Donoghue says that while the program is trying to limit the number of concentrators in the American field, administrators are not limiting the number of concentrators overall.

According to Friedman, the student-faculty committee does plan to increase upperclass student involvement in recruiting potential concentrators.

And while Buell says that the committee is working to improve several aspects of the concentration, such as strengthening ties to the History Department, he notes that the projects were "not undertaken because of the number of concentrators fluctuating."

Thaddeus says that there are currently no plans to reduce the requirements.

"They are important requirements," she says. "Our students are learning the field better because of them."

Current concentrators say that lower enrollment numbers may be an advantage in a concentration which requires six semesters of tutorial.

First-year Wong says he was attracted to the concentration in part because of its individual focus.

Friedman says a smaller concentration allows students more contact with professors. And Goldmark notes that the format of the history and literature tutorial system, in which tutorials are taught one-on-one in the junior and senior years, favors a low student-tutor ratio.

In fact, those close to the concentration seem more concerned about the change in the location of the concentration office than about the dropping enrollment numbers.

"If there was any decline this year, I would attribute it to the fact that they shipped us off to Vanserg," says concentrator Elisabeth L. Ritter '97.

Buell agrees that there is little reason to be concerned about the decreasing enrollments.

He says the drop in concentrators seems like "a normal perturbation rather than a pathological or disturbing trend."

--Nicholas K. Mitrokostas contributed to the reporting of this story.