As of this fall, Furman University has added minors in digital ethics and medieval and early modern studies, and a major in theatre studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited to make these new areas of study available to our students,\u201d said Beth Pontari<\/a>, vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. \u201cThese are fields in which our students have shown increased interest, and where our faculty have expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n The new programs represent the best of a liberal arts and science education, Pontari said. They cover cutting-edge technology, history that underscores and helps explain modernity, and a major that allows a deeper understanding of theatre as an art form. All of these offer new opportunities for our students in their academic pathway at Furman, while helping to prepare them for life after Furman.<\/p>\n The digital ethics minor arose from the explosive growth of AI and the need to stay in step with the ever-evolving field of technology, according to Chris Alvin<\/a>, associate professor of computer science, and Darren Hick<\/a>, assistant professor of philosophy. They led the effort behind the digital ethics minor.<\/p>\n The growth of AI is calling for ethical considerations to be prioritized from public and private domains. The digital ethics minor seeks to educate students on the ethical impact of their work regardless of the course of study. It\u2019s knowledge they will carry with them into the workplace, Alvin and Hick said.<\/p>\n At the heart of the minor are 12 required credit hours including intro to computer programming; morals, law and society in the digital age; and an ethics course. The remaining eight additional credit hours draw from coursework in communication studies, computer science, economics, philosophy and sociology.<\/p>\n