SLA, TAS, PHR. To the average Dartmouth upperclassman these letters probably don't mean very much. Are they obscure government agencies? A rare educational degree?
Well, while most upperclassmen may be in the dark, one would be hard pressed to find a freshman that could not identify the aforementioned abbreviations. Especially any time class selection comes up.
Actually, the groups of letters are a few of the many new academic requirements that have been instituted for the Class of 1998 and all subsequent Dartmouth classes. The change in requirements created a group of academic areas in which all students must pass at least one, and sometimes two, classes to graduate. The idea behind the reform was that Dartmouth claims to give a good liberal arts education and part of that includes exposing students to a wide range of ideas.
Now many freshmen seem to think that this new system is the bane of their existence -- that it stunts their ability to take the classes in which they are truly interested. Most people who know me think that I would be among this group. After taking a wide range of Advanced Placement classes in high school, my interests are fairly well-defined. I came to Dartmouth planning to major in government, and after taking two government classes, my plans have not changed. I am pretty sure that I have little interest in science. In that case, why am I not furious that the College is requiring me the spend all of these terms taking classes that do not apply to my specific field?
First of all, I recognize the need for these new requirements. I was lucky. I came from a high school that offered a wide range of AP classes. By the time I had graduated this past June I had taken a multitude of classes in a variety of fields. However, many high schools do not offer such a selection of "college-level courses." What this means is that many students come to Dartmouth never having had the opportunity to be exposed to the entire spectrum of academic pursuits at a higher level. By mandating that all students take at least one class in all of these areas the College ensures that all students are exposed to all of the major academic disciplines on a elementary level, at least.
The other reason that I have trouble getting too upset about these requirements is that if one delves into the Organizations, Regulations and Courses book enough, it is very possible that he can find classes in those "undesirable" fields that are of some interest to him.
For me, two of the distributive areas that fall into that "undesirable" category are the Technology and Applied Sciences and the Art requirements. Yet in both these fields I have courses that interest me now, and will me in the future. This term I am enrolled in Engineering Sciences 4, which is entitled "Introduction to Cyberspace." Considering the way the Internet stands to play a major role in American life as access to it becomes more widespread, I am hard pressed to find a class that will be of greater practical benefit to me.
In terms of the Art requirement, a perusal of the ORC revealed it can be fulfilled by taking a class in the Speech department. While I remain unsure of exactly what I wish to do after Commencement, there is a fairly good chance that either persuasive or informative speaking skills will help get me there.
So, as I sit down to plan my classes for future terms at Dartmouth, I quickly realize that these new requirements are not a hindrance but rather an opportunity to explore courses that I might not have otherwise pursued. There are a wealth of academic resources at this college. We freshmen, and all other future classes at Dartmouth, need to look at the new distribution requirements not as an annoyance but as both a necessity and an opportunity.
