Faculty Council Approves New Concentration, Discusses Schedule Changes

The Faculty Council voted Wednesday in support of the proposed concentration in Theater, Dance, and Media. The concentration will be brought to the full Faculty for discussion on March 3 and will be voted on at the meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on April 7, according to Dean of Undergraduate Education Jay M. Harris.

Undergraduates would be able to declare the concentration—which University officials first announced in October 2014—starting in December 2015. Five million dollars of seed funding provided by University President Drew G. Faust from her discretionary funds will help launch the concentration.

Harris also attended the meeting of the Faculty Council—the FAS’s highest elected body—to discuss proposals to change FAS class scheduling in light of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences’ move to Allston, according to Council members Stacey A. Combes and John T. Hamilton. Harris, along with Deputy Provost Peggy Newell, co-chairs a task force made up of students, faculty, and administrators deliberating on and crafting the proposals.

The meeting minutes stated that proposed changes aim to alleviate long-standing problems with class scheduling conflicts, highlight academics in undergraduate life, and address increased travel times to the Allston campus, according to Combes. Two-thirds of SEAS faculty are scheduled to move to new facilities in Allston in 2019.

Previous proposals recommended that the majority of FAS classes meet in 90-minute blocks twice a week, over four days. Sections and classes such as studios and seminars that require longer meeting times would take place on a fifth day.

Plans on scheduling, however, remain to be finalized.

—Staff writer Karl M. Aspelund can be reached at karl.aspelund@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @kma_crimson.

—Staff writer Meg P. Bernhard can be reached at meg.bernhard@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @meg_bernhard.