Two new course proposals will be brought to the Council on Academic Affairs 2 p.m. today in Room 4440 of Booth Library.

BIO 3460, Clinical Rotation, which will be added to the agenda at the meeting, is expected to be a new course that offers practical, hands-on experience for pre-health professional tract students, the course proposal read.

The proposal claims students on the pre-health professional tract will use the experience from the course to be competitive for admission to professional schools.

“The course requires at least 3 hours of clinical time per week that is arranged over the semester. Students will rotate between different health professional settings (and) in addition to the clinical rotation, students will meet with the course instructor 3 hours per week to reflect on components of their rotation,” the proposal read.

The clinical professional settings the course will require students to get involved in include hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, assisted living centers, crisis nursery and rehabilitation centers, the proposal read.

According to the rationale for the course, almost all health professional schools require some level of volunteer work in clinical settings and are looking for the applicant to demonstrate clinical thinking skills.

“This course creates an environment to foster both. The student will gain the needed hands-on hours required for their health profession, gaining valuable real-world experience,” the rational read. “They will also spend time researching the clinical cases they see, current care techniques, and will also research the current scientific literature associated with the treatment.”

The course will be added to the agenda and presented to the members of the CAA.

PSY 4755, Cross-Cultural Psychology, is the other new course the CAA will vote on.

The course is expected to cover how culture influences human thinking, feelings and behavior, according to the course proposal.

Presented by the psychology department, the course rationale said it is a complement to the current Social Psychology course and it is consistent with the American Psychological Association’s 2013 Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major.

“A course specifically on cross-cultural psychology integrates, and expands upon, the sociocultural learning students experience in other courses and it offers a more in-depth analysis of the impact of cultural patterns and behaviors than typically covered in general multicultural courses,” the rationale read.

The course will be a 4000-level course and will be available to graduate students seeking to expand their diversity understanding.

Other things on the agenda that the CAA will discuss at the meeting include a report from the study abroad office and an IBHE Program Review presentation for the B.A. in the Theatre Arts.

Analicia Haynes can be reached at 581-2812 or achaynes@eiu.edu.