Dean of the Faculty Gregory Call said faculty members have been considering this sort of change for some time. "The immediate impetus came from a faculty meeting. The CEP has been interested in this topic for a while," he said. The newly formed Committee on Academic Priorities (CAP) will assist in the planning process.
The College hopes to avoid spending money building new classrooms by making full use of currently available classrooms and time slots. "If the faculty were to increase in size and the open curriculum were to provide more options ... [the] College [will be] pressed to build buildings for classrooms … and that would mean spending money on classrooms instead of on more faculty and other things that students and faculty would like to see," said President Anthony Marx.
Too many classes scheduled to meet at the same times limits course choices for students and classroom choices for professors who might prefer certain rooms or require the use of media technology only available in particular rooms.
One solution to the scheduling problem involves increasing the number of classes meeting three times a week. Currently, 74 percent of classes are held once or twice a week. According to Call, certain departments such as mathematics, science and languages already have frequent sessions.
The CEP will consider the many three-day combinations available. "One option, [Monday, Wednesday, Friday] is already available," said Call. "There could be a way to encourage more use of that time slot."
At last week's faculty meeting, there was discussion about giving classes different credit values. For example, science laboratory periods could be worth more credits or science majors could be permitted to graduate with one less course than students in other majors. However, Call said the idea of offering more credits has not been discussed a great deal. "I haven't heard a big push for that," he said. "It's not within the immediate view." The CEP has not yet discussed the issue.
Call emphasized that currently proposed changes would take effect "way down the road."
Marian Matheson, the director of institutional research, is presently looking into the times and days most frequently utilized for classes in the past. "We are looking at the number of courses offered at times of the day along with the number of enrollments in those courses," she said. The CEP will consider her research in their deliberations.
Before making any changes, the CEP would need to conduct a survey of professor opinion on the matter.
According to Call, the CEP must also consider the impact prospective changes could have on five-college students who commute to the College. Call hopes that any changes instituted to benefit Amherst students will benefit five-college students as well.
Although plans are still in the development phase, Call believes change is crucial. "This is a good topic for further study and discussion," he said. "I hope that we can make the curriculum more open for our students."