STORY: New “CLIP” Course Makes Independent Study More Accessible
“Cohort Learning in Parallel” (CLIP) is a new experimental course at Olin that is working to make independent study more accessible, connected, and sustainable for students and faculty alike.
A spin-off of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHS) Capstone for seniors, CLIP offers more students the opportunity to pursue personal projects while benefiting from shared structure and accountability. CLIP lowers traditional barriers to independent study—such as navigating project proposals and seeking faculty buy-in—by providing a supportive environment where those processes are scaffolded in from the beginning.
Olin students are pictured working on an AHS course project.
“With CLIP, we’re leaning into learning communities at Olin so independent studies don’t feel so alone,” says Gillian Epstein, associate professor of English, who oversees both CLIP and the AHS Capstone. “Every CLIP student is paired with a mentor, and they regularly share progress with their peers, helping them practice creating and iterating as part of the learning process.”
The inaugural CLIP cohort reflects the breadth of interests students bring to and develop at Olin, with projects ranging from improving the infrastructure behind course assistant programs to exploratory creative writing.
For Tamás Regan ’28, a mechanical engineering major, CLIP offers a chance to combine engineering, education, and social impact. His project explores how faculty integrate ethics and civic responsibility into Olin’s curriculum and how they align with the college’s core philosophy of engineering for good.
“At other schools, curriculum is much more dictated from the top down,” says Regan. “At Olin, faculty have an incredible amount of flexibility to experiment with what and how they teach, and that creates space for new kinds of learning experiences like CLIP.”
“At other schools, curriculum is much more dictated from the top down, at Olin, faculty have an incredible amount of flexibility to experiment with what and how they teach, and that creates space for new kinds of learning experiences like CLIP” says Tamás Regan ’28, a CLIP student.
Epstein, who has spent more than a decade mentoring independent and capstone-style projects, sees both CLIP and the AHS Capstone as part of a larger effort to help students explore identity, creativity, and community alongside technical expertise—hallmarks of Olin’s educational philosophy.
“At Olin, we see arts, humanities, and social sciences as central to individual and communal growth,” says Epstein. “Engineering exists in social contexts, and students need opportunities to reflect on who they are, what they value, and how their work affects the world around them.”
Professor Gillian Epstein speaks at a recent event.
Both CLIP and the AHS Capstone culminated in an end-of-semester exhibition in which the approximately 18 students presented their work to the campus community through interactive displays, storytelling, media installations, and live conversations.
For students like Kelsey McClung ’26, an Engineering: Computing major in the AHS Capstone, this showcase experience demonstrated how deeply personal interests can become meaningful academic work. Their project explored the history of polar exploration through a series of self-designed zines connecting maritime history, storytelling, and environmental themes; eventually, McClung would love to blend their engineering expertise and love of sailing and marine science to support nautical research and technology.
“Olin has a great culture of ambitious students who are excited to self-design courses and projects,” says McClung. “The CLIP and AHS Capstone students were all working on completely different things but still learning collaboratively together. That was really motivating and inspiring.”
As CLIP continues to evolve, Epstein hopes it will strengthen an existing culture in which curiosity, experimentation, and creative risk-taking are celebrated across the Olin community.
“Sometimes the beautiful detours end up having the greatest impact,” Epstein says. “CLIP gives students permission to follow those passions, as well as the support to see where they can lead.”