For most people who choose to attend college (and community college, in particular), one of the biggest motivations is improved economic prospects. And while this is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of post-secondary education, many students feel – for reasons as complex and diverse as the rich mosaic of our student body – that the traditional “academic” experience is not for them.
But pondering the “Great Questions” – the central concerns about what it means to be a human being – is a birthright that belongs to all of us, not just a few. And it’s for this reason that something grand is happening at ACC: we’re bringing the Great Questions down from the ivory tower and into the real-world lives of everyday students across the spectrum of the community college experience.
In the spirit of the universities of old, ACC is proud to offer The Great Questions Seminars for first-year college students with hungry minds. Divided into two 8-week sessions offered in the Fall and Spring, each Seminar invites students to explore the writings of history’s greatest thinkers from around the world in relation to a particular theme – including Plato, Darwin, W.E.B DuBois, and Jane Austen, to name only a few!
What sets Great Questions apart from a typical humanities course, you ask? The program forgoes the lecture model of a typical modern college class in favor of the time-honored practice of round-table discussions between professors and students. Students attend weekly discussions sessions on assigned readings, and are required to complete one writing assignment per semester. Those who complete all four Seminars in the academic year, and who meet the attendance and lesson requirements, will receive a “Great Questions Scholar” designation on their official ACC transcript.
“It’s the sort of college experience people have had for centuries,” says Ted Hadzi-Antich Jr., the Government professor who created the program and serves as one of two faculty guides for the Seminars. “We’re trying something new that’s remarkably old. The goal is to have this first-year experience pave the way to do wonderful things at ACC.”
To celebrate as well as promote this exciting opportunity for ACC students, we will be showcasing Great Questions student and faculty testimonials here on the Dean’s blog in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for a more in-depth look at the program.
The Great Questions Seminars are open to all ACC students regardless of major. For more information and to apply, visit the program website or contact Ted Hadzi-Antich at thadzian@austincc.edu or (512) 223-3395.