As the 1998-1999 school year comes to a close, so does the inaugural year of the 4/4 curriculum. Complaints and praises alike have been raised by professors and students throughout the first year of this new academic policy.

    Because of the policy, there has been a substantial cutback in the number of adjuncts on campus. “We are the ones who should teach our students,” said Provost June Schlueter, also a professor of English.

    There are 183 full-time professors for 2,000 students, an 11-1 ratio. Schlueter explains, “I think it is ideal for a high quality undergraduate college.”

    The provost has also put a freeze on jobs. She promised that there will be no change in teaching personnel for at least three to five years. However, due to the redistribution of students taking individual classes, there has been some concern among professors that jobs may vanish after this period is up.

    Many students have complained that there are not enough courses for them to take and have encountered problems filling their schedules, while others have said that they want to be able to take more than four per semester. Schlueter said that only 60 students petitioned to take a fifth course this year, though.

    “I like the idea of taking fewer, but more intensive, classes, but it [the 4/4] does cut down on my options,” said Brian Want ’00, adding that “some classes have definitely stepped-up requirements and others have remained the same.”

    Want said he does not have serious complaints about the new schedule, but did address general student concerns, stating, “People will complain about anything that requires more careful planning on their part.” The provost agreed with Want. She said, “I think there will be unrest until [the sophomores] graduate.” The sophomore class is the last class to have experienced Lafayette’s previous, five course per semester, academic policy.

    Professor of Philosophy George Panichas said he has not changed the amount of work in his class nor has he seen any noticeable change in the quality of work handed in. “I think we probably did it [the changeover to 4/4] prematurely without thinking some things through completely.”

    “I’m not convinced that the students are working harder or the faculty is giving more than just busy work,” Panichas said. Gary Gordon, professor of math, attests that the students do work harder in his courses, but he attributes it to the fact that “I’m making them do more.” However, he does feel that despite the extra work, the quality of work his students are handing in has improved.

    He said that he believes the faculty has a mostly positive viewpoint. “People are accepting it and going on with their jobs,” Gordon said.

    Psychology Professor John Neuhoff believes the curriculum is better than the old. “It’s better to get more in depth coverage than to take five courses not as in depth,” he said. Neuhoff said he has not increased the number of assignments, but he has increased the page requirements for papers.

    Professor of Chemistry Joanne Follweiler feels that this freshman class is particularly hard working and will have no trouble with the new curriculum. However, she does believe it may be harder for some majors to get all the necessary courses in.

    Regarding potential problems, Panichas said he has noticed a substantial decline in the number of students doing honors work this year. He believes that the drop is because students do not want to devote two out of a possible four courses to it. Another problem he foresees involves students coming in with extra courses already such as AP credit and taking only three courses.

    Adriana Fraceschini ’99, agreed with Neuhoff, stating that she has found more time to study course material in depth rather than brush across a general scope of topics. She did not feel the classes were harder, but the professors have raised their expectations. “I feel I’m getting a better education. Instead of knowing a little bit of a lot of subjects, I truly understand the course material.”

    Lafayette College had many reasons for switching to the new scheduling. One reason, according to Schlueter, was that a large number of the schools with the best academic reputations already implement a 4/4 curriculum. Studies have shown that there is a correlation between the lighter course load and greater success in those classes. The new schedule also allows the professors to design their classes to be more rigorous and more educational, she said.

    Last year, the college also stated a desire to save money spent on adjuncts as a reason for the policy change.