While you may find freshmen sitting
in the morning dark, staring at computer monitors with fingers poised
over the keyboard as the hour of class registration draws near, you
won't find any upperclassmen doing the same. The face is, none of Case's
classes are that crowded, and only a handful actually fill up within
the first few days of registration, so there is no need to stress about
signing up at the earliest possible moment. As a freshman, the
introductory math and sciences classes are generally the most populated,
but no student should have trouble getting in. If a student does get
locked out of a class, there's always plenty of variety left to choose
from.
SAGES
This
variety has been further expanded with the implementation of the
Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship program, or SAGES.
Incoming students enroll in what is called a First Seminar. These
courses are small, limited to seventeen students. Every course will be
taught by a Case faculty member who will function as the students
advisor for the freshman year. That way, instead of being immediately
thrust into an open-ended college environment, students will be in close
contact with someone who can give advice and help map out the academic
path their students wish to follow, which is certainly helpful given the
myriad opportunities available. Instead of sitting around and listening
to droning lectures for hours, like so many other freshmen courses,
First Seminars promote student discussion allowing peer interaction and
letting students express their ideas and experiences. The three hours a
week dedicated to the First Seminar will be accompanied by "fourth-hour
activities" that incorporate the cultural and scientific institutions
around University Circle, including the Cleveland Natural History
Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Western Reserve Historical
Society, allowing students to get out of the classroom for a change.
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| SAGES Group |
First
Seminar courses are followed in the students later years by University
Seminars, Departmental Seminars, and a Senior Capstone course, all of
which let students concentrate on and study what interests them. Aside
from SAGES, Cases's undergraduate students benefit from a great deal of
freedom. Instead of requiring students to be admitted to specific
undergraduate colleges such as an engineering college or a physical
sciences college, students are free to study whatever subjects they feel
like pursuing. This translates to a theater major being able to take an
electrical engineering course with no more hassle than clicking the
"add course" button through Case's online class registration system.
While some may not feel the need to experiment with their course
selections, the fact that the option is available is useful, just in
case something really interesting pops up in a subject that is not your
major. Physical education is also part of the curriculum, where students
can golf, play racquetball, practice tennis, or keep up their running
regimen.
College Scholars Program
Students
have the opportunity to apply to the College Scholars Program (CSP)
during their freshman year. If accepted, they would take one CSP course
for three credits per semester for the remaining three years of their
undergraduate study. CSP courses emphasize student directed study and
service learning, and allow groups of students to meet and discuss
issues with professors and, often, distinguished guests such as, in the
past, Kurt Vonnegut and Ralph Nader. The program also provides the
option to live in CSP-specific housing consisting of single rooms and
fully equipped kitchens.
Internships
Because
Case is embedded in a metropolitan setting. It's easy to get some
real-world experience through internships. Whether it is with an
engineering firm or an independent newspaper, Cleveland companies are
eager for student workers, and look to Case to turn our capable
candidates. This provides an opportunity for students to gain knowledge
that can't be learned in the classroom. One hundred and sixty employers
offer students co-op programs that may be alternated with classroom
study. Also available are study abroad programs, a Washington semester,
and work-study programs, as well as accelerated degree programs, B.A./
B.S. degrees, student-designed and dual majors, 3-2 binary engineering
degrees, non-degree study, and independent study.
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