■ New Century College

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Phone: 703-993-1436
Web: ncc.gmu.edu

Faculty

Professor: O’Connor

Associate professors: Gabel, Garner, Gring-Pemble, Lucas (associate dean), Muir, Smith, Wood, Wingfield

Assistant professors: Freeman, Gilmore, Gorski, Owen

Term assistant professors: Fuertes, Scott, Vitazkova

Adjunct faculty: Draheim, Grymes, Holder, Johnson, Kohr, Malaiwong, Saddler, Smith, Sweetman, Tillman, Uy-Tioco, Yang

Administration

Nance Lucas, Associate Dean
Kelly Dunne, Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs
Karen Misencik, Director of Experiential Learning
Teri Slick, Director of Student Services
Misty Hensley, Student Services Coordinator

Course Work

NCC offers all course work designated NCLC in the Courses chapter of this catalog.

About New Century College

An integral part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, New Century College (NCC) offers students a personalized, interdisciplinary education typical of a small college within the context of a large public university. Drawing on its own faculty, which is enriched regularly with others from across the university, New Century provides a learning environment that integrates interdisciplinary knowledge with workplace and lifelong learning. The programs enhance students’ technology skills, improve their writing, and provide them with challenging opportunities.

New Century College students interact closely with faculty; engage in critical thinking, problem solving, creative activity, and leadership development; and participate in experiential education in the form of internships, field studies, service learning, or study abroad. They learn to develop original ideas, engage in active and reflective learning, master competency areas, and conduct independent inquiry with high ethical standards. Both the structure and curriculum of New Century College respond to the needs of civic and corporate communities and provide instruction for a rapidly changing society.

Undergraduate Programs

New Century College offers a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree in integrative studies. The curriculum is based on intensive, interdisciplinary learning communities, coordinated with traditional academic programs. The result is an integrated program of study that emphasizes collaboration, experiential learning, and self reflection.

All students complete their degree programs with an interdisciplinary concentration. See the programs of study below. Students develop mastery of nine essential competencies (communication, valuing, global understanding, problem solving, group interaction, effective citizenship, aesthetic awareness, critical thinking, and information technology) assessed through freshman and graduation portfolios.

Mason Cornerstones

New Century College offers an interdisciplinary first-year program known as Mason Cornerstones. Freshmen from all university majors may be invited to participate. Invitations are based on academic performance. Cornerstones is a competive 24-credit program that consists of a sequence of four courses:

NCLC 101, 102, and 203 are writing-intensive courses that emphasize written communication as a way of thinking, discovering, and expressing ideas. Students who complete these three courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0 have fulfilled 3 credits of the general education requirement in written communication (equivalent to ENGH 101). Students who successfully complete all of Mason Cornerstones with a minimum GPA of 2.00 will have also met the university general education requirements in oral communication, information technology, literature, arts, non-laboratory natural science, global understanding, and social and behavioral science.

Transfer Students

New Century College welcomes transfer students from other four-year institutions or community colleges, as well as from other academic units within Mason. Academic advisors work with students to best use transfer credits and provide a plan for timely completion of the bachelor’s degree. All transfer students are required to take NCLC 391 within their first two semesters and meet with an academic advisor as soon as possible.

Minors

New Century College offers minors in childhood studies, consciousness and transformation, leadership studies, multimedia, nonprofit studies, and science and society. All are available to students in any major in the university. See the Minors and Interdiscipliinary Minors section of this chapter.

The Sustainability Studies Minor is offered jointly by the Department of Environmental Science and Policy and New Century College. For details, see the Department of Environmental Science and Policy section of the College of Science chapter of this catalog.

Graduate Programs

The college sponsors the concentration in zoo and aquarium leadership in the master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS) . This concentration prepares students for advanced careers in modern, professional zoos and acquariums. Admission to the concentration and enrollment in the courses is restricted to members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

See the Interdisciplinary Studies section of this chapter for details.

Centers

New Century College houses the Center for Consciousness Transformation, the Center for Field Studies, and the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement. The services of these centers are available to all students and faculty in the university.

Programs

Undergraduate Degree

Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor

Undergraduate Minor