Core courses re-evaluated

The core courses such as INST150 and BIB101 are a part of Eastern that most students take for granted, but the core curriculum review committee has been meeting about possible changes occurring in the core.

Betsy Morgan, dean of arts and sciences, said that four plans have been proposed, but no action is planned to be made until May at the earliest.

According to Julie Elliott, co-chair of the committee, these plans were made in accordance with comparisons made with the core courses of other universities, as well as the class evaluations written by students last semester.

Morgan said that the changes, if any, will not be radical but will make the courses more efficient and open to students.

It has been more than five years since the core courses have been evaluated.

“Whether the core is fulfilling its true purpose is one of the questions on the table,” Morgan said.

So what is the true purpose? According to Elliott, the core is designed to provide a basis for what Eastern thinks students should know.

Morgan commented that when students take the core courses, they should get the full impact of a liberal arts education and Christian worldview without getting tunnel vision.

Doug Trimble, a psychology professor, is going to form several student focus groups who will talk about the core courses, involving the students in the process. There may even be a student online forum where those who are not in the focus groups can discuss the courses.

“I felt that the courses were very valuable for beginning my college experience at Eastern,” first-year Stephanie Ciner said when asked about the core courses she has been exposed to so far.

Because Eastern is a university committed to its students, the committee will devote all of their energy to making the core courses the best they can be. After all, according to Kathy Lee, chair of the political science department and co-chair of the committee, “Unique courses are what make Eastern distinctive.”