Grant Summary
$260,000 over 36 months to provide a common set of readings to orient incoming liberal arts students to the purpose of college in the Great Questions Seminar and provide students the option to pursue the Great Questions Journey to complete general education requirements. Austin Community College mandates a “student success” course for all incoming first-year students to provide guidance on study skills, college resources, and time management. The Great Questions Seminar (GQS) is a three-credit, semester-long seminar that serves as an alternative way for incoming students to satisfy the “student success” course requirement and meet its learning objectives. In GQS, students read a common set of texts across all sections, starting with the Odyssey to reflect on their educational journey. In doing so, they practice the skills necessary to be a successful college student and connect seminal works in the arts and sciences to the concepts and theories they will study in introductory general education coursework. Students will have the opportunity to continue to engage with core texts in general education courses designated for the Great Questions Journey guided pathway.