2016-18 Guilford College Catalog
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Guilford College Catalog 2016-18 Nondiscrimination Policy In its active commitment to building a diverse community, Guilford College rejects discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability in admission, employment or access to programs and activities. The College also seeks to avoid discrimination in the administration of educational programs, admission policies, financial aid or any other College program or activity. guilford.edu 1 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Students: On assuming the presidency of Guilford College, I was thrilled to become part of a campus community of authentic, brilliant, dedicated and enthusiastic people. I invite you to join us. As our Strategic Plan lays out, we work together to afford “a transformative, practical and excellent liberal arts education that produces critical thinkers in an inclusive, diverse environment.” We are guided in this mission “by Quaker testimonies of community, equality, integrity, peace and simplicity.” Finally, a Guilford education emphasizes “the creative problem-solving skills, experience, enthusiasm and international perspectives necessary to promote positive change in the world.” Our Quaker heritage and longstanding commitments to undergraduate teaching, social justice and seven core values set Guilford apart from other small liberal arts colleges. These core values—community, diversity, equality, excellence, integrity, justice and stewardship—infuse every aspect of life and work on campus, how we interact with each other and how we relate to the surrounding community and environment. Guilford is a “making a difference” college and one that has been “changing lives” for over 175 years. Students come here to get equipped to make a positive difference in the world. We consciously foster this learning with a primary emphasis on teaching. An outstanding faculty strives for excellence in teaching and creating a mentoring relationship with students. Indeed, students and alumni often cite the quality of the student-teacher connection as a key factor in their choosing to come here and in remaining devoted to their alma mater. Another distinction of the Guilford experience is our longstanding commitment to principled problem solving, through which students learn to contribute creative solutions to real-life problems in the local, national and world community in which we live. Excellence in teaching, principled problem solving, and an emphasis on experiential and interdisciplinary learning all combine to make a Guilford education one based on practical liberal arts. Since its founding in 1837, the College has been transforming lives and making a positive difference in the world. I encourage you to consider whether Guilford would be a good fit for you. Exploring our website, guilford.edu, or speaking with a representative of our Office of Admission or Center for Continuing Education will help inform your decision. I wish you success in finding the college that suits you best, and should it be Guilford, I look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful campus and vibrant community. Sincerely, Jane Kelleher Fernandes 2 Guilford College Guilford College STATEMENT OF PURPOSE adopted by the Guilford College Faculty and Board of Trustees, 1985 Guilford College is an educational community which strives to integrate personal, intellectual, physical and spiritual growth through participation in several rich traditions. These traditions include liberal arts education which values academic excellence and stresses the need in a free society for mature, broadly educated men and women; career development and community service, which provide students, whatever their age or place in life, with knowledge and skills applicable to their chosen vocations; and Quakerism, which places special emphasis on helping individuals to examine and strengthen their values. We believe that the wise and humane use of knowledge requires commitment to society as well as to self. The Quaker heritage stresses spiritual receptivity, candor, integrity, compassion, tolerance, simplicity, equality, and strong concern for social justice and world peace. Growing out of this heritage the College emphasizes educational values which are embodied in a strong and lasting tradition of coeducation, a curriculum with intercultural and international dimensions, close individual relationships between students and faculty in the pursuit of knowledge, governance by consensus, and a commitment to lifelong learning. Guilford expects each student to develop a broad understanding of our intellectual and social heritage, and at the same time to develop a special competence in one or more disciplines. Flexibility in the curriculum encourages each student to pursue a program of studies suited to personal needs, skills and aspirations. While accepting many traditional educational goals and methods, the College also promotes innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Both students and faculty are encouraged to pursue high levels of scholarly research and creativity in all academic disciplines. Guilford particularly seeks to explore interdisciplinary and intercultural perspectives and to develop a capacity to reason effectively, to look beneath the surface of issues, to understand the presuppositions and implications of ideas, and to draw conclusions incisively, critically and with fairness to other points of view. The College desires to have a “community of seekers,” individuals dedicated to shared and corporate search as an important part of their lives. Such a community can come about only when there is diversity throughout the institution – a diversity of older and younger perspectives, a diversity of racial and cultural backgrounds, a diversity of beliefs and value orientations. Through experiencing such differing points of view, we seek to free ourselves from bias. As a community, Guilford strives to address questions of moral responsibility, to explore issues which are deeply felt but difficult to articulate, and to support modes of personal fulfillment. The College seeks to cultivate respect for all individuals in an environment where considered convictions, purposes and aspirations can be carried forward. guilford.edu 3 GUILFORD COLLEGE ALMA MATER Music by Austin Scott ’43, Words by Russell Pope arranged by Ryan Furlough ’10 Kindly light our founders kindled Midst primeval oak and pine, Let thy radiance, truth revealing, Now upon our spirits shine. Sacred mem’ries thru the archways Of the swiftly passing years, Still undimmed dear Alma Mater Strengthen us, dispel our fears. So our hearts and voices joining Echo Guilford’s ancient fame. Hallow’d be thine each endeavor. Hallow’d be fair Guilford’s name. 4 Guilford College TABLE OF CONTENTS A Message from the President 2 Guilford College Statement of Purpose 3 I Introduction to Guilford College 7 II The Academic Program: An Overview 11 III Graduation Requirements: Degrees and Cooperative or Dual-Degree Programs Offered 17 IV Academic Departments and Majors 20 V Minors 131 VI Studies Abroad 162 VII Other Special Study Opportunities 163 VIII Center for Continuing Education (CCE) 166 IX Learning Resources 172 X Admission and Fees for Traditional-Age Students 178 XI Financial Aid 188 XII Academic Regulations 185 XIII Campus Life for Traditional-Age Students 198 XIV Scholarships and Other Awards 204 XV Board of Trustees 214 XVI Faculty 216 The Guilford College Catalog contains information about the educational climate, academic programs and campus life at Guilford College. In addition, it explains the degree requirements and academic regulations, describes the course offerings, and lists the faculty and administrative staff. The College reserves the right to change any provision, offering, fee or requirement at any time to carry out its objectives and purposes. guilford.edu 5 6 Guilford College I. INTRODUCTION TO GUILFORD COLLEGE MISSION Guilford’s purpose is to provide a transformative, practical and excellent liberal arts education that produces critical thinkers in an inclusive, diverse environment, guided by Quaker testimonies of community, equality, integrity, peace and simplicity and emphasizing the creative problem-solving skills, experience, enthusiasm and international perspectives necessary to promote positive change in the world. Toward that end the College provides: • student-centered instruction that nurtures each individual amid an intentionally diverse community; • a challenging academic program that fosters critical and creative thinking through the development of essential skills: analysis, inquiry, communication, consensus-building, problem-solving and leadership; • a global perspective that values people of other cultures and the natural environment in which we all live; • a values-rich education that explores the ethical dimension of knowledge and promotes honesty, compassion, integrity, courage and respect for the individual; • access to work and service opportunities that forge a connection between thought and action. Guilford seeks above all to create a special kind of learning community. We are not perfect at this. Our goal of creating independent thinkers and change agents necessarily pulls against the needs of community, and our great diversity of backgrounds sometimes works against our professed acceptance and equal respect for all individuals. We are as a community at best in a perpetual state of becoming. We intend to continue to work toward being that community: a learning