SCUE releases new preceptorials

A record number of students have expressed interest in the courses. Students with a hunger to learn about topics as diverse as food, philosophy and grotesque physical deformities will get their chance next semester -- provided they act fast. The courses are among the 10 preceptorials -- credit-free mini-courses taught by University professors -- offered this spring by the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education. This will be SCUE's fourth semester coordinating the preceptorial program -- which in the past has taken small groups of students into museums, libraries and even the home of University President Judith Rodin to explore subjects they otherwise wouldn't learn in a classroom -- but demand for next semester's offerings have hit an all-time high. As of last night, a record-breaking 1,475 registration requests had been made for the spring lineup of preceptorials -- a figure SCUE officials describe as "huge." The organization released a list of the courses last Thursday, which has been sent to students through e-mail since then. SCUE Chairperson Ari Silverman said interest in next semester's offerings has surpassed the group's previous highs. "And we're not even done," the College senior added. Students have until November 24 to enter their names into a computer lottery for slots in next semester's courses. "I think the huge success of individual preceptorials this past semester generated excitement about the program," Silverman said. Professors have also been eager to participate. "It allows you to do the kind of fantasy course that you don't usually get to do," Sociology Professor Paul Wolpe said. Wolpe is teaching a preceptorial on "Obsessions with Deviance," which will take students into Philadelphia's Mutter Museum -- the oldest medical museum in the country -- to explore society's fascination with the physically malformed. Wolpe plans to show his students the back rooms of the museum, where most visitors do not normally go. "I've had this in mind for a while as something I'd like to do with students," Wolpe said. "It was nice to be able to put it together into a more formalized course." History Professor Anthea Waleson will teach a preceptorial introducing students to the philosophies of Plato, which will require them to complete The Republic by the end of the three or four meeting sessions. Silverman said he was surprised and impressed by the high number of students registered for slots in that course. "That's an amazing statement by undergraduates, saying that they are willing to read Plato's greatest work for a class that does not include a grade or credit," he said. Psychology Professor Paul Rozin's preceptorial, "More Than Just Home Cookin'," will take students away for a weekend of cooking and discussions about food. The class will include talks with Georges Perrier, world-renowned chef and owner of Philadelphia's Le Bec-Fin restaurant. Psychology Professor Henry Gleitman will share his secrets on how he's survived 50 years of teaching Psychology 1 and why he keeps coming back for more in his preceptorial "Fifty Years of Intro Psychology." In "Medicine Today," Health Care Management Professor Allan Hillman will take students into hospitals and clinics to talk to physicians and nurses and watch health care practitioners in action. "Acupuncture," with Animal Biology Professor Peter Hand will introduce students to a popular alternative to conventional medicine, while Psychiatry Professor David Dinges will bring students in contact with his research on sleep and consciousness in his course on "Sleep." In his preceptorial, "The Psychology of Moral Expression," Psychology Professor John Sabini and his students will explore the ways people impose their moral views on others. Professor Jeffrey Tigay, chairperson of the Jewish Studies Program, will teach a preceptorial called "A Modern Approach to Deuteronomy" based on a book he wrote last year. And in "Beyond the Canon: The Contemporary Bestseller," students will read two contemporary bestsellers and explore the issues of design, marketing and reviewing with History Professor Michael Ryan, director of special collections for Penn's library system. This is Ryan's second time teaching a preceptorial. His first attempt, he said, "didn't go all that well" because he tried to schedule too much into the few meeting sessions he had with his students, and he found that attendance and interest dropped by the end. But he's willing to try again. "It's a pure joy as long as I have a handful of students who also see it as a pure joy and get something out of it," Ryan said. All preceptorials are limited to 15 students -- except "Beyond the Cannon," which is capped at 12. Students can register for preceptorials SCUE's World Wide Web page at http://dolphin.upenn.edu/~scue or through the Penn InTouch page at https://sentry.isc.upenn.edu/intouch/ under "courses."

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