The enrollment at IU South Bend isn’t the only area of growth the school is witnessing.
Academically, departments are raising the bar with innovative classes and higher goals for students. The future of the university isn’t just about filling empty desks. Rather, it is about giving each one of those students the chance to encounter a unique learning experience.
“The goal for the department is to improve advising by guiding business majors,” said Mark Fox, a professor in the School of Business and Economics (SBE).
Currently, the school of business only advises pre-business majors. Fox added that reconfiguring the advising is a stepping stone towards improvement.
Another improvement was the addition of a Masters of Business Administration course in sustainability and innovation according to Fox.
The SBE is also looking at adding courses to coincide with the general education curriculum. “I’d like to see some management courses as part of the campus general education curriculum,” Fox said. “This would provide more opportunities for non-business students to gain a general understanding of some key aspects of business and of the importance of businesses as social institutions.”
At the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dr. Deborah Marr, associate professor of ecology and evolution, and Dr. Andrew Schnabel, the department chair and associate professor of ecology and evolution, discuss the future of the biological sciences department.
“One important departmental goal for the near future is to increase research and internship opportunities for biology majors,” Marr said. Course work and experience are key elements for students. These two basics will always provide guidance.
Helping students figure out their strengths, as well as helping build a resume, will make students more competitive for post-graduate programs and jobs, Marr said.In looking at what classes will be added in the future, the biology department revises course offerings in response to different variables.
“The first is responding to changes in the field of biology, then changes in requirements for post-graduate degrees (such as pharmacy school), and lastly student demand,” Schnable said.
Within the past five years the department has added several upper level biology electives to accommodate the changes and increase in biology.
The biology major and minor degrees are designed to prepare students for a wide variety of careers within the Life Sciences.
“The Biology department is not planning to add any new majors or minors in the near future,” Marr added. “This is because the department already offers courses that contribute to several interdisciplinary minors, such as cognitive science, environmental sciences, informatics, and sustainability.”
The health sciences at IUSB are also growing to meet the demand of students and the changing field.
The College of Health Sciences will start offering a Bachelor of Science in Medical Imaging Technology,” said Jim H. Howard, director of Radiography, Medical Imagine and Allied Health programs. “This new degree will be part of the new programs in radiography and Allied Health which will give the graduates of an accredited associate degree programs in radiography an opportunity for additional Didactic / Clinical instruction in an advanced Imaging modality.”
The degree will also allow students to get further certification according to Howard.
“Graduates will also be able to test for a second level of certification since they will already be certified in radiography. This will increase their professional status within the medical imaging profession,” Howard said. “The future of the school directed towards challenging students which will give them a competitive advantage in the field of medical science after graduation.”
The Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts has also seen their enrollment increase in the last year. As the enrollment increases, the school is looking toward offering more degrees and expanding programs.
One of those goals according to Alec Hosterman, area coordinator for communication arts is to develop a master’s degree in communication. To accomplish this goal, Hosterman added that they are “going to use some of the upper level courses we currently teach and then augment them with classes that make for a solid Master of Arts in Communication Studies.”
In keeping up with the growing number of students, the department is also working on hiring two new faculty members. The jobs being filled are an assistant professor of mass communication and a lecturer in communication.
The schools of IUSB are keeping up with today’s changing needs and wants of students from all the departments. As each area of academics continues to polish their curriculums and set forth new goals, the future for students at IUSB remains promising for years to come.
A look towards academic department goals
Published: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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