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vol. cxliv, no. 50 | Monday, April 13, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
The New Curriculum: ready for new times? U. projects By George Miller Metro Editor
It’s not so new anymore. By the time the New Curriculum turns 40 later this spring, it will have gone through several revisions. But challenges presented by the changing and growing University still need to be addressed. It began in 1966 with a group of students unhappy with traditional methods of education. The New Curriculum overtook Brown’s campus at the end of the decade, eventually reshaping much of the University’s existing structure. Distribution requirements, grades, boundaries between disciplines and the role of students in education all underwent fundamental change — or were scrapped entirely.
not likely to get R.I. stimulus cash
The New Curriculum at Forty: Part one of four in a series Decades after it was adopted, the New Curriculum remains the organizing philosophy of the Brown education. Its longevity and popularity serve as a testament to its timelessness. But how it will evolve in the future depends on a rapidly changing world and educational climate. Since 1969, the New Curriculum has been reviewed and re-reviewed, both as a whole — most recently by the Task Force for Undergraduate Education — and in pieces. Those reviews have repeatedly affirmed the goals and principles of the New Curriculum but have sought to butcontinued on page 4
By Sydney Ember Senior Staff Writer
Herald File Photo
Ira Magaziner ’69 P’06 P’07 P10 (pictured) and Eliot Maxwell ’68 introduced the New Curriculum to the community in 1969.
Brown-RISD dual degree accepts just 3.5 percent By Brian Mastroianni Senior Staff Writer
Brown may have set a record for admissions stinginess this year — just 10.8 percent of undergraduate applicants got in — but a spot in the College was not College Hill’s most difficult ticket to punch. That distinction goes to the fledgling Brown-RISD Dual-Degree program, which invited just 19 of 550 applicants to join its second class ever — a miniscule 3.5 percent acceptance rate — according to Panetha Ott, Brown’s admissions
liaison to the program. “It’s tougher than anything else,” she said. “It’s an extremely competitive program.” Dual-Degree students spend five years studying at both Brown and RISD, ultimately graduating with a degree from both schools. Students in the program live their first year at RISD and their second year at Brown, then have the option of living at either school or off-campus. The 13 members of the program’s first class arrived on College Hill in September. This year’s goal is to have 13 or
14 students matriculate into the program, Ott said, and over the coming years officials hope that number will ultimately rise to their goal of 20, but no further. “Right now, we want the first few classes to be slightly smaller, but eventually the program will grow,” she added. “It’s still in its early stages.” Despite the difficulty of gaining acceptance to the program, rejection can come with a consolation prize — students are considered for admission to both Brown and RISD independently, meaning Dual-Degree
rejectees may still gain admission to either school, or even both. To be admitted to the program, students apply separately to each institution and complete an extra application essay explaining how the program will fit in with their future goals. Students who are accepted to both schools are evaluated by an advisory committee consisting of two faculty members from each school, Ott and RISD Director of Admissions Edward Newhall. “Primarily Brown looks at acacontinued on page 6
Students compose GISP for a second session of songwriting such a hit that its students collaborated with Rovan and Bergeron to develop a Group Independent As Ethan Reed ’12 recorded the Study Project, “Advanced Songfinal words of his song, “Some- writing,” for next fall. where A Light Went Out For For their final project in last Somebody,” he looked up and semester’s course, the class saw Associate Professor of Mu- recorded a two-disc set, “Song sic Butch Rovan fidgetSessions Vol. 1,”now ing with the buttons of on sale at Blue State FEATURE Coffee. the mixing console, he Ida Specker ’09, another sturecalled. “I’d never had an experience dent who took the course, called like that,” Reed said. “I felt like the CD set “a documented piece a professional, recording in Hol- of artwork” that she can share lywood, making millions of dol- with her friends and family. She lars.” can even use it to promote herself Along with 24 other students, as an artist, she said. Reed took the newly developed “It’s rare to end a class with course MUSC 0450: “On Songs such a tangible product,” Specker and Songwriting,” which Rovan said. and his wife, Dean of the College The class “weaved together Katherine Bergeron, co-taught continued on page 2 last semester. The course was
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By Luisa Robledo Staf f Writer
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Eunice Hong / Herald
An album produced by students in a music GISP (above) is on sale at Blue State Coffee on Thayer Street.
Looking to grab a share of the federal economic stimulus bill, Brown has submitted funding requests totaling $215 million to the state’s Office of Economic Recovery and Reinvestment for five proposed construction projects. The proposals, which according to Brown would create a total of 460 jobs, include a number of plans on the University’s wish list. Among the proposed projects are the construction of a new medical education building, replacement of research facilities and conservation projects that would reduce the University’s carbon emissions and energy consumption. Upgrades to Information Technology infrastructure and a new data center were also proposed as possible uses for the incoming federal dollars, according to a listing on the Rhode Island office’s Web site. The site lists all proposed projects under review for public evaluation. But Clyde Briant, the University’s vice president for research, said the funds Brown thought might be made available for those specific projects have been allocated elsewhere. “We don’t expect to receive anything,” he said. The state has solicited proposals from cities, public housing projects, state agencies and public and private universities in anticipation of available federal funding. But the types of projects that will be supported through the federal stimulus package are still uncertain. “We were asked by the state to submit something, and we did,” Briant said. “The specific projects might look like they were applicable to Brown, but they are also important for the community.” Brown submitted the preliminary requests for projects that the University wanted to see move forward, Briant said, but added that it was his understanding that the funds were probably no longer available. Much of the uncertainty surrounding the allocation of funding stems from the ambiguity of the federal bill, said Amy Kempe, press secretary for Governor Donald Carcieri ’65. “We know that there is a recovery stimulus bill coming,” she said. “We have no idea what it’s going to look like.” So far, the state has received over continued on page 2
Arts, 5
Sports, 7
Opinions, 11
Inappropriate? A new exhibit at the David Winton Bell Gallery re-examines the convention of found art
W. Lax lacks The w. lacrosse team fell to No. 20 Cornell in a contest this past weekend
THE NEW NEW YORK? Andrea Mattews ’11 says students should consider working in new places
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