The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 1, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 7, 1982 Page: 4 of 12
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Some respond negatively to new curriculum proposal...
continued from page /
In addition to these require-
ments , the proposal encourages
the development of a variety of
interdisciplinary courses within
each school or across schools
designed to foster the integration
of knowledge and understanding.
The individual schools and
departments are also asked to
examine the feasibility of
instituting foreign language
requirements for their majors, and
Provost William Gordon is to be
charged with the responsibility of
certifying courses that satisfy the
various distribution requirements.
In a report to the University
Council, Curriculum Committee
Chairman and political science
Professor Robert Dix wrote that,
"By a majority of six votes to three,
the Committee concludes that the
report of the Ad Hoc Committee
was a distinct improvement over
the current distribution
requirements."
Said Dix, "To call the proposal a
core curriculum would be a
misnomer. This is a rather modest
reform proposal that puts some
constraints on the student, but it is
not a core curriculum because it
does not list a group of mandated
courses."
Brody agreed, saying, "The
proposal is a reaffirmation of the
need for students to get a broad
education. It is an attempt to
provide a more structured
foundation for education without
forcing students into only one
mold of basic education."
He went on to say that the
proposal should not only aid the
student in acquiring a broad
education but will also help guard
against the student's chance of
having poor advising while at Rice.
"The proposal does not leave all
course choices up to the student
and advisor. Instead, it
recommends areas that need to be
studied for a broad education
while still leavingsomeflexibility."
There was some negative
response to the proposal in the two
committees, also. Dix commented
in his report, "The most frequently
voiced concern about the
proposals of the Ad Hoc
Committee, particularly on the
part of the minority, was that the
somewhat more specific
categorization of distributional
requirements might limit student
choice and flexibility, and that
fragmentation of the student's
program among a scattering of
departments would be enhanced.
At least a couple of members
further felt that in some areas there
was insufficient university
resources or courses to meet the
demands placed on them by the
new requirements. There was, in
addition, some feeling on the part
of a minority that the requirements
in Philosophy and Religion was
the least merited of the proposed
changes,with one or two favoring
replacing it with an extra semester
of history or literature, and one
person suggesting reduction of
distribution requirements by one
course in order to compensate for
the generally greater constraints of
the proposed program."
Department of German and
Russian Professor Ewa Thomp-
son, who cast the only dissenting
vote on the Ad Hoc Committee,
further criticized the proposal.
Among Thompson's major
complaints were that the proposal
places an emphasis on methodolo-
gies rather than on basic facts
about Western civilization, and
does not provide for the reading of
the great books. She also noted an
imbalance created between the
social sciences and the humanities,
pointing out that the reform
essentially "exchanges six hours of
language and literature
requirement for six hours of the
social sciences."
Rice awaits TWU answer on housing...
continued from page I
amenities.
Rice is still waiting, however, to
hear from TWU. Said Stabell, "If
that doesn't come through, we've
run out of options. There aren't
any places in the community that
are interested in students tying up
facilities."
Stabell pointed out, "There
aren't too many schools which
would guarantee housing.
However, our literature leads
everyone to believe that will
happen."
The exact number of students
that Rice has "an obligation of
sorts" to house but is without space
for is in a constant state of flux.
The original estimate of 65 had
already dropped to the low forties
by July 1, aided by the decision to
overcrowd in Baker, Hanszen,
J ones and Will Rice and the release
of a number of spaces reserved by
the athletic department. Stabell
also expects "some juggling"
immediately before school starts.
"What concerns me is that there
may be some who are now looking
for another school. That's
unfortunate, because we do want
them at Rice," said Stabell.
Stabell stressed that the students
forced to live off campus would
not be subject to "bumping" the
next year. "This will be considered
their 'bump.' This will increase the
chances, though, for other
students being bumped."
Dean of Undergraduate Affairs
Katherine Brown predicts the
larger number of freshmen will
have little impact on Rice "except
perhaps in one or two freshman
labs, and of course, in the
disappointment for those who
were promised space."
"The numbers will not make us
uncomfortable except in housing,"
said Stabell. "Quality-wise, the
class is statistically, although not
significantly, better than last year's
by about four points in the average
SAT scores. For three years, the
number has been dropping, and
now it's gone up."
In addition to the Houston
freshmen, students waitlisted for
housing when admitted will have
little chance of getting on campus.
"In the past most would have
gotten on," commented Stabell. As
for transfers, who are routinely
waitlisted, "for sure there isn't
space for them." Stabell stated that
if the TWU housing did become
available, "I see no reason why we
couldn't offer them space there."
The Admissions Office reduced
the number of transfers this year
from the beginning to compensate
for the freshmen overload.
Although plans for next year's Owl
Day will be the same, most likely a
fewer number of applicants will be
offered admission in order to keep
total enrollment closer to 2500, the
number preferred by University
President Norman Hackerman.
The number of offers extended
may also be affected by the results
of a survey of the incoming class,
which will try to determine what, if
any, economic factors influenced
the increase in decisions to attend
Rice.
rwww.
The History Department Announces
Two New Courses For The Fall, 1982
H i st. 331 a C Hou r
Hist. 431a TBA
The French Revolution and Napoleon Mr. Fitzsimons
Will examine the French Revolution and Empire as an
upheaval in France and Europe. Particular attention
will be given to developments that had a lasting
influence on the structure of mondern France.
The Literary Enterprise in America: 1800 to the Present
—Mr. Olsen
A readings and,discussion course on the American writer's
dilemmas of identity, purpose, and survival. Fiction,
autobiography, and historical studies will be used to
examine the writer's ambivalent response to the literary
marketplace, the reading public, and middle class values.
Due to his appointment as Master of Hanszen College
Professor Smith will not offer Hist. 341,
History of China to 1800, this fall
Due to a leave of absence Professor Van Helden
will not offer his fall courses this year
The Rice Thresher, July 7, 1982, page 4
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Grob, Jay. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 1, Ed. 1 Wednesday, July 7, 1982, newspaper, July 7, 1982; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245503/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.