3 courses with the subject CDS, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
CDS 100Professional Practice
To support first-year students during their first semester at Montserrat, both in their jobs and their coursework, we will require all first years to take a 1-credit, once-a-week course on Fridays before their Frameworks courses. This course will be a part of the Foundation program and include First Year Experience advising and information, in addition to job application and employment support. First Year Employment & Schedules The Career Design Studio staff will do our best to match first-year students with jobs that align with their previous experience, skills, and interests -- and also will create a foundation for them to build on in following semesters. We will have an emphasis on community service and foundational skill-building positions for first-year students. Job matching will take place between June 1st and August 29th, with rolling information given to students as they complete the advising survey and receive their schedule drafts. Since most incoming students will be registered by mid-July and scheduled for the Fall by mid-August, we will complete most placements in that timeframe. First-year students will be assigned both their employment position and their work schedule for their first semester. Work will be scheduled in 2-hour blocks, once a week. Work will not be scheduled during lunch or siesta, especially if they have classes on both sides of those breaks, so we can encourage students to participate in campus activities and create positive self-care habits during the week. At the end of the first semester, they will be able to apply to remain in their current position and increase their hours to five hours/week, or apply for a new position on campus. Spring semester work schedules will be determined with their supervisors after students determine their spring academic schedules with their academic advisors. At the end of their second semester, unless there is the opportunity to grow and take new responsibilities in their current positions, all first-year students are encouraged to apply for new positions appropriate to their Sophomore status that will increase their toolbox of transferable skills and their level of responsibility on or off campus. First Year Employment Positions During students’ first semester, they will only work 2 hours per week, which will allow them to acclimate to their college experience. By the end of their Fall Semester, everyone will apply for their 5 hour/week position for the Spring Semester. They may also choose to stay in their current position and increase their hours, but they will have to apply to do so. Specific first-year positions on campus include: • Mail Room Assistant • Entry-level positions in the Library, Career Design Studio, and other departments around campus 34
What happens when you take the lead in developing your Montserrat education? What if you could create an exploration-rich, adventurous path to graduation, trying new things while also diving deeply into your greatest passions? In this Career Design Studio course, you will apply the same creative processes you use in your studio classes to the life-changing work of designing your Montserrat experience. In Designing Your Montserrat, participants conduct inward research (about their personality, values, and interests) and outward research (attending artist talks by creative professionals and conducting career research) to determine multiple disciplines or professions they’d like to explore. These activities culminate in the creation of a plan for artistic, academic, and career exploration at Montserrat. This plan will focus on determining overarching goals for their Montserrat experience and providing a framework for making more informed, self-motivated decisions about their concentration, courses, and experiential learning options like study abroad and internships. To be completed post-freshman year--either in the summer prior to sophomore year, or during first semester sophomore year alongside Sophomore Studio. Fulfills: Does not fulfill a degree requirement
In order to help seniors successfully navigate the transition from college to career, they will take the final 1-credit course in the Creative Employment Initiative curricular support sequence at some point during their senior year. Sections will be offered during Fall and Spring semesters, but most seniors will likely wish to take the course over Winter Session, so as to not interfere with their thesis projects. Seniors graduating in December may opt to take the course during Winter Session after their other classes are complete. In Designing Your Career, students will research multiple career paths and devise five-year plans that acknowledge both their lifelong passions and their practical needs for a financially stable life after graduation. After refining application materials in order to create multiple resume and portfolio packages that are focused on applying for specific types of work, they will participate in mock interviews and portfolio reviews with industry professionals, network within the fields that interest them, and apply for jobs or postgraduate education or internship options. Students will also participate in workshops that will prepare them for life after Montserrat on topics such as apartment searches, taxes, and budgeting. Seniors are also encouraged to meet with a mentor in the Mentoring Program, either during senior year or in the summer following graduation. Fourth Year Employment Positions Students in their third and fourth years have similar employment opportunities. However, we encourage seniors to take the next step and choose a position in their fourth year that will allow them to obtain transferable skills or networking opportunities that will set them up for success when they begin applying for their post-graduation jobs. Specific fourth year positions on campus include: • Client-facing positions in Creative Enterprises such as Conifer Design Studio, Game Design Studio, Handmade Montserrat, and Photo Studio • Manager positions in the studios, galleries, or library • Resident Assistant Internships with organizations such as: • Peabody Essex Museum • The Artful Life • NAGLY • The New England Aquarium • Lego Senior Year Learning Objectives By the end of their fourth year, students will: 38
