Today marks the end of the first week of courses in the Experimental College program, an initiative by the Student Government Association (SGA) that seeks to supplement traditional classroom learning in a peer-to-peer environment.

The program, created by SGA Speaker of the Legislature and College sophomore Adam McCall and former College Council President Danny Berger (’09C), was launched Monday.

McCall said he looked to similar programs at Oberlin College and the University of Washington in order create Emory’s Experimental College.

“My hope with the program is that it really brings the Emory community together in a way that fully shares the intellectual diversity we have here,” McCall said. “[The Experimental College courses] bring us closer to the mission statement that we’re an ethically engaged and inquiry driven institution.”

About 50 people are currently enrolled in seven courses that range from “3D Graphics and Video Game Design” and “Under the Sea: Exploring Coral Reefs!” to “Shakespeare on Campus” and “Introduction to the Arts of Dental Science,” McCall said. Students with a passion for the material propose courses to teach during the semester.

College senior Joe O’Geen said he is teaching “Introduction to the Arts of Dental Science” because he wanted to learn more about dental science while teaching it to others.

“It’s a cool idea to be able to learn more about something that you’ll never really get a chance to learn about as an undergrad and to get some teaching experience,” O’Geen said.

Students do not receive credit hours or formal grades for the classes, as the experimental college courses are to be taken out of interest and enjoyment, McCall said.

Similarly, teachers receive no monetary compensation.

“I was really impressed by how many people are engaged in the program,” O’Geen said. “People are committing their time to class they’re not getting a credit for ... just taking it for the sake of learning.”

College senior Josh Jenkins chose to teach the “Shakespeare on Campus” course.

“I had learned so much about performative acts of Shakespeare but never really had a chance to put it into action,” Jenkins said. “It’s something that I really enjoy, so it wouldn’t be difficult for me to spend a lot of time or effort on.”

Jenkins added that the program will allow him to whet his teaching appetite for next year when he will participate in Teach for America.

The Experimental College courses have been described as “intramural academics,” Jenkins said.

While he’s not sure if he agrees with this definition, he said the program does help to combine leadership and academics.

“[The program] adds another layer of student involvement and interest,” he said.

College senior Paul Choi said he was interested in taking O’Geen’s dental course because he is a pre-dental student and he said the course will supplement his learning.

“I think it’s good that we have these other classes,” Choi said. “It gives us extra things to look for in the curriculum that we already have at Emory.”

— Contact Kate Borger.