THE COLLEGE
BY a slim three-vote margin the compulsory English 2 term course was relegated to Dartmouth history, and the more flexible, but still compulsory, Freshman Seminar came into being. In its deliberations at the March 8 meeting and by its vote, the Faculty emphasized anew a long-standing concern for development of undergraduate writing skills and, at the same time, initiated opportunities for the student to do that writing in a discipline that interests him more than English.
Presented under the title "The English and Freshman Seminar Requirement" by the Faculty's Committee on Educational Policy, this basic change in the curriculum began with this statement: "Dartmouth students are expected to be able to write clear and correct English with a due regard for the rules of grammar, spelling, and punctuation." The recommendation then went on to show how the Committee on Educational Policy thought this standard could be achieved and maintained.
The first item in the recommended program specified that all freshmen, except those exempted by the Department of English, be required to take one course devoted primarily to writing — English 1 — "to develop the student's ability to organize and express his thoughts in clear and correct English by frequent writing assignments and the study of great literature." This is a continuation of an educational experience that most Dartmouth alumni have in common.
It was on the next item — the substitution of the proposed "Freshman Seminars" for the established Freshman Seminar in English — that the Faculty debated for nearly two hours. Actually the present English 2 — a course "designed to provide the student the maximum opportunity for responsible, independent study" with topics chosen by the instructor was — cited as an excellent illustration of the proposed Freshman Seminar. The difference is, of course, that under the new requirement other departments, as well as English, could assume responsibility for developing writing skills.
First and foremost, the Freshman Seminars are, in the language of the Committee's recommendation, "designed to utilize the act of writing as a way of learning." In doing this, the Committee stated, the Freshman Seminars will also be "a way to provide each freshman the opportunity to participate in small group study and discussions with an instructor on a subject of mutual interest." For many a freshman the area of interest will be literature, and he, of course, would take the equivalent of the present English 2 — but with a difference — companions in class would be expected to share his interest in literature and, presumably, thus contribute to a more rewarding experience for all.
A Faculty Committee was also voted into existence to encourage academic departments to develop Freshman Seminars, to qualify Seminars approved by the Executive Committee of the Faculty as meeting the revised requirement, to assist departments in formulating policy for administering Seminars, and to inform both students and Faculty about the program. The program will be thoroughly reviewed in three years. Until departments gain Committee approval for running Seminars, the present English 2 will be available to meet the degree requirement.
The Committee on Educational Policy recommendation gave specific notice that the Faculty's concern with quality writing would not begin with English 1 and end with the Freshman Seminar. Students, it was voted by the Faculty, would be held responsible for the quality of their writing throughout the college career. The Faculty was given the authority to re- quire students to meet the standards of the College before receiving credit for a course or to penalize unsatisfactory writing by reduction in grade.
"After all, good writing is like good social usage," wrote the late Professor David Lambuth in The Golden Book onWriting. "It is learned by constant association with those who practice it, and it must be instinctive and un-self-conscious before it is of the slightest value." That's what the recent Faculty decision was all about... in a Lambuth-shell.
