The Arts and Sciences Council approved proposals for alternative pathways with foreign language requirements for students with disabilities and heard proposals for a new minor in music at the first meeting of the spring semester.
New foreign language pathway
In December, the Board heard proposals for plans to change Trinity College’s foreign language requirements for a small number of students identified by the Office of Student Disability Access as having “extreme difficulty” in learning a foreign language.
Although disability accommodations for these students are legally required, deans have struggled to find ways to ensure completion of curriculum requirements, resulting in students It ended up graduating without “meeting the technical requirements,” said Joshua Sokolar, chairman of the council and professor of physics. , at the December meeting.
The proposal passed 23-0, with two members of the Board abstaining. The proposal would change the foreign language requirements to allow students to take her three classes offered by the Faculty of Foreign Languages taught in English.
new minor in music
Council faculty also heard suggestions for a new “listening-focused” minor in music.
Jonathan Bug, a professor of music practice, submitted a proposal to the council. Bagg said that this new minor in music, if approved, would not replace the existing minor, but would instead provide another focus for musical research.
According to Bagg, the current music minor is “score-oriented” and emphasizes reading music, making it popular with Duke students who enter with already classical training.
“It is possible to start with no background or ability to read music and eventually complete this music minor, but I think that rarely happens,” said Bagg.
“On the other hand, many Duke students without classical training take music classes that don’t require them to read music. No,” he added, referring to students forming their own bands and creating music on computers as examples.
The music department also hired a new faculty member to teach content that does not rely on reading music or knowledge of “Western harmony”. This has created an area of the music sector that is “well-served by a different kind of music miner,” Bagg said.
New minors, like existing minors, require a minimum of 5.5 credits. For new minors, there is a “listening lab” class that mirrors the music theory requirements of existing minors.
It also requires two semesters of artistic practice workshops, each worth 0.25 credits. This is similar to existing score-based minor performance requirements.
The requirements for artistic practice workshops differ from existing performance classes, as workshops can be individualized to each student’s musical interests.
“We wanted students to bring their own practice, their own kind of music-making, to minors and see it as part of the learning process,” Bagg said.
The workshop will consist of three meetings where students discuss their approved artistic endeavors with their instructors and each other.
The new minor also requires students to take “four related courses” in music together.
The council will vote on whether to approve the new minors proposal at its February meeting. If approved, the two minors will be given new names that reflect their respective “listening-focused” and “score-focused” requirements.
in other business
The Council heard a presentation on research data management from John Dolbow, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Research and Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science.
A new data management policy requires faculty to develop a data management plan if research is funded by a federal agency. The Principal Investigator must also know and document who has access to research data and retain the data for her six years, or a standard recognized in the field of study.
Duke does not plan to randomly audit researchers internally regarding the implementation of these policies, but external organizations may request the University to audit specific researchers.
Distinguished professors of Jewish Studies Mark Brettler, Bernice, and Morton Lerner asked how this policy applies to humanities faculty.
“When are humanists, people who do this kind of research, expected to keep data from books, archives, etc.?” he asked.
Dolbow responded by using the field notebook example as a possible data source for humanities research.
“Duke will ask that we keep that information for six years.
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| | college news editor
Adway S. Wadekar is a sophomore at Trinity and a college news editor for Volume 118 of The Chronicle. He also contributed to the sports sector.
