College offers more seminars for frosh in '99

Under Dean Richard Beeman, the number of freswhman seminars has doubled to 70 this fall. The College of Arts and Sciences nearly doubled its freshman seminar program this year, increasing its number of the distinctive courses to 70 this fall, according to College Dean Richard Beeman. The Freshman Seminar Program provides first-year students with small class settings for direct contact with standing faculty. Classes cover such diverse topics as terrorism, Jewish law and ethics and bilingualism in history. Seats are reserved for freshmen but professors may enroll upperclassmen if seats remain at the end of the registration period. According to Beeman, the primary goal of these seminars is to keep students open-minded and enthusiastic throughout their four years of study. "Freshman are 'naive' in the very best sense of that word -- open-minded, intellectually excited about addressing new problems," Beeman said. With more freshman seminars offered, both professors and students are profiting for the most part. "It's a fabulous class -- 12 of the best students I've ever taught," Japanese Studies Professor Linda Chance said of those enrolled in her freshman seminar, "Possessing Women." Chance said she had always been curious about the format of a freshman seminar but had never had the scheduling time. After Beeman pushed for more freshman seminars in her department about a year ago, Chance -- who is also the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies undergraduate chairperson -- said she made the time. "Normally, I would be teaching a Japanese language class," Chance said. Her new seminar looks at female writers and male literary impersonators of women. Chance's class has created its own World Wide Web site, designed by College freshman Joshua Helms. Helms, who praised the interactive seminars, enrolled in two this fall. "I feel I learn more by discussion than having someone talk at me," he said. Even with more freshman seminars available, students were advised to pre-register for their first-choice seminars. But while there was an increased number of courses for freshmen to choose from, some have still complained about not getting their top choices. Upperclassmen were admitted into freshman seminars this fall but were required to ask permission. College senior Brian Carlson, currently taking "Language in Native America," had never enrolled in a freshman seminar until this semester. "I talked with the professor after the first class [and got permission]," Carlson said. Carlson's instructor, Linguistics Professor Gene Buckley, has been offering the same freshman seminar since the spring of 1995 but has about five students this year compared to his usual nine to 14. "One of the reasons that I have a fewer number of students this year is that they have more [freshman seminars] to choose from," Buckley said, adding that the increase in courses "spread out the numbers" among classes. Beeman gave credit to the faculty for "stepping forward" to teach the new seminars at last week's meeting of undergraduate chairs, which was the first such session of the semester. "The College made a major effort to increase the number of freshman seminars? and nearly all departments? responded magnificently," Beeman said yesterday.