Butler Cultural Requirement

“Eight Before You Graduate”

Overview

Butler University has a rich set of cultural activities in the form of artistic performances, seminars and public lectures that collectively comprise one of our most remarkable educational resources. The aim of the Butler Cultural Requirement is to engage students in these most valuable and exciting learning opportunities, and to encourage students to develop habits of participation in artistic and cultural events that will lead to lifelong engagement with the creative arts and public intellectual life.

For a list of approved events, please check the BCR calendar. The BCR calendar is updated throughout the semester. Please check back regularly for new events.

Requirement Structure

All Butler students must attend eight or more BCR events as part of their graduation requirements. Transfer students must complete at least one BCR credit for each semester enrolled at Butler University.

Exemptions

No Exemption

All JCA students have arts events attendance requirements regardless of area of study; this includes primary majors and secondary majors, but not students who are pursuing only a JCA minor. Effective Spring 2016, students pursuing a primary or secondary major in JCA have fulfilled the university BCR requirement by completing the arts events attendance requirements as required by their area of study in JCA.

Receiving BCR Credit

BCR I'm here instructions — Click the image to view full-size

Butler University piloted a new system for collecting BCR event attendance information during the Fall 2020 semester. Designed to improve the student experience, the new process provides students with real-time attendance confirmations managed, in part, by Engage, already in use by many student organizations on campus.

When attending a BCR event, students must either scan a QR code or retrieve a tinyURL which automatically captures their attendance. QR codes/URLs are unique, event-specific and timed. Only students attending a specific event may claim credit, and students must attend the entire event to receive credit.

In past semesters, students would “scan in” and also “scan out” to receive BCR credit. Now, the QR code or tinyURL will be made available during the event by the event host – at the beginning, middle or end.

Note: There are no alternative make-up options for those missing BCRs preventing graduation.

NOTE: If you mark yourself as attended outside of a BCR event timeline, your attendance credit will not register in your my.butler.edu student record. Additionally, if claiming BCR credit for two concurrent events, both credits will be marked invalid.

Disability-Related Accommodations for Events

For accessibility information or to request disability-related accommodations, please visit butler.edu/academic-services/disability/event-accommodations.

Event coordinators need to contact Student Disability Services at 317-940-9308 or in Jordan Hall 136 to discuss all accommodation requests and accessibility questions in order to help ensure they are properly addressed.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact the Core Curriculum Office and we will be happy to assist you further!

Attend events with the BCR designation and claim your BCR credit. During a designated BCR event, event hosts will post a unique QR code or URL which automatically captures attendance. These links are timed and unique to each event, and students are expected to attend the entire event for credit.

For in-person events, you need a personal smart device to register attendance. Look for a posted QR code. Scan the QR code, sign-in using your Butler Credentials, and your attendance is automatically captured. In some instances, students may already be signed into the system and are automatically registered. Look for a small blue confirmation bar at the bottom of the screen.
For livestreamed events, watch for a posted TinyURL on a slide or in a chat. This may appear either at the beginning, middle or end of the event. Go to the link, sign-in using your Butler Credentials, and your attendance is automatically captured. In some instances, students may already be signed into the system and are automatically registered. Look for a small blue confirmation bar at the bottom of the screen.

Earn BCR Credits

This process was introduced during the Fall 2020 semester and is under review during a time when there is a reduction in the number of events scheduled on campus due to Covid.

NOTE: If you mark yourself as attended outside of a BCR event timeline, your attendance credit will not register in your my.butler.edu student record. Additionally, if claiming BCR credit for 2 concurrent events, both credits will be marked invalid.

Click the image to view full-size

For in-person events, you need a personal smart device to register attendance. Look for a posted QR code. Scan the QR code, sign-in using your Butler Credentials, and your attendance is automatically captured.
For livestreamed events, watch for a posted TinyURL on a slide or in a chat. This may appear either at the beginning, middle or end of the event. Go to the link, sign-in using your Butler Credentials, and your attendance is automatically captured. In some instances, students may already be signed into the system and their attendance is automatically captured. Look for a small blue confirmation bar at the bottom of the screen. Questions: Contact bcr@butler.edu.

If a student does not own a smartphone or device and cannot record BCR attendance during an event, please contact the Core Curriculum office at bcr@butler.edu or 317-940-9480 for alternative instructions.

For accessibility information or to request disability-related accommodations, please visit butler.edu/academic-services/disability/event-accommodations.

Transfer students must complete at least one BCR credit for each semester enrolled at Butler University.

View the list of BCR events. And look on posted flyers for this symbol:

BCR logo

In addition to keeping track of the number of attended events, the online graduation audit will indicate the number of events you have attended. Please view instructions on how to track the number of events you have attended. If you believe the report is in error, contact the Core Curriculum office as soon as possible at bcr@butler.edu or 317-940-9480.

All JCA students have arts events attendance requirements regardless of area of study; this includes primary majors and secondary majors but not students who are pursuing only a JCA minor. Effective spring 2016, students pursuing a primary or secondary major in JCA have fulfilled the university BCR requirement by completing the arts events attendance requirements as required by their area of study in JCA.

Until further notice, the BCR Review Committee is not accepting BCR event proposals. The only approved BCR events available currently are those sponsored by the following:

Butler Arts and Events Center Presents
Butler Ballet: Nutcracker, Midwinter, and Spring performances
Seminar on Religion and Global Affairs, presented by the Center for Faith and Vocation
Butler Theatre (faculty-directed) performances
College of Communication Lecture Series
Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series
A New View Film Series, presented by the Center for Faith and Vocation
Global and Historical Studies Seminars
Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra/Symphonic Choir/Opera
J. James Woods Lecture Series
School of Music Concert Series (includes Music at Butler, Piano at Butler, Faculty Artist, Duckwall Artist Series, etc.)
Vivian S. Delbrook Visiting Writers’ Series
Wayne Wetzel Lecture Series