- The Record Archives
- Volume CXVIII, No. XXII - December 1, 2005 -
Faculty votes to change symposium requirements
The Record
The rite of passage that has become first-year symposium could face some big changes.
The Joint Faculty Assembly votes today and Friday to decide on one of three models proposed by the New Core Task Force.
NCTF, the group spearheading the revisions to the core curriculum, took input from the JFA and narrowed it down to three options (see below). One change to symposium has already been decided.
"One of the ways we're trying to get more uniformity of learning outcome is to put some effort toward common context," said NCTF Chair Andrew Holey.
The four areas of symposium that will be offered are Benedictine and Catholic tradition, Living in the Natural Environment, Women & Men in Community and Global Engagement in Citizenships.
"Every section will spend some
time looking at one of those four themes," Holey said.
Many students were surprised to find changes to the curriculum were being discussed.
But that didn't mean they didn't have an opinion.
"I love our symposium," said first-year Megan Ryan. "I've learned so much. It's not as structured, which is a nice break from every other class, but we still have papers to do and speeches to write."
Ryan said she felt more comfortable presenting her work in her symposium class because she felt closer with her classmates.
"If they were to change everything around I think it'd be harder to know everyone as well," she said.
Faculty members have started to make up their mind, as well.
"I prefer the status quo, actually," Professor Wendy Sterba said.
She is weary of adapting the current symposium to fit existing introductory classes.
Sterba is concerned that placing students in a symposium specific to an area of study might take away from the goal of the university's liberal arts curriculum.
After a decision is made on first-year symposium the JFA and NCTF will be making decisions regarding the world languages at next week's meeting, the last of the semester.
The Options
Faculty begins voting today on the proposed models for symposium. A breakdown of the three models:
Option one: Interdisciplinary course stretched into a full-year symposium. An introductory level course (like ECON 111) would be stretched into a full year course with elements of symposium present.
Option two: Symposium would consist of two single semester courses. The faculty member and student make-up of the course would change mid-year.
Option three: Most like the current model of symposium, the course would remain a full year with one faculty adviser. One of four subject areas of common content will be applied.