Page Four THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesday, August 27,-1969 Page Four THE MICHIGAN DAILY Wednesday1 August 27, 1969 k COURSE EVALUATION A classy solution FOLLETT'S KEEPS STUDE TS' EDUC, TIO COSTS DO By MARCIA ABRAMSON Most literary college courses are pretty bad. And in the past, the only way to find the good ones was through the help of friends who had already braved the un- known, But most students have been highly dissatisfied with the hit- or-miss method of course selec- tion and finally, after years of abortive attempts, a course evaluation was actually publish- ed last year. The evaluation's somewhat technical statistics created prob- lems for many students, but most agreed that they were still able to get some idea of what a course was like-and even more jimportantly, how much past students had liked it. The book- let was considered fairly suc- cessful. This year the Association for Course Evaluation (ACE) which was set up by Student Govern- ment Council plans a simpler, more easily understood course evaluation booklet. But the new format will not be available until preclassifica- tion opens in late September for the winter term. Until then students who need more information for fall term classes will have to make do with the old evaluation form, which is available in the Stu- dent Counseling Office, 1018 Angell Hall. The evaluation covers more than 550 literary college classes, and rates almost every con- ceivable aspect of a course- from the majors of the students enrolled to the average amount of time each spent on the course. Teaching, texts and examina- tions are all covered. All freshman courses and many upperclass courses are in- cluded in the evaluation, unless the professor or the curriculum is being changed this fall. Students outside the literary college will have to wait some time before ACE can extend its services to them. The engineer- ing school, Law School, Medical School and the schools of public health and nursing have all ex- pressed interest in obtaining course evaluation, but ACE chairman Joel Markowitz says it will take at least a year to prepare appropriate question- naire formats for each school. The evaluation was also made available to the faculty, and Markowitzsays faculty members may have used the booklet even more than students did last year. "Almost every department has asked for copies so they can evaluate their faculty from the students' point of view," Mark- owitz explains. Evaluations are filled out by students during one half-hour of class time donated by the faculty during the year. The faculty member leaves the room, and the evaluations are anony- mous. The students may also write individual comments on the questionnaires. The evaluations are tabulated by computer. Evaluation services cost ACE between $6,000 and $8,000 a year, and the group is currently seeking new funding methods for next year because an initial starting grant from President Robben Fleming's office will no longer be available. These first few weeks in a new environment can be quite challenging to even the strongest of men. To many of you your whole life will change . . . the strong may become weak, the weak may be- come strong. Only time will tell where and how you fit into this new spectrum of life. But no matter the outcome you're all starting out equal. And as equals you'll all have the same problems to face ... meeting new friends, adjusting to new surroundings, adapting to a new social structure. Follett's, right in the hub of the campus, can be a great asset to you as you start off. After registering and checking into new rooms one of the first things you'll have to do is supply yourself with text- books and school supplies. This does not have to be a hair-raising experience. Just stop in at Follett's and ask for some help if you feel you need it. Follett's carries everything you'll need for this coming year. We're here to help you and to serve you. Why not take advantage of us. Listed below are some of the policies that we live by-please read them. They're there for your benefit. La dolee vita DESPITE THE TONS of forms involved in registration and classification, and despite the impressive bureaucracy of the literary college, there is actually a good deal of flexibility in The System. Academic life can, in a sense, indeed be the sweet life if you are willing to spend some time working around your work rather than at it. Here are some tips: REGISTRATION: Pre-classify as early as you can or the few really good courses and sections will close. But before you do make sure you know what you want to take (counselors are no help) and what professor you want to take it from. The latter criteria is all-important: Check with the Student Counseling Office or someone who knows the department for the inside dope. By the way, don't worry too much about distribution requirements-at least not during your freshman year. By the time you're a senior they may have been abolished. GETTING OUT EARLY: No matter how hard. you try, you will always find yourself sitting in a terrible class or two when the term opens. But don't give up! You can easily drop a course and add another by making a quick stop at the counseling office for approval. In addition, if you really want to add a course which is closed, you may be able to convince the professor involved to let you in if you talk to him in person. PAPERS: Probably the best thing to do is find out from some- one who has had the same professor just what he's looking for. Maybe he's expecting a carefully documented 50-page work with a footnote a paragraph, or perhaps he doesn't care what you say as long as it's unusual and doesn't repeat the same old texts and lectures. It pays to find out. Unless the professor makes a "law and order" statement about late papers, he probably doesn't care too much when you turn them in. Nonetheless, it is slightly safer to ask for an extension in advance. Be armed with a good excuse! MIDTERMS: Don't forget about midterms-they really do count about one-third of your grade. If you haven't studied all term, cram. FINALS: Start preparing early, like during pre-classification. After you've made out a trial schedule, check it with the finals schedule in the classification booklet to make sure you haven't given yourself three or four finals on the same day, or you may be in big trouble in late March when you inadvertently discover what happened. you can only ask professors to change times if you're in for three in a row or four in one day. Otherwise, you're stuck. Go into the exam room with a couple of chocolate bars, sit down and start writing. Keep writing. DISASTER RELIEF: If you Just can't take the final (because you don't know anything) or if you can't get that last paper done in time, there are some not very easy ways out. Your best chance is to convince your professor to give you an incomplete in the course. You'll need a good excuse for this one so think hard. If you've really been sick recently you shouldn't have too much trouble. Otherwise, punt. If you get turned down, or if andincomplete won't do you any good, you can try despite the late date to talk the literary college administration into letting you drop the course. You'll have to talk very fast, however. FOLLETT'S satisfies your used textbook needs .. . for all courses You can be sure, no matter what courses you're taking, that FOLLETT'S will have all the textbooks you'll need. FOLLETT'S is the complete supply and book store In addition to supplying all of your new and used book needs, FOLLETT'S also is equipped to supply you with all of your school supply needs . . . frorn "T" shirts to "T" squares, from pencils to pennants. FOLLETT'S offers full exchange privileges on books purchased At any tirme within fourteen days after puchase, FOLLETT'S will give you a full refund on any book returned because a course has been dropped or changed, if the book is in its original condition and if you have your receipt. FOLLETT'S consistently serves the student If your parents went to college, chances are FOLLETT'S was there to serve them too. We've been around a long time, in nearly 30 colleges, and we will continue to be around for a long time to serve your school needs. FOLLETT'S saves you money on used texts To help you get the books you need at the lowest possible price, FOL- LETT'S buys used textbooks throughout the country at the end of each semester and redistributes them to schools that will be using them in the following semesters. You save substantially by buying reconditioned used books from FOLLETT'S. FOLLETT'S will buy your used textbooks at the end of the semester We'll pay cash for your used textbooks-even those that won't be used on this campus next semester. FOLLETT'S has the facilities and organiza- tion to ship these used texts where they will be needed next semester, and to get to you the ed texts that you will be needing here next mster., FOLLETT'S has served the U M campus for 32 years FOLLETT'S structure requires it to maintain faithful and consistent serv- ices. The FOLLETT'S store on your campus has been here for some time and will be on your campus to serve future students for years to come. Many co-ops and student exchanges appear only because of a tern- porary or seemingly profitable market, or as the result of student pres- sure. Because most of these ventures are not based on the sound economic aspects of experienced book sellers, these stores or services generally disappear due to their financial difficulties. FOLLETT'S saves you money on quality merchandise Your FOLLETT'S MICHIGAN BOOKSTORE benefits from the parent com- pany by taking advantage of the centralized, volume-purchasing power program. This means that you, the student, are supplied with top quality merchandise at the fairest price on campus. FOLLET'S net profit is lower than the national average of the retail industry of 2 % to 3 %. In order for Follett's to exist at this low profit margin we have to sell large quantities of various merchandise other than books, and we have to offer better service than our competitors. This we do. Custom-made education By LAURIE HARRIS If you don't like what the literary college has to offer in the way of formalized courses and even concentration programs, you don't have to be limited by the catalogue. You can just make up your own. In both the literary college and the college's honors program, a student can concoct an in- dividual major or a never-before-heard-of class to cover the area he is interested in. A student interested in the medieval period, for example, could fit together a program in lit- erature, history, sociology, art, science and any other related field. "This is utilizing the catalogue horizontally rather than vertically." explains LSA Assistant Dean James Shaw. He adds that few students have chosen this type of concentration, possibly because they don't know it is available to them. Otto Graf, director of the honors program, says that a similar program is set up in honors. A student may design his own major, provided he balances its major components, involving two and at the most three departments. The student must receive the permission of the heads of each department in order to receive his degree. Graf explains that each individual concentration program is cautiously planned well ahead. And it's even simpler to invent a new course. In the literary college, a course mart was de- veloped last fall to facilitate innovative educa- tion. Shaw explains that either a teacher- or a student can submit an idea for a course to the school's Curriculum Committee. The proposal must define the course and draw up a syllabus. Students must find a faculty member who is willing to lead the class. Teachers must be able to guarantee enough student interest to support the class. And even though there is currently no money allocated for these courses, innovative courses are catching on fast. In fact, Shaw says many teachers apparently have taken on innovated courses-without pay-in addition to their regu- lar duties. The honors program also reports a growing demand for innovative courses. The Honors Col- loquium (designated College Honors 199) is de- signed to allow groups of about 12 students to take on subjects ranging from pornography to civil rights. The colloquia are open to all LSA students, not only those in honors. Graf says that the colloquia tend to take the course of "the undirected dormitory bull-ses- sion." One professor or many may lead class ses- sions. The highlight of this study, Graf says, is that there is a greater amount of technical compe- tence, which leads to more meaningful discus- sion than in dormitory talks. Honors also offers the student a chance to conduct his own independent study for credit. Any qualified student may create an indepen- dent study course, not just honors students. College Honors Independent Study (College Honors 290) allows the student to investigate any one theme, period or topic. The student must prepare a description and bibliography for the qpurse and submit them to the Honors Council. He must also find a teacher to work with and supervise him. Many courses of this type are set up during the year in all departments, Graf says. And occa- sionally, independent study may even lead to the establishment of a formal course. Independent study of a different kind is also available over summer vacation for all literary college students through the Honors Council, which administers the Summer Reading Pro- gram. Certain regular courses are opened to all stu- dents for independent study during the summer. The student signs up with the professor offering the class, receives a reading list, and then is on his own. To receive credit for the course, he must eith- er take an examination in the fall or submit a paper, or both. Well, these points just about sum up what Follett's is and what Follett's stands for. We're quite proud of our relationship with the school, students and faculty. We feel that we have something to offer; we feel that we're a big part of this school and we're going to con- tinue being a part. So, why not stop by as soon as you can and browse around . . . you'll be pleasantly sur- prised to see what Follett's has to offer. _0- -- - -- - I - -- mmmmmmmmmkL Start your year peaceful t-like ... at Follett's 3 Once while you were at the movies I N.N ql