OCC getting mixed feedback

‘ ‘ ‘ Last winter, a team of administrators from every corner of Pittdom assembled to concoct a… ‘ ‘ ‘ Last winter, a team of administrators from every corner of Pittdom assembled to concoct a way to produce a well-rounded student both in and outside of the classroom. After years of collaboration, Dean of Students Kathy Humphrey says she has the answer. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If you go out there and you Google ‘education of the whole student,’ you’ll find that everybody talks about how that’s one of their goals,’ said Dean of Students Kathy Humphrey. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘[But] we couldn’t find anything,’ she said, after attempting to investigate how other universities were pursuing this goal. Humphrey said she believes that this program is the only one of its kind in the country. ‘ ‘ ‘ Humphrey’s answer: the Outside the Class Curriculum. ‘ ‘ ‘ The curriculum, introduced to the Class of 2012 this fall at freshman orientation, is a four-year program established to guide students through an array of extracurricular activities to better prepare them to enter the job market. ‘ ‘ ‘ Barb Juliussen, associate director of Pitt’s Career Development Office, said that a certificate from the program will pique the interest of potential employers. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘They’d be very impressed,’ she said. ‘We intend on educating our employers on what it means for a student who puts this on their resume. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It means here’s a person who’s gone the extra mile to prepare themselves in a well-rounded way to prepare themselves for the job market,’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Outside the Classroom Curriculum consists of nine categories, each of which requires the student to complete a list of activities ranging from composing and performing instrumental or vocal music, to attending a religious service of a different faith. ‘ ‘ ‘ As students attend these events, they will swipe their student identification cards in newly purchased card readers for the OCC, the only significant financial cost of the program, Humphrey said. In addition to the suggested activities for each category, participants may also attend events not on the list that they feel fulfill the criteria by filling out a form and providing proof of their attendance. ‘ ‘ ‘ Upon completion of the program, students will receive an OCC transcript listing which events they attended throughout their collegiate career and what requirement those events fulfilled. Students can also track their progress online at my.pitt.edu. ‘ ‘ ‘ In addition to their transcript ‘mdash; which will not appear on their official academic records ‘mdash; students will be given a green cord to wear at graduation. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We chose green because blue and gold makes green,’ said Humphrey. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ While the financial investment was relatively small, a team of about 20 administrators from throughout the Pitt community worked for six months to develop the curriculum specifics. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The exciting thing about the program for me is that we’ve collaborated across the University,’ said Humphrey. ‘This isn’t just Student Affairs, it’s everybody.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Included in the groups Humphrey said collaborated on the issue are representatives from Pitt’s athletic department, various alumni and the Office of Admissions. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Its been thoroughly done in a very intense way,’ said Juliussen. ‘A lot of time and a lot of effort.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Juliussen added that the impact of the program will be ‘huge.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There aren’t a lot of schools that offer this kind of a program. It really was in response to the Provost’s desire to educate the whole student. And we are doing that, but we took it the next step to be very systematic and concrete about it, so a student doesn’t have to find his or her own way, it’s organized for them,’ she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘They have a lot to think about just from managing academics, so to have something online; That is really a helpful guide.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ The nine categories of achievement are: cultivation and appreciation of the arts, demonstrate responsibility to others, demonstrate a sense of self, develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle, develop leadership skills, improve communication skills, participate in the University community, prepare for a career and understand and respect diversity of ideas, cultures and peoples. ‘ ‘ ‘ Humphrey said that the specifics of the program will make it stand out. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It makes you very different from your national peers, because you have context … it’s more concrete.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ While Humphrey said she expects many students to enroll in the voluntary program, some are quick to question the necessity of the OCC. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘For me, it’s kind of oxymoronic trying to curricularize something that’s outside the curriculum,’ said Student Government Board member Perry Servedio. ‘ ‘ ‘ In response to a concern that the students who enroll in the OCC are the same people who would partake in most of its required activities on their own, Humphrey acknowledged that it was a work in progress. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’re piloting it,’ she said. ‘We know we’re going to have to learn a lot about it because we haven’t found this anywhere else, so there’s no where else to learn from it. We’re going to have to work out the kinks as we go. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We don’t think it’s perfect walking out the door, but we feel really good about where it is,’ she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ Juliussen said that students might also prefer to follow the curriculum instead of partaking in extracurricular activities on their own. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s very organized, it’s concrete, it’s online,’ she said. ‘It’s been introduced to all of the freshmen as a whole. ‘ ‘ ‘ But any student who has already done all of these things can certainly go back and earn their credits and jump right in on the program’ by filling out the forms. ‘ ‘ ‘ While the OCC was pitched to the incoming freshmen class at this fall’s PittStart program, any Pitt student may join, as long as he completes the entire curriculum without exemptions, despite his expected graduation date.