Course
Catalog Is Insufficient
To
the Editors:
When
I first picked up the 2002-2003 Course Catalog I was bedazzled by
its crisp scent and charming green color. Finally, I thought, we
have a catalog that reflects the verdant quality of this vibrant
institution. My joy, however, was short-lived.
The decision to remove the times from the course catalog was remarkably
clever. I ask you, can the Registrar make it any more difficult
to register for courses? Already, the two different access numbers
(and the Notorious R.A.P.), along with PRESTO and the course supplement
flummox most students well enough.
Therefore, I propose that the College hang chiseled stone tablets
from the Wilder porch in place of those blasted fabric signs. On
them will be inscribed the names of the courses, in Latin, without,
of course, the name of the instructor, the time, the place, the
number of credits, the course number or course description. A brief
description (one word, each course description scribed
in a different language) should suffice.
And this should be only the beginning. Why is our R.A.P. so short?
And why do we only have two numbers we need to enter to get into
the system were just asking for a security breach,
if you ask me. If credit card companies handle sixteen digit numbers,
why cant we? Everyone seems to be doing it these days. I propose
that each of the digits be obtained from each of sixteen different
deans (this will encourage much-needed dialogue between students
and their deans and allow Conservatory students to meet College
deans and vice versa). Already, if one has three majors, the student
has to get two digits from each of their three advisors why
not enable everyone to avail themselves of this wonderful opportunity?
And Instructors Consent? Holy smokes! Do you suppose that
the instructor has enough knowledge of a students abilities
to take a class without having full access to the students
transcript? A formal review board (on which should sit the score
of illustrious deans) should decide who can and cannot take upper-level
electives. They should interview the students associates and
ensure that the student doesnt have any nefarious skeletons
in their academic closet. And once consent is given, it should only
be entered into the system one hour of each month (or only on leap
years, if that makes it any easier), because doing it so frequently
is slowing the system down.
Let me say in closing that I do not blame the Registrar for this
change, because I think that the Registrars office has gone
understaffed for too long and that this is a needed rebuke to an
administration that has more deans than children but cannot afford
to have more than a handful of professional staff in one of the
most vital offices in the institution. Were there not a Registrars
office, there would be no classes; classes could neither meet nor
be scheduled. But I must also say, it was rather vulpine of the
Registrar to concurrently stop printing the course supplement when
they decided to remove the times from the catalog.
For Gods sake, dont remove anything else from the catalog.
But please, pretty please, give us back our times.
John Byrne
College junior
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