2008 Woodie Awards
New Spring Term seminars mean more choices for freshmen
Emma Axt
Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: News
Washington and Lee freshmen will no longer find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes time to register for spring term classes. With so few spring classes offered, freshmen students often end up enrolling in spring term classes with openings rather than classes they are actually interested in taking. Dean of the College Hank Dobin will soon announce the creation of a "pilot" seminar program at W&L as a solution and a positive addition to this year's spring term curriculum.
This upcoming spring term, W&L will offer ten discussion-based seminar classes. Each class will cover specific topics and will be open exclusively to freshmen students. The seminars will also only allow a maximum of 15 students per course in order to encourage discussion.
"It's an idea I came to campus with when I was hired," Dean Dobin said. He added that he was delighted to learn the idea had already been bounced around by the time he came to W&L.
"A freshman seminar program emerged as an idea from the whole faculty," Dean Dobin clarified. He came to W&L over a year ago from Princeton University. He was largely involved in a similar freshman seminar program at Princeton as well.
This spring's seminars will be offered in several departments including Art, Classics, History, English, Geology, Journalism, Literature, Music and Philosophy. The courses will feature topics that do not require prerequisites and are therefore ideal for freshmen.
Dean Dobin said he is pleased with the number of professors who jumped at the opportunity to participate in the seminar program. He had hoped to get five or six professors to teach seminars. He was pleasantly surprised when the faculty was able to put together ten courses in a wide range of topics.
Normally, there is no pre-registration for spring term courses, but there will be a special window open throughout the next couple weeks for freshmen. Dean Dobin and the rest of the faculty who are participating in this program want to find out preliminary interest levels to gauge the potential success and popularity of the seminars.
This upcoming spring term, W&L will offer ten discussion-based seminar classes. Each class will cover specific topics and will be open exclusively to freshmen students. The seminars will also only allow a maximum of 15 students per course in order to encourage discussion.
"It's an idea I came to campus with when I was hired," Dean Dobin said. He added that he was delighted to learn the idea had already been bounced around by the time he came to W&L.
"A freshman seminar program emerged as an idea from the whole faculty," Dean Dobin clarified. He came to W&L over a year ago from Princeton University. He was largely involved in a similar freshman seminar program at Princeton as well.
This spring's seminars will be offered in several departments including Art, Classics, History, English, Geology, Journalism, Literature, Music and Philosophy. The courses will feature topics that do not require prerequisites and are therefore ideal for freshmen.
Dean Dobin said he is pleased with the number of professors who jumped at the opportunity to participate in the seminar program. He had hoped to get five or six professors to teach seminars. He was pleasantly surprised when the faculty was able to put together ten courses in a wide range of topics.
Normally, there is no pre-registration for spring term courses, but there will be a special window open throughout the next couple weeks for freshmen. Dean Dobin and the rest of the faculty who are participating in this program want to find out preliminary interest levels to gauge the potential success and popularity of the seminars.
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hoovers
Scott Hoover
posted 2/16/07 @ 1:17 PM EST
Actually, the Williams School does offer freshmen seminars. For example, the Business Administration department will offer two courses this spring, one on "Art in Business" and the other on "Puzzles and Critical Thought. (Continued…)
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