It's been a busy week on campus (and it's only Tuesday), so here are some of the stories that might have fallen by the wayside.
Applications for Class of 2017 hit record high, continue increasing trend
The number of Regular Decision applications for the Class of 2017 increased by 2.2 percent from last year, according to a press release from the University earlier today. This year, the University received 32,766 applications from Regular Decision, compared to 31,991 for the Class of 2016.
"Northwestern increasingly is being recognized nationally and internationally for the excellence of its students and its highly diverse education offered inside and outside the classroom. The education crosses disciplines, continents and 12 schools and programs, on campuses in Evanston, Chicago and Qatar," the release read.
However, percent increases of both Early Decision and Regular Decision for the Class of 2017 were less than that for the Class of 2016, though – Early Decision applicants grew by 7 percent rather than last year's 15.2 percent while last year's Regular Decision applications grew by 3.5 percent over applications for the Class of 2015 two years ago. Regular Decision acceptance letters will be released in the spring.
New Weinberg department to offer first set of courses Fall Quarter 2013
The not-so-new-but-developing Department of Asian Languages and Cultures confirmed with The Daily Northwestern that they are on track to offer courses in Asian languages, cultures and literatures in order to "provide interdisciplinary training in the Asian humanities." DALC intends to focus on the prominence of four major Asian cultures – Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and Korean — through the study of literature and film from these cultures. It will also consolidate faculty currently working in the Program of African and Asian Languages.
Currently, some of the courses that will be offered through DALC are being offered through the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies program as special topics courses. Over the next month, a University committee will conduct "interviews with scholars who will potentially join the department as tenure-track faculty members," Professor Peter Carroll told The Daily. Carroll also serves as the director of the AMES program.
NU-Q hires new deans, program directors
Northwestern University in Qatar hired a slew of individuals to high-level positions this past week, including two new deans and three new program directors.
Jeremy Cohen will serve as associate dean for academic affairs and chief academic officer, a new position created as part of the official restructuring of NU-Q, which began in September 2012 following the appointment of Dr. Sandra Richards as director of NU-Q's Liberal Arts program. Cohen will be coming from Pennsylvania State University, where he has worked since 1994, most recently as senior associate dean for undergraduate education in the College of Communications.
John Pavlik will join NU-Q as the first associate dean for research, also a new position. He will be coming from Rutgers University, where he has worked as a professor since 2002. Pavlik was also director of the Journalism Research Institute at Rutgers.
RTVF professor Scott Curtis was named director of the Communication program, where he has been working as an associate professor. Curtis is the founder and faculty adviser for Block Cinema.
Mary Dedinsky, an associate professor of journalism at NU-Q, was named the Journalism program's director, replacing Senior Associate Dean Richard Roth, who has led the program since 2008 and will continue on at NU-Q.
The creation and promotion of leadership at NU-Q signals “a maturation of the NU-Q program, connecting and integrating our academic programs and services with professional outreach, all to be responsive to a digital and global society,” Dean Dennis said in the University's press release.