Jacob Thomas '07
Thomas explained why he wanted to serve on the CAP. "I [ran] for the CAP because I have strong beliefs about where this college stands academically and where it should go in the next 10 years," he said. "I'm planning on being a ... neuroscience [major] and I think that our science programs here should continue to grow."
For Thomas, one of the most important parts of the CAP is its interdisciplinary impact. He hopes that the CAP will adequately synergize the multiple science disciplines at the College.
"I'm interested in seeing how this committee will regard both the physical and interdisciplinary sciences, and I'm hoping that these concentrations, which have proven to be so successful with students, will continue to grow and prosper," he said. "I hope to ensure that our science department grows and prospers, and to make more resources for on-campus research available. I want the relationship between the humanities and the sciences here to grow stronger, and I want to ensure that the course loads for science majors never become so overwhelming that other interests in study must be neglected." Thomas also said that he wishes the departments would work together more frequently. "I would like to see more joint ventures between the sciences and other concentrations-such as bioinformatics or the history of science," he said.
Additionally, Thomas hopes to have the opportunity to voice his opinions in any discussion of whether the College should institute a core curriculum. "I'm fiercely against the distribution requirements mandated at some other schools, because I consider them a true threat to our academic freedom here. It's hard enough as [it] is fulfilling majors and taking classes that sound interesting without being coerced into unwanted classes," he said. "A core requirements list was not the reason I came to Amherst."
Finally, Thomas supports innovation and change in all departments. "I think that old departments should be pruned and that new courses of study should get the additional resources they've earned," he said. "New plans of study should be finalized and majors that have been popular as student- created projects should be accumulated into actual departments."
Michael Simmons '06E
Like Thomas, Simmons avidly supports innovation. He said he has recently been disappointed with the course offerings at the College. "Past course catalogs have included some neat and wider ranges of offerings that have since been discontinued," he said. "There are professors still here who taught those same courses. I bet we can add a lot to the already variant choices over the coming years if we work consistently at it."
Simmons explained that he has looked into the diversity of courses offered at the College for the past 25 years. "I have taken courses in many departments at the College and have also reviewed annual course catalogs going back to 1978," he said.
"I will approach the College's curricula deliberations with a broad knowledge of what Amherst can and has offered. ... I want to work to bring a broader assortment of offerings, particularly in general humanities."
Simmons specifically mentioned the political science department. He believes that with the current array of political science professors' interests, the field of modern American politics is lacking. According to Simmons, this is an academic area to which many students at the College are drawn, and so he believes the department requires some alterations.
"I'll work within the committee to push for a new hire in the political science department who will specialize in modern American politics. A professor specializing in East Asian studies would also be a fitting supplement to the department," he said. "Since many students study politics at the College, I believe it will serve the community well to diversify the offerings."
Simmons looks forward to collaborating with Thomas. He believes that the two share an interest in diversifying the science departments' course offerings at the College. "I ... plan to work with Senator Jake Thomas '07 to continue bringing non-technical courses to the science departments so everyone [can] get the full gamut of the liberal arts experience that is the lifeblood of the College."