Sermo College I-plan

Unity through conversation

2014- 2015 Extended Viewbook

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Welcome to Sermo College and the beautiful Maryland Eastern shore! I hope you find this guidebook helpful in your college search process and that it will inspire you to visit our campus and see first-hand what we have to offer. As our motto “unity through conversation” suggests, we place great importance on the facilitation of discussion within and around our campus community to broaden our students’ horizons and enhance their future careers. The conversations taking place on and off campus create a familial atmosphere for our students from all walks of life, many of whom feel they gained a second family the day they chose Sermo College. Unique to our campus is the requirement to participate in a

living-learning community throughout your four years here, an experience that our students have cherished for years after they have left. Our community is excited that you are considering joining our family for your collegiate experience! All the best, Dr. Lauren Kropp, President

A Message from President Kropp


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In 1844 the first telegraph line was created between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. (24). Founder of Sermo College, Richard Patterson, was inspired by the increase in communication that was made possible by this telegraph line. New ideas were being shared at a much faster speed than they had been before, and these ideas were shaping the lives of many. Patterson strongly believed that discussion and communication amongst one another would change the world. He proceeded to found a college that created opportunities for the leaders of tomorrow to expand their knowledge through heavy discussion with one another and the community. Patterson chose the name Sermo College to reflect discussion and communication, as the meaning of the Latin word ‘sermo’ is to have discussion or conversation (22). Patterson chose to found Sermo College in Cambridge, Maryland located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, on the peninsula of the Chesapeake Bay. At the time of its foundation, the waterways were heavily used for travel and business, which Patterson thought would be beneficial for students to engage with people from across the country and world. Sermo College opened its doors in 1846 to its first class of thirty students, and has since grown to one of the most well known colleges in the state of Maryland.

Cambridge, Maryland is a historic waterfront community on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This charming, maritime town has roughly 12,500 residents. A Sermo student described Cambridge as a town with a, “warm, hospitable atmosphere that welcomes anyone.” Despite being a smaller, peninsular town, Cambridge is located about one hour and thirty minutes from Baltimore and Washington D.C., and one hour from Annapolis. Cambridge and these larger cities serve as hub sites for service learning opportunities, internships, and interactions with people of different backgrounds. The College community echoes the warm and hospitable

nature of the town in which it is located, and embraces the bigger city ideas and opportunities from those surrounding it (11).

The Sermo History

Location & Community

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The mission of Sermo College to create a seamless learning environment that prepares students of all backgrounds to engage with, and gain a deeper understanding of,

today’s global society and their place in it. Students are provided opportunities for engagement through the development of discussion and conversation, community, and

career readiness within and outside of the campus.

Mission & Motto

Motto: Unity through Conservation

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Sermo College is the home of the Fighting Osprey! Chester the Fighting Osprey can be seen across campus at sporting events, campus programs, or just to interact with students! The ospreys that inspired our mascot can be seen abundantly throughout the

Chesapeake Bay and heard across campus in the summer and spring. The word “fighting” was added to Chester’s name by Sermo students in 1985 when the

local osprey population fought possible extinction due to a pesticide (36). Sermo students are proud of Chester the Fighting Osprey and the

spirit of strength and perseverance he represents on our campus!

Sermo College is rich in traditions that involve the student body, faculty, staff, and even the community (20, 33). As an incoming freshman you will get to participate in one of our most well-known Sermo traditions! The entire incoming class is taken by boat on to the Chesapeake Bay to watch the sun rise, a tradition symbolizing the beginning of a journey at Sermo College. Upon graduation the graduating class will once again be taken out on to the Chesapeake Bay, this time to watch the sun set, symbolizing the completion of a four-year journey!

When you visit campus it will be easy to find our school colors, turquoise and gold, as they are often worn by students, faculty, and staff! These colors were carefully selected by our founder, Richard Patterson, because of their meaning. Turquoise has long been associated with communication and clarity of mind, while gold stands for success and achievement (14). The Sermo College community shows their pride and investment in the Sermo spirit by wearing our colors (33).

Sermo Pride: Home of the Fighting Osprey

Sermo Colors

Sermo Tradition

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• Undergraduate focused • Heavy focus on creation of community and discussion • 4 year live-on requirement in a living-learning community

(unless within 30 mile commuting distance)• Average class size of 22 students, 14:1 student/faculty ratio• Ranked #3 liberal arts college in the North by

U.S. News & World Report • 93% job or graduate school placement rate within 6 months

of graduation

• Arabic

• Art (Studio Art)

• Art Education

• Art Therapy

• Biology

• Business Administration

• Chemistry

• Community Leadership

• Communications

• Computing and Information Technology

• Education in Early Childhood/Elementary and Elementary/Middle

• Education in Middle/Secondary

• English Language Arts

• Environmental Science

• French

• German

• Global Studies and International Affairs

• History

• Japanese

• Management Accounting

• Marine Biology

• Marketing Management

• Mathematics

• Music

• Philosophy

• Political Science

• Pre-professional programs for entry into graduate schools: dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, physician’s assistant, veterinary & law

• Psychology

• Sociology

• Spanish

• Theatre

• Women’s & Gender Studies

• Youth ministry

Sermo at a GlanceDemographics: 68% White/ Caucasian

12% African American

9% Hispanic

5% Asian American

>1% Native American

5% International

58% Female, 42% Male, 2% Transgender

75 % Residential, 25% Commuter

85% Full-Time, 15% Part-Time

Average Student Age Range: 18-23

Institution Statistics:

Distinctive Characteristics

• 4-Year • Private• 3,750 undergraduate students• Liberal Arts• Highly selective • Division 3 athletics• Tuition: $29,500

Programs of Study(3, 26)

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Cross-Cultural Knowledge and

Respect

Sermo students will be challenged to interact with students, faculty, staff, and outside community members who are different than them. Students will learn from these interactions, as well as in the classroom setting, about other cultures and how to interact in a variety of cultural contexts. (27, 5)

Civic Knowledge

Students will learn how to relate what they learn in and outside of the classroom to concerns beyond themselves in an informed manner. Through knowledge of the world around them, Sermo graduates will leave more civically and socially responsible than when they entered, and ready to participate in civic life beyond Sermo College. (8, 13, 4, 34)

Communication Skills

Students will be proficient in written and spoken communication and be able to express their thoughts in an educated manner to others. Students will learn how to express their thoughts, whether verbal or written, in a purposeful way that is beneficial to those receiving the communication. Communication skills will be developed through various experiences on campus, particularly the academic curriculum and interaction in the various living-learning communities on campus. (8, 4,

5)

Self-Knowledge

Sermo students will graduate with a better understanding of themselves. Students will develop a better understanding of multiple facets of who they are, such as their talents and what drives them, their identity, and their purpose through their engagement in numerous opportunities. (20, 13, 10)

Career Readiness

Students will develop specialized knowledge for their chosen career path, while also learning ways in which they can integrate their career specific knowledge in a social and global context. (23) Students develop skills for life and vocation.

Critical Thinking

Students will be encouraged and challenged by faculty and staff to synthesize and analyze content across contexts. Students’ critical thinking skills will also be developed as they challenge their previously held opinions both in and outside of the classroom. (13, 27, 5)

Faculty and staff take pride in helping our students achieve six learning outcomes, which play a central role in supporting Sermo College’s mission. Students are given the tools, challenge, and support they need in order to share the responsibility in achieving these outcomes. (20, 15)

Sermo Student Outcomes

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Writing: 2 courses (6 credit hours)Sermo College values discussion and communication, one form of which is written communication. Students are required to take two courses in writing, one in technical writing and one in creative writing. Students are encouraged to apply their chosen career focus to the writing course and discuss with classmates how writing looks different in different contexts. Speech and Communication: 2 course (6 credits)A course in speech and a course in interpersonal communication will help Sermo students engage in discussion and communication throughout various courses, as well as in their living-learning communities. Students in these courses are encouraged to apply their particular career and other interests to course assignments and discussions.

Literature: 1 course (3 credit hours)Sermo College supports the exposure of students to a plethora of literature that can develop their vocabulary and understanding of various significant topics. Different literature based courses are offered each semester to students, such as contemporary literature and the classics. Depending on the literature course selected, students work toward achieving the communication skills, critical thinking, and cross-cultural knowledge and respect outcomes.

All Sermo College students are required to complete the Solid Sermo Core (SSC) curriculum. The courses included in the SSC have been carefully selected to help students achieve the six Sermo student outcomes, support the institutional mission, and provide a well-rounded liberal education for our students. Courses in writing, literature, foreign language, science, art, social science, math, history, government, and a four-year seminar make up the SSC. Ongoing curricular development occurs periodically to ensure that outcomes are still being met in the best way (20).

Sermo students will have options when choosing which courses to fulfill their core requirements, which they will elect with their faculty advisor when they create their Personal Education Plan (9) You can find more on the Personal Education Plan on page 18. The purpose for the Personal Education Plan and providing options in the SSC is to create an academic core curriculum that is flexible and allows students to reach outcomes in a variety of ways (8). The faculty teaching these courses explore a variety of instructional methods in order to connect to different learning styles, as well as actively make connections with students’ experiences outside of the classroom (1,6). In Sermo tradition, all courses intentionally incorporate in-class discussion, and encourage conversations to continue beyond the classroom.

Academic Core CurriculumThe Solid Sermo Core (20, 8, 27, 34)

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Foreign Language: 3 courses (9 credit hours)

In support of the cross-cultural knowledge and respect outcome as well as communication, all

Sermo students are required to take three courses in a foreign language of their choice. These courses range

from the technical learning of the language to the study of the culture from which a language originated.

Art: 1 course (3 credit hours)Art is part of understanding our global society, cultures,

or even forms of communication. By taking a course in art, either performance or visual arts, students will gain an

appreciation for the various forms it takes and are encouraged to express their creativity. Cross-cultural knowledge and respect, self-knowledge, and communication skills outcomes can be developed through this course. Natural Science: 1 course (3 credit hours)Significant to the location of Sermo College is its location on the Chesapeake Bay. Students are required to take a course in natural science that explores the surrounding ecosystem and develops an appreciation for the nature that surrounds them. This course is intended to increase students’ development in the civic knowledge outcome by requiring them to relate to their surroundings. Social Science: 2 courses (6 credit hours)Sermo students are required to take two courses in the social sciences to develop their understanding of society and relationships that form within that society. Courses in the social sciences will encourage student development toward the civic knowledge outcome. These courses, in addition to the government and political science courses, frequently take advantage of our proximity to the nation’s capital for educational excursions and other learning opportunities. Math: 1 course (3 credit hours)Students will further their mathematical reasoning through coursework that will be applicable across a variety of career contexts as well as in their lives beyond Sermo College. A course in math encourages critical thinking and can contribute to career readiness.

History: 1 course (3 credit hours)Understanding and interacting with our global society, as the mission of Sermo College emphasizes, requires knowledge of the past and how society got to this point. All students are required to take one of the numerous history-based courses offered. Content in these courses will develop students’ civic knowledge outcome.Government and Political Science: 1 course (3 credit hours)One required course in government or political science will help students to develop their civic knowledge outcome. Students will be challenged to think critically about government and politics in the United States setting, but also have the option to take a course in international politics and government if they choose. Four-Year Seminar: 8 courses (16 credit hours)The four-year seminar is tied to the living-learning requirement for Sermo students. Students will take one 2-credit hour seminar per semester that is connected to the living-learning community they are a part of. The course is held in the living-learning community’s building. Seminar courses are held during normal class hours so that commuter students can easily participate. The topic of these seminar courses will vary depending on the community in which students live. These are largely discussion based with a topical focus each week related to the specific community.

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The mission of the Office of Residence Life and Community Learning is to provide unique residential and community learning experiences for students and an environment that supports the facilitation of conversation and interaction between students, faculty, and staff. The conversation and interaction within our living-learning communities promote a seamless learning experience on our campus. Each living-learning community has faculty and student affairs professionals who team-teach and are intensely involved with the residence life and community learning staff to ensure that they are working toward the same common goal for our students (32, 39). The living-learning communities at Sermo College were carefully chosen to reflect the Sermo Student Outcomes. All Sermo students are assigned to a living-learning community for each of their four years, even if they are commuter students (Stellenbosch University, personal communication, May 24, 2013). No Sermo student misses out on the experience that these living-learning communities provide.

What is a living-learning community? A living-learning community is a program in which students live together in a particular residence hall, or part of a hall, and participate in academic and/or co-curricular programming designed around a specific topic or idea (18).

Why is there a four-year live on requirement? Research on living-learning communities has found that they contribute to student intellectual development and growth, intellectual and social engagement, and persistence (27, 18, 32, 39, 28, 40). Being a part of an intentional community creates an environment of inclusion that helps students feel like they matter and their voice is heard (30). Living-learning communities can also help with the transition in to college, which can be particularly beneficial for our first-generation students (30). These communities have the potential to leave a substantial positive impact; therefore, Sermo College encourages the engagement of its students in such environments for all four years that they are on campus.

How and why do commuter students participate?Commuter students benefit from group, direct and personal discussion as a way of socializing in to the college campus (19). Sermo College living-learning communities provide this socializing medium for commuter students through attending the seminar course with their fellow community members, as well as participating in as many activities and programs with the residential community as possible. There are three rooms in each living-learning community reserved for commuter students who choose to stay overnight. Commuting students must reserve the room, and they may stay up to four nights a month (Stellenbosch University, personal communication, May 24, 2013).

How do you choose a living-learning community?Once students are admitted to Sermo College, they will receive a welcome package which includes information on all seven of the living-learning communities we offer, which they will list the communities in order of preference. Commuter students also participate in this process and will be assigned a community of which to be a part. The Office of Residence Life and Community Learning does its best to assign students their first choice, with 100% of first-year students being placed in their first or second choice community. After the first year, students are once again able to choose which community they want to be a part of, but selection preference is given according to number of earned credit hours.

How long can I live in a specific community?We believe students can benefit from participation in as many communities as possible during their time at Sermo: therefore, students are not permitted to be a part of a living-learning community for more than two years. If a student elects to stay for a second year in their community, they are given a leadership role to help mentor those students coming in, creating an even more educationally effective environment than a traditional residence hall (27).

Office of Residence Life & Community Learning

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Serve-2-Learn (S2L) Serve-2-Learn is our living-learning community based on service-learning. Students who live in this community learn about the needs for service and the impact they can make through service. The Sermo College campus, our local Cambridge community, and the nearby cities of Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Annapolis all benefit from the service that S2L students perform. After completing service projects, students reflect in group discussions about the experience. Participating in S2L can support the cross-cultural knowledge and respect, career readiness, critical thinking skills, communication skills, and civic knowledge student outcomes.

Global Village Global Village is a multicultural living-learning community that focuses on the development of students’ cross-cultural knowledge and respect. This community has a high number of international students who live in it contribute different perspectives and cultures to the seminar discussions and activities. Global Village students take trips to local culturally festivals and sites, while also hosting multicultural events on campus to spread their knowledge to Sermo students (38). Participating in Global Village can also support the critical thinking skills, communication skills, and civic knowledge student outcomes.

Life on the Chesapeake Life on the Chesapeake is a community that focuses on the natural environment that surrounds Sermo College. The Chesapeake Bay provides students with a plethora of animal and plant life to study, as well as an opportunity to understand the impact they leave on their ecosystem. Students in this community are often seen collecting samples from the Chesapeake Bay or hosting events on campus about the Chesapeake. This community worked closely with the local wildlife department when the osprey were in danger, and they were also the ones who added the word “fighting” to Chester the osprey’s name. Participating in Life on the Chesapeake can support the critical thinking skills, communication skills, and civic knowledge student outcomes.

Wellness ConnectionSermo students who live in Wellness Connection have an interest in pursuing or continuing an active, healthy lifestyle. Seminar courses highlight

healthy eating habits, proper exercising techniques, hydration, and many other relevant topics. Students from this community are often seen promoting awareness and facilitating important discussions around eating disorders, stress, and other sensitive topics related to wellness.

Participating in Wellness Connection can support the critical thinking skills, communication skills, and self-knowledge student outcomes.

The Sermo 7 Living-Learning Communities offered at Sermo

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The Sermo Project (37)

The Sermo Project is one of the newer living-learning communities on campus! Students in this community use discussion and conversation with their peers to develop their knowledge of self and embark on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Faculty in this living-learning community challenge students to reflect regularly and freely express themselves in whatever creative manner they would like. Sermo Project students put on a yearly showcase where they share their journey in the community through an artistic medium. Participating in The Sermo Project can support the critical thinking skills, communication skills, and self-knowledge student outcomes.

Leadership Immersion (25)

Students who live in Leadership Immersion develop their leadership abilities and learn how they can make a difference in the world. Seminar courses discuss different leadership styles and how they are used, as well as well-known leaders in history. Students in this community often help facilitate leadership workshops for their classmates in other communities across campus. Participating in Leadership Immersion can support the critical thinking skills, communication skills, self-knowledge, and civic knowledge student outcomes.

Special TopicsEach year one living-learning community is focused around a special topic that is chosen by the student body. Past special topics have been religion and spirituality, gender and sexuality, and race in the United States (Stellenbosch University, personal communication, May 24, 2013). There is a high demand on campus to be a part of the Special Topics community because of the intense, thought-provoking nature of the topics discussed. Participating in Special Topics can support the cross-cultural knowledge and respect, critical thinking skills, communication skills, self-knowledge, and civic knowledge student outcomes depending on the topic.

Faculty and Staff ConnectionSermo College faculty and staff also participate a in a community on campus to increase communication and discussion amongst themselves. Our campus community understands that student success is everyone’s business, so this learning community is used by both faculty and student affairs staff to share best practices and ideas that they are implementing in their classrooms, living-learning communities, and respective offices. Faculty and staff in this community also serve as moderators for a campus-wide forum run through a listserv(20). Weekly topics are decided on by faculty and staff and posted to the listserv so that faculty, staff, and students have the opportunity to engage in a campus-wide discussion through a technological medium.

The StaffThere are 7 Area Coordinators, one for each living-learning community. Each Area Coordinator then has 10 resident assistants that help to ensure the living environment is safe and conducive to healthy living and learning. These staff members work closely with the faculty and other student affairs professionals in each living-learning community.

The Sermo 7 Living-Learning Communities offered at Sermo

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Students in Serve-2-Learn (S2L) use their knowledge from the seminar, their major, and interests to solve problems in the community. There are many majors and interests represented by the students in S2L, creating an endless number of directions that service-learning can be taken. In an attempt to focus the attention of S2L efforts, the community aims to investigate the needs in the immediate community and surrounding cities in three major areas: poverty, wellness, and education . Service projects focused on poverty, wellness, and education are likely to increase students’ interaction with people from different cultures and races, increasing their understanding and respect for them (27).

Serve-2-Learn Seminar The seminar course for S2L meets every week for two hours (both the first and second semester). The seminar is a major part of the Solid Sermo Core curriculum and is required by all students to complete. The first semester is a structured course with weekly topics chosen by the S2L faculty and staff members. The topics for the course are meant to introduce students to service-learning and the three major areas of focus, as well as apply the context of the communities in which they will be performing service. The seminar course utilizes activity-based learning and discussion throughout the year for students to make connections between what they are learning and what they will be doing in their service projects, increasing their critical thinking, communication, and civic knowledge outcomes (34). The end of the first semester will be used to identify needs in poverty, wellness, and education in the selected locations and move forward with planning service-learning projects.

Spotlight Living-Learning Community: Serve-2-Learn (S2L)

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Days Topic Assignment

Week 1 August 26-30 Getting Acquainted Come prepared to share your goals for the year and thoughts on service-learning

Week 2 September 2-6

NO CLASS: Labor Day

Week 3 September 9-13 Defining service-learning

Bring in an article that talks about the importance of service-learning

Week 4 September 16-20 Identifying community partners

Research the Cambridge, Baltimore, D.C., and Annapolis communities for established service organizations

Week 5 September 23-27 Poverty Consider how poverty can be applied to service-learning

Week 6 September 30- October 4 Wellness Consider how wellness can be applied to service-learning

Week 7 October 7-11 Education Consider how education can be applied to service-learning

Week 8 October 14-18 Assessing community needs: Sermo College

Bring 3 ideas for areas of need on our campus

2013-2014 S2L First 8 Week Seminar Topics

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Second Semester in Serve-2-LearnThe second semester in S2L focuses on implementing service projects using the knowledge students garnered during the first semester

seminar course. The quality of the projects chosen to complete in the second semester is significant. Prior to projects being chosen, possible service opportunities are evaluated based on the level of challenge they might present, the level of responsibility students can

take on, and the variety of work opportunities within the project (27). It is required that each S2L student participates in at least 40 hours of service second semester. The seminar during second semester is used for integrative reflection and discussion regarding the service projects, as well as drawing connections to the first semester seminar material (27). Both the first and second semester seminars develop

students’ critical thinking skills, communication skills, and civic knowledge.

Examples of S2L projects:- Cambridge goes to College: Increasing knowledge about college for k-12 students

- Baltimore Community Garden Project: Developing community while providing free, healthy food

- Building Rehabilitation and Business Proposal: Revitalizing small business and teaching entrepreneurial skills

- Downtown Cambridge Accessibility Project: Creating plans for accessibility in historic buildings with limited access

- Habitat for Humanity Alternative Spring Break Trips: Coordination with the campus Habitat for Humanity to build homes

What communities benefit from S2L service? Many service projects are completed directly in the Cambridge community and on campus, but students are also taken to Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Annapolis.

Mentoring in Serve-2-Learn Within S2L there are a mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen, some of which are returning to S2L for a second year. Those students who have returned to S2L for a second year are required to serve as mentors and leaders within the community. Mentors help new S2L students adjust to the environment and transition throughout the year. Student mentors can help provide feedback and evaluation to their mentees. Mentor to mentee feedback and evaluation increases the mentee’s sense of responsibility to S2L and encourages them to reflect about their work. Mentors can develop their leadership skills, as well as help mentees develop self-knowledge regarding their identity as part of S2L (20, 15).

National Service Learning Conference Every year students in S2L are highly encouraged to attend and present at the National Service Learning Conference. The conference serves as an opportunity for students to see what other service learning programs are doing and share their experience in S2L. Presenting at the conference is a great way for S2L students to showcase their communication skills, civic knowledge, and critical thinking skills. Students are encouraged to present on a service-learning topic that they are able to connect to their chosen major, furthering them in the critical thinking and career readiness outcomes. The 2014 National Service Learning Conference is scheduled to be held in Washington D.C. on April 9-12! (31)

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Assessment is important at Sermo College to ensure that students’ needs are being met and that outcomes are being achieved effectively. A qualitative assessment pre and post tool was created to assess students’ development in cross-cultural knowledge and respect, communication skills, self-knowledge, critical thinking, career readiness, and civic knowledge as a result of having lived in S2L. This qualitative assessment is given to all students living in S2L in the form of group interviews at the beginning and end of the academic year. A qualitative method was chosen as it aligns with the institutional culture of conversation and discussion.

This assessment is a collaborative effort between academic and student affairs. Questions regarding syllabus and seminar content will be assessed for academic affairs purposes, while student affairs focus on the level of engagement, development, and growth that students garner from their experience in S2L. The end of the year interview will mirror the beginning of the year, while also including questions about gaps, deficiencies, and recommendations for the community to be improved. All interview sessions will be recorded and transcribed.

Other tpyes of assessment also takes place throughout the year in S2L. After each service project is completed, students are required to write a reflective paper on the experience and how they were able to relate what they learned in the seminar and other courses to the service project. This periodic assessment is administered and collected by the faculty member and staff in charge of S2L. Critical thinking, civic knowledge, and communication skills are the outcomes being explicitly assessed by the reflective paper.

In April of every other year all Sermo students participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The NSSE is administered by faculty and staff during the seminar course. Sermo College participates in the NSSE because it can measure the academic and social experience students’ have on campus. Our living-learning communities bring together the academic and social experience, further justifying the importance of this assessment on our campus (16).

S-2-L Assessment

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The Sermo Experience is another way that Sermo College creates a seamless experience for its students. Throughout all four years that a student attends Sermo College, they will participate in a transition experience through the academic programs we offer and college life (9). Major components of The Sermo Experience are the summer common reading experience, yearly faculty advisor interview, and the development and evaluation of the Personal Education Plan (20, 7, 9). Students are paired with faculty advisors in their specific major that will serve as a mentor throughout the next four years, making sure they are staying on The Sermo Experience 4-year track.

Summer Common Reading Students will participate in a summer common reading every summer throughout their four years at Sermo College. The purpose of requiring a summer common reading is to help socialize students to the academic expectations Sermo College holds, as well as to intentionally introduce them to the outcomes we want our students to achieve. Books that will encourage conversation and higher level thinking are carefully selected each year by our faculty and staff. The incoming freshman class will all read the same book, regardless of major. Discussion surrounding the book will be prompted during orientation and their living-learning community seminar course (1). After freshman year students will be assigned a summer common reading according to major, encouraging discussion and collaborative learning throughout their major specific courses. Students are encouraged to share their major specific summer common reading experiences within their living-learning communities.

The Sermo Experience

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All Sermo students will create a Personal Education Plan at the start of their first year. The Personal Education Plan will be an academic and co-curricular plan for a student’s four years at Sermo College, affectionately known on campus as a student’s PEP. Faculty advisors work closely with students to develop a plan, keeping in mind that it will be revisited each year. The purpose of the PEP is to instill a sense of agency in students by allowing them to have choice in what courses they will take to fulfill the Solid Sermo Core and how they will meet the Sermo Student Outcomes (aside from the measures already put in to place by the institution). By virtue of creating and reassessing the Personal Education Plan each year students are working toward the Sermo Student Outcomes. Students will increase their communication skills, self-knowledge, career readiness, and critical thinking skills. (20, 9)

Each year students participate in an informational interview at the start of the first semester by their faculty advisor. The yearly interview has a different focus for each year a student attends Sermo College.

Yearly Faculty Advisor Interview (7)

The first year interview is focused on helping new students become acclimated to Sermo College. This includes informing them of the resources on campus, explaining the Sermo Student Outcomes, and allowing students to share any concerns they might have with their transition in to college.

The second year interview revisits students’ transition in to Sermo College and any concerns they might have. During the second year interview students begin to explore their junior year and further opportunities for involvement on campus.

The third year interview is focused on students’ transition in to upper level coursework, personal or career related problems they might have, and preparation for senior year.

The fourth year interview is focused on students’ upcoming graduation and the transition out of Sermo College. Faculty advisors work closely with the Office of Career Services to provide students guidance during the fourth year interview and throughout the senior year.

1st Year2nd Year

3rd Year4th Year

Personal Education Plan:

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This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women

Edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman (2)

This summer’s common reading will provoke students to consider their lives up until that point and share their story with others. It is an excellent way to introduce incoming Sermo students to the culture of discussion and conversation on campus. Discussion surrounding this book and personal reflections will encourage student development in self-knowledge, critical thinking, and perhaps cross-cultural knowledge and respect.

• Summer common reading completed before orientation

• Participate in the first-year Sermo tradition

• Interview with faculty advisor

• Create Personal Education Plan

• Intentional campus and living-learning community event attendance to increase engagement

First Year

Summer 2014 Common Reading

• Summer common reading specific to major


• Evaluate Personal Education Plan

• Continued campus and living-learning community event attendance

• Explore major and career prep

Second Year




• Continue career preparation process

• Continued campus and living-learning community event attendance

Third Year




• Symposium to articulate experiences at Sermo College; focus on Sermo Student Outcomes

• Preparation for graduation; assure all major and graduation requirements are met

• Participate in Sermo senior tradition

Fourth Year

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(P)

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The Career Services staff are trained to help students with their exploration of internship and career opportunities. Students can access Career Services staff through drop-ins, individual appointments, or various workshops. This office helps students develop their resumes, cover letters, online professional identities, and learn how to navigate the job search process (30). The Career Services staff work closely with faculty advisros to help students showcase their career specific knowledge that they receive from their coursework. Portfolios can be developed in a way that is marketable to potential employers. This office focuses on teh development of the readiness outcome.

Sermo College understands that commuting students have different needs and schedules than students who live on campus. Commuter Student Services at Sermo College aim to help commuting students feel more connected to the campus community and navigate the additional family and work stresses that commuting students might encounter (1). Commuter Student Services works closely with Residence Life and Community Learning to sign up commuting students for living-learning communities each year.

Our Office of Service Learning is devoted to connecting students with opportunities that allow them to apply what they are learning in a way that will benefit others (20). Students can also be matched based on other interests they may have outside of the classroom. Service learning opportunities exist on campus, in Cambridge, and our nearby cities. This office works closely with the Serve-2-Learn living-learning community, but is open to all students on campus. Through the opportunities provided by the Office of

Service Learning, students can potentially develop their civic knowledge, self-knowledge, career readiness, and cross-cultural knowledge and respect outcomes.

Support Services at Sermo College

Sermo College provides a variety of support services for students to help them successfully navigate their collegiate experience. All Support Services offices are located in the Chance Building next to the student union, and central to campus. Support Services offices are located in the Chance Building for ease of access and convenience to our students, particularly our commuter students with more restrictive schedules. The Chance Building is also centrally located because the offices within it are functionally and symbolically significant; as they help our students achieve several of the Sermo Student Outcomes (33). There are five offices that make up Support Services at Sermo College.

Career Services Commuter Student Services Office of Service Learning

(A)

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Are you ready an adventure? If so, get ready becuase Sermo College has connections all over the world. The Study Abroad and Exchange Office can provide you with an endless number of opportunities and choices. Long-term and short-term trips are available for students with different levels of responsibilities and time commitments (20). By participating in a study abroad or exchange program, students can increase their awareness of other cultures and their acceptance of them (27). The Study Abroad and Exchange Office is committed to developing Sermo students’ communication skills (including in their chosen foreign language), self-knowledge, and cross-cultural knowledge and respect through interactions abroad with people different than themselves. Additonally, living in the Global Village living-learning community can serve as an excellent pre-departure experience for students.

Sermo College students come to our campus from a variety of different backgrounds. As an institution we value the diverse perspectives that our students bring to the discussions in and outside of the classroom; therefore, we want all of our students to feel supported and valued on our campus (20). The Office of Multicultural Development provides programming and workshops on campus that focus on developing students’ multicultural knowledge and respect and exposing them to our global society.

Study Abroad and Exchange Office Office of Multicultural Development

(G)

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Sermo College values diverse perspectives on our campus and the value they add to the conversations and learning that occurs. Our international students contribute many of the diverse perspectives that are shared, truly opening Sermo College up to the world (6). There is much that our students can learn from the international student population, but equally as important are the experiences that international students have at Sermo College. For this exchange to occur however, our international students must feel supported on our campus and retained (30, 15). Although coming to college in the United States is an expected transition for international students, we recognize that they cannot anticipate everything and that the transition will be challenging (15). In order to support our

international students in their transition to Sermo College, the Office of Multicultural Development holds Bridge Across the World every summer for all incoming international students. We have found that international students at Sermo College who have participated in Bridge Across the World have been more likely to persist on to their second year (27).

Bridge Across the WorldA summer bridging program for international students

(C)

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All incoming international students are required to arrive to campus two weeks before orientation begins to participate in Bridge Across the World. This two-week transitional experience is aimed at the unique needs of our incoming international students (20). Below are all of the components of Bridge Across the World that international students can expect to experience in the program:

This program is an opportunity for current international and American students to engage with incoming international students. A buddy system is set up prior to students’ arrival to campus in order to create another level of support at the peer level (30, 17, 29, 6, 20).

The Buddy System

Our staff is trained on how to help students complete any legal documentation they may need once they arrive to the United States (29).

Legal Documentation

Throughout Bridge Across the World there will be daily scheduled times for transportation to nearby shopping centers and restaurants (29).

Transportation

Research shows that incoming international students are more receptive to group settings; therefore, Bridge Across the World includes a series of workshops that address their needs (12).

Career Preparation: Connecting with Career Services and the services they can provide (29, 12).

Study Skills: How to study to be successful in the American classroom (29).

American Classrooms 101: Styles of teaching, classroom set-ups, course technology, and class participation (29, 17).

Campus Resource Connection: Introduction to campus support services and facilities (20).

Workshops

Upon arriving to campus international students will take English placement tests to ensure that they are in the right levels of English and major specific coursework. By placing our students in the appropriate classes we hope to provide them with the tools to successfully participate in the campus conversational culture (29).

English Testing

Prior to incoming international students arriving to campus the Office of Multicultural Development will arrange for any necessary translators to be present during Bridge Across the World. It is our hope that having translators present will help lessen the stress of any possible language barriers and encourage students to engage with the group (29).

Translators

Throughout the two weeks in Bridge Across the World students will be taken on four trips. These trips will tour Cambridge, Baltimore, D.C., and Annapolis. Taking these trips are a form of entertainment as well as a way to help our incoming international students understand and experience their surroundings (6). While on these trips students are also encouraged to do any shopping they might need to do in order to prepare for the start of the year.

Trips

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During Bridge Across the World there are numerous opportunities for socialization with faculty, staff, and the faculty advisors prior to the start of the academic year. This early socialization is meant to increase students’ comfort with faculty and staff, as well as give faculty and staff an opportunity to learn about their new students (6, 29,

17). Early socialization to the campus is intended to increase students’ comfort with interacting in the Sermo campus community.

Socialization

When international students arrive to campus they are challenged to change their daily ways of live and language, which can become emotionally taxing. To help support our students through what could be an emotional transition, staff from the Office of Multicultural Development are readily available as well as the counseling services on campus (8, 6). Translators are available to attend counseling sessions if a language barrier exists.

Emotional Support

Unique to our campus are our seven living-learning communities and the requirement to live in one. During Bridge Across the World staff will teach them about the living-learning community they will be a part of and explain the community dynamics.

Accommodations

An exciting part of the Sermo campus culture are the traditions; therefore, we value the participation of our incoming international students in the Sermo first year sunrise tradition (see page 5) (20).

Acculturation

In order to ensure that Bridge Across the World is still meeting the needs of our international students in the way we intended, students participating in the program are asked to evaluate the experience and provide suggestions for improvement at the conclusion of the two weeks.

Evaluation

By participating in Bridge Across the World, incoming international students are meeting the communication skills, career readiness, cross-cultural knowledge and respect, and self-knowledge (may be considering themselves for the first time as the “other”) outcomes.

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Sermo College: A Unique I-PlanSermo College is most notably unique because of its focus on discussion and communication, the four-year residential requirement in a living-learning community, and a four-year experience. I think a college or university should endorse my concept because the student population in higher education is constantly changing. By creating a strong sense of community on campus, students from varying backgrounds will feel supported and more likely retained. This concept should also be endorsed because students are leaving with a multitude of co-curricular experiences that are built in to the living-learning communities, on top of being prepared for a fulfilling career. I acknowledge that the unique features of my campus will limit the number of students the institution attracts; however, by portraying these unique features in a clear and consistent way I believe this institution would attract students who genuinely want to attend for the experience that Sermo College can provide.

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Learning Outcomes (developed through Macro #)

Macro Elements (supports outcome #) Micro Elements (follows from/supports LO/Macro)

A. Cross-Cultural Knowledge and Re-spect (2, 3, 4, 5)

B. Communication Skills (2, 3, 4, 5)C. Self-Knowledge (2, 3, 4, 5)D. Career readiness (2, 3, 5)E. Critical Thinking (2, 3, 4)F. Civic Knowledge (2, 4, 5)

1. Mission Statement 2. Academic Core Curriculum (A, B, C, D, E, F)3. The Sermo Experience (B, C, D, E)4. Residence Life and Community Learn-ing (A, B, C, E, F)5. Support Services (A, B, C, D, F)

Service Learning Living-Learning Com-munity: S-2-L (Serve-to-Learn) (A, B, C, D, E, F; 4)Bridge Across the World: Summer Bridge Program for International Students (A, B, C, D; 5)

Cheat-sheet for I-Plan: Melanie Vincent Sermo College *Assessment information can be found in the Serve-2-Learn

(micro) section

Cheat-sheet for I-Plan: Melanie Vincent Sermo College

Designed in cooperation byMooney design & Melanie Vincent

Sermo College I-plan

Documents

Transcript of Sermo College I-plan