The Tufts Daily recently broke the news that minor programs in cognitive and brain sciences (CBS) and linguistics, which are housed under the philosophy department, have been paused for an undetermined amount of time. According to the decision, students who declared the minor before Dec. 15, 2015 are permitted to continue their studies. New enrollment has been halted, however.
While relatively few students pursue the two minors, the interests of the few, not only in the aforementioned academic disciplines but also in other fields, must not be discounted. One way to enable students to pursue these subjects is to increase opportunities for cross-registration and students' access to advising resources at nearby colleges, which have stronger programs in CBS and linguistics.
Tufts' current policies regarding cross-registration allow 20 Tufts students to study at Boston University, Brandeis or Boston College during the fall and spring semesters.Only one class per semester may be taken off campus, totaling up to two classes for each student per year. Furthermore, cross-registration is not allowed during the summer session. These limits ought to be expanded to allow students to cross-register for more classes off campus during both the academic year and summer sessions. The academic policies should cater to the intellectual needs of such a diverse student population as the Jumbo community by providing students more class options and access to advising resources in these academic disciplines that are currently not available at Tufts. For instance, Boston University has majors in both neuroscience and linguistics, with faculty drawn from many departments. As such, students who had previously considered a minor degree in linguistics and CBS will still be able to pursue this minor with cross-registration. Therefore, changing cross-registration regulations will enable students to have more flexibility when making academic plans and freedom to pursue their interests in multiple disciplines.
Additionally, financial aid for cross-registration should be instituted to allow students to study at other universities. According to the Tufts Student Bulletin for 2015-2016, “there is no exchange of fees” for classes taken at nearby universities. If costs are higher at peer schools, the administration should take steps to subsidize students’ ability to pursue their programs of study. This policy would enable students receiving financial aid at Tufts, especially those adversely affected by the pause in CBS and linguistics minors, to fulfill their studies without having to pay in full for each class.
Changing cross-registration policies will allow Tufts to benefit from the greater collaboration with other institutions in the Greater Boston area. In addition, financial aid and advising must be stepped up to explore the possibility of continuing the minor programs through allowances for cross-registration. Expanding opportunities and resources to cater to students' various academic pursuits will encourage a greater passion for learning among students. This will make Tufts a more competitive institution, which is able to adapt to the ever-changing scholastic and corporate world.
