Student and Faculty Voices

One of the Best Experiences I’ve Had at NSC

I might not have taken a Coordinated Studies class if it had not been a requirement for my AA transfer degree. If I hadn’t, I would have missed out on one of the best experiences I’ve had at NSC. My classmates and I were able to form bonds which are much stronger than those formed in other classes. The material was challenging, but very enriching, and we were able to delve more deeply and meaningfully into it based on the friendships we formed. It’s an incredible experience I would recommend to anyone!
Angela Reed, student

I think this course was particularly useful in preparing me for real-world problem solving -- after all, the way we interact with the world is interdisciplinary with lots of overlapping issues, so why shouldn't our classes teach us in a way that prepares us for that?
Not only was I able to meet my key graduation requirements and complete the classes necessary to my educational goals, I was able to do it in a way that felt meaningful and more efficient than if I had taken the classes independently. It was a unique and rewarding approach to learning that truly enhanced my understanding of both subjects.
The classroom community we are able to create in an IS class is unparalleled to any other kind of course we offer in the Seattle Colleges. It is truly a collaborative, expansive, exploration-driven space for developing cross-disciplinary lines of inquiry and critical thinking for students and faculty alike.

I believe this course, more than any I’ve enrolled in before has done the most for my personal growth and knowledge towards contributing to society in a positive and impactful way, and I believe the connections and overall lessons I took from this course would not be possible or at best fractionally as successful if attempted in a single course format.

As a non-traditional student, the idea of returning to school was petrifying. I dreaded the idea of returning to a traditional classroom where there are rigid expectations of how to engage with, write, talk, and think about academic topics. My first class at North was Education Through Anti-Oppression. This Integrated Studies program taught me to be confident about applying my unique lived experiences into my academics including my writing and real world problem solving. I would have not stuck with school had I not taken this class and learned how to engage in school in new and exciting ways. Almost two years later, I have just been accepted to schools such as Cornell and Berkeley, I look back and realize I would have never had this opportunity if I didn't take that Integrated Studies class.

Genuine Intellectual Inquiry for Students & Instructors

What I love about being a part of an Integrated Studies classroom environment is the sense of genuine intellectual inquiry it affords all of the participants, including the instructors. I love watching students arrive at their own interpretations of texts through seminaring. There’s nothing more thrilling than to see students making meaningful connections between the disciplines.

It’s also invigorating for me, as the instructor, to be challenged to consider new angles on old topics through a different disciplinary perspective. By studying a memoir through the lens of social psychology, I gained deeper insights into situations and cultural factors that impact individuals’ motivations, a perspective I could not have acquired through traditional literary analysis alone. Similarly, analyzing political speeches through the communications disciplinary perspective broadened my understanding of the many complex factors that influence rhetorical situations that extend beyond the usual textual analysis focus. 

Terri Chung English Instructor

Learner-centered Philosophy & Structure

I feel so fortunate to teach in the Integrated Studies program because of the opportunity it provides to work with faculty from other disciplines. I like to think that I bring a cooperative spirit and willingness to learn to the Integrated Studies program. This has allowed me to learn not only from my colleagues but also from my students. I am also committed to a pedagogical practice that puts students at the center of their own learning, and the philosophy and structure of Coordinated Studies classes allow me to do this.
In addition to student-centered learning, anti-oppression work is also important to me, and teaching in Integrated Studies has allowed me to learn ways to do this work from other faculty members. The focus of Integrated Studies — a common thematic inquiry through multiple disciplines — has helped me to do anti-oppression work and also teach in richer, more complex ways. 
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Diana Ma English Department Faculty

Other faculty quotes:

As an instructor, I was able to engage in practical and useful professional development every day of the quarter when planning, teaching, and assessing with another instructor. I learned content material (such as Women's history) that I was able to bring into my other courses.

Co-teaching is an opportunity to advance one's understanding of how we operate, appear and function in the classroom to our students. It is incredibly valuable to teach in such a reflective space - working in tandem with another educator. The students get to experience this synergy and collaboration in real-time, and at the same time they are exercising collaboration and dialogue in community themselves. The integrated and coordinated classes are also a way to expand my understanding of my discipline. This has opened up doors for me professionally (conference presentations), and greatly benefitted my stand-alone classes with richer, more integrated assignments.