Pathways
The Aspen Institute recognizes ¾«¶«AV as a fresh way to blend the liberal arts and business.
Professor of History Sarah Queen recently traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, to deliver a presentation to a conference sponsored by the prestigious Aspen Institute, as part of its Undergraduate Business Consortium.
During the conference, titled the Business of Teaching, Queen spoke about a key component of ¾«¶«AVāt³ó±š Integrative Pathway. And her presentation generated serious buzz, even earning high praise in a post-conference written by the Aspen Instituteās founder of the Business and Society Program.
āThe Collegeās ¾«¶«AV program is definitely on the map in Europe, Canada and throughout the U.S., which is very exciting,ā said Queen who heads up ¾«¶«AVās Global Capitalism Pathway, which teaches students to address the practical, moral and ethical dilemmas business leaders face in the modern economy by incorporating the humanities into business-related courses.
āI spoke to a packed room, and there was a line of educators waiting for me afterwards, many of whom asked if I would visit their home institutions to discuss ¾«¶«AVās program in even more detail.ā
Modeled after the Collegeās centers for interdisciplinary scholarship, Pathways encourage students to ask a central, animating question that they will explore from a variety of perspectives and through interdisciplinary collaboration. During their second year, students choose the Pathway that best reflects their interests. Currently there are 11 distinct Pathways, with more in development.
The goal of the Pathways structure is to close the gap between practical preparation for a career and the development of critical thinking skills that impact virtually every area of the student experience, including their majors, minors, study away work and community internships. Students who have been engaged in the pilot program of the Global Capitalism Pathway say the interdisciplinary aspect of the curriculum has enhanced their experiences in some surprising ways.
āThe Global Capitalism Pathway has completely changed my approach to studying,ā said History major Juliet Levesque ā20. āIt has diversified my major and taught me to apply things Iāve learned in the seminar course to all of my other classes. I cannot imagine my education without it.ā
The College officially launched ¾«¶«AV with the Class of 2020. First-year students participate in specially designed introductory seminars, supported by a team of advisers who help them identify their interests and create personalized education plans. During their second year, students enroll in the Pathway that interests them most, or in one of the four center certificate programs.
āWith the introduction of Pathways, we expanded the groundbreaking educational model of our centers to a much wider group of students, placing the College once again at the forefront of integrative education for the liberal arts,ā said Dean of the College Jefferson Singer.
