Bulletin 2007-2008 - Austin College

■ Demonstrate quantitative competency by satisfactorily completing an approvedcourse that provides instruction in quantitative techniques■ Complete at least eight of the last 11 course credit units as a student at AustinCollegeThe choice of a major and a minor may be made at any time after initial registration,but not later than the close of the sophomore year. Before registering for the firstterm as a junior, each student must file in the Office of the Registrar a declaration ofmajor and minor approved by the appropriate department chairs or program directors.Students may not declare a major or minor after they have graduated.Ordinarily students will follow the curricular requirements of the catalog in effectat the time of admission. When the college career is unavoidably interrupted, thisprinciple will be followed as far as possible. If a student is readmitted followingwithdrawal, current requirements will apply.Completion or Graduation RateIn accordance with the Student Right-To-Know Act, the six-year completion rate forstudents who entered Austin College in 2001 on a first-time-in-college and full-timebasis was 78 percent.Foundation DimensionThe freshman seminar, Communication/Inquiry (C/I), serves as a foundation for anAustin College education. The course provides an important transition to the expectationsof college level work and available academic services. The seminar topicsvary with the interests and specialization of the instructors, but through rigorousengagement with materials appropriate for an introductory class, each seminar sectionalso emphasizes the enhancement of skills of intellectual inquiry and critical thinking,and abilities in oral and written communication. The C/I instructor serves as thestudent’s faculty mentor and academic adviser.The Communication/Inquiry course may be waived for individuals who have beenenrolled as a full-time matriculated student at an accredited college or universityfor at least one semester.Breadth DimensionAn eight-course distribution over the three academic divisions of the college establishesthe minimal requirement for the Breadth Dimension. Courses applied to thisrequirement must be taken from Austin College. Courses, which satisfy this requirement,have been approved by the respective academic divisions and are on a listavailable in the Office of the Registrar. Breadth Dimension courses must be takenfor a letter grade. Courses taken for the Breadth Dimension may also count towardseither the major or minor. Specific courses approved for the Breadth Dimension areindicated each term on the course registration schedule.Humanities: The humanities disciplines of art, art history, classical and modernlanguages, communication studies, English, history, music, philosophy, and religiousstudies present a broad array of approaches to the understanding of culture and to thesearch for meaning. Courses in the Humanities Division foster students’ appreciationof creative work and its processes, raise their awareness of perennial questions, andpromote the spanning of interpersonal, intercultural and chronological distances.Familiarity with humanities disciplines and their methodologies is integral to a liberalarts education and helps to prepare students for a complex and changing world.ACADEMIC PROGRAM| 47