senior project and present their senior symposium. Offered Fall only, for mid year graduates.
WSP 499 Senior Symposium
Generally taken during graduating semester. Practice for, attendance at, and presentation of the senior symposium and final Educational Design Portfolio.
