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Show Students and faculty in the School of Social Sciences have continued to push ahead with new programs and innovative ideas this year. The newest program the school is working on. is a computer lab in the basement of the social science building. The lab will open next quarter and is designed to help students across Weber's curicula to write better. "This is a real opportunity for students to become more computer literate than they are," said Dr. Richard Sadler, dean of the School of Social Sciences. The school offers majors in eight areas including criminal justice, gerontology, history, political science, psychology, sociology, social science composite and social work. Sadler has been particularly impressed this year with the quality of students the school is turning out. "Our students are doing all sorts of good things in and out of class," he said. A Year of Change One such student, Shelly Eyre, was the first undergraduate student ever selected to present a paper to the Utah State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She a student in the Department of Social Work. Social work students were also responsible this year for starting the first and only chapter of the Alpha Delta Mu National Honor Society of Social Work in the Intermountain West. It was a year of firsts for the Department of Social Work. This was their first year of having departmental status. Dr. Raymond H. Clark, chair of the department, said he was excited to no longer be someone else's stepchild. Dr. Jerry H. Burup, chair of the Department of Gerontology said he is amazed at the quality and interest of the students in his department. He said students in gerontology have to put in 180 hours of volunteer work to graduate. He said many go well beyond that number because they get hooked on it. 1 I ? n i : j wJl eeU 1 ..... The main thrust of the School of Business and Economics this year has been to receive an accreditation by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). As an effort toward this end, the school undertook and accomplished a major curriculum revision this year. These changes, along with the overall program, will be looked at by AACSB over the next two years for accreditation consideration. The need to do the revision was also impacted by the loss of three faculty members this year as a result of Weber's strategic planning to reduce costs. The school has been working toward acceditation for the past 10 years. If accedited, WSC Business and Economics will be one of only 200 schools in the nation to be accedited by AACSB. "Accreditation will give the school a better overall reputation, particularly in academic circles," said Dr. Allen F. Simkins, dean of the School of Business and Economics. He said better placement of the business and economics students would be just one aspect of the accreditation. To receive this accreditation, the school has worked to form an appropriate foundation of faculty, said Dr. W. James Smith. He is the Willard L. Eccles professor of business and economics. Smith said Weber is rapidly achieving the Social Science This year the department established academic programs in Vernal, Blanding, Richfield", St. George, Salt Lake and Ogden. Weber will export its program to these areas. The Department of Psychology has concentrated on making changes in the curriculum at the college, this year. One key strength of the department, said Dr. Richard T. Grow, chair of the Department of Psychology, is the amount and quality of research done by the students. He said the department is always encouraging the students to do new and diverse research. Research is also a strength of the Department of History, said Dr. Richard C. Roberts, chair of the department. A number of faculty have published books and articles this year. Some of the other things the Department of History has worked on this year include the program to bring high school students to the campus and a program working with local secondary school teachers. This year, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology has been working slightly understaffed. Last year, Dr. Stephen Stamford, sociology professor, retired from the college. This year, the department has worked with part-time professors and adjunct faculty to take his place. Next year, the department will welcome Dr. Dean Collinwood from McMurry College in Chicago. He has recently returned from a Fulbiight professorship in Japan. "This new addition will give us some new life and blood in sociology," said Dr. Michael A. Toth, chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. New life will be found throughout the entire school next year. Five faculty will be added to the program. "I'm excited to see how they work out," said Sadler. He said he was impressed overall this year with the faculty, social science week, and the Undergraduate Research Conference sponsored by the school. JaNae Barlow reputation of having that kind of quality faculty. In the department of economics, five out of 10 faculty had works published this year in refereed journals. The works of these faculty have been published along side those from Harvard, Yale, etc. Smith said this type of accomplishment on the part of the faculty makes the economics students more desirable in academic circles. "Our best graduate students go to the best schools in the nation," Smith said. Another plus in the school this year was the continued use of computers. Two years ago, Simkins supplied the school's faculty with computers. As they began using the computers, the faculty in the school discovered how useful they were. Now faculty members are developing computer software for use nationally. As part of the thrust for better educated students, WSC purchased a new Vax 8700 computer for use at the school this year. The computer was funded by a portion of the computer literacy surcharge students paid this year when they registered. Leonard S. Nicholas, chair of the department of computer information systems, said the new system will help students in his area considerably. "The old Harris is not really a business computer." Nicholas said he was particularly impressed with Dr. Kay Gillespie looks at executed killer Gary Gilmore's personal copy of Newsweek with Gilmore as the featured story. On his wall are pictures of women that have been or are currently on death row. the quality of the students this year. He said the computer information systems graduates are some of the highest paid there are and that he is excited about the amout of oportunity there is for them in the working world. Dr. Don R, Hansen, chair of the department of accounting and information systems, said he is excited this year to see the 25 students graduate in the Master's program. This year was the second for the program. The department of business administration has been no exception in the school's effort for quality education, said Claude T. Wynn, chair of the Department of Business Administration. While the department has struggled with a small faculty, they have continued to publish and volunteer for various committees on campus. Currently, the department is looking for two new faculty that will enhance both their research and teaching of the department, he said. This year, students in the basic corporate finance class have placed in the top three in a national examination for finance students from major schools across the country. The School of Business and Economics has concentrated this year on improving education system for the students. "The school has reached-out to bring students as up to date as possible," said Richard M. Alston, professor of economics. BusinessEconomics JaNae Barlow SignOff Tuesday, June 2, 1987 19B |