Graduate Programs Update
The graduate programs of the Institute
for Social and Rehabilitation Services and the Department of Psychology
have recently undergone some changes. Under the direction of Dr.
William Talley and Dr. Len Doerfler respectively, both programs
have sought to provide their graduate students with a wider variety
of opportunities and new courses.
One of the major modifications that has been implemented in the
Social Rehabilitation program is the addition of approximately
11 new courses, while many other course descriptions and titles
were adjusted. To complement this change, Dr. Talley has expanded
the number of internship hours offered to his students. This provides
his students with greater amounts of field experience.
Dr. Talley has also increased the core requirements from 49 to
65 credit hours. Finally, the program allows students to specialize
in various areas, such as General Rehabilitation Counseling, Substance
Abuse Counseling, Guidance Counseling, Psychiatric Rehabilitation,
and Supervision of Rehabilitation Personnel.
There have also been several changes incorporated into the Department
of Psychology's graduate program. In order to accommodate current
research and issues impacting the field of psychology, and citing
the importance of child/family intervention in particular, Dr.
Doerfler has broadened the program and updated many of the course
titles. In addition, the program's Aaron T. Beck Institute for
Cognitive Studies offers to both undergraduate students and post-graduate
professionals a range of lectures and workshops dealing with such
issues as cognitive therapy, anxiety, and depression.
UTC Lecture Series
Included in the mission of the College's new University Transportation
Center (UTC) is the sponsorship of an ongoing lecture series dealing
with transportation and environmental issues. The inaugural lecture,
"The Machine in the Garden," was given in February by
Dr. Jed Watters, professor of History. Using literary and artistic
sources, as well as slides, Dr. Watters spoke about the perception
and reality of the American railroads' relationship to the environment
from 1830 to the present.
The second lecture, "Railroads and the Community," took
place in March, and was given by Mr. Orville Harold, president
of the Providence and Worcester Railroad, a major regional railway.
In April, Craig Della Penna, director of the Massachusetts Rails
to Trails Conservancy, spoke on the process of converting old
railbeds into recreational trails.
The next lecture will take place on April 25 at 7:30p.m. in the
La Maison Salon, and will feature Dr. Richard John, director of
the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center located in
Cambridge,MA.
Dr. John will speak on the role of government and current topics
in
transportation.
The UTC, which will incorporate transportation and environmental
issues into an education and science curricula for training K12
teachers, is presently located in the Alumni Building, but will
be permanently housed in the future Science and Technology Center,
scheduled for completion by fall 2002.