The Council on Academic Affairs voted unanimously in favor of four new majors and 19 new courses Thursday.

The board approved the addition of construction management and engineering technology majors. It also approved exercise science and sport management as new majors to replace kinesiology and sports studies concentrations of the same names.

The council also approved 10 new courses for engineering technology, seven new courses for construction management, two new psychology courses, along with revisions to two engineering technology courses and two construction management courses.

Mark Kattenbraker, the interim chair for the department of kinesiology and sports studies, said making sport management and exercise science their own majors would make them more visible to prospective students than they are currently as concentrations.

“It’s kind of been somewhat of a long-standing desire of our department to have these two concentrations separated out into their own majors,” Kattenbraker said. “If you would ask a student who is in the exercise science concentration what their major is, guess what they’ll tell you. They’ll tell you it’s exercise science.”

The new engineering technology major will include courses on application, cost analysis and safety. Two classes – “Computers for Engineering Technology” and “Electricity and Electronic Controls” – will be moved from the applied engineering and technology department to engineering technology.

A third applied engineering and technology course – “Construction Project Management Capstone” – will be moved to the new construction management department.

John Cabage, Jr., an assistant technology professor and the adviser for the Construction Club, said he wants his students to be trained more intensively. The new construction management program will teach students about planning, management, virtual design and safety.

“I’m really confident that this will be a good program,” Cabage said. “Hopefully it will be a credit to Eastern going forward.”

Stacey Ruholl, the committee chair, said she agrees with Cabage’s hopes.

“I actually think (the new programs and courses) are quite wonderful,” Ruholl said. “Any time we have the opportunity to stay relevant and attract new students, it’s a good opportunity.”

Mallory Kutnick can be reached at 581-2812 or mbkutnick@eiu.edu.