Sophomore appointed to Core review committee

Editor's note: This story was edited to reflect that Christina Weidner's name is not spelled Weidnar, as it originally appeared online and in print. We regret the error.

Students now have a voice in the Core Curriculum review process.

Sophomore Christina Weidner will serve as the student representative on the Core Review Committee.

"I'm jazzed about the opportunity to work with other community members to build on what we have now," said Weidner, history and English major.

Weidner will be working with 17 professors and faculty members who are to begin meeting at the end of winter quarter. The purpose of the Core Review Committee, as laid out by Provost Isiaah Crawford in the Academic Strategic Action Plan, will be to take a second look at the University's 25-year-old Core curriculum and rejuvenate it to make it more relevant to today's student and the modern world. The end goal of the committee is to have a new Core implemented by Fall 2012. Weidner was selected by ASSU indirectly for the position on the committee. Weidner applied for a separate committee through ASSU in fall quarter, for which she was not selected.

"Frankly, she was overqualified for it," said McKenzie Weber, junior political science major. "We'd asked her before if she'd be interested in serving on other academically focused committees, and she said that would be great."

Weber, ASSU vice president of university affairs, kept Weidner in mind after an all-campus e-mail calling for individuals interested in a chair on the Core Review Committee went unanswered.

Weidner jumped at the opportunity to serve.

"ASSU is the most direct way for students to affect the university, and I think that's important," Weidner said.

Weidner is hoping not only to utilize her experiences, but the experiences of all Seattle U students as well. Weidner said she is hoping to gather ideas for bettering the Core by talking to peers, and is looking to organize surveys through ASSU to gather a holistic picture of student opinion in regards to the Core. One request she has gathered from students is a call for a more global perspective in classes.

"I'd like to see more classes that don't focus on Western history, philosophy and English," Weidner said. "I don't think that's reflective of the school's interest in global communities."

At the same time, Weidner has her own hopes for the Core.

"I'd like to see the Core be more reflective of what we need to do after we graduate after college, as well as embody our Jesuit values."

Realizing the Jesuit mission is a unique and valuable aspect of Seattle U's identity as a school, Weidner has placed an emphasis on that goal in particular. Weidner has also been toying with various "what if" situations.

"Things like, what if we were required to take an economics or statistics class? Even though I'm a history and English major, I feel like those classes were really helpful for me," Weidner said.

Looking at those non-traditional Core classes that could help a wide variety of students build up a base for their education has been another major consideration for Weidner. While Weidner is excited to serve on the committee and represent students, she is still a little nervous.

"I was looking at the list of the 18 committee members and it was ‘doctor doctor doctor. then Ms. Weidner, then doctor doctor.'" Weidner said. "But it'll be great. I'm going to be working with some really awesome professors."

Kelton may be reached at ksears@su-spectator.com.