VII. THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
A primary objective of the College should be to teach the student to learn, and because this process is highly individualistic, it seems advisable to structure each student's curriculum to meet his individual needs. Such a student-structured curriculum provides the flexibility needed and requires that the student develop the self-reliance characteristic of a truly educated person. This chapter shows how the student in conjunction with his advisor might use the educational tools of the Plan to structure his program.
A. Educational Tools of the Plan
1. Independent-Study and Projects (IS/P)
Normally it is expected that the student would put a minimum of 25 percent of his load, averaged over a four-year period, into this part of the program,
Projects would be of two principal types:
a. Research and development projects of the type common to most college or university programs in science, engineering or humanities.
b. Projects designed to bring the student to a familiarity with technology as a service to society.
It is believed essential that some of the projects be centered off campus, in industry or society at large.
Independent-Study would be a program of self-study, under the supervision of a faculty member, devised to meet the individual need of a student wishing to investigate a topic of particular interest to himself.
2. Study-Conference and Study Study-Conferences and Studies would be in-depth investigations of areas of general interest and would consist of lectures to relatively large groups (but fewer than 100 students.) Studies would consist of four class meetings per week and Study-Conferences would consist of three lectures plus 2.5 hours of Conference per week. The Conferences would be conducted with an instructor and six or fewer students.
In addition to the above, there should be short "how-to-do-it" presentations to aid in acquiring specific techniques as needed (library usage, report-writing, shop practice.) These might eventually be replaced by video tapes. The Intersession period would also be available for concentrated presentations in specific topics.
There would be no formal prerequisites for a Study or Study Conference. It would be the right of the instructor, however, to assume that the student had done or would be doing ancillary work.
While the IS/P would provide motivation, practice in problem solving, and practice in learning, it would be essential that Studies and Study-Conferences be offered to bring coherence to what has been learned. Individual attention by the advisor would be needed to introduce the student to the responsibility and self learning required by the Plan.
B. The Role of Humanities
One of the major goals of the College is to develop in the student an understanding of himself and of his responsibility to society. The integration of technology and social science in numerous projects and independent studies would be a natural development in the Plan and would be undertaken with considerable student interest and outside financial encouragement as a result of emerging national interest in environment, transportation, urban affairs, and many other related fields. The Plan clearly provides opportunity for the student to develop qualifications appropriate to his major area of specialization, and there is a strong encouragement to learn to relate that specialization to the needs of society.
The humanities studies - literature, history, philosophy, art, music - all have an interface with current society; but with some exceptions, the interface with current technology may be quite remote. Attempts to force such an integration in project work, for example, could be contrived and artificial.
The Plan would fail to meet the Goal if it did not encourage the student to develop an additional dimension as a person. The student needs to develop an awareness of our times in proper perspective; a sensitivity for beauty, truth, and human values; and an appreciation of great minds through their writings. Unless the academic environment includes a lively concern for this aspect of human experience, the "humane-technologist" could well turn out to be a "social-technocrat".
The average WPI student, while concentrating his qualifying work in scientific, technical, and sociological areas, would most benefit by establishing a minor in an humanities area to increase his personal perspectives and his ability to make reasonable judgments.
C. The Student Programs
One important aspect of the Plan is that the student with his advisor would structure his own program to fit a specific goal. While a student's program would be subject to individual considerations, it is possible to present here a general time allocation scheme, flexible enough to meet the demands of each student, including those who would desire to follow a course of study similar to current departmental programs. Table VII-1 shows how a student might have a major area of interest coupled with a strong minor program.
Table VII-1
Possible Time Allocation Scheme
Area Units Independent Study and Project 4 Major Area 2 Free Elective 2.5 Humanities/Social Studies 2.5 Math-Science 2.5 Engineering 2.5 5* * In some student programs, it might be advisable to consider the math-science and engineering areas as one area to be subdivided. A student with a strong interest in science might prefer to have five Units in science as compared to the 2.5 Units of math-science and 2.5 Units of engineering.
The programs listed in Tables VII-2, 3, 4, and 5 illustrate how a student might allocate his effort. It must be emphasized that these are illustrations only. Included are possible allocations of time for an average, above average, and an outstanding student. The summer Term might be used either to accelerate a program or to lighten the load during the normal academic year.
Table VII-2
Possible allocation of effort (in Units) for an average student
Term 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Study-Conference 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 15/3 Study 1/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 1/3 2/3 18/3 IS/P 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/6 1/2 1/2 1/3 1 4 1/6 Intersession 2/3 Physical Ed. 1/12 1/12 1/12 1/12 1/3 Total 3/4 13/12 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5/6 11/12 11/12 1 1 1 1 16 1/6 Table VII-3
Table VII-3 illustrates how summer work might be utilized to shorten the time schedule for an average student
Term 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Summer 9 10 11 12 Summer 13 14 Study-Conference 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 15/3 Study 1/3 2/3 l/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 18/3 IS/P l/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/6 1/2 1/2 1 l/3 1/3 4 1/6 Intersession 2/3 Physical Ed. 1/12 1/12 1/12 1/12 1/3 Total 3/4 13/12 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5/6 11/12 11/12 1 1 1 1 16 1/6 Note: Summers may be used to lighten the load in a number of terms.
Table VII-4
Possible allocation of effort (in Units) for an above average student
Term 1 2 3 4 Summer 5 6 7 8 Summer 9 10 11 12 Study-Conference 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 15/3 Study 1/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 13/3 IS/P 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/3 1 1/3 1/2 1/2 1/2 5 2/3 Intersession 2/3 Physical Ed. 1/12 1/12 1/12 1/12 1/3 Total 1 1 13/12 13/12 1 7/6 7/6 7/6 13/12 1 13/12 7/6 7/6 7/6 16 This student could take advantage of Independent-Study to acquire subject matter in depth. Having successfully completed his project requirements, this above average student, in consultation with his advisor, would elect to take his major exams after completion of three academic years and two summers of work.
Table VII-5
Possible allocation of effort (in Units) for an outstanding student(It is not anticipated that there would be many of these students in any given program.)
To illustrate possible programs for students majoring in specific disciplines sample curricula are listed (see APPENDIX E.) Possible programs of area subdivision for Engineering, Math Science, and Humanities follow.
Term 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Summer 9 10 Study-Conference 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 9/3 Study 1/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 2/3 15/3 IS/P 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 1 1/2 1/2 5 2/3 Intersession 2/3 Physical Ed. 1/12 1/12 1/6 Total 13/12 4/3 4/3 4/3 4/3 4/3 4/3 4/3 1 7/6 15/12 14 1/2 A Possible Program of Area Subdivision for
Engineering Majors
Humanities Minors
Study-Conference or Study Major (Engineering) 10/3 Units Support Area (Engineering) 3/3 Science and Mathematics 7/3 Computer Science 1/3 Humanities/Social Studies 9/3 Physical Education 4/12 Free Electives 5/3 Qualifying Projects (Required) 2 Elected Projects 4/3 Elected Independent-Study 2/3 A Possible Program of Area Subdivision for
Humanities Majors
Science Minors
Study-Conference or Study Major (Humanities) 10/3 Units Support Area (Social Science) 4/3 Science - Mathematics 7/3 Engineering 2/3 Physical Education 4/12 Free Electives 12/3 Qualifying Projects (Required) 2 Elected Projects 2/3 Elected Independent-Study 4/3 A Possible Program of Area Subdivision for
Science or Mathematics Majors
Study-Conference or Study Major (Science - Mathematics) 10/3 Units Support Area (Mathematics - Science) 7/3 Computer Science 1/3 Humanities/Social Science 8/3 Physical Education 4/12 Free Electives 9/3 Qualifying Projects (Required) 2 Elected Projects 2/3 Elected Independent-Study 4/3
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