Offered during the autumn quarter, Chicago Quarter courses acquaint first-year students at DePaul with the metropolitan community, its neighborhoods, cultures, people, institutions, organizations and issues. It is through these classes that students make first contact with both the university's urban identity and its Vincentian mission. Students also learn about university life, resources, and how to be a successful student. This learning is accomplished through a variety of means, but particularly through first-hand observation, participation, personal discovery, reflection, discussion, and guest lectures.
To fulfill the Chicago Quarter requirement, students select either Discover Chicago or Explore Chicago. Discover Chicago students come a week early for an intensive Immersion Week experience followed by the first seven weeks of Autumn Quarter, whereas Explore Chicago meets during the regular fall term and includes excursions throughout the quarter.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- integrate, in writing, the academic content with student experiences engaging with Chicago;
- articulate the connection between course content and DePaul University’s mission; and
- use Chicago resources in their coursework.
Writing Expectations
Chicago Quarter classes should develop students' rhetorical (written and oral) skills through classroom exercises and projects. Writing requirements for Chicago Quarter classes include:
- Students are required to write at least twelve (12) pages.
- Formal writing assignemnts should comprise a minimum of seven (7) pages and require students to integrate the academic content with their experiences engaging with Chicago. These assignments, for example, may ask students to apply critical concepts to analyze texts or arguments related to the academic content or DePaul's mission.
- Writing assignments should be divided between at least two different types, e.g. jornal or reflective writing, group projects, site visit reorts, reading-based written responses, etc.
- At least one (1) writing assignment (formal or informal) should require students to identify and use Chicago resources.
The Chicago Quarter requirement in the Liberal Studies Program comprises a choice between the following courses:
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LSP 110 | DISCOVER CHICAGO | 4 |
| LSP 111 | EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |