The Futures Subcommittee of the Common Experience Committee invites faculty and staff to attend upcoming Zoom engagement sessions at noon on April 28, 29, and 30, and May 1, 2, where we will present findings, gather feedback, and engage in open dialogue about the future of Clarkson’s Common Experience. If you cannot attend and what to still participate, let us know and we will find a time that works best for you.
Zoom Link: https://clarkson.zoom.us/j/9333792191
The subcommittee is charged with reimagining Clarkson’s Common Experience to better meet the evolving needs of our students, while aligning with our institutional mission, accreditation requirements, and long-term goals.
Our aim is to design a flexible, transparent, and impactful model that connects classroom and co-curricular learning, prepares students for real-world challenges, and highlights Clarkson’s distinctiveness in STEM education.
Over the past semester, we collected and analyzed 272 responses from 14 in-person sessions. Respondents offered thoughtful insights into what the Common Experience should do more of, change, or eliminate. We recognize that not everyone on campus has had the chance to participate, and we want to hear from you.
Key themes that emerged from the data include:
- A desire for more curricular integration and real-world relevance
- Calls for greater flexibility and clarity in the structure
- Strong interest in expanding communication, ethics, sustainability, and global awareness
- Support for improved advising, multimodal learning, and co-curricular recognition
We are currently using this feedback to draft 2–3 potential models for a renewed Common Experience. These models will be shared with the campus community for further input, with the goal of selecting a new model by December 2025.
Thank you to all who have participated so far. Your input is shaping the future of general education at Clarkson.
— The Futures Subcommittee of the Common Experience Committee
Subcommittee Members:
Chuck Thorpe, CCE Futures Subcommittee Chair (cthorpe@clarkson.edu)
Holly Sypniewski (hsypniew@clarkson.edu)
Susan Powers (sep@clarkson.edu)
Allen Gontz (agontz@clarkson.edu)
Alastair Kocho Williams (akochowi@clarkson.edu)
Krista Larock (klarock@clarkson.edu)
Ashley Sweeney (asweeney@clarkson.edu)
Jen Ball (jball@clarkson.edu)
Bill Jeffers (wjeffers@clarkson.edu)
Stephen Casper (scasper@clarkson.edu)
Ying Zhang (yinzhang@clarkson.edu)