Survey Cores a New Curriculum Vision

If History 10, an introductory survey of Western history and culture, becomes a core class next year, it could represent the beginning of a dramatic change in the basic vision of Harvard's required curriculum.

The core was created to avoid surveys and instead offer students "approaches to knowledge." But a Crimson investigation last year found that students prefer the broader survey classes.

History 10: "Western Societies, Politics and Cultures," could be the second introductory class to join the core. Literature and Arts B-10: "Art and the Visual Culture: Introduction to the Historical Study of Art and Architecture," formerly Fine Arts 13, was modified and added the core curriculum this fall.

Literature and Arts B-10 drew overflow crowds during its first few days this fall, before professors lotteried the class.

Students say the new expansion of the core's mission to include broad introductory classes is necessary. Those fighting for the class on the Undergraduate Council say undergraduates have no way to get a solid introduction to history.

For instance, council member Randall A. Fine '96 complains that his two history core classes--Historical Studies A-12: "International Conflicts in the Modern World," and Historical Studies B-61, "The Warren Court and the Pursuit of Justice"--have left him with huge gaps in historical knowledge.

"I will leave Harvard as a gov or gov and ec major still not knowing World War I," says Fine, who, with representative N. Van Taylor '96-'95, has fought for the new class in the council.

Many students cannot spare the electives to enroll in History 10, even if they want to, Fine says.

According to the CUE Guide, History 10a had only 51 undergraduates enrolled last year, while its second-semester counterpart--which focused largely on sex as an issue in recent history--drew only 13 students.

"Those students who need the course most, who need the broad knowledge, are in effect penalized for taking it [since they have to use an elective]," Fine says.

Student support for the proposal has been overwhelming, according to Taylor. The council endorsed the resolution to put History 10 in the core by a vote of 60 to two, he says.

The core could use another history class, supporters of History 10 say. Students trying to fulfill their history core requirements this fall were offered only four Historical Studies A options and three Historical Studies B cores.

Faculty supporters of the new class use similar arguments. Students in all concentrations need the broad knowledge of an introductory class, they say.

"We think people in sciences, who only take two history classes, don't want to take the Celtic novel--they want something more sweeping," says Professor of History James Hankins, co-author of the proposal.

The history department also sees the class as a draw for the concentration.

According to "Fields of Concentration," there were 469 history concentrators in 1988, but numbers have declined every year since. There were only 251 history concentrators registered last year.

"We want to use [the core] like Ec 10 uses it to bring in students," says Hankins. "We know a lot of people take cores freshman year looking for a concentration."

Hankins puts the likelihood of his survey history course joining the core next year at 75 percent. The possibility has been discussed for at least three years.

"We've been playing ring-around-the-rosy for about three years," Hankins says.

But like the former Fine Arts 13, History 10 will have to be modified to be a core. The proposal may also encounter resistance from the faculty's core committee, which is known to be wary of adding another survey.

"We haven't seen a proposal that addressed all our concerns," says Professor of History William E. Gienapp, who is a member of the Historical Studies B subcommittee of the core committee. "Regular Western Civ would not meet [the core guidelines]."

Fine Arts 13, though still an introductory class, now includes non-Western forms of art like Indian and Japanese classics. It is now "more thematic than chronological," Professor of Fine Arts Irene J. Winter said earlier this fall.

Advocates for the new class say they are willing to try to change it to fit core committee guidelines.

"The history department is very easy to please," says Goelet Professor of French history Patrice L. Higonnet '58, who teaches History 10b. "We'd like to extend the audience. If the core wants us to change [the course], we will."

The latest plan is to rewrite History 10a to fulfill the Historical Studies B core requirements, while History 10b will fulfill Historical Studies A. The courses would be structured around three or four major ideas each semester, such as the conversion of the Roman empire to Christianity.

Hankins, the current professor of History 10a, experimented with the thematic modules concept this year.

"I tried it out on my poor guinea pig class," he says. "I like it better than what I had been doing. I had everything but the kitchen sink in the course [last year]."

But even if it is modified like Literature and Arts B-10 was, History 10 will not meet the "non-survey" guideline of the core.

"You can't get away from the fact that History 10 is a survey course," says Krupp Professor of European Studies Charles S. Maier, who, with Hankins, co-authored the proposal.

The question, he says, is if the core committee is willing to go even farther than it did with Literature and Arts B-10 and change the traditional mission of the curriculum.

"We can stretch it, squeeze it, dice it, or put in a blender, but there's only so much we can do," Maier says. "The core committee will have to face whether to accept it.

Faculty supporters of the new class use similar arguments. Students in all concentrations need the broad knowledge of an introductory class, they say.

"We think people in sciences, who only take two history classes, don't want to take the Celtic novel--they want something more sweeping," says Professor of History James Hankins, co-author of the proposal.

The history department also sees the class as a draw for the concentration.

According to "Fields of Concentration," there were 469 history concentrators in 1988, but numbers have declined every year since. There were only 251 history concentrators registered last year.

"We want to use [the core] like Ec 10 uses it to bring in students," says Hankins. "We know a lot of people take cores freshman year looking for a concentration."

Hankins puts the likelihood of his survey history course joining the core next year at 75 percent. The possibility has been discussed for at least three years.

"We've been playing ring-around-the-rosy for about three years," Hankins says.

But like the former Fine Arts 13, History 10 will have to be modified to be a core. The proposal may also encounter resistance from the faculty's core committee, which is known to be wary of adding another survey.

"We haven't seen a proposal that addressed all our concerns," says Professor of History William E. Gienapp, who is a member of the Historical Studies B subcommittee of the core committee. "Regular Western Civ would not meet [the core guidelines]."

Fine Arts 13, though still an introductory class, now includes non-Western forms of art like Indian and Japanese classics. It is now "more thematic than chronological," Professor of Fine Arts Irene J. Winter said earlier this fall.

Advocates for the new class say they are willing to try to change it to fit core committee guidelines.

"The history department is very easy to please," says Goelet Professor of French history Patrice L. Higonnet '58, who teaches History 10b. "We'd like to extend the audience. If the core wants us to change [the course], we will."

The latest plan is to rewrite History 10a to fulfill the Historical Studies B core requirements, while History 10b will fulfill Historical Studies A. The courses would be structured around three or four major ideas each semester, such as the conversion of the Roman empire to Christianity.

Hankins, the current professor of History 10a, experimented with the thematic modules concept this year.

"I tried it out on my poor guinea pig class," he says. "I like it better than what I had been doing. I had everything but the kitchen sink in the course [last year]."

But even if it is modified like Literature and Arts B-10 was, History 10 will not meet the "non-survey" guideline of the core.

"You can't get away from the fact that History 10 is a survey course," says Krupp Professor of European Studies Charles S. Maier, who, with Hankins, co-authored the proposal.

The question, he says, is if the core committee is willing to go even farther than it did with Literature and Arts B-10 and change the traditional mission of the curriculum.

"We can stretch it, squeeze it, dice it, or put in a blender, but there's only so much we can do," Maier says. "The core committee will have to face whether to accept it.