CUE Debates Proposed Changes to Science Requirements

As the Faculty considers scrapping a policy permitting the use of AP credit to bypass science Core requirements, professors and students debated the merits of the proposal at yesterday's meeting of the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE).

Some professors said that allowing students to bypass science Cores undercuts the true purpose of a liberal arts education.

"Part of being a liberally-educated person is not just reading Dante and Dostoyevsky, but also getting into some of these issues that scientists and mathematicians deal with," said William M. Todd III, dean of undergraduate education. "We're only asking for two courses out of 32."

The committee's student members said they were concerned about the impact of this change on an already long list of requirements.

"You're just piling things on and it is going to be really difficult for students," said Kamil E. Redmond '00, a member of the Undergraduate Council, who is also a Crimson editor. "You're restricting them from taking other courses which they may find more beneficial."

Other committee members echoed this concern.

"I would like to see us figure out a way where we can encourage people to be a bit more broad in their studies without forcing them into a corner," said Margo I. Seltzer '83, associate professor of computer science.

Some students said Harvard was at a competitive disadvantage compared to schools that accept AP scores as bypasses for introductory courses.

"It was definitely a drawback to Harvard, when they would not accept AP scores, where at [similar] institutions, this might have been possible," said John Paul Rollert '00, chair of the Student Affairs Committee of the Undergraduate Council.

The Educational Policy Committee, which will make a recommendation to the Faculty Council, submitted the issue for CUE's consideration in order to solicit opinions from the Harvard community.

Other Business

CUE members also discussed concerns about and possible changes to the CUE Guide.

One concern was the lack of anonymity on CUE forms. Since professors receive copies of the front sides of CUE forms, they may be able to identify individual students from their responses to demographic questions.

One student recommended that professors receive summaries of the information, rather than copies of the evaluations themselves.

"The anonymity is very important," Rollert said. "You don't want a professor to think you're being critical of him or her for personal reasons."

In addition, the group discussed the possibility of completing course evaluations on-line.

Student members said they thought this would lower response rates, unless it was made mandatory by linking the survey to e-mail--like the computer quiz and password change--or requiring students to file CUE forms in order to get their grades.

Redmond said afterwards that she was pleased that the meeting allowed students to air their concerns to Faculty members.

"One of my main concerns is that the Faculty remain responsive to students, particularly about curricular issues," she said.