Although the Classes of 1998 and 1999 are operating under a completely different curriculum than the Classes of 1996 and 1997, College officials said the two different sets of degree requirements have not caused any administrative headaches.
Acting Registrar Mary Farrington said the next two years will keep her office busy because it has to keep track of two sets of codes for every course.
But Farrington said the scheduling system is "completely computerized," making juggling two requirement lists not very troublesome "for most students."
The new curriculum, which took effect last fall for the Class of 1998, included a new set of more specific distributive, interdisciplinary and world culture requirements. Senior year, students must also complete a "culminating experience" in their major.
Farrington used English 41: American Prose as an example of the different codes for the two curriculums.
"English 41 is a humanities requirement course under the old curriculum," she said. "However, English 41 fulfills two requirements for '98s and '99s: Literature and North American World Culture."
"Let's say you had a brother two years older," Farrington said. "If he was a '96 English major, he could not fulfill a requirement for his major and his humanities requirement with English 41. He would have to fulfill either a major or humanities requirement."
But she said a sophomore English major could use the class toward their major requirement, their literature requirement and their North American World Culture requirement.
One problem with the two curriculums is with transfer credit.
"Under the old curriculum, students could bring in distributive credits," Farrington said. "If they are under the new curriculum, though, those students must take all distributive courses here at Dartmouth."
