Military Science Minor - ASCRC Review 2003

 

1.       The minor does not have enough academic substance. There is insufficient depth in the courses offered to non-contracted students.

         The minor requires only 9 credits of MS courses. If the minor is to consist of the bare minimum of credits allowable (18) then nearly all (perhaps 15) of these should be MS-centered or directly related to the discipline and include upper-division courses.

         The minor does not offer non-contracted students a broad enough range of MS courses

         It is unclear why the selection of MS courses in the minor cannot be broadened to include some, or all, of the courses currently offered only to contracted students.

         The list of MS courses in the minor available to non-contracted students is now made up mostly of lower-division and Special Topic courses. MS 402 (Officership and Ethics) is the only clearly academic upper-division course on the list, and it is not required. Currently it is restricted to contracted students. Since MS 404 (National Advanced Leadership Course) is not really available to the non-contracted students it should not be listed.

         It should not be left open to students where they fulfill their upper-division requirements. As things stand, they can take their six U/D credits all from either history or political science. They need take no upper division MS courses at all.

         The list of history and political science courses is too long and includes courses that are only marginally relevant. If we are talking about 18 credits then all courses should be directly related to the minor.

 

2.       The proposal is poorly written and is incoherent in places. The feedback provided during last year's discussion was not incorporated fully into the proposal, partly because of a junior faculty turn-over and the absence of the Colonel. Recommendations:

         The proposal should be drafted from the academic perspective (the mission of the University/Liberal Arts) not Military Science. Provide a justification as to why the University and contracted/non-contracted students would benefit from the minor.

         Evidence should be given as to how Military Science Minors at other institutions are structured and how the process was received by academic governance.

         There should be meetings with the faculty from the departments involved; outcomes of these meetings should be explained in the proposal.

         Proposals from other minors should be used as a model.

 

3.       Historically the program includes a limit of 6 credits toward a bachelor degree for non-contracted students. Contracted students are allowed 24 credits. This limit would need to be modified and more courses made available to non-contracted students.

 

4.       A possible alternative approach would be to cast the minor in terms of "military studies." This could conceivable consist of equal components of military science, political science, and history. Two courses each perhaps. This minor could be integrated into the ROTC commission training and curriculum, and it could be available to non-ROTC students also. Perhaps such a minor would serve as an even stronger, indeed, more academically viable, certification for ROTC and other students to add to their resumes.