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Volume CXXXII, Number 14 |
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The price of smaller classes
The faculty Committee on Curriculum and Educational Policy (CEP) has proposed lowering the enrollment limits from 75 to 50 in 100-level courses and 50 to 35 in 200-level courses. A reduction in class size increases the quality of learning as well as teacher-student relationships, but at a steep price. If the new proposal goes into effect, the number of students turned away at the door will rise dramatically. In addition, simple scheduling problems are inevitable.
Smaller class sizes undoubtedly allow both students and professors to better engage in discussion and analysis of curriculum. The efficiency of professors is greatly diluted as numbers increase and class is taken away from seminars and more intimate settings. This is especially visible in the English department, where the more popular American Literature sections are packed with desks from wall-to-wall, only to have a traffic jam of ideas and comments.
Simultaneously, the proposed augmentation will unavoidably frustrate hundreds of students unable to enroll in their desired courses. This would undercut the small class idea as there would be less opportunities for a majority of the campus-whose decision to attend Bowdoin undoubtedly was influenced by class size.
The CEP must realize the double-edged nature of its proposal and come to a satisfactory resolution before going through with the reduction. There must either be an increase in the number of 100-level courses or an influx of new professors. Taking into account the College's economic problems and the imminent layoffs of 30 employees, the CEP and its proposal have an uphill battle ahead.
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