ptaylor - Integration

8 June '14

Issue	Status
Name that attracts pre-meds	new minor: Science, Medicine and Society
Faculty who are prepared to coordinate the minor	STV: Peter Taylor, but seeking and assistant; new minor: Valencius, Dobreff, Weisser
Sci/math component	Explicit for STV, but matches NS/Math distribution; NS/Math distribution implicit for new minor
Sci & Society courses	STV: 4-6 in Hist, Phil, Politics & 0-2 in wide range of electives, at least three of the six courses at the 300 level or above; new minor: 2+ in History 100-200 level surveys & 2-4 in small set of 200-400 level courses
Advising	STV lists wide range of relevant courses on website and periodically puts updated list through governance; in meantime accepts them through equivalency paperwork; new minor's plan for accepting courses =?? STV lists distribution requirements fulfilled by various courses; new minor ditto

Proposal: STV winds down at end of AY 14-15 if new minor a) accepts a wider range of relevant courses (listing them on website/publicity, periodically putting updated list through governance and in meantime accepting them through equivalency paperwork); b) require at least three of the six courses at the 300 level or above.

25 March '14—Requested meeting with Dean McDermott: "Now that the new Science, Medicine, and Society minor has been approved by the Majors, Honors, and Special Programs Committee, can we meet to discuss your view of its relationship to the Science, Technology & Values program and whether it makes sense to have two very similar programs."
30 April '14 meeting—Note to Dean McDermott (2 May)
1. You learned that proposing a new program was not done with the endorsement of the existing STV program.
2. We agreed that the two programs seek to attract more or less the same students (esp. premeds) -- as evident in the proposed new name for STV being taken as the name for the new program—Science, Medicine, and Society.
3. The structure of the curriculum is very similar. (The differences are primarily a) the new program requires at least two of their historically oriented survey courses in the core, while these would be options among others for the STV core; and b) STV lists more courses in its core and elective listings [some of which require equivalency paperwork for them to count].)

2 May '13
Following conversations this week with Robert Wollons and Emily McDermott, I learned/confirmed that:
a) no plans for many Hist of Sci grad courses envisaged in the near future (RW) so there is no basis for a more CLA-centered SICW graduate program;
b) directing an undergrad. program without a course release is more service than RW expects of the untenured history faculty members;
c) an undergraduate program could be considered for a course release, but only after it has many students in it (EM);
d) the revised CLA Center could extend to including Science and Society (i.e., issues addressed by ISHS), but conversation with the director (once that person is confirmed) is needed (EM).

In sum, the conditions aren't ripe for bringing all the pieces (i.e., u/g program, graduate program, ISHS) under one umbrella or college. Yet, the number of new faculty in the area of science and society is a great opportunity to have some focus to enhance scholarly interactions and impact on/within the University.
In that light, focusing on the undergraduate program, I can work with three options:

i) Someone other than me takes a leadership role in a new program and builds it up to a place where a case can be made for a course release. I would phase STV out as the new program grew.
ii) Someone joins with me to run an adjusted/renames STV (see proposal below) and builds it up to a place where a case can be made for a course release. I would phase out as (co-)director when the course release happened or when the other person was ready to direct even without a course release.
iii) I continue to direct STV, give or take name change and other adjustments, but expect then that it won't grow so well or become a focus to enhance scholarly interactions among the new faculty.
iv) other? please suggest what I might have overlooked...

10 April '13
Peter Taylor
I heard/learned at the meeting that: a) those attending favored the inclusive "Science, Medicine and Society" view of a program over a program dedicated to History of science; but b) in recognition of the number of new faculty in Hist of Sci, it would be good to require 2 of the 6 courses to be in Hist of Science; c) there are already 100/200-level survey courses to feed into a program; and d) there weren't many Hist of Sci grad courses envisaged in the near future (and the one there is is early modern).

I also heard the view that e) it is better to start something new than to revise STV, but that a new Program won't come with a course release for the director.

I asked for time to confer with Emily about the larger picture (STV, SICW grad. program, ISHS, a Center) and to report back.

In the meantime, the following revision of yesterday's proposal addresses a)-d), but avoids starting something new.

Undergraduate program

Change name of STV to Science, Medicine and Society.
Continue with a restricted set of core courses for the Program so that it is very likely (but not required) that students take at least two history of science courses.
- The exact list needs to be revised and put through governance so it appears on the degree audit system and students can be advised using online tools.
Someone volunteers to work with Peter Taylor on instituting and promoting this program and, for their service, has the title assistant or co-director of the STV program.
Everyone lets us know when their new undergraduate courses have been approved and will be offered.
Minor change to STV program of studies is going through governance: Combine the two core areas (History & Politics; Philosophy & Values) into a single area [in process].
Ask Political Science and Philosophy to reactivate the inactive STV core courses and solicit new options to be counted as core.
Publicize the 100/200-level survey courses that serves as an introduction to the area of science in its social context (i.e., Magic and Science, CV's new survey, Sociology course [number & title=?])

Graduate program, Science in a Changing World
(Note: Although the formal home of this program is now CAPS, the faculty and governance are cross-college and the staffing of almost all face2face courses is done through the faculty members' home colleges.)

Everyone lets Peter Taylor know if new graduate courses get approved and will be offered.

Inter-college Seminar on Humanities and Sciences

At regular intervals organize themes and have historian as seminar leader with a view to creating intellectual exchange among faculty in history of science, medicine and environment.

"Center for Social Studies of Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine"

=an obvious complement to the new Center that is taking over from the Center for Urban Cultural History
Get various Deans on board for creating a Center that integrates and gives a unified identity to the above.

9 April '13
Peter Taylor

I am in favor of integration not fragmentation. I am impressed by the number of new faculty, especially in history of science, environment, and medicine. I was moved by Conevery's attempt to see how the different pieces fit together.
Taking these factors into account, I propose the following:

Undergraduate program

Change name of STV to Science, Technology and Society, or Science, Medicine and Society, or...?
EITHER institute a formal History concentration within this program OR an informal guideline, e.g., “It is recommended that students, in consultation with an advisor, choose at least four of the six courses in the same area, for example: history; philosophy; social and political studies; or health and medicine.”
Someone volunteers to work with Peter Taylor on instituting and promoting this concentration and, for their service, be given the title assistant or co-director of the STV program, with course release to be determined by CLA dean (see also notes on graduate program below).
Everyone lets us know when their new undergraduate courses have been approved and will be offered.
Minor change(s) to STV program of studies through governance: Combine the two core areas (History & Politics; Philosophy & Values) into a single area [in process]. Require the same number of core courses (4), or reduce this to 3?
Ask Political Science and Philosophy to reactivate the inactive STV core courses and solicit new options to be counted as core.
Create a FYS or larger 100-level course that serves as an introduction to the area of science in its social context -> Is there any person and department that wants to take this on and move it through governance?

Everyone lets Peter Taylor know when their new graduate courses have been approved and will be offered.
Institute a formal History concentration within this program and adjust requirements to suit.
The same person as above volunteers to work with Peter Taylor on instituting and promoting this concentration and, for their service, be given the title assistant director of the SICW program.

Inter-college Seminar on Humanities and Sciences

At regular intervals organize themes and have historian as seminar leader with a view to creating intellectual exchange among faculty in history of science, medicine and environment.

"Center for Social Studies of Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine"

=an obvious complement to the new Center that is taking over from the Center for Urban Cultural History
Get various Deans on board for creating a Center that integrates and gives a unified identity to the above.