The faculty approved a new academic structure outlined by the Educational Policy and Governance Committee (EPAG) this week that will serve as a framework for reorganizing the curriculum and help to ensure the sustainability of majors. Interdisciplinary programs will be the most immediately affected by the resolved changes.

The document that was passed means that the school's curricular structure will be reorganized into three academic units: disciplinary departments, inter-disciplinary departments, and inter-departmental programs. The first two will be required to offer a major course of study, while the third will only be eligible to offer minors.

According to the final section of the document, which the faculty has yet to officially approve, each current academic program and department would be requested to submit a proposal articulating its desired role within the new structure. These plans will be reviewed by EPAG and will help to determine the ultimate changes. EPAG chair and history department professor David Itzkowitz said that drastic changes, such as the discontinuation of a major, will not be made without the consultation of the entire faculty.

While all departments would be required to submit such a plan, the document does list seventeen current programs that it predicts will be particularly affected by the plan (see page 5).

The document describes the first unit, the disciplinary department, as being "the basic building block of the academic structure." Each will have a minimum of three FTE (full time equivalent, or that of five courses per semester) faculty and would be able to administer more than one disciplinary program, such as the case with the current structure of Physics and Astronomy or Math and Computer Science.

Disciplinary departments will be required to offer at least one course of study available for non-majors, such asa minor. They would also be able to submit allocation requests to EPAG, the committee which deals with hiring new faculty.

In addition, such departments will be subject to a "sunset clause," requiring them to periodically demonstrate enduring student interest in the department, or otherwise risk discontinuation.

The second type of unit, inter-disciplinary departments, will also be subject to this "sunset clause," a concept whose time frame members of EPAG say has not yet been decided.

The document describes the inconsistency which has characterized Macalester's integrative programs. "In practice, such programs have varied enormously," the report states, "some offer majors, while others offer only minors; some have their own [tenured and tenure track] faculty, others do not; some are well resourced, others are resource poor; some draw a large number of students, others relatively few."

Those programs that become departments will be those that, according to the document, are "central to Macalester's distinctive liberal arts mission." They will have a minimum of two FTE faculty, as opposed to that of three for disciplinary departments. They will be able to offer their own courses, must offer a major and will have the option of offering a minor.

The document explains that such departments will not need as much in the way of allocations since they will continue to be dependant in part on the faculty resources of other departments to support their curriculum. They will be able to submit allocation requests but are only guaranteed sufficient FTE to offer their core curriculum.

Communication and Media Studies Department Chair Clay Steinman raised a concern about this clause at the faculty meeting debate prior to the proposal's passage, asking whether or not interdisciplinary departments would be granted active involvement in the hiring of new faculty.

Using the example of replacing a professor who had taught a cross-listed course from another department, he explained "There needs to be a way for [inter-disciplinary departments] to be part of the process in shaping the job description for the retiring faculty member's replacement—not to control it, but to participate in the conversation about the position." The EPAG members present at the meeting said they did intend to involve departments in such decisions.

Steinman added that overall he is satisfied with the new structure. "My own sense is that what we passed takes a giant step for us making decisions on how better to serve students in a more systematic way," he said.

The third academic unit, the inter-departmental program, will not be able to offer their own courses and therefore will not be able to make allocation requests. Interdepartmental programs will not be entitled to any financial or personnel resources.

These programs and the minor courses that they offer will be developed in conjunction with EPAG, the document says. They may not include any program-specific, free-standing courses, such as introductory or capstone requirements. A "sunset clause" will also be imposed.

This reorginization of inter-departmental programs would standardize existing variances that in the past have forced majors to scramble to fulfill their requirements, according to Itzkowitz.

"Right now we have a number of majors that are interdisciplinary programs," he explained, "but they don't have people that are hired, and are always dependant on the courses and faculty of other departments. Students have been able to do it, but it's hard. It's not optimal. We need to decide what we want to have as majors and make a commitment to those programs."

During the debate on the resolution that took place at the faculty meeting, concerns were raised about the exaltation of certain departments over others based on the document's use of guiding principles that reflect Macalester's core values, or pillars.

EPAG member and Political Science professor Andrew Latham responded by pointing out that the document is preliminary, and deals with structure, not curriculum. "Any discussion of curriculum is premature," he said.

However, a report distributed to the faculty that gives further explanation to the new structure does make one mention of a specific curricular change. Faculty in CNAS and African American Studies are in the midst of discussions to join and form an interdepartmental department along the lines of 'American Studies,' according to the document.

Itzkowitz also said that Geography and Urban Studies are discussing the possibility of merging. As for other departments' fate, Itzkowitz said it might take up to a year to get sorted out completely.

"Right now we don't have to make the tough decisions," Itzkowitz said. "That's the problem. If we're going to create this structure, there will be some tough decisions ahead."