Governance Office To: Academic Affairs Committee

Governance Office
To:
Academic Affairs Committee
Sponsor:
Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice-Dean Undergraduate
Contact info:
[email protected]
Date:
November 20, 2012 for November 27, 2012
Agenda Item:
2c
Item Identification: New Free Standing Minor in South Asian Civilizations at the University of
Toronto Mississauga.
Jurisdictional Information: The Academic Affairs Committee is responsible for recommending to
Erindale College Council proposals for the establishment and disestablishment of academic programs.
Previous Action Taken: Considered and recommended by both the Humanities and Social Sciences
Curriculum subcommittees.
Highlights:
The University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) is proposing a multidisciplinary Minor in South Asian
Civilizations, focusing on the history, cultures, religions, languages, and socio-political developments of
both South Asia and the South Asian diaspora. The program will be housed in the Department of
Historical Studies and associated with the new Centre for South Asian Civilizations (CSAC) EDU:C,
University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), with administrative support from the Department of
Historical Studies. Courses will be drawn from the Departments of Historical Studies, Language
Studies, Political Science, Visual Studies, Sociology, and Anthropology. This is a freestanding Minor;
there is no existing Specialist or Major program in the area of South Asian Civilizations at UTM.
Financial and/or Planning Implications:
The existing large number of faculty who teach and research about South Asian Civilizations at UTM –
with disciplines represented in medieval and modern history, the study of religion (including Hinduism,
Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism), diaspora and transnational studies, political science,
languages, linguistics and literatures, and visual culture and communications – are capable of sustaining
a rich array of courses. The existing faculty will be further strengthened by new tenure-stream hires in
Political Science and Historical Studies. In addition, a lecturer who will teach Hindi-Urdu in the
Department of Language Studies and courses in South Asian Culture in the Department of Historical
Studies will also be hired on a pilot basis.
Recommendation: Presented for approval to the Academic Affairs Committee, followed by
submission for consideration and approval to Erindale College Council.
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Be It Resolved,
THAT
The Academic Affairs Committee recommend to Erindale College Council the New Freestanding
Minor in South Asian Civilizations as described in the attached proposal, effective September 1, 2013.
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