Schiller Institute? (engineering?)

[evergreen5]

Schiller Institute | Boston College

The signature program within the institute will be a new undergraduate major in Integrated and Applied Science. This major will prepare students who are fluent in multiple natural science disciplines and applied science approaches, while shaping the next generation of scientists in the art of collaboration across science disciplines. The curriculum will allow students to explore inter-relationships between the natural sciences in ways that extend beyond traditional disciplinary course pedagogy. Laboratory experiences will challenge teams of students to tackle problem-oriented exercises. Students will acquire skills through new courses in implementation science and human-centered design thinking that will allow them to prototype solutions and field test their ideas.

http://www.wbur.org/edify/2017/11/03/bc-science-facility-plans

Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2019 at the school’s campus west of Boston. It will add research laboratories, classrooms and space for students and faculty to collaborate across disciplines.

The school hopes the addition of an engineering major to campus will help give the school an edge amid competition with other major universities.

Aside from what is contained in these two articles, does anyone have info on what majors might be offered, what the timeline might look like, and whether the offerings will occur too late for Class of 2023? If indeed an engineering major comes to pass, I’m also wondering about ABET accreditation. Thoughts?

If anyone has attended recent admissions info sessions, has any of this been mentioned?

[aec611]

One parent’s opinion: We attended the session for EA accepted students in late January. One of the breakout sessions we went to was an overview of the biology major given by a bio professor. When a question about Schiller came up she had no information to offer about it, which I found kind of odd, given that it is such a major initiative. I walked away thinking Schiller is still very much a work in progress. I can’t comment about engineering, as my daughter’s interest leans more to biology.

[privatebanker]

BC is introducing an engineering program to commence with the new science center

[aquaratie]

My daughter is currently a junior in high school so would also be part of a college class graduating in 2023. We toured Boston College yesterday and liked everything about it except for the lack of applied science majors. She is currently undecided as far as her major is concerned, and so is looking for schools with a broad range of opportunities. If she would potentially be eligible to enroll in the Schiller Institute if she chooses that path, BC would be perfect. From what I have read in other sources such as the Boston Globe, the program would start in 2021 (semester was not indicated). At the tour on Friday, I could not get a straight answer to my question about the timeline, so I e-mailed a dean there. I’m still awaiting a response. Considering that the core curriculum consists of 15 courses, it seems possible that a student admitted to the class of 2023 could fulfill all the core requirements during freshman and sophomore year, and then enter the Schiller Institute to complete its requirements during junior and senior year. Timing seems to be everything here. I’ll post again when I get a clear response from the administration.

[evergreen5]

To get a better sense of what it would take to introduce an engineering program to the University, parallels can be drawn between BC and Wake Forest University, which launched its engineering program for the fall 2017 semester under a liberal arts ethos similar to BC’s and may offer some hints as to how BC’s program could take shape.

https://bcheights.com/2018/04/22/wake-forest-provides-model-bc-to-implement-engineering-program/