{"id":366,"date":"2025-02-06T15:37:25","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T23:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/?page_id=366"},"modified":"2025-08-25T10:37:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T17:37:47","slug":"thriving-in-the-core-curriculum","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/thriving-in-the-core-curriculum\/","title":{"rendered":"Thriving in the Core Curriculum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-mudd2021-right-sidebar right-sidebar\" id=\"right-sidebar\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Share this Proposal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list project-share\">\n<li class=\"facebook dark\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/thriving-in-the-core-curriculum\/\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"linkedin dark\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/thriving-in-the-core-curriculum\/&amp;title=Thriving in the Core Curriculum&amp;summary=&amp;source=\"><span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"mail dark\"><a href=\"mailto:?&amp;subject=Thriving in the Core Curriculum&amp;body=https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/thriving-in-the-core-curriculum\/\"><span>Email<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Proposers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sharon Gerbode, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of physics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liz Connolly, assistant dean for academic affairs and director of academic programs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kyle Thompson, director of learning programs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Veronica Clairmont, associate dean for institutional diversity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kathy Van Heuvelen, R. Michael Shanahan Professor of Chemistry and associate dean of faculty<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Danae Schulz, associate professor of biology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Opportunity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Harvey Mudd\u2019s Core Curriculum, while foundational for developing STEM expertise and intellectual curiosity, can present significant challenges. Although current support systems such as Academic Excellence (AE) provide valuable resources, many students face academic pressures and social obstacles, limiting their ability to thrive. With a tailored support program that addresses both academic and social needs, the College can increase academic achievement&nbsp;and joy&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;Core Curriculum,&nbsp;thus fostering&nbsp;a sense of community and belonging for all.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Thriving in the Core Curriculum\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZYtYQu0XoSk?wmode=transparent&amp;rel=0&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Big Idea<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This initiative will provide structured resources from pre-frosh summer through the sophomore year, including skills preview sessions, a Summer Institute, customized one-on-one tutoring, and cohort-based mentoring&nbsp;with both faculty and student&nbsp;mentors.&nbsp;Collectively these&nbsp;programs&nbsp;will build a strong community that empowers students to&nbsp;thrive in&nbsp;the Core, achieve academic success, and develop a lasting sense of belonging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The initiative will provide a holistic support system throughout the Core Curriculum, combining skills development, cohort-based community activities and customized academic services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pre-Frosh Core Skills Preview and Summer Institute\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Offer curated Core Skills resources to help students assess and strengthen foundational skills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide a three-week Summer Institute for select students to build academic readiness and social connections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cohort-Based Support\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Form small peer groups (HMC STEM Scholars) to participate in Core Skills Preview and take Core courses together.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assign faculty and peer mentors to provide personalized guidance, check-ins and bonding activities to foster a supportive community.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ongoing Academic Support\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Implement one-on-one tutoring tailored to students with specific needs to complement group-based resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cohort-based programs, inspired by successful models like the Posse Program, have already demonstrated success in increasing college retention. By expanding on these strategies, this initiative can provide other institutions with a replicable blueprint for creating inclusive, supportive environments that empower students to succeed in STEM, contributing to a more diverse and resilient global STEM workforce. On a larger scale, this initiative can make STEM education more equitable and accessible to all students of diverse backgrounds, ultimately enhancing STEM innovation and research outcomes, which drive progress in scientific and technological fields.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Innovation Showcase presentation: Thriving in The Core Curriculum\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M-bjNV8DaSY?wmode=transparent&amp;rel=0&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"project-proposals\" class=\"wp-block-mudd2021-wrapper mudd-wrapper hide-6\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading showcase-proposals-heading\">Other Projects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase primary-page-card-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-content-wrapper\" data-card-count=\"6\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/careers-in-biomedical-engineering-and-health-sciences\/\" class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/02\/showcase-bio-eng.jpeg);\"><\/span><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-text\">Center for Emerging Health Technology<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/center-for-the-enterprise-of-science\/\" class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/02\/entrepreneur2.jpg);\"><\/span><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-text\">Center for the Enterprise of Science<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/healthy-buildings\/\" class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/02\/shan-campus.jpg);\"><\/span><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-text\">Healthy Buildings and Future Ecologies<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/institute-for-data-science-social-impact-dssi\/\" class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/02\/chem-small.jpg);\"><\/span><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-text\">Data Science &amp; Social Impact<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/lab-for-art-science-and-technology-last\/\" class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/02\/showcase-lab-art.jpeg);\"><\/span><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-text\">Lab for Art, Science and Technology<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/innovation-showcase\/thriving-in-the-core-curriculum\/\" class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-img\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2025\/02\/DESSERTFEST17-web.jpg);\"><\/span><span class=\"wp-block-mudd-showcase-card-heading-text\">Thriving in the Core Curriculum<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Opportunity Harvey Mudd\u2019s Core Curriculum, while foundational for developing STEM expertise and intellectual curiosity, can present significant challenges. Although [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":605,"parent":369,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-promo-header.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-366","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":945,"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/366\/revisions\/945"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hmc.edu\/strategic-planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}