The Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) spent its Wendesday night meeting discussing how to improve Bowdoin's distribution requirements and what could be done to help first year students make their schedules. No proposals were voted on.
"I'm an international relations major, why haven't I fulfilled my international perspectives requirement?" asked Derek Brooks '12 rhetorically. Brooks argued that the system for determining which classes get which designations is illogical and should be reformed.
Members' complaints ranged from science majors stating that there were too many humanities-related requirements to others arguing that some classes that would seem like they should fulfill a requirement do not.
At-Large Representative Kata Solow '10 said "it seems like the system really isn't working."
A professor who wishes to teach a new class must request that it fulfill a requirement for consideration of that designation to be made.
Discussion at one point even went so far as to say that the inconsistencies in the classes that fulfill requirements are the result of professors' resistance to the idea distribution requirements in general.
According to Class of 2011 Representative John Connolly, who has been in conversation with faculty members on the issue, "professors don't add designations because they don't want non-majors, non-interested students in [their] class."
On the issue of helping first years create their schedules, BSG Secretary Hannah Scheidt '10 said that she believed that members of the Center for Learning and Teaching should assist at Orientation.
Other members such as Vice President of Academic Affairs Bryce Spalding '10 disagreed. Instead, he proposed that College House members be trained to help first years put their schedules together.
Others did not believe that it was appropriate to give College House members that responsibility.
Others, such as Vice President for Student Organizations Branden Asemah '12 proposed bringing back a pilot program that was instituted two years ago. Under this program, declared majors were paired with pre-major advisors in their department to help those advisors' advisees create their schedules.
This pilot program was discontinued when then Associate Dean for Curriculum Steven Cornish left the College the year after.