Students are seated around the room at tables, their books and notes spread on the broad wooden surface. A diagram and list of concepts are drawn on the board, but there is no teacher lecturing in this three-hour class; in fact, there are two teachers and they're both seated with the students, who, fingers in their books, are debating about the author under consideration, the Bible, modern psychology, a recent movie...
The honors program at Pacific Union College is all about an integrative, explorative classroom (and beyond) that gives students with exceptional academic drive a rigorous, dialogue-oriented alternative to the traditional general education program. It provides the opportunity to pursue honest, intellectual and challenging topics. "The open discussions where we were going straight to the text-where we were able to develop our own thought processes-I am so grateful for that," says Kim Osborn, a 2004 graduate of the program. "That is what made my college experience."
Honors students, who are required to maintain a 3.3 GPA throughout college, take one themed seminar per quarter in addition to their major classes and electives. The seminars use a discussion-based structure to study the great works of world culture with such themes as heroes, order and liberty, and virtue. Students' journey of challenging assumptions, asking questions and exploring their own beliefs culminates in an extensive senior project, which might be anything from an original musical composition to a scholarly paper to a documentary film.
In the classroom, the program often brings professors from diverse fields together for seminars. For instance, the "Order & Liberty" class is team-taught by an English professor and a history professor. Such collaboration is a part of the program's goal of leaving students with a model for life, where wide-ranging questions, rigorous thought and ethical development become a meaningful part of everyday life. "The professionalism, knowledge and direction of the professors provide a goal to strive for that both inspires and gives direction," says junior honors student Elisabeth Reeves.
The interdisciplinary focus and collaborative learning style make the honors program unique even outside of the classroom. One aspect of this is a four-week summer term in Europe for the seminar "Beauty," which immerses students in classical works and European culture. This past summer "Beauty" was based in Paris, Giverny, and Chartres in France. The class explored the art and aesthetics of Western culture through texts, films, and first-hand experience in a setting rich with art and history. In addition to the term abroad, trips during the regular school year take advantage of the cultural wealth of Berkeley and San Francisco.
The honors program isn't purely about scholastic education, however. The methods and concepts that students learn about through the sharing of ideas and open discussion carry over to the students' walks as Christians. "The professors encouraged us to pursue our own thought processes," says Osborn. "I think the honors program is what ultimately helped me to find my Christianity."
