At the most recent faculty meeting, some discussion centered around the clustering that occurs in the College's scheduling of classes. Students have long complained that too many classes meet at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, resulting in difficult choices at pre-registration. There are indications that the College has decided to examine and attempt to alleviate this problem by referring it to the CAP and we would like to take this time to encourage them to do so. However, we caution that any change must involve a cultural shift that will require students to move away from choosing classes based on meeting times. Students need a reminder that while long weekends are nice, Amherst's open curriculum trusts us to choose classes that will contribute the most to our intellectual development.

One of the main forces driving this attempt to spread out classes is the burden that a clustered schedule puts on facilities. Every student knows that avoiding Valentine at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday or Thursday is a must, and yet with so many 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. classes, this is the only opportunity many students have to eat lunch. Similar jams exist at 12:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. This turns eating at Valentine, which should be a relaxing time in an otherwise busy student's life, into a competitive and stressful activity.

Physical capacity for classes is becoming a problem as well; professors have distinct preferences for certain classrooms and feel learning and teaching are improved when they get these rooms. However, with so many classes meeting at the same time, this flexibility is challenged.

Both these problems could be alleviated with creative scheduling and more use of morning time slots. Presently, 74 percent of classes meet only once or twice a week, and we think more effort should be made to increase meeting frequency. Classes that meet only once a week are particularly concerning. It is difficult for even the most engaged student to remain that way for three hours, and if one must miss a class that meets once a week, it is a huge disadvantage.

These are not simple problems; myriad student and professor preferences and extracurricular commitments must be taken into account when looking at solutions. Eventually, the problems with class scheduling will need to be addressed, and doing it sooner rather than later will allow a greater number of students to benefit from the creative solutions we know this school is capable of discovering.