RECAST | Are you interested in expanding access to capstone or signature work experiences for Evergreen students?

From: Metzker, Julia <metzkerj@evergreen.edu>
Sent: Thursday, November 5, 2020 12:21 PM

“Culminating experiences provide graduating seniors a course, program, or activity designed to cap off the integration of educational experiences, and foster transition to work or further education beyond the bachelor’s degree experience.”

Kinzie, J. (2013). Taking Stock of Capstones and Integrative Learning. Peer Review, 15(4), 27–30. 

The New Academic Directions Capstone workgroup has been charged with developing a vision for increase access to capstone and signature work experiences for Evergreen students. Please consider bringing your perspective to this important work.  To join, add your name to an open slot on the sign-up form.  I am happy to answer your questions – just shoot me an email. 

New Academic Directions Capstone Workgroup, 2020-2021:

Goal: Build upon the capstone work from this summer to further develop capstones as a strategy to improve curricular cohesion for students. 
Expectation: Work collaboratively with faculty in your Path group and capstone stewards from other paths to finalize a capstone proposal for review by Curriculum Area Team (CAT) Leaders and the Student and Academic Life Leadership Team (SAL-LT). 
Charge: Charge a faculty committee/workgroup, with staff and student representatives, in the Fall to develop a common, college-wide vision for expectations, language, and support structures for capstones. This committee would detail the faculty, administrative, and financial support needed to make capstones a vibrant, signature feature of an Evergreen education. It would also consider the changes to FTE distribution/compensation needed for faculty to mentor/support capstone experiences for all students. Faculty meetings and student GU meetings would be places (amongst others) for robust, substantive discussions of the proposed capstone system. Any increase in expectations for faculty mentorship of increased numbers of capstone projects would involve negotiations through the Union. The committee will collaborate with CAT leaders, Path conveners, Marketing and Admissions, the LTC, and other New Academic Directions initiative teams to move the project forward in a coherent and integrated manner. Consider the question: in order to fully support all students in competing capstone work, what do we need to do? (from the 2020 Summer 2020 Workgroup Report) 
Workgroup lead: Stacey Davis

In community,
Julia Metzker

—
Julia Metzker (she/her)
Director, Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education
http://www.evergreen.edu/washingtoncenter/
metzkerj@evergreen.edu | 360-867-6637

The Evergreen State College
2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
Sem II E3115
Olympia, WA, 98505