Recent Assessment Reports
Guidelines for Completing Assessment Steps 1-6
Assessment Report template
(for departments and programs that need to complete steps assessment steps 1-6)
Assessment Update template
(for departments and programs with previously approved steps 1-6)
| Academic Program, Department or Unit | Mission Statement | Recent Reports | Recent Feedback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropology & Sociology | Anthropology and sociology are distinct fields united by a common interest in understanding human beings and their communities. Albion College’s Department of Anthropology & Sociology teaches students to read with comprehension; think analytically, critically, and creatively; and to express themselves effectively. We emphasize a global perspective and pay particular attention to increasing students’ knowledge of how race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and social class are socially constructed. The department offers classes that provide majors, minors, and non-majors with the theoretical and methodological tools necessary to understand and analyze the human condition in the past and present. We emphasize the importance of research skills that foster students’ intellectual abilities to master the applications of anthropology and sociology to prepare them for graduate school, for employment, and to bring about positive change in the world | 2009 Anthropology major | 2009 |
| Art | The Department of Art and Art History defines its mission as educating students in both traditional and contemporary modes of artistic expression. This includes providing an environment that promotes technical, creative, conceptual, and professional development. Students are introduced to artistic issues in the historic and contemporary world, helping them become fluent in the languages of art, both visual and verbal. | 2010 Art major | 2010 |
| Art History | The art history program at Albion College provides students with a foundation in the skills of analysis, critical thinking and writing, and knowledge of art in its artistic, historical and cultural contexts. We educate students in both traditional and innovative modes of artistic expression and critique. We believe that individual expression in the form of artistic creation, analysis and dialogue is essential to the maintenance of human life and the creation of a humane and just society. | 2009 Art History Report | 2009 |
| Athletic Training | see Kinesiology | ||
| Biology | The Biology Department’s mission is to provide students with an understanding of, and an appreciation for, the fundamental mechanisms that underlie all living systems from molecular biology through ecosystem ecology. Students should understand the ways in which they are affected by living organisms and how their lives in turn have an impact on other living organisms and the biosphere. They should become proficient in the methods of science and aware of the processes that lead to discoveries in science. In course work, they should develop observational, analytical, and communication skills, regardless of their chosen career path. Ultimately, biology is best understood by active involvement with organisms and the systems of life in laboratory and field settings, and in collaborative student-faculty research. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Brown Honors Program | The mission of the Albion College Honors Program is to produce a liberally educated body of graduates who are grounded in disciplinary knowledge, who have developed interdisciplinary skills, and who are well rounded, socially conscious, and capable of assuming leadership roles in our society. While completion of coursework and a thesis project are required to graduate with Albion College Honors, student access is measured by student outcomes such as participation by students in research, scholarship or creative activity, participation by students in projects on/off campus, and evidence of student leadership. The program aims to recruit and achieve levels of participation from underrepresented populations at levels consistent with their enrollment at Albion. The Honors Program will continue to maintain high levels of enrollment and retention of students through graduation. | 2009 Report | 2010 |
| Center for Sustainability & the Environment | The Albion College Institute for the Study of the Environment provides students opportunities to develop a breadth of talents leading to rewarding careers and sustainable lifestyles. By bringing theory to practice and taking the broadest view of the interplay of natural and societal systems, we enrich and expand on traditional liberal arts majors and strive to prepare our students to be effective stewards of the planet. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Chemistry | The mission of the chemistry department is to provide an outstanding undergraduate education in the chemical sciences and an active intellectual community within the liberal arts tradition. Our goal is to equip students with the critical skills and understanding that will enable them to pursue careers in the chemical and medical sciences, as well as to create an informed citizenry that will serve as leaders in the societal discussion of science and technology. We believe that chemistry serves as a key partner in the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of science. To achieve these goals, we utilize an active pedagogical approach, which emphasizes the process of scientific discovery, the ever-changing body of scientific knowledge, and student-faculty interactions. We believe it is essential that students experience the process of scientific investigation, in the laboratory, the classroom, and through the unique mentoring relationship that develops through collaborative student-faculty research. We emphasize the integral nature of chemistry in our society, both as an endeavor that betters our lives and as a way of understanding and exploring our world. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Communication Studies | Communication is the process that makes us human. It is through our ability to use symbolic expression that we develop our identities, gain personal effectiveness, and establish, maintain, and change the societies in which we live. Communication is then a study which is central to the mission of the liberal arts. Students investigate how humans use signs and symbols to communicate in a variety of settings: interpersonal, public, organizational, and mass communications contexts. In all of this study, students come to understand the mutually influencing and interdependent nature of all communication. Majors are expected to participate in all assessment objectives as outlined by the department. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Economics & Management | The mission of Albion’s Economics and Management Department is to provide an excellent undergraduate education that helps students develop the technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills needed to be successful in business and other endeavors. As a department, we are committed to teaching economics and management in the context of a broad liberal arts education, and we strongly believe that individuals who aspire to pursue business careers or graduate school will be better prepared because of the content knowledge they gain throughout our program. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Education & Shurmur Institute | The mission of the Education Department is to educate scholarly practitioners that examine the purpose of schooling and the relationship between school and society. Grounded in the liberal arts traditions and situated in a richly diverse community, the Albion College Teacher Education Program fosters the development of moral and ethical teacher-scholars who advocate for learners’ intellectual and personal growth as well as positive societal change. Students and faculty in the department are committed to challenging, broadening and deepening their learning centered practice by focusing on self-reflections, lifelong learning, multicultural education, and interdisciplinary curriculum building. Together, as democratic learning communities, we analyze and confront social, political, psychological, and economic problems as we teach disciplinary knowledge in diverse school settings. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| English | The study of literature and writing cultivates the qualities of mind—imagination, empathy, social awareness, curiosity, and critical-mindedness—that equip all students to discern and address themselves to the challenges of their personal, professional, and civic lives and to face, with honesty and humility, the great and ordinary dilemma of being human. We teach students the most basic and most essential skills required to live and thrive in any modern society—to read, to write, and to think.
Our curriculum encompasses the study of British and American literary traditions, expository and argumentative writing, creative writing, and journalism. In the study of literature, we teach students both the long narrative of literary history and the careful scrutiny of particular genres, periods, authors, and ideas. In the study of writing, we cultivate students’ mastery of language, including their ability to read critically and to evaluate information and their capacity for rigorous analysis, the creation of art, and the ethical and responsible contributions to public discourse. |
2009 Report | 2009 |
| Ethnic Studies | Ethnic Studies is the interdisciplinary and comparative study of the ethnicity and the study of the culture and history of particular ethnic groups in the United States and other nations. As the study of ethnicity, Ethnic Studies examines factors that account for the creation and maintenance of ethnic identity, the development of ethnic stereotypes and prejudice, and the quality of ethnic relations. In regard to particular ethnic groups, Ethnic Studies encourages exploration of the specific histories, values, and contributions of the country’s many constituent groups including American Indians, African Americans, Latino/as, and Asian Americans, to name a few. Ethnic Studies provides the means to identify the prejudices and assumptions that have shaped traditional scholarship in the academic disciplines and to correct these biases. Since knowledge of ethnic traditions and ethnic relations are sought after by many fields, including but not limited to politics, social services, business, law, medicine, and psychology-related careers, an ethnic studies major provides students the theoretical and practical tools to become successful in an increasingly multicultural and global society. To develop at the end of the course a more comprehensive study and practice towards developing more equitable, diverse, global communities. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Ford Institute | The Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service exists to enhance student awareness, understanding, and appreciation of life’s public dimensions. It strives to develop leaders and engaged citizens who understand the competing and conflicting interests of our world and the ability to advocate for the greater good. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Geological Sciences | The Albion College Department of Geological Sciences provides undergraduate students intellectually engaging and challenging learning opportunities in geology through classroom, laboratory, and field experiences and conducts primary research that involves students whenever possible.
Our academic program has several specific goals, including 1) to provide a sound program for Geology and Earth Science majors and minors that prepares them for graduate school or careers in the geological sciences, education, and related fields; 2) to provide superior liberal arts science experiences for non-majors as part of their general education requirement; 3) to support the Environmental Studies and Environmental Science concentrations and Category; and 4) to provide high quality First-Year and Honors Seminars. Within our courses we combine lecture and other in-class experiences, laboratories, field trips, and research projects in order to enhance our students’ understanding of scientific methodology and hypothesis testing, geological processes, and the relationships between geology and the other sciences and society. In further support of our majors, we conduct departmental colloquia, field trips, and a summer field course in the Rocky Mountains. Our research mission is to plan, conduct, complete, present, and publish scholarly investigations into a wide variety of geological problems. We strive to include students in every phase of the research experience as summer students, directed study students, first-year research partners, and honors thesis advisees. We emphasize the use of fieldwork, literature review, laboratory and computer analyses of data, and report preparation in our research projects. We have active research programs in Tibet (Carrie Menold), Antarctica (Thom Wilch), Wyoming (Bill Bartels), California (Chris Van de Ven), and South Dakota (Beth and Tim Lincoln), as well as several on-going projects in Michigan. In support of our research and teaching mission, we maintain superb collections of minerals, rocks, fossils, maps, and digital data. We further support teaching and research by maintaining up-to-date analytical and computing facilities. |
2009 Report | 2009 |
| Gerstacker Institute | To provide the students in our business honors program with the skills, knowledge, experience, character, and confidence needed to succeed in their business careers by delivering a unique combination of formal classroom education, professional development, mentorship and experiential learning.
As we move forward to realize the vision and achieve the goals of Albion 2015 that will distinguish Albion among liberal arts colleges, the Institute’s mission in terms of its purpose, priorities and values may be revised. As one of the four major strategic themes identified with the potential of differentiating our College and adding significant value to our students’ experience, the Gerstacker Institute will be refined to be among the very best liberal arts based undergraduate business programs by offering: excellent teaching of liberal arts based business curriculum; necessary interpersonal and business skills to succeed in life’s work; and relevant, rigorous experiential learning to translate critical thought into action. This unique combination of learning will provide our graduates with solid technical expertise, a strong ethical core, and managerial preparation for leadership and success in their life’s work. |
2009 Report | 2009 |
| Human Services | The Human Services Concentration is designed to allow students to explore interests in human services careers, as well as to prepare them for entry-level positions upon graduation and/or for graduate school in human services disciplines. | 2009 Report | 2010 |
| History | The History Department’s mission asks,
How did people live in the past? What forces and factors shaped their lives? How did their choices shape the world we live in today? The mission of the History Department is to foster creative and analytical thinkers who are interested in questions of how human societies change over time. History students learn to discern the institutional, ideological, and material conditions that shape the ways in which people interact with one another, whether in the context of a given society or across societies. They learn that prevailing historical explanations are themselves subject to questioning and refashioning, and they become aware of how different explanations influence present-day perceptions. By analyzing primary and secondary sources and by communicating the results of their analysis in compelling, cogent prose, students also learn to become active participants in the writing and critiquing of history itself. |
2009 Report | 2009 |
| International Studies | The mission of the International Studies program is to provide an academically rigorous, yet flexible curricular structure for students who wish to pursue in-depth knowledge of global, transnational, and international issues. IS courses are selected from menus of courses offered by existing departments. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, the program services students with a variety of academic and career goals. We offer both a major and a minor. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Kinesiology | A liberal arts education should provide the means to enhance one’s mind, body and soul. The Kinesiology Department provides the student with an opportunity to pursue academic disciplines that will enable them and ultimately others (through the resultant dissemination of knowledge by the students) to gain knowledge that will positively affect their lives and the lives of those around them. Presenting academic disciplines that result in a physically healthy existence and a vigorous intellectual one is the mission of the Kinesiology Department. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Law, Justice & Society | The concentration in Law, Justice, and Society seeks to provide students at Albion College with an opportunity to become familiar with the history and theoretical underpinnings of the legal institutions, processes, and ideas of the United States and the western legal tradition more broadly construed. Through the concentration, we seek to make available to Albion College students a course of study that has been designed to provide them with the intellectual tools necessary for a reasoned appraisal of U.S. and other western legal systems, and the politics and policies that underlie them. Further, the concentration is grounded on the view that the study of law and justice is best pursued when located within its rich humanistic tradition. Such a pursuit can encourage sustained reflection on the fundamental yet contestable values that serve to inform the requirements of citizenship in contemporary democratic society. Law, Justice, and Society thus seeks to provide Albion College students with a comprehensive and coherent curricular structure from within which they might examine and understand a broad range of law-related issues. | 2010 Plan | 2010 |
| Mathematics & Computer Science | Through excellence in teaching and advising, our dedicated faculty prepare students in mathematics and computer science for meaningful careers, advanced study, and a passion for learning. Individual attention, small classes, departmental activities, and a state-of-the-art facility foster a vibrant scholarly community. Distinguished faculties, active as peer-reviewed scholars, provide students with innovative teaching and quality research opportunities. Our modern curriculum emphasizes modeling, problem solving, logic, quantitative skills, critical thinking, abstraction, and rigor. Regular dialog with other disciplines shapes relevant courses for all students, regardless of major. Interdisciplinary connections and applications are emphasized in our courses and in the rich liberal arts tradition of Albion College. | 2009 Math Report | 2009 |
| Modern Languages | The primary goal of the Modern Languages and Cultures Department is to facilitate students’ learning of Spanish, French, and German, while also expanding their knowledge and understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity. As a Department, we:
1. Bring the world to the classroom and our students: A. By emphasizing the relevance and importance of authentic learning materials. Students learn authentic language skills, cultural competence as well as the historical and geographical backgrounds of cultural realities. B. Through our sequence of language instruction courses that expands and enhances language skills, as well as students’ understanding of, and knowledge about other cultures. C. By engaging students with other cultures through regular cultural activities (lunch tables, cultural programs, cultural events each semester) D. By having different native speaker teaching assistants join us every semester from the countries whose languages we teach. E. By having students live in a designated International House, which brings those interested in a particular language together so that they may practice their language skills with each other as well as a Native Speaker Teaching Assistant. 2. Bring our students to the world: A. Via short term travel-programs connected to specific courses led by departmental faculty. (Departmental faculty have taken students to France, Germany, Argentina, Cameroon, Spain and California). B. By sending students to off-campus study programs that focus either on academic course work or international internships in different fields, or a mixture of both. C. Through a successful program where Modern Language students are paired with Albion Elementary school classes to teach a foreign language once a week to Elementary school children. D. By off-campus fieldwork, which is an important component of some of our off-campus programs. E. By helping graduating seniors receive Fulbright scholarships. The Department has been the primary recipient at the College of these awards since 2003. These scholarships allow Albion grads the opportunity to apply and expand upon their recently acquired cultural and linguistic knowledge by funding a year of study and teaching in a country other than their own. 3. Prepare our students to be global citizens: A. By allowing students to choose between different tracks for their studies: i. a Cultural Area Studies track or ii. Languages and Cultures for the Professions, which was specifically designed for those students who want to prepare themselves for professions with an international component or in an international setting. Both tracks emphasize language acquisition as well as cultural understanding. Students on the cultural areas track usually focus on academic studies during their time spent off-campus, while language and professions students focus primarily on an international internship in an area of their interest. B. By providing further opportunities for our students to engage in a meaningful way with the world through a number of initiatives: i. The Albion Sister-City relationship with Noisy-le-Roi, France. Nearly 200 Albion students have traveled to Noisy for internships or as part of their off-campus study. ii. Entrepreneurial Exchange with ESCIA (French Business School in Cergy-Pontoise). Albion students travel for one-week France to work on creating a new business idea with a group of French students. The students continue to work on the project through advanced communication technology. The French students travel to Albion the same semester to finalize the project. iii. The Nwagni Project, the goal of which is to enhance the educational opportunities of children in Batchingou, Cameroon. This program arose out of a student’s experience in Cameroon, during a FYE trip. iii. We also have a connection with Paso Pacifíco, an environmental organization to reserve and conserve part of the Pacific coast in Nicaragua, with one of our faculty serving on the Board of Directors. |
2009 Report
2010 Senior Reflection Summary
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2009 |
| Music | Music is one of the oldest disciplines in the liberal arts, and thus represents one of the traditional fields of knowledge. Integration with other disciplines is represented well within the department, for music brings people in contact with great literature such as drama and poetry, with dance, with historical and sociological trends, and with religious and philosophical ideas.
One of the most important contributions provided by the Music Department is the opportunity for self-expression, either individually or with others. The stimulation and enjoyment derived from music springs from study, self-examination and criticism, discipline, knowledge of other disciplines that bear upon musical interpretation, and a desire to achieve excellence. These are liberating, civilizing, sensitizing influences upon humanity in any age and in any place; they help prepare students for rich and rewarding lives. The philosophy and mission of Albion College are reflected in four primary goals of the Music Department: (1) To be an artistic presence on the campus and to share the rich heritage of great music with students, faculty and community; (2) To expose students to and involve them with the creative process through music, to heighten students’ sensitivity to themselves and others, and to introduce them to a broad range of significant music; (3) To develop an understanding of music, impart knowledge of music and increase musical skills by means of courses offered within the framework of the liberal arts; (4) To provide courses and curricula for music majors so they may have the necessary foundation for graduate study, teaching, performing, or other career-oriented goals. The Music Department offers courses for a broad range of students–from those who aspire to a musical career to those who wish to develop their avocational interests in music. Membership in all performing ensembles and opportunities for private music lessons are open to all students regardless of major. Albion has an excellent library of books, musical scores, recordings and stereo listening equipment–all available for student use. Albion College is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. The Music Department offers three music curricula: (1) music major; (2) music major with performance emphasis; and (3) music major with music education emphasis. These programs are listed below with an explanation of the purpose and the requirements for each. |
2009 Report | 2009 |
| Neuroscience | Albion’s neuroscience concentration will provide students with an understanding of the neural underpinnings of behavior and cognition. In the core courses, Neuroscience I and Neuroscience II, students will encounter a multi-disciplinary, multi-divisional introduction to the study of the mind/brain that spans all levels of current neuroscientific research. Students will pursue in the four electives those lines of inquiry they found especially attractive in the core courses. In a major research project or internship they will test their understanding in a theoretical or practical setting. This approach to neuroscience provides Albion students with the knowledge, insight and analytic skills necessary for success in graduate study or careers in the life sciences. | 2010 Plan | 2010 |
| Philosophy | Historically, philosophy is at the center of the liberal arts tradition. The very concept of an Academy that combines the freedom to inquire with the responsibility to clarify and solve social problems is the invention of classical Greek philosophers. By subject matter, philosophy is one of the humanities in that philosophy critically examines the concepts and basic assumptions we have developed to help us understand the world and human relationships. But philosophy retains a methodological kinship with the sciences, whose methods developed out of general philosophical inquiry. Critical thinking is the hallmark of philosophy courses that bring clarity, precision, and logically rigorous argument to controversial questions about what is real, knowable, and valuable. The development of this critical perspective, an appreciation of inquiry and the values that underlie it, is the heart of philosophy.
Our philosophy courses cultivate an analysis of arguments, clear and precise expression of one’s views – particularly in writing – and the ability to comprehend complex thought systems. But our students find their philosophy background particularly useful in professions ranging from law, public policy, and business to environmental studies, medicine, and neuroscience. The critical skills and sense of intellectual heritage that follow the study of philosophy are not only useful in finding a job, but they foster maturity of judgment, personal growth and lifelong learning. |
2009 Report | 2009 |
| Physics | The Physics Department at Albion College is committed to providing intellectually rich and challenging learning experiences for students as part of their preparation for their life’s work. We are a learning-centered community of students and faculty that seeks to make relevant, qualitative, and quantitative conclusions from observations of the physical world.
Our program has several specific goals, including 1) to provide a high quality major program with sufficient depth and breadth of study in the core areas of physics to enable students to pursue advanced studies in physics or engineering or to be successful in physics-related careers, 2) to provide high quality major and minor programs for secondary education certification and the elementary integrated-science program, 3) to provide cognate courses for students in other sciences, including biology, chemistry, geology, and health sciences, 4) to provide the physics curriculum for the dual-degree program in engineering, 5) to provide high quality physics and astronomy courses for the general education requirement, and 6) to provide faculty as participants in interdisciplinary courses and programs, such as the Honors Institute, the First-Year Experience program and the Environmental ‘Category’ requirement. |
2009 Report | 2009 |
| Political Science | The study of politics is informed by longstanding questions about power, freedom, justice and equality. More specifically, the study of politics focuses on how a polity organizes for collective action and the tensions between public authority and private rights: what role should government play in a democratic society? In practice, the study of politics often entails a systematic but also critical examination of institutions and governmental processes at domestic and international levels of analysis.
The Department of Political Science covers the spectrum of national, global, and sub-national politics; it contrasts the American experience with political structures and processes in other parts of the world. Special attention is paid to the intricacies of relationships between nations with widely differing political traditions and often conflicting understandings of government or perceptions of national interest. We examine the dynamics of political forces at all levels, from the working of municipal governments to international relations. It includes courses in such areas as: American national government, political parties, campaigns and elections; interest groups, social movements, constitutional law, civil rights and civil liberties, political theory, international relations, comparative politics, public policy analysis, and methodology. We conceive of the Political Science major as firmly located within the larger context of a traditional liberal arts education. We do not define the study of politics as narrow professional training, although we hope that our students will develop the skills and modes of thinking that will foster a deeper understanding of the world, an appreciation of its diversity, and a respect for pluralistic points of view – all factors that will lead to success in law school, graduate school, and public service careers. Our goal is to create an intellectual environment where students can fully develop their academic skills, think more critically about their world, and prepare to become engaged citizens and productive members of society through acquisition of those intellectual tools that will better enable them to interpret their own experience. |
2009 Report | 2009 (1) |
| Institute for Healthcare Professions | Mission Statement
The Albion College Institute for Healthcare Professions has a mission that places you, the student, at the center of our program. The Institute was created to complement and enrich the undergraduate educational experiences of future healthcare providers. The Institute contributes to the personal and professional development of Institute members through classroom exercises, experiential learning projects, guest lectures, community service activities, leadership opportunities, and academic advising. Goals Members of the Institute for Healthcare Professions will:
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2009 Report | 2009 |
| Psychological Science | Psychology scientifically studies the behavior and mental processes of humans and other animals. As a discipline, psychology spans the natural and social sciences and is based on rigorous scientific analysis and methodologies. We strive to instill in our students an appreciation for and understanding of the breadth of psychology, and to provide them with the skills necessary to a personally engaging and satisfying future in psychology or a related discipline. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Public Policy | The Public Policy major allows students to get a broad background in the relevant social sciences and humanities, while getting institutional knowledge and analytic tools relevant to current domestic public policy debates. The major prepares students for careers in government or for private-sector careers related to government policy. It also provides good preparation for students planning on attending law school or earning a master’s degree in public policy, public administration, public health or social policy. | 2010 Plan | 2010 |
| Religious Studies | Religion has always been an important component in human history. In its many configurations religion has played a critical role in shaping diverse and distinctive forms of culture and has also been shaped by culture. The faculty members in Religious Studies seek to stimulate in students an appreciation of the spiritual teachings, ethical principles, myths, symbols and rituals of a variety of societies, believing that in them we encounter legitimate human attempts to envision the sacred and to live in the world as a spiritual arena. We have made this explicit in our first learning goal. Conscious of Albion’s heritage as a college related to the United Methodist Church, we give special attention to the monotheistic traditions in the development of our Western culture and intellectual life. This focus is reflected in our program components, as three of the four distribution requirements for the major expose students to monotheistic traditions.
Contemporary society sometimes represents religion only as a set of subjective beliefs. Because of this misrepresentation, people may view themselves or others as fundamentalists or atheists without understanding the variety of spiritual expressions and their roles in society over the course of history. For this reason, the factual knowledge we aim to impart to our students (as summarized in our first learning goal) includes not only religious doctrines or beliefs, but also a variety of other phenomena essential to a more comprehensive understanding. While not required at Albion, we believe that the study of religion is central to the liberal arts experience as a means of gaining a broader understanding of the depth of one’s own and others’ religious beliefs and practices. Since we are concerned with the academic study of religion, our department does not promote any particular, narrow “brand” of theology or spirituality. We subscribe to the assertion made by Friedrich Max Muller who said, “Whoever knows only one religion, does not know religion.” We encourage our students to explore religion using various modes of analysis, including historical-critical, philosophical and comparative approaches that keep the life of the mind and the life of the soul in creative tension. This approach is reflected in our second learning goal. We also consider the cultivation of communication skills appropriate to our discipline an essential part of the student learning process in Religious Studies, hence our inclusion of the third learning goal below. |
2009_Report | 2009 |
| Theatre | The goal of the Albion College Department of Theatre and Dance is to provide the College community with examples of the best theatre and dance from our cultural heritage and from contemporary life. We value the effectiveness of theatre and dance to explore issues of human consequence and to offer to the student, as performer, designer, technician and audience, the opportunity for self-affirmation and self-actualization. The curriculum, therefore, balances a sequence of literature and history courses with the traditional theatre process courses in performance and production as well as dance technique and choreography. Students develop simultaneously their analytical and research skills with their imaginative and creative skills. In the classroom, in the laboratory, and in performance, students acquire the knowledge and experience essential to become a gifted theatre artist and an informed audience member. Theatre majors are expected to complement their course work with active participation in the department’s programs. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Women’s & Gender Studies | Women’s and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary program that examines the role of gender in the construction of lives, cultures, community norms, meaning systems, and systems of representation. All of the key areas of study within the program use cross-cultural or multicultural investigations to understand the dynamics and differences in the operation of gender. Within specific contexts but also across differences, the program also focuses on the lives of women–on women’s past and present active involvement in the making of the world. Each of the two tracks also emphasizes the ongoing interplay of theory and practice. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
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| Academic Skills Center | The Academic Skills Center helps students who use our services improve their learning process.
Improvement of learning process might include one or more of the following actions: gain awareness of learning strategies and learning skill sets, assess learning style preferences and strengths, assess attitudes toward learning and studying, assess time management and/or other factors inhibiting learning, etc. |
2009 Report | 2009 |
| Center for International Education | The mission of the Center for International Education (CIE) is to promote intercultural communication and exchange, cross-cultural understanding, and transnational competence between Albion College students, primarily domestic students who study off campus and international students who study on our campus, and the people they meet from around the world. | 2009_Report | 2009 |
| First Year Experience | The First-Year Experience Program (FYE) provides several strategic and varied learning environments for all incoming first-year students, especially the following components: First-Year Seminars; co-curricular associations; the Common Reading Experience (CRE). This longstanding program (in place since 2000) is designed to provide opportunities and challenges for first-year students at Albion College, in order to help them develop and grow academically, personally, and socially throughout their first year of college. | 2011 Assessment Plan & Report | 2011 |
| Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity | The original investigation, interpretation, and presentation of knowledge is one of the highest forms of learning. The Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity fosters exploration and discovery by students and the integration of research into the way we teach and learn. The Foundation defines “research” as a set of activities leading to new knowledge or creation and supports scholarly projects in which students are the principal investigators. The Foundation exists to endorse, encourage, and support undergraduate research and research opportunities throughout the campus community, particularly in academic departments, institutes, and centers, and recognizes the importance of diversity in academic thought, methodology, and the presentation of research results. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Library | The Stockwell-Mudd Library supports the mission and intellectual life of Albion College by delivering a range of services that support a liberal arts education. The library develops resources that support the teaching and learning of the college’s academic programs, provides access to information not locally available, and provides instruction that fosters information literacy. | 2009 Report | 2009 |
| Whitehouse Nature Center | The Nature Center is to “stimulate awareness, understanding and appreciation of our natural environment among college, school, community and other groups of all ages.” | 2010 Report | 2010 |