Getting the support you need

A central element of the competency-based educational approach embraced by CPCS is the belief that people learning a variety of different ways and that what is important is that a learner can demonstrate the outcome of learning process. This opens up lots of different options for students based on their learning styles and preferences, what kind of educational experience they want, what kind of prior experiences they bring with them, and what kind of flexibility they have in their lives to take on the demands of school.

There are lots of different options and so students coming into CPCS will not have a prescribed plan handed to them when they enter. Different students will move through the CPCS curriculum in different ways and at different paces. They will have the chance to focus on different areas of interest and draw on different kinds of support as they progress toward graduation. At CPCS, students are expected and encouraged to play and active role in determining their learning goals and the methods they will use to achieve them. But students don't go it alone.

We know that to make the most of the options available to them, students benefit from advice and support along the way. So an important of our practice and our philosophy at CPCS is our commitment to meeting students where they are, working with them to assess their goals, and helping them get the support they need to make the best decisions for themselves. There are a number of "special features" built into the CPCS curriculum that are meant to insure that students:

Get the advice they need to understand and choose from the different options available to them;

Can assess they are and where they want to go;

Can identify and pursue issues that are particularly meaningful or relevant to their learning goals; and

Get the support they need to be successful learners.

Some of these features include:

The First Semester Experience
Diagnostics and Assessments
Learning Communities and Cohorts
Integrated Skill Development and Support
The Opportunity to Pursue Areas of Special Interest