The Council on Academic Affairs approved the accelerated law degree proposal at its meeting Thursday.

The plan includes an academic track, which would allow students to major in political science, and then after three years at Eastern transfer to Northern Illinois University to finish their political science degree while starting on their law degree.

The program proposal’s advising path was revised since CAA first heard the plan at its April 5 meeting, which includes the official exemption of the senior seminar for students in this 3 + 3 program.

The council was confused about what to vote on when they first heard the proposal two weeks ago.  It was decided the council needed to approve the framework for this type of accelerated program, and that was what it voted on at Thursday’s meeting.

The council voted unanimously in favor of the program format, as well as for a proposed change to the neuroscience minor, which involved deleting some classes that were not regularly offered from the minor course listings.

It was announced at the meeting that anthropology professor Don Holly was chosen as the winner of 2018 Faculty Laureate Award.

According to Eastern’s website, the award “recognizes a faculty member for excellence in teaching general education classes.”

Brooke Schwartz can be reached at 581-2812 or at bsschwartz@eiu.edu.