Guilford College is going to have a winter term.

A revised calendar for the winter term, commonly referred to as the January term or J-term, received faculty approval at the October faculty meeting. A pilot program will take place in the January of 2013 and will consist of optional intensive three-week projects for students, led by faculty members.

“We’re taking a look and being intentional about what we’re preparing students for,” said Jack Zerbe, chair of the Special Term Ad Hoc Committee, director of study abroad, and professor of theatre studies. “The world has changed so much, and the centers of power have shifted in the last five, six years. How do we ensure that our courses are preparing students to be global citizens in a very new world?”

The answer, according to Zerbe, includes a January term.

The J-term at Guilford will include many opportunities for non-traditional learning experiences, including study abroad trips, independent and group projects, internships, service learning, and possibly some seminars, according to Zerbe..

“Say a student wants to explore film studies,” Zerbe said. “They can either take a course during the school year or have a hands-on project during the January term. I can get you in to see the V.P. of Lionsgate. I know people at Fox, and I know the guy who’s the executive producer on ‘Glee.’ Let’s put this together — let’s do this. That’s the sort of stuff you can’t do (right now).”

“The term sounds like a great way for people to experience something different and to learn in a more hands-on way,” said sophomore Jordan Adams. “Especially if credits are being earned, I’m sure students will take advantage of the opportunity.”

Assistant Professor of Physics Don Smith is cautiously optimistic about the special term. Smith attended M.I.T. as a graduate student and saw the January term there as successful.

“I’m excited about the possibilities,” Smith said. “I’ve seen how a January term can be used effectively. The chance to have a block of time to work on one thing, instead of trying to balance four classes and committees and everything else is exciting. … There’s so much one could do with that.

“To have three weeks with some students to work on the telescope would be great. During the semester, students have all their classes and there’s no time to work on a project. I have a long list of things that need to get done with the telescope, and it would be a great learning opportunity for my students.”

There are reservations, however, about the enormity of the organization that must be undertaken, as well as the strain it will put on faculty.

“It takes time and a lot of work,” Zerbe said. “It’s the reason why we want a January term — so the students aren’t spread too thin — but at the same time we don’t want to spread the faculty too thin either. It’s going to be really tricky to figure out how we’re going to be doing this.”

Adams said that he is concerned over its cost and whether or not it will be covered by scholarships and tuition assistance.

Smith believes that there are significant hurdles to cross: how this will come together, how many faculty members will participate, how professors will be compensated and how the term will impact Early College and fast-track courses.

The goal, according to Zerbe, is to have by the end of this semester a definition of what the content will be, what sort of credits will be allocated and what the procedure will be for proposing a project. The calendar has been approved, but there must be a great deal of planning and preparation in order to see this through.

“We’re gonna walk into this gently, rather than dive right in,” Zerbe said. “As we learn, we’ll grow it … and grow it and grow it.”