Other Special Study Opportunities

Guilford offers numerous special study opportunities, including internships, independent study, senior thesis, special topic courses, the honors program, departmental honors work, off-campus seminars and course work, and summer school.

Internships
Internships, designated by the course numbers 290 and 390 in the curriculum and carrying one to four credits, provide students with part-time involvement in public and private agencies while they are enrolled in regular on-campus classes. Summer internship credit is also available. The opportunity is open to sophomore, junior, or senior students who have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50. Guideline information is available through the Office of Career and Community Learning. Application for an internship must be processed and approved prior to the semester in which the internship is undertaken.

A student may apply a maximum of 12 credits obtained through internships to her/his degree requirements. Internships can not, however, be used to satisfy general education requirements.

Independent Study
Departments of the college 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 both 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 can not be used to satisfy general education requirements.

Independent studies normally carry from one to four credits.

Senior Thesis
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 major department determines the format of the paper. The thesis should represent both serious research and independent thought.

Special Topics Courses
Under the 250, 350, and 450 designations, most 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.

Departmental Honors Work
For seniors with a 3.50 grade-point average in their major, some departments offer an honors option (490 course number) consisting of extensive reading, independent study, and perhaps a research paper. The study is usually evaluated in an oral examination. Three members of the faculty and a visiting examiner conduct the examination and it is open to all interested persons. Students successfully completing this program are awarded departmental honors at graduation.

Honors Program

The Guilford College Honors Program provides a sequence of classes and independent study options for students  designed to reward and intellectually challenge students seeking superior educational opportunities. Honors classes are small and usually taught as discussion-style seminars, which allow intensive learning in a close and supportive instructional relationship.

Students must take a minimum of five Honors courses during their academic career. Students choose from a variety of courses (including codisciplinary ones and specially designed departmental offerings). Under the individual supervision of a faculty advisor, each student completes a senior thesis or project. The program is open to students majoring in all departments of the College. Successful completion of the Honors Program requirements is noted at graduation and on the student's transcript.

In addition to classwork 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.

In keeping with the College's Quaker heritage, honors students at Guilford participate fully in the larger campus community. They live in residence halls and take most of their 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, and approximately 8 - 10 percent of the freshman class is accepted into honors. Based on standardized test scores, high school achievement, writing samples, and recommendations, students are invited to apply to the program. In addition, first-year and sophomore students who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher are invited to join the program.

Scholarship Availability. Guilford College has allocated funds for honors scholarships, which are awarded without regard to financial need and are currently held by two-thirds of the students in the program. Scholarships are normally awarded when students are admitted to the College.

Director of the Honors Program: Vance Ricks.

Interdisciplinary Leadership for Social Change (ILSC) 

ILSC is a developmental program designed to complement the interdisciplinary majors and help students interested in working for change to strategically plan for the skills and experience they desire as well as to develop a reflective practice that will serve them as life-long learners working for change. Opportunities to connect current students with alumni working for social change are offered each semester.

Students may complete the ILSC Program by enrolling in 3 one-credit seminars: GST 130: Introduction to Leadership for Social Change, GST 200: Leadership Issues in Working for Change, and GST 400: Leadership for Social Change Seminar. Students may also elect to not complete the program and take one or two seminars that meet their needs. Students completing the program receive a certificate. The ILSC Program is open to all interdisciplinary majors. Other majors may participate in the program with permission of ILSC staff.

Director of the ILSC: Judy Harvey

The Early College at Guilford

Early College is a collaborative venture of Guilford College and the 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 the only Guilford County high school to achieve Honor School of Excellence status. It is situated on the Guilford campus.

The 9th and 10th graders 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 and in Bauman. They have access to the college's library, information technology and services, and the cafeteria. By the end of 10th grade, students complete most requirements for high school graduation.        

The 11th and 12th graders 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. The 11th and 12th grade 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. The library, ITS services, computer labs, Learning Commons, and cafeteria are available for use by these students. Upon completing Early College (finishing 12th grade), students may continue at Guilford for their final two years of college or apply to another college.

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 11th and 12th graders also complete an application for Guilford College. Representatives from GCS and the Guilford Admission Office 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. 

Off-Campus Education

Besides the studies abroad programs described in Chapter VI, Guilford offers the following:

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. Students may choose from two programs: The Washington Center or The Capital Experience. An internship and a seminar provide 12 credits, and a student may earn four additional credits by registering for an independent study. Housing is provided. Information and application materials are available through the Office of Career and Community Learning.

Off-Campus Seminars. Fall, spring, and summer break programs are regularly planned under faculty leadership. For example: in New York City, art, drama, and urban problems may be studied; 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 fulfill the natural science requirement.

Consortium Arrangements
Guilford College students may supplement their course selections by cross-registering for courses at nearby colleges and universities under Greater Greensboro Consortium arrangements. Students enrolled at Guilford may, with the registrar's approval, take fall and spring semester courses at seven other consortium institutions for credit and without additional registration.

There are no additional charges beyond the payment of Guilford tuition unless the courses carry special fees. 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. Students must secure permission from the Registrar before registering at another institution for a term other than the fall and spring semesters.

Library resources are shared by consortia members, with many college libraries' holdings available online through Guilford's computers. As much as possible, consortium calendars are synchronized.

Besides Guilford, the Greater Greensboro Consortium includes Bennett College, Elon University, Greensboro College, Guilford Technical Community College, High Point University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. All of the institutions participate in the cross-registration program.

The Piedmont Independent College Association. This association (PICA) includes Bennett College, Elon University, Greensboro College, Guilford College and Salem College. One of the significant cooperative efforts of the consortia is The PICA Automated Library System (PALS), an electronic catalog network that serves all member colleges.

Summer School

Summer School at Guilford. Guilford College provides a summer program of two five-week day 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 open to all visiting students. Present Guilford students in good academic standing may take courses in the summer to accelerate completion of their degree program, to fulfill general college, major, and concentration 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. Suspended and dismissed students are not permitted to register for summer classes.

Study at Other Institutions. Guilford students with a cumulative 2.00 grade-point average 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. Before attending other institutions, students should obtain a Request to Take Coursework at Another Institution form from the Registrar's Office, have their courses approved in writing by the relevant Guilford department chairs, and obtain a letter from the Registrar certifying their good standing.

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. Students with a cumulative grade-point average lower than 2.00 should attend summer school at Guilford College. Juniors and seniors must attend approved accredited four-year institutions.