A week after statistics for the Class of 2007's concentration choices were announced, concerns remain about the administration's campaign to diversify major choices.
At last week's faculty meeting, Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel reported that 38 percent of sophomores had chosen to concentrate in the five most historically popular majors: politics, economics, history, the Wilson School and English. This is down from 43 percent last year and 46 percent historically, she said.
But this year, psychology rose to 65 concentrators from 52 concentrators in the Class of 2006, replacing English as the fifth most popular major.
When psychology is correctly counted as the fifth largest major, the percentage of sophomore top-five concentrators grows to 40 percent.
English has suffered one of the more significant losses of any department this year, falling from 61 majors in the Class of 2006 to 41 majors in the class of 2007, according to the Registrar.
English departmental representative James Richardson '71 said he believes the department is up to 45 majors now, and that it might gain more concentrators over the summer.
By comparison, economics experienced a slight gain in concentrators this year, going from 114 majors in the class of 2006 to 119 in the Class of 2007. Politics and history did undergo moderate reductions — politics went from 112 majors to 103, history from 115 to 101 — but the Wilson School remains essentially static, going from 84 concentrators in the Class of 2006 to 82 in the Class of 2007.
Some faculty members worry that Malkiel's campaign is merely shifting students around within moderately popular majors, such as English and psychology, while the large departments — such as politics and economics — remain relatively unaffected.
"As I understand it, [Malkiel's efforts were] mainly designed to make people think beyond history, politics and economics, so it hasn't worked: it has mainly succeeded in moving people around within the Humanities," Richardson said in an email. "Along the way, it seems to have created the false impression that English is a Vast Department."
He added that English is in fact not a large department, but rather "a medium-sized major with a large faculty."
Richardson attributed the department's losses in part to the fact that some of the more popular English courses — such as Modern Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Children's Literature and The Victorian Novel — haven't been offered regularly in the past few years. He cited Malkiel's efforts as an additional cause.
English professor Larry Danson said the administration's campaign to redistribute majors has played a primary role in the English department's decline in concentrators.
"The administration's drive to manage student choices ... comes at a time when there are more departments to major in, and when the national political and economic climate may favor other disciplines," he said.
Asked if she shares these concerns, Malkiel said she would rather focus on future plans.
"Now that we are beginning to redistribute concentrators," she said in an email, "it's probably a better idea, going forward, to talk in terms of the gains some of the smaller departments are realizing, and not to emphasize the groups that were previously the five largest."
Malkiel added that she plans to continue the administration's efforts in a variety of ways next year.
"We'll be sending [the booklet] 'Major Choices' to the Class of 2009 and their parents," she said. "We are investing in the development of new courses and the renovation of existing courses in many of the small departments, and the first fruits of those efforts will begin to be visible in the curriculum as early as next year."
Malkiel said the administration plans to work with students through the residential colleges as well as through academic departments.
"[R]esidential colleges will be working with the departments and Career Services to bring faculty, upperclass students and alumni into the colleges to talk about studying in smaller departments," Malkiel said.
Some members of the psychology department remain somewhat puzzled by their recent gains.
"I really don't know why [we have more concentrators this year]," said departmental representative Anne Treisman. "Part of the reason might be that neuroscience has captured people's imaginations."
Treisman explained that the department acquired an MRI scanner a few years ago that students can use for thesis research, and it might have taken a while for news of this benefit to spread. She added that the department's connections with the Wilson School — some faculty hold joint appointments, and students can attend lectures that link psychology to business and finance — might present an additional attraction.
Whatever the reason for the department's success, Treisman said she is pleased that more students have chosen to concentrate in psychology.
"We like psychology, or else we wouldn't be doing it," she said. "We're glad other people are interested as well."
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