School of Arts and Sciences faculty approved a new Modern Middle Eastern Studies program and OK'ed changes to the Women's Studies Program at their annual meeting yesterday.
Beginning this fall, undergraduates can opt to major or minor in modern Middle Eastern studies. Director of Academic Affairs Kent Peterman said the program will encourage a social sciences approach to studying the region as opposed to the more traditional linguistic and cultural focus.
Faculty members approved changes to the undergraduate women's studies major. These include changing the name to "gender, culture and society" and a new structure in which students will choose to concentrate in women's studies, gender and health, global gender studies or sexuality studies.
Faculty at the meeting also heard a progress report from the committee investigating a potential United States minority culture requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences' curriculum.
Penn Sociology professor Grace Kao -- who sits on the committee which is discussing the proposed requirement -- said she presented faculty with the committee's progress thus far.
The committee has not reached a conclusion about what form a requirement might take, Kao said, but based on meetings this year, it would include studies on race, ethnicity and gender.
Separate meetings for faculty and students are planned for next semester to discuss the matter further, Kao said.
College Dean Dennis DeTurck said that there is no official deadline for a formal requirement proposal, but "December is the goal in the back of people's minds" if a requirement were to take effect for the Class of 2011.
DeTurck around that around 40 of the school's about 400 faculty attended the meeting, which he said was "a little better than usual," since many professors teach in the afternoon or attend research conferences.
-- Zoe Tillman
