English Dept. creates course listservers

The English Department is leaping into the future -- and taking its 2,200 students along for the ride. According to Undergraduate Chairperson Alan Filreis, the department will automatically create course listservers for every English course, including freshman writing classes and the undergraduate, graduate and College of General Studies programs. "When a student enrolls in a class today, the least we can give them is the ability to communicate with other students," he said. "Since among majors, 90 percent have [electronic mail] accounts, it would be silly not to offer them this service." For the last several months, the department has worked in cooperation with the University's computing facilities and the School of Engineering and Applied Science to establish the new service -- which gives all English students the ability to send messages to their entire class and professor. "I'm not really part of this generation which has grown up sitting in front of the console," English Professor Robert Regan said. "But today, I had a student who couldn't come to my class to take the last quiz. So she sent it to me over e-mail and I graded it. "I still haven't figured out how to download," he said. "But that's my next project." English Professor Bob Perelman said that "at their best, [listservers] can be a very good adjunct to the classroom." "Some students who are shy about talking in class, in fact, will write very thoughtful things," he added. "I've seen very intense discussion sparked on the listserv which I used for the first time this semester." Many students agree that the new system will offer a unique forum outside of the classroom. "I think its going to do wonderful things in terms of extending class dialogue outside of the classroom," said College senior Liz Fekete. "It can bring more students closer to the professor. "You don't have to worry about office hours," the English major added. "You can actually be in class at two in the morning." But Filreis said that not all professors will be receptive to using the available listservers. "We're not dictating that all classes use them," he said. "It's simply an option." Filreis added that the applications for the new system are nearly limitless. "If I want to communicate with all students taking freshman English courses, now I can do it," Filreis said. "We can send them information about options for following up freshman English courses and urge those interested in declaring the major to do so early." The department hopes to create the fall 1995 listservers before the summer begins, he said. "In this way, you can handle?pre-semester business very conveniently," Filreis said. "I can only imagine that this will aid students' preparation for our courses as well as, possibly, cut down on the traffic of late droppers and adders." Regan said he is excited by the prospects for the program. "It's wonderful to be in a department which is leading the way," he said. "It looks to me like a wonderful, cutting-edge development."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.