Equine Scholars Vision Statement:
Our vision is to enhance the learning experience for students with a love for horses by providing
a blend of a serious liberal-arts education with a scholarly equine context.
Goals:
1. To provide students with an effective liberal arts education.
2. To bring an interest and appreciation for horses into a broad-based scholarly context.
3. To enhance undergraduate preparation for student's calling to veterinary science and other
careers in the equine industry.
4. To expand students' understanding of humanity's relationship to the horse, in culture,
commerce, history, and the arts.
Outcomes:
Upon undergraduate graduation with an Equine Scholars Distinction, students should be
prepared to enter either graduate programs or the career path of their choosing, and to have the
problem-solving ability to face the special challenges that the equine industries present. Since
Equine Scholars have varied interests, there is no single "preferred" track.
These outcomes will be measured in exit surveys noting placement of Equine Scholars in
graduate schools and career placement in organizations related to horses, as well as general
graduation and placement rates (both in absolute terms and relative to the college as a whole.) If
the goal of enhancing education is met, this should be reflected in both overall graduation and
placement, and equine-specific graduation and placement.
Equine Scholars Program: The Equine Scholar Distinction
Students who apply to become Equine Scholars have expressed their interest in pursuing
professions and/or extracurricular activities related to the horse. The program is designed to
provide students with an opportunity to pursue those interests both inside and outside the
classroom. At the core of the program is the expectation that all Equine Scholars will pursue a
balanced, liberal arts education. A student who accepts an Equine Scholars scholarship will also
be expected to participate in the Equine Scholar Distinction Program. This program, which
combines experiences inside and outside the classroom, will encourage the student to find ways
to approach that liberal arts education in a way that develops their interest in equine studies.
Program Elements
All Equine Scholars will be expected to do the following:

Attend an average of at least one Equine Scholars event per semester. These events could
include such things as lectures, field trips, and other activities designed specifically to
explore issues of interest to those involved with the horse.

Complete at least one Equine Internship, either for academic credit (though a department
that offers internships), or not for credit (as arranged through the Director of Internships).

Maintain at least a 2.75 overall GPA.

Complete at least three Equine Option projects in three classes approved by the
Professors choice that reflect on their interest in the horse.
These Equine Option projects can take a variety of forms. For instance, a student could complete
a paper assignment on a topic with an equine emphasis, create a work of art that is inspired by
the horse, make a presentation in a speech class that focuses on some aspect of horses or
horsemanship, complete a business class project on the horse business, etc. Students undertaking
these projects must complete the Equine Option Approval Form. Note that faculty members are
not asked to make any adjustments to their assignments in order to accommodate the Equine
Option; this option should be something that fits within the normal structure of the class
assignment. No specific major or minor is required, due to the diverse interests of Equine
Scholars, and taking a course with an Equine Option does not change its status for fulfilling
major, minor, or General Education requirements.
Upon completion of all elements of the program, Equine Scholars will receive the Equine
Scholars Distinction, which will be noted on their transcripts. Note that no specific major or
minor is required, due to the diverse interests of Equine Scholars.
Equine Option Approval Form
Georgetown College’s Equine Scholars use the flexibility of the liberal arts curriculum to pursue
their interest in equine studies. In order to earn their acknowledgement as an Equine Scholar on
their transcripts, Equine Scholars must complete at least three projects in three classes of their
choice that reflect on their interest in the horse. These projects can take a variety of forms. For
instance, a student could complete a paper assignment on a topic with an equine emphasis, create
a work of art that is inspired by the horse, make a presentation in a speech class that focuses on
some aspect of horses or horsemanship, complete a business class project on the horse business,
etc.
Faculty members are not asked to make any adjustments to their assignments in order to
accommodate the Equine Option; this option should be something that fits within the normal
structure of the class assignment. In some classes, it is possible that a structured Equine Option
may already exist; the student may consult with the Director of Equine Scholars for a list of such
classes.
Student name:
Campus Box Number:
Telephone:
Major:
Email:
Cumulative GPA:
Course department/number/section to which this Equine Option applies:
Description of project proposal:
Signatures:
Student:
Date:
Professor:
Date:
Both the student and the instructor should retain a copy of this form.
For the contract registration to be complete, the student must provide a copy to the Director of
the Equine Scholars Program. At the end of the semester, the Director will ask the faculty
member for confirmation that the project was completed.
Passed Faculty September 15, 2005