The common hour is a scheduled part of the foundation seminar course for each college. This is a time when all students in each college come together to talk about important issues and themes. This part of the class is designed as an interactive experience which helps you get to know other students with similar interests in an informal setting. T ypical common hours, while they vary from college to college, include feature films, guest speakers, workshops, student presentations, dinners, and even educational games. Each college designs the common hour to support the in-class experiences.
Students also get an opportunity to create common hours for each other.
They have attended art gallery openings and have created student performances for a local retirement home. The E nvironmental College has used the time to talk about important environmental issues and invite guest speakers to talk about their experiences. They have also used the time to connect to other eco-related clubs on campus. The G lobal College has used feature films like Amistad to reinforce some of the themes from class and has held study breaks that feature ethnic foods. The H umanities Colleges has used the common hours to talk more deeply about the impact of classical literary works.