The residency for the Independent Degree Program (IDP) is a four day stay in Burlington at a local conference center located directly on the shore of Lake Champlain and is held at the beginning of each semester. The residency typically begins on a Friday, with all students registering throughout the day and staying until Sunday evening or Monday morning. Lodging and meals are provided and are included in the tuition. There is always plenty of food, and accommodations are simple but comfortable. Students who are either vegetarian or vegan or who have specific dietary restrictions can be accommodated.
Coming from all over the United States – Alaska, California, Florida and the East coast - students most often fly directly to Burlington International Airport. Other means of travel include Amtrak, Greyhound bus and cars.
The residency is the heart and soul of the IDP. It is at the residency that students will meet individually with their advisor and faculty, and discuss their course of study for the semester ahead. Students will have communicated with both their advisor (to discuss the degree plan) and faculty prior to the residency in preparation for their meetings, and often make arrangements to design each module (the course syllabus) together at the residency or alter what has been developed thus far. Some of the beginning learning modules (Gateways to the major) are designed ahead of time by the faculty, with the majority of the learning modules co-designed between the student and faculty.
In addition to the faculty meetings, students will participate in a number of workshops throughout the weekend that are geared toward helping the independent learner with writing and study skills (Library and database, academic writing, narrative evaluation writing, working with faculty as an independent learner, Ethics in Social Sciences, Public Speaking, Degree Project 1 and 2 workshops). New students are asked to attend a New Student Orientation on the first day of the residency and all students gather together Friday evening to get to know one another. On the second night of the residency, students participate in a ceremony honoring those students who have completed their degree projects from the previous semester as well those students just beginning their final semester of degree project production. All degree project students will be presenting the scope of their projects throughout the weekend; all students are encouraged to attend these half hour presentations when their schedules permit.
While the schedule will be busy, there is ample time to rest and relax. Surrounded by woods and several walking trails overlooking Lake Champlain, students enjoy this peaceful setting. Downtown Burlington, with its various bookstores, shops, and restaurants lining the Church Street Marketplace, is only a short drive or bus ride from the conference center.
