Increased Enrollments article

[Welsh, Kristen]

Posted for my colleague, David Galloway; I should note that I've been
the "other half" of the Learning Community for the past two years,
teaching Russian 101, and that David's note expresses my views, as well.

 

--Kristen Welsh, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

 

David's message:

 

I'd like to address the question of Russian enrollments from more of a

programmatic point of view.

 

Speaking only from personal experience, advertising and the profile of
the

program only affects courses in culture, not language.  (There may be a

small trickle-down effect when students first take a culture course, and

then try the language, but it's neither significant nor predictable.)
For

several years we put major effort into advertising, staffing tables at
open

houses and registration, and so on--with poor results for language.
Culture

courses have boomed, however.  But our majors (area studies/language and

culture) require either two or four years of language, respectively, so
we

have to get students into those courses.

 

Our current solution, which seems to be working well, is to offer a

first-year seminar (required for all incoming students) which is part of
a

"learning community"--which means that any student who chooses our
seminar

must register for Russian 101 (students with prior knowledge are
excluded).

Though the administration was initially concerned that there might not
be

enough students who want to do this, for two years we've had no trouble

filling the course.  The advantages are several:  we have a guaranteed
Rus

101 class of 12-14 students each year, we accrue good-citizen credit for

supporting the first-year curriculum, and we catch the students as they

enter.  It was our belief--now confirmed--that there are students who
want

to take Russian language, but if you find them as sophomores, it's often
too

late.  Apropos of recent posts, I should say that we don't advertise the

seminar with anything which addresses outcomes or career paths--it's
pure

culture (in this case, Russian folklore).

 

The obvious question is, how many continue?  Of the 15 students in 101

(including three students who are not in the seminar), 9-10 are
continuing

to 102 (last year we had 12 in 102).  This is not huge, but for an

institution our size (2000 students) without any language requirement,
it

represents a dramatic improvement.  Too often over the last decade we
have

had language courses of four or fewer, which tends to attract unwelcome

scrutiny.  This arrangement also opens up the possibility of interesting

linkages between the two courses, which are encouraged as part of the

first-year experience. The lesson for us seems to be that if you subject
the

students to a semester of language, getting them through those first

(sometimes painful) couple months, a good number will continue, often

surprising themselves with how interested they've become in the field.

 

We do offer an additional carrot--with a catch.  Students can go on a
10-day

trip to Moscow and St. P in May with us if they pass 101 and take 102

(spring).  This non-credit trip is not sponsored by the institution, so

students pay their own way.

 

I'd be interested to know if anyone has tried or is trying something

similar.

 

DJG

______________________________

 

David J. Galloway

Assistant Professor

Russian Area Studies Program

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Geneva, New York 14456-3397

Phone: (315) 781-3790

Fax: (315) 781-3822

Email: galloway at hws.edu

http://academic.hws.edu/russian/

 


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