Government To Revamp Sophomore Tutorial

Students' complaints of government tutorial lectures and the Faculty’s recent decision to delay concentration choice for all students beginning with the Class of 2010 has prompted the government department to consider radically redesigning its sophomore tutorial, according to department chair Nancy L. Rosenblum.

“We need an overhaul,” Rosenblum said. “The sophomore tutorial is a gateway class to the department...This ought to be a fabulous experience and one of the best things we do.”

The department will soon meet to discuss the future of the sophomore tutorial. Possible changes include the complete elimination of the spring semester Government 97b, which was sparsely attended this semester and received numerous student complaints.

While concrete changes will not actually be implemented until the 2007-2008 academic year when the concentration choice delay takes effect, next year’s Gov 97 will have fewer lectures and more small tutorial discussions, Rosenblum said.

Part of the initiative for change stemmed from a student survey conducted by a student advisory committee at the end of Gov 97a, which highlighted student dissatisfaction with the course while also pointing to the tutorial’s positive aspects.

Student critique of the sophomore tutorial centered around the newly instituted weekly lectures, taught by Stanfield Professor of International Peace Jeffry A. Frieden and visiting professor Andrea M. Gates. Students say the two-hour lectures were attended by an average 15 percent of the class, even though they were mandatory.

“One of the professors was inexperienced, and we should have taken more care not to do that,” explained Rosenblum, who is also the Clark Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government.

Gov 97b head teaching fellow Jacob M. Kline noted that the last few weeks of the spring semester tutorial repeated topics taught in the introductory courses Historical Studies A-12, “International Conflict and Cooperation in the Modern World” and Government 20, “Introduction to Comparative Politics.”

Rosenblum said the department realized from the survey results that students were interested in taking a small tutorial focusing on reading and writing rather than an introduction to political science.

Frieden said he supported the possibility of a one-semester tutorial, explaining that holding a full-year tutorial would be an administrative nightmare for students transferring into Government once concentration choice is pushed back. Changes to the tutorial, Frieden said, will reflect future changes to general education and Core Curriculum requirements across the University.

Next year’s tutorial will not immediately differ greatly from this year’s course. Kenan Jr. Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield will continue to teach Gov 97a. Hoffmann and Skach will resume lecturing for Gov 97b.

“The syllabus will be exactly the same. I plan to cut and paste the syllabus from last year while changing dates,” said Kline, who plans to be a teaching fellow in the course.