Core Offerings Increase Slightly, Some Areas Still Sparse

Students who have already started to flip through their course catalogues may have noticed a slight increase in the number of Core classes offered this year.

After last year's disappointing number of 85--an eight-year low in Core selection--students now can choose from 92 Core classes, including 14 that are being offered for the first time this year.

"There is a determined effort by the Core standing committee and by the Faculty as a whole to increase the number of Core courses," said Professor of Government Michael J. Sandel, who chairs both the Moral Reasoning and Social Analysis sub-committees.

Literature and Arts saw the greatest increase in course offerings, jumping from 26 classes last year to 31 this year. The number of courses in the Foreign Cultures Core area increased to 14, up five from last year.

The decision to actively increase the number of Core classes was largely influenced by a 1997 report filed by the Core Review Committee, which was chaired by Pforzheimer University Professor Sidney Verba 53.

But despite the overall increase in Core classes, selection in the Moral Reasoning and Social Analysis areas still remained relatively low at eight each.

In previous years, students struggling to fulfill their requirements before graduation complained as the dearth of Cores, particularly in Moral Reasoning, resulted in over-crowded classes and inflexible schedules.

"We're trying to increase the number of Cores in all areas," Sandel said. "In some areas this poses a greater challenge because there are fewer faculty members that teach in these areas."

"Moral Reasoning is unlike some of the other areas because it doesn't fit any one particular discipline," Verba said.

Verba, who is on leave this year, cited efforts to hire more faculty as a long-term solution to the problem.

This year's Core is still shy of the committee's goal of a minimum of six courses per term in each area. But Verba said he was "very pleased" with progress so far.

"Increasing the number of courses is the single most important thing," he said.

Some New Faces

One new Core class being offered this year is Literature and Arts A-26: "Dante's Divine Comedy and Its World," to betaught by Professor of Romance Languages andLiterature Lino Pertile.

"There was no course dedicated entirely toDante--it was a gap that needed filling," saidPertile, who had taught Dante's works for manyyears before joining Harvard in 1995.

Other notable new Cores include Science A-39:"Time"; Historical Studies A-33: "Women, Feminism,and History" and Moral Reasoning 60: "Reason andMorality."

Baird Professor of Science Gary J. Feldman, whowill be teaching "Time" this fall, said thechallenge of teaching this course would be to"take rather profound ideas and explain them in asimple way."

"We will discuss issues that wouldn't getdiscussed in a physics classroom," he said.

According to Director of the Core Program SusanW. Lewis, new classes are admitted into the Coreonly after being extensively reviewed by both theCore subcommittee and the Faculty standingcommittee.

Most of the new classes were reviewed andapproved last year, Lewis said. Others wereapproved two years ago but due to faculty leavesand other complications, are only now beingoffered.

Though most students said they haven't reallyopened their course guides, a few noticed theadditions.

Zachary A. Merriman '99 said he welcomed theidea of having more Core classes, as long as "theybring good teachers to do it.

"There was no course dedicated entirely toDante--it was a gap that needed filling," saidPertile, who had taught Dante's works for manyyears before joining Harvard in 1995.

Other notable new Cores include Science A-39:"Time"; Historical Studies A-33: "Women, Feminism,and History" and Moral Reasoning 60: "Reason andMorality."

Baird Professor of Science Gary J. Feldman, whowill be teaching "Time" this fall, said thechallenge of teaching this course would be to"take rather profound ideas and explain them in asimple way."

"We will discuss issues that wouldn't getdiscussed in a physics classroom," he said.

According to Director of the Core Program SusanW. Lewis, new classes are admitted into the Coreonly after being extensively reviewed by both theCore subcommittee and the Faculty standingcommittee.

Most of the new classes were reviewed andapproved last year, Lewis said. Others wereapproved two years ago but due to faculty leavesand other complications, are only now beingoffered.

Though most students said they haven't reallyopened their course guides, a few noticed theadditions.

Zachary A. Merriman '99 said he welcomed theidea of having more Core classes, as long as "theybring good teachers to do it.