To the Editor:

Recently, many students have been complaining about poorly taught, overcrowded and unexciting introductory science courses that serve as “gut sciences” for students looking to satisfy their distributional requirements. As a physics major in my junior year who has never taken one of these courses, I cannot speak to these objections. But I am pleased to see that those interested in science and in learning how to ‘think like a scientist’ have, at the very least, courses available to them designed for that purpose, flawed as they may be.

If we consider a similar situation, that of the non-art major seeking courses in art, there is no such availability of courses. In fact, there seems to be an overall antagonism in the department toward non-art majors wishing to take courses in the arts. Many introductory courses have extremely limited enrollments, making it almost impossible for non-art or non-art-related majors to join the class.

While some introductory courses in the department have numerous sections to accommodate student enrollment, they nonetheless have such strict entry requirements that many students who are unable to devote hours and hours of their time to a single class have difficulty getting in.

It is important that the art faculty make changes in the design of its courses that will reflect an open and embracing attitude toward the larger part of the student body who have not chosen art as their major.

Ariel Cohen ’03

April 25, 2002