The Hiram College Board of Trustees approved several academic redesign recommendations during its spring 2018 meeting. Among these, the Board voted in favor to further explore the feasibility of the College’s Strategic Academic Team’s (SAT) recommendation to add two new sets of majors over the next two years. Faculty members are in the midst of developing and voting on curriculum for majors in marketing, criminal justice, international studies, and sports management. Majors in data analytics and engineering are also under study for future consideration.
Shaped by recommendations from the shared governance Academic Program Committee, the new academic disciplines take a liberal arts approach to contemporary studies, quintessentially, Hiram’s New Liberal Arts.
The Board also approved the SAT’s recommendation to restructure Hiram’s three current stand-alone majors and minors in studio art, music, and theatre art into two separate programs; eliminate its art history major and religious studies major and minor, and will move its economics, philosophy, and mathematics, French and Spanish majors to minors by 2019.
But while the religious studies major and minor were affected in the restructuring, the College remains committed to its relationship with the Disciples of Christ and its religious course offerings.
Within the past year, the College entered into a formal partnership with the Hiram Christian Church to create a joint role of College Chaplain and Church Minister. This unique position honors the 168-year historic tie between the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the College when members of the Hiram and neighboring Disciples churches came together to create the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, which later became Hiram College. Rev. Christopher McCreight ‘03 is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and now serves in this new role.
Rev. McCreight will be teaching a Freshmen Seminar in the spring semester titled “Jesus and the Politics of Community,” utilizing the works of Bernard Brandon Scott, Gustavo Gutierrez, James Cone, and Marcella Althaus-Reid.
“This partnership is a bridge from our common past to our hopeful future of bringing together the campus and local communities,” said Rev. McCreight. “Already, we are seeing new relationships form, bringing connection and life to our communities.”
During orientation week, Hiram Christian Church invited the Hiram College Terrier football team to dinner as part of its initiative to welcome 100 students to the community. “Students are finding a church home at Hiram and participating in worship, and many more understand that a compassionate congregation is right next door,” Rev. McCreight added. “There is an emerging student interest in the creation of a Disciples on Campus and a demonstrated commitment from the congregation. Teaching on campus enhances the presence of both the Chaplain and Church at Hiram. We have so many ideas to explore as we continue to strengthen this partnership to serve the students at Hiram College.”
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