STUDENT ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND PERFORMANCE

Class Attendance

Class attendance policy is the prerogative of the individual instructor, and responsibility for class attendance rests with the student.  A student who is absent from class for any reason is responsible for arranging with the instructor to make up the work missed. When academic activities or class trips cause students to be absent from classes, the professor responsible for the activity will give the names of all students involved in the activity to the Office of the Dean of Students. Student athletes should consult the Student-Athlete Policy Manual regarding missing class for intercollegiate practices and meets. 

Academic Honesty

 Hiram College believes that the development of intellectual honesty is at the heart of a college education. The process of education is severely compromised if we cannot depend on the academic integrity of each member of the community. Moreover, the principles of academic honesty are aligned closely with the principles of good scholarship and research, principles of critical thinking and reasoning, and the standards of professional ethics. Thus, students who fail to practice academic honesty not only risk losing the trust of the academic community, they also fail to develop the most essential skills and abilities that characterize a college graduate.

Any student who violates the integrity of the academic process will be subject to punishment, including possible dismissal from the College. There are many forms of academic dishonesty, including the giving or receiving of help in any form on an examination, the sale or purchase of papers and test materials, the abuse of computer privileges and regulations, the misuse or abuse of online or library resources, and any other action which debases the soundness of the educational process.

Faculty members and librarians are expected to report all instances of academic dishonesty to the Associate Dean of the College, who will provide advice on an appropriate action.

Plagiarism

The most common form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism. An essay or term paper is designed to develop a student’s own ability to think clearly and critically about a subject and to express ideas fluently. Similarly, a laboratory report is designed to develop a student’s capacity to record observed phenomena and to interpret them correctly. A creative work in the arts is intended to demonstrate the student’s own creative abilities. If a student confounds these purposes by receiving unacknowledged assistance from an outside source, he or she is guilty of plagiarism. To avoid any suspicion of plagiarism, students should acknowledge any work not their own; in other words, any language, illustration, information, or diagram which is not original must be documented.

Hiram College expects students to develop a thorough understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and to avoid it in all forms of campus communication. When plagiarism occurs in work required for a course, it is particularly serious and becomes a reportable offense. Hiram College’s plagiarism policies are equally binding on both rough and final drafts.

Students must assume that collaboration in completion of assignments is prohibited unless explicitly specified by the instructor. Students must acknowledge any collaboration and its extent in all submitted work. This applies to collaboration on editing as well as collaboration on substance. (This statement is not intended, however, to discourage students from forming study groups.)

There are two categories of plagiarism offenses. Category I includes instances of plagiarism in which there is clear intent to falsify, mislead, or misrepresent another’s work as one’s own. An obvious example would be an attempt to hide the source of plagiarized material by not even including it in the paper’s bibliography. Category II includes instances in which there is not clear intent. Instead, there is evidence that the student made a simple mistake in citation, or did not fully understand what constitutes plagiarism. The process for dealing with cases of plagiarism is intended to facilitate the development of the student as a scholar who practices academic honesty. First offenses involve a penalty left to the discretion of the instructor and the Associate Dean. Students are expected to learn from these mistakes and, therefore, there is less tolerance for subsequent offenses.

Cases of plagiarism are handled in the following ways:

• The course instructor judges whether the offense is Category I or II.
• All cases of plagiarism are reported to the Associate Dean of the College who will maintain a database of plagiarism cases.
• Starting fall 2018, all students who commit plagiarism will be required to complete a free, online tutorial that will give them additional practice on this important topic.  After completing the tutorial successfully, students will be issued an electronic certificate that will become part of their academic record maintained by the Associate Dean's office.
• For first-offense, Category II cases involving an underclass (not a senior) student, the course instructor has the option of allowing a makeup of the paper or assignment, coupled with a penalty. These cases do not require a conference with the Associate Dean and the student.

All other cases require a conference with the Associate Dean.

• Category I cases, even if first offense, may result in an F in the course.
• A pattern of Category II offenses, or any second offense, will usually result in a suspension from the College.
• Records of plagiarism are kept by the Associate Dean. The student’s advisor is informed of the results of plagiarism cases.
• Appeals of plagiarism case decisions may be made to the Dean of the College. 

Undergraduate and Graduate Grading System

Letter Grades - Numerical Point Values - Description of Grade

The mark F means failing work; the mark NF means the student never attended the course and therefore failed; the mark SF means the student stopped attending the course and therefore failed. These marks are computed in the grade-point average.

A failed course must be repeated at Hiram College if the student is to receive credit in the grade point average. Successful repetition of the work does not remove the original grade from the transcript but does remove the F from the student’s grade-point average. The grade earned from the most recent enrollment in a repeated course is computed in the student’s grade-point average. (See Course Repeat Policy for additional information)

The mark P indicates passing work (grade of C- or higher) without specific reference to quality; it is not included in the grade-point average. The grades NC (no credit), AU (audit), ANC (no credit in audit course), and I (incomplete) are not included in the grade-point average. The NR (grade not reported) is not included in the grade-point average and is only assigned by the Registrar’s Office in cases where no grade has been reported by faculty.

Grade-Point Average

To determine a student’s grade-point average, the total number of points earned is divided by the total number of graded hours attempted, which are also known as GPA hours. Thus, a student taking 30 hours of work and earning 90 points would have a grade-point average of 3.00. Grades of W, P, NC, ANC, I, and NR are not included in this computation. When a course is repeated, the grade from the most recent enrollment in the course is the grade included in the student’s grade-point average. See each academic department for procedures to determine grade point average in departmental majors.

Course Repeat Policy

Repeating a Failed Course:  The mark F means failing work; the mark NF means the student never attended the course and therefore failed; the mark SF means the student stopped attending the course and therefore failed. These marks are computed in the grade-point average.

The course must be repeated at Hiram College if the student is to receive credit in the grade point average. Successful repetition of the work does not remove the original grade from the transcript but does remove the F from the student’s grade-point average. The grade earned from the most recent enrollment in a repeated course is computed in the student’s grade-point average. (Even if the most recent grade is lower than the former grade). Students will only be allowed to earn credit for a course one time unless that course is deemed repeatable in the course description.

While there is no institutional limit to the number of times a student can repeat a course, students should be aware of the following policies which include new federal financial aid regulations regarding repeated courses:

• The grade and credits earned from the most recent enrollment in a repeated course is computed in the student’s cumulative grade-point average.
• The original grade remains on the transcript with a notation that it has been excluded from the student’s term and cumulative grade-point average, while the most recently earned course grade and credits will be noted as included. The original credits are also excluded from the term and cumulative earned credits.
• For students who are eligible for financial aid, there is a limit to how many times financial aid will pay for repeating a course. If a student has failed a course, he/she may continue to receive financial aid to retake the course until a passing grade has been earned: a minimum passing grade of D- would be needed for a non-major course, while a higher grade may be needed to pass a course as required by a department for a major. If a student is retaking a course which they have already passed, he/she can retake the course once and receive financial aid for it. After that, it will no longer count in the semester hours to determine enrollment status for financial aid purposes (e.g. full-time status). For more information, please see the Financial Aid Handbook (www.hiram.edu/finaid/financialaiddocuments) or call the Financial Aid Office at 330-569-5107.

Incomplete Grade Policy

The Incomplete (I) mark indicates work incomplete for reasons beyond the student’s control. Normally, the student will have completed at least 75 percent of the course work. The student and instructor jointly file the Incomplete Grade Contract which states the reasons for the incomplete and sets a precise deadline for completion of the work. The Incomplete Grade Contract is available from the Registrar’s Office and through Faculty Portal.

Upon expiration of the contract, which may not exceed one calendar year, the instructor is obliged to record a permanent grade determined by the degree to which course requirements have been met. If no grade is reported by the instructor, the incomplete grade is permanently recorded as an F. Upon graduation, all course work listed on a student’s transcript must have a grade. Any incomplete course work must be assigned a grade by the instructor. If no grade is reported by the instructor, the incomplete grade is permanently recorded on the student's transcript as an F.

Change of Grade

The grade submitted to the Registrar by the faculty member is regarded as the final mark in a course. A grade cannot be changed unless the faculty member requests it, and then only with permission of the Academic Review Board. There will be a one-year time limit for challenging a grade, after which students forfeit their right to petition to change their grades unless extraordinary circumstances intervened.

Grade Appeal Process

Students may equate effort exerted on course projects with appropriate grades. Faculty, however, are professional educators charged with assessing the quality of student work, irrespective of student effort. Misunderstanding of what grades measure may lead to student disagreements with faculty regarding final grades.

Students with questions about a grade received on an individual assignment should discuss that grade with the instructor. Students with questions about a final grade should contact the instructor to ensure the accuracy of the recorded grade. If the instructor agrees that a grade change is warranted, the instructor will take the case to the Academic Review Board (ARB). If, after discussion with the instructor, the student still believes that his or her grade resulted from prejudicial, capricious, or otherwise unjust evaluation, he or she may appeal using the following process and timeline.

1. Step One, to occur within 10 working days of official grade posting on Web4student: The student sends a formal letter of appeal to the instructor stating the rationale for the appeal and meets with the instructor to discuss the grade. 
2. Step Two, to occur within 13 working days of official grade posting on Web4student:If the issue is not resolved, the student may appeal to the department chair, or, if the department chair has issued the grade in his or her faculty capacity, to the associate dean. 
3. Step Three, within 15 working days of official grade posting on Web4student:If resolution is not reached within the department after every effort has been made, the student may write a formal letter of appeal to the associate dean stating the rationale for the appeal and request a hearing before the associate dean.
4. Step Four, with 18 working days of official grade posting on Web4student: The associate dean, in consultation with the chair and the instructor, will make a final decision.
   

Documented extenuating circumstances may after alter the timeline stated above.

This process is designed to protect both the student, whose voice needs to be heard, and faculty, whose expertise needs to be trusted.

Departmental Honors

Graduating seniors may receive Departmental Honors if they meet the following criteria:

• An overall grade-point average of at least 2.80 and

• A departmental grade-point average of at least 3.60 and

• A sum of grade-point average (1 and 2) which equals 6.80

• Further requirements for departmental honors such as papers, examinations, performances, or productions. These will be determined by each department conferring the honors.

In addition, the student must be recommended by the department for these honors.

Graduation with Honors

Students may graduate cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude from Hiram College. Students who receive one of these honors are judged on the basis of cumulative grade-point average. The minimum grade-point requirements are 3.50 for cum laude, 3.70 for magna cum laude, and 3.90 for summa cum laude. Summa cum laude will be awarded only on the basis of an academic record with no more than three Pass/No Credit courses for a total of 12 semester hours, elected by the student. Summa cum laude will be awarded to transfer students only on the basis of no more than two Pass/No Credit grades elected by the student under the Pass/No Credit option.

Honor Societies

Hiram College has local chapters of many nationally organized honor societies. Each of these in its own right reflects the seriousness of academic pursuits. Together they exemplify the liberal arts tradition of honoring academic excellence in Hiram College students.

Phi Beta Kappa membership has long been recognized as the highest distinction an individual can receive for scholarly excellence in undergraduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences. It is a distinctive honor for an institution to be awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Since the founding of Phi Beta Kappa in 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, only 280 additional colleges and universities have been deemed worthy of sheltering a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

The Hiram College Chapter, designated Mu of Ohio, was instituted in the spring of 1971 and elected its first class of twenty seniors and two juniors in May of that year. The Chapter is an organization that exists independently of the College and is composed of professors, staff, and students. Admission to Phi Beta Kappa always represents a judgment by the Chapter about the quality of a student’s work at Hiram. Students who wish to be considered for Phi Beta Kappa must take courses in a broad range of liberal studies, including substantive work in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The national organization of Phi Beta Kappa requires that all candidates study mathematics and a foreign language to a level commensurate with a liberal education.

Criteria for membership in the Hiram chapter include a GPA of 3.7 or above (though students with GPAs of 3.6 or above who have extraordinary breadth may be considered); effective for the graduating class of 2015, the foreign language requirement is four semesters or through 10400.  For students graduating before 2015, the foreign language requirement remains at 10300; and at least one college level mathematics course (determined by consultation with members of the Department of Mathematical Sciences to exclude Mathematics 10100-19700). Courses of a pre-professional or vocational nature (i.e., accounting and related courses, music or theater performance, education methods courses, studio art, practica) cannot be considered in determining eligibility for Phi Beta Kappa. Any questions should be directed to the Secretary Erin Lamb.

Alpha Society membership is one of Hiram’s highest scholastic honors. Its members receive public recognition each year. Membership is limited to students who have completed 12 or more hours of graded course work at Hiram College and whose cumulative grade-point average is 3.75 or better.

Dean’s List is awarded each semester to students who, during the semester, complete 12 or more hours of graded course work at Hiram College with a semester grade-point average of 3.6 or better.

Kappa Delta Pi is a national education honor society of men and women devoted to the teaching profession. The purpose of Kappa Delta Pi is to promote excellence in and recognize outstanding contributions to education. Students who have reached junior standing, have maintained a 3.25 or better cumulative and education grade-point average, and have at least 12 semester hours of Professional Education courses are eligible for membership.

Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, was established at Hiram College in 1962. Juniors and seniors selected to membership hold responsible positions on the campus, have gained the respect of the student body for the quality of their achievements, and rank in the top 35 percent of their class.

Phi Alpha Theta is the national history honor society.  Hiram College's chapter, Alpha Iota Pi, was established in 2001. Membership is open to students who have achieved a minimum of a 3.1 average in at least 12 semester hours of history coureses, have attained a minimum of a 3.0 average in all other courses, and are in the top 35 percent of their class. 

Lamda Pi Eta is the official communication studies honor society of the National Communication Association. Hiram Colleges chapter, Zeta Lambda, was established in 2011. Membership is determined by an overall GPA of at least 3.00, a GPA in communication courses (equivalent of 12 semester credit-hours) of at least 3.25, junior standing, and a ranking in the top 35 percent of the class.

Degree Completion Requirements

Hiram College students are candidates for a Bachelor of Arts degree, which requires completion of 120 or more semester hours, or a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, which requires 133 or more semester hours.  Graduate students who are candidates for a Master of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies are required to complete 30 semester hours.

Both the BA and the BSN degrees require a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00. In addition, students must attain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 in their major field of study and minor field (where applicable). Each department calculates departmental GPA differently; please check with the Department Chair for the particulars.  The degree is awarded upon successful completion of all coursework and fulfillment of all requirements.  We consider each student to be responsible for fulfilling the current graduation requirements. Faculty advisors and the Registrar’s Office can provide assistance in explaining the graduation requirements.

In addition to meeting the above degree completion requirements, all traditional undergraduate Hiram College students must complete a major (a minor is not required) and fulfill the Core Requirements included in the following General Education Requirements:

• First-Year Colloquium
• First-Year Seminar or Foundations of the Liberal Arts 
• Core Curriculum Requirements: Creative Methods (CM), Interpretive Methods (IM), Modeling Methods (MM), Experimental Scientific Methods (SM), Social and Cultural Analysis Methods (CA), Experiencing the World (EW), Understanding Diversity in the United States (UD), Meaning, Ethics, and Social Responsibility (ES).
• The Interdisciplinary Requirement
• The Foreign Language Requirement (Effective Fall 2012 for all new students)
• Hiram Connect (Effective Fall 2015 for all new students)
• Capstone Experience

For more detail on each requirement, please see Academic Program: The Hiram Plan section.

Residency Requirement

Students must complete a minimum of 45 passed hours in residence at Hiram College, the last 30 hours must be done on the Hiram College campus or approved program. A minimum of fifty percent of major and minor coursework must be completed with Hiram College courses; some majors, including the individualized major, may require more. Transfer courses explicitly specified in an articulation agreement may be exempt from this requirement. Study abroad and study away programs that count toward a student's Hiram College earned hours count toward the residency requirement. Any exceptions to this policy must be granted by either the Associate Dean or Dean of the College.

Degree Completion Policy after Withdrawal

Major and general education requirements that are in effect the year (known as the catalog year) when the student initially enters Hiram College will remain in effect for the student during the five-year period from his/her date of entrance.  

Students who wish to return to the College after being withdrawn for longer than a calendar year and have First-year or Sophomore standing (55 or fewer earned hours) will be required to complete the current general education requirements, which may or may not be the same as those of the initial catalog year. 

Students with Junior or Senior standing will be required to complete the general education and major requirements of their initial catalog year. However, students who have been withdrawn from the college for longer than four years beyond their initial catalog year should be aware that Hiram College cannot guarantee the initial catalog year’s general education and major requirements will be accommodated. Moreover, any special arrangements for meeting the major requirements may be withdrawn after a one-year period.

Questions regarding general education requirements for readmitted traditional students should be directed to the Registrar's Office. 

Posthumous Degree Policy

An academic department may request the awarding of a degree posthumously; an honor bestowed at the discretion of the faculty. Minimum requirements for eligibility are:

1. The student was enrolled or medically withdrawn at the time of death.
2. The student was in good standing.
3. The student had a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
4. The student was within 30 credit hours of earning their bachelor's degree or 6 hours of earning their master's degree.

A posthumous certificate of recognition may be awarded, at the discretion of the faculty, for students not meeting one or more of the above requirements.

Senior Requirements: Residency and Graduation Application

The work of the senior year (the final 30 hours) must be completed at Hiram College or in a program approved by Hiram College. Any exception requires approval of the Associate Academic Dean of the College.

In order to graduate and walk in Commencement, a formal application for graduation must be filed with the Registrar's Office at least one full semester before degree requirements will be completed. Students may petition to graduate for either August (summer semester), December (fall semester), or May (spring semester).  

Additional Hiram College Bachelor's Degree

Hiram graduates who have already received either the B.A. or the B.S.N degree may wish to obtain the other bachelor degree. Students interested in pursuing this must adhere to the following graduation requirements:

• Students who have completed a Hiram College bachelor’s degree and thus all general education requirements within the last five years may be exempt from completing general education requirements for their second Hiram bachelor’s degree. All requirements for the major of the second bachelor’s degree must be completed as well as maintaining a major and cumulative grade point average of 2.00. Major requirements are set by each academic program. Therefore, students should consult with an advisor in the major on requirements for the major.
• Students returning to Hiram for their second bachelor’s degree and who have been away from the College for five or more years may be required to follow the College’s Core Curriculum general education requirements. Questions regarding status of general education requirements should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.

Students pursuing both a Hiram B.A. and B.S.N. simultaneously must complete all requirements for each major, earn a 2.00 cumulative grade point average as well as a 2.00 grade point average in each major, and fulfill all general education requirements.

Additional Hiram College Major or Minor after Hiram College graduation

Hiram graduates who wish to return to Hiram to complete an additional major or minor may do so by contacting the Office of Professional and Graduate Studies. In most cases, students returning to complete an additional major/minor will not be eligible for financial aid.  Questions regarding financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid Office.

Commencement Ceremony Participation

Undergraduate and Graduate students completing their degree requirements by the end of Spring semester, will walk in May’s Commencement ceremony.  Undergraduate and Graduate students completing their degree requirements in August or December will walk in the December Commencement ceremony.

In order to be reviewed for graduation and walk in Commencement, a formal application for graduation must be filed with the Registrar's Office at least one full semester before degree requirements will be completed. Students may apply to graduate for either August (summer semester), December (fall semester), or May (spring semester).  Students may participate in only one Commencement ceremony. 

HIRAM COLLEGE ACADEMIC REVIEW BOARD POLICIES

Suspension

A student who has been suspended once by the Academic Review Board is not eligible for readmission for two semesters (counting the Summer Session). In order to be readmitted, the student must provide the board with convincing evidence that the conditions that led to the suspension have been effectively dealt with and that he or she will now be able to meet the academic standards of the college. A student who has been suspended twice by the Academic Review Board is not eligible for readmission for five years.

*Requesting Exemption from Suspension for all Students

A request for exemption may be made to the Academic Review Board ([email protected]).  Students making such a request may also approach a faculty or staff member to request that they write a letter on the student’s behalf.   All petitions and supporting documents must reach the Chair of ARB by a deadline that will be communicated to all students when grades roll.  The date will be chosen to give students a minimum of 48 hours to prepare and submit their materials. 

ARB requests the following information be in the request for exemption of suspension letter:

• For each of the classes in which the student performed poorly, the student must explain the reason for their grade.  ARB is looking for specific student actions that led to this result, whenever possible. 

• The student is to identify the courses they plan to take next semester and provide a plan of action for performing well in the courses.

Students who request an exemption will be notified of the Board’s decision.  

Appeal of an ARB Decision
A student who wishes to appeal an ARB decision must submit a written statement to the Dean of the College within 4 business days after the decision has been communicated. Appeals may be made only on two grounds:

1. The ARB failed to follow its policies and procedures correctly;

2. There is new information that was not available to ARB at the time of the decision. 

The Dean will review the case and will make a final decision of whether to allow the student to return to the College on Academic Probation.

Classification of Students

Designations are made in accordance with the following table:

Enrollment Status

Transient Coursework

A currently enrolled Hiram College student may take courses as a transient student at another accredited college or university. A Transient Student Authorization Form must be completed and submitted to the Registrar’s Office for written approval of the courses prior to the student registering for the courses. Students must receive a letter grade of C or higher and prior approval in order for the credits to be considered transferable toward their Hiram degree. If courses are to be applied toward a student’s major or minor, written approval from the student’s major department or advisor must be obtained on the Transient Student Authorization Form.

Students who are regularly enrolled in another college or university may register as transient students to take a limited amount of work at Hiram College without becoming candidates for a Hiram degree. Contact the Registrar’s Office or the Office of Professional and Graduate Studies for additional information.

For information regarding transient courses taken during a study abroad not under Hiram College purview, refer to the Study Away section in this catalog.

AWARDING OF TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY

SUMMARY OF TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY

Hiram College follows an established policy in the awarding of transfer credit to ensure degree integrity. At the discretion of the Registrar’s Office, transfer credits are initially accepted to fulfill core curriculum credit or elective credit. Applicability of any accepted transfer credits to a major or a departmental requirement is expressly approved by the individual major departments. A student may transfer in unlimited hours of transfer credit; however, in order to receive a Hiram College degree, the student must complete a minimum of 45 semester hours at Hiram College. Therefore, students transferring to Hiram should expect to spend at least three semesters to receive their degree. The work of the senior year (the final 30 hours) must be completed at Hiram College or in a Hiram College approved program. Any exception requires approval of the Associate Academic Dean of the College.

Credit hour values transfer; grades do not. The credit hours from the awarding institution are applied to the student's degree, not the credit hours of the Hiram College equivalent course, if applicable. Hiram College operates on a semester hour system. Generally, semester hours transfer in equally as awarded by the issuing institution. Please see additional credit hour criteria below for more information. In the case of quarter hours, a quarter hour to semester equation is applied. Quarter hours are divided by 1.5 to provide the equivalent semester hours. For example, a course worth 4 quarter hours converts to 2.66 semester hours. If fractions remain in the total number of hours transferred in, that number is rounded down to the next whole number. For example, if a student transfers in 52 quarter credit hours, 34.66 semester hours remain after the conversion process. The 34 semester hours would be applied to the student’s academic record, and the student must successfully earn 86 semester hours in order to graduate.

Progressing towards graduation, transfer students may take a maximum of one-sixth of their Hiram course work under the Pass/No Credit option. For additional Pass/No Credit information, please refer to the "Pass/No Credit Regulations" and the "Graduation with Honors" sections of the catalog.

STATEMENT OF CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY HIRAM COLLEGE REGARDING TRANSFER OF CREDIT EARNED AT ANOTHER INSTITUTION

When determining transferability of credits, Hiram College follows the guidelines of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the American Council on Education, and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s, Inter-Institutional Transfer and Award of Credit guidelines. Therefore, the following three criteria are employed when evaluating transfer courses:

1. The educational quality of the learning experience being evaluated for transfer;
2. The comparability of the level, nature, and content of the learning experience to that offered by the receiving institution;
   • Transfer institution must be fully accredited by a Hiram-approved regional, national, international, or professional accrediting body.
   • Transfer courses must reflect a similar level of rigor to courses listed in the Hiram College catalog.
   • Transfer courses with no corresponding Hiram College course are evaluated based on the general standard of academic content.
3. The appropriateness and applicability of the learning experience to the programs offered by Hiram College, in light of the student’s educational goals;
   • Hiram College reserves the right to deny or award partial transfer credit for courses that do not meet these standards.
   • Only applicable courses, in which the student received a grade of "C" or better, are considered for transfer. This demonstrates that the coursework was completed at a satisfactory level.
   • Courses graded as "P" (Pass) or "S" (Satisfactory) are not accepted unless officially designated as equivalent to a grade of "C" or better by the institution which issued the grade.
   • A maximum of 75 hours of transfer credit may be applied toward the minimum 120 hours that are required to earn a Hiram College degree.
   • Certain programs with outside accrediting agencies or other departmental restrictions may not accept transfer courses older than 7 years.
   • Previously transcripted experience credits by a regionally accredited institution will be accepted by Hiram College; those student bringing experience directly to the College for consideration of credit must be reviewed and approved by individual academic departments and will be limited to 30 credit hours. For further information, please see Additional Methods of Gaining Transfer Credit.
   • An official transfer credit evaluation requires that an official transcript be received in a sealed envelope (unopened by the student) by the College Registrar’s Office, Admissions Office, or Professional and Graduate Studies. For information regarding international transcripts, please see the Origination of Coursework section below.
   • Upon receipt of an official transfer credit evaluation, students who wish to appeal a decision may request that the Registrar’s Office complete a re-evaluation. If, upon completion of the re-evaluation, the student has further concerns, the Dean of the College or the Associate Dean of the College may be asked to make the final determination.

ACCREDITATION CRITERIA

Determination of the institutional source and quality of coursework, as reflected by the accreditation held by the originating institution, is the overarching criterion used to assess the eligibility of a course for evaluation and the awarding of Hiram College transfer credit.

Accreditation affords reason for confidence in an institution’s or a program’s purposes, in the appropriateness of its resources and plans for carrying out these purposes, and in its effectiveness in accomplishing its goals, insofar as these things can be judged. Accreditation speaks to the probability, but does not guarantee, that students have met acceptable standards of educational accomplishment. While coursework from both collegiate and non-collegiate originating institutions may be considered in this process, each institution must be accredited by a regional, national, international, or professional accrediting body that is recognized by Hiram College. Coursework from institutions that do not have accredited status are not eligible for evaluation and awarding of Hiram College credit.

A. University Level Institutions

• Consistent with established educational practices, Hiram College evaluates and awards credit for courses at accredited post-secondary institutions (e.g., colleges, universities, community and junior colleges, technical colleges and institutes).

B. Non-University Level Institutions

• On a case-by-case basis, seminars, workshops, training programs and other formal learning experiences provided by non-collegiate agencies and organizations (e.g. Armed Forces, General Motors, licensure through national registries, recognition by foreign ministries of education, etc) may be eligible for consideration in the evaluation process. While some courses may be denied Hiram College credit, other courses may be deferred to the appropriate major department for further assessment and a Pass/No Credit determination. For further information, please see Additional Methods of Gaining Transfer Credit.

C. Other Institutions

• Credits earned at institutions such as proprietary business schools, vocational/technical schools, or other single purpose institutions are not transferable without individual assessment.

ORIGINATION OF COURSEWORK

Courses originating from accredited domestic, international, and inter-institutional affiliated institutions may be considered for transfer credit at Hiram College.

A. Domestic Institutions

• The evaluation and awarding of Hiram College transfer credit for coursework originating at U.S. institutions is based on official transcripts. To be eligible for evaluation, coursework must appear on an official transcript from the institution that offered the coursework and initially conferred the credit. Students may be asked to provide additional documentation such as course descriptions, syllabi, etc, for clear determination of applicability.

B. International Institutions

• The evaluation and awarding of Hiram College transfer credit for coursework originating at non-U.S. institutions is also based on official transcripts from the institution that offered the coursework and initially conferred the credit. Students may be asked to provide additional documentation such as course descriptions, syllabi, and certified true copies of translations if the original documents are not in English.

C. Inter-institutional Affiliations

• Coursework originating at a branch or regional campus of an institution will, for the purposes of evaluation and award of Hiram College transfer credit, be treated in a manner similar to coursework originating at the institution's main campus. This principle shall not apply unless the branch or regional campus is specifically and separately accredited.
• Further, it is recognized that some free-standing institutions have established close contractual relationships that, in terms of interdependent course offerings and academic record keeping, resemble a main-regional campus configuration. In those cases where such a relationship can be documented, the coursework is evaluated based on the accreditation criteria in this policy. For example, a student, while enrolled at Home University, a domestic, regionally accredited institution, takes courses at an affiliated foreign institution. The coursework is recorded on the Home University transcript in a manner similar to courses taken on the main campus of said university. In this case, the coursework is evaluated in the same way as courses taken on the main campus of Home University.

LEVEL AND NATURE OF COURSEWORK CRITERIA

The following levels of coursework are eligible for evaluation by Hiram College.

A. Post-Secondary Level

• Undergraduate and graduate level coursework is considered for the evaluation and awarding of transfer credit at Hiram College, regardless of whether the coursework is completed prior to or after high school graduation. Coursework that is clearly secondary is not awarded credit.

B. Undergraduate Level

• Lower division coursework typically taken during the first half of a degree, as well as upper division courses usually associated with the last half of a degree program, are determined to be undergraduate level coursework.

C. Graduate Level

• Hiram College grants up to six semester hours of applicable graduate level transfer credit, at the discretion of the Office of Graduate Studies.

D. Non-University Level

• Courses determined to be at a developmental level are not awarded Hiram College credit. This category includes but may not be limited to study skills, career skills, or employment focused courses.
• Hiram College does not award credit for host-based orientation courses, music lessons, or most physical education courses.
• Technical or skills-based courses are evaluated on an individual basis.

ADDITIONAL METHODS OF GAINING TRANSFER CREDIT

Hiram College awards credit based on minimum score requirements for select college level examinations. Examples include, Advanced Placement Level (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate Examinations (IB), and Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). Guidelines for awarding these types of credit can be found on the Registrar’s Office website:

Hiram College also recognizes that students may have acquired knowledge through life and work experience. Such learning may have come from outside seminars through one’s employer, volunteer work, community service, travel, military service, or extensive reading. It must be emphasized, however, that the awarding of advanced credit cannot be allowed to detract from the College’s commitment to the highest standards of academic performance. Hiram College does not award credit for the actual experience, but rather for the learning that has resulted from the experience. For example, a student would not receive credit for having lived in a foreign country, but must demonstrate that he/she acquired and possesses college-level knowledge as a result of the experience in that country. The quantity and quality are the basis for awarding credit. It is important to keep this in mind when considering whether or not to apply for experiential learning or outside seminar credit. For further information on additional ways of gaining transfer credit, please contact the Registrar's Office or Professional and Graduate Studies. 

AWARDING OF CREDIT TO FULFILL CORE, GENERAL EDUCATION, OR ELECTIVE REQUIREMENTS

Hiram College is committed to a rigorous, creative, and demanding intellectual environment that focuses on methods for acquiring knowledge and understanding about human beings and the world and to the development of socially responsible, ethical citizens

The Registrar’s Office determines if transferred courses, after meeting the requirements within the above Statement of Criteria, align with the learning outcomes of our Core Curriculum and General Education Requirements respectively, and therefore, fulfill said requirements. Decisions are made based upon course descriptions, syllabi, and, when needed, student writing samples from the course. If the Registrar’s Office is unable to determine clear alignment, the Dean of the College or the Associate Dean of the College will be asked to make the final determination.

Courses that do not fulfill Core Curriculum or General Education Requirements but align with the learning outcomes of Hiram College courses will be transferred in as elective hours, and may be applied to the student’s major upon approval by the appropriate department. Courses that do not have a similar Core or General Education course to align with, will be reviewed for transfer as such based upon course descriptions, syllabi, and if needed, student writing samples, in order to determine a reasonable match with the appropriate goals of a Core Curriculum or General Education Requirement.

AWARDING OF CREDIT TO FULFILL FIRST-YEAR COLLOQUIUM REQUIREMENTS

All Hiram College traditional students are required to complete both a First-Year Colloquium (FRCL) and a First-Year Seminar (FSEM). The Colloquia are a series of seminars on special topics across the liberal arts and sciences, designed to introduce students to college-level writing and oral communication. The First-Year Seminars continue the students’ introduction to the examination of substantial intellectual issues, while seeking to improve the students’ college-level writing and analytical abilities by emphasizing research across disciplines. Professional and Graduate Studies students are required to complete both Writing in the Liberal Arts and Foundations of the Liberal Arts (FDLA), which have similar learning outcome goals as the First-Year Colloquium and First-Year Seminar. For additional information on the goals of Core Curriculum, please see Hiram’s Core Curriculum section below.

The Registrar’s Office determines if transferred courses, after meeting the requirements within the above Statement of Criteria, align with the learning outcomes of our FRCL and WRLA, respectively, and therefore, fulfill such requirements. Decisions are made based upon course descriptions, syllabi, and, when needed, writing samples from the course. Those students, for whom the First Year Colloquium or Writing in the Liberal Arts is waived, are required to take FDLA, which is considered to be essential for a student's future success at Hiram College. In addition to honing research writing skills, the course strengthens oral communication, critical thinking and analytical skills. It is a top centered, discussion based course which provides a solid introduction to the liberal arts. 

Withdrawal and Readmission

Students who withdraw from Hiram College are not considered officially withdrawn until they have submitted a completed withdrawal form to the Dean of Students and have had an exit interview. All students who wish to return to Hiram College after having withdrawn for any reason must apply for readmission. Readmission forms are available to download at www.hiram.edu/registrar.  Readmission procedures must be completed prior to the beginning of the term for which the student has applied. There is a $100 deposit fee for readmission and a $100 deposit fee for housing, if housing is desired. Those who need financial assistance should contact the Director of Student Financial Aid, since previous loans, jobs, or scholarships are not automatically reinstated upon readmission.

Note: Application materials for Readmission following academic dismissal may also be found at www.hiram.edu/registrar, and should be completed and sent to the Academic Review Board Chairperson, c/o the Associate Dean’s Office. 

Hiram College reserves the right to deny readmission to any student for reasons including but not limited to outstanding financial obligations, academic deficiencies, college disciplinary actions, or convictions of criminal activity. Students will be informed in writing about the College’s readmission decision, and may appeal a denial of readmission to the Dean of the College. Appeals must be made in writing within three (3) business days of received denial and submitted to the Registrar’s Office, Hiram College, PO Box 67, Hiram, OH 44234.

Leave of Absence Policy

Students in academic good standing who qualify for any of the following may apply in the Vice President  & Dean of Students Office for a Leave of Absence:

1. Students studying or traveling away, but with Hiram College advisor and Associate Dean approval.
2. Students working on an incomplete grade authorized by a Hiram College faculty member.
3. A senior who needs one or more courses that are only offered the following semester (graduation audit required).
4. A student who needs a semester off in order to remain in the sequence of a particular program (advisor approval required).
5. Students participating in a Hiram College approved 3/2 program, or other accelerated collaborative program.
6. Students called to active duty in the military (military order required).
7. Students who have been approved by the Associate Academic Dean to finish course hours elsewhere needed to fulfill graduation requirements. 

Students on an approved Leave of Absence may stop out for a period of time not to exceed two semesters. Extension of a Leave of Absence may only be permitted with express authorization by the Dean of the College. The student should contact the Registrar’s Office when ready to return to campus.

An administrative Leave of Absence may be granted if one of the above criteria is met and the student is unable to complete the paperwork, or at the discretion of the Vice President and Dean of Students or Associate Dean of the College.

NOTE: A student who fails to return from an authorized Leave of Absence will be withdrawn from Hiram College as of the date the student last attended classes. Students should note that even an approved Leave of Absence may have financial aid and graduation consequences.

CENTERS OF DISTINCTION

Centers of Distinction at Hiram College were established as part of our Education that Works strategic plan in 2006. They represent academic structures that transcend individual academic departments and majors, extending the long-term strength of the College to provide engaged, transformative learning environments for our students. Centers offer students distinctive learning opportunities, in and out of the classroom; these experiences are designed to connect knowledge to face the challenges of work and life. Fundamentally, they are a tool for preparing students for the present and the future, for possibilities they can anticipate and for those they cannot. Students participate in Centers in a variety of ways: entering student academic competitions; hosting visiting scholars; organizing panel discussions; engaging in undergraduate research; and attending seminars and national conferences, to name but a few. 

The Lindsay-Crane Center for Writing and Literature

Areas of Distinction

• The Hiram College writing program specializes in creative nonfiction and is well-known for the expansive writing opportunities available in this genre for majors and minors, as well as for non-majors.
• A distinguished Visiting Writers Series that always brings writers into the classroom has featured authors Tim O’Brien,
  Ian Frazier, Donovan Hohn, Alissa Nutting, Roger Rosenblatt, Thrity Umrigar, Marvin Bell, Lynn Powell, Barry Lopez, and many others.
• The Lindsay-Crane Center runs writing contests in the genres of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, giving students the chance to have their work judged by professionals and to receive public recognition for their achievements.
• The Lindsay-Crane Center is located in two unique buildings: an 1892 Queen Anne house, offering students a rare studio-environment in which to learn and work; and Bonney Castle, a former nineteenth-century inn offering cozy classroom and discussion spaces.
• Students are given numerous on-campus professional writing and editing opportunities, including editing the Hiram Poetry Review; writing for the Lindsay-Crane newsletter; reading their work publicly; and working with faculty in programs sponsored by the Lindsay-Crane Center (the Emerging Writers Workshop and community reading programs).
• The Lindsay-Crane Center works closely with students to identify and apply for internship opportunities with editors and managers of small presses, magazines, and journals, corporations, and arts organizations.
• Since the 1970s, Hiram College has been nationally known for its Writing Across the Curriculum program, and since 1990 has trained undergraduate writing assistants to help implement and sustain it, while also providing these students with professional teaching experience.

Primary Academic Programs associated with this Center 

• Creative Writing major
• Minor in Writing
• English major and minor
• Writing Across the Curriculum
• Writing Assistantships

Key Personnel

• Kirsten L. Parkinson, Ph.D., Director of the Lindsay-Crane Center, John S. Kenyon Professor of English,
• Kathy Luschek, Program Coordinator

The James A. Garfield Center for the Study of the American Presidency

The James A. Garfield Center for the Study of the American Presidency cultivates in students a deep understanding of the institution of the presidency and the individuals who have held the office. The Center also convenes conferences at which scholars examine presidents, theoretical perspectives on the presidency, and the leadership challenges that confront the chief executive in making domestic, economic, and foreign policy.

Areas of Distinction

• Each academic year, the Center engages a coterie of accomplished students of diverse academic backgrounds-Garfield Presidency Scholars-around issues that get at the very core of presidential leadership, both in theory and in practice. Across a program cycle. the Presidency Scholars scrutinize the life, values, decisions, and ultimate effectiveness of an American president of significant historical standing. Over the course of four years in the program, a student has the opportunity to engage in deep examination of four exceptional presidents.
• The academic inquiry is animated by the reading of several books on the president in question, focused discussions led by student working groups, interaction with guest speakers, and travel to Washington, D.C., and other destinations most relevant to a particular president's life. The desideratum is that students will come to profess profound appreciation for that president as a person, as a leader in a particular time and setting, and as a governmental actor within the broader and intricate constitutional system.

Primary Academic Programs associated with this Center (others may also be influenced by the Center)

• Political Science
• History
• Communication
• Public Leadership (minor)
• Ethics (minor)
• Sociology
• Psychology
• Philosophy

Key Personnel

• Douglas M. Brattebo, Director and Associate Professor of Political Science

The Garfield Center for Public Leadership

The Garfield Center honors James A. Garfield, student, teacher, and then president of Hiram College who became an incorruptible icon of American statesmanship and inspired the nation to establish the modern merit-based civil service system. The Garfield Center, grounded in the liberal arts education that Hiram College has maintained throughout its history, prepares students for leadership in matters of public policy, both foreign and domestic.

Areas of Distinction

• The innovative Garfield Scholars program attracts students from across campus, engaging them in matters of public policy by connecting them with scholars and expert practitioners both on and off campus.
• The Center serves to attract students and faculty from across campus by developing collaborative programs related to cross-disciplinary issues such as global warming, finance and economics, intelligence, security.

Primary Academic Programs associated with this Center (others may also be influenced by the Center)

• Public Leadership Minor
• Political science
• Economics
• Management
• Communication
• Sociology

Key Personnel

• James A. Thompson – Director
• Kathy Luschek – Operations Director

The Center for Scientific Engagement

Life has its own language at the molecular level, composed of DNA and protein sequences, and this information determines how cells and organisms function. Hiram College understands the increasing importance of molecular information in today’s world and the need for more young scientists who understand, interpret, and use this information to solve new problems and to communicate their findings in a way that increases the scientific literacy of our society. The Center for Deciphering Life’s Language involves undergraduate and high school students in novel research projects as part of the classroom in order to teach basic scientific principles, excite students about getting the most out of their biology education, and encourage students to seek out further research experiences beyond the classroom.

Areas of Distinction

• National recognition for undergraduate involvement in novel research as part of courses
• Strong disciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching and research in the natural sciences
• Strong research outreach to area high school students via collaborative research projects with high school classes during academic year and Hiram Genomics Academy summer research program.
• National recognition for undergraduate involvement in genomics and bioinformatics research

Primary Academic Programs associated with this Center (others may also be influenced by the Center)

• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Physics
• Neuroscience
• Nursing
• Computer Science – Bioinformatics – Computational Biology

Key Personnel

• Brad Goodner, Director and Edward Smerek Professor of Science, Department of Biology
• Kathy Luschek, Coordinator

The Center For The Study of Nature and Society

The Center for the Study of Nature and Society (CSNS) promotes conservation with action through education and research programs that sustain and enrich life. Environmentalism was an outgrowth of ecology which, in turn, had a foundation in economics. Today, sustainability requires a combination of these and all other disciplines to achieve balance for the world to continue as we know it. Sustainability requires conservation, or wise and responsible use and stewardship, of all resources (renewable and nonrenewable). It also includes action through courses, research, land management, operations, and community engagement that promote this type of conservation. The CSNS works to make conservation and sustainability understandable and accessible to everyone.

Areas of Distinction

• The Waterfowl Propagation Center Partnership between Hiram College and Akron Zoological Park is the first of its kind in the country. The College’s Endangered Waterfowl Conservation and Propagation Center serves as an animal holding/husbandry facility for endangered species (Madagascar teal and White-winged wood duck), and students perform all aspects of animal husbandry, facility maintenance, research, water quality testing, and required reporting practices for Species Survival Plans in collaboration with the Akron Zoo.
• The old growth beech-maple forest is the second largest remaining uncut stand in Ohio and is thus an invaluable natural resource for study.
• Animal rehabilitation experiences through the curriculum and hands-on training.
• New academic areas of concentration for the Environmental Studies major include natural systems, human systems, and communicating complexity.

Primary Academic Programs associated with this Center (others may also be influenced by the Center)

• Biology
• Environmental Studies

Key Personnel

• Jim Metzinger, Associate Director of the James H. Barrow Field Station
• Matthew Sorrick, Director of Science Education

The Center For Literature and Medicine

The Center for Literature and Medicine is the home of a distinctive interdisciplinary program that serves undergraduates, healthcare professionals and the wider community.

The College's unique biomedical humanities major gives the students important advantages in preparation for medical school and other graduate programs.

The mission of the Center is to examine thoroughly questions of human values in healthcare contexts through literary works and to do so within clinical settings, medical and other health professional schools, and the liberal arts environment

Founded in 1990, the Center for Literature and Medicine provides interdisciplinary programs, courses, and summer seminars integrating humanities and health care. Through the study of the humanities, and in particular, through literary works, the Center examines critical healthcare issues. This work has application in clinical settings, academic medicine, health policy, and the liberal arts environment, and serves to deepen participants' ability to recognize, understand, and address ethical and humanistic issues in healthcare contexts.

What distinguishes the Center from conventional medical ethics programs are its special emphases:

• Using literary works to raise humanities issues in medical settings;

• Developing techniques for teaching literary works in a variety of health care environments, from medical schools to nursing homes;

• Using readers' theater as a method for understanding different perspectives of patients, families and health care professionals; and

• Applying narrative theory and practice to health care interactions; for example, the patient as story, the doctor as reader.

Primary Academic Programs associated with the Center (others may also be influenced by the Center)

• Biomedical Humanities major and minor 
• Nursing

Key Personnel

• Erin Lamb, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Humanities and Co-Director of the Center
• Sandy Madar, Professor of Biology and Director of Academic and Strategic Initiatives 
• Kathy Luschek, Coordinator

The Center For Integrated Entrepreneurship

• The Integrated Entrepreneurship Program (IE) is not housed within a business program – it seeks to engage ideas and enterprise concepts from all academic disciplines.
• IE and the Center are housed in the Burton D. Morgan Entrepreneurship Center of East Hall, a residence hall with suites that form a learning community of students with an interest in entrepreneurship.
• The Center is a resource for students to research and develop their entrepreneurial ideas into start-up businesses. In the Center, students have access to workspace, desk space, wireless internet, computer/printer, business software, whiteboards, chalkboards, storage space, resource materials, and a network of experienced entrepreneurs. 
• The Center hosts two annual idea competitions – ideablitz! and ideabuild! – that are open to all students. Participants have access to significant mentoring by faculty and area entrepreneurs, cash prizes to help develop their concepts, and regional competitions.
• The Center’s E-Network is a rich resource for students, providing mentoring, guidance and internship opportunities.
• Through its partnership with the Regional Economic Growth Corporation (REGC) the Center co-hosts business basic workshops for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader community. REGC also provides its small business counseling services to students on site and at no charge.
• A growing support system for Student Run Ventures, which are college owned, faculty championed, curriculum connected and student run campus-based enterprises. These include: The Terrier Bakery, The Olive Branch, Art with Heart and The Terrier Trader.
• The Center is a member of the Northeast Ohio Entrepreneurship Education Consortium , allowing Hiram students to participate in a regional idea competition and a weeklong entrepreneurship immersion experience.

Academic programs associated with the Center (others may also be influenced by the Center)

• Entrepreneurship Minor
• Integrated coursework across the curriculum
• Experiential learning opportunities for any major

Key Personnel

• Kay Molkentin, Center Director
• David J. Kukurza, Academic Program Director and Visiting Professor of Integrated Entrepreneurship

The Center for Global Interaction

The Center for Global Interaction is the newest of the Centers of Distinction.  Our mission is to build on Hiram College’s long-standing strength and commitment to fostering global perspectives, encourage, coordinate, and publicize explorations of the intersections of language study, international understanding, and students traveling abroad or coming from abroad to enrich Hiram’s learning environment. Through global engagement students acquire knowledge in order to bridge differences and address complex global issues of our times.  

The Center is inherently interdisciplinary because it draws together faculty from all specialties to:

• provide an education for all students that promotes an understanding of cultural and geographical diversity

• foster an ability to overcome linguistic barriers  and embrace cultural difference through language learning

• offer a full range of courses emphasizing global perspectives in the fine and performing arts, social sciences, and humanities

• sponsor a robust study abroad program for which Hiram has been recognized for over 65 years, where students and professors travel and learn together in locations on six continents 

• promote an International Studies Minor

• promote and sustain our existing exchange programs (Kansai Gaidai University, Japan, Bogaziçi University, Turkey, and John Cabot University, Italy), and establish new relationships

• recruit international students world-wide to come and find at Hiram a welcoming and diverse learning community 

• sponsor co-curricular globally-related events and activities

Academic Programs Associated with this Center

• Study Away

• Peace Corps Prep Program

• Modern Languages

• International Studies Minor

• Asian Studies Minor

• Core Curriculum requirements, especially Experiencing the World (EW), Social and Cultural Analysis Methods (CA), and Understanding Diversity at Home (UD)

Key Personnel/Steering Committee Co-directors

• Dr. Ella Kirk, Professor of French

• Dr. Lisa Safford, Professor of Art

The James H. Barrow Field Station

Jim Metzinger (2012), Co-Director, James H. Barrow Field Station
B.A., Hiram College

Jennifer Clark, Co-Director, James H. Barrow Field Station
Ph.D., Kent State University

The James H. Barrow Field Station was established in 1967 to provide Hiram College students and visitors the opportunity to fully engage with the natural world through hands-on learning experiences that illuminate how life works and to promote the conservation of all life. For over 45 years, the Station has grown and developed from its initial 75 acres into an active research and educational facility of over 500 acres that not only enhances the College’s science and environmental studies programs, but also provides a means for both students and the general public to increase their understanding and appreciation of natural history and their role in our environment. Experiences gained at the Field Station allow students to develop essential skills in research, teaching, and leadership that are carried forward into their professional lives.

The Station comprises 533 acres, including about 150 acres of mature beech-maple forest; a large stretch of Silver Creek; a cold-water stream; two built ponds; old-fields of varying ages; young and intermediate aged forests; and a five-mile interpretive nature trail. The Station also benefits from the Kennedy Observation Building for classes, meetings and viewing wildlife and the Frohring Laboratory building, which was renovated and expanded in 2007, with a modern and spacious teaching lab and several smaller spaces for student/faculty research, and for animal research and wildlife rehabilitation. The Station also has natural history displays, including live animal exhibits, and an endangered waterfowl conservation center for the care, research, and conservation of internationally and regionally endangered birds such as the Madagascar teal, the white winged wood duck, and the trumpeter swan. Student involvement in all aspects of the Station makes such research possible and guides its direction by collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. Students who are involved in the projects often gain valuable experiences and make contacts with other students and faculty through presentation of their work at professional meetings.

The Field Station’s buildings, experimental fields, and natural and semi-natural areas are maintained entirely by college students under the supervision of an excellent staff. Student workers also gain experience in the practical aspects of operating an educational facility. Teaching experience is gained through the nature education outreach programs, which are developed and executed by Hiram faculty and staff, with full collaboration of the students. These programs are designed to educate pre-college students about the natural history of northeastern Ohio and about such critical issues as habitat preservation and conservation of natural resources. Alumni often credit their experiences at the station as inspiration for further study in science, education, and environmental studies. In all activities, direct involvement of students in the learning process is the key to success.

Northwoods Field Station, Hiawatha Campus

Co-Directors:

Jenn Clark, Director of the Center for Science Education
TBA, Campus Visit Coordinator

The Northwoods Field Station, located in the Hiawatha National Forest in the upper Peninsula of Michigan, serves as a headquarters for trips in the spring, summer, and fall. The station is twelve miles from Lake Superior at the western boundary of the Pictured Rocks National lakeshore and provides a wilderness setting for special courses, field research in the summer, and general visits by students and alumni.

Hiawatha Campus is for those who enjoy interacting with the great outdoors. Emphasis is on living in harmony with nature. The camp has a beautiful lodge and six sleeping cabins, built by Hiram students and faculty in the late 1970's. Facilities can house up to 24 people. Although "rustic" (there is no electricity, cell phone access is very limited, and composting outhouses are the preferred method of sanitation), the main lodge is outfitted with a modern kitchen and indoor plumbing, including flush toilets and showers (powered by hand-pumping from the well).

The camp is on the shore of Cherry Lake and is surrounded by federal forest lands, meadows, bogs, a river, and more than a dozen other undeveloped lakes, all within a two-mile hike of the station.

Course offerings have included field biology, field botany, geology, environmental studies, natural history, and photography. Other recent offerings include: astronomy, storytelling, writing, literature, and leadership. The Spring Three-Week term has been especially successful with team-taught interdisciplinary courses about subjects as diverse as water and Shakespeare.

Marine Science Opportunities

Dennis J. Taylor (1979) Professor of Biology
B.A., Hiram College;
Ph.D., Cornell University

Students who are interested in Marine Science can enroll in Hiram College courses with built-in marine field experiences. Courses include but are not limited to marine ecology (Gulf of Mexico), and fisheries biology (Alaska). In addition, many Hiram College students pursue internships as part of their graduation requirements for a biology major at sites ranging from the North Atlantic to the Caribbean and Florida Keys. Students also engage in independent research in marine biology with faculty. Hiram College is affiliated with the Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML), through which students may participate in summer courses and internship opportunities. Shoals programs are administered by Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire on Appledore Island in the Gulf of Maine. Details about SML programs, facilities, and financial aid can be obtained by contacting Professor Dennis Taylor, a member of the SML summer faculty since 1982.

STUDENT RESOURCES

Eclectic Honors Program

1. Enrollment Policies:

Required Courses:

HONR 10000 Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies for the Eclectic Scholar

This course will be required of all new students to the program, & not required of any current students in the program. This course is 1-credit and P/NC.

HONR 30000 Reflecting on Urgent Challenges

HONR 30100 Addressing Urgent Challenges

Students may take the two courses in any sequence, and in any semester before the spring semester of their senior year.

Students are expected to earn a B- or higher in each to progress through the program.

Students from the class of 2021 and after are required to take both of these courses; the classes of 2019 and 2020 are required to take at least one, but encouraged to take both.

HONR 48000 Eclectic Scholars Honors Capstone

This course will only be offered in the spring and required of all students in the final spring term before graduation. Students who wish to graduate in the fall must complete the course the previous spring.

Students may take the capstone course concurrent with HONR 30100 BY PERMISSION ONLY.

2.  All students who complete the four-course cycle will satisfy their non-team taught INTD graduation core requirement.

3.  Maintaining enrollment:

Beginning with students starting the program Fall 2018, scholars are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 to remain in the program, an increase from the current 3.3 minimum GPA standard for students entering prior to the 2018-2019 AY., or a demonstration of exceptional intellectual engagement in or outside the classroom. Students no meeting these criteria will be placed on probation for the following semester, and subsequent low performance will result in removal from the program.

4.  Entering the program after the first year:

Students demonstrating exceptional intellectual engagement are encouraged to explore this program; however, the College reserves the right to limit the size of the program. Students will only be considered for entry into the program as a first or second year student. Interested students should contact a member of the Eclectic Advisor Committee (EAC) to explore their options.

5.  Matriculating to the Honors Capstone:

Same GPA threshold as above. Specific requirements of the Eclectic Capstone are discussed below.

6.  Form of the Honors recognition on the academic transcript:

Honors students receive the special designation, in cursu honorum ('in a course of honors'), on their diplomas. This is in addition to any other honors earned, such as cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude. In order to graduate in cursu honorum, a student must have a GPA of 3.5 at the end of senior year, and successfully complete the Eclectic Honors Capstone, as determined by the Eclectic Advisory Board.

7.  Code of Conduct:

Academic dishonesty cases with a negative judgment by the Associate Academic Dean's office will result in removal from the Eclectic Scholars Honors Program. This applies to the first offense. Conduct issues emanating from outside of the classroom that draw into question the personal ethics of Eclectic Scholars may also result in removal from this program, as determined via consultation between the Dean of Students Office and the EAC.

8. Honors privileges:

Students admitted to the program can elect to take advantage of Honors housing, and on overload course per year with satisfactory academic performance (no grade below a B- in prior term), the Eclectic Scholarship, and private study space. Students are eligible for junior-status registration for one class per semester starting in their second semester at Hiram College, conditional upon their superior academic performance in their first semester and subsequent terms.

9. Graduating with Eclectic Honors:

Student must complete an Eclectic Honors Capstone under the advisement of a faculty member, which is submitted to the Eclectic Advisory Committee for evaluation. These interdisciplinary projects may layer on top or integrate with one's major capstone, but must reflect broader perspectives regarding a phenomena derived from examination across multiple 'ways of knowing'. Students may register for HONR 49800 in either of their last two semesters.

Students will develop a one to two page prospectus for the Eclectic Advisory Committee (EAC) that delineates the nature of the interdisciplinary project they will align to their major capstone. The EAC establishes and maintains the assessment tool for Honors projects, under the advisement of the Academic Program Committee. Guidelines and forms (including assessment rubrics) for projects may be found on the website.

Emerging Scholars

Stephanie Simpson, Director
B.A., Flagler College;
M.Ed. Cleveland State University

Hiram College’s Emerging Scholars Program gives promising students the boost they need to succeed in college.

Incoming freshmen selected for the program are accepted to Hiram College on a conditional basis.  With limited spacing, the program accepts students on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Hiram’s Emerging Scholars Program provides specialized academic support to keep students on track of their studies. Designed to help students succeed at Hiram, the program requires Emerging Scholars to:

• Live on campus
• Take prescribed courses
• Attend mandatory weekly tutoring and success coaching sessions
• Participate in biweekly faculty advising
• Attend two mandatory Emerging Scholars events
• Complete an end-of-year Emerging Scholars Reflection essay

Emerging Scholars who complete the program have the preparation they need to graduate from Hiram College with a bachelor’s degree in four years.

Computer Resources

The computer facilities at Hiram College include the Ellucian Banner software package for administrative use, and a variety of workstations and servers for file storage, email, word processing, and general office automation. These computers are networked via fast Ethernet to all campus buildings and offices, including the residence halls. Wireless connectivity to the network is available in primary classroom buildings and residence halls. Some personal computers are available for student use in multiple computer labs located in the library, residence halls, and other locations across campus. All students are encouraged to use their laptops and other computer facilities for their academic work.

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)

Hiram College is affilated with Army ROTC through John Carroll University and Air Force ROTC through Kent State University.  Students interested in pursuing either of these options should contact the Hiram College Registrar's Office for further information, or the ROTC units directly on their respective campuses.

Study Away

Brittany L. Jackson (2008) Assistant Director of Strategic Academic Initiatives and Study Away Coordinator, 136/137 Hinsdale Hall
B.A., Hiram College;
M.A., Hiram College

The opening of the Office of Extra Mural Studies in 1970 established the College’s early commitment to international education. Today Hiram’s study away programs offer students an even greater array of opportunities. Program participants live and learn in cultures that are different from their own. Students learn about life as others live it, whether that is in a country that appears to have a culture very similar to that of the U.S., for example, Great Britain, or one that stems from a different tradition, such as China. The typical program centers on the disciplines of Hiram College faculty, who offer courses in a host country. Since 1970, more than 120 Hiram College faculty members have led over 4,000 students on educational programs to Europe, South and Central America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Students apply to participate in these programs. While it is expected that most students who apply will participate, acceptance is not guaranteed. Criteria for selection are not limited to, but may include, grade-point average, class year, recommendations, and participation in previous programs. For the most part, there is no language requirement for these programs, the principal exceptions being those sponsored by the foreign language department.  Students participating in a program in a non-English-speaking country are, of course, encouraged to study the local language.

Students are charged normal fees for tuition depending on the length of the scheduled program.  Program costs include travel to and from the program site, housing, in-country transportation, site fees, and at least two meals per day, based on the location, nature, and length of the program. Financial aid is applied to programs directed by members of the Hiram College faculty. Students who elect to study in programs offered by other academic institutions are not permitted transfer of Hiram College scholarships and grants to the sponsoring institution.  **Study Away course fees:  Students are responsible for all field trip fees at the time of registration for the trip.  Once the trip expenses have been incurred by the College, trip fees related to the incurred expenses will not be refunded, even if a student Withdraws from (or swaps out of) the course.**  Please see the Study Away Refund Policy http://www.hiram.edu/campus-life/resources/student-accounts/study-abroad-refund-policy/) for more information.

The College’s academic calendar, The Hiram Plan, provides students with opportunities for study away each semester and summer.

Students enrolling in study abroad programs offered outside of Hiram College purview must have the courses they intend to take approved by the appropriate department(s) prior to enrolling in the program to ensure accurate credit is awarded.

Twelve-Week Session: During the twelve-week session, students complete three courses while spending an extended time abroad. A variety of disciplines and sites are available in the twelve-week session. Each of the modern foreign languages offers its majors, as well as other students interested in foreign languages, the opportunity to study in an appropriate country. These programs are offered on a rotating basis. The French and Spanish programs are centered in French and Spanish speaking countries, respectively. Students may be taught by Hiram faculty, live with native-speaking host families, and visit places of literary, historic, and cultural importance.

Summer or Spring Break Session: Overseas programs offered in the summer or during spring break may or may not provide academic credit. For additional information, please contact the study away office.

Three-Week Session: Students may elect to study away during the three-week sessions, which fall in December and May. Participants complete a single course of intensive experience in the host country. Students select courses encompassing a variety of disciplines.

Exchange Programs: Semester-long overseas programs are available to Hiram students who have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours. Credits earned are transferable.  Program offerings include Kansai Gaidai University in Japan, Bogazici University in Turkey, and John Cabot University in Italy. 

To learn more about overseas programs, visit www.hiram.edu/academics/study-abroad.

Hiram students who wish to participate in an overseas independent study must go through a process, beginning with the study away office, in order to qualify for a transfer of credits.

STUDENT LIFE

Elizabeth M. Okuma, Vice President and Dean of Students
B.S., Bowling Green State University;
M.Ed., University of Georgia;
Ph.D., Colorado State University

Shelley Gordon, Administrative Assistant
B.A., Hiram College

The primary goal of the Student Life Division is to know and understand students and to address student learning and living needs.  Through direct student contact, staff members engage with, challenge and support students on their journey toward graduation. 

Under the leadership of the vice president and dean of students, the division is responsible for student academic support services, campus activities and involvement, campus safety, career and internship services, citizenship education, commuter and transfer student services, counseling, health and disability services, campus emergency response services, ethnic diversity affairs, family/parent communications, first year programs (e.g. orientation, Institute Days), senior celebration planning, Greek clubs, housing and residential education, international student services, leadership and mentor programs, retention initiatives, student event planning and welcome center services.

Additional Student Life Information and Policies can be found in the Student Handbook.

Career and Academic Development

Bethani Burkhart, Director, Career and Academic Development
B.A., Tiffin University
M.H. Tiffin University

Kristina Kamis, Coordinator of Academic Development
B.A., Kent State University
M.Ed. Kent State University

Career and Academic Development - Academic Development

Mission: The Career and Academic Development program is committed to helping the diverse population at Hiram become more effective and empowered learners and professionals. We promote understanding of course concepts, reinforce successful habits, provide high quality career and academic development experiences, and encourage active independent learning to help students and alumni reach their educational and career goals.

The following academic services are available to students free of charge: 

Academic Counseling: Students who take advantage of this service will work one on one with professional staff to establish personally meaningful goals, develop an individualized self-management system, and learn effective study strategies based on his/her unique learning style. Students who participate will be engaged in a team effort with their professors, their faculty advisor, and other essential college resources to assist them in achieving their academic and personal goals.  

Peer Tutoring:  Academic Development offers a variety of free tutoring options for all students. Academic Resource Center at Hinsdale (ARCH) Tutoring is a drop-in peer tutoring service that occurs Monday-Thursday from 8-10pm in Hinsdale Hall. Student may come in at any time to ask questions and receive assistance with course material and study skills. One-to-one peer tutoring is also available. The student meets with the same tutor for up to an hour a week to work on a specific subject. All tutors, who have taken and passed the course with an A or B, are hired and trained by professional staff, and are available for most subjects.

Student Success Programming: Designed to assist all students, Academic Development offers many presentations and workshops throughout the year on a variety of academic success topics. Staff collaborate with instructors, residence hall staff, and campus clubs and organizations to plan a variety of events.

The Writing Center: Directed by Dr. Jeffrey Swenson and located in the Lyndsay-Crane Writing House, the Writing Center exists to support the school's comprehensive commitment to writing. Students in all courses are encouraged to bring papers to the Writing Center at any stage in the writing process for feedback. Writing assistants - skilled writers of almost every major trained to help students improve their writing - work with Hiram students on papers, writing assignments, capstone projects and other written work. The Center is open in the afternoon and evening Sunday through Thursday. We also have satellite hours in the library on Monday and Thursday evening.

Career and Academic Development - Career Planning

Hiram College recognizes that career planning is an important part of college. Career and Academic Development offers students opportunities to develop lifelong skills in self-assessment, career research, and job search techniques. Career and Academic Development offers individual career advising and caching and classes in career planning. The Career and Academic Development website includes extensive resources for career exploration and job searching, including access for students and alumni to Hiram CareerNet, our online employment and internship database. A career library is available to all students and provides information about choice of majors, occupational outlook, and job opportunities.

Internships are an important part of the career planning process. Students work with their advisers and with Career and Academic Development to plan their internships. Hiram students have learned from internships in such diverse settings as the International Crane Foundation, the Smithsonian, NASA and the Cleveland Browns. As students near graduation, they may participate in a wide range of activities to learn lifelong job-seeking skills. Workshops on resume and job-search writing, interviewing, and marketing liberal arts skills are held throughout the year. In addition, employers and graduate school recruiters visit the campus to recruit students for graduate school and fill-time and summer jobs. Career and Academic Development participates in multiple consortiums to provide our students and alumni access to employers through job and internship fairs throughout the region.

Office of International, Commuter, and Transfer Student Services

Nicole Gatrell, Director, International, Commuter, and Transfer Student Services
B.A., Kent State University;
M.A.Ed., Baldwin Wallace University

The Office for International, Commuter, and Transfer Student Services is dedicated to providing support to prospective and current international, commuter, and transfer students.

International student support includes a wide range of topics that include immigration matters, social and cultural differences, financial matters and personal concerns. Commuter and Transfer Student Services strive to ensure the success of our commuter and transfer student population and connections to Hiram College.

The Internship Program

Bethani Burkhart, Director, Career and Academic Development

Hiram College is committed to experiential education. Through internships, students have opportunities for a variety of intensive learning, working situations to assist in their total educational and individual growth. These experiences are part of a career development process which helps students clarify values, develop skills, and set personal and academic goals. Through the academic program, Hiram College clearly defines knowledge, concepts, and competencies required for successful completion of a liberal arts education. Hiram College’s internship program permits students to bridge the distance between the theories they have learned in the classroom and application of their knowledge. Further, the program enables students and the college itself to be aware of procedures, methodologies, systems, and techniques employed in working environments, and the ways these may influence contemporary liberal education.

Each academic department may offer field experiences and internships. Field experiences are designed for students to observe a work situation, and to contribute, when possible, to the functioning of the work environment. By working 40 to 80 hours at the cooperating institution, students may earn one to four semester hours of academic credit for the term in which they are enrolled. Internships are more intense and require the active involvement of the students in the work situation at the cooperating institution for a minimum of 120 hours. A maximum of eight semester hours of academic credit are given for the successful completion of the internship. The same four-credit internship with identical course content or placement may be taken only once.  Students with exceptional circumstances and opportunities may petition the associate dean for an exception to this policy.

Many departments assist students in the placement process for the internship program. The departments establish prerequisites for the application procedure in setting class rank, grade-point requirements, and judgments regarding social and personal maturity. Prospective interns are required to have a faculty advisor who will monitor the experience, grade the academic requirements, and coordinate departmental efforts with the campus-wide program. Some internships, appropriate for liberal arts students, do not fall directly under the jurisdiction of one department. These opportunities are coordinated by the Director of the Career Center who also helps students plan and prepare for their internship experience.

Campus Safety

Anthony Hans, Safety Officer

Kevin Joyce, Safety Officer

Robert Lax, Safety Officer

Carl Lipcsik, Safety Officer

Ron Loveland, Safety Officer

K. Samuel Adams, Technical Specialist

Nikole Benjamin, Administrative Assistant

The Office of Campus Safety is committed to making the Hiram College environment as safe as possible for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the campus. Campus Safety Officers collaborate closely with the Hiram Village police department and fire department to provide comprehensive public safety services. Campus parking is also under the auspices of Campus Safety. Information on campus parking policies can be found on the College website or online in the Student Handbook. While safety relies on people making sensible individual choices, the department complements individual choices with educational programs and services such as property engraving, escorts after dark, and personal safety programs. The Office of Campus Safety is located on the 2nd floor of the Kennedy Center. You can reach the office by calling 330.569.5188, or 330.569.3211, option 1 or by pressing 0, option 1 on any campus phone.

Citizenship Education

Ed Frato-Sweeney, Director of Residential and Citizenship Education
B.A., M.A., Miami University

Citizenship Education coordinates all student conduct procedures, training, hearings, and communications.  It also initiates efforts to educate students about voting and other citizenship opportunities, and produces the Hiram College Student Handbook.  The director’s office is located on the top floor of Bates Hall (Hayden entrance). 

Office of Campus Involvement

Sarah Dowd Dyer, Director of Campus Involvement
B.S., University of Louisiana

Web address: 
http://www.hiram.edu/campus-life/get-involved/clubs-and-organizations

The Office of Campus Involvement  (OCI) seeks to engage, inspire, and empower the students and student leaders of Hiram College. OCI strives to provide opportunities for students to get involved and find their place in the Hiram community.  OCI supports many aspects of campus life including student organizations, leadership development, and major event programming.  

Hiram College has nearly 90 registered student clubs and organizations, including academic societies, cultural groups, sports clubs, political action and special interest groups. These clubs and organizations provide students with endless opportunities to experience new activities, ideas and beliefs, develop public speaking and leadership skills, and to meet and interact with other students, faculty, staff and community members who share similar interests. Serving as a resource, OCI assists students and student organizations in various areas related to program planning and organization development. The Director of Campus Involvement also advises the Kennedy Center Programming Board, a student run organization that plans many of the comedians, artists, excursions, and events throughout the year. 

Our mission at Hiram College is to enable students of all ages to develop as intellectually alive, socially responsible, ethical citizens ready for leadership and for continuous personal and professional growth. The Office of Campus Involvement provides a variety of opportunities for students to enhance their leadership skills and empowers them to assume roles in all forms of leadership on campus and beyond. Programs such as the annual Emerging Leaders Retreat and yearly Student Leadership Awards ceremony recognize the importance of student leaders on campus.

Lastly, OCI supports major events and traditions on campus including the Involvement Fair, Welcome Week, Homecoming, and Springfest. The Involvement Fair is an opportunity for students who are interested in getting involved to connect with student organizations. Welcome Week takes place in the first week of classes and aims to engage students, during their first week on campus for the fall semester. Homecoming is a weekend full of activities including a parade, bon fire, and the homecoming dance. Lastly, Springfest is a cluster of activities that culminate during the spring semester.     

Office of Civic Engagement

The Office of Civic Engagement at Hiram College strives to enable students of all ages to develop as intellectually alive, socially responsible, ethical citizens ready for leadership and for continuous professional growth. The Office of Civic Engagement is a collaborative partnership with Hiram's Center for Engaged Ethics and seeks to engage students in opportunities to connect lessons from the classroom with the needs of our community, all the while helping students to reflect on ethical issues and consider how they will utilize their Hiram education in the future to better their communities.   Engaging in a process of Awareness, Reflection, and Action, students engage and serve in the community through diverse service learning courses, annual days of service, alternative spring break trips, individual community service opportunities, and participation with service clubs, athletic teams, sororities and fraternities.  Community partners include Hiram House Camp which serves urban youth and was founded in 1898 by Hiram Alumni, Hiram Farm Living and Learning Community which is an organic farm in Hiram serving adults on the Autism spectrum,  several area schools and community centers, the Hiram Community Garden, several animal and land preservation related organizations, Hattie Larlham which serveschildren and adults with developmental disabilities, Robinson Memorial Hospital, and area organizations serving the elderly.   

Service Learning Courses

Service Learning, as defined by Learn and Serve America, "is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities."

Service Learning Courses (SL) are 1-4 credit hour courses which fulfill the following criteria:

• Provide academic content and experiences whose student-learning outcomes are enhanced by activities beyond the traditional classroom
• Provide service activities, which by design reinforce course learning objectives & enhance student learning
• Identify and provide a service, such as volunteering of time and giving of resources, to members of a local, national, global or ecological community
• Offer structured opportunities for reflection
• Enhance civic responsibility and create a broader understanding of opportunities for civic engagement within the discipline being taught
• Provide student preparation and support for service activities
• Respect and acknowledge the sustainability of the service and relationship with the community partner(s)
• Maintain mutual respect and reciprocity between students and the community partner
• Include systems for student, course, and community partner evaluations
• Include a minimal of 20 hours of service, including at least five direct contact hours with an agency and/or its clientele.  Up to 10% of service hours may include transportation and/or an orientation given by the agency. 

Diversity and Inclusion

Detra M. West, Associate Dean of Students/Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
B.S., Valdosta State University;
M.A., Cleveland State University

Web address: http://www.hiram.edu/campus-life/get-involved/diversity

Diversity at Hiram encompasses acceptance, respect, collaboration, empowerment, and inclusion.  Diversity also means understanding that each individual is unique and that our commonalities and differences make the opinions, ideas, and  contributions we have to offer all the more valuable.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is organized to work in a focused way with individuals and groups to advance the College's long standing goal of attracting and sustaining a vibrant and healthy multicultural community.    Throughout the year, ODI actively engages in a variety of programs and strategic initiatives that are intended to promote mutual understanding and respect for all members and guests of our diverse community.

Counseling Center

Kevin P. Feisthamel, Director of Counseling, Health and Disability Services
B.A. University of Connecticut
M.A. John Carroll University
Ph.D. University of Akron
Web address:
http://www.hiram.edu/resources/health-counseling-and-disability-services/counseling-services

Emotional health is important to an overall sense of well-being. The Counseling Center is available to help Hiram students to be able to fully participate in both their academic life and their campus involvement. College can be the best of times, but there also may be times of challenges, stresses, and distresses. The Counseling Center staff is available to provide assistance and support to students during difficult times in their lives or simply to provide a listening ear.

Problems and concerns that interfere with a student’s ability to focus on coursework or to enjoy the many opportunities for learning and having fun outside the classroom are the kinds of issues that students often bring to the Counseling Center. The focus of the Hiram College Counseling Center is to help students with the short-term issues that are typical of this age. Students who have mental health issues that are long term in nature, that are chronic, or that require specialized treatment or monitoring will need to seek treatment with a private mental health professional in one of the neighboring communities.

On-campus counseling services are free of charge to full-time, traditional students. Fees for off-campus services will be the financial responsibility of the student. Students are also responsible for providing their own transportation to off-campus appointments.

Information shared with a counselor remains confidential and in no way reflects upon the student’s academic record. The Counseling Center does not release information without the student’s knowledge and consent, unless state or federal law mandates release of that information or there is clear indication of threat to the safety of the student or to the community at large.

Disability Services

Kevin P. Feisthamel, Director of Counseling, Health and Disability Services
B.A. University of Connecticut
M.A. John Carroll University
Ph.D. University of Akron

Web address:
http://www.hiram.edu/resources/health-counseling-and-disability-services/disability-services

The College makes every effort to provide reasonable assistance to students with permanent or temporary disabling conditions. In providing support services to students with special needs, our goal is not only to provide the support that is needed in order to have the opportunity for academic success here at Hiram, but also to help develop both the functional skills and the skills of self-advocacy that will help students in their lives after Hiram.

In order for accommodation requests to be considered, the following documentation must be provided: a self-disclosure form identifying the specific diagnosis of the disability; current documentation of the disability (a copy of the most recent IEP or 504 plan is helpful, but typically does not contain all of the documentation needed); educational, developmental and medical history relevant to the disability; copy of the most recent reports or evaluations containing the actual scores of testing/assessments; specific information as to how the disability impedes college life and academic performance; and suggested accommodations. The College reserves the right to require more detailed or more current documentation when necessary to consider accommodation requests. Students are encouraged to contact the Director of Disability Services early in their college career to discuss any anticipated special needs.

The Hiram College Library

David Everett, Library Director
B.A. Centre College
M.A. Montana State University
M.L.S. Syracuse University

The Hiram College Library offers an exciting mix of the old and new, especially in its collections, where print and physical items compete with a growing digital collection. The library has a physical collection of more than 200,000 books, nearly 200 current print periodical subscriptions, more than 10,000 CDs from all music genres, and 2,500 videos.

At the same time, the library offers access to more than 136,000 e-books, 70,000 periodicals (with more than 7,000 current titles), and thousands of digital images, videos, and sound files.

Opened in 1995, the Library offers a variety of physical spaces for student use, ranging from quiet study space for individuals, to group study rooms, to areas for group collaborations. The library offers 16 public-access computers, as well as laptops that are available for checkout at the Circulation Desk for use within the library. Media Services, located on the lower level of the building, offers additional technology options, such as scanners, a printer capable of poster size, and a 3D printer.

The library is a member of OhioLINK, a consortium of 121 academic libraries and the State Library of Ohio. The combined catalog of OhioLINK members provides members of the Hiram College community with access to more than 50 million books and other library materials. Students, faculty, and staff are able to borrow items through the OhioLINK catalog under the rules set forth by the OhioLINK community.

Instruction in how to use the library’s many resources is part of the First-Year Program. Additional formal instruction is offered, and reference librarians are available to assist library users. Many of the library’s digital resources are available 24/7 from wherever Hiram students, faculty, and staff have Internet access.

Hiram Library

Registrar's Office

The Registrar’s Office pledges to maintain the highest level of academic integrity and ethical behavior, delivering exceptional administrative service to all individuals. The Office commits to the integrity, confidentiality, and security of institutional records; to the development and implementation of effective policies and management systems; and to the accurate interpretation of such information to all constituencies.

Services provided by the Registrar’s Office

The Registrar’s Office provides many services to the Hiram community, including the following:

• Enrollment verification
• Transcripts
• Verification of Good standing
• Registration and Class Schedule
• Declaration of major, minor, and advisor
• Processing of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and all transfer credit
• Processing grade mailers upon student request

Academic records

Hiram College is committed to the protection and confidentiality of student educational records, adhering closely to the guidelines established by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which is a federal legislation established to regulate access and maintenance of student educational records.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords certain rights to students in respect to their education records, including the right to inspect their education records; to request an amendment of the records that the student believes are inaccurate; and to control disclosures of their records except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. It is important to note that all rights to access move to the student when that student (regardless of age) is in a post-secondary educational institution; parents, spouses, and significant others have no inherent right to access to student education records. Education records, for the most part and with certain exceptions, include all records maintained in any medium which can identify the student.

Please visit the Registrar’s Office website or see below to view Hiram’s Annual Notification to Students regarding their FERPA rights and the exceptions to the requirement of prior student consent for release of student record information.

Directory Information

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), Hiram College may release, on an unlimited basis, a student’s Directory Information, which is defined as that information not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. Directory Information includes:

• Student’s name
• Local and permanent addresses
• Email address
• Telephone listing
• Date of birth
• Dates of attendance
• Class level (undergraduate/graduate, first-year, sophomore, etc.)
• Degrees conferred
• Honors and awards received
• Major field(s) of study
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Final theses/Capstones titles
• Photograph
• Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended

Hiram students may withhold the release of their Directory Information by notifying the Registrar within the first week of the fall semester using the Request To Withhold Directory Information Form available in the Registrar’s Office or on our website. Such a request to withhold information remains in effect until revoked in writing by the student, regardless of whether the student is a current, withdrawn, or graduated student. Please note that such a request is binding for all of the above Directory Information listing and to all parties other than for those exceptions allowed under the Act.

Students should carefully consider the consequences of any decision made to withhold directory information as any future requests for such information (even those received after graduation) from other schools, prospective employers or other persons or organizations will be refused. Hiram College will honor the request to withhold all directory information, but cannot assume responsibility to contact the student every time a request is received. Regardless of the effect upon the student, Hiram College assumes no liability for honoring the student’s instructions that such information be withheld. Any questions can be directed to the Registrar’s Office, Student Service Suite, Teachout-Price Building, or PO Box 67, Hiram OH 44234; 330.569.5210.

Annual Notification of Students Rights Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students enrolled at Hiram College are hereby notified of their rights to their education records:

1. Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of the day Hiram College receives a request for access. Students should submit to the Registrar's Office written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Registrar will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the Registrar's Office, the student shall be advised of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

a. A student is defined as any person for whom an education record is maintained by Hiram College and who has begun attending classes at Hiram College.

b. In general, an education record is defined as any records in any medium directly related to a student and maintained by the institution or by a party acting for the institution. An education record is any record in handwriting, print, tape, microfilm, electronic file or other medium maintained by Hiram College.

The following exemptions are not part of the education record or subject to this Act:

i. Personal records maintained by the College staff/faculty if kept in the sole possessions of that individual, and the information is not accessible or revealed to any other person, e.g. faculty grade book, advising file.

ii. Employment records not contingent on the student’s enrollment.  (Therefore, student worker records, evaluations, files are part of a student’s education record).

iii. Law enforcement records that are created by a law enforcement agency for that purpose.

iv. Medical and psychological records used solely for treatment.

v. Alumni records containing information relating to a person after that person is no longer a student at Hiram.

2. Students have the right to request that the College amend an education record that the student believes to be inaccurate. Students should write to the Registrar, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specifying why it is inaccurate. If Hiram College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the student shall be notified of the decision and advised as to his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. Students have the right to provide written consent before Hiram College discloses personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.

a. A school official is a person employed by Hiram College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom Hiram College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent, degree conferral agent, document managing agent, and placement sites for internship, clinical, or similar student work/study opportunities); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks; consultants, volunteers or other outside parties to whom Hiram College has outsourced institutional services or functions that it would otherwise use employees to perform. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

b. As allowed within FERPA guidelines, Hiram College may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school, upon request, in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

4. Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Hiram College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20202-4605.

5. At its discretion, Hiram College may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Directory Information is defined as that information which would not generally be considered harmful or invasive of privacy if disclosed. Designated Directory Information at Hiram College includes the following: student name, permanent address, local address, temporary address, electronic mail address, telephone number(s), date of birth, dates of attendance, class level (undergraduate/graduate, first-year, sophomore, etc.), degrees conferred, honors and awards received, major field(s) of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of athletic team members, final theses/capstones, photograph, most recent previous educational agency or institution attended.

Students may withhold Directory Information by notifying the Registrar in writing within the first week of the academic semester the request is to become effective. (A request form to withhold Directory Information is available in the Registrar’s Office). Please note that such withholding requests are binding for all information to all parties other than for those exceptions allowed under the Act. Students should carefully consider the consequences of any decision made to withhold directory information as any future requests for such information from other schools, prospective employers or other persons or organizations will be refused. Hiram College will honor the request to withhold all directory information, but cannot assume responsibility to contact the student every time a request is received. Regardless of the effect upon the student, Hiram College assumes no liability for honoring the student’s instructions that such information be withheld.

Documentation of FERPA violations is maintained in the Registrar’s Office and in the Office of the Vice President and Dean of the College.

6.As of January 3, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education's FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records — including your Social Security Number, grades, or other private information — may be accessed without your consent. First, the U.S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities ("Federal and State Authorities") may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is "principally engaged in the provision of education," such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution. Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object to or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that they authorize to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities. In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.

Academic Records of Deceased Students

Upon a student’s death, education records are no longer protected under FERPA. As such, the disposition of records pertaining to a deceased individual is not a FERPA issue but a matter of institutional policy. Hiram College maintains full discretion in deciding whether, and under what conditions, education records of deceased students should be disclosed.

In general, the College will not release education records but may do so under the following conditions:

• The Registrar’s Office will release such records if the College receives a valid subpoena requesting such records.
• The Registrar’s Office may choose to release such records with the written authorization of the executor of the deceased student’s estate or next of kin, if an executor has not been appointed. Such individual would need to provide proof of the student’s death (i.e., death certificate or obituary notice). The request will be reviewed by the Registrar and the Academic Dean of the College, or their designates, who will make the determination on a case-by-case basis.  Requests should be sent to Hiram College Registrar’s Office, PO Box 67, Hiram, OH 44234.

Religious Life

Christopher McCreight, Chaplain
B.A., Hiram College
M.Div., Emory University

The Hiram College religious tradition is well-represented by James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States, who gained local renown as a lay preacher through his debates with itinerant atheists. Hiram has a continuing relationship with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and a special scholarship fund exists for children of Disciples of Christ families and ministers. Because of this tradition, current religious life at the College is open and free of any sectarian emphasis.

Organized opportunities for worship and religious education, fellowship, and service exist for Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim students. All are welcome. The College Chaplain, along with student groups, seeks to plan programs of interest to all students and to assist any student to express his or her religious tradition. Special attention is paid to both tradition-specific and interfaith programming in the Fisher All Faith Chapel and Meeting House.

The College has a special relationship with the Hiram Christian Church, which is adjacent to the campus. The church welcomes persons of many religious traditions, and students may retain membership in their home churches while affiliating as associate members of the Hiram church.

The College Chaplain is available for personal and spiritual counseling, as well as for advising religious groups and assisting Religious Life programming.

Residential Education

Ed Frato-Sweeney, Director of Residential and Citizenship Education
B. Phil., Miami University
M.A., Miami University

TJ Wasserman, Assistant Director of Residential Education
B.A., Heidelberg University
M.Ed., Kent State University

Kelly Johns, Coordinator of Housing Operations
B.A., Kent State University

Andrew Palmer, Resident Director
B.A., Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Katherine Snyder, Resident Director
B.A., University of Akron

Danielle Thompson, Resident Director
B.S., Friends University

Craig Workman, Resident Director
B.A., Kent State University

Web address http://www.hiram.edu/campus-life/life/residence-life 

The Office of Residential Education at Hiram aims to supplement as well as complement the classroom experience of each student. A goal of our Residential Education program is to motivate students to become interested in the process of their own education and development. In the classroom, the professor is concerned with the development of the intellect. In the Residential Education Office, the staff is concerned with the total effectiveness of individuals in dealing with all aspects of their environment. The staff is concerned with the students’ ability to relate to others, solve problems, make decisions and compromises, and above all, to better understand who they are, through increased awareness of their interests, aptitudes, abilities, and limitations.

The staff is responsible for providing activities and programs that will enhance the educational process and provide interesting and entertaining opportunities for students to enjoy. If you have any ideas, questions or concerns, please stop by or call the office.

The Residential Education Office is located in Bates Hall. The telephone number is 330.569.5232.

Special Events

Martha Schettler, Director, Special Events and Catering
B.A., Slippery Rock University

Student Health Services

Gayle Galan, M.D., Medical Director
B.A, Case Western Reserve University;
M.D., Case Western Reserve University

Asha Goodner, APRN-BC, FNP, Director of Student Health Services
B.S., University of Richmond;
B.S., M.S., Virginia Commonwealth University

Marjie Billock, RN

Tricia Fincham, Health Center Coordinator
B.A., Hiram College
 
Web address:  http://www.hiram.edu/directory/departmental/health-center

Hiram College Student Health Services, located in the Julia Church Health Center, offers primary health care for a residential college community. In addition, we integrate primary care with epidemiological and educational services that both prevent and heal. Good physical/mental/spiritual health and healthy habits enhance one’s ability to learn and achieve.

Appointments are available Monday through Friday with a nurse practitioner and once a week with a physician. A physician is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Health education programming is available at various locations on campus throughout the academic year.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM: THE HIRAM PLAN

Hiram College uses an innovative academic program which is designed to strengthen the educational partnership between faculty and students that has always defined a Hiram education. The Hiram Plan combines the best aspects of a traditional semester calendar with the benefits of the intensive educational opportunities offered through concentration on a single course.

Through the Hiram Plan, each academic semester is divided into two sessions: one of twelve weeks and one of three weeks. During the twelve-week session, students usually enroll in three courses of four semester hours each. The longer session provides a suitable format for courses which cover a broad range of material, allows students to integrate what they learn in their concurrent classes, and provides opportunities for substantial research and writing projects.

During the three-week session, each student enrolls in one three- or four- hour seminar or course, each of which will have a limited enrollment. Each faculty member will teach only one course or seminar during the three-week session. These intensive classes provide students and faculty with numerous special opportunities that are not possible in the twelve-week sessions. The students and faculty participating in a seminar can, for example, meet at any time or location mutually agreeable. Faculty have developed special topic courses which include field trips, experiential learning, and numerous study abroad opportunities. The three-week sessions provide students with an intensive learning opportunity, which is useful preparation for work or graduate and professional studies after Hiram. Perhaps most importantly, the small class sizes and daily class meetings experienced in the three-week session enable students and faculty to form close, educationally meaningful relationships that often last a lifetime.

HIRAM CONNECT

Hiram Connect, effective Fall 2015, requires new first-year students to integrate and apply classroom learning with high-impact out-of-classroom experiences, strengthening intentional career exploration and personal development through reflection.

Over the course of their time at Hiram, students will develop critical reflection skills that will enhance their ability to analyze Hiram Connect experiences and their lives beyond college. Experiences such as study abroad or study away, research, and/or internships will drive students to analyze key concepts from their coursework in order to refine or challenge previously held assumptions and expectations, articulate their personal growth in relation to future goals, and consider their relationships to their communities and the world.

Decisions about what to major in, how to complete their required Connect Experience, and what classes to take should not be taken lightly. To guide students in making the best possible decisions for themselves and their futures, Hiram Connect facilitates meaningful reflection at four important academic milestones, and throughout the curriculum.

Detailed information to better understand the Four Steps/Components of Connect can be found at http://www.hiram.edu/connect/

THE FIRST-YEAR PROGRAM AND COLLOQUIUM

Hiram prides itself on easing the transition from high school to college and begins this journey with Summer Orientation. Students and their families are invited to campus during the summer, where students will get together with one another, meet with staff and current students, and advise with a faculty member who will assist them in choosing and registering for their fall classes. New students will then arrive about a week before classes begin for “Institute,” where they will discuss a common reading as an introduction to college discourse, participate in social events, and gradually adjust to living away from home. In addition, during Institute week, each student has another opportunity to discuss with their advisor their academic interests and college graduation requirements, with the ability to adjust class schedules.

The First-Year Colloquium: One of the students’ three classes during their first 12-week term will be a four-hour Colloquium.  The Colloquia are a series of seminars on special topics across the liberal arts and sciences, designed to introduce students to college-level writing, critical thinking, and oral communication. Each Colloquium consists of a small group of First-Year students, an upper-class teaching assistant, and a professor. This Colloquium group, formed during the Institute, serves as the first step in the transition to college life. The First-Year Colloquium (FRCL) course is an integral part of Hiram’s general education curriculum and is a requirement for graduation. Failure to complete this course with a passing grade will result in an incomplete graduation status and will require the successful completion of two First-Year Seminar courses at Hiram College or some other appropriate writing equivalency approved by the Associate Dean of the College. Students with appropriate transfer credits will complete Foundations of the Liberal Arts in place of both the Colloquium and the First-Year Seminar, while students in College Credit Plus or Professional and Graduate Studies will complete Writing in the Liberal Arts (WRLA) in place of the Colloquium.

First-Year Colloquium Description: The Colloquium provides an exposure to college-level intellectual inquiry through an engagement with interesting and important ideas. Each course is centered on some idea (or theme or topic) or series of ideas fundamental to understanding and living. Through the careful and considerate examination of the course topic, the student will learn the following:

• Ideas have complexity and generality
• Ideas are connected to one another, and depend on and illuminate one another: knowledge is interdisciplinary in nature
• Much goes into understanding something well: students need to develop the capacity of critical inquiry 
• Histories and traditions of systematic inquiry can guide (and obscure) insight and understanding
• Reflective learning integrates these ideas into various spheres of students’ own lives—coursework, career, calling, character, and community

First-Year Colloquium Course Objectives: The Colloquium does not merely tell students about ideas. It rather challenges them to be actively engaged in thinking their way into ideas and traditions, guides them into developing their abilities at reasoned critical reflection about those ideas and traditions, and prompts them to connect that reflection to experiences beyond the course. Through the examination of the content of the Colloquium course, students will be challenged to develop their:

• ability to read, interpret and connect important material and experiences
• ability to think critically
• ability to write: students will write to learn
• ability to communicate orally: students will speak, participate in discussion, and present ideas
• ability to identify, evaluate, and use information appropriate for scholarly research
• ability to take advantage of the curricular and co-curricular opportunities at Hiram College

Course Description

FRCL 10101: FIRST-YEAR COLLOQUIUM 4 hour(s)

The Colloquium provides an exposure to college-level intellectual inquiry and the liberal arts through an engagement with interesting and important ideas. Each course is centered on some idea or series of ideas fundamental to understanding and living. Through the careful and considerate examination of the course topic, the student will learn that ideas have complexity and generality, that knowledge is interdisciplinary in nature, that much goes into understanding something well, that histories and traditions of systematic inquiry can guide (and obsure) insight and understanding, and that ideas inform various spheres of students' own lives--the personal, the vocational, and the public. Students in the FRCL are required to complete assigned readings, give at least one presentation, participate in class discussion, and to write two 3-5 page short essays and one 5-page essay with research.

Select Examples of FRCL Sections Offered:

MONEY, SEX & CONSPIRACY THEORY

In 1964, American historian Richard Hofstadter identified conspiracy theories and the ‘paranoid style’ as an endemic part of US history and politics. Since then, this paranoid view of the world has grown exponentially, largely because of the Internet where ideas can now reach millions, allowing new communities of like-minded conspiracy believers to blossom overnight. Conspiracy theories can be defined as secret plots by powerful people or organizations to carry out (usually sinister) goals. Dealing with the public’s widespread belief in such nefarious narratives has presented journalists, historians, and scientists with a growing challenge. When it becomes a global trend to explain major events by referring to conspiracy theories, however farfetched these may seem, that trend merits a thorough examination.  Some of the theories that we will discuss include but are not limited to conspiracies pertaining to the Illuminati bloodline, ritual oaths, the media and music industry, political assassinations, eugenics, the new world order, professional sport, and more.  Students will be required to complete and be prepared to thoughtfully discuss all course readings, to participate in curricular and co-curricular activities at the college, to give two oral presentations, (one will be your fashion show!) and to write two three-to-five page essays and one five-page essay with research.

KING ARTHUR THEN AND NOW

Why have stories of King Arthur and his knights have fascinated people for over a thousand years? Was there a real King Arthur? When do the stories begin and what was the true history of that time? Each era has reinterpreted the Arthurian legends in ways that reflects its values and priorities. What do recent versions of King Arthur tell us about our own culture? We will explore these question, and how they remains relevant for our society today, through readings, film, and social media. In some cases the knights of Arthur are depicted as super-human champions, and in others they are deeply flawed characters. We will deal with themes like leadership, violence, romantic love, gender roles, social class and economics, and how fictional characters influenced the ideas and behavior of real people. Enduring legends like those of King Arthur can tell us a great deal about ourselves and our world. Students will be required to complete and be prepared to thoughtfully discuss all course readings, to participate in curricular and co-curricular activities at the college, to give at least one oral presentation, and to write two three-to-five page essays and one five-page essay with research.

REBELS AND REFORMERS IN AMERICAN HISTORY

This course will introduce students to leading American activists and reformers. We will explore the ideas, the struggles, and the social impact of various rebels and reformers who led different movements for social change in the United States. We will pay specific attention to several reform movements, including the antislavery movement in nineteenth-century America, religious fundamentalism in the early 20th century, the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and the modern movement for immigrant justice and immigrant rights. Students will examine the social conditions and perceived problems that gave rise to each movement as well as the movement's strategies for change. Students will also consider what made each reform movement more or less effective in achieving its goals, and what impact the movement had on the wider society. Students will reflect on their own experiences with movements for social change, how they have been affected by reform movements and if and how they may want to participate in social change movements. Students will be required to complete and be prepared to thoughtfully discuss all course readings, to participate in curricular and co-curricular activities at the college, to give at least one oral presentation, and to write two three-to-five-page essays and one five-page essay with research.

OUR CYBORG SELVES: TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

In this course, students will discover ways in which various technologies have changed and continue to change the ways in which humans interact with each other. As far back as the invention of the book, which revolutionized human communication, technology has influenced the evolution of human relationships—for better and for worse. As a learning community, we will consider both obvious modern technologies, such as cell phones, computers, cloning, and virtual reality, but also less obvious technologies, such as the printing press, wheel, and microwave oven, and how they have modified the ways in which we interact with each other as well as even what we define as human. We will evaluate our own personal use of technology and society’s use of technology in our reading and our writing. Assigned readings will include the novels Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and Frankenstein as well as numerous articles. Students will be required to complete and be prepared to thoughtfully discuss all course readings, to participate in curricular and co-curricular activities at the college, to give at least one oral presentation, and to write two three-to-five page essays and one five-page essay with research.