Design Your Own University
Experiential Exercise Breakdown
Projected Student Number: 30 (six groups of five)
Abstract: Each group is given a special document that endows them with the power to design their very own university or college. The letter outlines the task, “Your student group has been selected by a panel of educational experts to design and plan a new university. In order to complete this task, each person will have to participate in individual and group decision-making.
Each University Design Group of five will meet and decide on a process to pick a name, or a name itself as well as the location of the college and the size. Each of the five students will also play the part of an expert in a subject. Each student will be handed a folded piece of paper that will reveal his or her expert status and the information they need to gather from the other experts in their field (from the other groups) to bring back to their University Design Group.
There are five experts as follows:
1) Admissions
2) Curriculum and Faculty
3) Student Life
4) Financial Aid and Scholarships
5) Reputation/ Claim to Fame
Experts meet for information gathering and strategy and then return to their University Design Group to share their discoveries and to illicit questions from their team. Then they go back to the expert panel to see if they have any more questions. Finally they return to their University Design Groups for the last time to design their universities and plan their presentation strategies. They will present an answer to the question, “Why should a student choose ___________ University or College?”
After each presentation questions are allowed by the audience to be answered by the design team and its experts. (Optional)
ADMISSIONS POLL: After all groups have presented their schools, by a show of hands, have participants indicate their school of choice/
Final Processing Questions
- How did it feel to design your own college?
- Were there good experts in your group?
- What was easiest to agree upon?
- What was a challenge to agree upon?
- Based on the presentations given, what is the most important aspect of a university?
- How well do you know what you want? Is it different now than when we started today?
- Do you know any schools like those described here?
- Is any school likely to have all the things you want? Most of the things you want?
- How did it feel to have the tables turned, to be able to design the school you want instead of hunting for something you are not sure exists?
- What would you like to know more about?
- What factors (real or imagined) keep schools like these from existing?
Evaluation Facilitated by Students
- Strengths
- Criticisms
Workshop leader returns to room to respond to feedback.
ADMISSIONS EXPERT
Questions to Consider When Designing Your University
What kind of student do you want?
What kind of student will you accept?
What is the average high school grade point average (GPA) for this student?
What is the average SAT score?
Will you require an interview?
What extracurricular activities are weighted more heavily in the admissions process/
What is the gender mix?
What is the ethnic/ racial mix?
What is the sexual preference mix?
Does the college admit students in spite of their financial need?
When is your deadline?
When do you notify acceptance?
What is your rejection rate?
What two essay questions do you want applicants to write about?
Will excellent athletes or people with special talents receive preference for admission?
How important is community service in the application process?
Should the application be typed or hand-written?
What do you do with late applications?
How are admissions decisions made? (By committee, by one person, by peers)?
CURRICULUM/ FACULTY
Questions to Consider When Designing Your University
What is the student to teacher ratio?
Why do you believe this ratio to be ideal?
What is the average age of a professor?
What is the gender mix of your faculty?
What is the ethnic/ racial mix of your faculty?
Do you have any famous people teaching at your university? If so, what do they teach?
Are your classes conducted in a formal or informal style?
Do you have study abroad programs? If so, where?
How are students tested?
How do students evaluate professors?
What are the five most important departments or areas of study at the school?
Where are your classes held? (Describe the physical environment)
Can you receive credit for work done outside the classroom? (Community service, internships, work)
Will students receive letter grades, pass/fail, written evaluations or something else?
What would a student have to do to fail out of the university?
How many years would it take to complete a degree? How many classes each term?
STUDENT LIFE
Questions to Consider When Designing Your University
How powerful is the student government?
Are students required to live on campus?
Give a list of the top ten extracurricular activities at the university in order of priority/ popularity.
What safety regulations or rules would be necessary to ensure peaceful coexistence?
What circumstances would get a student expelled from the university?
How prevalent are drugs and alcohol?
How safe are women and minorities on campus?
Are their fraternities and sororities on campus? Why or why not?
How many international students do you have on your campus?
What is the most popular student sponsored event each year?
Describe your dining hall. What is the food like?
What is your school mascot?
What role does athletics play at your school?
What is the greatest challenge in keeping students occupied?
What do you anticipate would be the three biggest student life problems at your school?
How would you minimize these problems?
FINANCIAL AID/ SCHOLARSHIPS
Questions to Consider When Designing Your University
How much does your school cost per year?
Are their special scholarships? If so, for what and how much?
Who is eligible for scholarships? Are they need-based or merit-based?
How do you decide how many students get scholarships after they qualify?
What do students have to so to maintain their scholarships?
Are there any special circumstances that would influence your college to give or take away money?
Do you have athletic scholarships?
How much does it cost to apply to your school?
What percentage of your students are on scholarship?
Do you have special scholarships for women or minorities?
How would a perspective student find out about these scholarships?
Do you have any way for students to work for the college to help offset the cost?
Can you use your tuition money toward study abroad expenses?
How helpful is the financial aid office in answering students’ questions?
Is the cost of the education worth it? Is this school a bargain or a risk?
Does you school participate in federal and state financial aid programs?
How much will most students have to pay back in student loans?
REPUTATION/ CLAIM TO FAME
Questions to Consider When Designing Your University
What is your college famous for?
What is your slogan?
Why would a student choose you over another interesting college?
What do your graduates go on to do?
Do you have any famous graduates? Who are they and what are they famous for?
Please interview a current student at this university for a personal testimonial (to be used for your presentation).
Tell us about the notable history of your college. Who founded it and on what idea or principle?
What has been your greatest collegiate scandal? How did you overcome it?
What do other colleges and universities think of your school?
Is your school a responsible community member and contributor?
If your school could contribute one thing that would change the world, what would it be?
If another school started to steal your entire student pool what would you do?
What three things do you do to attract students to your school?
What is the average starting salary of a graduate from your school?
Do you have a career/job placement office?
What percentage of students graduate?
What percentage of students go on to graduate school?
What is on the front cover of your college catalog? What does that say about your school’s priorities?
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