ASUW offers distracting experiments

All-nighters and dozen-page essays aside, school can be fun. ASUW is setting out to prove that with the newest batch of Experimental College classes.

Starting Monday, UW students will be enrolled in new classes like Thai cooking, Flirting 101 and beginning hip-hop dance. The UW's course catalogue has not expanded to include classes like these; they are offered through the ASUW's unique program.

"It's for people to be able to try out new things," said Stacey Taplin, Experimental College director. "It gives you those experiences you've always wanted to try but maybe never had the opportunity to."

The Experimental College is a non-profit organization offering hundreds of different one- to eight-week courses specializing in subjects not traditionally offered in a university course catalogue. Registration begins the first day of the academic quarter and continues up to the first day of class.

The focus is on having fun pursuing an interest; students receive no credit for Experimental College classes.

"I liked [the Experimental College] because I was taking Japanese classes at the same [time], and it was a supplement to that," said sophomore Alex Jackson, who took a conversational Japanese class through the Experimental College. "And I got to learn more about something I am interested in."

The Experimental College operates on the UW's quarter system, and classes continue through summer quarter as well. There is a discounted $5 registration fee for UW students in order to take any Experimental College class.

After the $5 fee, it is up to the instructor to set the price for the class. The average price for a class is about $30; however, some classes are free, and others can cost up to several hundred dollars if supply fees are involved.

"Students get a discount to take these courses," Taplin said. "Because we're part of ASUW, ASUW helps us run and function; we're an entity that UW students get to tap into for a really good discount."

The instructors come from numerous backgrounds, but all instructors have to go through a rigorous application and interview process to ensure they are knowledgeable in their subjects. The diversity of classes offered also means that instructors are drawn from unique backgrounds. UW students can even become instructors if they are qualified.

Class sizes are small, with a normal class having about 20 to 30 students.

About half of the classes take place on the UW campus. The other half usually congregate in various Seattle neighborhoods. Most are on weekends or weekday evenings in order to work around the schedules of students and community members.

"All of our classes are low-commitment classes," Taplin said. "It was designed for students."

The Experimental College course catalogue offers a wide variety of classes that change from quarter to quarter as instructors come and go.

"It was definitely worth my time, and it was something I was interested in, so I put effort into it," Jackson said.

To find out more about how to take an Experimental College class or to look at a course catalog, visit its office in the HUB or http://depts.washington.edu/asuwxpcl/index.php.

[Reach reporter Andrew Doughman at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]