Changes are being made to the international studies curriculum and program for the fall semester. Not only are the course requirements changing, but a new club is being formed for anyone interested in international studies.
The changes are being made because the program found students were not performing well because of the way the curriculum is structured. The program is also changing to get more students involved in international issues and current events.
The new program will still offer students a bachelor’s degree in international studies, but the curriculum will retain its status as a program, not a department.
David Lindenfeld, history and international studies professor, said many teachers contribute to the curriculum.
“It’s an interdisciplinary program, and it draws its faculty from people who are anchored in different departments,” Lindenfeld said.
The new program, which will begin next fall, requires students to take INTL 3001 as the new introductory class instead of the current introductory INTL 2001 class.
The professors have found the 2000-level class courseload is difficult for students, so they are changing the introductory class to a 3000-level course with four prerequisites.
The core curriculum will include Anthropology 1003 or 2051, Geography 1001 or 1003, History 1007 and Political Science 2057.
“These are things that you would expect an international studies person to have,” Lindenfeld said.
Some of the professors who teach international studies said they welcome the changes.
Peter Sutherland, director of the international studies program, said, “[Students] will be better equipped to handle the course. We are quite excited about it.”
Students who are currently international studies majors will not be affected by the new changes. The changes will go into effect for students who declare an international studies major next fall.
“It’s a little bit complicated because you can’t suddenly change from one set of rules to a new set of rules,” Sutherland said. “Students who came to the University one to two years ago have a contract with the University that their degree will be governed by the rules when they started.”
Sutherland said the program will go through a period of changes.
“There will be sort of a transition period – who knows, probably two-to-three years long,” Sutherland said. “Gradually, there will be people who declare the major, and those people will follow the new rules.”
Along with the course changes, students can also join a new club specifically for international studies.
Pallavi Rastogi, faculty adviser for the club, said anyone can join, especially students who are interested in learning more about international events.
“It’s going to try to create an awareness to international events. [The members] want to have a forum for students to talk to experts about [current] international events,” Rastogi said.
 
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