Student Union

As liason to the College of Arts and Sciences, I met with Dean McLeod to disuss a pressing issue in the College of Arts and Sciences: The death of the cluster system...

How will I be affected by the New General Education Requirements?
 If you are a current member of the WashU community, then you will NOT (notice the emphasis) be affected by the new system. When the system is introduced it will only affect the freshmen class that starts that year (so if it is introduced next fall, it will only apply to the class of 2014 and beyond).

What was the old system and why did it change?
The old system, the "cluster" system, was started eight years ago so that WashU students could graduate with more of a focus. Instead of taking three unrelated classes in the same area (for example: Introduction to Macroeconomics, Introduction to Psychology, and Introduction to Archaeology could at one point be taken to fulfill a social studies requirement, though one very loosely connected), as was the case prior to the cluster system, one could still have freedom to take courses in a variety of areas, but also take courses that share a theme.

This system was doing well, and achieved it's main goals of providing focused study, yet freedom to explore. However, one shortcoming was that students really needed to plan ahead to graduate on time. According to Dean McLeod, taking all the requirements for a major + all general education requirements takes two years (roughly 60 credits). However, since some classes had sporadic course offerings, there was a potential for students to not plan ahead properly.

What is being done to implement the new system and why is it not yet up?
The new cluster system is not simply a new set of requirements, but also a new set of courses being offered. The Deans of the College of Arts and Sciences are planning to revamp the course offerings to complement the new program. The new courses being offered will hopefully eliminate problems in registration, and thus make it much easier for future generations to fulfill their general graduation requirements. Students will be able to explore without the fear of falling behind.

Thanks for reading...please let me know if you have any questions/comments/or suggestions.

I have been working to find an alternative for Arts and Sciences students who will face printing charges in the ArtSci Computing Center this fall.  While it doesn't look like we'll be able to make it free, I can tell you that the fee will be lower than the library ($0.04 single sided and $0.06 double-sided).  I am also working with the administration to implement a plan that may let you pay for pages in advance at a reduced rate. 

I don't want to see juniors and seniors with no free printing on campus (freshmen and sophomores have their dorms).  Tuition and textbooks are expensive enough!  Hopefully I'll be able to ensure that all upperclassmen who live in ResLife buildings will have printer access.  I will keep you updated on my progress with the ArtSci Lab... send me suggestions!

Visit the ArtSci Computing Center's website for details: http://computing.artsci.wustl.edu/printing