COURSES OF STUDY
53
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2014-2015
Exploration Term
Exploration term refers to a period of four weeks during January
that provides an opportunity for innovation and experimentation for
both students and faculty. The courses and projects offered during the
Exploration term may vary in content and technique, but they all share
the goal of providing an opportunity for exploration not possible during
a regular term, including opportunities for study-travel or focused creative
production. In addition to faculty-led projects, students are encouraged
to use initiative and imagination to develop their own contracted projects
through the Office of Exploration Term and Contract Learning.
First-year students must enroll in an Exploration term course listed
in the Exploration Term Bulletin. They may not contract individualized
Exploration term projects.
Following the first year of study, students may contract individualized
Exploration term projects. Contracted projects meet the same academic
standards as courses listed in the Exploration Term Bulletin and must be
supervised by faculty members from Birmingham-Southern College. Each
contracted project must be approved by the project sponsor, the student’s
faculty advisor, the appropriate department chair, and the Exploration Term
and Contract Learning Committee.
Students must complete at least two Exploration terms. Each project
counts as a full unit. Projects used to fulfill Explorations Curriculum
requirements must receive a letter grade. For those majors where the
Exploration term is used for the senior project, the senior project must
receive a letter grade. A transfer student who meets only the minimum
residency requirements for a degree must complete two Exploration term
projects.
All Exploration term projects are recorded on permanent records and
class schedules according to discipline abbreviations (including “GEN” for
those projects outside of the disciplines offered at the College). If required
for the major, senior Exploration terms projects will be recorded as 499; all
other projects will be recorded as 299. Each fall a published Exploration
Term Bulletin lists projects offered in the upcoming term; all disciplines
typically offer projects.
