The Department of Anthropology is making some changes to the Native American Minor program at Ball State University.
The department is creating a new course as a prerequisite for the minor and adding new courses to the curriculum of the program. The new curriculum will begin next semester.
Introduction to Native American Studies, ANTH 360, will be the only required class that students interested in the Native American minor will need to take.
Colleen Boyd, director of the Native American studies program said the course is still in the process of being created.
She said before this course was planned, students took three required courses for the Native American studies minor, which were not offered at a regular rotation. Boyd said those courses will become electives.
"We have taken what we considered to be the most important parts of those three classes and turned them into one class," she said. "So students will get a broad overview that will include some Native American history, stuff on Native American cultural traditions and contemporary art and literature."
She said the department is also adding more courses that will count as electives for the minor.
"We are in the process of identifying courses throughout the college of sciences and humanities that might be appropriate as minor electives," she said. "We want students to be able to build a minor program that meets their specific needs."
Senior anthropology major Tuesday Sakovich said she learned about the Native American program at Ball State through Boyd and decided to take it. However, Sakovich said she found herself struggling to find the necessary courses to take for the minor.
"I'm really happy [the department] is switching the courses for the [introduction to Native American studies] course," she said. "The courses we had to take were scattered around and were hard to find."
Boyd said the course will become a part of the new University Core Curriculum (UCC 21) and will be open to all students.
"It's always our hope that they'll take one class and become interested in Native American studies and stick with it," she said.
Boyd said the course will include contemporary films and the opportunity for students to discuss and reflect on issues seen in class.
The Native American studies minor program was created in the 1980s, but has been modified since 2004, when Boyd began working at Ball State.
Boyd said the program now has eight students, but the enrollment has been increasing.
Sakovich said she would like to see more variety and more Native American studies classes available.
"I like the subject in general," she said. "It's really the professors that help the classes be really good and interesting. I really enjoy learning about it."
Boyd said the new course will contribute to students learning more about the diversity in the country.
"I think that when you talk about diversity in the US, it is first and foremost the basis of its diversity," she said. "Learning something about [Native Americans'] role in the development of the U.S., in the history and their ongoing role in contemporary issues is really important."
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