Experiential Term (E-Term) at Ferrum College is your opportunity for hands-on learning experiences.
What is E-Term at Ferrum College?
Experiential Term (E-Term) is a three week term which offers a variety of two, three, and four credit hour courses for all students enrolled at Ferrum College. Courses offered in E-Term are from across the curriculum, including courses from the liberal arts core of required courses, to courses that meet speaking and writing intensive requirements, and courses that offer an experiential opportunity in one of our 32 majors and/or 33 minors.
E-Term courses offer students an opportunity to participate in
• Research
• Regional, national & international travel
• Resume building opportunities
• Development of service projects
• Unique projects and experiences
All classes are taught by Ferrum College faculty through the Ferrum College campus. A majority of the courses offered do not require pre-requisites and are appropriate for students entering their second or third semester of college. Ferrum College students are required to take, and pass, one E-Term course to graduate. Courses provide an opportunity for experiential learning on the Ferrum College campus, as well as through travel (domestic or international) and also involved in research and/or service learning. There are no additional tuition or room/board costs attached to E-Term. (If a student wishes to take MORE THAN ONE E-Term course, tuition and room/board costs will be applicable.) Any costs for travel, lab cost, etc. in an E-Term course will be listed with the course description during spring registration.
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When do students take E-Term classes?
Students register for E-Term courses when they register for spring classes, but they do not attend the E-Term class until the first week of May. E-Term is offered the three weeks immediately following graduation each year. Students are housed on the Ferrum College campus during E-Term, and all of the resources expected during the academic year will be available. Any activities offered outside of the courses will be designed with course offerings in mind.
Currently enrolled/full-time students will register for E-Term courses when they register for spring semester. The last day for currently enrolled full-time students to register for E-Term is the last add date during the first week of spring semester. Students must register for a minimum of 12 hours for the regular spring semester. An E-Term course will not count in those 12 hours but could put a student in an "overload" status for spring semester if the student registers for 18-19 hours and then registers for an E-Term course. The last day to drop an E-Term course is the first day of the E-Term classes. Students who drop out their E-Term course after the drop date, are obligated to all fees attached to the course.
Students are
required to enroll and successfully complete their E-Term course before achieving senior status in order not to delay graduation.
Part-time students must register by the "last day to ADD" the first week of spring semester (the add/drop week). Part-time students will be charged for a course during E-Term at the same credit hour rate as they are during the long semester.
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How many E-Term courses are students required to take?
All Ferrum Students are required to take a minimum of ONE E-Term course prior to senior status.
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ACC 407: International Accounting (travel abroad, London & Brussels)
COM 211: Radio Broadcasting Methods (pending faculty approval) (local travel)
CSC 230: Web Design (regional travel)
CJU 375: Crime Scene Photography (regional travel
EDU 147: Special Topics - Diverse Student Populations as Portrayed in Visual Media (regional travel)
ENG 207: American Nature Writers (local travel)
ENG 210: World Folktales & Literature (local travel)
ESC 205: Tropical & Marin Ecology (travel abroad, U.S. Virgin Islands)
HIS/ART 220: Museum Studies (local and regional travel)
HIS 304: Civil War Battlefield Tour (regional travel)
MTH 105: Fundamentals of Mathematics (no travel)
PSC 384: President and Congress (regional travel)
PSY 438: Science of Sleep (local travel)
REC 391: Peru Cultural & Heritage Tourism (travel abroad, Peru)
REL 207: Globalizing Religion (travel abroad, Salzburg, Austria)
SCI 144: Science of Crime (regional travel)
SCI 201/ESC 390: Green Building (pending faculty approval) (local travel)
SCI 205: Chemistry of Art (regional travel)
SOC 391: Directed Study in Sociology (regional travel)
SWK 299: Introduction to Community Services (local travel)
SPA 451: Andean Culture in Peru (travel abroad, Peru)
THA 205, 305, 405: Summer Theatre (local travel)
THA 222: Voice & Diction (regional travel)
DEADLINES FOR E-TERM:
- Students must register for an E-Term course when registering for the spring semester; however, they must register for a minimum of 12 hours for the regular spring semester as an E-term course will not count in the spring hours. Registration for spring semester is November 5, 2012.
- A non-refundable deposit of $500.00 is required for courses with a fee of $2000 or more and is due no later than December 12, 2012 to student accounts. Deposits not paid by this deadline will result in the E-Term course being dropped from the student’s schedule. E-Term travel scholarships granted will also be permanently lost should the dropping of an E-Term class becomes necessary for failure to pay the deposit and/or dropping the course for any reason.
- Applications for need-based scholarships for ONE E-Term travel course with a fee over $2000 will be available during registration for spring semester classes (students may only receive one E-term scholarship as they pursue their undergraduate degree). Arrangements for any other financial aid help must be addressed now with the financial aid office. Deadline for the scholarship application is November 13, 2012. E-Term travel scholarships may only be applied to costs for E-Term travel and will be rescinded if the student does not actually go on the trip, leaving the student fully responsible for the travel fee. E-Term travel scholarships are not available for E-Term travel classes beyond the number of E-Term classes required to graduate. Students receiving any other college sponsored scholarship to be applied to an E-Term travel course are not eligible to receive this need-based scholarship.
- The last day to drop an E-term class is February 5, 2013.
- Students are obligated for all course fees if still enrolled after February 5, 2013. If a student withdraws after February 5, 2013, and therefore loses an E-Term travel scholarship that might have been granted, the student is still obligated for the full course fee.
- Arrangements to pay outstanding student account balances for the fall semester must be in place and current to register for an E-term course. Arrangements must also be in place to cover spring semester balances (including E-term class), prior to spring semester check-in. The cost of E-Term is part of the charges for the spring semester and the balance in full (if no other pending sources – Scholarships, Loans, Tuition Management Systems payment plans, etc) is due December 12, 2012.
- Unless already awarded a need-based scholarship to help offset the cost of E-term travel, arrangements to cover the entire cost must be made. Students will not be allowed to participate in an E-term course unless all prearranged financial obligations have been satisfied.
- Students enrolled in a May 2013 E-Term course on or after February 5, 2013 will be obligated to pay travel related expenses and/or the full course fee whether or not they ultimately participate in the E-Term experience.
- Students taking any additional E-Term courses (i.e., over the number required in the catalog for the year they enrolled) will incur an additional tuition fee of $545.00 per credit hour for the course. If course is not dropped by the set drop date (e.g., Feb. 5, 2013 for May 2013 E-Term courses) the student will be obligated to pay all travel related expenses and/or published course fees.
- The $500 deposit is forfeited if a student drops/withdraws from any E-Term class after December 12, 2012.
- If a student adds an E-Term class after December 12, 2012, they must pay the $500 deposit (required for courses with a fee of $2,000 or more) prior to the E-Term course being added to their schedule. The last day to add an E-term class is Friday, January 11, 2013. Students who register for an E-Term class after spring semester check-in must also have payment arrangements in place immediately to cover E-Term fees.
Loan options for payment of E Term may be available. Students MUST contact the Financial Aid Office for more information. All applications and appropriate documentation must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office before April 17, 2012 for timely processing.
Questions concerning E-Term may be directed to
- Students must register for an E-Term course when registering for the spring semester; however, they must register for a minimum of 12 hours for the regular spring semester as an E-term course will not count in the spring hours. Registration for spring semester is November 5, 2012.
- A non-refundable deposit of $500.00 is required for courses with a fee of $2000 or more and is due no later than December 12, 2012 to student accounts. Deposits not paid by this deadline will result in the E-Term course being dropped from the student’s schedule. E-Term travel scholarships granted will also be permanently lost should the dropping of an E-Term class becomes necessary for failure to pay the deposit and/or dropping the course for any reason.
- Applications for need-based scholarships for ONE E-Term travel course with a fee over $2000 will be available during registration for spring semester classes (students may only receive one E-term scholarship as they pursue their undergraduate degree). Arrangements for any other financial aid help must be addressed now with the financial aid office. Deadline for the scholarship application is November 13, 2012. E-Term travel scholarships may only be applied to costs for E-Term travel and will be rescinded if the student does not actually go on the trip, leaving the student fully responsible for the travel fee. E-Term travel scholarships are not available for E-Term travel classes beyond the number of E-Term classes required to graduate. Students receiving any other college sponsored scholarship to be applied to an E-Term travel course are not eligible to receive this need-based scholarship.
- The last day to drop an E-term class is February 5, 2013.
- Students are obligated for all course fees if still enrolled after February 5, 2013. If a student withdraws after February 5, 2013, and therefore loses an E-Term travel scholarship that might have been granted, the student is still obligated for the full course fee.
- Arrangements to pay outstanding student account balances for the fall semester must be in place and current to register for an E-term course. Arrangements must also be in place to cover spring semester balances (including E-term class), prior to spring semester check-in. The cost of E-Term is part of the charges for the spring semester and the balance in full (if no other pending sources – Scholarships, Loans, Tuition Management Systems payment plans, etc) is due December 12, 2012.
- Unless already awarded a need-based scholarship to help offset the cost of E-term travel, arrangements to cover the entire cost must be made. Students will not be allowed to participate in an E-term course unless all prearranged financial obligations have been satisfied.
- Students enrolled in a May 2013 E-Term course on or after February 5, 2013 will be obligated to pay travel related expenses and/or the full course fee whether or not they ultimately participate in the E-Term experience.
- Students taking any additional E-Term courses (i.e., over the number required in the catalog for the year they enrolled) will incur an additional tuition fee of $545.00 per credit hour for the course. If course is not dropped by the set drop date (e.g., Feb. 5, 2013 for May 2013 E-Term courses) the student will be obligated to pay all travel related expenses and/or published course fees.
- The $500 deposit is forfeited if a student drops/withdraws from any E-Term class after December 12, 2012.
- If a student adds an E-Term class after December 12, 2012, they must pay the $500 deposit (required for courses with a fee of $2,000 or more) prior to the E-Term course being added to their schedule. The last day to add an E-term class is Friday, January 11, 2013. Students who register for an E-Term class after spring semester check-in must also have payment arrangements in place immediately to cover E-Term fees.
Loan options for payment of E Term may be available. Students MUST contact the Financial Aid Office for more information. All applications and appropriate documentation must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office before April 17, 2012 for timely processing.
Questions concerning E-Term may be directed to