Co-curricular credits are extra-curricular credits that students must fulfill every semester. If they do not complete the requirement, they are required to pay a fine. Most students need to get 30 of these credits per semester, but some students that have specific majors with inflexible course schedules (like me, as a nursing major) only have to complete 10. Some of these credits can only be fulfilled by attending chapel services, dorm programs, and other specific categories. The remaining can be fulfilled through various other programs and activities.
According to the AU website, the idea behind Co-curricular Education is for students to “participate in faith and learning outside of the classroom…to enhance [their] portfolio.” However, there are many mixed feelings about co-curriculars. Some see the value of the concept, while others see the requirement as added stress. To get a sense of the general response of AU students to the idea of co-curricular credits, I presented the following questions to students from various majors and class standings:
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “co-curricular/chapel credits”?
“When I hear those phrases, it reminds me of a mandatory meeting or lecture that I have to go to every Tuesday and Thursday. Especially, so I don't get a bill at the end of the semester.” - Timmy Duado (senior, marketing)
“I was initially very excited about extracurricular programming especially Tuesday and Thursday chapel that our class schedules are built around. I was also excited to receive credit for Friday night vespers which I already intended to come to every week. I did not anticipate how much pressure there would be for me to have all 30 by the end of the semester.” - Cheyenne Newland (freshman, music education)
“The first thing that comes to mind is honestly, “I hope I have enough by the end of the semester.” Because I usually try to go to them either way, I personally haven’t had trouble collecting them in past semesters. But with an increasingly busier schedule, I find it harder and harder to make time for mandatory co-curriculars/chapels.” - Brandon Alvarez (junior, biochemistry and business administration)
“I think about the requirements needed for me and the programs that I need to attend to avoid paying fees at the end of the semester. On the positive side, I think about programs instilled to enhance my college experience and to learn about things outside of my studies.” - Jaden Leiterman (junior, medical laboratory sciences)
Do you feel that having a required amount of chapels to attend truly lends to your spiritual enrichment? If yes, how so? If not, why?
“I believe that the co-curricular activities have personally impacted my academic and spiritual growth. However, the consequences of being low on a total number of credits due to lack of attendance resulting in fines as a consequence is quite stressful, so I believe that the overall purpose is defeated when the attendee's sole purpose for attending is to avoid penalties. As a result of this, students can not view co-curriculars seriously for their own development but as a chore with a consequence.” - Nathanael Gordon (sophomore, psychology)
“I am a little torn on this question because a lot of people go to chapel for the credit and not for the experience—or to learn. I know that there is so much work that gets put into chapel every week so It’s really hard to go to chapel when the majority of people there are on their phones, talking to friends, or doing homework, and not paying attention. Religion should be a choice and not something that we force on people.” - Nevaeh Hippler (freshman, interior design)
“Required chapels is kind of an interesting topic to talk about. I don’t particularly think that chapels should be required simply because doing so makes it more of something to cross off on a checklist and less of an experience. Because chapels no longer have praise in the beginning, they have turned into more of an academic assembly type of setting, which I think changes the definition of “chapel” now. I personally think vespers have spiritually enriched me, so can we make them count as chapel credits?” - Brandon Alvarez (junior, biochemistry and business administration)
“I don’t think my spiritual enrichment is tied to the number of chapels I attend but to the quality of the chapel. I think making chapels required brings an audience, but I’m sure if they were not required people would still be willing to attend but they would attend with more of an intention of actually wanting to be there.” - Ntakirutimana Francine (sophomore, business/pre-med)
“To be quite honest with you, I don’t know that they do generally. There are very few things that I found enriching that I went to because they offered co-curricular credit. I guess I do recognize though that one way to entice people to come to events is to make a requirement and give them markers to meet that requirement. However, the credit max that we have to make every year is definitely a bit stressful. [Well,] I feel like I should say that there are some things that I went to that I genuinely did have a good time at, and I might not have gone if they didn’t offer co-curricular credit. The Shark Tank, for example, was fun! There’s a baking class this evening that I’m going to for credit. While these kinds of things are quite rare, they do exist and I enjoy going to them when I do” - Nora Martin (junior, psychology and English)
How does the co-curricular requirement contribute to your academic, religious, emotional, or overall well-being as a student? Do they take away from your overall well-being? How so?
“I really enjoy the co-curriculars because they make me get out and socialize! Overall I think that the co-curriculars are good. They not only have presentations that help you think or give you different ideas and concepts to dwell on. They have chapel, which I always enjoy. I also really enjoy the different club activities they offer because it helps me meet new people.” - Nevaeh Hippler (freshman, interior design)
“It’s more of a chore than anything. It happens in the middle of the day and it’s quite disruptive to doing homework, and usually, it’s not anything that I haven’t heard before.” - Nora Martin (junior, psychology and English)
“At times, they can be very beneficial to all three of those things in terms of well-being. I really just think it depends on how well they are crafted. Most times, however, I feel like I don't get much out of it, and it's just part of the routine that I have to partake in. It doesn't really "take away" from my well-being, but it definitely doesn't add to it most of the time either.” - Timmy Duado (senior, marketing)
“Many times, I find co-curricular opportunities to learn about things when I’m interested in them. For new students as well, I feel that they can be introductions to new aspects of Andrews they may not be familiar with providing some relevant info and resources. I think structured ways to access such resources and provide some learning aside from our education are helpful. At an Adventist university, I’m appreciative of the emphasis on the religious aspect of the university with chapel. However, I believe requiring such events negates the importance or meaning of these and creates a tedious viewpoint that draws many students away from activities. From discussion with other students, this is shared by many as we talk about having to go to chapel or Tuesday choices to get credit and not actually because it is something desirable. The anxiety at the end of the semester when you are short on credits can be detrimental as well, especially if you are unable to attend due to extraneous circumstances like work. However, I do get excited when I am interested in attending for any reason such as the cultural Tuesday choices like the AFIA, AULA, and other informational aspects to learn something new for example. Overall, I can see both sides of benefiting or taking away from the well-being of the Andrews experience and people.” - Jaden Leiterman (junior, medical laboratory sciences)
On Monday of this week, we received an announcement from Chaplain José Bourget regarding co-curricular credits, specifically the chapel requirement. He discussed student feedback surrounding the requirement and, as illustrated by some responses above, the understanding that this requirement may add substantial stress to students. He detailed some updates that will allow students to fulfill this requirement more easily. As evidenced by these student responses, there are mixed opinions regarding the co-curricular credit requirements. They provide real opportunities for social engagement and spiritual and academic enhancement. However, there is something to be said about the amount of pressure they can put on students. This dichotomy may be deserving of a broader conversation–a conversation we can all join today.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.