Members: Assoc. Dean Michael Brown, Steve Cerutti, John Given, Lee Johnson, Laura Mazow, Marylaura Papalas, Megan Perry, Jonathan Reid, Frank Romer, Benjamin Saidel, John Stevens, Michael Teske, David Wilson-Okamura and Tricia Wilson-Okamura

Members Present: M. Brown, S. Cerutti, J. Given, L. Johnson, L. Mazow, M. Papalas, J. Reid, B. Saidel, J. Stevens, M. Teske, D. Wilson-Okamura, T. Wilson-Okamura.

Meeting #1, September 23, 2011, at 3:00 p.m., held in Bate 3321.

Agenda Item 1. Officer Elections.

In the absence of competing nominations, Prof. Given was reaffirmed as director. Prof. D. Wilson-Okamura was chosen to be secretary.

Agenda Item 2. Current Enrollments

Prof. Given reported that we have 20 majors (plus another prospective major that he interviewed this morning), 12 minors, and one thesis student (Sara Davis). We expect to graduate 8 majors this year. Enrollments have increased by 150%.

Agenda Item 3. Assessment

Prof. Stevens reported that, for assessment purposes, our program is being treated as a full degree. We have already assessed the degree and minor and some of our Foundations courses. This year we will assess more Foundations courses.

Agenda Item 4. Curriculum Development

• Prof. Given urged the development of new courses at the 3000 and 4000 levels. Prof. Johnson will be teaching two new courses, RELI 3796: Paul and His Letters and RELI 3896: Life and Teachings of Jesus. Prof. Given suggested cross-listing these in Greek, if they could include some koine. Prof. Stevens suggested that we cross-list them under CLAS, because the courses were unlikely to be all or mostly in Greek. Prof. Given and Prof. Johnson agreed to meet and create course proposals for cross-listing.
• The committee approved Prof. Given's course proposal for CLAS 3500: Ancient Drama in Performance. Prof. Given has already circulated the proposal amongst the Theatre faculty, which is enthusiastic.
• Should we keep the thesis requirement for the Classics concentration? The good ones are good, and useful as writing samples for graduate school. But there are too many indifferent theses, and students are often unprepared for the work they undertake. Students receive two semesters of credit for the thesis, but don't always do two semesters' worth of work. The committee voted to make the thesis optional, and to confer honors distinction on the students who successfully write one. Students who do not write a thesis will take CLAS 2000 and CLAS 4000 in place of the thesis credits, as Classical Civilization concentrators already do.
  

Agenda Item 6.  Study Abroad Opportunity.  

Michael Tahaney, from the School of Theatre and Dance, has requested that we consider his summer drama program in Greece as an elective for the Classical Studies curriculum. Prof. Reid pointed out that Prof. Given, as program director, can already grant this for individual students and the committee voted to continue on this basis.

Agenda Item 7.  Other Business

• Prof. T. Wilson-Okamura reported on the Ancient Greek Reading Group. Over the summer, students read Pericles' funeral oration in Thucydides. This fall, they are beginning Josephus.
  
• The final item was the selection of this year's outstanding senior. So that we don't miss crucial information about particular candidates, the director will make a point of soliciting views from the entire committee.
  

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Because this page failed to report enrollment numbers for 2010-2011, those numbers are included below along with current Fall 2011 enrollments.

Fall 2010 Enrollments

Spring 2011 Enrollments

Fall 2011 Enrollments