SENATE DOCUMENT #14

                      ACADEMIC POLICIES COMMITTEE

                              DOCUMENT #11

                                 1984-85


The Academic Policies Committee recommends the following changes in the 
Department of Economics:

1.  Delete Economics 205 (The Nature and Method of Economics)

    Rationale:

    The course is no longer part of the Education Certification program
    for which it was designed.

2.  Add two new courses

    315  Urban and Regional Economics (3)

         An analysis of economic decision making in urban and regional
         contexts.  Special attention is given to policies relating to
         growth, location of economic activity and externalities.
         Prerequisite:   200.

    261  U.S. Economic History (3)

         An examination of the process of economic change in the United
         States.  Course emphasis is on the causes and consequences of
         economic growth.  Topics include the economic causes of the
         Revolution, the economics of slavery, the changing role of
         government, and the depression of the 1930s.  Prerequsite:
         200 or 201 or permission of the instructor.

    Rationale:

    Both courses are standard courses for which demand exists and take
    advantage of expertise within the department.

3.  Replace ECON 420 (History of Economic Thought) with

    302  History of Economic Thought (3)

         An examination of the development of economic thought with special 
         reference to economic policy.  Among the writers covered will be
         Smith, Mill, Marx, Marshall, and Keynes.  Students who have credit 
         for 420 may not receive credit for this course.  Prerequisites:
         200 or 201 or permission of the instructor.

    Rationale:

    With Profesor Larson joining the department, this course has become more
    focused and the degree of difficulty has been revised to allow
    access by a greater range of students, majors and non-majors.

4.  Replace the existing Program A - Public Policy Analysis with

    Program A -- Economics and Policy Analysis

    The objectives of this program are to:  1) enable students to
    understand the content and development of economic theory, and
    2) show how economic theory may be used to formulate and
    criticize econmic policy.  This program gives the student the 
    option of focusing on microeconomic or macroeconmic aspects of
    policy.

        I.  Required courses in the major -- 34 hours, including
            200, 201, 300, 301, 302, 310, 341, and 490.  In the
            Microeconomics option the student must also choose
            three from:  261, 315, 320, 330, or 337.  In the
            Macroeconomics option the student must also choose
            three from:  215, 261, 350, 410, or 415.
       II.  Required courses outside the major -- 7-8 hours:
            STAT 125 and either MATH 163 or 191.  MATH 191 is
            recommended for those planning graduate study.
      III.  Foreign language requirement -- foreign language
            options for non-science majors are allowed (see
            all-University requirements).
       IV.  Other departmental requirements -- the required 
            senior demonstration of competency is satisfied
            by successful completion of 490.


    Rationale:

    The revised Program A is simplified without compromise of content
    or rigor.  The new program recognizes new expertise in the department.
    This program will meet the needs of students with a general interest in the
    study of economics.