What’s it like to sit in a classroom at Carleton fifty years later?
It’s fun! In April 2014, I had the opportunity to spend the day visiting classes and talking with Carleton faculty and students. I was on campus as part of our 50th Reunion planning and took the time to check out what Carleton is like today. I was impressed with the high quality of the teaching I observed and with the intense engagement of the students with their instructors.
Professor Matt Rand of the Biology Department gave a lecture on the regulation of insulin production by the beta cells of the pancreas to a large (~90 students) introductory biology course. Professor Rand provided a detailed description of the intracellular signaling pathways that detect variations in plasma glucose levels leading to changes in insulin production. He used state of the art power point slides along with chalk board elaboration of particular points. I was impressed with both the clarity of Professor Rand’s lecture and with the insightful questions raised by numerous students throughout the lecture. Professor Rand called out the names of all students (at least 15 over an hour) who raised questions and he provided succinct, upbeat answers to all questions.
I also heard Professor Stephan Zweifel give a lecture in his upper level genetics course to ~40 students. The topic of the lecture was mechanisms that lead to genetic parent of origin effects on morphological and behavioral phenotypes. Again, Professor Zweifel gave a skilled power point lecture on the topic, with amusing asides about inter species barriers to successful reproduction. He interrupted his lecture at one point to ask groups of three-to-four students to consult among themselves to formulate answers to questions posed in the lecture. He then polled all of the groups for their answers (again, calling on numerous students by name).
Both of the Biology lectures I visited represent the very best college teaching, based both on scientific content and pedagogy. I was also able to spend an hour meeting with seven undergraduate students who conduct research in the laboratory of Professor Sarah Meerts of the Carleton Psychology Deptartment. By chance, I happen to be a biologist (at Boston University) who has conducted research in the area of behavioral neuroendocrinology, the general topic of Professor Meerts’ work (she is specifically interested in the mechanisms whereby sex steroid hormones augment the function of brain circuits controlling sexual motivation and mating behavior in female rats). Each of the students with whom I met was able to explain their specific contributions to various experiments being conducted in the Meerts laboratory. We had a lively exchange of views on several of the studies they described. I note that several of these students were listed as co-authors on journal publications with Professor Meerts, and had also attended national meetings where they presented their work in ‘poster’ sessions.
Both the formal classroom teaching received by as well as the laboratory research experiences afforded to current Carleton students impressed me as being of the highest standard—what we would expect at a first-rate liberal arts college. As we approach our 50th Reunion celebration, I am confident that Carleton continues to deserve our financial support. I urge all of our classmates to give generously to the college in honor of our milestone reunion, and consider becoming a member of the Heywood Society by including Carleton in their Will and/or making another type of deferred gift. You can learn more about how to join the Heywood Society here.
Mike Baum (co-chair, Class of 1965 50th Reunion Gift Committee)