The Cal Poly Pomona Academic Senate approved to add a data science minor and a footwear design and merchandising minor during the summer Aug. 5 meeting.
Annually, each department in every college undergoes a program review in efforts to improve students’ learning experience. Led by the Office of Academic Programs, the review process includes consultation with department chairs, college deans and external reviewers before preparing an action plan to address the proposals.
After this year’s review, two new minors will be added. Following these approvals, university President Soraya M. Coley has the final say on whether the changes will be implemented.
Data Science Minor
The Department of Computer Science will now have a data science minor available to all undergraduates in any major. The program intends to promote interdisciplinary studies by applying the concept of data science to other disciplines — including engineering, business and social sciences.
“It’s less about a traditional computer science minor and more about applying computer science to other areas of endeavor,” said Alex Small, the chair of the Academic Programs Committee. “It will meet the needs of a wide number of students. And in a way, it’s probably better for their particular career path than a traditional computer science minor.”
Three new computer science courses will be proposed to support this minor, the department.
Footwear Design and Merchandising Minor
The Department of Apparel Merchandising and Management will also add a footwear design and merchandising minor aimed to support students seeking careers in the footwear and accessories sector.
The proposal of the new minor came after consultation with the department’s Industry Advisory Board, where a member pointed out the difficulty of finding graduates with operational knowledge related to the footwear industry, Small said.
The new program will provide a strong technical foundation in product design and allow fashion students to get hands-on experience in the product development and manufacturing process. Emerging technologies, like 3D scanning and printing, are expected to be included in the program.
Degree name changes in the College of Engineering
Earlier this month, the Senate also approved a degree name change in the College of Engineering. The Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) program previously had two emphases: aerospace engineering and materials engineering. The two programs, having similar learning outcomes and a couple of common courses, were housed under MSE due to “a number of historical reasons,” Small said.
However, encompassing the two programs under a single name is no longer possible after policy changes from the California State University Chancellor’s Office.
Effective fall, the emphases will be reorganized into a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering degree and a new, separate Master of Science in Materials Engineering program.
“(The two separate) programs will have the same curriculum as before, the same faculty, the same resources and resource commitments. There are no real changes to the practice,” said Small. “All of these programs have the same strengths, academic standards and admission requirements that they had previously.”
According to the approved proposal, “students currently in the MS in Engineering will have until the end of Spring 2021 to graduate under the old name.”
The next academic senate meeting is scheduled to be held on Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. via Zoom. Additional meeting information can be found on the senate’s website.
