A long-developing academic program aimed towards global competency will be unveiled much later than originally planned, according to Faculty Senate President Dr. Michael Hudson.

Hudson said at the Dec. 3 faculty senate meeting that the Global Passport Strategies (GPS) Program isn’t ready to be incorporated into the school’s core curriculum for 2011 and that it will instead be unveiled for the fall 2012 semester.

The GPS Program still faces issues regarding its implementation and logistics, according to Hudson’s report. An anticipated replacement for the current International Perspectives and foreign languages core curriculum requirements, the program must be resolved of issues such as the number of courses needed and the cost to implement it.

Hudson also cited an insufficient amount of time available for the program’s committee to properly act upon all of the questions, issues, and information gained from administrative members and open meetings held within the month prior to the presentation.

Initiated in 2008, efforts to develop this program went further as a committee chaired by Provost Dr. Frank Pettigrew and consisting of 11 faculty members from different academic colleges.

This committee worked from May through November of last ast year to try to finalize a model that would emphasize global competency through three tracks of study, including modern language, global studies and studying abroad.

Over the 14 meetings held in those seven months, the committee held extensive discussions and fleshed out many details within the program’s model, according to Hudson. The committee also added a “border crossing” course to the global studies track.

However, Hudson said there are still “numerous lists of unanswered questions and concerns” from members of various faculty members concerning how the program’s model will factor into their own academic departments and programs.

He also said that there was no input from the marketing and admissions departments and that staffing issues were also highly prevalent.

In response, Hudson and Pettigrew discussed the formation of a new Global Competency ad hoc subcommittee.

This subcommittee will finish developing a plan of implementation with significant contributions from department and program faculty while also assisting those faculty members as they examine how the model works for them.

Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Rebecca Corbin is the head of this new implementation subcommittee, which is working weekly with a variety of campus groups to gain their insight for the program.

Corbin said they’re working first with department chairs and will provide a preliminary report on the program at the Feb. 5 faculty senate meeting.

“We’re very motivated to getting this done and moving forward,” Corbin said, emphasizing the subcommittee’s determination to make the model better for all undergraduates.

To the faculty members in attendance at the Dec. 3 meeting expecting further details or a complete plan, Hudson promised a final report on the program no later than April of this year.