In the words of its title, the Personal Development Portfolio Program uses the portfolio process to foster personal development. The key words here are personal development. The goal of the program is to enhance your personal growth as you pursue a liberal arts education. The portfolio, consisting of a reflective essay and related documents, both develops and demonstrates your personal growth during each of your years at Bridgewater. We define personal development as integrated growth in each of four dimensions: intellect, character, wellness, and citizenship. The PDP program is designed to encourage that multidimensional growth.
You came to college to get an education, and you came to this college, we assume, to get a liberal arts education. PDP seeks to ensure that you leave with a broad yet integrated educational background, primed for lifelong learning. You will have a wide variety of educational experiences at Bridgewater, both in and out of the classroom, both on this campus and elsewhere. PDP is the vehicle by which you reflect upon and integrate those experiences. This reflection and integration enhances the meaning and significance -- in short, the educational value -- of those classes, internships, athletic experiences, study abroad semesters, club activities, musical or theater performances, and other experiences of your college years.
We ask you to do this reflection and integration in the portfolio, specifically in the reflective essay that you complete every year. We prepare you for this process in PDP 150, by assisting you in the transition to college life and by developing the critical thinking skills that are so central to liberal education.
Your advisor will assist you in the development of the annual portfolio, but it's your responsibility to do it conscientiously. After all, it's your education. We will not mandate how to develop as a "whole person". The college will provide opportunities to do so, and it's up to you to take advantage of those opportunities and enhance their meaning in the portfolio process. It's up to you to actively pursue experiences in and out of the curriculum that will provide the basis for your reflection and integration. You will define who you are, how you've grown, and how you intend to grow as an educated person.
We strongly encourage you to find a "mentor" as you proceed through college and this program. Once again, this is your responsibility. The most successful college students, those who gain the most out of the experience, are those who have mentors. In most cases, this person is your assigned advisor, but you may well find a mentor among other members of the faculty or staff here. Use this person for advice on how to gain the experiences and engage in the reflection necessary for personal development. Visit this person as frequently as possible, not only during advising sessions for pre-registration.
In April of your freshman, sophomore, and junior years, you will hand in your portfolio to your advisor, who will provide you with feedback and assign a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade. In the middle of your senior year, you will hand in your final portfolio to your advisor. Two faculty members from outside your department and major will evaluate the senior portfolio, and a satisfactory grade will be required for graduation. Those with unsatisfactory portfolios will be given information and assistance in making those portfolios satisfactory.
Your advisor and department may have additional requirements, but the basics are a substantial reflective essay (including reflection on your service learning experiences and supporting documentation), and a resume and cover letter. The emphases for each year of the program are somewhat different: reflection for freshmen, integration for sophomores, planning for juniors, and synthesis for seniors.
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