Subcommittee on the HASS Requirement (SHR)

Background

At its meeting of May 20, 2009, the MIT Faculty passed recommendations for changes to the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Requirement as put forth by the CUP with support from the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

This motion called for the creation of a new Subcommittee of the CUP to oversee the HASS Requirement. In passing this motion, the Faculty supported several high-level goals for the CUP subcommittee:

Support, encourage and monitor the development of new innovative subjects and changes to the HASS Requirement; and
Ensure regular review of new and existing subjects to ascertain that the educational goals of the HASS Requirement are met while maintaining MIT's high educational standards.

Charge to the Subcommittee

It is the responsibility of the CUP subcommittee to guide the next phase of implementation of the revisions to the HASS Requirement, and to govern the HASS Requirement as laid-out in the motion approved by the Faculty on May 20, 2009. To that end, subject to final approval by the CUP and the Faculty, the subcommittee shall act with power to:

Engage academic departments, the School deans, the Committee on Curricula (COC), the HASS Education office and other interested parties to participate in the process as appropriate.
Establish criteria, procedures, and guidelines for the distribution or designation of HASS subjects that will satisfy the HASS Requirement and communicate these to the appropriate parties.
Evaluate proposals from all Schools and assign new or modified HASS subjects to categories in accordance with criteria. These efforts should be coordinated with departments and sections, the CoC, and others as necessary.
Review and approve any new or modified Concentrations within the HASS Requirement. This process should include collaboration with the departments and sections, the CoC, and others as necessary.
Monitor policies associated with the HASS Requirement and revise or develop new ones as necessary.
Maintain the official list of HASS subject category designation, HASS subjects to complete the HASS Requirement, and the official list of Concentrations. Report to the CUP yearly.
Working with the CoC and the HASS Education Office, shall oversee individual student requests for exceptions or substitutions to the HASS Requirement.
Propose to the CUP limited educational experiments that the Subcommittee deems appropriate for assessing changes to the curriculum and educational policies and practices.

In addition, the Subcommittee shall undertake the following interim responsibilities:

Report findings from the First Years Focus assessment to the CUP no later than the start of the fall term in AY2014 and make a recommendation on whether or not a First Year Focus subject should be required of all students as part of the HASS Requirement and, if so, what the criteria should be for such subjects.

Membership Fall 2012-2013

Members: Christine Walley (2013), Chair; Rae Langton (2013); Terry Orr-Weaver (2013); Margery Resnick (2013); Natasha Schull (2015); Kristel Smentek (2013); Patricia Tang (2014); George Verghese (2013); Dean of SHASS Designate (Kai von Fintel); Dean for Undergraduate Education Designate (Diana Henderson)

Students: Laura Meeker (2013); TBA

Staff: Genevre Filiault, Executive Officer; Jason Donath, staff to SHR

Guests: Patricia Fernandes; Liz Friedman