Forman Announces Curriculum Review
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*p P'JP^P * • ice Thresher Vol. XCIII, Issue No. 17 SINCE 1916 Friday, February 3, 2006 Forman announces curriculum review by Sarah Baker what I'd like to see come out of this is a greater appreciation for what it THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF is we are trying to accomplish with Dean of Undergraduates Robin our distribution credit." Forman announced plans for a multi- In 1998, a curriculum review year curriculum review at the full committee proposed a number of faculty meeting Jan. 26. A committee major changes to the curriculum will be formed to examine the under- after about two years of research. graduate curriculumand recommend The proposal included a freshman ways to improve it, Forman said. seminar requirement and more re- "It's absolutely essential that we stricted use of the pass/fail option do this on a regular basis — that we for distribution requirements and of have a kind of constant oversight and Advanced Placement Credit. every now and then a really aggres- The committee also proposed > m m * sive review process," Forman said. changing distribution requirements Forman said he, President David to a system of four categories called Leebron, Provost Eugene Levy and the "Ways of Knowing." Students would faculty senate are currently forming have been required to take two K the committee, which will be com- classes in each of the four categories: posed of several faculty members and historical thinking, textual analysis, a few staff members and students. social and cultural interpretation, and Forman said hethinksthecurrent scientific and technical reasoning. curriculum is adequate but that the The system also identified basic skills university does not provide sufficient students should possess: writing, instruction in communication, which oral discussion and presentation, and — along with distribution require- quantitative reasoning. ments — will be a major issue for The faculty voted down the com- MARSHALL ROBINSON/THRESHER the committee. mittee's proposal in November 1998 "I do not know if our students have because of concerns about the diffi- Sweet spot a clear sense of what the difference is culty of implementing the system and Former centerfielder Jeff Jorgensen (Jones '03) connects with a pitch in Saturday's alumni baseball gj.rv,t The between a distribution course and a the time students would need to fulfill Owls' season opens tomorrow at Reckling Park at 2 p.m. against Central Missouri State. (See baseball pullout.) course that is not accepted for distri- the requirements. Faculty members bution credit," Forman said. "Part of See CURRICULUM, page 6 Sid minutes subject of harassment complaint by Risa Gordon dicial Programs Don Qstdiek said he had not talked to the students THRESHER KDITORIAI STAFF as of Tuesday. A complaint has been made Ostdiek said he will not know against two Sid Richardson College whether or not disciplinary sanc- juniors in connection with the Jan. tions will occur until he speaks 24 backpage of the Sid Council with them. minutes. Sid Master Michael Orchard The backpage of the minutes said he talked to Ostdiek about — entitled "SuperCouncil I: The the backpage because he and Sid 'Penetration'" — pairs pictures of Master Melissa Marschall thought homosexual sex acts with state- it was a form of sexual harassment. ments related to what students Marschall, a political science professor, said she and Orchard talked about at Sid Council. MARSHALL ROBINSON / THRESHER The backpage was created received e-mails from students who by Sid's secretaries, Chris Ot- were not satirized on the backpage On the job hunt tolino and Mark Tobolowsky. To- but were upset by it. Will Rice College senior Megan Gray speaks to a DuPont representative at the Rice Collegiate Jobs Fair Monday. bolowsky and Ottolino, declined to Rice's sexual harassment policy At the fair, which was organized by the Career Services Center, employers recruited candidates for full-time posi- comment. guide states, "The victim does not tions. At the Summer Opportunities Fair, held Tuesday, companies recruited for summer jobs and internships. Assistant Dean of Student Ju- See MINUTES, page 6 Honor constitution discussed at forum INSIDE Baseball opener OPINION Page 3 Council may propose amendments to Article 12, panel size The baseball season begins What do Professors think of \ou ? with a game against Central Mis- A&E Page 9 bhyv BekRekno BindeRinHer rarily enroll at other universities be- cause they are afraid of goigoinn g before souri State Saturday at Reckling This 'Bubble' needs to be burst fore returning to Rice, thus avoiding the Honor Council. THRESHER EDm)RIAL STAFF Park at 2 p.m. SPORTS Insert potential disciplinary action while "I think sometimes people forget The Owls, who are ranked 7th Baseball preview Possible General Elections remaining in college. that we're students too," Thilo said. nationally, return most players amendments to the Honor Council's Honor Council Chair John "We're separate from your profes- from the team that came within Quote of the Week constitution were the focus of a Horstman said he and other coun- sors and many times can adjudicate two innings of the College World "I try to take all the calls [to RUPD] forum the council held at Willy's cil members would like to amend more even-handedly than your Series last year. from Hanszen. I signed up to work Pub Monday night. the constitution so a student who professors." the Hanszen Pub Night as well, The issues debated at the forum invokes Article 12 would not retain Wiess College sophomore James because that is my college." varied as students came and left, credit for the course in question. Fox said he was surprised to hear Jaizfest — Officer Pete Alvarado on being part but a proposal to reduce the Honor Horstman, a Sid Richardson Col- about Article 12 and said he is in of the student community. See story, Today at 4 p.m. there will be Council's hearing panel size from lege junior, said Article 12 protects a favor of amending it. page 7. a jazz concert in Ray Courtyard nine to seven and a proposal to student's right to plead "no contest," "I was not even aware of it until outside the RMC. The Rice Jazz Scoreboard amend Article 12 were discussed but that the student should not re- now, so I can only imagine that most Combo will play, and the Middle Men's Basketball most. ceive potentially fraudulent credit. of the student body is not aware of Eastern Club will serve free Tulane 70, Rice 53 Under Article 12, a student ac- Hanszen College junior Becky it," Fox said. "They not only have Middle Eastern food. Free hot Women's Basketball cused of an Honor Code violation Thilo, an Honor Council member, a right to know, but they also have chocolate will also be served. Tulane 69. Rice 82 who withdraws from Rice within said she agrees Article 12 should a right to decide whether it should three days of the accusation may be changed. be part of the Honor Code, because Weekend Weather retain credit for the course in ques- "I think Article 12 is detrimental it may have outlived its usefulness QEPforum Friday tion — and avoid any penalty — if to the Honor System because it — whatever that originally was." Mostly sunny, 49-75 degrees On Wednesday, there will be he or she remains away from Rice allows students to go around the During the forum, Horstman Saturday a forum about the Quality En- for at least two semesters. situation rather than face the Honor also asked students if they thought Sunny, 44-69 degrees hancement Plan from 4-5 p.m. in Sunday Several students at the forum Council," Thilo said. reducing the size of hearing pan- Farnsworth Pavilion. Sunny, 56-70 degrees were surprised to learn that students Thilo said she thinks students els from nine members to seven who invoke the article may tempo- sometimes invoke Article 12 be- See HONOR page 7 THE RICE THRESHER OPINION FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3,2006 the Rice Thresher In response to the overwhelming popularity of Rice's World of Warcraft class, "How To Kill A Dragon"... Our wish list for the undergrad curriculum 'm a level 32 Reforms to the undergraduate curriculum are a long time com- night elf warrior! ing, so we are glad Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman is starting a review of possible changes. (See story, page 1.) Given enough introspection and diverse input, the process should yield positive results. Most of us won't be around in 2009, when the curriculum review will probably end, so we will have to blurt out now what we would like to change — and not change — about the classroom experience. • We are concerned about how Rice treats Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Under the current system, students with sufficient AP or IB credit can graduate in four years by taking 12 hours per semester. This is unfair to students who attended high schools with smaller or non-existent AP or IB programs. We all ..the school will begin offering got in, but those with less AP or IB credit are less able to become another game-based course involved in extracurricular activities and less able to manage a high GPA by taking fewer hours. next semester. It would be fairer to restrict the uses of AP and IB classes. These courses should still show up on students' transcripts, but students should not be able to apply those hours toward graduation require- ments of any kind — including total hours and distribution require- ments. Those wishing to graduate in fewer than eight semesters should be exempted from these restrictions, and AP and IB credit should still be used for placement (as opposed to credit) if the stu- o dent desires.