RATIONALE:
The goal of this proposal is to make clearer the various opportunities for students within the Mathematics major. As the major presently exists, there are two options, a Pure/Applied option and a Middle School/Junior High option. Students currently seeking secondary teacher certification in mathematics must pursue the Pure/Applied option, satisfying the requirement of MATH 400 by taking MATH 475, satisfying the “pure mathematics” elective requirement by taking MATH 320 (thus revoking the “elective” status of this requirement), and satisfying appropriate Integrative Studies Program requirements and Teacher Education requirements. As might be imagined, some students have found this co-mingling of non-teaching and teaching “tracks” in a single option to be confusing! This proposal separates the existing Pure/Applied option into two options, one for students seeking secondary teacher preparation within Mathematics and the other for Mathematics majors not seeking teaching certification. The Mathematics Department believes this will assist students by (1) more clearly identifying in the College Catalog the opportunity for students to pursue secondary teacher preparation in Mathematics and (2) separately specifying the requirements students must complete in the three different options the Mathematics major would provide: Mathematics Secondary Teaching, Mathematics Middle School/Junior High Teaching, and Mathematics (for majors not pursuing teacher preparation).
Program Change
BA MATH Program Proposal
Geology Program Proposal
RATIONALE:
This description of the geology major and minor reflects the number change of GEOL 152 to GEOL 252
IIJRN 268: Enviromental Issues and the Media
RATIONALE:
The proposed change adds IIJRN 268 to the list of electives for the major. This interdisciplinary course focuses on media coverage of environmental issues, which directly supports the program objective of analyzing the relationship between mass media and society from historical and contemporary perspectives.
Communication Program Proposal
RATIONALE:
The first proposed change adds three additional courses to the list of electives, for both the Communication Option and the Philosophy Option within the Communication major. IIJRN 268 and IHJRN 267 are Integrative Studies courses taught by Journalism faculty, with clear relevance to the major. II 310 is an interdisciplinary course with a philosophical theme (existentialism), and it is taught by faculty in Philosophy and Women’s Studies. All three courses help further the program objectives stated above by encouraging students to communicate effectively and think critically about issues pertaining to themselves and society.
The second proposed change adds PHIL 360 to the list of courses that satisfy the Research Methods requirement. In this course, students engage in extensive textual analysis of both legal opinions and philosophical theories of law. Effective textual analysis is one of the research methods that the department seeks to help students develop.
Sustainable Product Design & Innovation - New Major
Keene State College Catalog information
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGN AND INNOVATION
Bachelor of Science
The Sustainable Product Design and Innovation major at Keene State College is a pre-professional four-year program offering a cross-disciplinary curriculum to give the student a solid foundation in the artistic, scientific, and technical aspects of product design and the social and scientific aspects of sustainability concerns. [...]
Sociology Program Change
RATIONALE:
Anthropology redesigned the ANTH 111 course to better suit the perceived needs of the
new ISP program and to focus on some topics in greater detail (please refer to their course
and program proposal forms). The Sociology Major is simply acknowledging this
curricular change in its overall program design.
Anthropology Minor
RATIONALE:
With the continued decrease in students who matriculated prior to fall 2007, this course
does not adequately serve the needs of the incoming students, the minor program, and
ISP. By changing the ANTH 111 to ISANTH 111, this course will be able to satisfy ISP
perspectives requirements thus providing students with a knowledge of human prehistory
and development, highly appropriate for a liberal arts education. . This past year, the
course was redesigned with this anticipated change to ISP in mind. Important components
have been added including discussion of ethical issues for archaeologists and physical
anthropologists (such as repatriation and indigenous peoples), a section on social justice
(particularly the role of physical anthropologists and archaeologists in recognizing and
proving genocide through exhumation of mass graves) and greater focus on the question
of “race” when applied to human beings (can it be seen as something biological in the
process of human evolution?).
Women’s Studies Minor
RATIONALE:
Minor changes were made to the list of courses students can choose from in order to fulfill the final course requirement in our minor. These changes reflect the ongoing transition to the new Integrative Studies Program. One of these changes to our minor program is the addition of the new ISP course IIWS 300 Women of Color. All other changes to our minor program merely reflect changes that have already been made to courses that have been revised for inclusion in the Integrative Studies Program (see the list of those changes below).
History Honors Program Proposal
RATIONALE:
Students participating in the History Honors Program will have the opportunity to explore subjects of particular interest more intensively than in larger class settings, work more closely with department faculty members learning about the production of historical scholarship, and will have their accomplishments suitably recognized by the History faculty and the College. While the Honors program is in no way restricted to students who aspire to continue engaging in historical scholarship at the graduate or professional level, this program will provide qualified students with such aspirations a chance to prepare for future study in close collaboration with professional historians.
Sociology Minor Program Proposal
RATIONALE:
Explain why this change is being made. Address the connection with institutional mission, and/or department, program, and course objectives.
We have decided to eliminate Sociology 101 as a required course in our program, and to replace that with a new course entitled “Soc 201: Introduction to Sociology Major”. (Explained further in major proposal.)