Word: wolcowitz
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...final decision about preregistration will be made during today’s discussion; Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Education Jeffrey Wolcowitz says that the proposal will most likely be voted up or down in April...
These are the only reforms that can lead to tangible improvements. In a recent interview, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education Jeffrey Wolcowitz claimed that preregistration will improve the teaching quality of section leaders because, as he explained, the last-minute dash to fill positions leads to less experienced, less interested teachers directing sections. This claim assumes that great TFs are out there—just not teaching the right courses. But adding more time—even if the preregistration enrollment numbers are accurate and hiring begins earlier—does not guarantee improvement...
...nature of those uninspired meetings; it will only shift them earlier—to times that are even more inconvenient for undergraduates. Under the proposal’s current time-table, the new study card signings will occur in the midst of midterms and term papers. And while Wolcowitz is right to point out that “all times of the year are busy,” the first week of classes is the least stressful and hence most productive time for serious advising meetings. (Notably, it is precisely the current shopping period that gives students even this small...
...crux of the preregistration proposal, however, is whether or not it will provide accurate predictions. Wolcowitz acknowledges that during the proposed “liberal add/drop period,” student course selections will change significantly. But he said the “magic of preregistration” is such that even though students don’t take the same courses they originally select, at other schools, the course estimates stay roughly consistent. Even if one buys into such “magic,” the culture of Harvard does not seem likely to support it. Shopping period...
...Wolcowitz said he hoped the consequences of preregistration would be a pareto improvement. If nothing else he said, “I can’t guarantee that every student will be better off, but we can make many students better off.” But as we’ve outlined above, there are many other reforms that are far more effective in actually improving life at Harvard. Preregistration stands to do the opposite...