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| Professor Steve Phipps pours champagne at the wine tasting preceptorial in 2004. (Geoff Robinson/DP) |
Each semester since I arrived at Penn, I have tried to take a preceptorial. But I’ve still never been to a preceptorial.
I’ve come to learn that the preceptorial system is ludicrous. Here’s why:
This semester, my final semester at Penn, I am particularly irate. Many of my close friends and I signed up for the wine tasting preceptorial. And boy was I excited when I registered on Penn in Touch and the course appeared on my schedule.
But yesterday, I received and email from the preceptorial committee informing that I was on the waitlist for the course.
Yup, I was PO’d when I got this. My housemates were also waitlisted.
College senior Mandeep Kalra, head of the preceptorial committee told me in an email interview that that there were 20 spots available in this preceptorial for the 900 people who signed up. This means that there are 880 people on the waitlist. That translates into 880 pissed off seniors, about 1/3 of the class!
But budget constraints don’t necessarily limit the number of students able to enroll in preceptorials. According to Mandeep, the budget for this year was $20,000 and will hopefully increase in the future.
What irritates me even more than the fact that I didn’t get into the class is that Penn In Touch didn’t tell me that the class was full. All semester I planned to spend my Wednesdays in March sipping wine (during spring break for starters, and continuing upon return to Penn. Registration for preceptorials should operate like regular registration — you should find out immediately whether the class is full or not.
Maybe we shouldn’t all be bitter- there’s still room in the knitting preceptorial for any interested parties.
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February 14th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Can you please write about something with significance. I swear to god if the next article is about your roommate leaving the toilet seat up I am going to find you and kick you in the groin. It is a FREE CLASS ON WINE TASTING if you want to go to college for wine tasting go to a culinary school.
February 14th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I am a freshman, and this fall I enrolled in and attended all three of the preceptorials I wanted. None were canceled, and all were extremely interesting. Sorry about your luck.
February 14th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
Dear Stephen,
I sincerely believe that you are being impartial on your claims against Preceptorials.
First, if you signed for Preceptorials during all semesters since you got to Penn and did not get it, I am sorry to tell you, but it is a matter of lack of luck.
Second, how can you claim that it is Preceptorials’ choice to increase the number of students attending the wine tasting when there isn’t enough money to do so? Of course, there is U$20,000, however, please don’t forget that this money is to meet the ENTIRE student body demand for ONE YEAR. In other words, the money has to last for about 70 Preceptorials.
Or perhaps you believe that the entire budget should be spent on your interests. Who knows…
Hope you drive your efforts next time towards asking for a great budget to this group — maybe this way a vast number of seniors can enjoy wine tasting.
February 14th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Professors ask for no more than about 20 students in a preceptorial…can you imagine a wine preceptorial with 100 people? That would be chaotic. Oh and by the way…there are FIVE knitting preceptorials since it is so popular. Some time slots are more advantageous than others and that is why some sections were underenrolled while others were overenrolled. Good job not reporting all the relevant facts.
February 14th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
I agree with what everyone else has said here. Also, I would like to add that it says explicitly on the website and in any e-mail notifications sent out about signing up for preceptorials that having it appear on Penn InTouch does NOT mean that you are registered for the class. So please, stop acting so damn entitled.
February 22nd, 2007 at 4:48 pm
You’re a douchebag, not even one of those cool douchebags with the flipped collars, but one of those who sucks members but doesn’t have the balls to admit it.
February 22nd, 2007 at 4:53 pm
If you’re so excited about sipping wine, why don’t you just hook up with a hobo?
February 27th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
You are truly a moron.