Three Core Classes Hold Lotteries

Faced with unexpectedly huge student turnout and a shortage of section leaders, at least three Core Curriculum courses plan to hold lotteries to limit enrollment, officials said last week.

"Almost every core course's enrollment is well over what we thought it would be," said Director of the Core Program Edward T. Wilcox. "Everyone's scrambling for teaching fellows."

Although there is no formal policy on lotteries, Wilcox recommends that professors who need lotteries allow him to conduct computerized, entirely random ones.

Professor of Fine Arts Anna C. Chave will hold a random lottery today for her class Literature and Arts B-16, "Modern Art and Abstraction."

Only 160 students will get into "Spots and Dots," Chave said, adding that many of the 400 students who attended the first lecture will drop it because she plans to "toughen up" the class.

Reproduction

Professor of Biology Robert M. Woollacon will also use a lottery, Wilcox said, to slash 120 students from the 160 who showed up for Science B-30. "Reproductive Biology."

Louis J. Bakanowsky, stadio professor of visual and environmental studies, reportedly has already run a lottery for his Literature and Arts B-17. "The Studio Arts, Theoretical and Practical Explorations."

Historial Study A-14, "Tradition and Transformation in East Asian Civilization: Japan," taught by Professor of Japanese History Albert M. Craig and Geyser University Professor Henry Rosovsky, may also hold a lottery. Rosovsky said the decision will depend on how many extra section leaders can be found.

Currently, Rosovsky said, there are enough teaching fellows for 300 students, but over 400 have attended the first two classes.

Doubled Pleasure

Rosovsky attributes the popularity of "Rice Paddies" to widespread interest in Japan, and the fact that it is a "one stone, two bird course," meaning that the one-semester course fulfills both the Historical Study A and Foreign Cultures parts of the core.

However, not all professors with over-subscribed classes consider the lottery a viable alternative.

Baird Professor of History Richard Pipes, who teaches Historical Studies B-56. "The Russian Revolution," said he will find another solution The course will not be available next year because Pipes is going on leave, and he said he dislikes the idea of excluding people from a class they want to take.

About 175 students enrolled in his class last year, but he estimate. That there are 350 400 this year, and he does not have nearly enough section leaders. If he is unable to find enough section leaders. Pipes said, he plans to make sections optional.

Other core classes, such as Literature and Arts C-16 "Periclean Athens" taught by Thomas R. Martin, Weston Associate Professor of the Humanists--are solving the over subscription problem by moving to larger rooms.

Why?

Why are so many students flocking in Core courses?

Rosovsky, former dean of the Faculty and principal architect of the requirement, said that he "would like to think it's the quality of the courses." He also attributes its popularity to the fact that more and more departments are giving credit for Core classes, and that "not an insignificant number of students are taking Core classes as electives."

Wilcox said that Core enrollment has been rising every year, but that he expects it eventually to stabilize.

Rosovsky agreed, saying that it will be easier to plan once the numbers level off. "Planning is particularly difficult at Harvard because we don't have pre-registration and we do have shopping. We pay a very high price for the present system," he added.

The major reason that courses have to hold lotteries to restrict enrollment is because of the acute shortage of section leaders, said Wilcox. Moreover, many students are taking Core courses--which usually have sections--instead of mid-level department classes, which often do not.

Outside the Core

Some non- courses are over subscribed as well.

Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory Seamus Heanry's English 186, "Modern Poetry, Tradition and Experiment, and Trumbull Professor of History Donald H. Fleming's History 1341b, "European Intellectual History, 1980 to the Present," as well as several, other classes, are moving to larger rooms because of higher than expected enrollment.

Overall, however, Registrar's office official Sheila Stuff said said that the number of courses requesting room changes--13 so far--was about average