News

St. Lawrence's Social Science Program has long been a hit amongst students, but recent updates will keep it fresh and exciting for years to come.

In Fall 2023, the college is launching a newly revamped Social Science Program, which includes exciting and interesting new profiles that are sure to catch the eye of incoming students. These updates, coupled with an already great student experience at St. Lawrence, provides the perfect launchpad for those aiming for further studies and careers in the social sciences. Below is a survey of the changes.

Profiles

The popular Psychology, Society, and Health profile continues to be available, as do Discovery, Mathematics and Commerce profiles, but they are joined by two new profiles; the previous International Profile has transformed into the new World Profile, and an entirely new Social Justice and Leadership profile has joined the lineup. Socially-minded young people are sure to be drawn to this new offering, which will include an internship in community involvement.

The World profile, meanwhile, will feature courses directed closely toward international domains, and contents will be streamlined and relevant. This profile will prepare students who wish to go on to work in journalism, law, or community organizations. This profile will include a trip abroad as part of a final semester course, which other students may also have the opportunity to join.

Courses

Courses offered across all profiles have gone through an evolution of their own. There is a new course covering intercultural dynamics, which promises to give students the tools they need to interact effectively with those with cultural and national backgrounds different from their own. There have been changes made to the methodology courses, too - in addition to Quantitative Analysis, students will take Qualitative Methods, and learn about conducting primary research through interviews, observation, focus groups, and content analysis.

All students will now also take a Successful Academic Methods course in their first semester, which will explore such topics as sense of identity, learning styles, stress management, conducting research, exam prep, critical thinking skills, and more. All Social Science teachers are contributing to the course in a collaborative manner.

Impacts of Bill 14

Changes in legislation are starting to take effect at St. Lawrence. Students in the Social Science program will be the first to see these changes; their course sequences will be dependent in part on whether they hold a certificate that entitles them to an education in English, as determined by the Ministry of Education. While this might be a cause for concern for some incoming students and their families, we are ready for these changes and will make sure our students get the best possible post-secondary education in English. The French department will be offering additional support this year in the wake of these changes; there will be workshops available three times a week for those preparing for the Épreuve uniforme de français. Those working toward the English exit exam will be able to access French tutoring by appointment.

Extracurriculars and Student Life

St. Lawrence students have access to a broad variety of activities and sports at the college. Students in the Social Science program are often drawn to Amnesty International (Eco St. Lo), the Political Science & Debate Club, the Theatre club, the Health and Wellness Club, and the What the Heck band. For the first time ever, starting this fall, we will be recruiting students to participate in the Model UN in New York. There is also a new diversity of activities to support students in their French learning, along with math and methodology workshops. In their downtime, students can visit new study spaces in the atrium, the student activities room, the multimedia room, pet therapy sessions, or a free yoga class.

Why Social Sciences at St. Lawrence?

Research conducted with students in Winter 2023 found that they felt all these new changes would make a big improvement to an already great program. They also felt that the best things about the Social Science program are the diversity of courses and activities and the quality and dedication of the teachers. These thoughts were echoed by the teachers themselves. St. Lawrence in general, of course, is a small school with a human touch. We have all the advantages of a private school at the price of a public education - and this shows in data from surveys of alumni, 97% of whom say they would go to St. Lawrence again if they had to do it all over.

Overall, the new Social Science program promises to offer students an engaging education that will prepare them well for university studies.

 

Welcome Day for Social Science students will take place on the morning of Wednesday, August 16th. There will be presentations and fun activities tailored for students in this program, so if you're an incoming Social Science student (or you know one), mark your calendar!