A meeting of the Faculty Forum was held on Monday, April 14, to make a straw vote on proposed changes in the core curriculum.
According to Dr. Kathy Lee of the political science department, as of Fall 2009 a new section will be added to the curriculum called the Common Core, which will include classes to ensure Eastern students are biblically and historically literate, formed in Christian thought, skilled in the written word and fit for life.
The breadth core consists of classes that ensure students are aesthetically and globally literate in addition to being knowledgeable about individuals and institutions, justice and the natural world.
As a result of the changes, the required number of courses will be reduced by two to three classes. Students will also be provided with more flexibility in their Core requirement choices. For example, instead of taking INST250, students will have a choice to take courses such as astronomy or biology as an alternative.
One student, sophomore Jill Rawson, supports the new changes.
“If we have an opportunity to choose more, then maybe that will help us enjoy what we are learning,” Rawson said
Dr. Lee stressed that the goal of these changes is to focus more on outcomes. The changes will ultimately result in more flexibility for students in good quality classes taught by specialized teachers.
“I think the way we are doing it is a better way of communicating to students what we hope happens to a student when they take these courses,” Dr. Lee said.