The Baker University Faculty Senate was not able to complete all the business on the agenda Tuesday in Mabee 100, however, senators did pass several courses, including new Liberal Studies courses.

The courses LS111 and LS112 were brought to vote separately, as they will be permanent courses in teh catalog, while the other LS courses and linked courses will be piloted next year.

Ryan Beasley, associate professor of political science, said the message the faculty, and those who worked on the general education program, is it is a continuous process, and the new model could be updated on a regular basis.

“We need to trust ourselves to say, ‘Yes, we can pilot this. Yes, we’ll have an opportunity to change it,'” Beasley said. “The kneejerk reaction that somehow things never get changed is rooted in the old school thinking that we’re making a decision, and a final decision, about the (general education) program.”

Among the other courses passed were a summer Interterm called “Digging Dark Age in England” taught by Assistant Professor of History John Richards, and a new Physics course called Statics.

A special topics course in the History, Culture and Society department called Civilization in the Early Middle Ages was also added.

Another change for the 2011-2012 academic year is that FY courses have been dropped and substituted with salon courses.

Since the senate did not complete all the items on the agenda, it will meet again March 22.