The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

I was looking around & noticed that UAB discontinued their Special Studies program a few years ago.

Anyone know the specifics on this?

I wanted to try and see if there was a new hobby or something to try.

Thanks.

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and some professors at UAB like to blame it on football

Yes, it was very disappointing when they pulled the plug on Special Studies. There was some other event that coincided with this. It may have been "Black Friday", the defeat of MAPS, or a tax proposal or some such. At the time it did come across as a quid pro quo retaliation for some sort of budget crunch.

Bring back Special Studies!!!!

It was a great way to enrich one's life, and a pretty good way to meet chicks too!

Did interest die in Special Studies then? When I was at UAB, it was a cash cow. I taught a Special Studies class every semester (it would only happen if it hit an enrollment figure that guaranteed the University would make money, and not lose money, on the course). And, it was always full. In fact, most of the Special Studies courses were full, and many had waiting lists.

My best guess is the University unintentionally killed it by making it so difficult to add a new class to the schedule. They probably never modernized the curriculum, and it died due to lack of interest. That seems to be what happens in most university bureaucracies, at any rate.

Yeah, the Special Studies programs were always pretty cool. I remember when I was in high school my mom took some of the courses. I took a ACT prep course through Special Studies and my brother got some high school math tutoring through it.

They definitely had some cool stuff. I was telling my wife the other day that I wish it was still around so I could find some photography/photoshop classes to take.

I took wine tasting and a beer making class. The latter was the most fun, because it was legal to make beer in the class, though it was illegal to do so as homework because of state law. It was classified as a chemistry class.

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:I took wine tasting and a beer making class. The latter was the most fun, because it was legal to make beer in the class, though it was illegal to do so as homework because of state law. It was classified as a chemistry class.

We can make up to 500 gallons/adult/year here in Maryland. I usually make about 50-60.

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:I took wine tasting and a beer making class. The latter was the most fun, because it was legal to make beer in the class, though it was illegal to do so as homework because of state law. It was classified as a chemistry class.

Was it Dr. Hamilton teaching it?

TMcCarty Wrote:

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:I took wine tasting and a beer making class. The latter was the most fun, because it was legal to make beer in the class, though it was illegal to do so as homework because of state law. It was classified as a chemistry class.

Was it Dr. Hamilton teaching it?

Exactly what I was thinking... Actually, I think I heard that Dr. Hamilton and Dr. March tag-teamed it the last time it was taught.

The University Honors Program has some interesting seminars that would fit the mold of "special studies" (like Quilt Making and Butoh Dance) but I think those classes are much smaller and have controlled registration.

It would be nice if they brought it back. However, Samford has sort of filled the void with "Samford After Sundown"

BlazerFromMD Wrote:

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:I took wine tasting and a beer making class. The latter was the most fun, because it was legal to make beer in the class, though it was illegal to do so as homework because of state law. It was classified as a chemistry class.

We can make up to 500 gallons/adult/year here in Maryland. I usually make about 50-60.

Illeagal here. We are working to change the laws. There is a bill in the senate that would authorize homebrewing.

I suspect it was due to a lack of space. The Continuing Education Center (Cudworth Hall) where the program was last based is now home to the university's IT staff and is full. All of the buildings on the undergrad side of campus are full at night, particularly with SBS and Business classes. It would be impossible to schedule additional evening classes right now, unless they were taught in Ullman, and well, I think we're just better off not having them under those circumstances.

TMcCarty Wrote:

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:I took wine tasting and a beer making class. The latter was the most fun, because it was legal to make beer in the class, though it was illegal to do so as homework because of state law. It was classified as a chemistry class.

Was it Dr. Hamilton teaching it?

Yup. We did research at The Mill. :-)