Parents Fund for Cal

Small Classes, Top Faculty for Freshman

By Alice Boatwright

Spring 2003 | A freshman student’s class schedule often fills up quickly with requirements and survey courses — and these create an important foundation for learning. But freshmen at Berkeley can also take a different kind of course designed just for them, one that offers them a taste of things to come.

The Freshman Seminars Program offers first-year students a remarkable array of seminars taught by some of the campus’s most renowned faculty. Launched in 1992, the program now offers more than 200 seminars each year in departments across campus.

“ Freshmen need to work with senior faculty right from the start,” explains Alix Schwartz, director of academic planning in the College of Letters and Science’s undergraduate division. “The seminars are limited to 15 students because we want the freshman experience to include a small class where everyone gets to know one another and everyone participates.”

The highly interactive one-unit seminars may be taken for a letter grade or on a pass/not pass basis — a format that invites students to explore unfamiliar subjects. In class, students are encouraged to participate actively in discussions, not only for the benefit of the group, but also for practice in this important skill.

Seminar offerings vary from term to term. The spring 2003 line-up includes social anthropologist Michael S. Laguerre on “Silicon Valley and the Information Technology Revolution”; Susan Rasky, former chief congressional reporter for The New York Times, on “The Real West Wing”; and Steven Botterill, a professor of medieval Italian literature, on ”Dante’s Inferno: From Medieval Manuscript to Silver Screen.”

The seminars have been a hit with both students and faculty. “Freshmen are so full of enthusiasm,” says Steven Botterill, “and it’s wonderful to teach them a subject they’ve never had a chance to study before.” As associate dean in the College of Letters and Science’s undergraduate division, Botterill also sees the program from an administrative perspective. “You can tell by the demand that the program is invaluable,” he says. “There’s a great need, and we’re doing everything we can to meet it within the constraints on faculty time and finances.”

In fact, the program’s growth has been due, in large part, to private support from alumni and parents. This funding has also helped make possible a new pilot program for sophomores, designed to help students test the waters of a particular major before making a commitment. The campus hopes to expand the popular program next year.

“ Ultimately,” says Schwartz, “these seminars offer a great opportunity for both students and faculty because they build relationships and generate a wonderful sense of learning for its own sake.”

About The Parents Fund
As of December 2002, more than 3,000 parents had given $526,800 to support undergraduate education and student life. Gifts help fund programs such as the seminars described in this article, safety programs, the Career Center, and Cal’s top-ranked libraries. Every gift helps to reach our goal of $700,000 this academic year. Please make your gift today: online at www.givetocal.berkeley.edu or by mail to The Parents Fund, University of California, Berkeley, 2440 Bancroft Way #4200, Berkeley, CA 94720-4200. Call 510/643-2471 for more information.