This week's decision by the College of Arts and Sciences to review the elementary education major came as a shock to many students and faculty. While we understand the need for such a review, we must caution the University to proceed carefully on this issue.
The University appears to be undertaking this review with the best of intentions --exploring the possibility that, given the current job market, it could serve undergraduates in elementary education better to revise the major in some way, preventing students from having to double major to stay competitive.
It is also true that the number of students and faculty in elementary education is small. However, there are other small departments. If the University is truly committed to providing a complete liberal arts education, a lack of an overwhelming number of students in the major should not cost those who are interested the chance to pursue their goals.
If the review results in any sort of scaling back of the major, or worse, its elimination, the effects could be felt beyond the faculty and students involved in the department. Students might be deterred from pursuing other small majors out of the worry that they too might get shut down.
A cautionary tale: it is worth mentioning Penn's former American Civilization Department. When it was closed in 1994, it was the oldest of such departments in the country. It was transformed into an interdisciplinary program, and while University officials at the time felt that these changes would not diminish the study of the field, American Civilization is now nowhere to be found at Penn.
Elementary education is a noble field, especially at a time when this country faces a drastic shortage of qualified teachers. With all this in mind, we hope that the University proceeds with caution as it reviews elementary education.
