This year, Lawrence University is universalizing the graduation requirements for its seniors though the Lawrence Experience. Every freshman this year is required to finish a final project that ties together the ideas they have studied throughout their undergraduate years. Lawrence has always been a well-kept secret, and it is obvious and right that part of the current administration’s mission is to increase visibility and awareness of our special and innovative programs, especially in relation to individualized learning.
Lawrence’s faculty and students take part in a nurturing and intelligent system of personalized learning that is still relevant to the world. The plan to expand this kind of learning into every student’s education through the Lawrence Experience is an excellent idea.
The Lawrentian staff lauds the school for continuing its policy of individualized learning, but does not know if the university is purely interested in adjusting our curriculum or simply publicly branding the existing programs for marketing reasons. The four years spent at Lawrence are rich with one-on-one interaction with professors in areas of special interest. The Lawrence Experience will ensure that the same opportunities for individualized study in unique topics will be open to students from every department.
The only concern with the new Lawrence Experience is that we should consider advertising new programs at Lawrence as unique to the Lawrence curriculum instead of advertising them as interesting programs that we learned from others. A culmination of a students’ Lawrence career with a name as audacious and proud as The Lawrence Experience should make sure it is indeed a Lawrence experience, and not an Oxford or College of Wooster experience in Appleton, Wis.
Our education should be innovative, but our traditions should remain our own in order for us to maintain our unique character.
Staff Editorial
