<p>What's the equivalent of Science and Society at Brown? It's called History of Science at other places, but I can only find History of Mathematics on the Brown website. I'm looking for a sociology/science bridge, you know, like how to communicate between the two modes of thought.</p>
<p>tkm256: I don't think we have a major like that here. If you really want to do it, though, write that in your essay! Do some research on our various science departments, philosophy, sociology, etc, and then say in your application that you're considering designing your own major. They'll love it.</p>
<p>ohnoes: Yes, all dorms have some kind of a lounge, and most have at least one kitchen. Their use depends on the dorm and how it's structured. The freshman dorms use their lounges a lot to socialize, as do a lot of the program houses (Spanish house, literary society, etc). In some of the upperclassmen dorms where the students live in suites, each suite has a common room and so the dorm's lounge, if there is one, is used less often.</p>
<p>MattyB: A lot of students feel that the simple A/B/C/NC system allows for more academic freedom and risk-taking, and less competition between students. On the other hand, a lot of people feel the way you do, and would rather have their grades portrayed more accurately / specifically. Similarly, some professors feel that the A/B/C/NC allows them to teach more effectively since the students aren't worrying as much about grades and are more interested in the material for its own sake, while other professors feel that they are "holding back" information on the students by not deliniating more between different levels of acheivement.</p>
<p>The College Curriculum Council is voting on the proposal tomorrow. I'll keep you guys updated on the results.</p>
<p>I personally am very against plus/minus. Despite the fact that I have had three grades within a point of an A, I still think that further stratification between grades is simply a new way of introducing more competition, since many classes are graded on a curve/scale. I am not looking at grades to assess my coursework. That's one of the reasons I came to Brown, to know that grades don't matter, learning does. I don't need a pat on the back for understanding and grades at the end of the term don't really inspire me to work any harder.</p>
<p>That, to me, is part of hte beauty of the open curriculum and part of what makes Brown unique and part of makes Brown one of if not the least competative of all Ivies. I like it that way.</p>
<p>We'll see how things go.</p>
<p>MattyB: On the flip side, a B- is less distinguished than a B, and so on. It works both ways, unfortunately. Personally, I don't think we need it. I know how much I learned in my classes and I feel like I worked an appropriate amount for the grades I got, and don't feel cheated one way or the other. Yeah, maybe it does suck when you miss the cutoff for an A by a smidge, and just get a B, but if you were at any other school, you'd still be complaining about missing the A and having to settle for a B+ or whatever. Besides, in two of my classes, 50% of my grade is based on class participation. How do you make distinctions between A and A- in that case? That's a huge percentage of your grade, and I think it's much easier to say it's "A" work than having to bicker about +/- with something so subjective. Same thing with papers. The only place I could see +/- not complicating things is with classes that have like multiple choice tests.</p>
<p>Damn, where do you have 50% participation? I need to take one of those...</p>
<p>My Greek class and also a seminar. The seminar only has 5 people though, so that'll make it even easier to participate.</p>
<p>Yeah, most classes that count participation that much are language classes (which are pretty difficult in their own right) and certain seminars.</p>
<p>Best I've had is a ten percent attendance/participation. Language class, that makes a lot of sense. Seminars seem to be all over the place with workload.</p>
<p>I shopped a course this semester with 100% of the grade coming from participation... that was crazy...</p>
<p>Woah, what on earth class was that?</p>
<p>I just went to my Greek class with 50% participation and it turns out I'm the only one taking it...</p>
<p>We just held a mini-protest against the addition of +/- to our grading system in front of the room where the CCC was voting/discussing the +/- issue. We managed to get two representatives into the meeting, which I guess might not be that much but at least we'll find out from them what their reasoning is behind it.</p>
<p>I'm also kind of bitter that the Dean who's pushing this isn't even going to be around next year.</p>
<p>Here's the email I just got from the Undergraduate Council of Students:</p>
<p>The Undergraduate Council of Students wishes to inform you that the
College Curriculum Council has chosen not to vote on its proposal for
the addition of pluses and minuses to letter grades. The College
Curriculum Council will recommend to the Faculty Executive Committee
that the FEC hold a faculty forum. According to the Brown University
Faculty Rules, Faculty Forums 'serve such deliberative purposes as the
Faculty may prescribe, and have no authority to take determinative
action save to report back to the Faculty.' The topic of this Faculty
Forum will be changes to Brown University's grading policy.</p>
<p>Faculty Forum votes are non-binding. In order for a binding vote to
occur, the College Curriculum Council must recommend that the Faculty
Executive Committee place this item on the Faculty's agenda.</p>
<p>The Undergraduate Council of Students still plans to hold forums that
include faculty members as well as undergraduate students. UCS will
also ask students their thoughts about plus/minus grading during its
regular WebCT poll this semester. This will be the first survey of
undergraduate opinion about plus/minus grading.</p>
<p>I love that the students are so involved! Certainly not an apathetic campus. :) :)</p>