At Wednesday night’s student Senate meeting, the members discussed the core curriculum review with guest speaker Dean John McGreevy of the College of Arts and Letters and voted on the nomination of Janie Goodson, a junior mathematics major, to take over the role of Student Union Treasurer starting Sunday.
Student body vice president Matthew Devine opened the meeting and introduced McGreevy, who gave a brief overview of the core curriculum and said the theology requirement would not be eliminated.
“I’ve heard a lot about [rumors of the theology requirements' elimination] recently, and we didn’t anticipate that,” he said. “Everyone knows that theology is central to whatever is going to happen at Notre Dame.”
He said the core curriculum review committee wanted student feedback to help them make their decisions and invited senators to bring up their own concerns.
“The committee is charged with overseeing a faculty-led, campus-wide — that includes students — review of current general education requirements and deliberate possible changes in the curriculum,” he said
The University reviews the core curriculum every 10 years. In the past 46 years since the core curriculum was designed, there have been almost no changes.
McGreevy said two major concerns he had heard from students were that First Year of Studies was too similar to the high school course lineup and that there was a lack of cohesion among first-year classes.
“We hear complaints about what students refer to as ‘grade 13,'” he said. “They sometimes feel the first year at Notre Dame is too much a repetition of what they did in high school.”
Most of the concerns of the Senate focused on the lack of electives for many majors, the lack of interest and choice in the required classes and the number of credits required by the core curriculum.
Students can voice their opinions regarding the core curriculum at curriculumreview.nd.edu. There will be a student survey and two meetings with students, one with the academic commissioners within the dorms as well as one with students chosen by their departments.
After the presentation and discussion about the core curriculum, the Senate voted on the nomination by senior Kristen Parkinson, current Student Union Treasurer, of Janie Goodson to take over the position beginning Sunday and extending for a period of one year. Parkinson presented her nomination and said Goodson would be an excellent choice.
“Janie is an extremely talented and motivated individual with the passion, drive and commitment to successfully serve the student body,” Parkinson said.
The Senate approved Goodson's nomination.
Student body president Lauren Vidal also announced one dining hall will be open for brunch and dinner each day over spring break.
