Independent Concentration

What are the competencies needed for the program you are part of? *
Examples of competencies: being able to plan an event, work with volunteers, critique
an application, listen actively, etc.
- Ability to plan events
Work collaboratively with others
Ability to advise students of same age, older, and younger
Read and analyze applications
Active listening skills needed
- ideally has been successful in the IC application process, planning events,
providing constructive feedback, active listening, asking thought-provoking
questions, working as part of a team
What aspects of your program have been successful?
-

Building community and demystifying the IC process

What aspects of your program have not been successful?

-

Garnering support from faculty and staff

Demystifying IC process for them

- still working on building community among ICers and actually defining
what it would look like / what are the criteria for success
What is rewarding about your position?
-

Get to walk with students in their journey and get to play a small part of

someone's Brown experience

What is challenging about your position?
-

Trying to do too much in a given semester

Being a senior and trying to balance preparing for next year with working,
socializing, etc

What do you wish someone had informed you of before you started your position at the
CRC?
-

history of the open curriculum (how and why it was developed) - this is the

CURRICULAR resource center, so I think it'd be helpful to know more about the
"philosophy" of our CURRICULUM. in general, I think every Brown student
should know more about the open curriculum regardless of whether they staff the
CRC -----sorry about the all caps, italicizing wasn't an option.
What other advise would you give to someone filling your role in the future?
-

The CRC is a microcosm of the entire Brown community. Embrace it!

Write a script of a common scenario you deal with in your program

area.
Scenario 1
Student comes in who has recently started thinking about an IC but is still having trouble
defining their field theyre a little bit all over the place and need help structuring their
thoughts / honing in on what theyre interested in.
A mechanic identifies a problem to solve or a question to answer (e.g. leak in a house).
To tackle the problem, the mechanic employs certain tools (e.g. wrench)
1.

With your concentration, whats the problem you want to solve or question you

want to answer?
2.

What fields will you employ and HOW will you employ those fields together?

Scenario 2
Student comes in with an IC topic (e.g. Financial Regulation) that may be a bit too
specific to feasibly pursue at Brown it may be better suited as a GISP or focused
capstone project. Ask student if they think their idea is situated in a larger context (e.g.
Political Economy because the student was interested in why Financial Regulation is
the way it is) this can be done by asking probing questions about why this specific
interest.

Common Next Steps for most scenarios:

1. Direct to IC Database
2. Connecting email with current ICer
3. Recommending a faculty sponsor based on previous IC advisors