Just doesn't add up
Casey Ydenberg

Since everyone at SFU is going to get really good at math sometime soon (Curriculum changes in the works, News, June 10), let's do some arithmetic. Currently, an MBB major, for example, has 53 credits of lower division courses to complete the degree. Add to this the 44 upper division credits requirements, which must all be taken within the faculty of science, unless you pile some prerequisites on top of that. Now add in the 24 "breadth requirements," and we get 123 credits of specified courses. Not a lot of flexibility in this degree, is there?

Science majors should and do take arts courses, just as the reverse is true. But who knows what courses may be interesting or useful for any individual? I have can think of good reasons why "everyone" should have to take history, philosophy, statistics, computing, economics, ecology, French, women's studies, genetics and nutrition just to be a responsible citizen, voter, and consumer.

But there just isn't time... and hopefully being an "educated" person means you can learn what you need to outside of the classroom.

Specified breadth requirements will be a compromise to the quality of education. First year math, stats and English classes are huge; my enjoyment of classes at SFU has increased considerably throughout the years due to progressively smaller classes.

Streamlining students into a few classes is great for the university; it will allow them to reduce the offerings of classes that don't carry their own weight. Meanwhile, a single professor is paid to teach hundreds of students who all pay the full fare.

But it isn't difficult to see the bad side. We need to act to keep this from affecting the next generation of SFU students.

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