"We wouldn't compromise because of it. I don't think we will bend over backwards because some Faculty do not want to teach," he says. "The rigor and the seriousness of the Core is going to go on as it has for the past 15 years."
Core Reform
Whether these fluctuations in the number of courses offer are normal for the Core or not, Pforzheimer University Professor Sidney Verba '53, chair of the committee re-evaluating the Core this year, says the occasional shortfall is a key area of concern.
"I think that's one of the key problems with the Core, that it's sometimes difficult for students to find Core courses to take," Verba says. "We'll hope to address that in our report."
"The obvious solution is getting more courses into the Core. But certainly that's easier said than done," Verba says.
"Absolutely, the limited number of courses is intrinsically a problem with the Core program," Nelson says. "It makes a very valid argument for expanding the number of courses."
However, Fernandez-Cifuentes says he thinks that the current system is satisfactory.
"I am one of those who complains about it, but we can live with it. One has to deal with it on an adhoc basis," he says. "I don't know if the Dean can do anything about it, but [the problem] is not something in the guidelines."
While the Core is a concern, Knowles says, it has to be considered in the larger context of undergraduate education.
"We have to balance the demands of so many desirable things: small-group instruction, faculty-led seminars, thesis supervision and research opportunities and expand the Core and ensure that all the basic departmental courses are covered," Knowles writes. "We shall try harder to guarantee a balanced menu."
And Lewis promises that next year will be an improvement.
"We already know there are going to be more next year," she says.