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Students in Professor Todd Munson's class traveled to Japan
as part of the college's January Term program. |
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Professor Thomas Porter |
On Wednesday, April 14, 2010, the Randolph-Macon College faculty approved a new major in
Asian Studies. Professor Thomas Porter, chairman of the Department of History and director of the Asian Studies Program, is thrilled with the addition to the college’s curriculum.
“Asia is a powerful player in the global arena, and educated Americans need to understand its rich diversity of culture and history,” says Porter. “The new major is a reflection of the college’s commitment to international and interdisciplinary learning and it will prepare students for further education and for careers in business, government and service agencies. The strong vote and enthusiastic reception of the faculty was deeply appreciated by the members of the Asian Studies Program.”
In addition, the Asian Studies Program recently received funding to host an Asian Studies Fellow for the 2010 – 2011 academic year. The funding was made possible through the Henry Luce Foundation, which seeks to bring important ideas to the center of American life, strengthen international understanding, and foster innovation and leadership in academic, policy, religious and art communities.
Funding is administered by ASIANetwork, a consortium of over 170 North American colleges, which strives to “strengthen the role of Asian Studies within the framework of a liberal arts education to help prepare succeeding generations of undergraduates for a world in which Asian societies play prominent roles in an ever more interdependent world.”
The Fellow will teach two courses in Japanese—one in the fall and one in the spring—and two upper-level courses to be determined by the new hire’s expertise.
“Our sincere thanks goes to Provost Franz for his support of the Asian Studies Program,” says Porter. “We’re excited at the prospect of enriching the program even further with a visiting Fellow.”
For information on R-MC’s Asian Studies Program, visit
http://www.rmc.edu/academics/asian-studies.aspx.