PENNSTATE Seence, Teco “The Pennsylvania State Unversity 814-865-9951 ‘ad Society Program 133 Wiles Balding Foe 814-863-3578, Unset Park A 16802 sorte Monday, January 17, 2011 Dear President Spanier and Provost Erickson: The decision to cancel the STS program will have a negative effect on our students and, in particular, upon achieving the priorities for excellence identified in the current Penn State Strategic Plan. As we outline below, STS plays a critical part in the university's mission. ‘The Penn State Strategic Plan for 2009-2014 states that “the best education produces knowledgeable, critical, creative, and ethical students,” In order to attain that goal, the Strategic Plan flags a number of areas as critical for strategic development, yet these areas comprise the core mission of the Penn State STS Program. The Strategic Plan calls for: “integrating the curriculum and co-curriculum, and making those connections matter to students”: STS courses require students to investigate and speak across disciplinary lines and engage with the social and ethical implications of current scientific and technical issues, linking the classroom to the community and the world. “assisting students to explore ethical issues”: the STS Program provides numerous courses that focus on a wide range of ethical issues, including environmental ethics, research ethics, bioethics, and engineering ethics. “fostering research, instruction, and outreach in emerging interdisciplinary fields of great sacietal importance”: the STS program offers a newly approved undergraduate minor in sustainability, an undergraduate minor in disability studies, and courses in environmental studies, bioethics, research ethics, and nanotechnology. In addition, the program is poised to Jaunch in fall 2011 an innovative dual undergraduate major as well as dual degree M.A./Ph.D. program in bioethics. Both programs cut across departments and colleges throughout the university. “enhancing the university's potential as a global university” by “building international partnerships, infusing international topics and experiences in the curriculum’: the STS program offers courses with content that focuses on East Asia, Europe, and South Asia, and plans are underway for an international partnership with institutions in London on the topic of bioethi “fostering diversity”: the STS program offers an undergraduate minor in disability studies, as well as courses addressing the study of race and gender in relation to science, technology and society. “using technology to expand access and opportunities”: among other things, the STS program offers a course exploring the way built environments limitaccess and opportunities (STS 233: "Ethics and the Design of Technology”), as well as a number of courses exploring the way gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality affect access to technology and the opportunities it affords. We would like to request that this decision be reconsidered in light of the centrality of the STS Program to the mission of the University. We would be happy to meet with you to discuss this further. We are concerned that the value of the STS curriculum was not fully appreciated by those conducting the review process and has resulted in a decision that is inconsistent with Penn State’s own Strategic Plan. In our opinion, the decision to close the STS program threatens Penn State's reputation for providing an innovative and first-rate education in science, engineering, medicine, and the liberal arts. Yours sincerely, a Susan M. Squier Acting Director, STS Program Julia Gregg Brill Professor of Women's Studies, English, and STS SN Greg Eghigian Director, STS Program (2006-9, 2011-12) Associate Professor of Modern History esi Tie Nancy Tuana Director, Rock Ethics Institute DuPont/Class of 1949 Professor of Philosophy, STS, and Women’s Studies