As a small private college located in a thriving community such as Sioux City, Morningside College has a distinct ability to offer a truly personalized college experience tailored to the unique interests and goals of a student. Three new programs that will roll out in fall 2019 are designed to build on that strength. X Path, the Educational Enhancement Program (EEP), and Adventure are all programs that allow students with unique interests and needs an opportunity to gain unique opportunities and gain more experience earlier on in college.

As a small private college located in a thriving community such as Sioux City, Morningside College has a distinct ability to offer a truly personalized college experience tailored to the unique interests and goals of a student. Three new programs that will roll out in fall 2019 are designed to build on that strength.

X Path, the Educational Enhancement Program (EEP), and Adventure are all programs that allow students with unique interests and needs an opportunity to gain unique opportunities and gain more experience earlier on in college.

“We are reaching out to different populations of students with these programs,” said Dr. William Deeds, provost at Morningside College. “We expect these programs to increase the diversity of our student body in many ways, and that’s good for all of our students.”

X Path was designed as Morningside’s version of undecided. It gives students the ability to explore and consider their future, but the difference is that it offers a structured process to explore interests and ideas that matter to the student, said Dr. Alden Stout, associate vice president of academic affairs at Morningside College.

“At other schools, students who are undecided on a major may be left to their own devices to figure it out,” Stout said. “We are actually giving them a very guided and structured path to help them effectively figure out what they want to do to be successful both in college and in their careers.”

Students may participate in the X Path program for as little as a semester or up to two years, receiving one-on-one support from staff and faculty mentors. Among other things, they will complete a strengths inventory, explore careers related to their strengths, and meet with professionals working in their interest areas.

Students on the X Path also have access to Morningside’s XP Guarantee, which is offered to all Morningside students and is the college’s assurance that students will graduate in four years or less and have a job or head to graduate school within six months of graduation, so long as they meet basic requirements.

Another program being developed is the Educational Enhancement Program (EEP), which is an invitation-only initiative designed to help incoming freshmen who are identified during the admissions process. The intent of the program is for students selected to gain confidence as they begin their Morningside experience.

EEP students will arrive at Morningside a few weeks ahead of time to become accustomed to the campus, beef up study skills, and learn about some of the resources and options available to them as a Morningside student. As a cohort, they will work together throughout their first year at Morningside while focusing on their academic success.

“There are students who have a lot of potential and want to go to college but whose previous academic work or test scores may not accurately reflect their ability,” Stout said. “We want to still give them an opportunity to be successful in college.”

The Adventure program is for students who want the flexibility and autonomy to develop their own educational experience. The program builds off of learner-centered programs already offered at the high school level.

“There are various high schools like Iowa Big that inspire students to take more freedom and ownership of their own learning – more ownership and independence,” Stout said. “And we think this program will be able to give those students an environment to do this at the college level.”

The Adventure program will give students the freedom to do everything from designing their own major to taking project-based coursework that focuses on solving real-world problems.

In line with this focus on real-world experiences, students in the program will receive a travel stipend to apply to a May Term course or study abroad. They also will have the opportunity to build a co-curricular resume focused on real-world skills like leadership, civic engagement and career development, and they will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with faculty to conduct research in their interest areas.

“Every Morningside student brings their own set of interests and ideas to the table, and all three of these programs allow students to build their time here in a way that works for them. These programs really build off what we are already good at while giving us an opportunity to get in front of some new students and families who may not have previously known us,” said Steph Peters, director of admissions at Morningside College.

Those wanting to learn more about these programs may contact the Morningside College Admissions Office at admissions@morningside.edu or 712-274-5511.