The Council of Academic Affairs approved a proposal to change the name of the Department of Human Services and Community Leadership to the “Department of Human Services.”

The approved proposal also included:

• Changing the name of the BS in Human Services Program Administration to BS in Human Services
• Changing the name of the minor in Human Services Program Administration to the minor in Human Services
• Changing the name of the MS in Human Services Program Administration to MS in Human Services

The College of Health and Human Services requested this change so that the name would be more general, allowing prospective students to see more of what the major encompasses.

During the report on the Naming Committee, Rich Wilkinson announced that one of the candidates for the new name for Douglas Hall had withdrawn from consideration.

The Daily Eastern News confirmed that this candidate was Louis V. Hencken, a former university president at Eastern. Hencken said that he wanted to allow one of the other people on the list to be recognized.

The council also approved a proposal which gives the International Education Council control over virtual study abroad courses.

The virtual study abroad program was approved on a trial basis and had a successful launch with a music class this summer interacting with Chilean music.

The IEC was granted control over the program for the 2021 summer and fall semesters of that trial program and this proposal would allow it to continue.

This program is expected to be used as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrict travel between countries. Virtual study abroad may be the closest option for students at this time.

Once travel is possible again, the virtual program may serve as a supplement to standard study abroad programs. It could be more cost effective or less time consuming for students who may not have otherwise been able to participate.

All virtual or remote study abroad courses will have the same elements: “the substance of the course is foreign/international in scope and breadth, have experiential components through virtual means, entail some synchronous interaction with individuals at the international study site, which may be external faculty members, colleagues at partner institutions, host families, international experts, inter alia, one to three credit hour limitation, these courses would not count toward the university Senior Seminar requirement and separate course fees may be utilized to cover possible expenses with international experiences upon gaining appropriate approval.”

The council also approved a revision to the admissions requirements for the traditional nursing program.

The issue with the requirements primarily stemmed from unclear language which was identified after the program had been implemented.

Previously, some prospective students may have misunderstood the program as a transfer program, rather than a full four-year program.

The council also clarified requirements for incoming students so that freshman and transfer students would know whether they would qualify for the program.

Luke Taylor can be reached at 581-2812 or egtaylor@eiu.edu.