Most of the time, these reviews lead to some fine-tuning
of the major. But occasionally, changes are significant and
students need to know what’s new. Last year, for instance,
program reviews brought about important and exciting changes
to three majors in the College of Liberal Arts.
· Humanities has a new focus and a new name: East-West Classical
Studies. Students in the new major will explore the golden
ages of the ancient East (China and Japan) and the ancient
West (Greece and Rome), looking at the literature, arts, theatre,
philosophies, and religions that emerged from these periods
of pre-modern cultural creativity.
· The literature major is now the English major, which offers
students more global content in their major requirements and
more choices as they fulfill requirements. The revised major
consists of four core concepts: texts in history, texts and
culture, textual theories, and textual practices. The flexibility
of this major means students can study Shakespeare, modern
Chinese writers, Hawai‘i writers, literary theory, and scriptwriting
all in the same degree program.
· Psychology has revised its curriculum to reflect national
trends for programs in psychology. Students will take an introductory
course that exposes them to a core of subject matter that’s
central to the discipline. After that, students will move
on to advanced courses that provide greater depth. Such a
focus will help to prepare students for graduate programs
and entry-level positions in the human services and mental
health fields.
