Pag* Four A Message from the dean... Dear Students: This special section in your newspaper is designed to bring the new bac calaureate degree programs that may be completed in four years here at Behrend College to your attention. Behrend College is changing rapidly as we grow to full four-year collegiate status. Those of you now completing two or more years at Behrend have already witnessed substantial change here. May I take this op portunity to share with you some observations about the present and future of Behrend College baccalaureate degree programs. Our baccalaureate programming is being developed while we simultaneously strengthen our associate degree and two-year transfer programs. All of us—faculty and staff —have a strong commitment to these programs. For your benefit, we are continuing to assemble an outstanding faculty of teacher-scholars dedicated to quality instruction, expanding our coverage of major disciplines—building on the very capable faculty strengths which have already established Behrend’s reputation for excellent instruction within The Pen nsylvania State University. A wider variety of courses is being offered. All studen ts benefit from this growth, even though they may not enter Behrend College bac calaureate degree programs. The menu of programs now available for completion is diverse and expanding. The Division of Arts and Humanities now offers the B.A. degree with majors in American Studies, English: Literature, General Arts and Science and History. The Division of Natural Science and Engineering offers a B.A. in Science and a B.S. in Applied Science. The Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences offers the B.A. in Economics, General Arts and Science, Political Science, Pre-Law, and Psychology Studies; a B.S. is offered in Economics and Psychology Studies. In addition, the College offers the B.Ph. (Bachelor of Philosophy), a unique degree program tailored to the educational objectives of individual students. You may also be interested in programming under development. We expect, following the March, 1977 meeting of the University’s Board of Trustees, to begin accepting students into the new major in Bioscience. This new program in biology will offer students field study and substantial applied and problem-solving op portunities—enhancing their employability upon graduation. We also hope to be able to announce before the end of the Spring Term, 1977 the availability of a new major in Business. Another may be offered in Mathematical Sciences. Additional programs are being developed which might be available for admission during the academic year 1977-78: Chemical Sciences, Communications, and Applied Statistics, to name but a few. Students will not be admitted to any of the new or MAJORS continued from page 3 BACHELOR PHILOSOPHY DEGREE The Bachelor of Philosophy Degree—a special University-wide program—is designed to allow students to plan their own programs and is intended for those few students for whom the present degree requirements are restrictive and not responsive to their needs. While the educational goals of most students are adequately met by existing degree programs, those who can demonstrate that the usual requirements of these programs prevent tkem from adequately meeting their goals may apply for admission to the Bachelor of Philosophy program. This program is not intended for students who simply do riot wish to take certain requirements. An important standard for admission will be the ability of the student to demonstrate that his or her stated goals are viable and worthy of a college degree. The responsibility of the faculty preceptor—the Behrend Collegian prospective programs until the new faculty members needed have been recruited and the programs have been fully approved within the University. But I thought you might be interested in some of our plans. If you would like to major in one of Behrend College's baccalaureate degree programs, I encourage you to discuss your interest with your advisor and to visit the appropriate academic division office. Any baccalaureate degree student with third term standing or higher may request. entry to a Behrend major by com pleting a “change of major’’form available in the Records Office. There has been, and understandably so, some confusion for some of you about the relationship between Behrend College and the University Park campus. The confusion exists because Behrend serves many purposes. For many students, it is the campus at which they begin study, with the anticipation of a normal transfer to University Park after several terms. In this sense, Behrend is a “location", ser ving students from all the Colleges of the University. For many others, Behrend is also the “home” college for four years. Those students for whom Behrend is a “location ’’ must transfer to Uniyersity Park at some point because the upper-division component of their degree program is not available here at Behrend. This transfer is ordinarily effected after 6 terms, and in some cases sooner when less than 6 terms are offered here. To transfer early or to stay beyond 6 terms are both exceptions to general policies; if you feel that your own circumstances warrant an exception, I urge you to discuss the mat ter with your advisor and to contact Dean Salvia’s office. For those students electing to complete their degree programs at Behrend, the last two years may be completed here. Whenever schedules permit, however, we encourage (but do not require) our degree candidates to consider spending a term during their Junior or Senior year at University Park—to experience the best that The Pennsylvania State University has to offer at both locations. We are, as a College, undergoing considerable growth in program development New programs will retain and enhance the commitment we have to academic ex cellence, while building upon strengths of our faculty. We invite you to give serious consideration to the possibility of Behrend College as your College, to elect a Behrend major if one is offered in your area of interest. Whatever choice you exer cise, we extend to you our best wishes and hope that you obtain the education that you seek. faculty member with whom the student works—will be to assist the student in planning a program and in achieving the proposed goals. It will be of utmost importance that the faculty preceptor be able to certify, to the Bachelor of Philosophy Degree Committee on adequate grounds belief that the student has achieved these stated goals.. The basis of this certification might be a comprehensive examination (written or oral), a written report, a public seminar or performance, the presentation of a paper to a national meeting of a professional society, etc. What the program provides, in short, is an opportunity for highly self-motivated students to work closely with a faculty member in a program of study they have helped to design for themselves. . Cordially, Thomas C. Fox Dean of Faculty Miscellaneous Matters Many students at Behrend College are not fully aware of the wide range of student per sonnel and academic services available. An ex tremely valuable source of in formation for students is the booklet “Policies and Rules for Students.” If you do not have a copy of the bookbooklet, you may obtain one from the Student Affairs Office, second floor, Reed Union Building. The Division of Undergraduate St udies, located in Lawrence Hall, maintains a very comprehensive Ac ademic In formation Center, where students may obtain in formation about virtually any aspect of academic life. In addition, the Career Development and Placement Center of the Student Af fairs Office has a library of cassette tapes describing the University’s majors. February T 7. 1977
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