When thinking of a professor, the usual reaction is to picture him in formal attire lecturing, writing on a board or reminding students of that impossible test on the horizon. In a Student-Initiated Course, the image of the professor is completely different. In fact, the professor part is not there at all. Instead, a fellow student stands at the front of the classroom, talking and hosting a discussion about a topic of his choice, following his own syllabus.
Student Council's SIC program, which has existed for four years, allows undergraduate students or organizations to apply for and to teach their own courses. According to Council's Web site, the student comes up with the idea for a class and then finds a faculty adviser to support the idea and serve as a mentor during the actual teaching process. Applicants also must have a fully detailed syllabus, including books, readings, tests and papers. Students also can choose to nominate someone else they wish to teach the course. Within two weeks, students find out if their courses have been accepted.
"The two most important parts of the Student Initiated Courses application are a well-developed syllabus and a supportive faculty sponsor," SIC Co-Chair Tatiana Matthews said. "A successful syllabus should include everything from a schedule to information on class expectations."
The course is not exactly like other University courses, not only because the professor is an undergraduate student but also because the course is strictly graded credit/no credit. It can be worth anywhere from one to three credits as determined by the faculty adviser. But the credits can only count toward the 120 total to graduate, not to any major requirement credits.
Fourth-year College student Sena Aydin, who taught "Minorities in Turkey" last semester, noted that she did not grade her fellow students, but rather, wrote comments on their assignments and papers.
Despite a lack of grading control, the student-teacher has an incredible amount of freedom in creating the course. The student determines the name of the course, the time, how often it will meet, the level and the structure of the syllabus. Their only restriction is the limit to teaching courses only in the social sciences department.
These courses also give students interested in teaching - such as Aydin - an opportunity to actually try it out before graduation.
"I'm really passionate about this subject and I've been constantly doing research on it, so finding resources wasn't that hard," Aydin said. "I knew what books to use and where to look for my information."
SIC courses are concurrent with the idea of student self-governance, Matthews said.
"U.Va. students are almost entirely responsible for the extracurricular, social and cultural aspects of the University, but that self-governance can't always extend to the academic realm," she said. "Student-Initiated Courses are a way for students to take charge of their academic experience."
Participating in a SIC also allows students to connect with their peers on a completely different level.
"Since I was their peer, the fearful environment in regular discussions and lectures disappeared," Aydin said. "I never got the heated debates I wanted in other discussion classes where a professor was judging and grading you. In this class, people were free to speak."
When listed in the course catalog, SICs are assigned the same faculty number as the faculty adviser, so some students sign up expecting to be taught by a professor. Many students, though, remained enrolled in Aydin's course even after determining its actual nature.
"The students seemed to recognize that if the professor trusted this undergraduate student to teach this class, then maybe it's worth it," Aydin said.
Despite not being taught by a professional, overall, students felt as if they benefited just as much from the class as any other.
"I feel like I've learned as much, if not more, from this class," said AJ Artemel, a third-year Architecture student who took Aydin's class. "I think the informal setting was more conducive to remembering and applying what was learned during the class. There was not a pressure to learn, so I think people became less nervous."
This does not mean, however, that student-taught courses are without their difficulties.
"My least favorite part was that sometimes the class could get sidetracked with personal anecdotes and that we could not go as far in depth with certain issues due to conflicting opinions within the class," Artemel said.
SICs are a special opportunity for University students because they are not offered at all higher education institutions.
"Looking at the SIC offerings, you get an incredible view of the intellectual breadth and depth that U.Va. students have," Matthews said. "U.Va. is one of the only universities in the country offering this sort of program, and I believe it sets us apart"
Read More
Top 10 things to do if you are not traveling over break
By Emily Barrie | 12 hours agoDo not give into social pressures to travel to some crazy destination when there are so many reasons to look forward to being home.
The business of a competitive major program
By Abby Snowdon and Maddie Shaw | 19 hours agoFor some students, getting into the University is just the first hurdle, as they still have to compete for a coveted spot in one of over a dozen admissions-based major programs
Diabetes Link connects condition to community
By Charley Thomas | 2 days agoAs its presence on Grounds grows, Diabetes Link hopes to connect more people to resources for the condition and provide a network of members passionate about awareness.
