Brown University - Liber Brunensis Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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The New Curriculum The new Curriculum was insti- tuted in 1969. Since that time, the program has gained consider- able publicity. The freedom of choice associated with this inno- vative approach can readily be translated into the freedom to choose your own direction. Thus, the student must assume respon- sibility for their entire educational experience. In many of the other universities around the nation, education is presented to the stu- dent in terms of rigid course re- quirements and work asses- ments. But at Brown University, it is the responsibility of every un- dergraduate to carefully shape the course of his or her educa- tion. Whether or not the New Cur- riculum has met its goals has been open to debate year after year. Many faculty and adminis- tration members have continually examined the courses' Satisfac- toryNo Credit option, the Modes of Thought Courses, the Special The main job of overseeing the New Curriculum and other Uni- versity policies, educational and otherwise, is in the hands of the Dean of the College. The Dean is responsible for representing these views and this year we final- ly found a replacement for Dean Massey. On September 9, Dean Harriet Sheriden assumed her new role, chosen from an appli- cant pool of more than 150. Dean Sheridan comes to us from Carleton College in Minneso- ta. At this school she served un- der President Swearer from 1976 Themes and Topics program, and the need for distribution require- ments. The lack of student-facul- ty counseling sessions has also come under attack. It is generally accepted that sopho- mores and juniors have been hurt the most as far as obtaining ad- vice. There is no doubt that many professors are very interested in teaching and that many students uamo - Z AERF P i until the beginning of August of 1977 as Dean of the College. Since Swearer's move to Brown, Dean Sheridan served as the act- ing President. In addition to many of her colle- giate positions, Harriet Sheriden has been a member of the Sloan Commission on Government and Higher Education, the National Board of Consultants for the Na- tional Endowment for the Human- ities, the Danforth Foundation Fellowships Advisory Council, and the Minnesota Humanities Com- are very interested in learning. However, as Brown University be- comes more pre-professional in structure, distribution require- ments might finally take hold. Even the Computer Science de- partment has recognized the need for their majors to be well versed in English skills How liber- ally educated are the Engineers, the Applied Math majors, the Chemistrey majors, and the Biol- Salemi

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Jacob Neusner John Workman uamon 1wajeg uamon known to attempt to 'shape opinion on the basis of knowledge. As anyone who has ever had him knows, Prof. Neusner likes to act on his word in the classroom. Comparing an Engineering professor and a Clas- sics professor might seem even more unlikely. In these two departments, Brown is lucky to have pro- fessors who are practically institutions, Dean Bar- rett Hazeltine and Professor John R. Workman. Just as Dean Hazeltine never forgets a face or a name, he himself is unforgettable. His popularity and dedication are seen in very few other people at Brown. Dean Hazeltine, professor of the infamous Engine 9, can be found any time in his office, even on Saturday. The fact that his door is always opened is just a symbol of his true interest in the students and his total dedication to the individual student's needs. Dean Hazeltine often reschedules classes and exams for the convenience of the students even if it means extra work for him. In addition, lecture notes are always available in the back of class. Dean Hazeltine's 'Is everybody O.K.? stays with most Brown Students long after graduation Professor Workman is a tradition in more ways than one. His corses on Greek and Roman history are among the most popular at Brown and attract students with many different interests. He always has amusing stories to tell of days gone by at Brown. Prof. Workman has seen the school undergo some extensive changes and for some of his students, he is the only proof that Pembroke College really did exist. Even Professor Workman's lectures are tradition- al and timed to the second. He is known to sit in a big oak chair until the exact time lecture is to start; only then does he walk to the podium and begin to speak. Students who have never attended a lecture by Professor Workman have probably heard of him. His Latin Carol Service at Christmastide is a Brown tradition in itself. The name Thomas F. Banchoff is heard by most freshmen at the start of Orientation Week. A fre- quent lecture on campus, Banchoff often attracts huge crowds of students in the middle of a weekday afternoon to hear him speak about the 'Fourth Di- mension''. Everyone has to see Prof. Banchoff's show at least once. Although Banchoff teaches regular mathematics classes, his specialty is mathematics without num- bers. He is best known for his lecture on the fourth dimension, and for his model of a 4-D cube. His interests extend to other aspects of geometry, and he offers an independent concentration called Math in Education Professor Sears Jayne, like the other five profes- sors mentioned, has a desire to share with his stu- dents the knowledge he posseses. His lectures in English and Comparative Literature are dramatic, exciting, and always unpredictable. As a true hu- manist, Professor Jayne is forever responding to the ideas and values he communicates. Also like the other star professors, Professor Jayne's gentle sincerity follows him out of the class- room. Many have found him warm, accepting, and an extremely good listener that extends far beyond the traditional student-teacher relationship. Mr. Jayne's sincerity can be disarming, but once stu- dents accept his personal involvement in what he is teaching, they cannot help but join in his own joy and excitement.

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S mission. Our new Dean of the Col- lege is also the author of Struc- ture and Style, a critical analysis of prose writing, and was editor of the Minnesota English Journal from 1967 to 1972. In a time when many schools are going back to the idea of dis- tribution requirements and core curriculums, Brown University is still proud of the New Curriculum. Hopefully, Dean Harriet Sheri- dan's enthusiasm and expertise will serve Brown University for many years. T R G B R e P e o Ty Vi T T T T TR ogy majors? Will the new MBE program cause more of a special- ization within the University? Ap- plications are rising despite the high cost of education at Brown. It is up to President Swearer, Dean Sheridan, and the entire college community to continually improve the quality of education at Brown within the basic frame- work of the 1969 New Curriculum proposals. Alperin