Volume CXXXIII, Number 14 February 1, 2002 f

Half-credit offerings expanding
KITTY SULLIVAN
ORIENT STAFF

While Bowdoin has always offered half-credit classes as a means to explore subjects of interest in a more casual academic manner, the popularity of these courses is on the rise. This semester, more half-credit classes are being offered than in the past. These additions to the curriculum have been a reflection of both student and faculty interest, according to Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Deborah DeGraff.

"We're seeing the addition of half credit courses in response to faculty and students' interest in greater course flexibility," she said. "The half-credit course format has an experimental element to it that works well for faculty collaboration and for interdisciplinary courses."

Half-credit classes have traditionally been utilized most by the performance-based departments, such as dance and music; but other departments have been taking advantage of the unique format as well.

For example, the Film Studies department teamed up this semester with the English department to offer Film Studies or English 030: Science Fiction, Films, and the Cold War, taught by English professor Ann Kibbie
Faculty also enjoy the prevalence of half-credit courses because it allows them the opportunity to "team teach," and collaborate with professors in other departments.

"There's an opportunity cost of not fully teaching within a professor's discipline," noted Degraff. "However, that cost is lowered if he or she is only teaching the class half-credit."

Students are also enthusiastic about the advantages to such non-traditional class offerings. "Even though I haven't taken a half-credit class yet, I'd be interested in learning about a subject in a more relaxed classroom atmosphere," said Kala Hardacker '04.

Also being offered this spring are service-learning courses, another non-traditional alternative to a regular class. The courses, described as "traditional coursework interwoven with community service," and include study in Aquatic Ecosystems, Geometrics, and Environmental Policy and Politics.

Before these alternative courses are approved, they must go through review by the Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee (CEP), which then makes a recommendation to the full faculty who vote on the course. A full listing of half-credit courses is available in the Bowdoin College Course Catalogue.