Student Report
SHORTLY after the AAUP Committee on Teaching and the Curriculum made its report, the Academic Committee of the Undergraduate Council, in its annual report, added more commentary and recommendations regarding the curriculum, teaching and academic standards at Dartmouth.
Space is not available for printing the entire undergraduate report, prepared under the chairmanship of Thomas L. Waddell '55, but three sections dealing with (1) The Need for "Tough" Basic Courses, (2) A Proposal for the Establishment of Advanced Sections in Basic Courses, and (3) The Language Requirement are presented here in full. In other portions of its report, the UGC Academic Committee discussed the new freshman course TheIndividual and the College, the Music Library, and the Reading Period, and also made recommendations for further Undergraduate Council studies.
After observing The Individual and theCollege closely throughout the past semester, the Academic Committee declared that "from an overall point of view the course was a success and has the potential to become even more beneficial to future freshman classes here at Dartmouth." As improvements, it recommended that freshmen be required to keep journals on the lectures, as do seniors in Great Issues; that a new marking system of "distinction," "credit" and "unsatisfactory" be adopted; and that steps be taken to achieve better integration of the lectures by visiting speakers.
The Academic Committee also termed successful the experimental Music Library established in the Kenerson Room with the cooperation of the Baker Library staff and the Music Department. Student use of the collection of classical and semiclassical records was "very encouraging," and the committee proposed an enlargement of the record library and the addition of more turntables and head phones. That a room in the new Hopkins Center be given over to a more elaborate music library set-up was also proposed by the undergraduate committee.
On the basis of questionnaire returns from 1400 dormitory residents, the committee found that 91 per cent of the students remained in Hanover for the whole of the two-day reading period at the end of the first semester, and that 90 per cent of these men found the reading period profitable and were in favor of its continuation. The committee therefore recommended that a two-day reading period be maintained at the end of each semester, and opposed the idea of shortening or eliminating the period so as to extend student vacations.
As areas warranting further consideration by the next UGC Academic Committee, the 1954-55 committee listed a reevaluation of the entire- idea of an Honor System; a detailed exploration of Honors programs in the various majors in the curriculum, with the thought "that more programs along the lines of English Honors would provide students with a rich intellectual experience"; consideration of the proposals that Dartmouth adopt a fourcourse system; and an investigation of "the entire intellectual atmosphere of the College, seeing if there are adequate rewards for those in college who concentrate in this area." Perhaps ways could be found, the committee continued, "of encouraging more intellectual activity than is found in many students at present."
THE following three sections of the Academic Committee's report are printed in full:
THE NEED FOR "TOUGH" BASIC COURSES
Dartmouth undergraduates are generally men with the ability to do truly high quality work. Yet teachers often claim that it is impossible to demand such a level of achievement. The committee feels that this is a mistaken concept based upon a misunderstanding of the problem.
Every man who enters a course will accept whatever standards the teacher imposes. Often perhaps to test these demands or because of some external factor, he will not do an adequate job on an assignment. Instead of suffering, he finds that the teacher gains the impression that he cannot force men to do the necessary amount of work.
Therefore, he begins to expect less of the students and they respond by doing less. If teachers were to refuse to follow this expedient and made it obvious to students that a failure to keep up in the work would result in disaster, then they could maintain their standards.
The crucial point in this process is afreshman's first semester which molds hisattitudes. If he learns that he must dogood work from the start, he will mostlikely continue to do so throughout hiscollege career. If he learns that he can get by on little work, then this will be his attitude. Most college men here have untapped capabilities - this is the best way to develop them.
Therefore, it is urgent that from the start the faculty should force men to work at a level consistent with their capacities rather than as now is often the case at the lowest level which they can safely use. The committee strongly recommends that each introductory course aim for a high intellectual level - that the course be tough enough to make the student work diligently.
Among the ways that interest, initiative and creativity can best be stimulated among students is an increasing reliance upon the paper as a means of testing. For the paper offers one of the best means for a student to develop the ability for thoughtful self-expression and encourages a real integration of the material in a course.
While it is impossible to flatly state where the paper would fit into every course, in general the point is to replace some portion of the examinations in a course by papers written outside class. The committee particularly feels that certain multiple-choice examinations (especially in courses where concepts rather than facts are the essential issue) could be profitably replaced by papers.
Looking at the two forms of ability measurement, one can see the advantages of paper writing. Examinations of the multiple-choice type place a premium upon a man's ability to cram a certain number of facts into his head. The essay examination is usually a better test of the student's ability to conceptualize, but the time pressure makes it difficult for the material to be presented in the best form. However, examinations do have a place in testing students and certain valid educational goals can be met only by the formal examination.
However, the best way for a student to develop an understanding of the material he studies is for him to synthesize it into a paper. With plenty of time and freedom the man can prepare a study of the material that is of sufficient depth and insight for him to gain an appreciation of the subject matter. He can develop an adequate perspective from which to coordinate and organize the isolated parts of the course into a unity.
Another opportunity that opens when men are given the chance to write papers is for original research into additional topics of interest. Here men can explore a question that could not be answered by the regular course reading and discussion. Such work can be among the most valuable experiences in the educational processes.
Therefore, the committee urges that whenever feasible papers be incorporated into the curriculum in lieu of the formal examination. We believe that in many cases the paper is a far more rigorous test of ability and should be recognized as such.
PROPOSAL FOR THE ESTABLISH- MENT OF ADVANCED SECTIONS IN BASIC COURSES
In order to increase the scope of educational possibilities for those with the necessary interest and skill, to increase individual motivation so that it is coincident with ability, and as one of many approaches for raising the general campus level of intellectual interest, the Academic Committee proposes the establishment of "advanced sections" in those courses where such sections would further the three purposes mentioned above.
We recognize that there are at present many means to achieve these purposes, means such as individual projects and Honors programs in certain departments. We fully endorse such programs and are interested in seeing them expanded. But we conceive this advanced section program as complementary to these other programs and as filling a void between them. They are particularly desirable in the introductory courses.
This program is designed for the individual course, not for an entire department. It is not a new course. It is one section designated as an advanced group whose subject matter would substantially follow that of the other sections, but which would involve additional work according to the interests and motivations of the group. The program would not necessarily involve an extra hour. There would be voluntary membership. Membership in this section would not be placed on the individual's college record. The essential element of the program is flexibility varying according to the interests, native ability and proficiency of the students, and the limitations of the particular course.
This same touchstone of flexibility seems the best method for selection. It necessarily will be the professor's responsibility to determine at what point either before or during the course - he has sufficient data concerning the interest and potential of his students, and at what point the course itself will best adapt to the program. Sometime during the semester, then, the men concerned should shift to a common section.
We feel that the merits of this program warrant its trial. It is a reward for intellectual interest which should be one of the stimuli to raise the general campus intellectual atmosphere. It will increase the challenge of the course - particularly for those of considerable ability who now go unchallenged and even become bored with their courses. This is particularly true on the introductory course level. This program will give the latitude necessary for integration with related material in other courses.
There are those who would object to this plan because they say it would leave the other classes in the course stripped of intellect. First of all, we of the committee contend that it is fruitless to leave the best of students in the unstimulating atmosphere of a poor class; they will gain little. On the other hand, since it is these very bright people who tend to monopolize the discussion in a mediocre class anyway, perhaps the removal of some of them will encourage the rest of tire class into more self-expression. We point out, too, that if the advanced section is chosen after the beginning of the semester, some of the brightest people will be unable to change to the new section because of scheduling difficulties.
Our object in presenting this specific proposal is to try to stimulate motivation and added interest on the part of the student. We are working on the philosophy that "impact of youthful mind on youthful mind" is indeed one of the greatest stimulations available in this or any college. Perhaps this particular plan with its weaknesses in implementation will not be the answer - but certainly it is worth experimenting with.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
One of the major areas in the Dartmouth curriculum most frequently criticized by the undergraduate body is that of the language requirement. Over the past several years, there has been a great deal of dissatisfaction expressed by the students as to the real purpose and overall effectiveness of the language requirement. It is extremely difficult for many students to satisfy this requirement, and indeed, for a few men, it is almost impossible. It is for these reasons mainly that the Academic Committee decided to consider this area in its work this year.
The committee has centered its efforts upon finding ways to improve the courses in language and not upon crying for the abolition of the requirement. We feel that certain methods can be employed by the faculty which will increase student motivation. Some of these recommendations are currently being experimented with in the language department.
We recommend the following:
(1) That a more positive emphasis be placed on conversation in the languages being studied. We feel that there is a definite need for oral work during the regular classroom periods. We also suggest that perhaps one hour a week might be devoted almost solely to the improvement of a student's fluency in the spoken language. We find that there is a severe lack in this area of the courses as they are now arranged.
(2) In light of the preceding recommendation, we strongly urge that a phonetics laboratory be set up in the language department. This laboratory should include recording facilities which the students could use in order to correct their mistakes and to increase their fluency in both the conversation and the pronunciation of the spoken language. It is further suggested that this laboratory be equipped with turntables and earphones which would permit the student to hear examples of correct pronunciation and speech.
(3) That more work be done with visual aids in the language departments. It has been found that the movies now in use, especially in the French Department, help to give the student an increased sense of perception in the way in which the language is practically applied to everyday life. The committee feels that the films now in use should be retained, and that further work should be attempted in this area.
(4) That some emphasis should be placed on the reading of newspapers, periodicals and more contemporary works of literature in each language. We feel that entirely too much emphasis has been placed on the reading of works which are too elementary in subject matter. We suggest that contemporary short stories and articles should be implemented in the courses in the place of some of the less interesting and less practical works now read. We feel that this will help to increase student interest in the required assignments.
(5) That increased emphasis be placed on grammar in the earlier (1 and 2) courses, so that more time may be spent in reading and conversation in the later (5 and 6) courses.
(6) That some method be used to "screen out" those incoming freshmen who are utterly incapable of coping with the language requirement. We feel that there are some men, extremely capable in other academic fields, who because of the language requirement, are barred from getting the full amount of academic training from the College. This is the problem with which we have had the most difficulty. We suggest that the Admissions Office look more deeply into the possibilities of an exemption system here at the College. We further advise that the work of other schools in this field be carefully considered and co-ordinated with a program of this type at Dartmouth. We strongly feel that some sort of an "escape hatch" system must be devised so that men who have absolutely no aptitude for foreign languages will be permitted to concentrate their efforts in more personally valuable areas of the curriculum.
By the implementation of these recommendations, the committee feels that the language departments may stimulate more student interest in the subject, and that perhaps their language courses may be of more usefulness to the students in the future.
