The Undergraduate Council of Students passed a resolution at its general body meeting Wednesday expressing disapproval of the enforcement of prerequisites on Banner, and heard Provost David Kertzer '69 P'95 P'98 express his opinions on topics ranging from grade distribution to the economy.
The council also rejected a different resolution that would have endorsed an end to officially observing Columbus Day at the University.
Kertzer, when asked what he thought about recent data from the Office of Institutional Research that showed that the number of A's surpassed 50 percent of all grades given in the 2007-2008 academic year, said, "I don't think it's a good thing. I think it's a problem." The University, he said, was approaching a grading system that was all but "A's or no credit."
Kertzer added that there was much debate among the faculty about grading, and that he was determined to take the issue seriously.
Asked if he would approve of discontinuing the enforcement of prerequisites on Banner, Kertzer said he did not understand the logic of having prerequisites without their being enforced. He said he thought it was reasonable that if a student wanted to take a course but had not fulfilled the prerequisites, he or she would need to speak to the professor.
He also said he was working with the Dean of the College's office to improve sophomore advising, and briefed UCS members on what the economic downturn would mean for the University.
Just as many of the University's peer institutions are making substantial changes to their budgets, Brown is no different, he told the council. "We need to find a way to tighten our belts and keep our eye on what is really essential about a place like Brown, which is the education we provide," he said. He added that he was concerned about students' ability to pay tuition and that he recognized "the need for more financial aid."
The general body overwhelmingly passed a resolution stating that prerequisites should not be enforced through Banner and that academic departments should re-evaluate their current prerequisites.
Tyler Rosenbaum '11, chair of the council's academic and administrative affairs committee and a Herald Opinions Columnist, said he was optimistic about the support shown by the Faculty Executive Committee, which he said was "who we need to go through" to effect the resolution. Rosenbaum added that the results of a UCS/Brown Concert Agency Poll, in which about half of all students said they were negatively affected by prerequisites, showed strong student support that he felt the faculty committee would take seriously.
Jerry Cedrone '11 said he wanted UCS to push to have the FEC carry out its resolution and that the council should not rule out a demonstration on the Main Green. "Our credibility as of now stands very low with the student body because for a long time we've been a body that just passes resolutions and pats ourself on the back," Cedrone said.
The council rejected a resolution that would have expressed support for ending the observance of Columbus Day at Brown. The students were not sufficiently swayed by a presentation earlier this month by Reiko Koyama '11, who told the council that by keeping Columbus Day on the academic calendar and giving students the day off, the University was condoning Columbus' role in the deaths of millions.
The general body was heavily divided between those who supported changing the day off and those who did not. Many members said the second Monday in October was a convenient time for students to visit family and if the date was changed then vacation times would not match up. Other members echoed Koyama's concern that changing the name of the holiday without changing the date would not make the statement that Brown does not condone Columbus.
The general body ultimately rejected the resolution by a vote of 21 to 15. UCS President Brian Becker '09, who had refrained from speaking during the debate, said he was "personally very disappointed in the council."
