Starting this year, Connecticut College will be enforcing new requirements on students who wish to be economics majors. Over the last few years, the College has seen an increase in the number of students who wish to be Economics majors, and while this is not a problem in and of itself, it can complicate things within the department and within the academic landscape as a whole. The new standards will require students to receive a B- or higher in both introductory macroeconomics and microeconomics and students will have to complete at least two 300-level courses by the end of their junior year. These changes will likely lead to students who aren’t necessarily devoted to becoming economics majors shifting towards other areas of interest. To talk more about the upcoming changes, I sat down with department chair Professor Candace Howes.
Howes has been at the College since 1995 and is currently serving as the department chair for her third time. The department first began to see an increase in the number of majors during the 2008 recession. According to Howes, “The number of majors in the Economics department has increased from 43 in the graduating class in 2007 to 84 majors in the class of 2015, which means by the spring when sophomores declare we will have as many as 240 majors.” This means that in 2015 one in four males graduating will be an Economics major. In my opinion, having so many majors in one department can lead to a less diverse academic landscape within the college and can ultimately be harmful. Howes believes that the increase in majors comes from the belief that being an Economics major can lead to greater job security in the future. Howes went on to say, “We do not believe that economics is the only path to good jobs. In fact, what businesses look for is college graduates with good analytical and communication skills, both of which can be learned in a broad range of majors.” By holding a higher standard the department will limit the major towards those who are more interested and invested in the program. Howes makes a good point when she talks about economics not being the only option going forth after college. Most of us here at the College know the benefits of a liberal arts education and know that with the resources provided here at the College almost any major can lead to good job opportunities.
When asked about the overall purpose of the changes, Howes responded, “These changes are designed to ensure that students are well prepared, as they enter their senior year, for upper level courses, seminars and honors theses.” Due to the increase in Economics majors at the College it has become more difficult for majors to apply and complete honors theses. Of the 84 majors set to graduate in the following year, only eight of those graduates will complete an honors thesis, less than 10%. It is also important to note that while these changes are meant to better prepare students, they do not necessarily inhibit any student from becoming an Economics major, Howes stressed this point, stating, “We are not limiting the number of majors, just setting a standard that students have to achieve to be admitted to the major. It is possible that students, knowing that they have to get a B- in the two intro courses will work somewhat harder and be better prepared for the intermediate level courses.” The reason for the changes, however, is more than just setting a higher standard for students; these changes will ultimately push students who may have decided to major in Economics because of post-grad employment uncertainties. Hopefully by pursuing other interests in departments where they are more intellectually invested, students will find themselves being more successful academically.
Over the next few years, the College will begin to see a change in the curriculum as a whole in order to increase academic rigor and make connections across the disciplines. Potential changes may include an increase in the number of seminars first-years will be required to take. Howes stated that, “In order for the Economics department to participate in these changes, they will need fewer students demanding attention.” Decreasing the amount of majors will allow the department to better focus on creating new classes for first year students and allow professors to work more closely with senior students doing intensive research. Increasing the number of first-year seminars will give new students a larger variety of choices in more departments. The current seminar program is limited in the number of potential departments that new students can get involved in, so any way to increase that number would be a bonus.
The new changes to the department were modeled after what other schools including Trinity, Wesleyan ,Williams, Amherst, Colby and more are implementing. These changes will lead to a better experience for new students who benefit from professors with more free time and to older students who find themselves able to work more closely with their professors. Students who are unable to declare an Economics major will hopefully find themselves in a different discipline that suits them better and will lead to better choices in their futures. •
