First-year, residence hall, practicum, culminating experience week: what do these phrases have in common? They are all terms that seem pretty unique to our campus, but where did they come from and why do we use them?
Let’s start off easy; for most students, during your first year of college you’re referred to as a freshman. Here at Fisher, we use “first-year” instead because unsurprisingly, not all of us are men…or “fresh.” Some members of campus are transfer students, others may already have graduated and are returning for another degree, and there are plenty of people who are not comfortable being referred to as “men” in any context. It might seem trivial, but as our school makes the effort to become more diverse and inclusive, it’s important that our language reflects those efforts.
Now, onto residence halls; if you’ve ever been told to call your temporary home a residence as opposed to a dorm, you might have been confused. The term “dorm” has fallen out of favor in many higher education institutions. According to Derick Wigle, the Director of Residential Life, the term “has a historical connection with simpler amenities, different staffing models, and simply being a place of rest.”
“We see residence halls as a place that is more engaging, where personal development occurs, students are supported, community is made, and learning happens outside the classrooms,” he continued. “This is reflected in our staffing (e.g. resident assistants and residence directors), the events we host, and physical spaces/amenities.”
There is also the term “practicum,” which we usually use in reference to taking a club for a course credit. For example, our Managing Editor Brooke Eastman is taking the Cardinal Courier practicum this semester, which counts as 1 credit. “Taking the Courier Practicum is not that different from the work I normally do in the club voluntarily,” Eastman said. “If you’re in a club and can receive credit for something you already enjoy doing, why not do it?”
According to Wikipedia, a practicum is normally a work placement for an undergraduate or graduate-level course for a specialized field of study. It is designed to give students supervised practical application of their chosen field. At Fisher, it is less of a work experience and rather a chance to earn credit for being part of a club. This is a great opportunity for students to earn credit for the work that they would already be doing as a club member.
The intention behind them is to make our campus as welcoming and inclusive as possible.
“There is still an instructor to check in with and there are still expectations for me to meet while taking the practicum for credit,” said Eastman. “I’m still held to that academic standard in order to earn the credit, but it’s work I’ve enjoyed doing for the last four years anyway. Earning credit for it is just an added bonus.”
Perhaps the most confusing of all: Culminating Experience Week. There are many theories as to why Fisher doesn’t call the last week of the semester “Finals Week” anymore. Fun fact: up until 2023, it was called Finals Week, but maybe the sound of “Finals Week” causes more anxiety than “Culminating Experience Week”. Or, maybe the faculty got tired of hearing the “Finals Week or my final week?” joke.
The real reason is quite simple – in order to reach the New York State Education Department’s class time requirement, a final meeting session needs to be held but does not require a typical final exam. In order to avoid confusion, the Provost renamed this final week “Culminating Experience Week” to ensure that professors still planned a final meeting even if there was not an exam.
Overall, Fisher may have some odd terminology, but it is a way to make our campus stand out a little more than others. The intention behind them is to make our campus as welcoming and inclusive as possible.
