Undergraduate students taking advantage of Fletcher offerings

Undergraduate interaction with the Fletcher school is increasing, with younger students taking graduate level courses and a new mentoring program between Fletcher students and women in the IR program.

The number of undergraduates taking classes at Fletcher has set "no set pattern." But the figure is generally between ten and 15 students per semester, according to Fletcher's Registrar Manager Nora Moser. Fletcher cannot have a significant number of undergraduates in their classes as "there is no space," she said.

Only upperclassmen may enroll, since they will be studying with students who are usually older and "whose experience is much more significant," Moser said.

She stressed that the enrollment decision is up to the student and the faculty member. Students have to make a good case of their reasons for enrollment in a Fletcher course. The faculty member then accepts or rejects the proposal.

Fletcher does not accept petition forms ahead of time, though the undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) has pre-registration.

Taking Fletcher classes as an undergraduate may or may not help when applying to Fletcher in the future. "It's one small factor of your application," Moser said. She speculated, however, that an undergraduate's performance could bear an influence on the admissions decision.

Fletcher Professor Laurent Jacque, who has two undergraduate students in his class 'Foundations in Financial Accounting and Corporate Finance', said he does not "put constraints on their joining he course." Jacque said "They are doing fine, working very hard, and holding their own against graduates."

Jacque is willing to admit undergraduate students again into his class in the future, but they must "be able to articulate clearly why they want to enroll in a graduate level class before I approve their petition," he said.

Jay Meattle, an undergraduate senior in Jacque's class, said that the enrollment process is not very difficult. "It was actually really easy to get into, all that's required is the professor's signature, and as long as the professor agrees to have you sit in, it's fine."

Meattle said that some of the benefits of taking a class at Fletcher are the interactions between graduate and undergraduate students. "In terms of classes there, the good thing is that since everyone is a grad student and everyone has two or three years work experience, it's a big advantage," he said. "At least 25 percent of the class has worked for a bank or have worked in the industry, and the kind of questions they come up with are really relevant and at a high level."

Professor Ayesha Jalal, who holds a dual appointment at Fletcher and in the History Department in the School of Arts and Sciences, teaches 'Islam in the West' at Fletcher. Three to five undergraduate students are enrolled in the class.

Jalal said her teaching appointment in the History department is one of the main reasons why undergraduates take interest in her Fletcher class. "They have either taken my classes or heard my name before," Jalal said.

While Fletcher students make up the overwhelming majority in her class, Jalal accepts undergraduates based on their interest in the subject. Some of them have written "fairly good papers," she said.

"They have to be seniors. Sometimes juniors, but they do have their own peril. It is a high-level course. It is catered to graduate students," Jalal said. She stressed that she does not compromise the level of the class for undergraduate students.

Jalal sometimes accepts undergraduates into her Fletcher class if the class is not offered in the History Department. She often finds it hard to refuse an interested and qualified undergraduate student, though she has turned away "over a dozen" this semester. She will not begin accepting undergraduate students for her Fletcher class next semester, 'Contemporary South Asia,' until the semester begins.

Some students are trying to bridge the gap between undergraduate and graduate education. Sybil Paukert and Dipali Mukhopadhyay started the Global Women Mentoring Program this year when they noticed there were a lot of women in the undergraduate International Relations (IR) program.

"Global Women is looking at outreach opportunities, looking specifically for ways to help other women," Paukert said. Paukert recalled that when she was an undergraduate herself, she lacked a good understanding of career options in the IR field.

"We have now experienced working in different jobs in international relations fields.We wanted to help the Tufts undergrads explore the career plans, to help them make an informed choice," Paukert said.

According to their professional and regional interests, one Fletcher woman will be matched up with one undergraduate to facilitate the mentoring process. The pairs will meet at monthly meetings where presentations and talks will be given on Fletcher women's experiences.

Mentors and undergrads are also encouraged to meet outside of the meetings to better acquaint themselves with each other. "I think that by getting to know each other on a personal level, this will reduce some of the animosity that has been going on," said Paukert. "I look forward to facilitating the interaction between Fletcher students and undergraduates."

Global Women held their first meeting last Thursday, Nov. 20, with thirty to forty women present.

Ermioni Sokou, a second-year Fletcher student and a participating mentor, said the undergraduates seemed "very interested" in the program. "The undergrads look up to Fletcher students. They know that people who come to Fletcher have a lot of experience," she said.

Sokou decided to participate in the program out of good will. "I used to be an undergrad too," Sokou said. "I don't mind having undergrads in the Fletcher space. I think they are willing to learn."