Faculty have largely extended a warm welcome to Thinking Matters, the freshman requirement proposed as a replacement to the Introduction to the Humanities (IHUM) program by the recent Study on Undergraduate Education at Stanford (SUES) report. The shift may occur as early as fall 2012.
The Faculty Senate discussed financial conflicts of interest and proposed changes to freshman-year academic requirements at its meeting Thursday.
One of the more controversial recommendations of the recent Study on Undergraduate Education at Stanford (SUES) report is that the University require Introductory Seminars, a highly praised aspect of the freshman and sophomore experience, for each freshman starting in fall 2013.
In recent years, the number of undergraduates pursuing co-terminal degrees has remained steady; by contrast, the number writing honors theses has steadily declined.
A somewhat-frequent student gripe is the seemingly weak correlation between number of units and class difficulty or time expectation.
Stanford University plans to begin construction of a new dorm in the Manzanita complex, scheduled to open in 2013, according to the Study of Undergraduate Education at Stanford (SUES) report. The report also suggests that the Manzanita dorm may have a theme, although discussions are ongoing and no final decision has been made.
Make no mistake, the move from three quarters to one will mark a much greater change in the experience of Stanford undergraduates than whatever changes take place within the classroom.
The Faculty Senate heard the culmination of two years of work by the Study on Undergraduate Education at Stanford (SUES) Thursday, a report of more than 100 pages that examines the methods and goals of a Stanford education.