The Curricular Resource Center approved 22 Group Independent Study Projects this semester, more than twice the number offered in the fall. The rise is a result of the center's push to renew student interest in GISPs — which provide the opportunity for students to collaboratively design and lead a class — by increasing outreach to students.
"A lot of it has to do with our student coordinators," said Peggy Chang '91, director of the center. "Initially, planning a GISP is fairly intimidating, but they have modeled for their peers by showing them it is a worthwhile and fun thing to do."
The center organized networking events to promote the GISP application, including a formal dinner with presentations from students in past GISPs and a pitch session, where about 90 students shared ideas for new GISPs, according to Chang.
The center also published announcements in Morning Mail "more heavily than in the past," said Arthur Matuszewski '11, co-coordinator for independent studies at the center. "Another good method has simply been word of mouth from successful GISP members from last semester."
Matuszewski and co-coordinator Roman Gonzalez '11 have led the GISP marketing drive by utilizing Internet-based resources like Facebook and a blog where students can brainstorm course ideas, instead of relying on foot traffic to the center office.
This semester, 29 GISPs were proposed and 22 were approved, a significant increase from the approximately 10 GISPs approved last semester, Matuszewski said. But Gonzalez said there are always more GISP proposals in the second semester of the year due to the increased awareness of first-years in the spring.
Center administrators still expressed the feeling that their work has brought about revived campus interest in the projects.
"We have made some changes in the way we do things," Gonzalez said. "We have made the GISPs more relatable."
The guidelines for GISP approval "tend to be somewhat fluid," Gonzalez said. The committee that examines the application forms is comprised of five to six individuals, most of whom have their own subjective standards for evaluating the proposals.
At the same time, there are several standards to which every GISP must adhere. Committee members inspect each proposal to evaluate the academic nature of the course, determine whether there is enough content to fill a 14-week semester and consider the background of the faculty sponsor, Chang said. During the application process, students must create a syllabus, arrange to meet for at least three and a half hours per week, provide a minimum of 200 pages of reading for the group per week and find a professor who is willing to attend the course meetings at least five times during the semester.
"Once GISPs come up for approval, most of them go back to the students for revisions," said Matuszewski.
Despite the extra work that proposing and coordinating a unique course entails, students remain interested in GISPs because "part of college is learning to learn on your own," said Michael Desai '12, who helped create the GISP "Modern Strategic Thought."
"The GISP is an extension of independent learning," said Desai. "People who are interested in a specific subject can do research on it and study it, and that's why it's so popular."
GISPs will remain an integral part of the New Curriculum because they allow students to engage in the independent academic discovery that is fundamental to the University's philosophy, Gonzalez said. The projects allow students not only to participate in the course but also to have maximum flexibility in creating an interesting program.
"GISPs foster a community of collective passion," he added. "The one key difference from a normal class is that with a GISP you can really focus in on your interests."
