Who Attends Conway?
Who Teaches at Conway?
Conway attracts highly motivated, self-directed learners who
We hire teachers whose integrity allows them to speak from
want to pursue ecological planning and design careers and
their hearts and out of their lives, rather than simply from
who learn best in an intensive and applied program. Conway
a textbook or solely on a theoretical basis. We value—and
students have a strong commitment to social and environ-
debate—theory, but value it most as it has relevance in practice.
mental issues.
Faculty positions have various functions. Core faculty are
Students come from diverse backgrounds and encompass
the glue and continuity of the program. At least one of them
a wide range of ages. Each class’s diversity of experience and
is with the students every day and for some sessions, such
perspective makes for a rich learning community.
as Wednesday afternoon presentations, there are two to four
Some students already have considerable life experience
faculty members present. These faculty carefully monitor the
and/or graduate degrees in various fields. Others are more
progress of individual students and coach them. As each term
recently out of college and have already demonstrated a deep
proceeds they are also constantly gauging where the class is
commitment to ecological design. Undergraduate fields
as a whole and make adjustments to the timing of the subjects
commonly represented among our students include:
being presented.
2% 10% 5%
Environmental, Biological, and Geo Sciences
WEEKLY GUEST SPEAKERS
Social Sciences
projects, and interact in other ways. They typically have very
Art + Design
6.3%
40%
15% 21.3%
Weekly visitors are also key contributors to the education at Conway. They conduct workshops, give talks, advise on targeted knowledge (such as how septic systems work or how forests may change over time) or a depth of design experience
Humanities
(such as in permaculture or conservation planning).
Planning and Geography
answers. This doesn’t mean you can’t get a straight answer out
Engineering
fulness than to impose a solution from another place and time.
Other
Our teachers are more likely to ask questions than to give of them, just that they think it is better to encourage thought-
STUDENTS ARE TEACHERS In a very real sense our students are teachers too. Students exchange ideas constantly. Between life experience and education, all have significant things to share. In recognition that
Our graduate degree is attractive to practicing architects, planners, and engineers who want to design more sensitively with the land. These professionals will be able to return to their industry after Conway having gained a whole-systems
students are important educators at Conway, they help award diplomas at graduation, with each student presenting another student with a diploma and offering words of appreciation for that fellow student.
and ecological approach to design. There are no part-time students at Conway and those who attend must be able to immerse themselves fully for ten months. There are occasional professional development opportunities, such as workshops in digital design.
FOREIGN STUDENTS ARE WELCOME We encourage foreign students to apply. There is no special application for such applicants; the standard admission procedure is followed, except that TOEFL scores may be required. Our program emphasizes communication as well as technical studies, and requires frequent public speaking and extensive writing in fluent, idiomatic English. In general, we consider the writing and public speaking demands too rigorous for students who are not fluent in English.
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