Updated Trinity Websites Make Bookbagging Easier
New courses and Culture Shock provide alternative to departmental listings
Students and advisers discussing courses for spring semester have two updated online tools to help make the job easier.
Featured Courses at http://trinity.duke.edu/featured-courses-spring-2014 includes new courses offered for the first time in spring 2014, as well as descriptions of Special Topics courses that departments want to promote.
Culture Shock at http://trinity.duke.edu/undergraduate/culture-shock lists courses about foreign cultures that are taught in English.
"We're being responsive to student requests," said Lee D. Baker, dean of academic affairs for Trinity College. "We're creating new tools for students to learn more about some of the newest offerings. This fall, we added a Special Topics category because students said they wanted more than a generic statement that merely says 'Topics Vary.'"
Baker said the sites offer professors better ways to promote new courses to students who often decide to take classes based on recommendations from other students -- information that does not exist for new courses. Departments previously have promoted new courses on their websites but did not have a way to advertise to students who weren't on departmental listservs.
The Culture Shock listing can be useful for students who are wish to develop knowledge about a country before doing study abroad or for those who have returned from an experience overseas and want to augment their experience.
A less expansive version of the new courses site appeared for the first time during the 2012-2013 academic year. This fall, after collecting more student opinion, professors had the ability to add videos and photos to better explain their new classes. Baker provided matching funds to allow professors to develop promotional course videos.