One of Lee Baker’s first acts as Dean of Academic Affairs of Trinity College was to push for a new Graduation with Distinction program.
And since the initiative was passed in April, students with serious interdisciplinary interests have started to work toward graduating with honors for achievements in fields outside their majors. But to do so, students need more than just commitment and passion.
“We set the bar pretty high,” Baker said. “We don’t want students to suddenly, in their senior year, say they have a great idea and write a paper about it. We gave the process a great deal of thought, and decided that students should have an extensive background in their area of interest, certain stepping stones.”
These “stepping stones” include at least five classes taken in the area of interest with a 3.5 GPA or higher and convincing three faculty members that the semester-long project is interesting and valuable. The panel of faculty helps students with their research, gives advice and evaluates the undertaking. Baker said there are approximately eight seniors working on semester-long projects, with about half in documentary studies.
Senior Kevin Tolson is one of the eight. A political science major with an extensive background in documentary studies, Tolson is working with three members of the documentary studies faculty to complete a documentary about four boxing athletes he first encountered early in his freshman year. The boxers range from enthusiast to professional, but all work out in the same gym in Tolson’s hometown of Baltimore, Md.
Tolson said he chose to pursue the research to find out why the athletes use the same gym. He has since kept in touch with them and said that as a senior, he can offer the project more depth and diligence.
“Having this opportunity to express yourself in this medium allows you to expand your outlook and I am glad that I can take advantage of it,” Tolson said. “This is something that I can really appreciate.”
Baker said the Graduation with Distinction program offers students like Tolson a transformative experience. Baker added that he hopes future students will take advantage of the program’s “interdisciplinarity.”
“This is something really meaningful and I think that the experience does last a lifetime,” he said.
The Graduation with Distinction program was approved in April by the Arts & Sciences Council and spearheaded by Baker, who had heard stories from colleagues across many departments about exceptional students who had strong interests in areas outside of their majors. Before the new program was approved, students could only receive honors for theses or projects within their respective majors.
Melissa Malouf, associate professor of the practice of English, recalled an economics major with a passion for creative writing who Malouf hoped would receive honors for his distinguished works of fiction.
“I inquired about the possibility of his doing a thesis through the Creative Writing Distinction program because of his serious preparation through coursework at Duke and his record of achievement,” Malouf wrote in an e-mail.
Because the student was an economics major, he could not graduate with distinction in writing despite his achievements, which included winning the Anne Flexner Memorial Award for Creative Writing twice. With the new graduation with distinction program, a student like Malouf’s could graduate with honors for his demonstrated commitment to an area outside of his major if he so chooses.
Senior Lindsay Kunkle, a psychology major, considered pursuing graduation with distinction in documentary studies. But she ultimately decided to complete her capstone in documentary studies and not pursue distinction. Kunkle said she hopes to earn graduation with distinction in psychology instead.
“I wish I could have pursued the new program,” she said. “I think its great because it allows you to engage with your community, more than other programs where there is a lot of research, and because it allows you to explore your interests.”
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