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Richard W. Lariviere, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, filed with the Secretary of the Faculty Council the proposal below to create a bachelor of arts degree with a major in religious studies in the College of Liberal Arts chapter of The Undergraduate Catalog, 1998-2000. The faculty and the dean of the College of Liberal Arts approved the changes on December 28, 1999. The edited proposal was received from the Office of Official Publications on February 25, 2000. The secretary has classified this proposal as legislation of exclusive application and primary interest to a single college or school.

If no objection is filed with the Office of the General Faculty by the date specified below, the legislation will be held to have been approved by the Faculty Council. If objection is filed within the prescribed period, the legislation will be presented to the Faculty Council at its next meeting. The objection, with reasons, must be signed by a member of the Faculty Council.

To be counted, a protest must be received in the Office of the General Faculty by April 7, 2000.



<signed>

John R. Durbin, Secretary
The Faculty Council




This legislation was posted on the Faculty Council web site (http://www.utexas.edu/faculty/council/) on March 28, 2000. Paper copies are available on request from the Office of the General Faculty, FAC 22, F9500.

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On page 258, in the College of Liberal Arts chapter of The Undergraduate Catalog, 1998-2000, in the section "BACHELOR OF ARTS, PLAN I," subsection "MAJORS AND MINORS," insert the following new major and minor:


Religious Studies

Major: Thirty semester hours of religious studies coursework, of which at least eighteen hours must be upper-division. Unless otherwise indicated, a single course may not be counted toward more than one of the following requirements. The thirty hours of coursework must include

1.	Religious Studies 305 or 310; and either 302, 318, or 319. These courses may also be counted toward requirement 2.
2.	At least three semester hours in each of the following four areas. A list of courses in each area is available from the religious studies adviser. a. Area I: Religions of Asia b. Area II: Religions of the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Europe c. Area III: Religions of the Americas d. Area IV: Religions of Africa, tribal religions, and approaches to the study of religion
3.	Primary Area: Nine additional semester hours of upper-division coursework in one of the areas listed in requirement 2 above. The student should choose the primary area in consultation with the religious studies adviser.

Minor for religious studies majors: Twelve semester hours, including at least six hours of upper-division coursework, in any one other field of study in the University. Six of the required twelve hours must be taken in residence.


Rationale:
To promote breadth of exposure to the various religious traditions of the world in their respective cultural contexts as well as to different methods and approaches to the study of religion as a cross-cultural human phenomenon.

To promote acquisition of in-depth knowledge of particular religious traditions and subject areas, accomplished by having students complete both a "distribution requirement" in various areas within the major, as well as a "primary area of concentration" in one of these areas or in one main religious tradition.