Barnard Adds Requirements Resembling Core Curriculum

The faculty of Barnard College in New York City voted to institute a new set of curriculum reforms which includes a required course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning, similar in purpose to the quantitative reasoning course offered under Harvard's Core Curriculum

But officials at Barnard said that the incentive for the new program. Which also includes a mandatory freshman seminar emphasizing women's studies did not come from models such as Harvard Core.

Faculty members of Barnard said the school's movement had been independent focusing on specific needs at Bernard, a school loosely affiliated with Columbia University.

Until this year, Bernard served at Columbia's sister school. But Columbia has now begun to admit women as well.

I think it came from a general feeling that an undergraduate liberal arts education should include a mathematical component." said Duncan K. Foley, professor of economics at Barnard He added. "I see people frozen out of options that they would want to take because they haven't taken math at a college level

The Barnard course set for introduction in fall 1984--called "Studies in Quantitative Reasoning"--differs from Harvard's Quantitative Reasoning A (QRA) because students will not be able to place out of it by taking an exam. However, students will be able to exempt themselves by taking any math course at their level, said Charles S. Olton, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty.

Also unlike QRA which does not count as a Core credit for Harvard students, the Barnard math requirement and freshman seminar both count as part of the undergraduate distribution requirement.

We didn't want to tax students with more requirements, so we reduced the distribution requirement, said Boles

The new program also has its detractors. Gillian Kaye `85 said that the new requirements represented a loss of distributional elective and was indicative of the college attempts to channel students towards business and science.

But student reaction has been generally favorable said Judy Yee'83, president of Barnard's student government the Undergraduate Association

"A lot of students are already taking a math course," Yee said. "And I think a lot of seniors realize now that they should have taken a math course along the way"