Four years in: calling for consistency and clarity with the Integrations Curriculum

This week marks the halfway point in the semester, and for those who have not yet taken their midterms, best of luck.

However, the midpoint of fall semester also means that we are increasingly closer to a number of things: Apple-Palooza (this Saturday from 1-4:30 p.m. at Collegeville Orchards), spring class registration (Oct. 31-Nov. 9 this year) and the end of the semester (where our December graduates will leave us to embark on their future endeavors).

Those last two items raise an important point. We are now four years into the Integrations Curriculum. First-years who were greeted with “This is new this year and we don’t really know how this is going to work, but we’ll try to help you through it” are now seniors trying to figure out if they stashed away enough DEAL reflections in their Folio (formerly Portfolium) to graduate.

For that, our request is simple: more clarity and more consistency.

Ignoring the exemptions that were made for the Benedictine Raven and Global Engagement requirements, it’s fair to say that the Integrations Curriculum has brought about more questions than answers.

Example questions include, “What in the world is a DEAL reflection and how do I do one?” and “Why are all of the INTG300 class so different depending on which professor you have?” and “What’s the point of this Folio thing anyway?” In our eyes, all are valid questions.

While the Common Curriculum had flaws of its own, one thing it did not lack was simplicity. Students that entered pre-2020 generally had a DegreeWorks that closely resembled a grocery list: check the box, move on down. The Integrations Curriculum, on the other hand, would be like if you went to the grocery store with a list of items, but also had to get three different flavors of Pringles but not from the same isle (in this case, academic department) and write a page-long essay on why the band in the park you passed on the way to the grocery store allowed you to develop new tools to better understand the world.

We can sit here all day and make grocery store metaphors, but that probably wouldn’t be the best use of our time. (Metacognition, anyone?) With any change comes a transition period of distress and confusion–and that’s understandable. But hitting the four-year mark does mean something, and sticking with our requests for clarity and consistency, this Editorial Board would like to offer some suggestions.

Students, start checking your DegreeWorks–the useful tool to help you understand all the requirements you need to fulfill–frequently, particularly as you register for classes in a few weeks. Earning your degree is ultimately your responsibility, so take action and attempt to understand what you need to accomplish. Learning and understanding comes through curiosity, so be curious and take the extra time to peruse this resource available to you.

Faculty, do your best to help students understand the complexities of the Integrations Curriculum and how they can best create a pathway to degree completion. We know that “do your best” is unnecessary considering most of you do this with students on a daily basis–and in many cases outside the bounds of your job description–but it is important to recognize how seriously your advice is taken. What might seem like a quick reply or simple interaction to you may set a student down a completely different academic journey, or at the very least, elect a student to take or not take a class because of what you said. Like many current seniors, you learned about the Integrations Curriculum like we did: in practice. At that time, it was acceptable to express confusion about how it worked. That time, however, has passed, and it’s our hope that this year’s first-years are receiving the best, most consistent, quality advice about how to navigate their four years here. And it is not only first-years that need your help; every year brings a new set of questions and exploration that will guide students, even and especially seniors, in their future paths. Your advice matters throughout the entire college experience.

Administrators, particularly those in the Registrar’s Office and Academic Advising, our suggestion is simple: Get out in the community and ensure that students understand what they are dealing with. Have events and hold Q&A sessions–the knowledge that you have may not come as easily to students.

Despite initial murmurings, it appears as though the Integrations Curriculum is here to stay. As mentioned above, it’s understandable that such a drastic change brought about confusion and inconsistency for students, faculty and administrators alike. But four years in, it’s time for some consistency and clarity. Far too many students are approaching class registration with big questions about how certain courses fit into the curriculum and affect their potential to graduate. Culpability doesn’t lie singularly with students, faculty or administrators–rather, all three groups would be wise to get on the same page and help each other out.