New programs, facilities greeted returning students
Students returning to the University this fall found a variety of new courses and programs, some of which combine classes with related extracurricular activities.
Lakeview, the University’s first eco-friendly dorm, houses students enrolled in five living and learning programs. The students live, go to class and meet for activities outside of class together. Campaign 2008, a political science course that follows the presidential election, and Life, Literature and Art, a program applying critical thinking to the subjects of literature and art, are new living and learning programs, joining Civic Engagement, Outdoor House/Earth Lodge and Spanish in the Community.
Several new undergraduate courses at the Robins School of Business introduce students to globalism, managing organizational change and the ups and downs of Wall Street. Global Business in a Digital World includes two courses, concentrating on India and China. Both will include two-week trips to their respective countries. Leading Change focuses on management of organizational change, and students will visit seven companies in Richmond to talk with company leaders about managing transition. Finally, Markets and Exchanges is about financial markets and the logistics of Wall Street.
In addition to initiating two new degree programs—the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction for teachers and the Master of Emergency Services Management—the School of Continuing Studies has added two programs. The recently launched au pair program works with au pair agencies to offer non-credit English language and cultural training to au pairs working in the Richmond area. A new summer study abroad program at Yarmouk University in Jordan was launched for students studying Arabic.
SCS also has opened a new 2,150 square-foot facility at Gayton Crossing Shopping Center to provide more space for its culinary arts program. The center offers cooking classes and hosts culinary events for corporate clients and private groups.