On Tuesday, Feb. 5, the faculty modified the qualifications for English honors, voting that they should be conferred based on class rank.
For some students, that's exactly where the problem in the new system lies.
"It makes the disparity between the departments greater," said John Ostwald '02. Ostwald, a mathematics major, noted that earning honors from some departments-particularly the science departments-is more difficult than earning honors in the humanities due to the different type of work required in each.
"There's definitely a science versus humanities thing going on," said Laurel Kilgour '03. Kilgour, a biology major, expressed her concern that the new standards might prompt students to focus even more on their respective majors and not take as many challenging courses outside their specific areas of concentration.
However, such student concerns weren't entirely unanticipated by the faculty. Professor of History and WAGS Margaret Hunt said that the departmental influence will be exactly the same as in the older English honors system and that the problem with the honors system is the student body's obsession with grades.
"Putting in the [revised system] of … English honors will inevitably increase the obsession with grades," Hunt said.
English honors will be based entirely on class rank, meaning grades will take on an added importance in a student's quest for honors designation. "This could encourage students to learn for the wrong reasons," she said. "[But] you can't set up a system some people don't abuse."
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Shelley Dickinson also expressed concerns about students' motivation for learning. "[Students need to] learn for learning's sake, not grades," she said. "[There is] a disparity between departments, certainly, but if a student is picking a major just to get magna, that's silly," she added.
The faculty has yet to vote on the specifics of Latin honors which can be awarded alongside English honors.
At the end of last semester, the faculty decided that Latin honors should be based on departmental work and independent work within the department. Tentatively, Latin honors will be awarded according to class rank and distinction in thesis work.
Ostwald thinks that more students will be inclined to write a thesis due to the new emphasis added on independent work by the Latin honors parameters. "I'm not a fan of writing a thesis for the sake of honors," he said.
Ostwald added that he felt some students may write a thesis for the sake of commendation and not out of a true love for the subject which, he said, is the only reason why one should write a senior thesis.
Some professors held an alternative view. "I hope it will encourage more students to write [a senior thesis paper]," said Hunt.
"[The possibility of earning Latin honors] would be one of the possible benefits of writing a thesis; it would be a consideration," said Chris Norqual '04. "But there are other benefits [of writing a thesis]: I would have something that I'd done to show to a possible employer and a way to focus and have a summation of my studies-it might help bring closure to my Amherst experience."
Dickinson also thought that more students writing theses would be beneficial to the College. "It's a valuable experience," she said.
The new honors system will come into effect for the graduating class of 2004.