Anyone with a strong opinion about Eastern’s core curriculum had a chance to speak their mind on February 20. The core curriculum, which is currently under review, was the topic of the student open forum held in Gough Great Room.
Approximately 30 students showed up to participate in the discussions led by Dr. Kathy Lee and Professor Julie Elliot, chairs of the core review committee.
While several students were quite adamant that changes be made to the core curriculum, others showed up to defend it. The discussions lasted almost two hours.
The two courses most talked about were INST 250: Science, Technology and Values and INST 270: Justice and Diversity in a Pluralistic Society. Many students voiced their discontent with INST 250, better known to students as STV. The resounding themes were that students struggled through STV and that it has “poor presentation,” in the words of junior Justin Best. However, Best and other students stressed the importance of keeping such courses, as they are critical in a student’s intellectual development and in forming a biblical foundation on difficult issues.
Some students suggested that INST 270 be combined or somehow tied in with INST 150: Introduction to Faith, Reason and Justice. Several students complained that they didn’t see a point or weren’t interested in the topics presented in INST 270. They also pointed out that some of the information between the two courses is redundant.
For those who came to defend the core curriculum, the idea was not to ensure that everything go unchanged but rather to see the university “keep to its motto of faith, reason and justice,” as put by sophomore Phil Cialini.