In an attempt to make course selection easier and to integrate changes made to the curriculum, the history and art history departments have renumbered their departmental course offerings.
The history department changed the course numbers for 13 of its classes. Numbers one to seven are now for introductory courses, 10 to 31 are for United States history courses, European courses are in the 40s and 50s, and courses numbered in the 60s and 70s are reserved for non-western courses.
Previously, many of the non-western history courses were included in the introductory course section numbers of one to 11.
"It is a misnomer to call many of our non-western history courses introductory," History Department Chair Gene Garthwaite said. "An introductory course in the history of Modern Japan will not introduce you to an upper level class in Latin America."
The history department plans to use its new numbering system to implement changes for the new curriculum; courses numbered in the 90s will include seminars and the new honor's colloquia, Garthwaite said.
The seminar is a requirement for all history majors, while the colloquia is reserved for juniors planning an honors thesis.
The colloquia will be in place for the Class of 1997 and is taken in the student's junior year before enrolling in the honors seminar or honors thesis program, according to Garthwaite. Four colloquia will be offered in 1995 in thematic and comparative topics.
The art history department changed its numbering system to make "sense out of course offerings," said Joy Kenseth, the department's chair.
"The department wasn't using numbers effectively," Kenseth said. "The art history and studio art departments split up in 1982, and the art history department was left with vacant numbers. Every time we added a new course, we put it in one of the available number slots."
The art history department renumbered five of its courses. Numbers one to nine will signify introductory art history classes; 10 to 19 will include foreign study classes and special topics; courses numbered in the 20s will be ancient topics; medieval topics are located in the 30s; early Renaissance and the Baroque period will be in the 40s; 50s will be the modern era; and the 60s and 70s are for Asian and non-western course offerings. Numbers in the 80s will be reserved for seminars.
Many students arriving on campus this term were surprised and confused by the changes, but for most these feelings appear temporary.
"It doesn't really make a whole lot of difference to me because I am a senior," said Jonathan Shapiro '95. "I already know exactly what classes I need to take, so the fact that they reorganized doesn't really affect me."
But for some, logistical questions remain.
"I don't know yet if I'm supposed to put the old or new course numbers down on my major card for my previous history classes," said Scott Thompson '95.
The history and art history departments have not received any comments from students about the changes, according to the department secretaries.
