<p>
Speaking of Greeks, let’s check out the Classics offerings (after all, it was my major) at Berkeley this semester.</p>
<p>Greek 1 Attic Greek — Taught by a grad student
Greek 40 Prose Composition — Taught by a grad student</p>
<p>Latin 1 Elementary Latin — Taught by grad students
Latin 2 Elementary Latin — Taught by a grad student
Latin 10 Intensive Latin — Taught by a grad student</p>
<p>Now let’s look at Chicago.</p>
<p>Greek 101 Attic Greek — Taught by professors
Greek 111 Accelerated Greek — Taught by a professor
Greek 201 Intermediate Greek — Taught by a professor</p>
<p>Latin 101 Elementary Latin — Taught by a lecturer
Latin 111 Accelerated Latin — Taught by a professor</p>
<p>I don’t think many people would dispute that Berkeley has the best Classics program in the country, yet which university do you think is providing better language instruction? </p>
<p>All the faculty awards in the world can’t waive the fact that Berkeley relies on graduate students to teach students beginning languages in a tiny field that is rapidly shrinking precisely because of poor teaching.</p>
<p>NOTE: My own universities are not exempt. I’m a graduate student at a large research public, and it relies heavily on graduate students, visiting professors, and lecturers. Heck, even my smaller private alma mater did to a degree. While it’s obviously not an ideal state of affairs, I accept it as a practical reality – but I will NOT pretend that many courses are not taught by seasoned faculty.</p>