Expand opportunities for student interaction with faculty
Action Taken
- Developed and introduced a program of 23 first-year seminars in 2002–03 and 52 in 2003–04
- Expanded first-year seminar offerings: 62 courses in 22 different departments in 2004–05; 63 seminars in 2005–06; 60 seminars in 2006–07 in 27 different departments
- Improved the student-to-faculty ratio to 9:1 (as reported to U.S. News & World Report) in 2002–03, reduced from 10:1 in 2001–02
- Added approximately 140 courses starting in 2003–04
- Increased the total number of undergraduate courses to 1,722 in 2005–06, a 9 percent increase since 2001–02
- Continued progress in reducing average class size: percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students continues to increase while the percentage of classes with more than 50 students continues to decrease
- Allocated new funding to support student research at Brown
- Created Departmental Undergraduate Groups (DUGs); launched new DUG Web site
- Provided new funding to support faculty programming in residence halls
- Provided funding for Faculty Fellows to host residential discussions with visiting professors in conjunction with guest lectures in academic classes
- Developed visiting scholars program to bring leading scholars and practitioners to campus for discussions with students in the residence halls
- Lowered the student-to-faculty ratio below 9–1
- Expanded programming in residence halls and Sarah Doyle Women’s Center for faculty-student discussion of current issues and research
- Launched new faculty-led seminar program during orientation to jumpstart conversations between first-year students and faculty
- Initiated the Committee on the Residential Experience to conduct review of programs in place for co-curricular education and development of community outside the classroom
- Developed new Faculty Advising Fellows program to expand ongoing involvement of faculty in the undergraduate residential experience
- Expanded the First Year Seminar program to 75 seminars per year, with greater focus on topics in writing, science education, and global awareness
See Phase II for other recent actions taken that support this objective
Action Needed
Responsible
- Dean of the College
- Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services