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Academics
Attendance
Each session of NIAHD’s Residential Pre-College Program in American History is 3 weeks in length and carries 4 hours of college credit. While 3 weeks may seem like a long time, it is not a lot of time to learn a semester’s-worth of history. All Pre-College Program participants are expected to attend every site visit and seminar discussion. Absences should only be for emergencies, either medical or personal.
Schedule
Classes will be held on weekdays. On most class days, classes will visit a historic site in the morning, eat lunch back on campus, and then individual seminar groups will meet in the afternoon. See the Schedule page for examples of a typical day.
NIAHD will organize special programs and activities which will give students a chance to form closer connections to other students and to build upon key ideas and concepts introduced in class. These activities will take place after site visits, seminar discussions, and dinner. Any time that is not scheduled for site visits, class meetings, meals, and special programs will be free for you to study, exercise, watch TV, explore campus, etc. In addition, you will have free time on weekends.
Time Management
Time management is a key part of the college experience. Though the Residential Teaching Assistants (RTAs) will provide wake-up calls and remind you about events throughout the day, students will be responsible for managing their time and making sure that they complete reading assignments and submit written work when it is due.
Site Visits
Students will use a variety of approaches to learn about history in locations where key events took place. These locations will include museums, historic sites, battlefields, and archaeological excavations. Each place has been chosen both for its role in the larger context of American history and for its significance to one of the course’s themes. The cost of admissions to all locations is included in the program cost.
Seminars
Students will be divided into small seminar groups of no more than 12 people for the purpose of discussing site visits, course readings, and historical interpretation of ideas. Discussions will last approximately 1.5 hours and will be led by a NIAHD Instructor. Instructors either have a doctorate in History, American Studies, or Anthropology or are writing their doctoral dissertation. Instructors lead discussions and ensure that all students have an opportunity to speak. In addition, Instructors evaluate your written assignments, participation in seminar discussions, and comprehension of the course material.
The classroom should be a place where you feel free to express your ideas and perspectives on the readings and topics, and a place where students can respectfully disagree and challenge one another in honest debate. In the study of history, we often discuss emotionally charged topics, and you may not always agree with your classmates or Instructor, but within the rules of polite society, you are encouraged to analyze and question historical ideas and information. NIAHD does not tolerate personal attacks and offensive language. When challenging another’s arguments, do so in a way that shows civility and respect.
Course Readings
There will be a reading assignment each night that will vary in length from 30 – 60 pages. Your reading assignments will include articles from academic journals, book chapters, and primary documents that will provide background information for each day’s site visit and seminar discussion. Occasionally, there will also be podcasts and videos assigned.
All reading materials have been included in the cost of tuition and you will get a hard copy of the readings when you arrive on campus. Additionally, reading materials will be available on Blackboard, a secure W&M network, before the class begins. Students are not required to do any advance reading or academic preparation before the start of the program.
Written Assignments
NIAHD does not administer tests or quizzes during the Pre-College Program. Instead, evaluation of a student’s understanding of the course material comes from written work. Students are required to submit 3 written assignments during the program that draw on information from site visits, course readings, and discussion seminars.
Instructors will discuss written assignments during seminar meetings and post information on Blackboard, where students will submit their assignments. The length and evaluation of each assignment will be determined by the student’s seminar Instructor.