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Gettysburg College Guided Pathways

Knowledge and enduring skills—the anchors of the Gettysburg Approach—are practiced and deepened within our Guided Pathways and supported by your Personal Advising Team. This holistic and intentional approach to education ensures that every experience on campus—in the classroom and beyond—matters. Each hands-on experience builds upon another, giving you the knowledge and skills you need to excel in your life and career.

Every incoming Gettysburg College student can participate in the Guided Pathways and have their own Personal Advising Team. By participating in the Guided Pathways, you have access to competitive grants up to $4,000 to apply toward a Pathways experience. Upon completion of the Guided Pathways, you will earn a Guided Pathways honor cord for your Commencement ceremony.

Year - to - Year Progression

Year 1: Introductory Experiences

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You will connect with your Personal Advising Team as a first-year student. Your faculty advisor, co-curricular advisor, and career advisor will work with you to help discover your interests, what matters to you, and what skills you seek to develop.

You will be encouraged to take advantage of experiences within multiple Pathways and reflect with your Personal Advising Team to draw connections between your interests and aspirations. You will have introductory experiences such as the opportunity to participate in an on-site job shadow. You will also have the opportunity to gain industry and job search insights from professionals at the January Term (J-Term) industry meetup. In addition, you will participate in a First-Year Seminar program and partner closely with a faculty member and a small group of classmates to develop the skills that will benefit your academic career at Gettysburg.

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Year 2 and 3: Exploratory Experiences

Your Personal Advising Team will help you further hone your focus and interests. This team will help you select a major and define campus experiences within the Guided Pathways that will complement your academic work. At the end of your sophomore year, you will have the option of adding an alumni mentor to your Personal Advising Team. Your alumni mentor will help you build your Gettysburg Network and offer guidance on how to reach your career goals.

People seated at a meeting table.

Year 4: Consequential Experiences

By your junior or senior year, you will actively engage in activities within one of the Guided Pathways that interest you deeply. In turn, you will actively demonstrate the enduring skills you’ve developed at Gettysburg College. Your Personal Advising Team will continue to partner with you to help you draw connections between your campus experiences and your post-Gettysburg aspirations, advising you on how to articulate your experiences in a way that will resonate with graduate schools and employers.

You will also have access to competitive grants, up to $4,000, that you can apply to a Guided Pathways experience. Upon completion of the Guided Pathways, you will earn an Honor Cord to wear during your Commencement ceremony, to symbolize and celebrate the knowledge, enduring skills, and experiences you’ve gained during your tenure at Gettysburg College.

The Guided Pathways

Below is a list of selected opportunities within the Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Pathway.

Year 1: Introductory Experiences

Experiment, individually or collaboratively, with developing a novel or unique idea, creative work, or product. Reflect on how diversity can contribute to creativity.

  • Complete the Gettysburg Startup Academy online course https://www.startupexperience.com/gettysburg
  • Participate in introductory sessions at the Innovation and Creativity Lab
  • Join and actively participate in a creativity or performance-based organization or ensemble
  • Publish an opinion or article in The Gettysburgian
  • Publish in EI’s Ike’s Anvil student blog
  • Participate in an entrepreneurial related workshop
  • Participate and reflect on a field trip to a museum, live performance, or other creative venue 

 

Year 2 and 3: Exploratory Experiences

Contribute to the development of a novel or unique idea, creative work, or product. Assess and articulate how the development can find an audience, fulfill a need, or positively impact communities.

  • Participate in a production or performance
  • Display artwork at the Schmucker Art Gallery or at a local community organization
  • Participate in an organized showcase of creative work
  • Regularly contribute to The Gettysburgian, WZBT, or another student media organization
  • Publish a piece in The Mercury
  • Collaborate with a team of peers and a community employer partner through the Community GIGs program

 

Year 4: Consequential Experiences

Provide leadership to the production of a novel or unique idea, creative work, or product that positively impacts communities. Develop skills necessary for the promotion and public dissemination of the idea, work, or product.

Below is a list of selected opportunities within the Global Citizenship and Intercultural Fluency Pathway.

Year 1: Introductory Experiences

Learn about a culture different from one’s own. Reflect on one’s own identity as a citizen of the world.

  • Participate in a dialogue group
  • Participate in a Garthwait Leadership Center cross-cultural simulation and reflection workshop
  • Attend a College-sponsored service or ceremony for a religion that is not your own
  • Attend a large-scale culturally based event (BurgBurst, Step Show, Salsa on the Square, International Food Fest, Holi, Diwali, etc.)
  • Attend a culturally-based College House event
  • Attend an advising or information session sponsored by Center for Global Education
  • Participate in an international cultural club event

 

Year 2 and 3: Exploratory Experiences

Identify and explain multiple cultural perspectives when exploring a contemporary issue. Develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the concerns of underrepresented peoples in a community different from one's own.

  • Study globally for a semester (international or domestic program)
  • Participate in a Center for Public Service Immersion Project
  • Participate in a Model UN competition as a country other than the United States
  • Reside in a cultural or affinity-based College House (e.g. International House, Latinx House, Diaspora House, QHouse)
  • Participate regularly in intergroup dialogues
  • Participate in a research project with a global focus
  • Work as a first time program coordinator or student employee for a college office, organization, or academic program in a role whose primary emphasis is Global Citizenship & Intercultural Fluency
  • Active leadership in a student organization, or in a role within the organization, with a primary emphasis on Global Citizenship & Intercultural Fluency
  • Perform at or be a member of the planning committee of a large-scale culturally-based event (BurgBurst, Step Show, Salsa on the Square, International Food Fest, Holi, Diwali)
  • Participate in an Eisenhower Institute program based in Global Citizenship & Intercultural Fluency
  • Complete a Center for Global Education returning from abroad workshop

 

Year 4: Consequential Experiences

Articulate an understanding of multiple worldviews and experiences. Engage in meaningful interaction with individuals from other cultures through an initiative or project designed to address global problems.

Below is a list of selected opportunities within the Justice and Community Change Pathway.

Year 1: Introductory Experiences

Discover opportunities for community action. Describe how community action can promote equity.

  • Participate in GIV Day or other one-time service opportunities
  • Participate in a social justice or environmental justice focused student organization
  • Participate in a dialogue group
  • Publish an opinion about a social justice related topic in The Gettysburgian
  • Publish in Eisenhower Institute’s Ike’s Anvil student blog 
  • Participate in a justice-related educational event (Poverty Simulation, Center for Public Service Adams County Driving Tour, Center for Public Service Gettysburg Borough Walking Tour, etc.)
  • Attend an educational program or training facilitated by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) or the Office of Multicultural Engagement (OME)

 

Year 2 and 3: Exploratory Experiences

Engage in community action. Describe how that community action promotes equity.

  • Serve on an advisory group addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (Senate, Conservatory, Public Policy, Greek Life, etc.)
  • Participate in an ongoing service project or program (El Centro, Painted Turtle Farm, Campus Kitchen, Casa de la Cultura ESL classes, etc.)
  • Participate in a College-sponsored political debate
  • Actively participate in a social justice- or an environmental justice-focused student organization
  • Participate in a Center for Public Service Immersion Project
  • Serve as a Program Coordinator for the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC)
  • Coordinate a donation drive or fundraiser
  • Participate in a multi-day Eisenhower Institute experiential education program focused on justice and community change
  • Collaborate with a team of peers and a community employer partner through the Community GIGs program

 

Year 4: Consequential Experiences

Demonstrate team leadership in community action. Help the team understand how that community action promotes equity.

  • Serve on the executive board of a social justice- or an environmental justice-focused student group
  • Complete a Center for Public Service Summer Fellowship
  • Create or lead a Center for Public Service Immersion Project
  • Serve as a First Gen Student Mentor
  • Serve as a Center for Public Service Student Program Coordinator
  • Apply for and implement a summer social justice or peace grant (Mattson Summer Experience, Davis Projects for Peace, etc.)
  • Coordinate an ongoing service project or program for other students
  • Coordinate a large-scale philanthropic activity for the campus community (Relay for Life)
  • Participate in an internship at a nonprofit focusing on social justice and advocacy
  • Serve on a political campaign or in a community advocacy effort
  • Complete Eisenhower Institute’s Environmental Leadership program
  • Conduct research with a professor on a social justice or environmental justice focused topic
  • Serve as a House Leader for Justice/Change-Oriented College House
  • Implement a faculty-mentored Community-Based Research project
  • Participate in a year-long Eisenhower Institute experience education program focused on justice and community change

Below is a list of selected opportunities within the Leadership, Teamwork, and Collaboration Pathway.

Year 1: Introductory Experiences

Contribute to a constructive team climate by sharing ideas and demonstrating accountability. Engage with viewpoints different from one’s own.

  • Join and actively participate in a student organization, athletic team or music ensemble
  • Join and actively participate in a local community organization
  • Participate in Ascent (Pre-Orientation outdoor program)
  • Participate in a Garthwait Leadership Center group development workshop
  • Participate in a Garthwait Leadership Center Challenge Course experience
  • Complete and reflect on the CliftonStrengths assessment
  • Regularly participate in a Student Senate Committee
  • Participate in an Eisenhower Institute campus event with a leadership, teamwork, and collaboration focus.

 

Year 2 and 3: Exploratory Experiences

Help a team move forward by constructively building upon or synthesizing the ideas of others, and practicing group facilitation skills. Learn new ways of adapting and working with others.

  • Employment on or off campus
  • Participate in the Garthwait Leadership Center Group Facilitation Fellowship experience
  • Complete the Leadership Certificate
  • Participate in the Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG)
  • Participate in a multi-day Garthwait Leadership Center outdoor trip
  • Serve in a leadership role for a student organization or music ensemble 
  • Participate in an intensive all-day Garthwait Leadership Center Challenge Course Workshop as part of a class, team or organization
  • Serve as a Senate Committee Chair or Affinity Group Leader
  • Participate on an organization’s competition team (Model UN, Quizbowl, Mock Trial, etc.)
  • Participate in a student organization production or performance (performer or performance support)
  • Serve as an Orientation Leader
  • Collaborate with a team of peers and a community employer partner through the Community GIGs program
  • Participate in a multi-day Eisenhower Institute program focused on Leadership, Teamwork, and Collaboration
  • Participate on an NCAA college team as a second or third-year athlete working to build and maintain a positive team rapport

 

Year 4: Consequential Experiences

Manage a complex, strategic project or organization from start to finish. Build interpersonal connections with students who are different from oneself.

  • Serve as a Peer Learning Associate
  • Serve as a captain of an athletic team 
  • Work as a Leadership Educator in the Garthwait Leadership Center
  • Serve as an Immersion Project Leader
  • Serve in a senior leadership role in a student organization
  • Serve as the coordinator within a department or student organization responsible for planning a large-scale program 
  • Direct, choreograph, or otherwise coordinate a student organization’s public production or performance 
  • Serve in a supervisory role through a student employment opportunity
  • Serve on an institutional committee as a student representative (SLC, Sustainability, PSAC, etc.)
  • Serve as a Residential Student Staff Member
  • Complete Eisenhower Institute’s Strategy and Leadership in Transformational Times Program 
  • Complete Center for Global Education’s Global Leaders of Gettysburg College Program
  • Serve as a mentor to an incoming international student
  • Participate in X-SIG as a returning participant in a leadership capacity

Below is a list of selected opportunities within the Career Development Pathway.

Year 1: Introductory Experiences

Clarify values, interests, and skills. Identify career fields for exploration.

  • Engage in self-assessment and career exploration platforms and/or tools
  • Attend a J-Term session on self-assessment and career exploration
  • Participate in an informational career conversation or job shadow experience
  • Complete and reflect on the CliftonStrengths assessment
  • Meet with a Career Engagement Counselor regarding an overview of career planning or job search strategies, tools, and resources
  • Participate in the Civil War Institute First-Year Experience Program
  • Meet with a Faculty Career Liaison
  • Participate in an academic department-sponsored career event, exploring the relationship between undergraduate courses of study and potential careers

 

Year 2 and 3: Exploratory Experiences

Articulate transferable skills and the value of a Gettysburg liberal arts education. Develop and cultivate a professional network. Gain exposure to a diverse workplace culture through an experiential opportunity.

  • Meet with a Career Engagement Counselor regarding an overview of career planning or job search strategies, tools, and resources for a follow up meeting
  • Attend a J-Term session on career readiness competencies, job search toolkit, interviewing skills, or building a professional network.
  • Meet with a Career Engagement Counselor or an industry professional for a mock interview
  • Gain industry and job search insights from professionals through connectGettysburg, externships, Employers-in-Residence, career immersion treks, or speakers and panels.
  • Develop transferable and job-specific skills through on- or off-campus employment
  • Participate in a student leader training focused on applying experience to life after college, resumes, cover letters, personal statements, grad school applications, and interviews
  • Collaborate with a team of peers and engage with a community employer partner through the Community GIGs program
  • Attend a career program involving issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through student organizations, College Life offices, academic departments, or Career Engagement
  • Participate in the International Gettysburgians Network
  • Complete an externship experience.
  • Participate in the Civil War Era Studies and Public History Mentorship program
  • Participate in the Civil War Institute Fellows program

 

Year 3 and 4: Consequential Experiences

Identify and activate relevant professional preparation tools, including professional networks, to secure fulfilling post-graduation work or education. Articulate and demonstrate the intercultural skills and competencies necessary to effectively navigate workplace situations and diverse professional networks.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Guided Pathways provide thematic organization to Gettysburg College’s co-curricular experiences, highlighting how students can gain and develop skills and use those skills to impact the world.

Through the Guided Pathways, students can purposefully select experiences, aligning those experiences with their interests and the skills they hope to strengthen. The Pathways also provide students with a framework to consider and language to articulate what they gained from each experience, how each experience builds upon others, and how those experiences complement their academic work.

Ultimately, the structure provided by the Guided Pathways enables students to communicate how their Gettysburg experience makes them compelling candidates for internships, graduate school admissions, and professional opportunities. It also prepares them for various pursuits as well-rounded human beings.

No, the Guided Pathways is an opt-in program beginning with the first-year class entering Gettysburg College in Fall 2023.

Every student participating in the Guided Pathways will have support from a Personal Advising Team comprised of a faculty advisor, co-curricular advisor, and career advisor. At the conclusion of the sophomore year, students can add an alumni mentor to their Personal Advising Team.

Each student participating in the Guided Pathways will partner with a co-curricular advisor. Co-curricular advisors work with students to select their Pathways experiences based on their interests, goals, and the skills they hope to develop, much like faculty advisors help students identify their curricular experiences. Co-curricular advisors will track students’ experiences to ensure they are appropriately advancing toward completion of the Pathways program.

Your co-curricular advisor will work with you to determine if your proposed experience meets the expectations of a Pathways experience. Also, remember that the Pathways do not limit you—you can participate in as many experiences as you want, even if they do not all “count” toward the Pathways.

Reflection will happen independently and with a student’s Personal Advising Team throughout the Guided Pathways experience. Intentional reflection is a core component of experiential learning and allows students to understand their experiences better and explain how they relate to their interests and future aspirations.

Faculty or staff who wish to see a program listed on the Guided Pathways menu should complete the Pathways Proposal Form, which the Student Life Committee reviews for approval. The committee reviews proposals on a rolling basis.

Not necessarily. Pathways may change based on student, faculty, staff, and employer feedback. They will also evolve in alignment with the social issues of our time.

No, there is no additional fee to participate in this program.

After you’ve explored experiences within multiple Pathways, you have the option to design your own Guided Pathway. Together with your Personal Advising Team, you can curate and define your own Pathway that best aligns your on-campus experiences with your interests and aspirations.

Please email pathways@gettysburg.edu if you have additional questions.

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