Illinois Wesleyan University is adding three new majors to its existing pool of programs. Come this fall, students will be able to major in sociology-criminology, supply chain management or communication.
Sociology-criminology will study crime and the criminal-legal system from a sociological perspective. In addition, the program will offer courses in psychology, chemistry, English, philosophy and political science.
Overseeing this new field of study is associate professor and Interim Chair of Sociology Courtney Irby, who said the major will be a good fit for any students interested in law enforcement, social services or forensics.
“We’re envisioning this as a program that allows students to embrace the interdisciplinary liberal arts experience,” Irby said. “That helps us ensure we’re producing a well-rounded individual that thinks about the criminal justice system, not just in terms of how do we incarcerate people, but what are those consequences and patterns, how do we explain them, and how do we ensure we are being thoughtful about the question of incarceration, justice and law,”
Supply chain management will teach students to strategically plan, coordinate and optimize the flow of goods, services, information and finances between suppliers and customers through various mediums of distribution. Run through the School of Business and Economics, the program will provide students with creative problem-solving skills, and the ability to turn data sets into important decisions while managing the impact of those decisions on the stakeholders.
Supervising this major will be Dean of the School of Business and Economics Bryan McCannon, who said this field has proved itself to be vital in post-pandemic society, after facing product shortage and distribution delays when COVID-19 was at its peak.
“There is strong demand for individuals with knowledge of the supply chain as its importance in business operations is now made clear,” said McCannon. “Someone graduating with a major in supply chain management can be hired directly into a management role handling the purchasing, inventory control, transportation and logistics, and numerous other essential business operations.”
The communication major will focus on public relations, strategic communications and journalism, preparing students for a variety of careers and supplying them with skills in traditional and new media forms.
"While providing excellent professional training, this major is bound up with the liberal arts education students receive at Illinois Wesleyan, preparing students to communicate thoughtfully and persuasively about what matters to them, equipping them to give voice to what they value," said Chair of English Michael Theune.
In addition to the new majors, IWU will be adding academic certificates in dance and intercultural competence. The dance certificate is in addition to the theater dance minor the university currently offers.
“More students are showing an interest in dance,” said IWU’s Director of the School of Theater Arts Jean Kerr. “This flexibility creates opportunities for students to study dance, whether or not they are a theater arts major. The certificate serves as an acknowledgement of their focus on this subject."
