Program in Science Technology and Values

Plans & Progress

[**] indicates priorities for 08-09

Mission: To promote understanding scientific, technological and social change

Science and technology are increasingly important sources of change in the world. The Program in Science, Technology and Values offers students the opportunity to examine historical, socio-political, cultural, philosophical, and ethical dimensions of science and technology. It encourages both science and non-science students to analyze, in a focused way, the impact of science and technology on other social institutions and the impact of those institutions on science and technology

Goal 1: Build the students numbers in the Program

Direct communication with students

Adjust the wording of the science requirements for the concentration so as not to discourage humanities and social science majors with an interest in the social implications of science. The requirements are the same as the NS/Math distribution requirement for a BS and only one more course than the distribution requirement for a BA. [Completed Dec '04]
Work with registrar's office to update audits and facilitate graduation with STV minor. [**]
Arrange STV associates to give guest lectures in large intro science courses linking a course topic to STV issues. [done in 05-06]
Identify then contact students who have already taken a number of STV courses through teachers of the STV courses handing out a survey so almost concentrators can self-identify. [**]
Create a 200-level course that fulfills a NS distribution requirement and introduces students to the STV field.
Update the catalog to match current course offerings and advisors.
Continue to update the STV website, http://www.stv.umb.edu that doubles as source for flyers publicizing the Program and current semester's course offerings. [**]
Advisors distribute up to date flyers before pre-registration
Keep up to date the list of advisors, course, office hours on the website. [**]

Communication with faculty and student advisors

Create awareness among pre-med, honors, and other student advisors of STV (noting that medical schools are interested in students who are not straight undergrad. sci. majors). [**]
Create awareness among Nursing and Management faculty advisors of STV as a concentration available outside CSM & CLA.
Connect with CSM & CLA deans, chairs & faculty in CSM & CLA to describe the push being made to "grow" STV. [Done in 04-05]
Convene joint meeting of STV and Evtl. Studies advisory boards to address common challenges and share experience.

Goal 2: Maintain a regular and rich set of courses to fulfill STV requirements

Create a 200-level course that fulfills a NS distribution requirement.

Arrange replacements for the core courses Diane Paul taught.

Explore tighter collaboration with the Honors program and the Environemntal Studies program in planning course offerings.

Collaborate with Physics department as it develops Science for Humane Survival as 100-level Science literacy course, which can feed into the STV program.

Encourage STV associates and other faculty to develop additional STV courses, which may be easier once as they come to feel that STV is an active area on campus.

Encourage faculty to propose an STV strand into job descriptions for future hires in their departments. Promote this idea with departmental chairs and deans.

Goal 3: Build a community of faculty and students around the program

so that students know about and take courses, and faculty distribute the publicity flyers, direct students to the courses, initiate new courses, and propose an STV strand into job descriptions for future hires in their departments.

Revise description and scope of Program (http://www.stv.umb.edu) to address aims of Provost and Chancellor for stronger combination of science and humanities in undergraduate education. [**]

Host an Intercollege faculty Seminar in Humanities and Sciences each year (sometimes each semester). [**]

Convene monthly seminars of STV associates in the semester when ISHS is not running.

Collaborate with initiatives to strengthen science for non-majors and a general science major.

Collaborate with initiatives to increase underrepresented groups in Science education.

Collaborate with initiatives to extend and strengthen graduate education, research, public engagement at UMass Boston concerned with interactions between scientific developments and social change.

Contribute to the Science in a Changing World wiki, which documents or links to a number of programs of study at the undergraduate and graduate level and other educational and outreach projects.

Goal 4: Build external recognition for the program

Continuation of an annual "New England Workshop on Science and Social Change," http://www.stv.umb.edu/newssc.html [**]

Last update 3 Oct. 08