First-Year Preceptorial

First-Year Preceptorial introduces you to some of the big questions that underlie a liberal education: How do we come to understand who we are as human beings, as members of a nation, a community, or other groups? How is our sense of ourselves as individuals-our sense of identity-both discovered and shaped within these groups?

These questions are examined by exploring evidence from different cultures and times -- and from different points of view. In small classes led by professors from a variety of disciplines, you'll refine your skills of analysis and expression by exploring topical readings that change emphasis each year. With your professor, you work hard to improve your writing. The course is an intense introduction to the liberal arts, but one that generations of graduating seniors have judged to be among the most valuable they take at Knox.

This multidisciplinary, small-group class will challenge you to apply the knowledge and skills you will acquire at Knox to complex issues. This experience is extremely valuable in developing the skills of synthesis and intellectual flexibility necessary for creative thinking, problem-solving and responsible choice in later life.