Members: Michael Enright, Charles Fantazzi, John Given, Anthony Papalas, Jonathan Reid, Frank Romer, Assoc. Dean Scott Snyder, John Stevens, David Wilson-Okamura, Tricia Wilson-Okamura, and student representative Keith Roberson
Members Present: M. Enright, J. Given, A. Papalas, J. Reid, K. Roberson, F. Romer, S. Snyder, J. Stevens Meeting #1, September 19, 2005, held in the Todd Seminar Room, 4-5 pm
Agenda Item 0. Welcome of new members The committee welcomed to the committee Prof. Frank Romer, Chair, Dept. of Foreign Languages & Literatures, and Keith Roberson, an undergraduate major in Classics. Prof. Papalas also recommended that the committee invite Prof. Benjamen Saidel of the Anthropology Dept. to join the committee at its next meeting.
Agenda Item 1. Election of Officers Prof. Stevens was elected chair and agreed to take minutes as secretary.
Agenda Item 2. Invited Speakers The committee was reminded of the upcoming talk by Prof. Carrie Cowherd of Howard University on Friday, Sept. 23, on "Why Seneca? Classical Names in Toni Morrison's Paradise." Her talk was sponsored by the Office of Institutional Equity. The speakers sub-committee of Profs. Papalas, T. Wilson-Okamura and J. Given agreed to invite a speaker for the spring.
Agenda Item 3. Majors and Minors Prof. Stevens reminded the committee of the fall open house on November 12. He reported that the program has 9 active majors, of whom 3 are in Classics and 6 in Classical Civ. 5 will graduate this year. The program also has 14 minors. There was discussion of the desirability of having majors meet with the committee on the topics of their senior theses, of making possible an honors thesis, and of using the senior seminar course, CLAS 4000 as a substitute for MULT 3500 to help prepare students for the thesis.
Agenda Item 4. Courses for Spring 2006 Prof. Peter Green will rejoin the Classics faculty in spring as Whichard Distinguished Professor of Classics and History. He will offer HIST 5005 Sect. 001 on the topic of Alexander the Great. Prof. Papalas suggested the desirability of having get togethers for students and faculty, perhaps including the exchange of papers. Profs. Stevens and Given reported that there are currently students in both third and fourth year Latin as well as Greek for the first time ever.
Agenda Item 5. Endowment Funds Prof. Stevens reported on the program's foundation account. He suggested that regular giving might enable the program to create a small scholarship, translation contest or to give book gifts to graduating majors attending graduate school. In the interim, Prof. Stevens suggested ideas for small graduation gifts.
Agenda Item 6. Enrollments
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.