Lehman Scholars Program is ‘The College Within the College’
By Allen Mena
Lehman’s Honors Program Director, Gary Schwartz (Photo Credit: Macaulay honors college website)
“‘Real college’ gets lost in the chasing of grades and credits that often occurs in big name universities,” says Anna Purves, an English professor who teaches in the Lehman Scholars Program (LSP). Its purpose, she explains, “is to create the college within the college,” and provide a challenging experience for those students who are able to handle higher-level thinking and analysis, as opposed to rote memorization.
Only 20 students are allowed into the LSP program, which prides itself on “Socratic-style” seminars. This method originates from Socrates’ teaching method of posing open-ended questions and letting students answer them and gain knowledge from each other as well as him, as opposed to just him reciting information, according to Professor Gary Schwartz, Honors Director and head of the LSP program.
This is very different from typical lecture halls, where professors have to provide nearly all of the information with little input from students besides clear wrong or right answers. Seminars usually focus on unique topics and deal with questions that do not have a clear answer, and can be defended or refuted, depending on the given evidence.
“In a seminar, the emphasis is on the student’s ability to defend his or her point of view. That is where real debate starts and students learn from each other more than the professor,” Purves explains. “A seminar is not supposed to be a teacher pontificating. Instead it's a roundtable where conversation flows freely… There are supposed to be fewer than 18 students, and because of the small class size, everyone tends to participate more.”
LSP students also praised these benefits of the seminar.
“Smaller class sizes are a plus for me and the professors focus on every student as opposed to regular Lehman courses that I take,” said Moesha Williamson, a sophomore food and nutrition major in the LSP Program.
“I like how the small class sizes of the LSP courses allow for a better connection between peers and professors,” said Jensy Ross, a health and environmental science major of class of 2022 who is enrolled in both the LSP program and Macaulay Honors College. “For me, this creates better courses and better experiences from them.”
Schwartz agreed. “I think the seminar configuration is the most valuable way to communicate and learn and grow. We tend to encourage our fellow students when we are in smaller classrooms. It really promotes community and it’s a place where seeds are planted, and that is what seminar-style courses really entail. And so far, it worked.”
Students are admitted on a case-by-case basis, through a private interview, a review of the student’s GPA, and their extracurricular activities. Both high school and current Lehman students can apply but must have less than 60 credits.
Purves highlighted the holistic nature of the program. “We address the whole person and we have casual conversations that go outside the classroom,” she said. “It is important for students to have an outlet for conversations and staff to build personal relationships with. And when students get to have these conversations, they become more engrossed in their classes.”
