High BUS course demand causes change in instructors

Illustration by Silviya Krasteva

Student interest in Business Ethics caused a shift in professors for three courses this semester. Dean of Faculty Steve Sullivan said changes in Early Modern Europe, Political Philosophy and Business Ethics were made during the add/drop week so “student demands were satisfied completely.”

Sullivan said a “three-way shift” was made during the add/drop week. History professor Evelina Kelbetcheva had two Bulgarian History sections and not enough students to fill both of them. “We made that [Bulgarian History] one section and then had her teach Early Modern Europe instead of Professor [Diego] Lucci.

That allowed professor Lucci to teach [a] Political Philosophy course instead of professor Robert White, and that allowed professor Robert White to teach a fourth section of Business Ethics,” Sullivan said.

“Before the fourth section was added, there were over 34 students on the waiting list. After this section was added, there were around 12,” White, professor of Philosophy and Ethics, said. There are 92 students enrolled in all sections of Business Ethics.

History professor Diego Lucci said he was offered to teach Political Philosophy on Friday before the add/drop week. “It was tough to develop the syllabus for such a short time,” Lucci said. Modern Political Philosophy is his specialization and he plans to teach that course next semester as well.

“I actually took the course only because the instructor was changed. I didn’t know professor White before, but professor Lucci was in my Introduction to Philosophy and History class, [and] as soon as I saw his name on the list, I enrolled,” student Antonina Davydenko said.

White said if students choose their course based on who the instructor is, they may be understandably disappointed with the shift of professors. However, a student still has an opportunity to change a course during the add/drop week and take it another semester, he added.