Auditing a class, especially during the notoriously laid-back Summer term, may seem like an appealing option. But it's better to sit in on larger classes rather than to disrupt smaller classes, professors say.
Many theater and English majors are tempted to audit Peter Saccio's popular Shakespeare class because they are unable to fit the course into their regular schedules.
"It doesn't cost me anything because I don't have to read their papers," Saccio said. "I don't want to discourage anyone from learning Shakespeare, but I will warn them that the amount of work takes commitment and energy."
However, Saccio does not permit visitors in his smaller classes, such as his advanced seminar on Hamlet, because he claims it upsets the flow of discussions.
In a lecture-based course, students and locals are welcome as long as there are open seats, Saccio said. The general pattern, however, is that by the middle of the term, students can no longer keep up with the pace of the course and they drop out, which he finds unacceptable for smaller classes.
Many students are drawn to unique courses that are not applicable to their major. However, these courses often have no room for auditors.
Professor James Brown of the film and television studies department said that it is implausible to allow auditors into his class because there is simply too much hands-on work and too little room.
By auditing a class, students do not have to participate in discussions or laboratory work, but professors also do not have to grade any handed in by those students.
Gaining permission from an instructor to audit a class can prove to be a difficult task.
During his off-term spent in Hanover, Kevin Arnold '05 decided to audit an English class. Even though it was the only class he was taking, gaining permission from his professor and adviser, Katie Thomas, was challenging.
"Although I had the advantage of knowing her before I took her class, she was skeptical about me auditing the class because the class focused so much on reading and writing," he said.
Arnold said that he did not find it beneficial to audit a class with intensive discussion and paper writing.
"I didn't write papers, which was how the class communicated and tested theories with the professor," he said. "So I missed out on the complete development of the course."
Arnold suggested auditing an introductory course or foreign language class, in which a student could gain a general sense of the topic.
Janine Schreiner, a psychology professor, said she welcomes any auditors who will make a commitment to regular attendance, and that she has had positive experiences with auditors thus far.
Shreiner has found that community auditors attend class regularly throughout the term, since they only have one class to focus on.
"In general, I am thrilled when people choose to spend their precious time coming to my class," she said. "But Dartmouth students, especially those with a full course load, sometimes find themselves needing to pull out of the course for a period of time--usually around midterms."
Nancy Frankenberry, a professor in the religion department also questioned most students' long-term commitment to auditing courses.
"Most adult community members are faithful attenders, but Dartmouth students auditing a course as a fourth tend to fall away over time," Frankenberry said.
Students agreed that while they may begin a term motivated to keep up with an audited class, their tight schedules make it an impossible option.
"Ideally, I would like to audit a class, but I do not feel like I have enough time, and it would not be one of my first priorities," Lydia Blandy '06 said. "So by the end, I would probably stop going."
