When January rolls around at Colby, it's Jan Plan. The January Program, the "1" in the 4-1-4 calendar, is a month-long term for focused or independent study that has proven an opportune time as well for students to take internships. Colby was the first college to integrate Jan Plan into an existing semester system, in 1961-62 and has since become an integral part of the College's curriculum. Jan Plan is designed to offer students and faculty a change of pace from the two regular semesters and to provide students with an opportunity to develop individual strengths and interests through a variety of unique academic and extracurricular experiences. It is a time to explore one topic in depth, visit other regions and countries, investigate careers, or pursue a dream. The campus itself is a lively place during January with many guest lectures, performing arts programs, athletic contests, and social and recreational events on the College schedule.

The January Program affords many different options, including traditional semester courses, mini-programs, and independent study.

Some courses offered on campus are traditional semester courses that have been condensed into the four-week period. Students generally meet in classes several hours each day and are responsible for exams and papers. The students receive full academic credit for these classes. Other courses are designed especially for January and usually arise from on-going interests and research of faculty members. Professors will develop an idea for a new course, explore a short-term topic, or combine academic interests in their own discipline with ideas from another discipline or even a hobby. One sociology professor occasionally teaches a course in "Sociology through Science Fiction,â and a government professor recently offered "Our National Pastime: Baseball and American Society."

A student may also choose from among a group of unique mini-programs that are specifically designed for January, or that do not fall within one of the traditional academic areas. These programs are given a pass/fail grade and usually combine class meetings with an independent project to give students "hands-on" experience. "Emergency Medical Technician Training" "Metalworking" and "The Mediation Process: Training in Conflict Resolution" are examples of these. Some programs are conducted by Colby professors off-campus and abroad. Students have studied languages in France, Germany, Russia, Japan, China, and Mexico; government in Cuba, Kenya, Nicaragua, and Russia; theater in London; art in Rome, ecological field studies in Costa Rica, geology in the Mojave Desert; and marine biology in the Caribbean.

The third option is an internship or independent project. These programs are sponsored by Colby faculty members and may be arranged through alumni, the Colby Off-Campus Study Office, faculty members, or through the student's own efforts. A limited number of scholarships are available to help support students who secure unpaid January internships, usually with government or not-for-profit organizations. Independent projects may provide students with firsthand experiences in various professional careers or offer them an opportunity to begin graduate level research while still an undergraduate.