Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2017

C r a s h Course u A test drive of the classroom experience (without the final exam) PROGRAM TITLE American Women Writers COURSE COORDINATOR Michelle Wood Associate Professor of English DESCRIPTION This course examines American women writers between 1790 and 1940, covering diverse authors, genres, and themes. As part of this course, students transcribe and analyze sections of Martha McMillan’s 1867–1913 journals for a contemporary audience. McMillan and her husband James McMillan were integrally involved in the Cedarville farming community and in the Presbyterian church. Her son Homer was among the five graduates in Cedarville’s first graduating class. McMillan’s grandson Rankin MacMillan, a former trustee of Cedarville College, donated the collection of journals to Cedarville University, and the journals have provided valuable insights into the history of the University and the community. BIG IDEA • Students participate in the literary recovery work of Martha McMillan’s “life-writing.” Literary recovery work (re)introduces contemporary readers to writers, texts, and genres that have been overlooked or ignored. • Students learn how researchers study, analyze, and then represent original manuscripts to a contemporary audience. • Students transcribe journal entries to contribute to the ongoing recovery project of the McMillan journals. • Students conduct original research into the historical and literary contexts of the McMillan journals and publish scholarly introductions and helpful context. LEARN MORE: cedarville.edu/ mcmillanjournals “I realized that many women before me have faced extreme challenges and have done so with grace. I transcribed the months of Martha McMillan’s journals when her youngest son died. I watched Martha grieve the death of her son by clinging to the feet of her Savior and trusting in the promise of reuniting with him in heaven. This class bonded me so deeply with such a great woman of faith and changed my perspective on historical texts.” Leslie Pence ’18 Cedarville University will launch a new civil engineering major starting fall 2018. Civil engineering will be the fifth major in Cedarville’s School of Engineering and Computer Science. Currently, students can pursue computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. Graduates will earn a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.) degree, which includes Cedarville’s general education component and the Bible minor. The curriculum includes a core of engineering courses in the first two years, then civil engineering- specific coursework starting in year three. “Civil engineering will provide Cedarville students the opportunity to impact the world through missions,” said Thomas White, President. “Building bridges, developing safe roads, and providing clean and consistent water can open doors to the Gospel through loving others as ourselves. I am excited to see the eternal impact our civil engineering faculty and students will have on the world.” Cedarville trustees approved the new program in January, and the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission have also authorized the new degree. “Our faculty sensed the need for a civil engineering program when we started to do missions work in Africa and South America,” said Robert Chasnov, Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science. “Developing nations need help with their water systems and energy development, which is civil engineering wo r k . T h i s d e g r e e c o n t i n u e s Cedarville’s commitment to academic excellence and Gospel impact.” The S c hoo l o f Eng i ne e r i ng and Computer Science’s faculty benchmarked the program curriculum against other outstanding civil engineering programs to ensure that course descriptions, syllabi, and the general frame of the major will equip graduates for professional success in their vocation. The additional degree offering will attract new students to the engineering school, which is already among Cedarville’s largest academic areas. Civil Engineering Launches Fall 2018 CAMPUS NEWS 24 | Cedarville Magazine