By Cameron Pettrone
A faculty senate meeting held on Jan. 20 discussed the new curriculum replacing Clare College next year and changes to the school calendar.
The new curriculum, which will become effective in the 2017-18 year, is designed to help expose students to different fields of study, according to the faculty senate webpage. New classes such as diversity and intensive writing are also meant to be taught in different programs and fields, increasing exposure to the student body.
According to Mary Rose Kubal, Ph.D., political science professor and a chair of the faculty senate, the new curriculum is being brought in as a result of the administration reassessing their requirements and bringing them up to date.
Clare College has been around for almost 20 years. According to Kubal, it is uncommon for changes not to be made to the curriculum over such a long period of time.
“There were two major issues, one is that students complained about not having enough choice and it was also difficult for transfer students to complete the requirements in two years,” said Kubal.
She also described how students in the professional schools had trouble managing their extra requirements.
“They basically didn’t get many free electives,” she said.
The administration is hoping to retain the mission-focused and Franciscan aspect of Clare College in this new program.
The agenda also discussed the school’s decision to close the university on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to commemorate the civil rights leader next year.
Due to the dropping of this day from the academic calendar, the senate deliberated upon shortening Easter break by a day, making spring break run from March 29–April 1, with classes resuming on the 2nd, Easter Monday.
This controversial change is expected to cause difficulties for offices such as those in athletics and financial aid.
Typically, awards are given to students on the first day of the semester. Kubal states that a lot of paperwork must be redone to account for the new start date in the spring.
A resolution on this matter is expected to be reached today by vote.
pettrocj16@bonaventure.edu
