The Academic Committee is responsible for addressing issues pertaining to the academic realm of student life.  If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please email the committee chairs.  We welcome any and all input.

Current Projects:

Major Fair

Spring 2010 Academic Committee Members:

Committee Co-Chairs:

• Julia Dimaio (dimajj6@wfu.edu)
• Margo Warren (warrmb7@wfu.edu)

Members:

• Elizabeth Armstrong (Jr)
• Katherine Black (Jr)
• Chris Cattie (Sr)
• Tayler Donner (Jr)
• Greg Gorman (So)
• Will Johnston (Fr)
• Benjellica Leslie-Jones (Jr)
• Elizabeth Martin (So)
• Lyz May (So)
• Will McClure (So)
• James O’Connell (Fr)
• Storm Saponaro (Fr)
• Aubrey Sitler (Jr)
• Susan Zhu (So)

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Current Projects:

Major Fair

• Committee Members: Lyz May, William McClure, Greg Gorman
• What is it?:   We are attempting to create a major fair that targets freshmen and sophomores who do now know what they want to major in or how to go about declaring and/or fulfilling the requirements for a particular major.  Each major will have a booth set up with professors and students involved with that major to speak with and answer any questions.  We hope for this event to be held each semester.  In the spring, we hope for it to be in mid-March, around the time that sophomores declare their majors.
• How did this project start?: Attendees at the Fall 2009 President’s Leadership Conference expressed the need to raise awareness about how to choose, declare, and fulfill each major.
• Who are you working with?: The Office of Acadmic Advising and Dr. Perry Patterson, Dean of Academic Avising; All of the academic department and majors;  Dr. Jacqui Fetrow, Dean of Wake Forest College.
• What needs to be done for the project?: Establish a “vision” for the fair, select the date, manage logistics, contact departments and majors, advertise
• Time frame for completion: The first major fair will be in March 2010.  We hope for this to be something that the academic committee plans each semester in conjunction with the Office of Academic Advising.

Create-Your-Own Major

• Committee Members: Julia Dimaio*, Taylor Donner*, Greg Gorman, Chris Cattie, William Johnston, James O’Connell.
• What is it?: An initiative to start a program where students can design their own major from a combination of core classes, upper level seminars and a keystone research experience from different departments.
• How did it start?: As a small liberal arts university we felt that an opportunity to study integrating fields was an essential part of creating a competitive and well-round student.
• Who are you working with?: Currently working with Perry Patterson, Office of Academic Advising  as well as the Registrar and the Dean of the College
• What will need to be done?: Meeting with administrators in all aspects of the academic realm in order to formulate the strongest case possible when we present to the University Committee on Academics
• Time Frame for Completion?: Hope to present to the University Committee by April

Improved/New Professor and Course Review System (aka “Blackbook Project”)

• Committee Members: Katherine Black, Elizabeth Armstrong
• What is it?: We want to create a course evaluation system to replace the use of Virtual Ratings (a third party online professor evaluation site).  This would not replace course evaluations done at the end of the year by each department.  The purpose is to assist students in course selection and registration.
• How did it start?: Originated because the school has no formal system for students to be better informed about courses before they are registered.  Began in Fall 2008.
• Who are you working with?: TBD
• What will need to be done?: Research other institutions.  Design the system, establish a purpose, etc.  Get approval from the school.  Find someone to implement the system.  Advertise.
• Time frame for completion: We hope to have it available to students in Fall 2010 when they register for their Spring 2011 courses.