BOONE—Appalachian State University will add six new undergraduate degrees to its offerings beginning in August, following approval by the UNC Board of Governors June 13.
Students will be able to earn a bachelor of arts degree in Appalachian studies, global studies, sustainable development, and women’s studies, and a bachelor of science degree in sustainable development – all of which will have an interdisciplinary focus.
These five academic areas were previously offered as concentrations through the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS). When the IDS department was dissolved, the academic areas were moved to the new University College, which also houses the university’s general education, honors and service-learning programs, student research and academic support services.
Dr. Richard Carp, who has been the chair of the IDS department since 1999, will serve as interim chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures beginning in fall 2008.
According to Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Dave Haney, “The establishment of these areas as full-fledged degree programs is an important recognition of the increasing significance of interdisciplinary teaching and learning at Appalachian. Although these programs all have a distinguished history in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, they have evolved to the point at which they deserve independent degree status. They will benefit many students, and they are a perfect fit with the interdisciplinary mission of University College.”
Appalachian will continue to offer a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, in which students work closely with faculty mentors to design majors that coherently integrate different areas of study. Dr. Nancy Love has been named director of the program effective fall 2009. Love is a professor of political science at Penn State University. In addition to directing the IDS degree program, she will be a professor in the Department of Government and Justice Studies (formerly the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice).
Dr. Jay Wentworth will serve as interim IDS director for the 2008-09 academic year.
“I am very glad that Dr. Love has agreed to lead this program in its new incarnation. She will bring a strong background in interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship, and she has some exciting ideas about possible new directions for the program,” Haney said. “I am also very pleased that Jay Wentworth has agreed to lead the program in the interim. He has worked with our interdisciplinary degree program and Watauga College, our interdisciplinary residential general education program, for many years. He will take good care of the program and its students in the coming year.”
The sixth new degree program is a bachelor of science degree in environmental science. The degree will be based in the College of Arts and Sciences. It will be directed by Dr. Roy C. Sidle who joins the Department of Geology this fall.
“Under Dr. Sidle’s leadership, we expect graduates of this program to become successful members of the environmental science community,” said Tony Calamai, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The curriculum of the new environmental science degree program at Appalachian is among the strongest in the country and should allow graduates to pursue advanced study or careers ranging from field ecology to environmental engineering.”
Details of each new degree program are as follows:
The Appalachian studies degree will provide an interdisciplinary opportunity to study the Appalachian region through social and biological sciences, humanities, aesthetic culture and applied arts. Students experience local communities, make international connections, and learn theories and methods appropriate to their area of focus. The Center for Appalachian Studies offers a wide range of outreach and research activities. Dr. Edwin “Chip” Arnold will direct the degree program.
The global studies degree will build a foundation for understanding the global aspects of international issues, develop tools for considering such issues from a variety of perspectives, and then focus on one of many possible fields in global studies. Fields can include areas such as Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Middle Eastern Studies and German Studies. The program also includes opportunities for advanced language study and study abroad. Dr. Alexandra Sterling-Hellenbrand will direct the degree program.
Through interdisciplinary study in the natural, agricultural and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities, the sustainable development degrees prepare students to promote equitable economic and social development, while conserving natural resources and encouraging cultural diversity. The B.A. degree offers students broad exposure in a liberal arts context, while the B.S. degree offers a more concentrated pre-professional focus in three specialized areas. The Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Program also offers outreach and research opportunities to students and faculty and operates a teaching and research farm. The degree program will be directed by Chuck Smith.
By means of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural analyses, the women’s studies degree will broaden student knowledge about women’s and gender issues in history, society, literature, the arts, technology, culture, and the academy itself. Women’s studies employs historic and contemporary materials, and a variety of methodologies – both theoretical and practical. Dr. Martha McCaughey will direct the degree program.
