Starting in the fall of 2019, incoming students will only have to complete 48 convocation hours instead of 60.
This change is coming after the faculty senate approved measures for a new convocation structure Monday night. Current students will still be required to complete the 60 hours.
The new program’s structure is focused around the idea of student well-being.
“Our first and most important purpose is a focus on student well-being,” said Dr. Jimmy Davis, who helped spearhead the new program. “Students are under increasing pressure, and they need to know we care.”
Students will work to earn “WELL Core” — Well-being Essentials for Life-long Learners — credits in each of six categories, according to an email sent to the faculty by Dr. David Schreiber, faculty senate president.
Current students have voiced excitement for the change but frustration that they won’t be included.
“I think it’s a good change,” said freshman music business major Lauren Murphy, “but I feel like it should be applied to every student.
The names of the categories under which current students earn their credits will be changing and previous credits will now be stored under the new names.
The six new categories are: Intellectual Well-Being, Occupational/Financial Well-Being, Cultural Well-Being, Spiritual Well-Being, Emotional/Physical Well-Being and Community Well-Being Through Service, according to Schreiber’s email.
Students will be required to receive eight credits in each category.
The idea for the changes came largely from interactions with students and faculty members, said Davis. It helped give a clear definition to the purpose of convocations.
“Nobody had a good idea of what well rounded included,” Davis said. “Well-being is a much central concept.”
Schreiber is confident this will be a positive change that will benefit students to come.
“This new emphasis on well-being within these categories will help to more fully enrich our student’s lives while complementing their Belmont experience.”
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This article written by Sarah Lawson.
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