The Engagements Curriculum is required for first-year UVA students in the College of Arts and Sciences, but the options and requirements can be confusing. Here are five things to consider.
What’s the purpose?
The idea behind the Engagements Curriculum is to aid in the transition from high school to college. The classes are smaller and are a seminar-style to encourage discussion. It is a way to introduce students to “college thinking.” They also encourage people to try new things and learn about different topics. The four pillars, Aesthetics, Empiricism, Differences, and Engagements push students out of the classes they might typically take for their major. Students at UVA are normally undeclared until the end of their second year, so this gives them the opportunity to explore different paths, or help them discover interests they did not know they had.
The Four Pillars
- Engaging Aesthetics: In this class, students will work with different art and literature mediums to learn how to better understand and interpret them.
- Engaging Differences: Focuses on learning about different cultures, religions, power dynamics, etc. to ask students how society will thrive together.
- Empirical and Scientific Engagement: A more scientific course that will teach students about something more math or science based.
- Ethical Engagements: Will ask students to think about their own ethics and discuss the topic with others.
Registering For classes
You will take two Engagements a semester, one in the first quarter, and one in the second quarter. Each Engagement pillar will have a list of classes to choose from. When deciding, I recommend finding a few that catch your eye and then take a deeper dive. Read the description provided on the Engagements website and see if you can find the page for the teacher of the class. Finally, try to see if the teacher or class is on CourseForum or Rate My Professor. The Engagements are supposed to be fun, low-takes classes, but some can get carried away with assignments and expectations. Make sure you find one that works for you.
One pro tip: In SIS when registering, the main name of the class will just say the Engagement pillar name (ex. Engaging Aesthetics). Make sure to go into the details of that class to find the actual name of it (ex. The Art of the Autobiography).
You will have to pick your two Engagement classes for the semester during course registration, so just be aware you will not be able to change your Engagement for the second quarter of the semester later on.
3 Requirements for Each Quarter
Each quarter you are required to complete three “Engagement experiences.” These experiences will all be written down in the back of a journal given to you by the course instructor. These often get overlooked by students and left until the end of the quarter. They make up 10% of the final grade for each engagements course, so my best advice would be to try and check them off your list early.
- Engaging Grounds: Your instructor will ask you to visit a location on Grounds that relates to the class somehow. This will be outside of class time.
- Engaging the Curriculum: You will meet with your academic advisor and complete an activity designed to help you choose a major.
- Engaging the Life of the Mind: Attend an event at UVA that is on the calendar provided by the engagements program (can be found at The Engagements Experience | General Education (virginia.edu). These events will change each quarter and consist of concerts, seminars, workshops, etc.
Enjoy them!
At first, I was very skeptical of the idea of engagement courses, but they have actually turned out to be enjoyable. I did my research and found ones that I really liked the teacher and topic. The work is not too difficult, and the discussions are fun. My biggest piece of advice would be to look at one of the course review platforms I discussed earlier. I had previously been placed in a different engagement, but after researching I realized it was going to be a lot more work than a two-credit course should be. I switched to “The Art of the Autobiography” and am loving it! Additionally, I attended a research meeting for my “Engaging the Life of the Mind” activity, and it filled up so quickly that they had to start turning people away. If you want to ensure you will be able to attend an event, show up early or register beforehand.
If you have any other questions about the engagements curriculum at UVA, feel free to consult their website https://gened.as.virginia.edu/engagements.