VSA issues referendum on correlate sequences, minors

During the Open Discussion at the April 25 Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council, VSA Vice Presidents for Operations and Academics Brian Farkas '10 and Stephanie Damon-Moore '11 announced that the VSA would be sending out a referendum to the student body which aims to solicit opinions on a possible change from changing the term "correlate sequence" to a "minor."

Citing the reasoning that most students at Vassar use the terms interchangeably, the Vice Presidents used the referendum clause introduced into the bylaws of the VSA last year by 2009-10 VSA President Caitlin Ly '10.

While appreciative of Vassar's need to be unique, Farkas expressed a need to limit Vassar's uniqueness in support of changing the name.

"There are some cases where Vassar is unique in a positive way, and other cases where Vassar is unique in a not-so-positive way. This falls into the latter category. Our use of the unusual term "correlate sequence" does little more than confuse prospective students and potential employers. Current students do not really see a difference between minors and correlates, and use the terms interchangeably. Although [Damon-Moore] and I understand the argument of some faculty members that correlates and minors are different, we see no reason why Vassar can't simply define the term ‘minor' for itself. That way, we can use the more well-known term, while maintaining the same substantive academic program," wote Farkas in an e-mailed statement.

"In my mind, the value of the referendum is to inform the VSA's treatment of the minor v. correlate question. Although I personally think that Vassar would be just fine using the term minor and having our own definition for the term ‘minor' rather than our own term for the set of six courses (‘correlate'), I'm interested in gauging the feelings of the general student body," wrote Damon-Moore in an e-mailed statement.

Offering the faculty's perspective, Damon-Moore reports that that the Committee on Curricular Policies feels that "the use of the term ‘correlate' has substantial pedagogical value," continuing that if this is true, she wishes that "the student body be let in on it." This pedagogical view lies in the fact that certain programs have various areas on which students can center their studies. For example, a "minor" in economics would differ from a "correlate sequence" in economics in that the latter will clarify, to a degree, what the student's area of study was.

Referring to the ultimate fate of the referendum, Damon-Moore said, "We're not fooling ourselves that the referendum will result in immediate and decisive change—this is not something students are allowed to control—but I hope that it will either send a message to the faculty that the use of ‘correlate' ought to be either presented more explicitly or switched to minor, or send a message to the VSA that students appreciate the term and would like to see it stick around."

"Either way, I'm looking forward to getting direct student input on something; even if it's something most people consider a minor issue. Pun intended," concluded Damon-Moore.

The referendum was e-mailed to all Vassar Students by the VSA on April 27 in the form of an online survey due Wednesday, April 28.