Montgomery Scholars Program (Montgomery College)

History

Founded in 1999 by a small group of professors of Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, the Montgomery Scholars Program was intended not only to provide an honors education for students but also to be nurturing and intellectually stimulating, a program that would bring together disciplines normally kept separate, particularly within the humanities. With a freshman core curriculum and a sophomore Capstone research project, the objective of the experience is to encourage students to think critically and to be able to examine cultures and worldly concepts intellectually while still allowing them to work on their own majors of study.

The program continues to grow and change with the aim of improving the academic experience for the students; further, some adjustments have been necessary owing to lack of support. While the program kept its Capstone topic on "Globalization and Migration" for the classes of 2003 and 2004, it later changed to "Technology and the Face of the Future", subsequently reverting to the original theme. Since 2005, the addition of International Relations within the sophomore year of the program has expanded and further assisted the Scholars in their understanding of globalization. In the same year, Art History was substituted with World Music in the freshman core curriculum. Whether or not these change to the core curriculum are permanent is currently unknown.

Beginning with the Class of 2008, an honor code was instituted that scholars pledged to with their signature. It reads:

"I, (Scholar's Name), hereby acknowledge that I am a Montgomery Scholar, Class of (Year) and as such am part of the Montgomery Scholars learning community and the Montgomery College student body. I fully realize the expectations of attendance, academic integrity and honesty inherent in my position as a Montgomery Scholar and as a Montgomery College student. I agree to adhere to those expectations, always to complete my college assignments with honesty and integrity, to be considerate of my fellow scholars and students, and to abide by the College regulations, as stated in the Student Code of Conduct."

Seeing the almost fully funded study abroad of the Montgomery Scholars Program, other campuses have followed in seeking such an opportunity for their own students. Shortly after the establishment of the Montgomery Scholars, for instance, Germantown campus founded the Millennium Scholars Program.

Curriculum

The Montgomery Scholars Program has been extremely successful in creating its desired educational effect, even though it is restricted to 25 students per class. This small size is intended to make the program more intimate and to allow the professors to pay greater attention towards the students, building bonds more deeply than in the typical classroom. The program is intended to prepare its students to view the world with a broad perspective and to train them, within a nurturing, stimulating environment, to implement this skill academically and professionally. While being exposed as freshmen to an holistic learning process by means of an intensive set of core classes, students are then provided the opportunity to undertake a study-abroad trip to the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. On returning to Montgomery College for their sophomore year, they are then taught how to use their developed capabilities, experience and research on a cross-disciplinary topic; finally, they write a thesis, and present their work formally to a general audience.

Core classes (first year)

The core curriculum for the first year of the program includes World History, World Literature, Art History (since 2005, World Music) and Philosophy. The four classes are taught within the same classroom, with all four professors present. Complementing the core classes are honors module classes in English and Anthropology, along with Biology for non-science majors.

Study abroad

The trip to England lasts for approximately one month; however, most students travel elsewhere after their Cambridge University studies and before returning home for the new fall semester. The Scholars Program participates within Cambridge's International Summer School, and students are required by the Scholars Program to complete several papers and to keep a scholarly journal. They are also allowed the option to take the classes for evaluation for Cambridge credit if they wish, and some (although not most) do take on the rigor of both programs.

Capstone (second year)

The second year of the program is intended to allow the scholars to put what they have gained from their first year and their overseas trip into practical use. They base their research on the main Capstone topic "Globalization and Migration" and the International Relations class. The scholars write a paper of about twenty pages, assisted throughout their research by a mentor. A Speech course in fall semester helps the students to learn to communicate effectively, which in turn assists with their presentation of their papers in the "Capstone Colloquium" towards the end of February. The scholars are also encouraged to submit their papers to the annual "Beacon Conference", a competition amongst two-year colleges of the east coast of the United States from Virginia up to New England. A large number of scholars have become finalists within the Beacon Conference competition.

Social Settings

Outside of the educational environment, the Montgomery Scholars program has numerous social functions to introduce new students to the program and also to alumni with Scholars outside of their graduating class. The initial acceptees to the Scholars program are invited to a President's Tea in May, held at the Montgomery College President's house, to (re)introduce themselves to the professors and the president of the college. Before the new class of Scholars begins their first semester, an overnight retreat in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, is held, typically the last weekend in August before the semester begins and before the more formal orientation to the Core curricula. During the first year, freshmen are encouraged to come to the weekly "Philo Cafes" held in Philosophy Professor White's basement, where students, professors, and guests discuss philosophical issues. Students often create close bonds within the Scholars Program which spills over from the classroom to social life.

Events are also held seasonally to bring current Scholars and alumni together. Open invitations are extended to all past and present Scholars to attend the Winter Solstice Philo Cafe in December, usually held at a professor's house. In May, the Montgomery Scholars Picnic is held at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, MD, to welcome the new class of Scholars and introduce them to alumni.

Efforts are currently underway to organize an alumni association.