Special Courses, Special On-Campus Programs
Academic Credits and Calendar, Registration, Evaluation and Records, Academic Eligibility and Probation Policies, Academic Integrity, Special Courses and Programs
Special Courses – Applicable to all departments
Topics Courses
Any academic department may offer special topics courses on a one-time basis. Credits may vary from one to three hours. Course numbers used are 195 (fall), 197 (spring), and 198 (summer) for first year participants and 295 (fall), 297 (spring), and 298 (summer) for second year participants.
Individualized Study
A student may arrange to take a course in the catalog during a term in which it is not offered. A study contract must be written by the student and the instructor and approved by the Academic Dean before the beginning of the term in which credit is to be granted. The student is registered for the course when the approved contract is submitted to the Registrar.
Independent Study
A student may wish to pursue topics not covered by existing courses. A study contract must be written by the student and a sponsoring instructor and approved by the Academic Dean before the beginning of the term in which credit is to be granted. To qualify for an independent study, the student must have completed at least one semester at Hesston College or demonstrated the ability to work independently. The study may carry from one to four hours of credit and is designated with an appropriate departmental code, course number 250, and a short descriptive title. The student is registered for the course when the approved contract is submitted to the Registrar.
Cooperative Education
A student may choose to earn credit for a planned and supervised work experience related to his or her field of study. To qualify, the student must have completed one semester at Hesston College and earned a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better. Specific assignments to be completed as a part of the experience are designed by the student, the employer, and a faculty member and written into a contract. The study may carry from one to three hours of credit. The ratio of work hours to credit hours is 60:1 or greater. A student is registered for the course when the contract is submitted to the Registrar. Course numbers used are 187 (spring) and 188 (summer) for first year participants and 285 (fall), 287 (spring), and 288 (summer) for second year participants.
Special On-Campus Programs
ACCESS
The ACCESS Program (Academic Center for College Excellence and Student Success), located on the main floor of Smith Center, provides the following services to help all students achieve academic success:
- The ACCESS Study Area, including computers for word processing and Internet research, carrels for individual study, and staff to assist students with course work.
- Courses designed to improve study skills and to develop tools that are an integral part of lifelong learning—College Learning Strategies, Basic Writing, Basic Math, College Reading Strategies, College Spelling, and Beginning Keyboarding.
- Free tutoring services available for any student struggling in a particular course.
- Accommodations for students with special needs. Professional documentation may be required to receive these services.
- Individual consultation with ACCESS staff for problem-solving, brainstorming, and discussing strategies that will enhance academic success.
LEAD
Lifelong Education and Development (LEAD) blends the campuses of Hesston College, Schowalter Villa retirement community, Hesston Wellness Center, and Dyck Arboretum of the Plains. The Journey of Life Walkway connects these campuses. This allows for interdisciplinary education and provides a synergy of the resources of these organizations. Hesston College students are involved in a number of ways at the villa both with young children and elders. In addition, a speaker’s bureau is being developed featuring older adults from Schowalter Villa and the Hesston College faculty. The goal of this is to have an exchange of expertise between the villa and the college. LEAD events include a storytelling course each fall, a festival of creativity, co-sponsorship of the Fine Arts and Community course at the college, and fall and spring Journey of Life parades that involve people of all ages.