Institutional Mission Statement: "Emmanuel College is a Christ-centered, liberal arts institution which strives to prepare students to become Christ-like disciples who integrate faith, learning, and living for effective careers, scholarship, and service.” 

Senior seminar provides the graduating senior a capstone opportunity to personally assess the impact of this institutional mission statement on his/her life.

The Senior Seminar is intended to mark an important juncture in the liberal arts process of integrating faith and learning experiences, marking the culmination of the student’s four-year intensive focus on loving God with the whole mind.  The senior year is often a time of making special decisions about what to do in life, such as whether to pursue graduate studies or to get employment in a certain career.  By the time students have reached the senior year, they have also considered various world view issues, such as importance of education, financial gain, service to others, a view of divine involvement in their life, and the role of their religious faith in the way they will live.

    SS400 is a seminar approach to helping graduating seniors assess and integrate their total college program of learning and personal development within the context of a Christian liberal arts education. In addition to promoting self-reflection on issues of character-growth and formation of a personal world-view, the seminar sessions provide interdisciplinary dialogue on contemporary challenges concerning making transition from college to the broader demands of life, careers, and graduate studies.

1. Integrate biblical faith with learning and living.

2. Articulate a philosophy of Christian liberal arts education.

3. Articulate and analyze one’s own personal world view as well as the world view of significant figures from the student’s own academic discipline.

§    Holmes, Arthur F.  The Idea of a Christian College. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1975.

§    Books and Culture (www.booksandculture.com) Copies can be found in the Emmanuel library.  An excellent magazine with a variety of articles on topics ranging from popular movies to cloning.  It provides good examples of contemporary faith challenging and being challenged by learning.

Because a primary emphasis of the course is dialogue and personal interchange of ideas with other students, attendance is required for each seminar session, including the final exam period during which the General Education Exit Exam will be given.  An absence, excused or unexcused, will result in ten (10) percentage points deducted from the student’s total course grade. Two absences will result in twenty (20) percentage points deducted. More than two absences will result in automatic failure for the seminar.

Due 2^nd session: A one to two page reflection paper on “Three Persons I Would Like To Have As Mentors”   (5%).

Due 3^rd session: A one-two page reflection paper on, “The World View Beneath The Life of _____________” (Person selected from Galli textbook) (5%).

Due by March 10:  Resume from Optimal Resume (15%).

Due March 31:  A four to six page analytical research paper (20%).

Group discussion and participation in sessions (15%).  The student should illustrate through informal discussion that s/he has read and carefully considered the assigned material.

Due 4^th session: Oral presentation of personal world view (20%).

Attendance and taking of the General Education Exit Exam is required as part of the course attendance grade.  However, five percentage points will be added to the course grade for any student who scores 80% or higher on the General Education Exit Exam.