It’s the new cornerstone requirement of the new Gustavus curriculum, and it makes the College distinctive among liberal arts colleges.
A SigX is a faculty-led, financially supported, customizable, out-of-classroom experience designed as a bridge between a Gustie student’s liberal arts experience and their “next big thing” after Gustavus. A SigX can be an on- or off-campus internship, a research project, a community-based project, or a study-away experience.
All such learning opportunities currently exist for Gustie students and have in the past as well. What’s unique today is how the SigX curriculum packages these learning experiences. SigX is a way to help students understand themselves in the world and where they will go next. It also widens access, granting to all Gustie students the out-of-classroom opportunities they seek. With a wide range of experiences, financial support, and significant faculty engagement, some of the barriers students face in choosing internships or study-away opportunities—such as cost, location, and lack of information—are eased.
For instance, each SigX comes with a faculty guide to help each student connect their liberal arts education to their SigX and their future beyond Gustavus. “The goal is for all Gustavus grads to tell the story of their liberal arts learning in action, in ways that resonate with employers,” says Pamela Conners, Dean of Faculty Development, Communication Studies professor, and John S. Kendall Center director. The faculty mentor provides helpful context, insight, and framing for how a student’s SigX has benefitted that student—and can benefit future employers too.
Another distinctive benefit is the financial support offered to students by Gustavus. At other colleges, out-of-classroom experiences can be cost prohibitive for some students. At Gustavus, students can receive financial support for SigX opportunities. A student can prioritize experiences that align with their passions, their interests, and their potential over the financial limitations of themselves and their families.
It’s guaranteed experiential learning for everybody.
Kim Frisch, Vice President for Enrollment Management
And SigX is customizable. Students can choose SigX experiences that best align with their academic program and futures. In Gustavus liberal arts fashion, students can merge multiple interests to craft personal journeys. For instance, a SigX might pair North American history with art preservation (see below).
A SigX is more than just a study-away or an internship. “It’s guaranteed experiential learning for everybody,” says Vice President for Enrollment Management Kim Frisch. “It’s the edge Gustavus students need on their resumes. It’s personalized guidance and faculty mentorship. And it’s financial support for all of it.”
Says Conners, “SigX ensures our graduates are prepared not just with knowledge, but with a deep understanding of themselves, their driving passions, and their ability to collaborate effectively. It enables them to confidently communicate their value to the world.” As a cornerstone of the new curriculum, SigX gives all Gustavus students the same opportunities to learn outside the classroom, with the benefit and support of Gustavus faculty. The result: Gusties who can think creatively from multiple perspectives.
That’s a win for everyone—students, faculty, employers, and our communities and society as a whole.
A SIG X EXAMPLE: Learning Object Lessons in the Hillstrom Museum of Art
Gustavus stewards more than 1,000 artworks and objects in the Hillstrom Museum of Art and the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives. The collection spans five continents and centuries and includes Native North American and East African art and objects. Object Lessons: Repatriation, Provenance, and Access in Art History, is an interdisciplinary project funded by the Mellon Foundation. Led by Art and Art History professor Colleen Stockmann, it incorporates these artifacts into the Gustavus curriculum through course development, training colloquia, and undergraduate research fellowships which will become Signature Experiences.
The goal is to make tangible the often abstract ethics of cultural heritage stewardship. Undergraduate Gusties gain graduate-level experience preserving and contextualizing objects with skills that transfer to museums, cultural groups, educational institutions, and other organizations. With Stockmann’s mentorship, they also learn how to tell the story of their work in ways that will resonate with employers in such organizations.
