Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, new classes and an MSU Web site have been popular among faculty and students.
Some classes being offered next semester, which are sponsored by the Center for Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities, involve issues brought up since the attacks.
IAH 211B, Area Studies and Multicultural Civilizations: Asia Focus on India, Pakistan and Bangladesh is the only new IAH course being offered. The other three, IAH 211C and two sections of IAH 211D, were available for enrollment during fall semester and involve Middle Eastern studies.
All sections are full except for the two sections of IAH 211D.
Kathleen Geissler, associate director of the center, said students who take the classes will learn much about international ideas and cultures following Sept. 11.
“The (new IAH) course is designed to have students know more about the Arab and Islamic world, which they unfortunately don’t know enough about,” she said. “Another focus is to look at representation in the U.S. of the Arab world - the way we talk about it and images that have appeared in the media.”
The IAH classes aren’t the only Sept. 11-related courses being offered next semester.
History 110, section 2, Historical Approaches to Contemporary Issues: Introduction to Islamic History is more than half full now and History 451, 9/11: Causes, Consequences and Implications is full.
International Studies and Programs Dean John Hudzik said strong student interest in Middle Eastern issues is important for MSU.
“That has not been as strong a component of the curriculum at Michigan State,” he said. “Other geographical areas have been, and I think unfortunately the events of 9-11 have alerted us and people throughout the country of paying attention to languages and curriculum for areas of the world we’ve not paid attention to for a long time.”
A university-sponsored Web site, www.sept11.msu.edu, also was launched Sept. 28 as a resource for faculty and students.
“We wanted a site where people can be up-to-date and informed and make sure that they know what resources exist here and elsewhere if and when they needed help,” university spokesman Terry Denbow said.
The site features a photo gallery, information on how to help victims and links to national news.
Lisa Mulcrone, editor of MSU Today’s Web site, said news about Sept. 11-related campus events originated there at msutoday.msu.edu and visitors to MSU’s Sept. 11 Web site were linked to the information.
She said 8,595 page views were received between Sept. 28 and Nov. 30.
“The readership for MSU Today and the Sept. 11 Web site really saw a big spike in readership and showed us people were looking for a place that was gathering information from across the university,” she said.
And Patrick Scheetz, assistant director of the MSU International Alumni Clubs, said the group’s Web site, www.msualum.org, received dozens of e-mails from former Spartans coming from places ranging from Colombia to Nepal.
“There are MSU alumni all over the world who are sending their deepest sympathies and express their sentiments in these messages,” he said. “We have Spartans all over the world and they feel a close allegiance to this university.”
