Senate Document Number 2001S

Date of Senate Approval 02/08/01

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 13:    Additional Catalog Changes in Economics

Effective Date: Fall 2001

a. Delete Concentration in Political Economy

Delete: In Catalog 2000-2001, on pages 96-97, the entry for
Concentration in Political Economy.

Impact: Virtually none. The deletion of the Concentration will have no impact on the course offering pattern of economics. There are no students in it at the present time.

Rationale: This Concentration has always had little student interest. In the short run students could continue to follow the Concentration in Political Economy in Political Science, but in the long run students might be better served by the IST concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions or by a newly devised IST concentration in Political Economy.

Add: In Catalog 2000-2001, on page 96, the following:

Concentration in Environmental Economics
An examination of issues and policies relating to the environment and natural resources from the perspective of economics.

I. Required courses in the major--34 hours, including: ECON 101, 102, 301, 302, 337, 345, 365, 380, 316 or 450, 480; one course from 245, 250 or 310; 3 additional hours in economics.

II. Required courses outside the major--13-15 hours: ENVR 130, 334, and one additional course in ENVR; STAT 185.

III. Other departmental requirements--Senior demonstration of competency and oral competency are met by completion of ECON 480 with a grade of C or higher.

IV. Suggested courses outside the major--Courses that complement the concentration include: ENVR 241, 332, 383, 384. Students with limited computer experience should take CSCI 107. Students interested in graduate school in economics should take MATH 191 and 192.

Impact:
There will be no resource impact on economics as all courses are now offered regularly and have room for additional students. Some economics majors in the "general" concentration will move to the Concentration in Environmental Economics (CEE).

The only department other than economics that might be affected is Environmental Studies. ENVR 130 and 334 are required by the concentration, but enrollment in ENVR 130 will almost certainly not change because students will have taken this General Education course before identifying their interest in economics--almost no students come to UNCA to major in economics. There might be a modest student increase in ENVR 334.

More difficult to say is the impact of the concentration on the number of majors in Environmental Studies. There is only one concentration where an effect is plausible--the Concentration in Natural Resource Management (CNRM). It should be noted that there will be very substantial differences between the curricula for the CNRM and the CEE, the most significant being that the former will continue to have its strong natural science orientation whereas the latter will have a strong social science orientation.

It is unlikely that any present CNRM major will move to economics. In the future, however, some students who might otherwise have chosen to be a CNRM major may choose to be a CEE major instead, based upon criteria relevant to him or her. The different disciplinary orientations will surely play an important role in that decision. What seems unproblematical is that more majors in Environmental Studies will choose economics as a second major.

Rationale:
Environmental Economics is a recognized and growing subdiscipline of economics. The Concentration in Environmental Economics will provide an opportunity for economics majors to focus their studies on issues and policies relating to the environment and natural resources. In addition it will enable them to make intellectual connections that are both interdisciplinary and interdivisional. Knowledge of these connections is inherently valuable and will help provide economics students with access to a growing array of graduate fields and careers. This opportunity can be provided at no additional resource cost as all of the necessary courses are being taught regularly and have available space. The concentration is also expected to solidify the collegial relationships that already exist between Environmental Studies and Economics.

Delete: In Catalog 2000-2001, on page 95, the sentence immediately above Concentration in Economics, namely:

Students may select one of five concentrations: Economics, International Economics, Monetary Economics and Finance, Political Economy, and Economics with Teacher Licensure.

Add: In place of the deleted entry, the following:

Students may select one of five courses of study: General Economics, Environmental Economics, International Economics, Monetary Economics and Finance, and Economics with Teacher Licensure.