To the Editor:
As an alum who learned a lot from her independent study, I feel compelled to respond to Katie Shutzer's column, "Independent Studies Are For Schmoozers" [Jan. 26]
One would think that Shutzer would have a better understanding of why Dartmouth students undertake independent academic projects. Some students choose independent studies because they want to pursue subjects in more depth than allowed in a 10 week course, or because they want to focus on one specific event or incident (such as Kirsten Doolittle '96's work about a civil rights case presented during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day festivities). Some may create an independent study because the courses they want to take don't exist (such as mine on Canadian novels, or a friend's on feminist dissenters). Other students' independent studies may evolve into theses.
It is clear that Shutzer has never taken an independent study, or she would know they are far from being "non-classes." Independent study students often have to write proposals to get permission to do their projects, create their own syllabi, do extensive research, write papers or complete field or lab work, and meet many deadlines. They also have to be able to perform solo in front of professors, with nowhere to hide, and believe me, it's far from just "chatting."
While I certainly can't speak for everyone, my independent study in the English department with Professor Ivy Schweitzer was one of the most fulfilling academic experiences I had here at Dartmouth. I had the opportunity to create and complete a course that wasn't being offered and was an offshoot of my thesis, read the Canadian authors I wanted to read, and spend time researching and writing two lengthy papers. And I also had a professor's undivided attention, guidance, and intelligent discussion all to myself each week -- definitely a better tuition deal than those of you sharing profs with your many lecture hall classmates!
