Reply to Middlebury Suffering with larger class sizes and enrollment

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Unsurprising with the recent issues pertaining to a deficit, but this is still sad to see by an elite liberal arts college with the competitive advantage of an intimate educational setting. Potentially this could affect higher-tier LACs like Amherst, Pomona, or Swarthmore?
Source:[url]https://www.middleburycampus.com/article/2025/11/save-small-class-sizes[/url][/quote]

Wow. this is not what I expected of a LAC.

"The college proudly boasts our 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and our average class size of 16 on its website and on every tour. [b]But this has not been reflective of our Middlebury experience for years, and the college announced in the spring that it is raising its target enrollment[/b] to balance its budget."

"[b]Some have been asked to bring their own chairs[/b], cramming into rooms not meant to accommodate so many people. This is an especially prevalent issue in increasingly popular departments, and not enough has been done to resolve the issue."[/quote]

Ugh, who would want only nine students in a class?  Or even 16?  How incredibly dull.[/quote]

Have you ever been taught in a class of 9-16? It's a very different dynamic than a 200-person lecture and you engage a lot. It's anything but dull. More active than passive. If you haven't experienced it too much, it can feel awkward but if you have 4 years of it, you're much better off.[/quote]

Once again, there's a vast middle ground between a class of nine people and a 200-person lecture.  And yes, I did have a class of about ten when I was in college ([b]thankfully, it was only one class[/b]) and found it unbearably boring.  [/quote]

Yes that's what I expected. As I wrote earlier, if you haven't experienced it much, it can feel awkward initially but if you have 4 years of small classes you get to be a much more active participant in your material and learning and you engage more with your professor and peers intellectually. But I agree, it's hard to adjust if n=1 [b]as*[/b] in your experience.[/quote]

typo! meant to type "is" (not as).[/quote]

ugh typo again! I'm typing this with dilated eyes due to an unexpected eye issue. I meant to type:

"[b]But I agree, it's hard to adjust (to a small class size) if n=1 is your only experience.[/b]"

Sorry.[/quote]

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