BAGS / THE DEPAUW
Recognized as a Liberal Arts institution, DePauw takes pride in offering small classes and a student to faculty ration of 10:1. According to the DePauw website, there are 73 classes registered with two to 10 students.
This small classroom environment DePauw strives for is exactly what sophomore, Mary Riesing has experienced. Riesing is one of four students enrolled in Vanessa Dickerson’s Honor Scholar seminar titled, ‘From Anime to Hip Hop: African Americans and the Japanese.’
“This is the first class of under ten people I've ever been in and I absolutely love it,” Riesing claims. “The atmosphere is so much more laid back, and I feel much more comfortable presenting my ideas to the class.”
In contrast, several students have not experienced small classes like Riesing. First-year, Alec Da Silveira is currently enrolled in Rebecca Schindler’s Greek and Roman Mythology course with approximately 36 students. Da Silveira doesn't find this large class as beneficial as smaller classes.
“I prefer small classes,” said Da Silveira. “When you have a bigger class sizes it makes it more difficult to speak up, it discourages you to voice your own opinion.”
On the universities website, DePauw claims that no classes surpass 35 students. However several intro-level classes are known for having more than this limit. Not only is Da Silveira’s Greek and Roman Mythology class over the 35 cap, but first-year Bridgette Lang is enrolled in a Biology 101: cells, molecules and genes course with 38 students. This class includes a lecture that meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:20 am and is divided up into two lab periods to accommodate the large size.
“It stunts intellectual growth,” said Da Silveira. “You do a lot less abstract thinking and more memorization and note taking instead of formulating your own thoughts.”
Lang agrees that in a larger class students aren't provided with the best learning environment.
“It is easy to just open a laptop, pull out a notebook and scroll through Facebook with your eyes down the whole time,” said Lang.
Despite the few larger classes, many students seem to enjoy the average DePauw classroom size ranging from 11-20 students. However, like Reising's class, several DePauw classes are registered with 10 students or less.
For example, Meryl Altman, professor of English and Women’s studies, currently only has nine students in her Feminist Theory class. Altman instructs her class in a seminar format which means that students have a lot or responsibility outside of the classroom.
“Many of my upper-level classes are usually small, and I prefer it that way—it means I can pay attention to everyone, plus everyone has a chance to shape what goes on,” said Altman. “It's more rewarding to work with a small group of people who are knowledgeable and committed, and who have a lot of questions that they want to ask and answer.
Sophomore Rachael Lenderman agrees that smaller classes promote a good learning environment and allows students to develop personal relationships with the professor of the course. She is enrolled in Chinese Intermediate 2 with only five students.
“You have a very close relationship with the professor,” said Lenderman. “I know her on a deeper level than any other class I have been in. She challenges me and really knows my strengths and weaknesses."
Professor Altman reflects on her own college experiences, “One of my favorite classes in college, my Shakespeare seminar, there were four of us (plus the teacher) and we met at her house. It worked really well.”
Although these small classes have great benefits, Altman confirms that they also come with disadvantages, again reflecting on her past college experience.
“But with a class that small, it's a real problem if one or two people aren't fully committed, or someone gets sick...” said Altman, “I think the ideal class size is about 12.”
