catalog2015-16

In addition to the standard majors, students may also develop a major of their own design. They develop their
personal program of junior-senior major study in conjunction with a faculty committee. The completed selfdesigned
major proposal is then submitted for approval by the Academic Standards Committee. By necessity,
self-designed majors must rely, substantially, on the strengths and expertise of our faculty and our course
offerings. Recently approved self-designed majors include East Asian studies, modern languages, Middle Eastern
studies, and public policy. More detailed information is available from the Office of the Assistant Dean of
Advising. Self-designed minors are not permitted.
Calendars and Credit Hours
The credit hour is the basic unit of credit and credit hours are equivalent to semester hours. The credit hour
provides one important measure by which progress toward the degree is gauged. The assignment of credit hours to
coursework is not strictly tied to the number of class hours per week. The College recognizes that subject matter,
pedagogical methods, and assessment tools will influence the design of any credit-bearing activity, including the
frequency and duration of formally-structured faculty-student interactions.
The academic calendar consists of two 13-week terms (fall and spring) and a 3-week term in January (CentreTerm),
plus a final exam period at the end of each term. In the fall and spring terms, three credit hour courses typically
meet for one hour three days a week or for an hour and a half two days a week. In the January term (CentreTerm),
three credit hour courses typically meet for three hours a day four or five days a week.
One credit hour is granted for a minimum of three hours of student academic work per week, on average, for the
fall and spring terms. In the CentreTerm, all courses carry three credit hours and a minimum of 36 hours of student
academic work per week on average is expected. Academic work includes formal faculty-student interactions
(lectures, seminars, laboratories, supervised field work, tutorials, applied and studio instruction, etc.) as well as outof-class
activities such as student-instructor conferences, homework, research, writing and revision, reading, student
collaborative and group work, community engaged experiences, academic internship work, practica, recitals,
rehearsals, and reflection on all aspects of the coursework.
Courses, including credit-hour assignment, are approved by the faculty through a process that requires review and
action by the appropriate academic program as well as the curriculum committee.
Study Abroad
We consider living and studying in a foreign culture to be an integral part of a liberal arts education, and study
abroad has become one of the hallmarks of a Centre education. In the past few years, about 85% of Centre
graduates have studied abroad at least once during their college careers, making Centre the #1 college in the nation
where international study is so pervasive and important.
Residential Programs
Centre offers a number of different opportunities for off-campus study. Centre-in-London, Centre-in-Strasbourg,
and Centre-in-the-Yucatan are residential programs in the U.K., France and Mexico led by Centre faculty members.
Centre-in-England (at the University of Reading), Centre-in-Glasgow (at the University of Glasgow) and Centre-in-
Shanghai (at Tongji University) are Centre's residential programs at affiliated universities in the U.K. and China.
Four exchange programs bring foreign students to our campus as well as allowing Centre students to study for a
semester or more at Yamaguchi Prefectural University in Japan; at one of five universities in Northern Ireland; at
the University of Lleida near Barcelona in Spain; or at Marista University in Merida, Mexico. Many students find
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