Policy Studies major created
Ben Hewes
Issue date: 9/8/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Taking advantage of the publicity from the election night broadcast, Simon professor of political economy W. Mark Crain will use the event to launch a new Policy Studies major.
According to Crain, the faculty voted to approve a policy studies major in May of this year, though Lafayette's website has not yet been updated to include it. Crain, the new major's chair, said the program's start was one of the main inspirations for the idea of the election night broadcast.
Brandon Benjamin '06, a research assistant helping to develop the new major and the election broadcast, said the election coverage is a kind of marketing tool aimed at attracting attention to the policy studies program.
"We're trying to get [students] excited about the Policy Studies program," he said.
Benjamin described policy studies an interdisciplinary major requiring students to examine and apply technical analysis to policy decisions in the public and private sector. He said the major features four different concentrations: Arts and Media Policy, Economic Policy and Homeland Security, Science Policy, and Social Policy. He also described a number of course requirements from departments as diverse as history and engineering.
Professor of economics Susan Averett said her department had been discussing the possibility of a policy studies program for five years, and said she was pleased it had been approved.
Both Crain and Benjamin, however, acknowledged attracting new students to the major will not be easy.
"It's difficult to implement a new major," Benjamin admitted.
To make the arrival of policy studies at the college more noticeable, Crain said the program is also sponsoring the visit of former El Salvador president Francisco Flores in October and a conference entitled "Facing the Chinese Century" next March.
Crain said he remains hopeful the live election night broadcast will prove to be a success and will generate interest in policy studies on campus.
"I think this will be a good test of how much genuine interest there is in this thing," he said.
According to Crain, the faculty voted to approve a policy studies major in May of this year, though Lafayette's website has not yet been updated to include it. Crain, the new major's chair, said the program's start was one of the main inspirations for the idea of the election night broadcast.
Brandon Benjamin '06, a research assistant helping to develop the new major and the election broadcast, said the election coverage is a kind of marketing tool aimed at attracting attention to the policy studies program.
"We're trying to get [students] excited about the Policy Studies program," he said.
Benjamin described policy studies an interdisciplinary major requiring students to examine and apply technical analysis to policy decisions in the public and private sector. He said the major features four different concentrations: Arts and Media Policy, Economic Policy and Homeland Security, Science Policy, and Social Policy. He also described a number of course requirements from departments as diverse as history and engineering.
Professor of economics Susan Averett said her department had been discussing the possibility of a policy studies program for five years, and said she was pleased it had been approved.
Both Crain and Benjamin, however, acknowledged attracting new students to the major will not be easy.
"It's difficult to implement a new major," Benjamin admitted.
To make the arrival of policy studies at the college more noticeable, Crain said the program is also sponsoring the visit of former El Salvador president Francisco Flores in October and a conference entitled "Facing the Chinese Century" next March.
Crain said he remains hopeful the live election night broadcast will prove to be a success and will generate interest in policy studies on campus.
"I think this will be a good test of how much genuine interest there is in this thing," he said.
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