...seventh president, in 1945 speech

In the College of Wooster's Summer 2005 issue of the Wooster magazine, you can read about the passions of six recent graduates, and how those were translated into personalized and challenging independent study projects. The independent study is far more than a senior thesis; faculty at Wooster know, because they have witnessed it, that independent study is a transformative experience. As English major Amanda Phillips puts it, "Working on each chapter of [my independent study] was like walking down a hallway of mirrors--and not always the flattering kind." Instead of the planned outcome of his independent study, a light-emitting compound, chemistry major Dan Skully found the scientific pathway to discovery illuminated--a pathway that often presents unpredictable results that lead to meaningful new knowledge. Denise Bostdorff, associate professor of communication, watched as her mentee, senior Emily Moore, became a more inquisitive and engaged student during her project looking at nurses' communication strategies. From the ordinary to the extraordinary--this is the independent study experience.

For the last fifty-eight years, the College of Wooster, an independent, privately endowed liberal arts college with approximately 1,800 students and 150 faculty members, has required that all students design and complete an independent research and/or creative project--the independent study. For Wooster faculty, when...

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