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The Prescott College educational experience
begins with Orientation and proceeds to the design of
your educational program in collaboration with a faculty advisor.
Your education may take you on a month-long "block" of
intensive study either in Prescott or at an off campus location.
All classes begin with a learning contract with a faculty member
that describes what you want to study and how you will demonstrate
what you have learned. All classes end with a student self-evaluation
and a personalized evaluation by your faculty. Your Prescott College
experience culminates with a senior project that dramatically demonstrates
real-world applications of your education.
Orientation Options
New Prescott College students (first-year students
and transfers) participate in Orientation as their first
course. During Orientation, students are introduced to
a variety of physical, social, and cultural experiences in which
they learn to build community, practice self-direction, and travel
in the backcountry. The month-long course offers an introduction
to the Prescott College method of education, the College’s
environmental philosophy, introduces new students to other incoming
students, and teaches outdoor skills and the natural history
of Arizona. The first week is spent at a local retreat center preparing
for the trip, meeting faculty advisors, and beginning Academic Orientation
to Prescott College. For the next three weeks, small groups of new
students are led by advanced students and/or alumni on expeditions
to areas such as the Grand Canyon, the Superstition Mountains, or
isolated Southwestern mountains and canyons for backpacking and
camping, yoga and meditation, equine orientation or conservation orientation.
Academic Advisors
Students are assigned a faculty academic advisor prior to arriving
for Orientation. The advisor is assigned based on the student's
academic interests. Students meet with their advisors before registration
to discuss program interests and long-range academic and career
goals. If the student's area of academic interest changes, he or
she can request a new advisor.
Course Design
With the assistance of their faculty advisors, students design an
individual program of study that will result in competence in one
area, and breadth of understanding in one or two distinct areas.
The courses, independent studies, and internship experiences comprising
the student's long-term course of study vary greatly from individual
to individual, but each is an agreement between the student and
the faculty advisor. Students and advisors work together to determine
what coursework and experiences are necessary to demonstrate competence
in a particular area of study. For example, a student with a competence
in Environmental Conservation might already have a background in
general biology. The advisor, listening to the student's interests
while challenging the student's assumptions and horizons, might
advise the student to take courses in ethics, conservation issues
in politics, public lands management, field methods and plant biology,
chemistry, genetics, or advanced independent study.
Advanced Work
A student’s first year at Prescott College is time for building
a solid academic foundation. New students usually participate in
introductory classes or structured field projects, working closely
with faculty members and advisors. New students usually develop
their schedules from the published schedule of courses.
After a solid academic
foundation is built, students move on to advanced work. Students
assume increased responsibilities and pursue a broader range of
learning experiences, including independent studies, internships,
and other off-campus projects. Students also have the opportunity
to work with faculty in tutorial relationships, often serving as
teaching assistants, co-researchers, or expedition leaders.
Evaluations and
Grades
The quality and detail of the evaluation system sets Prescott College
apart from other undergraduate programs. Grades are not given for
coursework unless students request them in advance. Instead, the
College uses a system of performance-based evaluations, consisting
of student self-evaluation combined with faculty evaluations of
student work. These evaluations become the student's narrative transcript.
Graduate schools readily accept this system of grading.
Transferring Credits
All credits earned at a regionally accredited institution in college-level
courses are accepted for transfer if a grade of "C" or
better was earned or if there are satisfactory evaluations (for
colleges that use narrative transcripts instead of grades).
Learning Contracts
By writing a contract for each course, students are involved in
directing and individualizing their learning. Students and faculty
members negotiate objectives, activities, and criteria for evaluation.
Contracts enable advisors to monitor course content and activities.
In addition, sections of the contract become part of the student's
permanent transcript.
Portfolios
Students keep a learning journal, or portfolio, for each course
taken at Prescott College. The portfolio, usually in written form,
provides a method by which a student organizes personal and academic
experiences. The material contained in the portfolio provides a
basis for evaluation and feedback from peers and instructors. It
is both a documentation process and a learning tool. Most faculty
members require students to maintain a "working" portfolio
for each course. The content and nature of course portfolios vary
considerably. The individual course portfolio and other materials,
such as personal journals, statements of learning, goals and objectives,
essays, exams, photographs, drawings, letters, awards, etc., are
used as resources in other courses, independent studies, and the
senior project.
Independent Studies
Students are supported in developing independently designed courses
of study. Many Prescott College students enroll in independent studies
to supplement regular coursework and pursue personal interests.
Independent studies are carried out under the supervision of faculty
sponsors and may be undertaken individually or by groups of students.
Independent studies may be conducted on or away from campus, and
are generally done after a student has been at the College for six
months to a year. A few examples of recent independent study topics
include"Passive Solar Greenhouses," "Therapeutic
Use of Sound," "Travel Literature," "Restoration
Ecology," "Social Activism through Journalism," "Site
Specific Sculpture," "Straw Bale House Design and Construction,"
"Horsepacking in New Mexico," and "Photographic Documentary
of Western European Cathedrals and Churches."
Internships
Prescott College’s diverse, liberal arts curriculum and the
opportunities for independent studies and internships complement
each other. Internship experiences supplement and strengthen educational
programs, allowing students to apply knowledge and skills and clarify
future goals. Internships help students test career choices early
and develop the self-confidence, communication skills, and professionalism
needed to perform competent work after college. In the past, students
have done as many as four internships, varying in length from a
quarter to more than one year. Some graduates return to their internship
sponsors for employment after graduation. Organizations where students
have recently interned include Outward Bound (Costa Rica), Mingus
Mountain Residential Treatment Center, Boys & Girls Club of
Metro Denver, Baja Expeditions, Explore Magazine, The Maine State
Green Party, New England Aquarium, Center for Economic Conservation,
Pepperwood Ranch Nature Preserve, and Denali National Park.
Academic Year
The Prescott College Resident Degree Program calendar consists of
blocks and quarters. Blocks are approximately four weeks in length,
and quarters are approximately 10 weeks, immediately following blocks
(an enrollment period consists of one block and one quarter). The
innovative and unique block system allows for in-depth study of
one subject. Some block courses are campus-based and meet daily
for three hours or more. The great advantage of a block course is
that it allows for extended field work (without having to sacrifice
other courses). Many block courses include some field trips, while
others are conducted entirely in the field and can take students
to such diverse places as the Grand Canyon, the Sea of Cortez, the
Wind Range Mountains of Wyoming or the fjords of Norway.
Each quarter lasts 10
weeks, during which time students pursue a diversified curriculum.
Three classes, or two classes and an independent study, are examples
of typical course loads for a quarter. Quarter courses frequently
include some field components (single-day trips or weekend excursions).
"Competencies"
and "Breadths": Prescott College's Approach to Majors
and Minors
At Prescott College, the student's major area of study is called
a competence because the student must demonstrate competence in
that area before graduating. The student must also demonstrate breadth
of learning. This is done by choosing one or two minor areas of
study and demonstrating significant understanding of these fields
of knowledge. Students design both their competence and breadths.
Recent competencies and breadths have included:
- Agroecology
- Conservation
- Counseling
- Creative Writing
- Cultural Studies
- Ecological Design
- Ecopsychology
- Education
- Environmental Education
- Experiential Education
- Field Ecology
- Fine Arts
- Holistic Health
- Human Development
- Human Ecology
- Literature
- Natural History
- Outdoor Adventure Education
- Peace Studies
- Philosophy
- Photography
- Psychology
- Religion
- Social and Political Studies
- Wilderness Leadership
- Writing
The Senior Project
The senior project is the culmination of each student’s undergraduate
education and acts as a final demonstration of proficiency in the
competence area. The senior project is an intensive independent
study that demonstrates the student’s ability to carry out
independent work that is relevant to the real world. Senior projects
serve as a demonstration of competence, a bridge to graduate school,
or a path to employment opportunities. Some recent senior projects
include:
- Community Supported Agriculture
- Creating a Natural History Curriculum for Prescott Schools
- Avalanche Forecasting and Snow Dispersal
- The Impact of Free Will: Evolution of Christian Theology and
Modern Science
- Calling Back Spring: A Natural History of the Sand Hill Crane
- Socio-Political Survey of Ecuador
- Village of the Lost: An AIDS Orphanage in South Africa
- Wolf Conservation
- White Angel: Writing for Social Change
After Graduation
Graduates report that their education and unique experiences at
Prescott College have prepared them for success in their careers
and advanced degree fields. A recent survey of graduates shows that
Prescott College alumni are involved in a wide range of professions:
- Botanical artist
- Organic farmer
- Environmental scientist
- Freelance writer
- Child advocate
- Museum educator
- School principal
- Law professor
- Storyteller
- Special education teacher
- Field biologist
- River conservationist
- Yoga instructor
- Children’s book author Librarian
- NOLS/Outward Bound climbing guide
- Emergency medical physician
- Architectural designer
- Computer consultant
- Documentary filmmaker/Television producer
- Wildlife instructor
- Backcountry ski guide
- Environmental planner/Landscape designer
- Sea kayak instructor
- Attorney
- Investment broker
- Recording engineer
- College film professor
- Physician
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