To:
From:
Date:
Re:
Undergraduate Academic Affairs Council
Joel Sipress, Social Inquiry Department Chair
October 24, 2011
Resource Implications of Social Inquiry Proposals
The UAAC has received a large body of course and curricular proposals from the Department of
Social Inquiry. In light of current campus resource issues, this memo explains the resource implications
of these proposals. I would like to assure the council that all the proposed courses and course revisions
can and will be offered within current instructional resources without need for additional faculty or
academic staff resources. Let me also assure the council that the only unbudgeted ad hoc resources
that the Department of Social Inquiry currently receives are: 1) One ad hoc history section per semester
as a chair replacement for me, and 2) Sociology ad hoc replacements for Eri Fujieda’s reassigned time as
Assessment Coordinator
Background:
In the past two years, the Department of Social Inquiry has made 6 new faculty hires. Of these, 4
are replacements for faculty who either retired or took other positions:
-Philosophy—Sarah LaChance Adams replaced Dick Hudelson
-East Asian History—Merose Hwang replaced David Obermiller
-Sociology—Eric Edwards replaced Michael Ball
-American Politics—Alisa Von Hagel replaced Gloria Toivola
The other two positions were new:
-Political Theory—A few years ago, George Wright was reassigned from Political Science to Legal
Studies. This left the Political Science program with just two faculty members and no political theorist.
In the fall of 2011, Daniela Mansbach joined the department as a political theorist
-Social Studies Education/History—As part of the reorganization of the Teacher Education
Program, the Department of Social Inquiry was given responsibility for Social Studies Education. We did
not ask for this—it was given to us. The existing resources in Social Studies Education were insufficient
to support a full faculty position. Administration thus augmented those resources to allow for a hire
that would teach Social Studies Methods courses, supervise student teachers, and teach a number of
classes in a social studies content area discipline. In the fall of 2010, we hired Ken Shonk. Ken’s position
is structured so that he teaches three sections of history per year.
A discussion of the staffing implications of our course and curricular proposal by discipline
follows:
Anthropology
Deborah Augsburger is beginning her fourth year as our sole anthropologist. She has gradually
been revising the anthropology minor to reflect her professional interests and her evaluation of the
needs of our students. While the department has discussed the possibility of requesting additional
resources in Anthropology, the proposals before you today can be offered with no additional resources
The following courses are being added:

205, 491
The following course is being dropped

302
In recent years, the Anthropology Program has offered a section of ANTH 490 (Special Topics)
each year as a de facto capstone for the minor. The proposed ANTH 491 will replace ANTH 490 for this
purpose. ANTH 490 will no longer be regularly offered, but will remain in the catalog for occasional use
as a special topics course.
History
Ken Shonk is proposing three new courses (HIST 340, 440, and 470) that will be offered every
other year. In addition, he will teach a section of HIST 111 for general education each year. These
courses represent the History component of his split History/Social Studies Education position.
Merose Hwang is proposing two new courses (HIST 383 and HIST/WST 407). These courses will be
integrated into her regular rotation and be offered every other year. (Priscilla Starratt has taken over
responsibility for HIST 257, a once-a-year formerly taught by David Obermiller. This is what allows
Merose Hwang room in her rotation for these two new courses.)
Philosophy
Sarah LaChance Adams is proposing a wholesale revision of the Philosophy minor that includes
significant changes from the curriculum offered by Dick Hudelson. The curriculum will include the
following new courses:

PHIL 250, 330, 340, 350, PHIL/WST 365, PHIL/WST 459
The following courses previously taught by Dick Hudelson are being dropped:

PHIL 175, 214
In addition, PHIL/PHYS 300 (previously taught by Dick Hudelson) will no longer be offered by the
Department of Social Inquiry. It is remaining in the catalog for now, however, because the Department
of Natural Sciences has expressed interest in perhaps offering it, resources allowing.
Also, in previous years, Dick Hudelson offered sections of PHIL 351 (Selected Topics) with varying
topics as part of his regular rotation. Sarah LaChance Adams will not be doing that. This will allow for
the inclusion of more regular catalog courses as part of her rotation. PHIL 351 will remain in the catalog
for occasional use as a special topics course.
Political Science
With the retirement of Gloria Toivola, the previous departure of George Wright to the Legal
Studies Department, and the hiring of two new Political Science faculty this year, the Political Science
curriculum has been completely reconstructed. To support the new curriculum, a total seven new
courses are proposed (265, 360, 395, 375, 385, 420, POLS/WST 370). While only two existing courses
are being dropped (POLS 367 and 455) it should be kept in mind that when George Wright departed the
program, he took with him a significant number of POLS courses that were re-designated as LSTU
courses. All the proposed POLS courses will be taught within load of the three Political Science faculty as
part of a two year rotation. In addition, the Political Science program has built into its two year rotation
between one and two First-Year Seminars per year. These seminars will be offered without need for
replacement sections.
Sociology
Eric Edwards is proposing two new courses (SOCI 423 and 424). Two courses previously taught by
Michael Ball (SOCI 461 and 462) have previously been dropped. Marshall Johnson is proposing SOCI 270
to support the University GEARS program. Marshall is able to work this course into his regular rotation
by adjusting the frequency with which other courses are offered.