Enrollments and seminars

[Denis Crnkovic]

Colleagues!

Lest I be immediately excoriated for calling first term seminars "remedial
education":

In the ideal world students would come to college already knowing how to
read and write and the fts would be unnecessary. Alas, that is not the
case. We recognize this and offer two seminars in our department, one on
Russian civilization and culture and one on women in Russia. Our seminars
are limited to 15 students each and we have consistently enrolled 12-15 in
each. Neither seminar, however, has attracted great numbers to our language
program. I think Madelin Levine pointed to the real problem when she said
"freshman seminars are an educationally sound innovation (or reintroduction
of an older practice), *especially at larger institutions*" (emphasis
mine). Language programs at smaller institutions, which already must buck
the general trend of declining enrollments, do not need the added burden.
It is probably wise for us to convince our administrators that we need some
leeway, e.g. introducing beginning classes in the Spring semester or even
intensive courses that cover two semesters in one so that late comers to
the language can catch up. In any case, the solution(s" will have to be
innovative.

Denis

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Denis Crnkovic'
Russian Language and Area Studies
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota 56082
cronk at gac.edu
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In paradisum deducant te angeli.....
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