Santa Clara University

• Experiential Learning
• Advanced Writing
• Pathways
• • Pathways Description and Proposal Invitation
  • Suggested Pathways
    

The Integrations component of the Core helps students discover and explore further connections among courses in the Core and the major. Integrations are not additional courses, but components of other courses in the Core or major. These courses emphasize engaged learning, critical thinking, civic life, communication, and intentional learning - skills that will enrich students' experience at the University and beyond.

• One course in Integrations incorporates experiential learning about social justice.
• One course in Integrations involves an advanced writing component.
• As part of Integrations, students also choose Pathways through the Core. Pathways are clusters of three or four courses with a unifying theme.
  

Pathways

Pathways are clusters of three (for Engineering students) or four (for Arts and Sciences and Business students) courses with a common theme.

Pathways will cultivate students’ abilities to make intentional, thoughtful, and reflective choices about their own educations; to study a theme from a number of disciplinary or methodological perspectives; and to perceive connections and relationships among ideas. Pathways represent an important part of the Integrations component of the new Core Curriculum.

The learning goals associated with the Pathways are Integrative Learning and Intentional Learning. These are "meta-level" goals relevant to the Pathway as a whole. They are not to be applied at the level of the individual course. Assessment of the goals will occur upon completion of the Pathway. Integrative Learning:  Objectives ·        Students will be able to describe connections among courses in their Pathways and between the Pathways and their majors. ·        Drawing on their Pathways courses, students will be able to analyze a significant issue from at least two different disciplinary or methodological perspectives. Intentional Learning: Objectives ·        Drawing on their Pathways experiences, students will be able to reflect on the learning process itself and on the past and future of their vocational and educational choices.

How do Pathways work?

·        Most students will take four courses with a common theme. Engineering students will take three courses with a common theme.

·        No more than two courses in a student’s Pathway may be taken in the same department.

·        Two courses in any individual student’s Pathway may fulfill the requirements for that student’s major. Engineering students may include only one course taken in their major department.

·        Pathways courses will normally be distributed through the four years at Santa Clara.

·        An individual student’s Pathway may contain no more than two courses in either the Cultures and Ideas sequence (C&I 1, 2, and 3) or the Religion, Theology, and Culture sequence (RTC 1, 2, and 3).

·        Only one course in a Pathway may be a “Foundations” course (normally taken the first year).

When do students declare Pathways? How and when will Pathways be completed?

·        By the end of the sophomore year, students will normally declare a Pathway (with a form similar to the major/minor declaration form, submitted to the Drahmann Center).

·        In the winter quarter of the senior year, each student will submit electronic copies of the following documents, to be maintained on a website or student learning e-portfolio:

               One paper or project from each course in the Pathway. Each paper or project should demonstrate the student's ability to analyze the theme associated with the Pathway from one or more disciplinary or methodological perspectives.

                A brief (two page) synthesizing paper explaining why each course paper or project was selected for inclusion; how the selected items, as a group, illustrate integrative, cross-disciplinary learning; and how the Pathway is linked with other curricular and co-curricular experiences at SCU. The paper will be graded Pass/No Pass.

How can faculty propose Pathways?

Faculty can propose Pathways by submitting a brief proposal describing:

·        The theme or topic of the Pathway

·        The name and department of a faculty member who will serve as facilitator (see facilitator’s honorarium)

·        The names and departments of participating faculty

·        At least ten courses from at least three different disciplines contributing to the Pathway

·        Potential connections among the courses in the Pathway

·        Disciplinary or methodological perspectives available in the Pathways courses

·        Potential links to RLCs or Centers of Distinction

·        Potential links to undergraduate research opportunities.

The Pathway proposal should list at least ten courses from at least three different disciplines contributing to the Pathway. When syllabi for existing courses are available, they should be included.

For Application Guidelines, see “Pathways Description and Proposal Invitation”

Approved Pathways, and the courses associated with each Pathway, will be announced.