Barnard students and administrators put the college’s science requirement under a microscope Monday night at a town hall forum.
In the Nine Ways of Knowing curriculum, students must complete two semesters of the same scientific discipline along with corresponding labs. While many students complained about this requirement at the forum, faculty emphasized its contribution to a well-rounded education.
Professor Stephanie Pfirman, chair of the environmental science department, opened the discussion with statistics from a 2006 study that surveyed 510 college graduates from 1997-2001 as well as 305 “business leaders.” Of the employers surveyed, 82 percent said the education they most highly valued in staff was scientific and technological in nature. Pfirman argued that the science requirement at Barnard teaches students “skill-building and concept analysis,” teamwork skills, and real-world project applications that will be valuable after college.
“Science is still an area where women are quite behind,” astronomy professor Laura Kay said. The only way students can fight that stereotype, she explained, is to learn science.
Most students present agreed that it was important to have a science requirement in some form.
“Yes, I believe it is indispensable,” Séverine Losembe, BC ’13, said.
“I think we most definitely do need a science requirement,” Sara Lederman, BC ’12, added. “You need to have hands-on time in order to fully understand and apply the information.”
Cassie van Stolk-Cooke, BC ’12, agreed, stating, “The purpose of a liberal arts education is to give you an expansive basic understanding of many things. It wouldn’t be so without a science requirement.”
Students’ complaints centered around the proper execution of the requirement in a liberal arts college.
“The real problem is what that requirement includes,” Lederman said.
Lesedi Mbatha, BC ’12, argued that a laboratory component is more important for some students than others, such as for “the people taking bio or chem who need the lab to understand the material.”
Many criticized the length of the labs. “I think it’s a bit inconvenient … because the lab takes up about three hours on any given day,” Mbatha added.
Van Stolke-Cooke suggested an alternative. “I feel that you can garner exactly what you need from an introductory course with an excellent professor,” she said.
Students also said that they are frustrated by scheduling conflicts and restrictive course tracks. Mary Delsener, BC ’12, said she has been unable to find a lab time that does not conflict with her major requirements. The limited spaces in psychology labs are assigned by a lottery system, leaving many students who want to take a lab during a particular semester unable to do so.
Others said they disliked the main sections of science offered—astronomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics, and psychology—and suggested other lab sciences based on sustainability or archaeology. Some students suggested an interdisciplinary survey course involving more than one science, or argued that students should be able to switch science tracks after the first semester if they dislike their initial choice.
If Barnard decides to rework the requirement, changes will have to be recommended and considered by the Committee on Instruction, a group comprised of students and faculty members. The committee “may then decide whether to put forth a recommendation … to the faculty as a whole,” Dean of Studies Karen Blank wrote in an e-mail regarding what could be a lengthy process.
Barnard’s Student Government Association held an abbreviated meeting after the town hall in which members briefly went over the evening’s forum. Katie Palillo, BC ’10 and SGA president, said that the board also brainstormed discussion topics—such as the re-accreditation process—in preparation for President Debora Spar’s scheduled appearance at next week’s meeting.
“It’s not realistic to try to guess the time line on this initiative,” Palillo said. She claimed that the administration went into the town hall with “absolutely no agenda,” but emerged with ideas and will “work off of the suggestions made.”
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