The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, February 24, 1961 Page: 3 of 8
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ii
FEBRUARY 24, 1961
THE THRESHER
Three
Report Of Student Association Committee On
Freshman Academic Curriculum Is Announced
The following is a report of a special
Student Association committee on
Freshman Academic Curriculum and is
being published here exactly as the
Committee has submitted it. All letters
and comments received by The Thresher
concerning this report will of course be
forwarded to the Committee^
The report was passed unanimously by
The Senate Wednesday night.—Ed.
The purpose of this committee is to
submit to the Faculty Committee on
Curriculum, a studpnt-desigrned freshman
program for academic majors which
would be more beneficial to the indi-
vidual student and more oriented in
the line of his interests than is the
present program. We offer this pro-
gram as a suggestion only—a sugges-
tion which we have tried to keep within
the realistic limits of Rice's unique
situation, while at the same time seek-
ing to enhance the prospects of a
broadening education for the Humani-
ties student.
Our proposed program provides the
freshman acadpmic major with five
courses, representing a total of 16 to
18 hours depending upon thel individual
schedule.
(1) THE FIRST COURSE required
of all freshmen, is to be ENGLISH 100.
We feel that the present, "topical,"
arangement—short story, drama, poetry,
novel—-is more beneficial than a chron-
ological or historical one. Acknowledged
great works of literature should be
used wherever possible, in the frame-
work of the "topical" arrangement. Em-
phasis on the analysis of literature and
the art of writing should be preserved,
perhaps increased.
(2) THE SECOND COURSE should
be in the field of Language. The only
suggested deviation from the present
freshman language program is the addi-
tion of a one hour language! laboratory
requirement to improve the student's
conversational ability. (The lab would
provide an additional hour of credit.)
(3) HISTORY, basic for any educa-
tion, is to ba the third course. We pro-
pose a new course to be required of all
freshmen, including science-engineers. It
should deal with Western Culture and
civilization! from) the Renaissance to the
present and give emphasis to both
American and European History. Of
less factual intensity than History 100
and 110, this course would instill an
appreciation of the full scope of his-
torical! inquiry instead of concentration
in a single field. Students who plan
to end their study of history with the
freshman course would not be limited
to one facet. A history major taking
this course would have in the sophomore
year an option of two courses: either an
American History course or a world
history course, subject to his prefer-
ence. Since these latter courses will
consist of comparatively small classes
composed wholly of students who are
taking history because they are inter
ested in it, they should be reorganized
forms of History 100 and 110 with a
better text and a discussion, group.
(4) IN SELECTING A fourth course
we have made one venturesome, yet
carefully considered, decision: that
Mathematics as a year-long course
should not be an inflexible requirement
for the academic student. We propose
that the following triple option be of-
fered.
A) The present academic Math 100
should be eliminated. The present sci-
ence-engineering Math 100 should be
retained for the academic math majors
or interested students.
B) The present Mathematics 101
should be retained, unchanged.
C) A new, two-semester course de-
signed to acquaint the academic student
with the methods and significance of
scientific and mathematical thought.
The first semester shall concern the
general area of HISTORY AND PHIL-
OSOPHY OF SCIENCE. Ideally, this
would analyze and evaluate the course
of scientific thought from the late 17th
century to the present. Through the
study of scientific disciplines and anal-
ytical methods of thought, the student
would gain an appreciation of science
itself, especially in chemistry and phys-
ics. It most emphatically shall not be a
straight "fact course" with a memor-
ization of names and elates from the
history of science, nor, is it intended to
be a replacement for mathematics or a
lab science. The second semester shall
offer two choices: first, a course in
BASIC CALCULUS oriented especially
toward the pre-medical students and
others who need some understanding of
the elementary operations of differen-
tial and integral calculus for* his chem-
istry and physics but not the intensive
theoretical study undertaken today in
Mathematics 100; second, a course in
SYMBOLIC LOGIC somewhat akin to
that now being taught in math 101 and
philosophy 100, but with a wider scope
than, either. The subject matter of this
course is an ideal aid to the develop-
ment of systematic and responsible
thinking. These courses will offer a
wider choice to meet the interests and
needs of virtually any academic stu-
dent. They emphasize the two most
important elements in any college-level
mathematics course for academic stu-
dents ; the development of logical
thought, and an understanding of the
common ground between scientist and
humanist.
(5) THE LAST COURSE shall be
a limited elective. We propose that the
Rice academic student be required to
take two laboratory sciences before his
senior year. He can thus take either
a science or HUMANITIES 100 (re-
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cently announced by the) administration)
during hial freshman year. If he chooses
the humanities course, he must natural-
ly take his two sciences in the second
and third years. Freshman science credit
(if any) must be in BIOLOGY 100,
CHEMISTRY 120, or PHYSICS 100.
Sophomores and juniors may select
from these three or any of the follow-
ing: ANTHROPOLGY, ARCHAEO-
LOGY. PSYCHOLOGY, GEOLOGY, (all
must include laboratory work) or an
advanced course in BIOLOGY, CHEM-
ISTRY, or PHYSICS.
The opinion of this committee is
that the above program will provide the
freshman studient with the basis for
an excellent liberal education and a
finer foundation for advanced courses
in all academic fields.
PROPOSED FRESHMAN
CURRICULUM
For Academic Majors
1. ENGLISH 100
2. LANGUAGE with laboratory
3. HISTORY OF WESTERN CULTURE
(Renaissance to the present)
4. Mathematics opinion:
A) Mathematics 100 science-engineer-
ing
B) Mathematics 101
C) First semester: HISTORY and
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Second semester: SYMBOLIC
LOGIC —or— ELEMENTARY
CALCULUS
5. HUMANITIES 100 or SCIENCE
Elective (two lab sciences before the
senior year)
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The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, February 24, 1961, newspaper, February 24, 1961; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth231171/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.