Baker University Faculty Senate approved graduation candidates, two new physical education courses and a travel interterm to China among other new courses for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Educational Programs Committee Chair Darcy Russell said senate passed a motion allowing the addition of Swing and Line Dancing and the deletion of Folk and Square Dancing to the physical education program.

“That was based on what we felt students’ interest would be,” she said. “We thought students would be more attracted to a more modern type of dance.”

Senate also approved Theory and Principles of Coaching, which will be a three-hour course combining all aspects of the previous two-hour theory courses that were sport-specific.

“They kind of came to the opinion that these overlap way too much,” Russell said. “There is a theory for coaching, and that theory for coaching is not necessarily sport determined – there may be some unique elements for sports but we need … a really good, solid three-hour theory course on coaching instead of all these little two credit hours for each sport.”

Vice Chair Martha Harris said the three-hour course will provide students with more depth about the topic of coaching.

“It might be a little bit more challenging – a little bit more deep-kind of class for the students without being specific to one sport at a time.”

Senate approved First Year Experience Student Leaders as a course for students who have been chosen as FYE leaders for next fall. At its April meeting, senate approved the new FYE program that will give freshmen two hours of credit for taking the course, which will require more time and include an academic element that students will be graded on.

“The peer teachers will have to study that topic too,” Russell said. “They’re going to have to read whatever novels have to be read, and they’re going to have to be prepared to have discussions on those topics. They’re going to have to do more work, so they need to get credit for the academic work that they do.”

Also approved were a January 2008 travel interterm to China to be taught by Professor of Business and Economics Kevin McCarthy and changes to the forensics workshop to make it a forensic/communication workshop.

“It’s the same class as the current forensics, but we’re going to de-emphasize forensic tournaments and start focusing more on building communication skills and practice,” said Susan Emel, professor of mass media and communication.