Courtesy of Connecticut College
Steel Design, Military History, Principles of Naval Architecture, oh my! These courses are just a sampling of those available to Conn students opposite Route 32 at the Coast Guard Academy (CGA), one of the many colleges at which Conn students could take classes.
Conn, the CGA, Wesleyan University, and Trinity College have a unique partnership enabling their students to take courses at the other institutions. Students are unable to take courses that are also offered at their own college or are similar in content.
According to the CGA’s website, Conn students and CGA cadets are allowed to “enroll and receive credit for courses completed at the other institution on a limited, single-course exchange basis”. Both Conn students and CGA cadets are able to use the libraries and athletic facilities at the other institution. A senior CGA cadet who wishes to remain unnamed is currently enrolled in Conn’s Introduction to Contemporary Issues in Education course taught by Professor Karen Pezzetti. The cadet is interested in pursuing a Masters in Education post-CGA and wanted to gain additional insight into the subject. She found the class through the Conn dynamic schedule. Her advisor “suggested taking something outside [her] major,” especially because the student had a free elective. The student is currently majoring in Operation Research and Data Analytics at the CGA.
In terms of applying, the cadet explained the process as quite simple. “It was up to me to find the class, and see if I was eligible, then submit that request to my registrar in the spring, then on the first day of class I would show up and see if there were any other seats available,” she said. The cadet knows a handful of other students participating in the exchange, but it is only open to juniors and seniors because that is the “first time [cadets] have open electives within [their] four-year program.”
The cadet enjoys the program and encourages others to participate: “It’s nice to create a connection with someone other than cadets.” She added that, if her schedule allowed, she would be interested in taking another course at Conn in the future. She appreciates the opportunity to “briefly experience a different kind of college campus.” She appreciates the connection between students and instructors at Conn and the dialogue-style teaching as opposed to strictly lecturing. She enjoys that change of pace.
Conn student Christopher Koskinen ‘24 participated in the exchange, too. Koskinen took an American military policy course at the CGA., “It was and still is the best class I have ever taken,” he said. Koskinen wanted to take a class on military history and figured the CGA would offer some since Conn did not. Though registration requires students to jump through several hoops, gathering signatures left and right, Koskinen believes it is “definitely worth [the] time and effort.” Koskinen remarked, “I personally really liked it and learned a lot from a different teaching style, but everyone learns in different ways.” He added, “It can be a bit of a culture shock taking a class at a military institution if you haven’t been to one before,” but for Koskinen, it was a great experience that he definitely recommends.
Also available to Conn students is the 12-College Exchange, a consortium of highly selective Northeast colleges. A select number of juniors may participate in this program. Some of the colleges include Amherst, Bowdoin, Conn, Dartmouth, Mount Holyoke, Trinity, Wesleyan, Wellesley, and Wheaton. Students are only able to apply to one college for the full year, but there is an opportunity to apply to a different college for each semester, though the program is highly competitive and students are not guaranteed placement at the institution of their choosing. To participate, Conn students need to discuss the program with both their advisors and their class deans. If approved, Conn students then have to contact the registrar at Wesleyan, Trinity, or the CGA who determine if the Conn student is able to enroll.
