The Colby-Sawyer Academic Experience

A liberal education is never complete. It is a continuing process of discovering one’s talents, developing one’s abilities and adapting to change. A liberal education involves development of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Liberal education takes place through all of the experiences of college life, both in and out of the classroom. Liberally educated persons understand that they are part of a broader community. They appreciate the need to serve in that community and be responsible for themselves, for others and for the natural environment.

Colby-Sawyer College students will:

• Employ Broad and Deep Knowledge
  Students will draw on their experiences, liberal education, and scholarly learning to develop broad, interdisciplinary thinking. Their studies will deepen expertise in their program of study while fostering diverse perspectives that strengthen career readiness.
   

• Think Creatively and Critically
  Students will understand, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize new information and respond to it in considered and creative ways. They will develop qualitative and quantitative skills and use evidence to support and question opinions, ideas, and beliefs in personal, public, and professional life. They will be able to put ideas together in new ways and to engage in hypothetical reasoning — to imagine that which does not yet exist.
   

• Communicate and Interact Effectively
  Students will articulate their experiences through speaking, reading, writing, listening, and various modes of creative expression. They will develop competence with traditional and emerging methods of communication and learn to tailor their messages to effectively engage the intended audience.
   

• Behave Ethically and Professionally
  Students will develop self-knowledge through reflection on their own values, biases, and decision-making processes. They will apply ethical standards to make considered choices in their academic, personal, and professional lives, and accept responsibility for those choices. Through ongoing reflection, students will develop ways to make moral distinctions, sustain their well-being, attain the qualities of character essential to act on their ethical principles and behave professionally.
   

• Explore Civic and Global Issues
  Students will develop a sense of themselves as members of diverse and interconnected communities. They will use personal, disciplinary, and interdisciplinary skills to explore the complexity of the past, present, and future. They will also learn to collaborate and connect authentically with people whose experiences and worldviews differ from their own.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities recognizes a liberal education as one which prepares students for work, citizenship, and life. A liberal education is one which frees the mind, and is critical to the strength of our democracy. The student is an active participant in their educational journey, and inclusive excellence is a core theme woven throughout the learning outcomes.

At Colby-Sawyer, your professional and personal development are closely interconnected. The Liberal Education Program (a set of courses that students in all majors take) provides student with choice and access to a wide range of courses equips you with versatile skills needed to complete successful college-level work and exposes you to a variety of disciplinary areas and interdisciplinary approaches.

These skills are applicable and transferable in the ever-evolving professional world, and are sought out by employers. These courses will invite you to confront questions that are crucial to adult life. A liberal education builds the habits of mind that will carry you into your career of choice and beyond, positioning you to think critically, engage broadly, and navigate uncertainty with confidence.

Liberal Education Foundations (40 credits total)

Thinking & Writing 101 and 102 (2 courses, 8 credits)

Data & Mathematics (1 course, 4 credits)

Ways of Knowing (6 courses total, 24 credits total)

Creative & Interpretive Inquiry (3 courses, 12 credits)

Social & Behavioral Analysis (1 course, 4 credits)

Investigating the Natural World (1 course, 4 credits)

Liberal Education Elective (1 course, 4 credits)

Integration (1 course, 4 credits)

TW 101: Thinking & Writing I

Thinking & Writing I introduces students to the intellectual community of Colby-Sawyer College through close reading of transformative texts and collaborative dialogue. Students will participate in discussions and activities that foster a sense of belonging while applying practical strategies for a successful transition to college. Students learn to evaluate sources and read as college writers, mining texts for ideas and techniques to incorporate into their own writing. Through the pursuit of enduring questions about the human condition, they will practice effective oral communication. Students will learn to apply writing conventions appropriate for an academic audience, producing papers and presentations that reflect clarity, integrity, and thoughtful engagement.

Course Outcomes:

• Participate in collaborative discussions and activities that foster a sense of belonging within the community of thinkers at Colby-Sawyer College.
• Apply practical success skills to the transition to college.
• Analyze and respond to texts addressing enduring questions about humanness through critical reading, writing, and oral communication.
• Practice writing as a process that includes prewriting, writing, and rewriting.
• Evaluate sources for legitimacy, relevance, and authority.
• Apply writing conventions appropriate for an academic audience.

TW 102: Thinking & Writing II

Building on the foundations of TW 101, TW 102 challenges students to deepen their intellectual engagement and rhetorical sophistication. Students will initiate and moderate collaborative discussions that demonstrate advanced listening, questioning, and synthesis skills. The course emphasizes the role of liberal education in achieving personal, civic, and professional goals. As they delve deeper into enduring questions about human nature, students will develop and defend positions on social responsibility using evidence and logic. Writing projects will involve extended essays and presentations crafted through an iterative process of drafting, peer review, and revision. Students will identify research and rhetorical strategies suited to specific audiences and produce polished work that adheres to academic integrity and citation standards.

Course Outcomes:

• Initiate and moderate collaborative discussions that demonstrate advanced listening, questioning, and synthesis skills.
• Connect classroom learning to personal, civic, and professional goals.
• Develop and defend positions on questions of humanity and social responsibility using evidence, logic, and rhetorical sophistication.
• Compose extended essays and presentations through an iterative writing process involving drafting, peer review, and revision.
• Identify research and rhetorical strategies for writing across disciplines and audiences.
• Produce polished writing that adheres to academic integrity and citation standards.

TW 121: Advanced Thinking & Writing

Designed for students who come to CSC with AP credit in writing or composition, the Advanced Thinking & Writing introduces students to the intellectual community of Colby-Sawyer College through close reading of transformative texts and collaborative dialogue. Students will participate in discussions and activities that foster a sense of belonging while applying practical strategies for a successful transition to college. Students will develop advanced skills in critical reading, research, rhetorical analysis, and oral and written communication. Emphasis is placed on connecting classroom learning to personal, civic, and professional goals while fostering a sense of belonging within the college community. Writing will be treated as a recursive process of drafting, revising, and refining for multiple audiences, with attention to academic conventions and integrity.

Course Outcomes:

• Participate in collaborative discussions and activities that foster a sense of belonging within the community of thinkers at Colby-Sawyer College.
• Apply practical success skills to the transition to college.
• Analyze and respond to texts addressing enduring questions about the human condition through critical reading, writing, and oral communication.
• Develop and defend positions on questions of human nature and social responsibility using evidence, logic, and rhetorical sophistication.
• Compose extended essays and presentations through an iterative writing process involving drafting, peer review, and revision.
• Identify research and rhetorical strategies for writing across disciplines and audiences.
• Produce polished writing that adheres to academic integrity and citation standards

Data & Mathematics

In the first year, students will take one of the following, per major program requirements: MAT 122, MAT 220, or MAT 230.

Course Outcomes:

• Evaluate the quality of a sample of data and articulate its limitations in representing a population.
• Calculate descriptive statistics for numerical or categorical data (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, proportion, percentage, percentile) and use the appropriate values to summarize the data.
• Create common graphical displays of data (pie charts, bar plots, line graphs, histograms, scatterplots, box plots) using spreadsheet software and describe what they show.
• Infer and clearly state reasonable data-driven conclusions.

Students take a total of five courses from the areas below and a liberal education elective (LEE).

(6 courses, 24 credits)

Creative and Interpretive Inquiry (CII) (3 courses, 12 credits)

Area outcomes:

• Produce, analyze, or interpret creative and philosophical works.
• Engage questions of meaning, value, and aesthetic judgment.
• Communicate insights effectively through written, oral, or visual forms.

Area Courses: ART100, ART110, ART120, ART230, ART234, ART247, ART260, ART270, DAN150, ENG 213, ENG 215, ENG 234, ENG 242, ENG 244, ENG 244, ENG 250, GD125, GD213, HIS 103, HIS 209, HIS 212, HIS 218, MUS103, MUS108, POL 202, POL 203, POL 204, THE120, THE140, THE230, WRT201

Social and Behavioral Analysis (SBA) (1 course, 4 credits)

Area outcomes:

• Analyze how social, political, and economic forces shape individuals and communities.
• Interpret qualitative and quantitative evidence and apply disciplinary perspectives to evaluate real-world issues.
• Reflect on individual roles and responsibilities within diverse communities and a democratic society.

Area courses: BUS115, CHI101, ECO 201, EDU201, POL 100, POL 101, PSY 101, SHS101, SM210, SM213, WGS 111

Investigating the Natural World (INW) (1 course, 4 credits)

Area outcomes:

• Use scientific and logical methods to generate and investigate questions about the natural world and human systems.
• Collect and evaluate evidence, data, and models to draw reasoned conclusions and test competing explanations.
• Apply quantitative reasoning and analytical tools to solve problems and assess hypotheses and claims.

Area courses: BIO106, BIO107, BIO121, BIO205, BIO206, CHE101, ENV101, ENV201, PHY101, SCI112

Integrative courses serve as the culmination of the liberal education program. Students investigate a contemporary global issue through multiple disciplinary perspectives, examining how ideas from different historical periods, cultural traditions, and intellectual frameworks illuminate enduring questions. Community-based research, fieldwork, simulations, or applied problem-solving, students integrate knowledge and skills developed across their liberal education courses, major field of study, and cocurricular experiences. They apply disciplinary methods to propose informed responses to real-world dimensions of the issue. The IGR challenges students to move beyond isolated coursework and develop a coherent, well-reasoned perspective that connects ideas across disciplines. It invites reflection on how one’s own values, well-being, and sense of responsibility shape your engagement with complex global challenges.

Area outcomes:

• Analyze a contemporary global issue from multiple disciplinary perspectives.
• Draw meaningful connections among texts from different time periods, cultural traditions, geographies, disciplines, or genres that explore enduring questions about the human condition.
• Integrate knowledge and skills from their liberal education, major field, and cocurricular experiences to develop a coherent perspective on the issue.
• Connect concepts and approaches to problem solving across disciplines and apply methodologies to real-world problems.
• Reflect on how facets of their own personal well-being are related to the course topic.

Internships are credit-bearing, hands-on learning experiences that connect classroom knowledge with professional practice. Working alongside employers, faculty and career services staff, students gain meaningful experience, build professional networks and develop the skills employers seek in today's workforce. 

As part of our graduation requirements, every student completes at least one internship in a local, national or international setting. These experiences help students explore career paths, strengthen their résumés, apply their learning in real-world environments and graduate with practical experiences and skills that position them for success after college. 

The learning portfolio is an opportunity to exhibit your personal and professional growth, as well as to record how you have met Colby-Sawyer's learning outcomes.

Learning portfolios include samples of your work and reflections on your experiences in your major, the Liberal Education Program and across the college.

The learning portfolio also provides us with an assessment of our academic programs.

The Capstone experience is the culmination of your academic experience and is proof that you have undergone a rigorous, multi-disciplinary education with depth in your major area and are ready for success in the workforce or graduate school.

Before graduating, you must complete a Capstone research project unique to your major and present the results to faculty, administration, staff and the community at the annual Susan Colby Colgate Scholars' Symposium.

Colby-Sawyer's approach to education recognizes that engaged learning takes place in and outside the classroom and that it is a lifelong adventure. Facets of the educational process — the courses, the learning portfolio, advising and cocurricular activities — combine to achieve the learning outcomes, which reflect the college's mission and values.

Orientation

You are introduced to the college experience in the orientation program. In addition to social events and cocurricular programming, the orientation program introduces you to the higher education environment in general and Colby-Sawyer in particular.

Residential Education

Programming in the residence halls focuses on helping you become more independent by exploring various aspects of campus and community activities and making connections with other students, as well as faculty and staff.

Leadership Development 

Leadership development is integrated throughout the student experience. Whether you're leading a student organization, completing an internship, participating in research, serving your community, competing in athletics or collaborating in the classroom, you'll strengthen key career-readiness competencies valued by employers, including communication, teamwork, critical thinking, professionalism and leadership. These experiences help you build the confidence, skills and adaptability needed to lead with purpose and succeed in an evolving workplace. 

Experiential Learning 

Learning extends beyond the classroom. Through internships, study-away experiences,  community-based learning, student organizations, service projects, research and leadership opportunities, you'll connect theory to practice, explore career interests and develop the skills employers seek in today's workforce. 

Career Planning 

Career planning is a continuous process of exploration, reflection and preparation. Through career coaching, assessments, internships, networking opportunities, employer engagement and professional development programs, you'll identify your strengths, explore career pathways and develop the career readiness competencies employers seek, including communication, critical thinking, professionalism and leadership.