Hippie College

So I found a college for barefoot hippies.

Am I being a bit cynical? Meh. Perhaps. But you know what they say about first impressions. They're important and revealing.

So Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, has what's called an interdisciplinary system. This means that all students enroll in a single program rather than individual classes. The program is team-taught, meaning that a group of teachers, rather than one professor, teaches the material to a group of about 25 students. Oh and there aren't any grades. I know. It's bizarre. But kind of...intriguing. And a little innovative, too. You see, from what I understand, the "exam" involves a narrative (a paper) and a conversation between the student and professor one-on-one. This shows that you know the content and allows you to share your position about a topic. The material becomes engaging and personal. In  this system, even a chemistry or physics class can come alive whenever you talk about it in light of something that interests you. For instance, a person who wants to be a botanist can talk about how plants convert sunlight into energy and describe the chemical reactions taking place in that process. According the Green College, this kind of "grading" system is more valued by employers because it is more like an actual job. Your boss isn't going to hand you a test and tell you fill in the correct answers. He might ask for a report and then bring you to his office and have you talk through your position/work, whatever that might be.

So that's the basic overview of the approach that Evergreen takes to education. Now for the questions.

How does the college or program differ from JBU?
It has an entirely different grading system and approach to evaluation of learning. The profs teach in groups and grade with conversations. That's pretty different...
What is the aim of their education and how does it differ from JBU's aim?
Their aim is to help students learn to thrive in diversity. They place the students in a position where collaberation is necessary to succeed. At JBU, collaberation is more of a good idea, a helpful suggestion. It is not forced upon us everyday in every class at all times, like it is as Evergreen.
How would you do in this program? How would it help develop your gifts, passions, and calling?
I do not think that I would enjoy this program. It would probably help me to develop in my ability to function in a group, but I would not like it. I don't feel like it would be a place where I could thrive.
Should we try to adopt the educational approaches here at JBU or not? Why or why not?
I feel like we have a nice balance in many of our classes of group projects and collaberative efforts. I am SO glad that we don't have to do everything in a group, like it would be there. I feel like the approach that Evergreen takes is extreme, and that JBU is a nice medium. Like Goldilocks  in the bear's house...

"It's Just Right!"