Committee set to explore International Studies

Selection process for committee still under way

The growing interest for an International Studies program by students and faculty members persuaded members of the Educational Plans and Policies Committee (EPPC) to establish a committee exploring the proposed program at their meeting on Monday.

"Obviously it's good that were getting started on this because there is a need to begin the process of forming an international studies concentration, which is the ultimate goal," said student senator first-year Russell Menyhart.

According to Suzanne Gay, chair of EPPC and Acting Associate Dean of the College, members of EPPC passed a motion to set up a committee to initiate discussion concerning the proposed International Studies program. The committee will determine in depth the content of what would constitute an International Studies curriculum. Members of the committee will report back to EPPC "ideally by March," said Gay.

The committee will be comprised of seven people, including three EPPC representatives where at least one student or faculty member will be involved. Three interested faculty and one interested student outside of EPPC will also be included in the committee, said Menyhart. Although faculty and student appointments for the committee have been suggested by members of EPPC, no one has yet to been chosen to serve on the committee.

During the week of November 10, student senators sophomore Nicole Johnston and first-year Bobbi Lopez presented three International Studies program petitions to three dining co-ops. The senators asked students who were interested in encouraging the creation of an International Studies concentration, an office and a program house to sign the petitions.

A majority of students from Fairchild and Harkness dining co-ops supported the petition. Several students from Third World dining co-op, however, voiced concern over the petition. Students said that they felt the petitions undermined students' efforts to add programs such as Asian-American Studies, Queer Studies, Latino Studies and American Cultural Studies to the college curriculum.

The petitions and concerns were taken to Gay the same week for review. Gay said, at the time, that she felt that since the International Studies concentration and office would not ask for any additional staff and resources from another program, she did not see it as undermining other efforts to add to the curriculum.

In response to the sentiment expressed at Third World dining co-op, Johnston and Lopez withdrew the petitions and stopped making presentations to students the next week. Menyhart said that he believes the petition was withdrawn because "there is a need to take another look at the issue." Menyhart added that he thought that the some student reactions to the petition at Third World dining co-op were due to a "lack of understanding as opposed to anger to the petition itself."

Lopez said she felt the reactions of students at Third World dining co-op reflected frustration concerning the lack of regard for other curriculum proposals by faculty and administrators. She said, "I think it doesn't have a negative relationship to other studies."

Although senators have ended their pursuit to collect signatures for their petitions, Lopez said about the new committee, "It's not going to be exclusive at all." According to Menyhart, EPPC meetings are generally open to the student body. He said that students can bring their concerns or proposals to student EPPC members junior Erica Wagner, junior James Quinn, Lopez and himself.