By Mary Jo Frank
The Pilot Program sometimes tips the scale in favor of Michigan when prospective students are deciding between a small liberal arts college and the U-M, observes Pilot Director Margaret A. Talburtt.
Since its creation in 1962, the Pilot Program has combined the personal and academic advantages of a small liberal arts college with the intellectual resources of one of the world’s great research universities.
The mission of the Pilot Program, the U-M’s oldest and largest living/learning program for first- and second-year students, remains the same, but a number of changes are on tap this fall.
They include:
The changes are Pilot’s way of dealing with the evolving University, Talburtt explains, adding that this fall’s early opening of residence halls gives students an opportunity to plunge into academic and social life through Pilot’s “The U and You” course.
Noting that approximately two-thirds of Pilot’s 450 students come from out of state, Talburtt says, “‘The U and You’ course gives them something to do.” Through lectures, discussions and completing reading and writing assignments, students are expected to gain a historical and philosophical perspective of higher education at the U-M that will help them make the transition to university life.
The eight interest corridors are another way Pilot enhances its living/learning focus, Talburtt says. Students select their housing by indicating a choice of special interest themes, ranging from films, film making and drama to foreign language and international politics to creative writing and the arts.
Selected themes are purposefully broad to attract students majoring in a variety of disciplines, Talburtt explains. Together, corridor residents plan and carry out corridor or residence hall activities related to their theme.
Residents of the Finances, Dollar and Power Corridor might study the stock market, examine the implications of President Clinton’s budget with an economics professor or start a business. Those living on the Social Action and Social Service Corridor might tutor at a local school, invite several professors to dinner to debate the effectiveness of welfare or plan a service project.
Among the reasons students sign up for Pilot are smaller classes (averaging 15–20 students) and personal attention. Pilot instructors are easily accessible because they also live in Alice Lloyd and Couzens, where the classes are taught.
Each term the Pilot Program offers several sections of Pilot 165, which fulfills LS&A’s Introductory Composition requirement. The sections are organized around thematic content.
Pilot sections of such courses as Review of Elementary French, Analytic Geometry-Calculus I and Introduction to Psychology have been added to the curriculum this fall.
Talburtt anticipates more changes in the future, including possibly consolidating the Pilot Program into one residence hall and adding a spring term program. Already under way is a Board of Student-Empowered Programming, designed to give students a greater voice in deciding how best to use Pilot Program resources.
Another one of Talburtt’s goals is to improve communication with prospective students about the Pilot Program earlier in the college decision-making process. To that end, Pilot Program information brochures recently were added to the bank of literature about U-M academic programs in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Faculty who are interested in serving as academic or extracurricular programming resources should call Talburtt, 764-7521.
The Pilot Program is funded by the Housing Division and LS&A.
