Academic Program

2011-2012

On this site over 200 years ago, the aim of Elijah Craig’s Royal Springs Academy centered on preparation for life in the world of that day, stressing science, Greek, and Latin. In 1841, the College’s fifth president, Howard Malcom, introduced a curriculum designed to develop “capacious views, solid judgment, self-command, right aims, conciliatory manners, genuine benevolence, and pure morality.” Today, the academic program of Georgetown College builds on those traditions and provides a preparation for life in the twenty-first century. It serves as the foundation for intellectual growth, personal development, and life-long learning. The academic resources, special learning opportunities, and curricular offerings of the College are the primary means through which academic experiences are structured. Each student is encouraged to take advantage of the many opportunities provided by the College in pursuit of individual goals and objectives, recognizing that the benefits derived are greatly dependent upon the energies invested.

Contacts

Faculty

Georgetown College is an institution stressing the primacy of teaching and learning with its principal academic resource being the faculty. The College seeks to attract and retain outstanding Christian scholars. Georgetown faculty have achieved regional and national recognition for their involvement in and contribution to their respective disciplines. Recent examples of such recognition include Fulbright awards, national and state professional organization teaching honors, leadership positions in professional societies, grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the United States Department of Education, and numerous publications. Over ninety percent of the full-time faculty hold the terminal degree in their field. Faculty are actively engaged in a variety of scholarly pursuits that have favorable direct impact on their classroom instruction. Also, many faculty have incorporated the latest technology in order to enhance the course experience.

Academic Resources

The Advising Program

Selected faculty serve as advisors to first-year students, with assignments made prior to enrollment. Students are encouraged to select an advisor in their major field during their second year. This advising relationship continues throughout the student’s enrollment, emphasizing curriculum planning and progress toward individual goals. Though the advisor may change due to the needs of the student or department, the College takes pride in the efforts of faculty in providing guidance to students. A high percentage of graduates continue their education in graduate or professional schools.

Anna Ashcraft Ensor Learning Resource Center

The Anna Ashcraft Ensor Learning Resource Center (LRC) contains 183,572 print volumes, 189,597 microform units, and 9,594 audiovisual titles and receives 28,891 periodical titles in paper and electronic formats. The LRC, which is open 100 hours each week during the academic year, provides programs and resources for student research and study. A reference librarian is available for consultation during most operating hours. An anonymous online chat research service is also available.

Library collections are searchable through our online catalog. Students may also search online bibliographic databases containing millions of citations and full-text journal articles  for each field of study in the College curriculum. Patrons may also search online the 64,450 full-text academic press eBooks through netLibrary. The OCLC network provides access to over 150 million monograph and periodical titles worldwide, with information for borrowing books and journal articles from other libraries. These databases are available anywhere on campus, and most are also available off campus.

The LRC is an impressive 55,000-square-foot building that contains over 300 seats at tables, individual study carrels, small group study rooms, and casual furniture. In addition to the library collections, the LRC houses the College Archives, a gourmet coffee shop, several classrooms, and a replica of the Yale Law Library study room, with a 14-foot high fireplace. There are over 100 computer workstations providing internet access, word processing, and other computer applications.

The LRC was the first building on campus to offer wireless computer capabilities. From medieval manuscripts to a wireless environment, the LRC is truly the
academic heart of the campus.

Academic Computing

The College is committed to sustaining a technological environment that will serve as a model for information technology systems in liberal arts colleges. Information technology services are provided through state-of-the-art networks for voice, video, and data to every residence hall room, classroom, and office on campus. Academic computing services on campus are anchored by approximately 25 servers supporting student access to standard e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet, database applications, and the internet from residence hall rooms or any of the academic computing labs on campus. Students may register for classes online and use their college ID card for a variety of services on and off campus. Informational Technology Services (ITS) has implemented a Secure Computing Policy that requires all student computers connected to the campus network to be running an up-to-date version of the College-provided anti-virus and antispyware software. Georgetown College provides free anti-virus software to all students. ITS also offers an optional Computer Maintenance Agreement for limited hardware and software support. For a fee each semester, ITS will provide workbench support for problems with student-owned computers that cannot be corrected over the telephone.

The Anna Ashcraft Ensor Learning Resource Center (LRC) contains 50 publicly accessible computers and peripheral equipment such as printers and scanners. Additionally, there are two computer classrooms in the lower floor of the LRC with 25 computers each. Asher Science Center and Anderson Hall also have computer labs. All classrooms on campus have access to voice, video, and data services. Most classrooms are equipped with data projectors and computers. The Art Department and Music Department have highly specialized digital computing labs specific to their curricula.

Georgetown College is a Microsoft Campus Agreement participant. This program enables the college, faculty, and students to have access to the latest versions of Microsoft’s most popular applications.

The ethics policy and recommended computer configurations are available online in the Student Handbook, or by contacting ITS.

Additional Resources

Academic Tutoring Services Program

Academic Tutoring Services are administered by the Office of Academic Programs, and peer tutors are provided free of charge to students requesting assistance with their classes. Tutoring sessions may be one-on-one or in small groups.

Writing Center

Located in the Anna Ashcraft Ensor Learning Resource Center (LRC), the Writing Center serves students with writing needs related to any course at the College. Students may establish a regular schedule of visits or drop in as the need arises. Services such as tutorials, writing exercises, and assistance with outlines, bibliographies, paraphrasing, and documentation are provided; computers for word processing and both print and electronic materials are available.

Special Learning Opportunities

Honors Program

The Georgetown College Academic Honors Program strives to encourage the intellectual growth of the College community by giving highly motivated students at all levels the opportunity to pursue challenging and stimulating academic experiences.

Students wishing to enter the Honors Program must submit an application to the Honors Program Committee and be accepted. Students generally enter as freshmen, but they may apply as late as the second semester of their sophomore year.

The Honors Program has three components:

• 15 hours (five three-credit classes) of Honors, Honors Increment, or Honors Contract courses
• an Honors Seminar
• an Honors Thesis

Completion of any component will be noted on the students transcript upon graduation. Honors courses may also count toward major, minor, or Foundations and Core requirements, depending on the courses selected. In some circumstances the Honors Seminar may also count. Up to eight hours of Honors credit may be earned through tutorial classes at Regent’s Park College, Oxford.

Students must maintain a 3.3 GPA to stay in the Honors Program; if a student goes two consecutive semesters without making progress toward an Honors Degree, the student may be dropped from the program. In fulfilling its mission, the Georgetown College Academic Honors Program strives to help motivated students reach their fullest academic potential by challenging them throughout their college careers, promoting a high level of intellectual discourse, helping them broaden their cultural experience, and fostering academic research.

Inmersión en Español

The Inmersión en Español Georgetown College Program (IEGC) allows highly motivated students of Spanish to develop and improve their language skills outside the traditional Spanish courses. The program will provide a natural continuation for students who have participated in immersion programs in K-12 and/or completed upper level Spanish courses in high school. The program is not limited to Spanish majors and minors but is open to participants from all academic disciplines.

• Native speakers of Spanish can show their full potential in college level courses and further linguistic competency in multiple disciplines.
• Heritage Speakers of Spanish can maintain and improve their language skills while taking a wide variety of courses.
• Native speakers of English will be able to broaden their knowledge of Spanish in fields outside of the traditional language program.

A student that has a minimum of Intermediate-High level Spanish fluency and the drive to improve on those skills through the study of various disciplines can apply for entrance to the program.

To receive IEGC recognition, students must:

• Complete a minimum of 15 credit hours in IEGC courses.
• Complete a Capstone Project.
• Achieve a minimum 3.3 GPA by the time of graduation.

International Programs

Georgetown College recognizes the tremendous value of knowledge and experience gained from studying outside the United States and provides support for a variety of opportunities abroad. Students at Georgetown may study with faculty through mini-term courses abroad or may pursue longer-term international experiences within a variety of settings; further information on the following programs, available scholarships, and other opportunities may be obtained from the Office of International Programs.

Georgetown College – Regent’s Park College in the University of Oxford: This program provides students from Georgetown several options:

1. up to one year of study in Regent’s Park College, Oxford,
2. a six-year ministerial education leading to a B.A. from Georgetown and a B.Th. from Regent’s Park College, Oxford,
3. a six-year ministerial education leading to a B.A. from Georgetown and an M.Th. (Applied Theology) from Regent’s Park College, Oxford.

Georgetown College – Hong Kong Baptist University: The College has reserved two spaces in a residence building for Georgetown College students interested in studying one or two semesters in Hong Kong. HKBU offers a wide range of courses in a lively, diverse, urban environment.

Georgetown College – Colegio Bautista de Temuco, Chile: Students desiring exposure to Chilean cultural heritage, teaching English abroad, or earning credit in Spanish may do so in cooperation with one of the leading Baptist Academies in Chile.

Georgetown College – Cemenahuac Educational Community Program: Students wishing to study Latin American culture and Spanish at beginning or more advanced levels may do so for variable lengths of time (from one week to a semester), while also living with a Mexican family, at Cemenahuac, in Cuernavaca, fifty miles south of Mexico City.

Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA): The College’s membership with CCSA allows it to offer short-term programs in English-speaking countries including Australia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, England, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Scotland.

College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS): CCIS is one of several consortia to which Georgetown College belongs. It is composed of two- and four-year colleges and universities, small and large, public and private. It specializes in semester-long programs, but it has summer programs as well. CCIS programs provide excellent opportunities to be completely immersed in another culture. Program destinations include: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belize, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, and Switzerland.

Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS):Georgetown College participates in this consortium with others in the Commonwealth. Opportunities for study abroad currently include Austria, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and other countries.

Central College Abroad: Georgetown College maintains an affiliation with Central College (Iowa) which administers study programs in Austria, China, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and other countries.

Consortium for Global Education (CGE): Georgetown participates in CGE which is a consortium of private Baptist Colleges and Universities united by a commitment to international education, service, and sharing. CGE encourages geographic diversity in its outreach and includes programs in China, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Tibet, Thailand, and Vietnam as well as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Latvia, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

In addition to these programs, highly motivated students are able to pursue any number of study or service learning opportunities abroad. Students interested in pursuing more individualized projects abroad should begin planning well in advance, in close consultation with the office of International Programs.

Area Majors and Minors

When a student’s educational objectives can best be met outside of existing departmental programs, an area major or minor may be proposed. Area majors and minors are intended to bridge gaps between disciplines and can only be approved in those areas in which the College has a full-time faculty member with a terminal degree. Initiated by the student after consultation with the advisor (using the Area Major or Minor Declaration Form), a program of study is proposed to the chairs of the departments in which coursework will be pursued. Final approval rests with the Academic Policy Committee. A student must have attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.8 and must complete the approval process by the beginning of the second term of the junior year. Guidelines for the area major include the following:

1. statement of rationale for proposed curriculum;
2. program of study of 50-60 semester hours;
3. two or more disciplines represented;
4. a concentration of at least 24 hours in one discipline; and
5. a minimum of 50 percent of the proposed coursework at or above the 300-level. (No minor is required.)

A form for this purpose is supplied by the Registrar’s Office and, after approval by the Academic Policy Committee, is filed in the Registrar’s Office. Guidelines for the area minor include the following:

1. statement of rationale for proposed curriculum;
2. program of study of 21-27 hours;
3. usually two disciplines represented;
4. a concentration of at least 12 hours in one discipline; and
5. a minimum of at least six hours at or above the 300-level.

An interdisciplinary or area minor must include at least 15 hours that the student does not count towards the major or another minor (exclusive of allied requirements) and at least 12 hours outside the major field.

Pre-Professional/Dual Degree Curricula

The College offers the liberal arts foundation for careers in law, medicine, dentistry, ministry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and other professions. In addition, Georgetown College has dual degree programs with the University of Kentucky in Engineering Arts and Nursing Arts. The College also has several joint degree programs: B. A. and Master of Theology with Regent’s Park, Oxford; B. A. and Master of Public Administration with the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Kentucky; and B. A. and Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Commerce with the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky. Interested students should refer to the Curricular Offerings section of this catalog and the appropriate program coordinator for more information.

Independent Study/Course by Arrangement

Most departments have a course numbered 440 designating independent study. These courses allow for specialized study under the guidance of faculty members and are designed to individualize the academic program through significant learning experiences. Research or exploration of topics not currently addressed in catalog courses provides the basis for such study. Students should consult with their advisor for further information about these opportunities. Students intending to register for an independent study or course by arrangement must complete two forms. To register for an independent study or course by arrangement an Approval Form found in the Registrar’s Office must be signed by the faculty member agreeing to supervise the study. This form is returned to the Registrar’s Office. The second form is available online. The form must be returned to the Provost’s Office before the course can be confirmed, and (except under extenuating circumstances) no later than the first day of classes. Students may earn 1 to 15 credit hours of independent study toward graduation.

Mini-Terms

Though the College operates on the semester calendar, mini-term courses may be offered between the fall and spring semesters, after the spring semester, during fall and spring breaks, and during the summer. Such courses are typically intensive, experiential, and innovative. They often involve travel; study trips to Russia, Israel, Germany, Spain, England, and Mexico, as well as New York City and Washington, D.C., have been recent features. These courses are generally not a part of the listings in this catalog.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Internships. Internship experiences provide valuable opportunities to integrate classroom learning with on-site application. Since the nature of these experiences is best defined in light of individual student interests, needs, and professional goals, departments have established specific guidelines for such experiences. Credit may not be applied to past experiences or for anticipated future experiences. Students should verify their eligibility to pursue an internship with their advisor in the semester prior to registering for the experience. Specific faculty internship guidelines can be found online. Students intending to register for an internship must complete forms, found on the internship site. The process for academic internships is outline on the website. The form must be returned to the Associate Director of the Graves Center for Calling and Career before the student can register for the course, and (except under extenuating circumstances) no later than the first day of classes. Students may earn 1 to 9 credit hours of internship toward graduation.

Cooperative experiences. On occasion, opportunities to engage in significant practical experiences become available which necessitate a planned break in enrollment. Along with one’s advisor and department chair, each student should plan these in the semester prior to the actual cooperative experience in order to assure timely attention to matters related to campus housing, financial aid, etc.

Student teaching. For a number of years, Georgetown College has been recognized for its programs in teacher education. Each student, upon completion of a teacher education program, participates in a semester of supervised teaching, applying knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom. Placement in an area school system under the direction of a cooperating teacher, while supervised by a College faculty member, provides a culminating pre-service experience.