Plan promotes creative courses

Students can submit dream class proposals to the provost. Many students are unaware that their dream course on rock and roll, sports history or West Philadelphia health care could become reality -- if they proposed it to the Council of Undergraduate Deans. As part of the 21st Century Project, undergraduates are encouraged to work with faculty to create new courses. Students can submit proposals to the CUD and, if approved, will receive $20,000 to develop the course. According to Provost Stanley Chodorow, the goal of the program is to further improve undergraduate education. The idea for student-proposed courses developed from a previous plan allowing professors to develop classes for individual residences. "The CUD and Residential Faculty Council issued a 'request for proposals' for student-generated courses to be offered in the residences," Chodorow said. He added that the plan called on professors to look for courses that "united faculty of two schools and that might lead to new inter-school programs." But starting this year, students are also able to propose courses they wish to create. In addition to residential-based courses, the CUD is especially interested in courses focusing on research, quantitative skills and inter-disciplinary study. "We assume that groups of students in residences who propose a course will also gain the endorsement of residential faculty," said Susan Albertine, 21st Century Project coordinator. "Because we want to encourage innovation, we will welcome a range of ideas to course design," Albertine said. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Rescorla said this new opportunity provides a chance to see what techniques are most effective at meeting the goals of the 21st Century Project. He added that objectives of the program are to "identify particular courses that will foster our goals, increase inter-school interactions, promote research, get students working together and provide models for student-initiated courses." And Rescorla said he hopes the program will indicate which kinds of initiatives University administrators should pursue in the future. In particular, he said he would like to get students more involved in shaping their education. Rescorla said he wants to "encourage students to think about their own education, think about what constitutes a course in their education and take responsibility for creating part of their own education." Many students said they were not previously aware of the program, but it is a good idea. College junior Aaron Kotok said he was "completely unaware of the fact that I could formally propose a course on the history of rock and roll." Surprised at this possibility, Kotok said, "If given how to find the proper information, I would look into the procedure of proposing a new course at the University." And College sophomore Nadia Dowshen -- who also had no knowledge of this program -- said allowing students to create new courses would better meet students' needs. "I would love to see a course on solving problems in West Philadelphia and working towards revitalizing the community," said Dowshen, who added that the purpose of such a course would be "to get people to do better research for a good purpose." And College sophomore Bruce Frey said he dreams of undergraduate pre-medical courses taught in conjunction with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He noted that he wants to take "more classes more similar to med school." The deadline for course proposals -- which should be submitted to the Office of the Provost -- is March 17.