Shout out to any and all sophomores, or even eager freshman, ready to get involved! As you may have noticed, there are posters all around campus for information sessions about CISLA, Holleran, Goodwin-Niering, C@T, and CCRSE. Wondering what these acronyms all mean? Well, if you are totally lost and didn’t make it to the events to learn about these centers Her Campus is here to help. We have the scoop about everything you need to know about our academic centers here at Conn.
First off, there are a total of five; each with their own focus, but just a heads up, you can only apply to one. Here are some general facts about the centers:
· Eligibility to apply: GPA of at least 3.0
· Applications due for all centers in November
Each Center Includes:
- A funded internship (often proceeded by a semester abroad)
- Seminars tailored to the focus of that center and three or four courses that are applicable to that focus
- A Senior Integrated Project (SIP)
- A certificate of completion at the end of your senior year
The Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts (CISLA)
This center caters to students of any major that are interested in focusing their studies on advancing their knowledge of a language and cultural immersion. Generally students study abroad through CISLA in the spring of their junior year and then follow that semester with an internship abroad. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to study in the same place as your internship; CISLA funds any travel expenses separately from the CELS internship funding.
Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment
The Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment focuses the internship and SIP towards sustainability and the environment, regardless of what your major is. Professors of various departments, even including English and History professors, teach the seminars, so there really is quite a broad range of knowledge. If you are passionate about the environment, like former Conn Campus Cutie Conor Quilty, this is the place for you. Conor, a junior majoring in Botany and English, says that students should “look at their interests with an overarching umbrella of love for the environment, then bring all that together in a culmination of the greatness that is the Senior Integrated Project.”
The Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy
The Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy caters towards students who are truly passionate about their community and who are eager to get involved. In addition to the seminar credit courses that are required—like the other centers—the Holleran Center focuses on volunteerism in tandem with these courses in the local community of New London, often where students will be involved in local schools or the Homeless Hospitality Center.
The Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology (C@T)
The Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology is another certificate program on campus that works in a similar way to the other centers, this time incorporating arts and technology into your academic interests. There has not been an information session for prospective students yet but keep an eye out for one in October!
The Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity
The Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity is the newest of the centers on campus, but this one does not include a certificate program. Students involved in CCRSE focus their research of race and ethnicity in an interdisciplinary manner by looking at the social, historical, cultural, religion, and political institutions that have constructed our ideas of race and ethnicity. If you have any questions about this center, contact the director, Leo J. Garofalo at lgar@conncoll.edu.
The Career Enhancing Life Skills office is continuously involved with each of these centers, and (aside from CISLA) is where students receive the funding for their internships. Part of the process of completing a center certificate program includes the completion of CELS seminars and other requirements.