Almost two years after they began designing a history course about refugee problems, Sabine Freizer '94 and Rebecca Eldredge '94 will have the chance to take it.
Next term Government Professor Gene Lyons will teach the student-initiated course that addresses the history and treatment of refugees, reasons for migrations and the changing definition of the word refugee.
"The refugee movement is a very global issue but it is not really studied in any department at Dartmouth," Freizer said.
But she said the College makes it easy for students to initiate their own courses. "Just because the Dartmouth curriculum doesn't offer certain courses that doesn't mean that professors are not available to teach them. It's just a question of interest," she said.
Freizer and Eldredge started collaborating on the course last spring and finalized the syllabus last fall with the help of John Sargent '93.
They chose Gene Lyons to teach the course after first approaching Geography Professor Adrian Bailey with the idea.
Bailey "was already committed to teaching certain geography courses," Eldredge said. "Lyons has quite a bit of knowledge in international politics."
Although the entire process lasted almost two years, Eldredge said initiating a course is not difficult.
"Not too much effort was involved," she said. "It was a gradual process."
Students interested in initiating a seminar must develop a syllabus and formal structure for the course, obtain approval from the Committee on Instruction and insure the participation of at least one professor and six students.
Gary Johnson, an earth sciences professor and COI chair, said any student or faculty suggestions for new seminars are evaluated on their own merit.
"Every course has a fair hearing whether it's student or faculty initiated," he said.
Any new course must first approved by a department and then by the appropriate Divisional Council - either science, social science or humanities.
Courses that may satisfy distributive requirements or non-western requirements must gain the approval of the COI.
The COI approved the course on refugee history at its meeting last Thursday. Johnson said he thinks the course will be successful.
"The course was very well thought out. The composers should be commended," he said.
Lyons said he is looking forward to teaching the course. "It's a marvelous subject to acquaint students with," he said. "I spent some years with the United Nations [and the refugee situation] is an important issue in international relations today."
Eldredge said that after working to design the course, she is excited to finally take it. "Since I'm a government and French double major, I'm interested in putting to use the tools I have arrived at, the practical applications," she said.
The class is designed in a debate format. Outside speakers will also be invited to discuss the causes, plights and rights of refugees.
