Session looks at quality of undergrad ed.

Faculty, students and administrators gathered for a colloquium in College Hall yesterday afternoon to discuss ways to improve undergraduate education in the College. The 90-minute program was designed to help the Committee for Undergraduate Education determine how people at the University feel undergraduate education can be improved over the next five years. "We do a lot well here, but we want to find out where we can do better," Assistant to the President Stephen Steinberg said. Political Science professor Will Harris began the program by calling for increased intellectualism within the University community. "The intellectualism of our community should become part of our teaching," the political science professor said. "Courses must be designed to make the student see the world in new ways." Harris proposed that future classes be designed in a manner that will be broader in both content and appeal. College senior Niranjan Karnik said that he feels something is wrong with the academic culture of the University. But Karnik added that the University is equipped with the resources to change its academic culture and that the changes must be aimed at getting "faculty and students excited about education and the intellectual nature of the University." Biology Professor Ingrid Waldren praised the College for its ability to expose students to a wide range of thinking. But Waldren also pointed out that one shortcoming of the education process at the University was the inability of courses and professors to help students integrate their thinking into the context of a wider world. After the prepared speeches, participants discussed several issues including the lack of intellectual challenge at the University and the absence of student-professor interaction. Richard Beeman, associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and a history professor, said students at the University are not taking full advantage of the opportunities presented to them. "There is an imbalance between the talent and range of faculty and the courses students take," Beeman said. "We should be more aggressive in advising students to take challenging courses." Several participants felt that the lack of intellectualism at the University is partially caused by an absence of professor-student interaction. "It seems that members of this community live together but travel parallel to each other," said David Brownlee, associate professor of art history. Brownlee added that the lack of interaction between professors and students may be due to an absence of a central, mutually convenient meeting place. According to College Dean Matthew Santirocco, structures must be in place to facilitate interaction between students and professors. College junior Michael Treisman, a member of the Student Committee for Undergraduate Education, expressed frustration over the lack of interaction on the University campus. Treisman, however, chose not to blame the lack of student-professor interaction on the absence of a central meeting place but instead placed the blame on the University faculty. "We miss the chance to connect intellectually and it is unfortunate that student-professor interactions don't happen to the extent that they should," Treisman said. "But it is up to the faculty to enhance the student's experience." The colloquim was part of an on-going process by the College to evaluate its operations and refine its image. An outside committee, headed by Bryn Mawr President Pat McPherson, has also been commissioned to study undergraduate education in the College.