A group of faculty are designing the new core curriculum that requires students enrolling in the fall of 2011 to take a class with an international focus.
According to Susan McWilliams, assistant provost for undergraduate education at USM, the working group is tasked with deciding what courses will count towards the requirements and the way in which classes may overlap for different core requirements.
The addition was approved by the Faculty Senate on Friday, Nov. 5.
Although the group hasn’t decided which courses will count towards the international component, McWilliams said some classes will be able to overlap with other core requirements.
“Every student with catalog year 2011 and beyond, it will apply to them. So, if you were a student who entered this year, your catalog year is 2010. The new requirements don’t apply to you,” said McWilliams.
History professor Eileen Eagan, member of the working group, was one of the original proponents of adding the international component to the core. “This group will make recommendations for outcomes, which the core curriculum committee will then approve or amend. They will then send those approved outcomes to the faculty senate,” said Eagan.
Eagan said that an international component is important in improving students’ understanding of the world. “The main idea is that we want students to be able to look at the world from the point of view of people from some other country than the United States,” she said. Additionally, Eagan said that members of the working group would like to see students be able to compare different countries. “It’s not just, ‘look at this other country,’ but ‘how do two countries compare?’” she said.
According to Jerry Lasala, professor of physics and faculty senate chair, the new requirements would not so much be an addition to the core but rather a clarification. “There is already a requirement for USM students to receive some sort of international perspective,” said Lasala. “What this is doing is making a specific requirement in the core that could be satisfied by classes that overlap requirements.”
Ashley Willems-Phaneuf, who in her duty as student body president, sits on the Faculty Senate as a non-voting member, said everyone agreed that USM students should have at least one class that focuses on issues outside of the United States as part of their general education. “It’s very important for students to be aware of the world,” said Willems-Phaneuf.
The discussion in the Faculty Senate around an addition to the core curriculum began in September of this year, although the question about international learning had been raised for some time before that, according to McWilliams.
David Bruenjes, a sophomore, said that he supports the idea, but is wary of being required to take more core classes. “I think it’s a great idea,” said Bruenjes. “I’m all for re-evaluating the core, but I don’t want anything that’s going to make me graduate later.”
Though the requirements were approved unanimously, there was hesitation from some members of the senate to approve a measure that could potentially add to students’ course load. “Everyone agreed it’s a good concept,” McWilliams said. “But there was some worry because you don’t want students to have to take too many gen eds.”
Despite the ability for classes to meet multiple core requirements, McWilliams said some students will have to take a few more credits. “That was the concern that was expressed by some faculty.”
McWilliams added that proponents of the international component — herself included — had argued that additional credits could be avoided if the possibility for overlap were increased. “While we can’t guarantee that no student will have to take additional credits because of this requirement, the requirement can be constructed in such a way that reduces that possibility.”
According to McWilliams, the working group should be finished and ready to present by February of next year.
