Task Force student forum sparsely attended

Braving the snow and anticipating free pizza, a mere 11 students came to Dowling Hall Monday night to voice their opinions about the recently-released recommendations of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience. Forum participants seemed to approve many of the Task Force's proposals, especially those that would increase the sense of community on campus.

The small group of attendees, which included at least one member of each class and students from both Engineering and Arts & Sciences, was dominated by members of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) to the Task Force. SAC members tried to glean feedback in preparation for an upcoming report on student reaction to the Task Force's proposals.

One point upon which students and administrators unanimously agreed was the importance of implementing a college system to improve Tufts' overall sense of community, especially for first-year students. Since Tufts already has a natural uphill-downhill split, instituting two colleges could be natural, said Professor Gilbert Metcalf, who co-chairs the Task Force with Dean of Students Bruce Reitman and Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye.

At the meeting, SAC members noted that the Task Force's proposal was for a college system, not a residential college system, since some students would still live off-campus. The colleges would have approximately 250 entering students per year who would remain affiliated with their college for all four years.

One result of implementing the college system would be to change Tufts' pre-major advising system, which students at the forum cited as in need of change. Though incoming freshmen could still choose from advising programs such as Perspectives, Explorations, and Faculty Seminars, they would also have access to a group of advisers affiliated with their college.

But the students at the forum had other suggestions to address the advising problem, such as assigning non-faculty University personnel as advisers. Non-faculty staff members often make better pre-major advisors since they do not actively teach and frequently have a broad perspective on the University, students said. Under the college system, each college's Director of Advising could serve in this function, Metcalf said.

Future construction projects, especially the completion of Phase III of the Campus Center, were also an area of concern for some students. Though some students mentioned the need for a central mailbox facility and increased space to socialize, both of which Phase III would provide, others argued that the money could be better spent renovating old dorms.

The question of senior theses also caused some debate, since some members of the Tufts community have argued that students should not be allowed to receive the highest Latin honors at graduation without having written one. Some forum-goers disagreed, arguing that theses are not for everyone and that honors should recognize other forms of academic and leadership success. Other potential points of reform included improved faculty support and more recognition from peers for thesis writers.

One proposal that students were particularly in favor of was the recommendation to implement a more comprehensive four-year writing program. Every student attendee agreed that Tufts undergraduates are weak in this area.

Though Task Force members are aware of the need for change in the writing requirement, they are less clear about which particular measures would help the most. Possible solutions include mandating the first-year writing requirement to all students, regardless of their scores on AP English exams, and splitting up requirements for English skills and writing skills.

Forum participants also touched on the proposals for integrating the different Tufts campuses and schools, such as creating a University calendar that lists the upcoming events for all schools, appointing graduate students as advisors or mentors, and providing research opportunities and internships at the graduate schools.

The Task Force has held at least six open student forums in an attempt to improve undergraduate life by taking stock of both the positives and the negatives of the Tufts experience. Any changes will be Tufts-specific, taking into account Tufts' individual resources and community ethos, Reitman said. "We're not trying to model Tufts after any other school," he said.

Student support for the proposals will likely be critical when the time comes for the administration and Board of Trustees to make funding decisions. Another open forum on the Task Force's December and January interim reports will take place on Monday.