Most notable is the addition of a quantitative skills examination that all first-year students must take during orientation. "The quantitative skills assessment is part of the [recommendations in the] Special Committee [on Amherst Education] Report to assess where there are deficiencies," Hart said.
Professor of Economics Geoff Woglom, a member of the quantitative skills working group, explained the goal of the test. "We want to see if we can identify at-risk students early on," he said. The exact details of the content of the test have not yet been finalized.
The orientation committee plans to assign students summer reading: "An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales," by Oliver Sachs.
Sachs will speak to students during orientation. "[Students] are expected to attend his talk and I suspect that the squad discussions afterwards will reflect his discussions and the shared reading as well," said Heather Wojtowicz, administrative assistant to the dean of new students.
For Marx, the assigned reading helps students start the year academically. "I think the collective judgment of those involved in planning orientation was that having a more explicitly common intellectual experience in the orientation process is productive and a useful model for going forward," he said. "Having students read one piece by a major speaker will allow students to be prepared to engage with that speaker and to engage with each other about the ideas of that speaker."
Another significant change is that President Anthony Marx will address the class of 2008 upon their arrival.
Marx is looking forward to speaking to the class of 2008. "I was surprised last year that I ... didn't have an opportunity to speak to the incoming students in a way in which I could lay out my own views about how they might be thinking about planning their own education and give them some advice about how to think about the amazing opportunity of an Amherst education," said Marx.
Part of the goal for orientation this year is to allow students to spend the first day together, rather than separating them into different interest groups by dinner of the first night. The orientation committee has moved around some events typically held the first day so that students have additional time to move into their rooms.
"We've also tried to free up space [during the week] for students to get their paperwork dealt with more efficiently," said Hart.
For the first night dinner, rather than holding a number of cultural dinners, the orientation committee has arranged for Valentine Dining Commons to prepare culture-specific meals planned by different cultural groups.
Students will also have the opportunity to attend a number of events sponsored by clubs which have not previously hosted programs during orientation, including events by Social Council, the Sci-Fi Fantasy Club, the Amherst Feminist Alliance and the Men's Project. "There's been more interest from groups that haven't been part of orientation in the past," said Wojtowicz.
Hart and Wojtowicz particularly noted that the political organizations on campus are working to encourage voter registration during the orientation week.