Three new majors are in the process of being approved for Houghton, including engineering, data science, and social entrepreneurship. While the ultimate decisions on these have not been made, there has been a significant amount of research and thought involved.
The process of adding a new major to the academic program begins with a proposal, most time from faculty, but sometimes from alumni or current students. From there, the program is presented to the academic council and is then voted on by the faculty. If the program passes it then proceeds to New York State for approval.
In evaluating promising new academic fields for Houghton, Dean Linda Mills Woolsey explains that a program must “fit our mission and liberal arts character, attract students, and have a clear connection to vocation.”
The consideration for adding an engineering major at Houghton began about four years ago and was examined more thoroughly by former associate dean of natural science and mathematics, Keith Horn. Presently, a proposal is being prepared to gain approval towards the process of moving forward.
In describing what such a major would look like at Houghton, current associate dean of natural science and mathematics, Professor Mark Yuly, explains there is attention being given to “mainstream disciplines” such as electrical engineering and computer science engineering. Yuly believes that engineering would be a good fit to Houghton’s mission as it will “educate students to go out and transform the world” and goes on to say, “engineering is the twin of science, translating science into something that will help people.”
There is no specific timeline for the instating of an engineering program at Houghton. Woolsey said, “We will actively explore engineering until something tells us to stop.”
The consideration of a data science major at Houghton began about a year ago when Carmen McKell, an alumna psychology major, was contacted by the president’s office about an unrelated matter. McKell later connected with President Shirley Mullen about her and her husband’s specialty consulting firm that focuses on analytical science. She expressed that her liberal arts education prepared her for her profession. This began the curiosity of what such a program would look like at Houghton.
After researching similar programs around the country, it was discovered that data science was almost nonexistent in undergraduate programs and even less prominent at Christian colleges. Department chair of business and economics, Professor Ken Bates, said that interestingly enough “there is a specific demand for students with data science training.” Presently, there is a working group of faculty exploring the field of data science.
Bates says the possible social entrepreneurship major stemmed from hearing students explain their uncertainty in what they wanted to pursue after Houghton, but recognizing they wanted to help people. Such a major would satisfy the interest in serving others as well as provide a practical degree that would result in a job. Bates explains that social entrepreneurship is the “merging of starting a business and doing helpful things with that business. The service provided meets people’s needs and finds traction in a specific focus.”
Both data science and social entrepreneurship are expected to be offered as majors as of Fall 2016. However, various classes in these particular areas of study are expected to be offered.
As boundaries are becoming blurred between various fields of study, Woolsey believes that it is now more important than ever to foster a liberal arts education that creates connections between such fields. Woolsey adds that the most exciting thing for her in this process is the “widening opportunity for our students, as well as seeing the faculty becoming enthusiastic for new projects and programs.”