The Ph.D. degree program in Pacific Northwest Studies will be housed in the History Department, but it will draw on other disciplines in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and College of Urban and Public Affairs. The program of study will focus on the historical relationships between the Pacific Northwest region and the world. The program of study will require coursework in history and related fields, completion of written and oral examinations, and writing an original dissertation. In addition, it will include courses and internships in applied history because the intended audience are individuals who will apply their studies in practical work environments. The Ph.D. program will also emphasize the integration of geography and anthropology disciplines with history as an adaptable and solid foundation for regional studies. For details see the full proposal at: http://psucurriculumtracker.pbworks.com/

In conjunction with our new Ph.D. program in Pacific Northwest Studies, we propose to hire two new tenure-line positions: Asian-American history, and Canadian history. In order to expand our curriculum in World History, we will also work toward the hire of two new tenure-line positions in the major areas of the world that we do not currently cover: the history of India and Southeast Asia, and the history of South America.

In spring 2009 the History Department Curriculum Committee undertook a review of the undergraduate major requirements and proposed a number of significant changes, including a reform of our senior seminar requirements that we have now submitted as a proposed catalog change, and a number of other reforms still under consideration at the departmental level. This curricular review process will continue as we examine our graduate program, with a focus on our two specialized tracks leading to the MA in Public History and the MA in World History. We will also work with the CLAS Advising Office to develop a more comprehensive set of online advising materials.

Historical research is highly dependent on access to primary source documents as well as the scholarly literature, and thus on the quality of the library collection. In the past the History Department has been handicapped by the small size of the Millar Library's print collection and the small space available for housing it. Increasingly, however, this problem is being solved through the acquisition of new digital research collections, including Eighteenth Century Collections Online, Early English Books Online, Early American Imprints Online, Early American Newspapers Online, and JSTOR. In coming years the History Department will work with the Millar Library and other curricular units to find the funding for new digital acquisitions, including Making of the Modern World, Patrologia Latina and the expanded edition of Early English Books Online, as well as the acquisition of the additional software that enables all titles in these collections to be integrated into the library catalog.