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S.99-3

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC

MEMORANDUM

Senate Committee on Academic 'Planning

Subject:

Proposed Humanities Major Program

(SCUS Reference: SCUS 98-27)

(SCAP Reference: SCAP 98-62)

Date:

December 11, 1998

Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies and the

Senate Committee on Academic Planning gives rise to the following motion:

0 ?

Motions:

"that Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors

as set forth in S.99 - 3 , the proposed Humanities Major

Program."

The Humanities Major - Full Program Proposal

The Humanities Program at Simon Fraser University has developed steadily from its

relatively modest beginnings in 1979 to become one of the fastest growing academic units

in the Faculty of Arts. Starting with the offering of a minor, the program now includes

an extended minor, a post baccalaureate diploma and joint majors with the departments

of History, English, French, and Philosophy. In recent years the Program has been

offering over 34 courses per year with enrolments averaging 900 students. Alongside

these accomplishments, the Program has worked closely with the Institute for the

Humanities, founded in 1983, in encouraging interdisciplinary approaches to research,

social issues, and community development. This proposal to establish a major in the

Humanities is the culmination of this record of activity and anticipates the eventual

creation of a Department of Humanities.

1. The Humanities Undergraduate Program

The calendar entry describes the Humanities Program at Simon Fraser University

as follows:

The humanities is the study of a broad range of ideas and subjects

drawn from philosophy, art, literature, history, religion, science, and social

and political thought. Through a comparative and interdisciplinary approach

to classical, medieval, renaissance and modern culture, the study of the

humanities raises critical questions about the achievements and controversies

associated with the concept of civilization itself.

Of special importance in this description is the Program's intention that students be

encouraged to integrate ancient, medieval and modern perspectives and the

determination to provide an academic environment at the University for the nurturing

of both Classics and Religious Studies. It is this focus on the integrative process - the

purposeful bringing together of historical, literary, philosophical, religious and aesthetic

perspectives in the analysis of human cultures and contemporary society - that gives

courses in the Humanities their unique and important role in the University's

curriculum.

In the current Three-Year Plan for the Humanities, this description is further refined by

stressing that the humanities as envisaged by faculty at Simon Fraser is the study of

human values and human experience grounded in historical, literary, philosophical and

religious content and utilizing comparative and cross-cultural perspectives. With the

recent addition of courses focusing on Asian culture and civilization and the inclusion

of faculty from the Asia-Canada Program in the proposed new Department of

Humanities, this cross-cultural dimension of the Humanities Program will be an

increasingly important component of the Program. Likewise, the addition of several new

faculty members from Interdisciplinary Studies with expertise in various European

cultural traditions will enhance the comparative perspectives implicit in a humanities

approach to culture.

2. The Humanities Program and Cognate Disciplines

With its mandate of integration and inclusivity in the study of human cultures, the

Humanities Program is necessarily highly dependent on curricular support from the

disciplines that form the core of other departments in the Faculty of Arts. From its

inception the Humanities Program has either required or recommended that students

pursuing the minor or other Humanities accreditation complete at least one History

course (HIST 105 or 106) and one Philosophy course (PHIL 150 or 151). While no longer

required for completion of the Minor, these courses are required for the extended minor

and for the proposed major.

At the upper division, students are required to complete 32 semester hours in upper

division Humanities courses (the equivalent of eight courses). Recognizing that

students pursuing the Humanities major may have specialized interests and

acknowledging the interdisciplinary nature of the Program, up to two humanities related

upper division courses from other academic units may be utilized in meeting this

requirement. Such substitutions are to be arranged in consultation with the Humanities

advisor and will normally be drawn from course lists provided by departments during

the consultation process leading up to this proposal.

Finally, the interdisciplinary nature of the Humanities at Simon Fraser and its

corresponding strong links with neighbouring disciplines is sustained by the number of

joint and cross appointments of faculty in the Humanities. Currently faculty in the

Humanities have shared teaching responsibilities in History, Sociology and

Anthropology, English, Liberal Studies, Spanish, and the Asia-Canada Program.

Through associate members the Humanities has additional links with Psychology,

French and Contemporary Arts. These highly personal horizontal linkages help ensure

that the Humanities maintains its role as an integrative and inclusive academic program

within the Faculty of Arts.

3. The Structure of the Major

As a relatively small program the Humanities has in the past chosen to avoid being

overly prescriptive in its curriculum requirements, relying instead on formal and

informal advising to ensure students breadth of experience within the Program. At the

lower division, therefore, students must complete the introductory level course on

Mythology (HUM 102), one of both History 105/106 and Philosophy 150/151, and one of

the Humanities 'Great Texts' courses. Their remaining two lower division Humanities

requirements could be filled by courses in Greek or Latin or by choosing from amongst

the other 200-level Humanities courses. It is possible in this scheme for students to focus

somewhat their lower division studies in thematic areas (e.g. Classical Studies,

Contemporary Issues, Religion and Culture) or to opt for greater diversity.

At the upper division the same choices apply, students being able to choose

concentration or diversity in their course of study. We acknowledge that a strong case

can be made for a more structured approach, including perhaps a set of 'core'

requirements common to all students pursuing the Humanities major. At this time in

our development, however, we prefer the more open-ended approach which has fewer

specific requirements, allows more opportunity for Humanities majors to utilize courses

from other academic units, and relies more heavily on student advising. As well, we

anticipate that a large number of Humanities students will in fact continue to opt for the

joint major. This approach will, of course, be evaluated on an on-going basis.

In reviewing past course offerings it is clear that students could easily complete the

requirements for such a major within a four-year degree. All lower division Humanities

courses are offered at least one to two times each calendar year (with the exception of

Greek and Latin which are offered bi-annually) and with an average of 18 upper division

courses offered each year and liberal provision for course substitution, students would

have no difficulty in meeting the proposed eight courses required at the upper division.

4. Academic Resources

The Humanities Program as currently constituted consists of:

- Ten academic appointments: two full-time cfl positions, six joint appointments, one

lecturer and one endowed chair;

- Ten lower division and thirteen upper division courses along with special topics

and sirected studies courses;

- Administrative and advising support currently provided through Interdisciplinary

Studies.

•

In the projected new Department of Humanities, three additional cfl faculty will join the

Humanities and the Humanities will act as 'home department' for the Graduate Liberal

Studies Program and the Asia-Canada Program.

The Humanities major requires no new resources. All the courses required to

implement the major are currently in place and in combination with current levels of

Temporary Instruction funds there are sufficient faculty in the Humanities Program to

offer the full curriculum on a regular basis.

Humanities Major Program Proposal

Proposed Calendar Entry

This entry is to be placed before the description for the Joint Major in English and

Humanities

MAJOR PROGRAM

Students completing the major in Humanities are expected to include a breadth of

Humanities coursesin fulfilling the upper division requirement. Therefore, they must

consult the student advisor to plan their upper division course selection. Major students

must also consult the advisor if they wish to enhance their major program interest by

selecting humanities related upper division electives from other departments.

Lower Division Requirements:

Students are required to complete 18 lower division semester hours including:

HUM 102-3 Classical Mythology

plus one of

HIST 105-3 Western Civilization from the Ancient World to the Reformation Era

HIST 106-3 Western Civilization from the Reformation Era to the 20th Century

plus one of

PHIL 150-3 History of Philosophy I

PHIL 151-3 History of Philosophy II

plus one of

HUM 201-3 Great Texts in the Humanities I

HUM 202-3 Great Texts in the Humanities II

HUM 203-3 Great Texts in the Humanities III

plus two further lower division Humanities courses.

Upper Division Requirements:

Students are required to complete a minimum of 32 semester hours in upper division

Humanities* courses.

*In support of the interdisciplinary approach to the study of the humanities, students may,

with prior approval of the Humanities advisor, substitute up to two humanities related

upper division courses from other academic units towards the upper division Humanities

requirement. Note that the same upper division course may not be used toward more than

one program (honors, joint honors, major, joint major, minor or extended minor). See the

first paragraph of the Humanities calendar entry above for a definition of humanities

related topics. A list of suggested courses is available from the advisor.