If nothing else, learning about the waterways leads to learning about water life and then to those who earn a living on the water. That equals broader thinking, which Portfolio is meant to stimulate, seminar director Lawrence D. Hultgren said. Many students stumble to find their interests and themselves during their college career, Hultgren said. Hultgren talked with a variety of colleagues, from psychology professors to religious studies experts, about better structuring the liberal arts experience so that students would better understand their strengths and how to apply them to a broad range of careers. Over the course of four years, students will learn critical think-ing, conflict resolution and how to put their degrees to work.
Study abroad is encouraged.
Students will build and maintain a multimedia journal on the World Wide Web as a part of their grade, too. Portfolio is not a major, but a set of enrichment courses. The only class the seminar substitutes for is freshman orientation. The inaugural Portfolio class is composed of students with solid academic skills, leadership and community service backgrounds. Crystal Daggs is one of those students.