Undergraduate & Graduate Course Catalog 2003–2004 FROM THE PRESIDENT On behalf of the entire college community, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Fitchburg State. For more than a century, this institution has provided affordable, high quality educational opportunities to the people of the Commonwealth. Today, the college is a comprehensive public institution with a long history of growth and a clear record of accomplishment. I am new to the position of president, but by no means new to the college. I earned my undergraduate degree here, then returned to earn a master’s degree. I count myself among the thousands whose lives have been changed by this caring academic community. Small classes, extensive internship opportunities, and an accessible, dedicated faculty are the hallmarks of a Fitchburg State education. Our faculty is deeply involved in the success of our students and committed to learning in its broadest sense. They are particularly adept at maintaining a link between the worlds of scholarship and practical experience. The focus here is on career-oriented learning firmly grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. That means you won’t leave here without a broad-based education that will stand as a firm foundation for a career or for graduate school. Just ask any of our 28,000 alumni. They’re working for 8,600 employers in this state alone. They’re CEOs and teachers, physicians and legislators, Hollywood producers and novelists. All of us on campus are honored to play a role in creating the kind of supportive environment that fosters growth and discovery, which lie at the heart of the learning endeavor. Take full advantage of all that we offer, and accept my personal wishes for a rich and rewarding experience. Dr. Robert V. Antonucci President 2 COLLEGE CATALOG TABLE OF CONTENTS S S S Financial Aid S S Application Process ................................................... 23 Financial Aid for Undergraduate Students ................ 23 CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT Financial Aid for Graduate Students ......................... 24 CONTENT CONTENT OF OF OF Undergraduate Academic Policies and Procedures ..... 31 OF OF Undergraduate Day Division ................................... 36 ABLE ABLE ABLE ABLE ABLE T T Undergraduate Evening Division ............................. 37 T T T Student Support Services ........................................... 38 Student Life: Beyond the Classroom .......................... 44 New Student Orientation .......................................... 44 Campus Living ........................................................... 44 Student Activities and Organizations........................ 45 Intercollegiate and Recreational Sports..................... 47 Student Code of Conduct and Discipline System .... 48 Campus and Facilities ................................................ 49 Curriculum ................................................................. 54 Incoming Students: The Readiness Program ............ 54 Common Graduation Requirements .................... 55 About the College ......................................................... 4 Degrees Offered ........................................................ 56 History of the College ................................................ 4 Program Alternatives ................................................. 56 Mission ......................................................................... 4 Departmental Policies ................................................ 59 Academic Calendar 2003–2004 Undergraduate Day Programs ..................................... 62 Undergraduate Day School .................................... 6 Graduate and Continuing Education ..................... 7 Undergraduate Evening Programs ............................ 106 Our Commitment to You ................................................ 9 Undergraduate Course Descriptions ......................... 114 Institutional Accreditations, Approvals, Graduate Division .................................................... 184 Memberships, Affiliations .................................... 10 Mission ................................................................... 184 Collegewide Policies................................................. 10 Faculty .................................................................... 184 Admissions Admissions ............................................................... 185 Undergraduate Admissions ........................................ 14 Academic Policies and Procedures ........................ 186 Graduate Admissions ............................................... 185 Graduate Program Descriptions ................................ 191 Tuition and Fees Graduate Course Descriptions .................................. 231 Undergraduate Day Tuition and Fees ...................... 20 Undergraduate Evening and Graduate Faculty, Trustees, Administrators ............................. 273 Tuition and Fees ................................................... 22 Academic Glossary .................................................. 285 Index ....................................................................... 286 3 ABOUT THE COLLEGE In 1960, the college changed its name and expanded its mission. The State College at Fitchburg diversified its programs to include degrees in disciplines other than education. In 1965, its name was officially changed to Fitchburg State College, which today offers more than fifty undergraduate degrees in sixteen academic departments, thirty-two Master’s Degree programs, six Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study programs, and eleven Graduate Certificate programs. Enrollment is up to 2,500 full-time and 4,000 part-time students which include 1,100 matriculated graduate students. The campus has expanded from a single structure on High Street to thirty-three buildings on ninety acres, becoming the educational center for the Montachusett region. The college proudly offers traditional and non- traditional programs to serve the educational needs of its students as undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students. State College Mission Statement There are six comprehensive state colleges—Bridgewater State College, Fitchburg State College, Framingham State College, Salem State College, Westfield State College and Worcester State College—and three specialized colleges— Massachusetts College of Art, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Massachusetts Maritime Academy. All colleges integrate liberal arts and sciences programs with professional education, and the three specialized colleges History of the College also focus on academic areas identified in the college’s name. Established in 1894 by an act of the Massachusetts Each college places a special emphasis on teaching and Legislature, the State Normal School in Fitchburg opened in lifelong learning and promotes a campus life that fosters temporary quarters in the old high school building on intellectual, social and ethical development. Committed to Academy Street. Principal John G. Thompson, aided by a excellence in instruction and to providing responsive, teaching staff of three, implemented a two-year teacher innovative and educational programs of high quality, they training program for women that had forty-six participants. seek to develop each student’s critical thinking, quantitative, In December 1896, the school expanded into a new technological, oral and written communications skills and building, known as Thompson Hall, and set up the State practical appreciation of the arts, sciences and humanities as Schools of Observation and Practice in city buildings on they affect good citizenship and an improved quality of life. Day Street and Highland Avenue. The state colleges provide a campus environment where the In the next decade the school was a trendsetter for programs ideas, values, perspectives and contributions of all students in Education. The Edgerly School opened, originally as an are respected. eighth-grade model and practice school. In 1910, it became Massachusetts state colleges are strategically located to one of the first junior high schools in the United States. The facilitate access to baccalaureate and master’s degree following year the school initiated the first practical arts programs for Commonwealth residents who meet their high teacher training course in the country for men. standards for admission. In recognition of their In 1930, the State Normal School was authorized to offer a responsibilities to Massachusetts taxpayers to manage their bachelor’s degree in practical arts, and in 1932, when it resources efficiently and to maintain tuition and fees at a became the State Teachers College at Fitchburg, four-year level as low as possible, each college has a distinctive degrees were offered in all areas of education. academic focus based upon its established strengths and regional and state needs. Each college is a leader and Under the auspices of the State Division of University resource for the community and contributes to the region’s Extension summer courses were first offered in 1915, cultural, environmental and economic development. marking the beginning of the college’s commitment to Continuing Education programs. In 1935, the college was also authorized to establish graduate programs and in 1954 the first evening courses were offered. 4 COLLEGE CATALOG Fitchburg State College seeks to achieve its Mission mission through: Fitchburg State College is an institution of higher education Mutually supportive strong Liberal Arts and Sciences