Guilford College

Designated by the course numbers 290 and 390 in the curriculum and carrying one to four credits, internships provide students with part-time involvement in public and private agencies while they are enrolled at Guilford. Internships are open to students who have accumulated 24 or more credits and who have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50. Applications are available in the Career Development Center. The development of a learning plan and approval by the student’s faculty advisor, faculty sponsor, site supervisor and internship coordinator are required.
Summer internship credit is also available. Students wishing to complete internship hours during the summer with credit applied to fall semester must have their internship application approved prior to beginning their on-site work hours. Regular contact with the faculty sponsor is expected throughout the duration of the internship.
Deadlines for registering for an internship with the Registrar’s Office are posted in the academic calendar. Retroactive credit will not be awarded.
A student may apply a maximum of 12 credits obtained through internships to her/his degree requirements. Internships cannot, however, be used to satisfy general education requirements.

Academic departments offer independent study opportunities under the 260, 360 and 460 course numbers. The success of such independent work depends in large measure on the student’s initiative in shaping the terms of the investigation and her/his reliability in carrying out commitments.

A descriptive proposal of the project must be approved by the supervising instructor and the chairperson of the department. It is understood that the subject of the independent study must be supervised by someone in the department most relevant for that subject. The proposal must set forth the subject, scope, method and materials to be used during the project. It also must indicate the evaluation procedures agreed upon by the student and the supervisor. When the instructor and the chairperson have indicated their approval by signing the proposal, the student should take a copy of the proposal to the Registrar’s Office. The instructor agreeing to supervise an independent study is expected to be available for consultation while the project continues.

First-year students are not allowed to do independent studies. Further, no student may enroll for more than two independent studies or more than eight credits of such work in a single semester; also, independent studies cannot be used to satisfy general education requirements.

Independent studies normally carry from one to four credits.

Because each credit corresponds to three hours of dedicated work per week, assistant dean for student academic affairs must approve independent studies of five or more credits. To request such approval, students must first obtain the approval of the student’s academic advisor, instructor and department chairperson and then submit a written petition request that explains why such a large time commitment is appropriate for this work.

A written senior thesis (470 course number) may be undertaken as a separate project or as the culmination of a program of independent study. The academic department determines the format of the final work. The thesis should represent both independent research and thought. In most departments, the student submits a written thesis and defends the thesis in an oral presentation to a committee.

Under the 150, 250, 350 and 450 designations, most academic departments offer upper-level courses exploring topics according to special interests and capabilities of groups of students and instructors. These courses may take an interdisciplinary approach and may be taught by faculty members from different departments working together as a team. Special topics courses are not scheduled on a regular basis, but as student interest warrants or as a department desires to make them available. Courses on the same topic normally are not offered more than twice.

Some academic departments offer an honors option (490 course number) consisting of extensive reading, independent study and perhaps a research paper. Detailed requirements are defined in each department’s course descriptions. Students successfully completing this program are awarded departmental honors at graduation.

Guilford has adopted Writing in the Academic Programs as the focused topic of a quality enhancement plan. Based on the premise that in an excellent undergraduate education, all students are expected to produce representative forms of writing common to their fields of study, Writing in the Academic Programs aims to improve student writing in the participating academic programs, as well as to improve student writing overall. As an integral part of the QEP, the Writing Studio, housed in the Learning Commons, offers professional and student tutors (Writing Fellows) trained in discipline-specific genres, and serves as the repository for all Web-based program-specific writing guidelines and resources related to writing. In addition, Hege Library provides students with program-specific bibliographic support and instruction in information literacy in order to enhance student writing. Writing in the Academic Programs also provides students with opportunities to participate in nationwide academic conferences related to their fields of study.

Heather Hayton, Director of the Honors Program:

The Honors Program at Guilford College provides a supportive community for
students who are committed to achieving academic excellence and have demonstrated
the ability to excel. The Honors Program supports a vision of students as active,
empowered agents of their own education, and also as vital co-contributors to our
academic community. Through seminars, extra-curricular activities, and one-on-one
collaboration with faculty members on coursework and research, the program provides
students with opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills, to explore multiple
disciplines for the love of learning, and to share the fruits of their investigations with
others.

We forge this community of intellectual camaraderie through a sequence of 1-credit seminars for each yearly cohort, interwoven with particular academic milestones: a contracted course (scholarly research) in the second year, study abroad in the third year, and participation in research culminating in a public presentation (and perhaps also a professional conference) in the fourth year. Under the individual supervision of a faculty advisor, each student completes a senior thesis or project. Monthly meetings of the whole program, as well as social and academic events, provide an opportunity for honors students to get to know each other.

A faculty council oversees and supports the activities of the program. A student advisory
council works with faculty to help design, promote and lead activities, providing intellectual leadership opportunities. In addition to class work and independent study, students in the Honors Program are encouraged to attend professional and undergraduate research conferences. The Honors Program offers travel support to students who present papers, research or creative projects. The program is open to all full-time, degree-seeking, students majoring in all departments and programs of the College. Successful completion of the Honors Program is noted at graduation and on the student’s transcript.

In keeping with the Colleges Quaker heritage, honors students at Guilford participate fully in the larger campus community. They live in residence halls and take courses with the full student body. Honors students are active in a full range of campus activities, including athletics, student government, campus publications, choir, theater, community service projects and special interest clubs.

Guilford College, a founding member of the North Carolina Honors Association,participates in the National Collegiate Honors Council and Southern Regional Honors Council. Students, faculty members and administrators from the College attend the conferences of all three organizations.

Admission Process: Most students are admitted to the Honors Program as entering first-year students. Based on standardized test scores, high school achievement, writing samples and recommendations, students are invited to apply to the program. In addition, currently matriculated students who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher are invited to join the program.

Benjamin Marlin, Liaison for Early College at Guilford:

The Early College at Guilford College is a collaborative venture of Guilford College and Guilford County Schools (GCS) for academically talented high school students (9th through 12th graders). The Early College at Guilford is North Carolina’s first early college high school and is ranked among the nation’s best high schools in U.S. News and World Reports. It is situated on the Guilford campus.

ECG students in ninth and 10th grades take honors or AP classes each semester on a block schedule. These students are taught by certified high school teachers and advised by a high school guidance counselor. Their classes are located in the ECG classroom building on the college campus. They have access to the College’s library, information technology and services, computer labs, Learning Commons and the cafeteria. By the end of tenth grade, students complete most requirements for high school graduation.

Junior and senior high school students are dually enrolled in Guilford and GCS. These students take a full-time college load and graduate at the end of their senior year with a high school diploma and two years of college course credits from Guilford. In grades 11 and 12, students are dispersed in courses across the campus, enrolling in a pattern of classes similar to Guilford’s first- and second-year students. These students are assigned to a Guilford faculty advisor and also work with a high school guidance counselor. Upon high school graduation, students may apply to Guilford or another college to complete their final college degree.

Students accepted by Early College must have qualifications similar to those who are invited to participate in Guilford’s Honors Program. All applicants are required to complete an application for GCS that includes an essay, transcript and test information. Rising eleventh and twelfth grade students also complete an application for Guilford College. Representatives from GCS and the Guilford Office of Admission review the materials submitted. Both Guilford and GCS are committed to attracting a diverse pool of applicants and to making Early College available to all qualified students.

Washington, D.C., Semester. Any Guilford student with second-semester sophomore, junior or senior status and a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.75 (3.0 for some agencies) is eligible to spend a semester in Washington, D.C., at The Washington Center (www.twc.edu). A full-time internship and seminar provide 12 credits and, in special cases, a student may earn four additional credits by registering for a second course through The Washington Center. Last-semester seniors must obtain special approval before applying.

The cost of a TWC semester is equal to full-time tuition for traditional-age students. Housing is optional and available through TWC. All financial aid normally awarded a student applies to the costs. Students are also encouraged to apply for any scholarships offered through The Washington Center. Additional information is available through Career Development Center and on The Washington Center’s website.

Off-Campus Seminars. Fall, spring and summer break programs are regularly planned under faculty leadership. For example: in New York City students may study art, drama and urban problems; in Washington, D.C., national government; on the coast and in the mountains of North Carolina, ecology and geology; and in the South, African American experience and culture. One credit is granted for each seminar. The College arranges for lodging, and a minimal charge to the student covers meals and travel.

Two off-campus geology seminars are offered. Natural Science Seminar travels to different locations. Seminar West, a three- to five-week field camp conducted jointly by the biology and geology departments, studies the geology and ecology of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau and the East African Rift. Both of these geology seminars fulfill the natural science and mathematics requirement.

Consortium Arrangements. Guilford students may supplement their course selections by cross-registering for courses at nearby colleges and universities under Greater Greensboro Consortium arrangements. Besides Guilford, the Greater Greensboro Consortium includes Bennett College, Elon University, Greensboro College, Guilford Technical Community College, High Point University, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Students enrolled at Guilford may, with the appropriate Guilford department chair’s and registrar’s approval, take fall and spring semester courses for credit and without additional registration at any of seven other consortium institutions.

Cross-registration privileges assume that courses are of a general nature acceptable to Guilford College and are not offered at Guilford during the selected term. There are no additional charges beyond the payment of Guilford tuition unless the selected courses carry special fees.

As much as possible, consortium calendars are synchronized. However, because consortium academic calendars are not the same as Guilford’s, grades from consortium courses may arrive after graduation and thereby delay a student’s graduating and thus prevent him or her from participating in the graduation ceremony. Consortium schools are not required to give exams early to accommodate students. Students should check a consortium school’s academic calendar before registering for classes there.

Library resources are shared by consortia members, with many college libraries’ holdings available on-line through Guilford’s computers.

Students must be signed up for an equal or greater number of credits at Guilford before registering for consortium courses. Dual admission and dual enrollment outside of the cross-registration procedures are prohibited, and any changes to consortium registration must be done at Guilford and the consortium school. It is the right of each college or university to allow consortium students to take on-line courses.

Guilford students attending consortium schools are subject to the rules, regulations and deadlines of the consortium school. Consortium parking stickers are given by the home institution.

Guilford provides a summer program of two primarily daytime five-week sessions and one 10-week evening session. Students may attend on either a full-time or part-time basis, and it is possible to earn a full semester of credit during the summer. Courses are also open to all visiting students and community residents during the summer. Students may take courses in the summer to accelerate completion of their degree program, to fulfill general education, major and minor requirements or to explore new areas of interest. Summer School is considered to be a third term, and the same academic standards apply to Summer School that exist during the regular academic year. Dismissed and suspended students must normally wait at least one full calendar year before petitioning for reinstatement and are not eligible to enroll in Summer School during that period. However, students who have been suspended may petition early to attend Summer School. Contact the Center for Continuing Education for further information. 

Guilford students with a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or higher may request permission to take coursework as a visiting student at other accredited colleges and universities. Guilford encourages its students to study for the summer, a semester or a year at other American or international universities when such programs are consistent with the student’s educational goals and interests. After a student reaches junior classification standing, transfer credits from 2 year institutions are limited to 100 and 200 level courses.

Students who want to attend another institution as a visiting student during the summer must process an “Authorization for Study at Another Institution.” The form is available online and at the registrar’s office. It approves coursework equivalency so that transfer credit applies to Guilford as agreed and also serves as a letter of good standing to the host institution. Students with a cumulative grade-point average lower than 2.00 may not attend summer school at other institutions; if they want to attend summer school they must attend at Guilford.

During fall or spring semesters, traditional-age students planning to attend another institution as a visiting student must complete a leave of absence through the Office of Campus Life; adult students must submit a Withdrawal form through the Center for Continuing Education.

Only course credit, not grade points, can be transferred to Guilford from other institutions, and students must pass courses with grades of C- or better if the courses are to apply to the Guilford degree.

The Career Development Center staff works with members of the Guilford College community to aid in career preparation through self and major exploration and the coordination of internships and on-campus student employment. The center works to connect each individual’s academic knowledge and experiential learning in ways that lead to fulfilling employment. The department employs a holistic approach to career development by teaching career-related skills through classes, workshops and individual career counseling. Special programs, career fairs and a one-credit course also assist students in their planning. An alumni network gives students access to Guilford graduates who are willing to share their expertise.

The center houses a library of rich resources that help students plan a major, investigate graduate programs, develop a polished resumé, conduct an effective job search or find an internship (the internship program is discussed in Chapter VII). Reference materials on national and international companies and agencies in the nonprofit sector are also available.

The center serves all students and alumni and encourages early involvement.

The Student Employment Service (SES), a part of the Career Development Center, assists students seeking part-time (on- and off-campus) and summer employment. The SES also maintains lists of students who are available for childcare and tutoring employment. These lists are distributed to Greensboro-area residents upon request.