Pre-Health Advising
Coordinator: Brian Kokensparger
Pre-Health Sciences advising is provided by faculty members in academic departments throughout the College of Arts and Sciences and other departments in the University. The advisors are available to assist anyone with questions about many of the diverse opportunities available in health related careers. Pre-Health Advising covers Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dental, and Pre-Health (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Pharmacy).
Ratio Studiorum Program
Director: Richard Super
Ratio Studiorum is a program for first- and second-year students at Creighton University. This program replaced the Freshman Seminar Program and was inaugurated with the matriculating class of freshmen in the fall of 2006. The name "Ratio Studiorum" emanates from a Jesuit "plan of studies" bearing the name "Ratio atque Institutio Studiorum Societatis Jesu", and was adopted in 1599 as a formal program for study at the university level. In an analogous manner, the program at Creighton will bring students to understand how the Academy works, how the curriculum functions to form them as young women and men, and how they can expect to grow and develop in the university setting. Unlike the rule-heavy Ratio Studiorum of the 16th Century, the Creighton Ratio focuses on the need for students to plan their curriculum, their career, and a way of life that concentrates on ethical living, service to others, a search for truth and justice in public and personal life, and a search for the relationship with the Almighty. Informed choice is the goal, freedom and knowledge are the tools in this discernment, and faculty and professional staff are the guides. So, although we have taken the "rules" out of our Creighton Ratio Studiorum, we have replaced them with a "plan" for supporting students in academic, career, and personal advising.
Senior Perspective Courses
Director: Jerold J. Abrams
The Senior Perspective Program is an integral part of the Creighton College of Arts & Sciences's Core Curriculum. The courses within the Program are interdisciplinary, capstone courses which should normally be taken during a student's senior year. The goal of these courses is to provide students with the opportunity to explore and reflect, in an interdisciplinary way, on some area of significant human and social concern. Ideally, the subject of the course should be related to the students' majors. Course features include:
- Course topic should be a major area of human and social concern
- Interdisciplinary study--emphasis on substantial, high-level (senior) engagement and integration of knowledge from two or more disciplines
- Team-taught (at least two faculty from different disciplines or one faculty and a substantial number of guest lecturers with varied academic or professional backgrounds)
- Addressing the integration of knowledge from students' previous experiences in the core
- Substantial addressing of issues involving ethical or value judgments and choices
- Involving the students in personal reflection and requiring them to articulate a cogent personal position on the issues of the course
- Substantial component of writing (proposals are encouraged, though not required, to seek certified writing status)
Service-Learning Support
This program consists of faculty participants who are willing to examine together the phenomenon of service-learning in the academy. Opportunities to engage in four developmental seminars that will help faculty in the exploration of issues that surround service-learning will be provided. Faculty will share reflections, experience service opportunities together, and actively participate in understanding the needs of various communities so as to be informed and inform students and colleagues about service learning. An objective of the program is for faculty participants to create or revise courses that will include service learning as a core component of the class. Classes can be developed over the course of the seminars and any syllabi created will be submitted to the curriculum committee for course approval. During each seminar, faculty will have opportunities to experience service learning firsthand with various communities, both locally and in the Dominican Republic. Active participation in this program will allow faculty to make informed and critically reflective choices regarding service opportunities for faculty students or for faculty own faculty awareness and scholarly development.