The School of Community Education (SCE) provides for the academic, cultural, professional/vocational, and individual development of the non-traditional student within the mission of the university. It is a principal expression of Wittenberg’s commitment to the lifelong values of a liberal arts education.

Degree/Credit Program

SCE administers a program of evening/weekend credit courses for the adult/non-traditional student and also assists the student seeking courses through the day schedule.

The Adult/Non-Traditional Student

To ensure appropriate attention to the needs of the mature student, the university has established the specific classification of “adult/nontraditional student.” Criteria for this status are as follows: being at least 23 years of age, carrying a load of no more than 17 semester hours per semester or a total of 33 for the two regular semesters of any academic year*, having U. S. citizenship or immigration status other than Student Visa, and enrolling at least two years after ending traditional status. The student taking evening/weekend courses exclusively at a pace less than full-time is usually considered an adult/non-traditional student. An unclassified student seeking classification as a non-traditional student must consult the Dean of the School of Community Education.

The adult/non-traditional student is entitled to take evening and Saturday or day courses at a per-credit charge. Such a student may also apply for the Adult Access Award as well as other forms of aid.

Admission, registration and related procedures for the adult/nontraditional student are administered by the School of Community Education in conjunction with appropriate academic entities.

*The student whose semester requirements include laboratory courses or other divergencies from the typical four-semester-hour course may obtain permission to carry additional credits in a given semester and more than 33 for two semesters.

Degree Programs

A complete program leading to a B.A. degree with a major in liberal studies is available through the evening/weekend schedule. Courses are conducted by fulltime university faculty as well as adjunct instructors whose employment and performance are subject to review by both the respective academic departments and the dean. In addition, the adult/non-traditional student is free to pursue the various degree programs offered through the day schedule. The adult student may enroll on either a degree or a non-degree basis, the latter status being normally limited to 24 semester hours, except for extended teacher licensure programs.

The adult seeking admission as a degree student must submit an application together with relevant transcripts. Although the SAT/ACT test is not required, admission is nevertheless selective, as is the case with the traditional student. In deciding upon acceptance, the university looks for indications of likely success and the ability to contribute to academic life at Wittenberg. These include grades from previous institutions, range of subjects, grades earned on non-degree status at Wittenberg, available standardized test scores and such non-academic indicators as successful performance in responsible employment.

Major in Liberal Studies

This interdisciplinary degree program, leading to the B.A. degree, is open to the adult/non-traditional student only. Academic oversight for the program resides in the Community Education Committee, acting through the dean. Structure and requirements are similar to those of other university majors, with the exception of the major requirements category. Instead of the typical series of courses in one academic discipline, the Liberal Studies major requires a series of courses from several disciplines. These are unified by a thematic concentration. The evening/weekend schedule offers a thematic concentration in Organizational Leadership. The student using the day schedule can elect the Organizational Leadership concentration or devise an original one, subject to the approval of the dean.

The structure of the Liberal Studies degree program, including distribution of semester hour credits, is as follows:

 

General Education	53*
Major and Related Requirements	36
Free Electives	41
Total	130

*Assumes English 101E and Foreign Language 106F or 112F.

Three of the major requirements must be at the 300 level or higher. Some courses carry designations of academic departments. Others, specific to this program, are offered directly through the School of Community Education and carry the prefix SCED. Each student must complete SCED 200L: Liberal Studies Colloquium and SCED 400: Senior Leadership Seminar, or SCED 499: Liberal Studies Honors Thesis Project as well as a senior assessment exercise. The student who cannot use the evening/weekend schedule, in which the Colloquium, Issues Topics and Seminar are offered, may petition the dean to take appropriate substitute courses offered via the day schedule or to use the Independent Study option under faculty guidance.

The transfer student must take at least 22 semester hours of the major requirements at Wittenberg. As is the case with other majors, the student declaring the Liberal Studies major may also designate a minor in any university discipline.

Course Offerings

All requirements of the Liberal Studies program are met through courses listed under academic departments, with the following exceptions, which are exclusive to the School of Community Education.

SCED 190/290/390. Topic. Variable credit.
Within the Organizational Leadership program or such related programs as may develop, topics of special interest or need that are not readily encompassed by other designations in the curriculum. The 190 courses are at the beginning level, dealing with basic skills, techniques, or concepts. The 290 courses assume some level of college experience – to be designated for each particular course. The 390 courses are at an advanced level, require some experience in one or more disciplines, and are appropriate for students beyond the sophomore level.

SCED 200L. Liberal Studies Colloquium. 4 semester hours.
Introduction to the processes and values of interdisciplinary liberal arts inquiry, to modes of expression appropriate to such inquiry, and to research techniques in general. Processes and values include identification of underlying premises and sequences of thought, analysis of competing positions, recognition of points requiring research, an appreciation for at least two different disciplinary approaches to a given topic and formation of critical judgment. The subject of the course varies but reflects issues and themes appropriate to the General Education Program's Integrated Learning goal. Products of the course include a research paper and discussion of student projects. The Liberal Studies major should take this course as early as possible while working through the requirements of the major. SCED 200L satisfies the Integrated Learning (Wittenberg Seminar) requirement for SCE students. Prerequisite: English 101. Writing intensive.

SCED 300. Issues in Liberal Studies. 2 semester hours.
Intensive focus upon topics relating to liberal studies concentrations. Generally these topics are applications of interdisciplinary academic principles to issues that the adult student encounters in work and civic activities. They may also be extensions of topics introduced in other courses. Sophomore standing recommended.

SCED 310. Understanding and Working within the American Health Care System. 4 semester hours.
A critical examination of the structural characteristics, organizational theory and performance of the American health care system. Topics include the design of health care services organizations, modes of delivery, and access to as well as cost and quality of health care services. Activities include lecture, discussion, exercises and group presentations. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission.

SCED 320. The Legal Environment of Health Care. 4 semester hours.
An examination of the laws, policies and regulations that constitute the legal environment of the American health care system. Topics include the foundations of tort law, licensing and accreditation, liability of health care providers and institutions, regulatory control and bioethics. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission.

SCED 340 Readings in Leadership.  4 semester hours.
Students will read full texts and excerpts from a selected "Top Ten" classic authors in leadership, including Plato, Machiavelli, Drucker, Deming, and Peters.  Principal theories of leadership, particularly those relating to business organizations and the effects of historical and economic contexts in shaping them, will be examined.  The course objective is to develop a historically grounded understanding of the ways organizations develop and the manner in which leaders operate within them.  Projects in the course will be designed to develop a mature set of insights into one's work organization. 

SCED 400. Senior Leadership Seminar. 4 semester hours.
A synthesis of learning from previous study and experience developed into a major report in which the student identifies a problem or process in an organizational setting, provides analysis, and proposes appropriate action. The inquiry process, developed in conjunction with the instructor and through activities with the group, addresses the dimensions of both management and leadership. Students present their report in writing to the instructor and orally to the seminar group. The report also serves as the basis for the oral senior assessment presentation for the major. Prerequisite: senior standing and completion of at least four major courses, including the Liberal Studies Colloquium. Writing intensive.

SCED 490. Independent Study. Variable credit.
Individual study that requires approval of the faculty member directing the study and the Dean of the School of Community Education.

SCED 491. Internship. Variable credit.
Individual study centering on a supervised work site or community project. Requires approval from the faculty member directing the study, the work site supervisor, and the Dean of the School of Community Education.

SCED 499. Liberal Studies Honors Thesis. Variable credit.
Prerequisite: 3.50 GPA and permission of the Dean.

Transfer Credit

SCE believes that Wittenberg’s rigorous liberal arts experience is an excellent complement to the variety of prior collegiate studies in which the mature student has engaged. Therefore, SCE welcomes the adult transfer whose record indicates likely success in the Wittenberg community.

To render a Wittenberg education feasible for students from the wide variety of backgrounds that typify contemporary adult experience, Wittenberg has extended its transfer policy in the case of qualified adult/non-traditional students. The student whose prior coursework parallels that in the Wittenberg curriculum is covered by the provisions of the university’s general transfer policy. For the student from technical/ professional programs, the university has approved the awarding of partial elective credit for most non-parallel courses plus full credit for academic courses. An additional extension is the acceptance of up to 16 credits for military or corporate training activities that carry the college credit recommendations of the American Council on Education or the Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction. The typical standing of associate degree graduates from these programs approaches junior level in the Wittenberg degree program of their choice. Details are available in SCE publications obtainable on request.

Lifelong Learning Benefit

Persons 60 and over may enroll for up to 17 semester hours per semester on a space-available basis for a nominal charge.

Financial Aid

Adult/non-traditional students are eligible to apply for Pell Grants, Ohio Instructional Grants, Ohio Student Choice Grants, and Stafford Loans (OIG and OSCG eligibility require full-time enrollment). Eligible veterans are entitled to funds paid under the G.I. Bill and other programs.

Adults not covered by such sources as employer or V.A. benefits may apply for university-funded Adult Access Awards, covering partial tuition on a semester-by-semester basis. These are based on need guidelines established by SCE.

Transfers who are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honorary society for two-year schools, are eligible for a half tuition scholarship.  Students can obtain details from the SCE Office.

The Summer Session

SCE administers the university’s Summer Session of credit courses. Summer enrollment in day and evening courses is open to traditional and non-traditional students from Wittenberg as well as transient students in good standing at other institutions. Procedures and costs are published annually in the Summer Session Bulletin.

Center for Musical Development (CMD)

CMD provides creative musical experiences for students of all ages. Private music lessons in voice, piano and a variety of other instruments are available during the day, after school and on Saturdays.

Group class lessons are available for adults in both piano and vocal technique, while children may take such group classes as beginning piano, Suzuki violin and piano. Young children may also take a course called Discovering Music.

CMD also sponsors occasional workshops and programs in jazz, folk music and chamber music, and, in conjuction with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the summer Kaleidoscope Strings Camp.

Other Non-Credit Programs

SCE has offered a variety of non-credit educational experiences to members of the community and to people from a wider area. SCE also offers programs to meet professional/vocational, organizational, and individual needs as demand arises. Special offerings include the WISE, Young Women's Science Institute, and Summer Honors Institute programs for pre-college students.

Post Secondary Options Program

SCE administers the High School Scholars program whereby qualified high school students enroll in college courses under provisions approved by the State of Ohio. The primary expectation for admission is a GPA of 3.5 in a college preparatory curriculum.

Further Information

The administrative office of the School of Community Education is located in the Joseph C. Shouvlin Center for Lifelong Learning on Fountain Avenue at Madison Avenue. Anyone desiring further information should inquire there.