Religious Studies Connections course creates sense of belonging

A .25-credit course may seem dwarfish in the grand scheme of a liberal arts education at The College of Wooster, but the religious studies department has seen giant results since it was added to the curriculum.

Jeremy Rapport, associate professor of religious studies, said the department made very intentional curricular revisions in 2020 when adding a course to cultivate a sense of belonging among students. The resulting Religious Studies Connections launched in spring 2021. The half-semester, one-hour-a-week course is required for all majors (ideally completed during sophomore year) and orients them toward religious studies as a discipline, how it functions in the College’s curriculum, and how they might think of it as prep for post-Wooster life. “Our not so hidden agenda is that we wanted a way for students to get to know each other better,” said Rapport. “Several fairly recent studies argue quite persuasively that one of the most important facets of succeeding in your major is making personal connections in your major.”

Rapport taught the course for the past two years until this spring, when Chan Sok Park, associate professor of religious studies, resumed teaching. Both have encouraged students to think about connecting what they learn with post-grad life personally and professionally, which is important in a humanities discipline.

Along with professional development components and a presentation from the APEX team about informational interview strategies, Park incorporated a scavenger hunt with I.S. archives that helps students explore what’s already been done and find inspiration for their own topics. The course culminates at the end of the semester with an all-department pizza party where seniors share their achievements during their time at Wooster, including their I.S. projects, to get the underclassmen excited about what comes next.

“Because of the variety of possibilities available in religious studies, I found that the course was very helpful in exploring options and methods for study as I begin the senior I.S. process,” said Jocylen Beckerman ’26, majoring in religious studies and history and completing the course in spring 2025.

The department has noticed an increasing number of majors and minors across the last five years, and while it’s not a direct contributor, they believe the connections course has only helped that cause. “We’ve seen the difference in students during junior and senior years taking courses together with familiar faces and leading more informed conversations in upper-level courses,” said Park. “This positively changed certain dynamics in those courses.”

It’s also helped students become more comfortable communicating with faculty. “Cultivating a sense of belonging and community is an integral part of continuing success with humanities in light of many challenges we are dealing with in the liberal arts,” said Rapport.

Posted in Magazine on June 25, 2025.