Enriching a Course
Today, I was officially approved to enrich a course. Enriching a course in the College of Arts and Science is only available to College Scholars, a title that I was luckily enough to earn with my acceptance to Vanderbilt. We have the unique opportunity to graduate with honors in the College of Arts and Science, which is similar to graduating with honors in your major.
Each of the four undergraduate schools has its own honors program, but in the College of Arts and Science, the program is comprised of Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholars and a select group of students that apply and are accepted after their first semester. Each semester, we are invited to take special Honors Seminars (more on that later) and we have the opportunity to enrich courses. These opportunities enable us to accumulate points. If we have enough points by graduation, then we get to graduate with honors!
Course enrichment enables us to work one-on-one with the professor of our choosing on a subject about which we are passionate. It gives us the freedom to explore the academic world while building relationships with scholars and also building our own research skills. This semester, I am taking a class called Rhetoric of Social Movements, which will help fulfill my major in Communication Studies. I haven’t yet enriched a course, so I was really nervous to approach my professor and ask for his sponsorship. But, of course, my professor was thrilled to be a part of my endeavor and accepted the challenge willingly.
Although my plan is not set in stone, I think that I am going to research the stem cell debate. This way, I can relate the course to my true passion: medicine. My final paper most likely will not be published, but if nothing else, I hope to have an awesome writing sample and some in-depth knowledge of the social implications of medical advancements. I will definitely keep you posted on my progress!