Oxtoby, Kates Seek PAC Review, Reform
By Caleb Oken-berg
Staff Writer

Are Pomona's general education requirements in need of reexamination?

President-elect David Oxtoby thinks so.

Oxtoby, who assumes office July 1, is wasting no time in joining with members of the faculty and student body who believe that after ten years, Pomona's PAC system is due for reevaluation.

"It's been in place ten years and I think that anything needs to be tested and examined after that long," Oxtoby said.

Members of the Pomona community from all sides agree that one of the basic premises of a liberal arts education is the acquisition of knowledge from a broad range of subjects. However, many individuals feel that the current general education requirements in place could be looked at again with a contemporary perspective. Established in 1994, the current PAC (Perception, Analysis, Communication) system was created by a special committee of faculty members who decided that the requirements would be Pomona's approach to giving students a broad-based undergraduate education.

Gary Kates, Dean of the College and Vice President of Academic Affairs, calls the current requirements a "faculty guidance system" that directs the way that students approach their education at the undergraduate level. Kates also points out that the PAC system is a unique approach to general education requirements.

"The PAC system is a local invention of the faculty," Kates said. "It communicates to the world what [Pomona] values in an undergraduate curriculum."

Both Kates and current president Peter Stanley point out that when the PAC system was originally adopted, the faculty made it explicit in their decision that the requirements should be formally reevaluated in ten years time. As a result, Kates says that the current Curriculum Committee is in the preliminary stages of a formal evaluation process that will continue into next fall.

"President Oxtoby's instinct is exactly in sync with the original legislative decisions," said Stanley. "The idea was to give [the system] enough time to shake out and then get the quirks out."

While Oxtoby himself does not have a specific proposal, many other members of the community have ideas as to how the PAC system should be revamped. Stanley, for example, recognizes several "valid concerns" with the current system.

"Right from the beginning people thought the 'skill' approach was a problem and I don't think that has gone away," he said.

Stanley also points out that current PAC requirements, which necessitate that students pass ten courses in a variety of disciplines, make up a "really big chunk of a student's courses," and this presents an issue that should be addressed in the evaluation process.

Amongst faculty members, there is a consensus that reevaluating the PAC system is important for the future of the college. Sheila Pinkel, visual arts instructor and a member of the original committee who created the requirements, has several changes that she now envisions would make the system more effective. Pinkel sees a system where students could select two courses from each of the three established academic divisions of arts/humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

"This is a liberal arts college, not a technical school or an art college," Pinkel said. "I think that general education requirements force students to become aware of issues and to have capabilities in areas that they normally wouldn't educate themselves in. I do think that we might look at the spectrum of PACs and focus them better."

Student reaction is varied, with many recognizing the importance of the requirements that allow for a broad-based undergraduate education.

Freshman class president Galen Benshoof '06 sees general education requirements as essential in some form, but believes that a change in the current system couldn't hurt.

"I like the idea of being encouraged to take a wide variety of classes and subjects," Benshoof said, "but right now the system seems pretty stringent, with one's graduation dependent upon it."

Will Talbott '05 thinks that the PAC system, in its current form, has too many courses that do not correspond with the skill that the system is supposed to encompass.

"It's good that all Pomona students are being required to develop a core set of critical thinking skills, but I think the system might be better if classes were more explicit in developing those skills," he said.

According to Kates, as a part of the formal evaluation process, members of the Class of 2003 will have a chance to relate their experiences with the PAC system during senior exit surveys, scheduled to take place at the end of the school year. Furthermore, the Curriculum Committee, headed by Spanish professor Mary Coffey, will focus on establishing a more formal assessment structure, so that the evaluation of general education requirements can continue into the future.

Kates also points out that plans are being made for next fall to set up focus groups comprised of faculty and students with the intention of formally evaluating the PAC system, as it now exists. The Dean also stresses that the evaluation process will focus on evaluating the system rather than the courses themselves.

"In his first year, we will be able to provide Oxtoby with a detailed evaluation of the general education programs that include the PACs," said Kates. "From there the president, along with the deans and faculty can decide whether there is a need for a more formal evaluation."

More than anything, Oxtoby stresses his belief in the importance of a broad-based liberal arts education.

"A good education means exploring one area to a specific extent, but it also involves having a broad experience in a variety of fields," he said. "Depending on the student body, you can have a liberal arts education with and without large numbers of requirements."