Should students design and teach their own electives?

Every incoming student this year came to campus aware of Columbia’s reputation as a hotbed of liberal thought and political activism. But few will recognize the dissonance that exists between Columbia’s politically liberal culture and its rigid approach to education. We at Columbia have many strict academic requirements for graduation, such as finishing the Core Curriculum or completing our major requirements, which makes it hard to take electives. Those of us who are fortunate to find space in our schedules for elective courses are hampered by the limited selection offered.

This summer, when I participated in a fellowship program at UC Berkeley, I learned that students and faculty there collaborate on creating elective courses that are otherwise unavailable to students. At Berkeley, over 150 student-initiated courses are offered on topics ranging from American Sign Language to Chinese-American cinema and even race relations in Chappelle’s Show. This program recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and is a hallmark of a Berkeley liberal arts education. I suggest that Columbia College adopt a similar program.

Ideally, interested CC students would first need to decide whether they would like to develop an elective, and if so, in what area or subject not already covered in Columbia’s academic curriculum. Next, they would find a faculty sponsor to help them develop a lesson plan, syllabus, assignments, and exams. These students are not teachers but facilitators, who instruct these courses by themselves.

After finding a faculty sponsor, student facilitators would need to have their course applications approved by the department chair, who would determine whether the proposed course is of sufficient academic merit. These courses would be pass/fail electives ranging from one to three credits and could be used to fulfill minimum graduation requirements. At the end of the semester, facilitators would recommend grades to the faculty sponsors, who in turn would enter the grades.

Our peer institutions already allow students to experiment and create their own elective courses. For example, Stanford has Student Initiated Courses, started by the Associated Students of Stanford University. Tufts has an “Experimental College,” administered jointly by students and faculty members. In 2001 Carnegie Mellon University founded a “Student College,” which offers entirely student-run classes and a student-run advisory committee.

There are three major reasons Columbia should develop a program of student-initiated courses. The first is practical. When students complete the Core and their major requirements, they often have to choose from a limited number of electives. This contributes to overcrowded classrooms, which compromises everyone’s learning experience. A program of student-initiated courses would solve this problem by increasing the number and variety of electives available to all students.

The second reason Columbia should develop a program of student-initiated courses is political. Such a program would democratize the learning experience by allowing students to participate in the construction of their own courses. Remove the traditional barriers between professor and student—even for a few elective courses—and there is no telling what type of unrestricted classroom debate and discussion will occur once students engage with one another over a topic.

The final, most important reason Columbia should develop a program of student-initiated courses is pedagogical. This program would enhance the learning experience for those students who develop and instruct their own courses. The logic behind this is simple: When you are required to explain something to others, you have to figure it out first.

Creating a program on student-initiated courses would reflect the administration’s progressive and flexible approach to teaching, as well as its acceptance of the fact that every student learns differently. At a time when the University’s strict academic requirements for graduation are criticized as being conservative and rigid, Columbia can bolster its reputation as an institution that is receptive to student preferences and supportive of its students’ intellectual curiosity.

The author is a Columbia College senior majoring in political science and Latin American studies. He is an ABC representative and former chairman of Latino Heritage Month.