TY - JOUR
T1 - The Boston College Capstone Program
T2 - Formation and Function of a Holistic General Education Cumulative Experience
AU - Weiss, James M.
AU - Kirkscey, Russell
AU - Vale, Julie
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are grateful for support and guidance by Elon University's Capstone Experiences Research Seminar, which met annually 2018-2020.The authors were fellows (2018-2020) in the Elon University Center for Engaged Learning Capstone Experiences Research Seminar; a multinational, multidisciplinary study of capstone experiences.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - This essay discusses Boston College’s Capstone Program (BCCP), a distinctive experience with a thirty-two-year history. Unlike capstones focused on specialized projects, often in the student’s major, BCCP has helped seniors integrate their entire academic and personal growth. Additionally, the article describes BCCP’s historic models, holistic goals, course designs, faculty formation, administrative support, and impacts. It also offers recommendations for founding or extending general education capstones. BCCP comprises 25 or more seminars available to all seniors. Instructors from over 20 departments in Humanities, Sciences, Education, Management, and Nursing use materials and methods from their specializations, but do so to explore larger life purposes for students from any major. Examples from several disciplines are offered. Focusing on personal development, each seminar proceeds by review and preview: students review their agency in their educations and preview long-term goals. Demand for seminars has remained high: students praise them among their most signifi cant college experiences. Regular faculty communication has ensured BCCP’s vitality, including annual retreats on pedagogy and shared oversight of new seminar proposals. BCCP has enjoyed substantial administration support, providing a program director with stipend and course reduction. As a signature element of Boston College’s curriculum, BCCP has also generated formative curricula for freshmen.
AB - This essay discusses Boston College’s Capstone Program (BCCP), a distinctive experience with a thirty-two-year history. Unlike capstones focused on specialized projects, often in the student’s major, BCCP has helped seniors integrate their entire academic and personal growth. Additionally, the article describes BCCP’s historic models, holistic goals, course designs, faculty formation, administrative support, and impacts. It also offers recommendations for founding or extending general education capstones. BCCP comprises 25 or more seminars available to all seniors. Instructors from over 20 departments in Humanities, Sciences, Education, Management, and Nursing use materials and methods from their specializations, but do so to explore larger life purposes for students from any major. Examples from several disciplines are offered. Focusing on personal development, each seminar proceeds by review and preview: students review their agency in their educations and preview long-term goals. Demand for seminars has remained high: students praise them among their most signifi cant college experiences. Regular faculty communication has ensured BCCP’s vitality, including annual retreats on pedagogy and shared oversight of new seminar proposals. BCCP has enjoyed substantial administration support, providing a program director with stipend and course reduction. As a signature element of Boston College’s curriculum, BCCP has also generated formative curricula for freshmen.
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U2 - 10.5325/jgeneeduc.70.1-2.0050
DO - 10.5325/jgeneeduc.70.1-2.0050
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85168901671
SN - 0021-3667
VL - 70
SP - 50
EP - 61
JO - Journal of General Education
JF - Journal of General Education
IS - 1-2
ER -