2008 Woodie Awards
Miami Plan debate goes to U. Senate
Catherine Couretas
Issue date: 4/1/08 Section: Front Page
Funds for study abroad programs may see an increase now that students who study abroad will now be able to count credits taken abroad toward a new global perspectives requirement of the proposed Global Miami Plan.
According to Jerry Stonewater, director of the Liberal Education Council (LEC), the Miami Plan will still require the same number of overall credit hours; with three less hours required for Miami Plan Foundation (MPF) II and three more credits required for global perspectives, currently MPF III.
These three hours added to global perspectives will not be required of students who study abroad, which raised the question at the university senate meeting Monday of how fair it is to lessen the requirements of the Miami Plan for students who can afford to study abroad.
"We're trying to raise more money for students to study abroad," said Provost Jeffrey Herbst.
Global perspectives will require at least six credit hours, and students may either count six credit hours taken abroad or nine credit hours taken at Miami to fulfill this requirement.
If choosing to fulfill this requirement at Miami, students will be required to take nine credits of Miami Plan Foundation courses designated as global perspective courses (G-courses). There will also be the option of taking a nine credit G-cluster, a series loosely related to global perspectives courses.
A G-cluster, as described by Stonewater, is a "mini thematic sequence."
"It's a way for departments to put together a series of loosely connected courses," Stonewater said. "It's a well-structured and defined sequence of courses."
Stonewater said academic departments will be required to propose these clusters to the LEC.
Stonewater said he thinks language clusters will be popular with some students, since they will be able to use the cluster to counts toward both their global perspective requirements and the language requirement in College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
Glenn Platt, director of the interactive media studies program, saw the potential in this change toward a long-term trend of encouraging the study of a foreign language. He said that this is a good step towards a language requirement as part of the Miami Plan.
"Everyone should have some sort of foreign language experience," Platt said.
Sophomore Katie Stapor thinks the new plan will be beneficial for students.
"It's good because it's encouraging people to study abroad and get that kind of experience," Stapor said. "It's also good because you don't have to stay in Oxford. You can get a new experience instead of sitting in an Oxford classroom."
According to Jerry Stonewater, director of the Liberal Education Council (LEC), the Miami Plan will still require the same number of overall credit hours; with three less hours required for Miami Plan Foundation (MPF) II and three more credits required for global perspectives, currently MPF III.
These three hours added to global perspectives will not be required of students who study abroad, which raised the question at the university senate meeting Monday of how fair it is to lessen the requirements of the Miami Plan for students who can afford to study abroad.
"We're trying to raise more money for students to study abroad," said Provost Jeffrey Herbst.
Global perspectives will require at least six credit hours, and students may either count six credit hours taken abroad or nine credit hours taken at Miami to fulfill this requirement.
If choosing to fulfill this requirement at Miami, students will be required to take nine credits of Miami Plan Foundation courses designated as global perspective courses (G-courses). There will also be the option of taking a nine credit G-cluster, a series loosely related to global perspectives courses.
A G-cluster, as described by Stonewater, is a "mini thematic sequence."
"It's a way for departments to put together a series of loosely connected courses," Stonewater said. "It's a well-structured and defined sequence of courses."
Stonewater said academic departments will be required to propose these clusters to the LEC.
Stonewater said he thinks language clusters will be popular with some students, since they will be able to use the cluster to counts toward both their global perspective requirements and the language requirement in College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
Glenn Platt, director of the interactive media studies program, saw the potential in this change toward a long-term trend of encouraging the study of a foreign language. He said that this is a good step towards a language requirement as part of the Miami Plan.
"Everyone should have some sort of foreign language experience," Platt said.
Sophomore Katie Stapor thinks the new plan will be beneficial for students.
"It's good because it's encouraging people to study abroad and get that kind of experience," Stapor said. "It's also good because you don't have to stay in Oxford. You can get a new experience instead of sitting in an Oxford classroom."
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