The Cluster
Central to the theory and practice of adult education is the ideal of the synthesis of knowledge. The School of Accelerated Degree Programs seeks to achieve this goal through the construction of the cluster. Clusters are comprised of a faculty member and approximately 12 to 14 students who meet for four hours weekly during an evening or weekend. Each student is enrolled in three related subject areas, called cluster groups that are, in many cases, integrated into one seminar. Students pursuing a bachelor of science degree must enroll in a one hour lab in conjunction with the science cluster. The cluster provides students with an opportunity to explore basic subject areas beyond the confines of a single discipline.
These cluster group meetings provide a collegial environment in which students present their work and share their learning. A major objective of this format is the development of knowledge synthesis, so quarter students can expect their learning to be measured in a variety of ways: written and oral presentation, class discussion, research papers, group projects, and traditional testing. However, as is true of most higher-education programs, in the School of Accelerated Degree Programs it is up to each professor to determine how students are to be assessed and graded; therefore, tests and quizzes may be used to supplement papers and presentations as assessments of student mastery.
The cluster follows the quarter schedule and meets one evening a week for four hours, integrating related courses of study. Three semester hours of credit are awarded for successful completion of each course in the cluster for a total of nine semester hours per cluster. Students pursuing a bachelor of science degree must enroll in a one hour lab in conjunction with the science cluster for a total of ten semester hours. The cluster begins with a first assignment, which is available on PC Common. This assignment is due on the first day (evening) of class. Subsequent homework assignments are delineated in the syllabus, and, due to the accelerated nature of the quarter program, it is expected that a student will spend, at a minimum, twenty hours per week working on these out-of-class homework assignments. This time commitment may vary, however, depending upon the student’s level of expertise in a given cluster. A student in a management cluster, for example, who has worked several years in a middle management position, and who has completed a variety of corporate sponsored management courses, may, in fact, spend less time working on assignments for this cluster.
Due to the accelerated nature of the cluster (program), the rewriting of papers or the assigning of extra credit homework to improve a grade, or grades, is not permitted.
Decisions regarding cluster cancellation due to weather conditions come from the Campus Provost who notifies students and faculty via Rave alerts, television and radio announcements, Lionmail, and website notices. The decision is made after reviewing weather reports and traffic conditions and after consultation with location directors via the Campus School Dean of Accelerated Degree Programs. Only the Campus Provost has the authority to cancel clusters due to weather conditions. The only exception to this policy is an emergency, and, in this case, the Campus School Dean of Accelerated Degree Programs must be notified when a cluster is cancelled. In addition, all cancel led clusters must be rescheduled and made up sometime during the term.
The School of Accelerated Degree Programs is an accelerated program designed for motivated learners who take responsibility for their education. It is assumed that a student will not miss any classes. However, recognizing that students are working adults, one absence can be compensated for (at the instructor’s discretion) through additional assigned work. Two absences will result in a grade drop in one, two, or all three of the cluster courses, depending on the class format and the instructor’s judgment. Three absences are unacceptable as that represents one-fourth of the class periods. A student who has missed or will miss three cluster meetings will receive failing grades in the cluster. The first class (Saturday for graduate students and new undergraduate students and the first week of classes for returning undergraduate students) and the thirteenth class (arranged by the instructor) are both considered part of the scheduled coursework and attendance will be counted accordingly.
In addition, the attendance policy is structured so that it incorporates tardiness and early departure from class as part of overall attendance reporting. Students are expected to arrive for the beginning of class periods and remain until the instructor terminates the class meeting. Instructors will monitor and record the names of students who arrive late for class meetings or who leave class early. Tardy or early departure absences are cumulative and counted according to the program's absence reporting policy. Students who accumulate four hours of tardy or early departure penalties will be assessed one evening’s absence. This policy shall be strictly enforced and in no cases shall exceptions be allowed.
All students must have their textbooks by the first cluster meeting. Students also have the responsibility of making sure they purchase the correct textbooks for each cluster or class. This is especially true when students choose to purchase textbooks from sources other than the Book-X-Change, Lindenwood’s affiliated bookstore. It is the responsibility of the student to purchase the correct textbooks for the cluster in which he or she is enrolled. Lindenwood University will not accept responsibility for any textbooks that were not purchased from the Book-X-Change.