"[Last year] wasn't an average year by any means," she says.

Lewis also said the total number of courses was also not the only factor the Core Program takes into account.

"It's always a concern when their choices are limited.... It wouldn't help students if we had 100 courses only in three areas. We're not only concerned about distribution across fields, but also over semesters and time," she says.

Factors in Fluctuation

Members of the CCP say the number of Cores offered per year is affected by many factors.

"There are a lot of constantly cycling variables. It's sometimes hard to keep them in place from year to year," Lewis says. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

The availability of Faculty members to teach the Cores is the most important factor in the number of courses offered, many professors note.

They go on to assert that the num- ber of courses offered, many professors note.

They go on to assert that the numbers are especially dependent on the number of Faculty taking unexpected leaves or who vary their Core teaching with a departmental course.

"Sometimes people have unexpected problems. If they all come together at the same time, that can upset the apple cart, so to speak," says Clowes Professor of Science Henry Ehrenreich, who is a member of the CCP and the professor for Science A-15: "Dynamics and Energy."

"We have not discussed this [particular statistic] in Central Committee yet," Ehrenreich adds, referring to the CCP group that has final say over course offerings.

Buell says he expects that the CCP will address the matter.

"I would be surprised if this were not already a subject of discussion among the committee members right now," Buell says.

Lewis says that the usual pattern for Core teaching is for Faculty members to teach Core classes in alternating years.

"If for some reason, we have some people whose cycles are disrupted, they can all come together [teaching Cores] in the same year," she says.

Knowles, however, acknowledges that this can be a problem and says coordination of leaves between departments is something that needs to be improved.