Psychology Dept. Cuts Popular Course

Although students are upset by a recent decision of the Psychology Department to have a professor teach Psych 1, "Introduction to Psychology," next year rather than his popular Psych 1501, "Social Psychology of Organizations," the Department contends that its options are limited by its small faculty.

J. Richard Hackman, CahnerRabb professor of social and organizational psychology, confirmed yesterday that he would be teaching Psych 1 next spring and not his popular course in organizational psychology.

"The decisions about who teaches what are made collectively," Hackman said. "The curriculum committee asked that I [teach Psych 1]."

Hackman said he regretted not being able to teach the organizational psychology class.

"I wish I did not have to give up teaching the social psychology of organizations course, but as I told the committee, I cannot teach that course and prepare to teach Psych I for the first time both at the same time," Hackman said.

He said he did not believe that "Social Psychology of Organizations" will be taught next year.

"Obviously it will not strengthen our offerings in that area, but the department has to make trade-offs," he explained.

One student said she was upset that the course was not going to be offered next fall. Sally J. Wolf ' 97-'96 said that when she heard that the course definitely would not be offered, she wrote a letter to Professor of Psychology Stephen M. Kosslyn, the department's head tutor, and Professor of Social Psychology Robert Rosenthal, the department's chair, asking that they not cut the course.

"The organizational class has the finest reputation of any course within the psychology department, and it is a shame for any student who is so interested to be denied such a wonderful educational experience," Wolf said.

She said she delivered the letter at about 12 p.m. on Friday, April 28 and that Kosslyn called her four hours later to explain that the department regretted having to cut the organizational psychology course, but it felt more of a responsibility to teach Psych 1.

"He was extremely sympathetic to my situation," Wolf said, "but he explained that the department was losing many professors this year and was only allowed to hire an inadequate number of new professors, or at least that was how I understood the situation."

Wolf said she was considering following a special honors track in organizational psychology, but "it just seems unfair to offer a special track and not offer the only course geared for that track."

Hackman said that he asked the curriculum committee more than once that someone else teach Psych 1 and he be allowed to teach the organizational psychology class.

But Rosenthal, a member of the curriculum committee, said everyone asks not to teach introductory psychology.

"Everybody in Harvard's department of psychology when asked to teach introductory psychology says, 'I'd rather teach the course I know and love and have already taught in preference to teaching introductory psychology," Rosenthal said. "That's what I said when I was asked to teachintroductory psychology."

Kosslyn, who also serves on the curriculumcommittee, said that the psychology faculty isshort of professors.

"We are very short-handed and must teach introto psych every semester," Kosslyn said. "He wasthe only full professor who had not already taughtit several times and who is not already committedto other obligations that couldn't be dropped. Hewas also the only one who was willing to do it."

Rosenthal agreed that it was a shame thatHackman would have to sacrifice one course inorder to teach the other.

"Professor Hackman has so many gifts that wewish we had two of him and would love to have oneto teach the organizational behavior course andone to teach introductory psychology," saidRosenthal.

"At the moment, because of shortages of theother Professor Hackmans and the general shortagein our other faculty, we had to make [the]difficult choice [of having Hackman teach Psych1]," he added.

Kosslyn said he believed that L. Dodge FernaldJr., a senior lecturer in psychology, would teachPsych 1 in the fall semester.

Kosslyn said that next year, a number of peoplein the department will be on leave, and heemphasized that the Psychology Department needsmore professors to teach the sub-areas that thedepartment would like to cover.

"We were not happy having to ask ProfessorHackman to teach intro to psych either," Kosslynsaid. "We really need additional faculty."

"Organizational psychology is very importantand we wish we could cover it as well as we usedto if not better," Kosslyn said, "but if we don'thave extra personnel then it's just not going tobe possible."

Rosenthal said the department was lucky in thatit had another professor who teachesorganizational psychology, Professor of PsychologyPhillip J. Stone.

But Wolf said that Stone's course does not makeup for the one Hackman will not teach.

"Professor Stone's course is applicable to theorganizational track; however, his course is aboutthe psychology of business and does differsubstantially from Professor Hackman's course,"Wolf said.

While the department is short on faculty, it isattempting to bring in new faculty members tocover sub-areas of psychology, Rosenthal andKosslyn said.

"At the moment, we are short three fullprofessors and we hope over the next few years tobe able to make up that shortage," Rosenthal said.

The department has made three new hires for thefall, but Kosslyn said they couldn't teach Psych 1because "they are not yet oriented to thedepartment."

The three new professors are:

Alfonso Caramazza; a psychology professor atDartmouth who is one of the foremost experts inthe understanding and production of language.Caramazza, 48, will be a full professor atHarvard;

Bruce M. Hood, 35, a British/Canadian expert inthe development of visual abilities who has taughtin Cambridge, England, and is currently a visitingscientist at MIT. Hood will join Harvard as anassociate professor; and

Patricia J. Deldin, a specialist in developmentpsychology who will receive her doctorate inclinical psychology from the University ofIllinois this year. Deldin will be an assistantprofessor.

Kosslyn and Rosenthal said the department hascurrently offered someone a tenured position as asocial psychologist and was waiting to hear fromthat person, whom they declined to identify.

Wolf said that she was worried that Psych 1might not be taught again before she graduates.

"Psych 1 is a three-year teaching commitmentand if Professor Hackman is unable to teach theorganizational course while teaching Psych 1 thiscourse may not be given until the 1998-99 academicyear and all present concentrators will havegraduated," Wolf said.

But Kosslyn said that if the department foundsomeone else to teach it for the 1996-97 schoolyear, Hackman could return to teachingorganizational psychology.

"We wish there was a way to offer this popularcourse, but intro to psych is the beginning of thesequence so it has to be taught," Kosslyn said

Kosslyn, who also serves on the curriculumcommittee, said that the psychology faculty isshort of professors.

"We are very short-handed and must teach introto psych every semester," Kosslyn said. "He wasthe only full professor who had not already taughtit several times and who is not already committedto other obligations that couldn't be dropped. Hewas also the only one who was willing to do it."

Rosenthal agreed that it was a shame thatHackman would have to sacrifice one course inorder to teach the other.

"Professor Hackman has so many gifts that wewish we had two of him and would love to have oneto teach the organizational behavior course andone to teach introductory psychology," saidRosenthal.

"At the moment, because of shortages of theother Professor Hackmans and the general shortagein our other faculty, we had to make [the]difficult choice [of having Hackman teach Psych1]," he added.

Kosslyn said he believed that L. Dodge FernaldJr., a senior lecturer in psychology, would teachPsych 1 in the fall semester.

Kosslyn said that next year, a number of peoplein the department will be on leave, and heemphasized that the Psychology Department needsmore professors to teach the sub-areas that thedepartment would like to cover.

"We were not happy having to ask ProfessorHackman to teach intro to psych either," Kosslynsaid. "We really need additional faculty."

"Organizational psychology is very importantand we wish we could cover it as well as we usedto if not better," Kosslyn said, "but if we don'thave extra personnel then it's just not going tobe possible."

Rosenthal said the department was lucky in thatit had another professor who teachesorganizational psychology, Professor of PsychologyPhillip J. Stone.

But Wolf said that Stone's course does not makeup for the one Hackman will not teach.

"Professor Stone's course is applicable to theorganizational track; however, his course is aboutthe psychology of business and does differsubstantially from Professor Hackman's course,"Wolf said.

While the department is short on faculty, it isattempting to bring in new faculty members tocover sub-areas of psychology, Rosenthal andKosslyn said.

"At the moment, we are short three fullprofessors and we hope over the next few years tobe able to make up that shortage," Rosenthal said.

The department has made three new hires for thefall, but Kosslyn said they couldn't teach Psych 1because "they are not yet oriented to thedepartment."

The three new professors are:

Alfonso Caramazza; a psychology professor atDartmouth who is one of the foremost experts inthe understanding and production of language.Caramazza, 48, will be a full professor atHarvard;

Bruce M. Hood, 35, a British/Canadian expert inthe development of visual abilities who has taughtin Cambridge, England, and is currently a visitingscientist at MIT. Hood will join Harvard as anassociate professor; and

Patricia J. Deldin, a specialist in developmentpsychology who will receive her doctorate inclinical psychology from the University ofIllinois this year. Deldin will be an assistantprofessor.

Kosslyn and Rosenthal said the department hascurrently offered someone a tenured position as asocial psychologist and was waiting to hear fromthat person, whom they declined to identify.

Wolf said that she was worried that Psych 1might not be taught again before she graduates.

"Psych 1 is a three-year teaching commitmentand if Professor Hackman is unable to teach theorganizational course while teaching Psych 1 thiscourse may not be given until the 1998-99 academicyear and all present concentrators will havegraduated," Wolf said.

But Kosslyn said that if the department foundsomeone else to teach it for the 1996-97 schoolyear, Hackman could return to teachingorganizational psychology.

"We wish there was a way to offer this popularcourse, but intro to psych is the beginning of thesequence so it has to be taught," Kosslyn said