Nontraditional Programs Delta College/Honors Program/Clam

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Chapter V

• Delta College
• The Honors Program
• Contractual Liberal Arts Major (CLAM)
• Special Programs and Internships

Delta College

H-1 Cooper Hall
(585) 395-2291
Director: Sandra Holinbaugh-Beltz

The Program

Delta College is an innovative learning community designed to nurture a strong desire for learning, and to prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary to appreciate the global possibilities and challenges of the 21st century.

The program is a General Education option offered as an alternative to Brockport's traditional General Education program. The Delta College core is a curriculum of eight interdisciplinary and internationally focused liberal arts courses, an introductory mentoring course, and integrative learning seminars and experiences designed to help students succeed in a global transnational society. Students complete the Delta College program along with any SUNY Brockport major. Throughout the course of study, students are required to address existing and potential world problems. Students are expected to be multiculturally aware and, as part of that awareness, are required to complete a foreign language competency and an international experience.

Central to the "Delta Experience" are excellent teaching, an interdisciplinary core, small class sizes, experiential learning, mentoring, and a sense of community. Faculty act as teachers, coaches, and mentors in facilitating student growth. They also help students establish networks that improve employment opportunities. Students are welcomed as full participating members in this learner-focused, interactive, integrative, and experiential learning environment.

As a Delta College student, students have a choice of completing two options. In both options students are required to demonstrate computer, statistics, and foreign language competencies. In Option I (time- and credit-variable) students complete the Delta Core, the Integrative Learning Experiences, and a SUNY Brockport major or contractual liberal arts major. In Option II (time- and credit-shortened), students complete the Delta Core, the Integrative Experiences, and the Global Studies Track in the International Studies major.

The mentoring tutorial is an orientation course that focuses in writing skills.

The interdisciplinary core courses are equivalent to interdisciplinary humanities, social science, fine and performing arts, and science and science/lab courses.

The Integrative Learning Seminars (DCC 225, 345, & 410) serve as the foundation for the mentoring component of Delta College. A component of each of the seminars is developing and finalizing contracts for each of the integrative learning experiences. The seminars also provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to address local, national, and world problems, and to meet the computer competencies.

Required Integrative Learning Experiences (ILE-DCC 235, 355, & 420) provide students an opportunity to experience firsthand what they have been learning about in their course work. On a continuum of experiential learning, students are exposed to local, regional, national and global issues. In the first two ILEs (summers), students work or volunteer at local, regional and/or national sites. In the third ILE (semester) students will work, volunteer, and/or study in a foreign country. Students may receive remuneration (e.g. stipends) for these experiences.

Option I:

Delta College Program and a SUNY Brockport Academic Major or Contractual Liberal Arts Major

This option is for students participating in the Delta College program who choose any SUNY Brockport major or contractual liberal arts major. This is a time and credit-variable option. Variability will be based on total credits for a major and/or prerequisites required for the major. With this option, students must complete the Delta College program and any SUNY Brockport major.

Integrative Learning Experiences (ILEs): (17-;20 credits)

Delta College students are expected to experience firsthand social, cultural, and global issues discussed throughout the course of their study. This experience is gained through a first-year, 2-credit (summer) local or regional field experience (DCC 235), a second-year, 3-credit (summer) regional or national field experience (DCC 355), and a third-year, 12-;15 credit (spring semester) international experience (DCC 420). Students may receive remuneration for these experiences. The summer experiences require a minimum of 120 clock hours which may be completed over a three- to 12-week period. The international experience requires a minimum of 600 clock hours which will be completed over a 12-;15 week period. Course requirements are met off cam pus/on site. Written assignments are sent to mentors by postal or electronic mail.

Competency Requirements:

Delta College students must demonstrate foreign language (intermediate level or two languages at beginner including American Sign Language), and computer, and statistics competencies. Computer competencies are met by completing assignments in the mentoring course and the integrative learning seminars. Foreign language competencies are met by exam. Statistics competencies are met by successfully completing one of the following courses for 3 credits: ECN 204, MTH 243, PLS 300, PSH 202, SOC 200.

Academic Major:

Students may choose any SUNY Brockport major.

Credits/Time:

Depending upon the major chosen, students may complete their degrees with as few as 99 credits and in as little as three years.

Option II: Delta Global Studies Track of International Studies Major

This is a three-year degree program option. With this option, students must complete the Delta College program and the Global Studies Track in the International Studies major.

Delta Core Courses (DCC): (36 credits)

Competency Requirements:

Global Studies Core (GSC): (18 credits)

This core entails general interdisciplinary exposure to global issues. Students will choose from identified alternatives from existing SUNY Brockport courses. No more than two courses may be taken from the same discipline.

Global Studies Specialization (GSS): (18 credits)

Students may select either a geographic area or disciplinary focus.

Areas of Specialization:

1. Geographic Areas (18 credits in one of the following):
   Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, Middle East, or Latin America
2. Disciplinary Focus (18 credits in a discipline in which student has an interest)

Total Credits = 99**
**Total credits may increase for students not meeting computer, statistics, and foreign language competencies who take courses to satisfy these requirements. Prerequisite requirements may impact completion of the program in six semesters.

Delta Courses

DCC 100 Educational Mentor Tutorial (A). Helps prepare students for a successful college experience. Mentors act as advisors and assist with academic decision-making and adjustment to college. Focuses on (a) general academic advisement, (b) orientation to college with emphasis on formal and informal learning opportunities, (c) investigation of each student's learning potential and process, and (d) writing skills development. 2 Cr. Fall.

DCC 210 Human Heritage and Experience I (A). Provides students with exposure to and interaction with other cultures and perspectives as a self-defining experience. Allows students to investigate human thought and action by studying written works and other forms of expression. Is based on the premise that learning how others have lived and live helps us realize our shared heritage, and to appreciate that we are accountable for our actions. Learning about other cultures helps students learn about themselves. Through discussions and experiences, provides students with an opportunity to develop a sense of purpose and meaning. In examining global issues and human values, encourages students to celebrate diversity while at the same time appreciating the uniqueness of each of us. 3 Cr. Fall.

DCC 215 Society and Culture I (A). Introduces students to various modes of social inquiry. Explores the global impact and importance of social events and analyzes these events from an integrated, interdisciplinary perspective. Allows students to learn how a person's actions and interactions with others influence and are influenced by individuals, societies and cultures. 3 Cr. Fall.

DCC 220 Aesthetic Experience I (A). Prerequisite: Second-year status or instructor's permission. Introduces a wide spectrum of art forms with the purpose of developing an understanding of, an appreciation for, and interest in human experiences expressed through arts. Distinguishes those genuine arts which truthfully portray the artist's vision of human life. Through interdisciplinary methodology, allows students to examine shared values and mutual influences between arts, global issues, and other disciplines. 3 Cr. Fall.

DCC 225 Integrative Learning Seminar I (A). Allows students in collaboration with their mentors and peers to identify current local and regional issues/problems of personal inter est. Requires students to demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills, and propose solutions to selected problems/issues. Also requires students to complete the necessary steps in confirming the site at which they will complete the first integrative learning experience (ILE I). Requires students to formulate and finalize a contract for their ILE I experience, as part of the course requirements, and in consultation with their mentors. 2 Cr. Spring.

DCC 230 Scientific Exploration I (A). Prerequisite: Second-year status or instructor's permission. Introduces students to science and the scientific method, and what science can and can't do. Explores commonality and differences between the various scientific disciplines. Highlights global implications and impacts of science to everyday life. Presents science not as a specific discipline, but rather as a form of problem solving integrated with other life experiences. 3 Cr. Fall.

DCC 235 First Year Integrative Learning Experience: (local/regional) (A). Prerequisite: Integrative Learning Seminar I. Requires students to complete a volunteer or work experience in a local or regional setting where they are exposed to, and are able to learn about local or regional/cultural issues. Requires mentors to approve sites, and students to complete a minimum of 120 clock hours at the site. Students may choose the three- to four-week Delta College alternative. Requires students to complete pre-determined contractual course assignments and responsibilities on site, and to send written assignments to mentors by postal or electronic mail. 2 Cr. Summer.

DCC 250 LeadershipAn Introduction (A,W). Cross-listed as WMS 270. This introductory course is based on the Gettysburg Leadership Model. Course content consists of twelve interactive leadership modules, and an experiential learning component emphasizing goal setting and team building. Specific emphasis on gender and other co-cultural differences impacting leadership. 3 Cr. Spring.

DCC 310 Human Heritage and Experience II (A). Prerequisite: Human Heritage and Experience I or instructor's permission. Allows students to explore the questions, Who am I, What is the nature of this reality in which I participate, and How can I change it for the better? Studies in greater depth global issues and the inter-relationship of thought and action. Allows students to further develop and utilize critical and creative thinking skills in addressing issues that impact the human condition. Through a collaborative and interactive learning environment, allows students to realize the reciprocal relationship between individual and collective consciousness. 3 Cr. Spring.

DCC 311 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Western Women (A,I,W). Cross-listed as GEP 350 and WMS 350. An interdisciplinary course which examines and explores Western women's experience from a myriad of perspectives (historical, economic, professional, political, social, familial, and legal). The course covers the time period from ancient Greece to the present, and will examine women (prominent and everyday) involved in social and political movements/issues. 3 Cr. Summer.

DCC 315 Society and Culture II (A). Prerequisite: Society and Culture I or instructor's permission. Instills a greater understanding of individual and social behavior. Requires students to apply various modes of social inquiry in analyzing and interpreting current social events. Provides these outcomes: knowledge of and an appreciation for the reciprocal relationship between individuals and societies. 3 Cr. Spring.

DCC 320 Aesthetic Experience II (A) Prerequisite: Aesthetic Experience I or instructor's permission. Studies aesthetics, artistic perspectives, and shared values of diverse cultures; examines the interrelationship between arts and technology. Through creative projects and a learner-focused interactive environment, allows students to refine their creative and critical faculties as they explore artistic avenues for meeting 21st century challenges. 3 Cr. Spring.

DCC 330 Scientific Exploration II (A). Prerequisite: Scientific Exploration I or instructor's permission. Provides a hands-on experience that emphasizes learning by doing and problem solving. Requires students to identify and explore fundamental scientific principles as individuals and/or in small groups. Includes seminars, field trips and laboratory experiences as integral to the course. Permits students to be involved in the design of experiments, including formulation of hypotheses and interpretation of results. Requires students who conduct a specific experiment to lead an interactive discussion with peers on the applications of their findings in the "real world." 4 Cr. Spring.

DCC 345 Integrative Learning Seminar II (A). Prerequisite: Integrative Learning Seminar I. Allows students in collaboration with their mentors and peers to identify current regional and national issues/problems of personal inter est. Requires students to demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills, and propose solutions to selected problems/issues. Also requires students to complete the necessary steps in confirming the site at which they will complete the second integrative learning experience (ILE II). Requires students to formulate and finalize a contract for their ILE II experience, as part of the course requirements, and in consultation with their mentors. Allows students to begin the process of exploring possible sites for their international experience (ILE III). 2 Cr. Spring.

DCC 355 Second Year Integrative Learning Experience: (regional/national) (A). Prerequisite: Integrative Learning Seminar II and the First-year Integrative Learning Experience. Requires students to complete a volunteer or work experience in a regional or national setting where they are exposed to, and are able to learn about regional or national social/cultural issues. Requires mentors to approve sites, and students to complete a minimum of 145 clock hours at the site. Students may choose the three- to four-week Delta College alternative. Requires students to complete pre-determined contractual course assignments and responsibilities on site, and to send written assignments to mentors by postal or electronic mail. 3 Cr. Summer.

DCC 400 Technology, Civilization, and Humanity (A). Prerequisite: Third-year status or instructor's permission. Under the instructor's guidance, allows students as individuals and in small groups to examine the evolution and application of technologies. Explores the impacts that human values have on technology, and how technological advances force humankind to evaluate and reconsider our value. Integrates all aspects of the Delta Experience as students gain an understanding and appreciation for the reciprocal impacts between science, civilization, and humankind. 3 Cr. Fall.

DCC 410 Integrative Learning Seminar III (A). Prerequisite: Integrative Learning Seminar II. Allows students in collaboration with their mentors and peers to identify current global issues/problems of personal interest. Requires students to demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills, and propose solutions to selected problems/issues. Requires students to formulate and finalize a contract for their ILE III experience, as part of the course requirements, and in consultation with their mentors. 2 Cr. Fall.

DCC 420 Third Year Integrative Learning Experience: (international) (A). Prerequisite: Integrative Learning Seminar III and the Second-year Integrative Learning Experience. Requires students to complete a volunteer, work, or study experience in a foreign country where they are exposed to, and are able to learn about the social/cultural issues of the country they are in. Requires mentors to approve sites, and students to complete a minimum of 600 clock hours at the site if the student has chosen a volunteer or work experience. Requires students who choose the study experience to complete the equivalent of 12-;15 credits of course work at SUNY Brockport/Delta College. Requires students to complete pre-determined contractual course assignments and responsibilities on site, and to send written assignments to mentors by postal or electronic mail. Upon completion of the experience, requires students to return to campus to complete a seminar with their mentors. 12-;15 Cr. Spring.

The Honors Program

Brockport's Honors Program offers two unique programs, the College Honors Program and the Upper Division Honors Program, for students with strong academic records. These Honors pro grams allow students to enrich their college experience, maximizing both the breadth and the depth of their academic study. Honors Students select courses from the College's wide variety of course offerings and also undertake in-depth research in a specific area of their college major. Both programs allow students to satisfy the College's General Education requirements, to enroll in special seminars offered only in the Honors program, and do an Honors Thesis or Project in their major. Although students may be admitted into the Honors Program at any time during their first three years of college, students are strongly advised to begin as early as possible.

The College Honors Program is designed for entering Freshmen. Students in the College Honors complete the College's eight-course General Education Breadth Requirements with a mixture of Honors seminars and conventional courses. Unlike Honors Programs at other colleges, which often require all students to take a fixed sequence of core courses, Brockport's College Honors Program gives students great flexibility and personal choice in selecting their courses. In their first two years at SUNY Brockport, students in College Honors take four Honors seminars; i.e., only one course out of every five courses, or roughly one course per semester, needs to be an Honors course. Because of this flexibility, students can select both Honors seminars and traditional courses on the basis of their academic strengths, personal interests, college majors or minors, etc. As an added benefit, most of the courses taken in the College Honors Program satisfy the requirements in various majors. After their first two years of college, students in the College Honors Program take three Honors seminarsHON 395 Junior Colloquium, an Honors Contemporary issues course, and complete an Honors Thesis as described below.

Upper Division Honors is designed especially for transfer students and SUNY Brockport students who have shown significant achievements in their first two years of college courses. The Upper Division Honors program allows college juniors and seniors to focus primarily on courses in their major, but facilitates greater depth in their work and more individualized work with faculty members. Students in this program complete seven credit hours of upper division Honors study (courses at the 300 and 400 level). These courses are: an Honors Contemporary Issues course; HON 395 Junior Colloquium, a one-credit introduction to research for the thesis; and HON 490 Honors Thesis. Most students are able to fit these requirements easily into their last three or four semesters of college work.

Honors Program Admissions and Graduation Requirements

Students must apply and be accepted into both the College Honors Program and Upper Division Honors. Entering Freshmen should have a high school grade-point-average of at least 88.0 and SAT total scores of at least 1100 (or the equivalent). Transfer students and current SUNY Brockport students should have a college grade-point-average of at least 3.25. All students in the Honors program need to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 to remain in good standing and graduate with College Honors or Upper Division Honors.

Unique Features of Brockport's Honors Program

Flexibility and personal choice in the selection of courses. Honors Students select their courses from the complete range of college courses. The Honors Program tries to maintain a productive balance between the intimacy and challenge of small Honors Seminars and the diversity and flexibility of the College's total course offerings. Moreover, Honors Seminars change every semester; new seminars are continually introduced, and students even have the opportunity to design their own Honors Courses. Honors Students are able to take those courses (both normal courses and Honors Courses) which best fit their personal interests, academic abilities, and professional goals.

Small Honors Seminars are at the heart of the Honors Program. These seminars are designed to promote an informal atmosphere, personalized learning, and active student participation. An Honors Seminar can be either a special section of a conventional course offered by a department, or it can be an entirely new course, either within one discipline or interdisciplinary. All Honors Seminars have an enrollment limit of 20 students; most seminars have 11-;17 students.

Distinguished College Faculty are a primary factor in making the Honors Seminars such rewarding experiences. Honors faculty are specially selected for the program, and many have received prestigious awards for their research and teaching.

Student-centered learning is a hallmark of the Honors Seminar. Lecturing is rare, and informal discussions with faculty about their research and creative work are an invaluable part of Honors study. The Honors Thesis, in which the student works directly under the personal supervision of a faculty member in their major department, is the culmination of these close faculty-student relationships.

Special registration privileges allow Honors students to have first choice at registering for all College courses. Honors students register at the same time as college seniors so there is little trouble getting into even the most high-demand classes at the most desirable times.

A closely knit cadre of Honors Students within the larger college community encourages personal relationships among students with similar interests and priorities, sponsors special social and cultural events that enrich the college experience, and even connects local students to Honors students at other colleges across the country through Honors conferences, satellite and listserv connections, and Honors foreign study and internship opportunities.

Honors Courses and Honors Program completed will be prominently indicated on a student's college transcript and diploma. Such recognition is widely seen as indicating both not only an individual's superior academic achievements but the motivation to undertake a challenging course of study.

This course should be taken in conjunction with regular General Education Breadth course to which an Honors component is being added.

The following are topics courses with specific titles for each offering, or titles in a slot for consistently offered courses.

This course should be taken in conjunction with an upper division course to which an Honors component is being added. Such special projects are best attached to specific courses in the major.

College Honors Program Courses:

HON 112 Composition and Literature, with Academic Planning Seminar Component. This course or its equivalent is required of all entering students. Fulfills the General Education requirements of a course in composition and an academic planning seminar; as a Breadth Component course, fulfills one-half of the requirement of Humanities courses. Also offers students an introduction to studies in Honors. 4 Cr. Fall.

Honors Seminars, Breadth Component courses, and the Honors Contemporary Issues course offered in the College Honors Program are registered and scheduled on a semesterly basis and students are advised to take these courses as they are offered. Courses are usually seminars or Breadth Component courses especially chosen from a variety of courses offered at the College. These are designated with the HON prefix. Questions on these Honors courses can be directed to the College Honors Program Office.

HON 395 Junior Colloquium (A). Required in the second semester of the junior y ear to prepare students to conduct research in the Honors Thesis Project by choosing a topic, selecting an advisor, and drafting a thesis proposal. 1 Cr. Spring.

Introduces students to the ideals and standards of excellence in scholarship and other creative endeavors by providing opportunities to engage in such activities with faculty members. Provides an individual investigation that extends current understanding of a problem and may summarize existing knowledge, generate new knowledge, or create new works. 3 Cr. Fall.

Contractual Liberal Arts Major (CLAM)

The Contractual Liberal Arts Major is an option that permits the student to design an individualized academic major drawn from the total academic offerings of SUNY Brockport. This option is intended to accommodate the interests of students whose academic goals would not be met by an existing academic major, a double major, or a major-minor combination, nor by an existing academic major plus a carefully planned sequence of electives. The CLAM must be related to an existing disciplinary major.

The CLAM option is open to all students in good academic standing at SUNY Brockport. Students wishing to exercise this option should seek appropriate faculty advisement. Once the pro gram proposed by the student and faculty advisors has been approved by both the CLAM committee and the dean of the appropriate school or the Delta College director, it becomes a contract between the student and SUNY Brockport. Revision may be accomplished through the same procedure used in seeking initial approval.

The title of the CLAM, which must be distinct from that of any established major, is the title that will identify the student's major on the student's final transcript.

Special Programs and Internships

Alcohol & Substance Abuse Studies Program
See Department of Health Science, Chapter VII.

Athletic Training Concentration
See Department of Physical Education and Sport, Chapter VII.

Bilingual-Multicultural Concentration
See Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Chapter VII.

Coaching Athletics Concentration
See Department of Physical Education and Sport, Chapter VII.

Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
See Admissions and Finances, Chapter II.

Engineering-Liberal Arts Five-year Program (3+2 Program)

This is a two-degree program designed for students who wish to combine a liberal arts and science education with one in engineering. In the first three years of the program, students complete the liberal arts component and a science or mathematics major at SUNY Brockport. The engineering component may then be completed in two y ears at SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, Case Western Reserve University, Clarkson University, or Syracuse University. Students are awarded a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from Brockport when they have successfully completed 120 credits in the program. They are awarded a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from one of the participating engineering schools upon completion of the engineering curriculum. Students may choose a major in chemistry, computer science, mathematics or physics at Brockport. At the end of the junior year, upon satisfactory completion of all specified requirements and at the recommendation of the College, students transfer to one of the engineering schools. Admission to an engineering school is competitive.

Students currently enrolled at SUNY Brockport who are interested in the five-year program may obtain information from the Department of Physics. Prospective students should contact the Director of Admissions, SUNY College at Brockport, Brockport, NY. 14420-2915 (585) 395-2751.

Exercise Physiology/Adult Fitness Concentration
See Department of Physical Education and Sport, Chapter VII. Information on the following four programs is available through the Office of Career Services, (585)395-2468.

The Albany Semester Program is a full-semester experience allowing interns to work in one of the capital's government offices as student project directors or administrative assistants. Students earn 16 credits in political science through internship and seminar courses, and receive a stipend for the semester. The program is open to juniors and seniors from all academic majors, and operates during the fall, spring, and summer. Deadlines are October 18 for the spring semester, April 1 for the summer session, and July 15 for the fall semester.

The Assembly Intern Program is a full-time, Albany-based program enabling students to learn the state legislative process through involvement with the New York State Assembly. During the spring semester, students work within the Assembly while researching data for legislation, analyzing proposed projects, and attending committee meetings and hearings. Students earn 15 credits in political science for internship and seminar course work, and receive a stipend. The program is open to juniors and seniors from all academic majors, and operates from January through May when the Assembly is in session. Applications are due November 1 for the following January session.

The NYS Senate Session Assistants Program provides students from New York state colleges and universities with full-time opportunities to work in Albany with state senators and participate on special committees. Policy issues such as agriculture, education, casino gambling and chemical wastes are researched, discussed and analyzed during each session. The program selects students with a strong orientation to public service who have demonstrated outstanding research and communication skills. Students earn 15 credits in political science, combining internship and seminar credit, and receive a stipend. The program is open to juniors and seniors from all academic majors, and operates from January through May when the Senate is in session. Applications are due October 25 for the following January.

The Brockport Career Exploration Course (BCEC) is a one-semester, variable (1-;6)-credit elective course that encourages sophomores, juniors, and seniors to investigate a specific career area under the guidance of a faculty sponsor and the Office of Career Services. BCEC credit can be earned by working 40-;250 (depending on credit) hours in a human service, education or local/county government or business placement.

Departmental Internships are available through many individual academic departments for career exploration and confirmation in addition to the experiential programs listed. Options exist in the Departments of Anthropology, Business Administration, Communication, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Health Science, Political Science, Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Physical Education and Sport. In some majors, field experience internships are mandatory as part of a certification process. Professional programs or majors in nursing, recreation therapy, social work and teacher education require a specified number of hours in actual preprofessional work. Students are encouraged to refer to specific major listings in this catalog for details on internship courses and their prerequisites.