Asking about precept is like asking about jaywalking: awkward, exhilarating, scary, satisfactory. We can all admit that we arrive to precept on a sliding scale of preparedness: entering with a typewritten outline of main points and an argument, glancing quickly at the end of an article to find the conclusions or hoping the preceptor shows up late.
The preceptorial system was loosely based on the tutorial systems of universities in the United Kingdom. As I enter my fourth week here, I want to reflect on how similar and different these two systems are.
Tutorials here are both terrifying and refreshing. I’ll focus specifically on my first tutorial for a history class. As we settled into class, we all introduced ourselves and our background in the subject. The professor then simply asked, “Who did all the readings?”
I was stunned. It is expected at Princeton that we have read everything, and, we assume that if you have not read, you will comment anyway to save your participation grade. The result is a hit-or-miss discussion that frustrates both students and preceptors. In a tellingly cheesy brochure about precept titled “Inspired Conversations,”former University President Robert F. Goheen ’40 commented, “Discrimination between ‘bull’ and serious mindwork is certainly an essential task for the preceptor.” We all know precept often does not do justice to its lofty goals of “active engagement” and “vigorous intellectual interchange.”
Back to England. My professor specified each author from the syllabus and noted who had read each book or article. After seeing a few others raise their hands, I shyly raised mine, feeling confident that I had prepared enough for this first class. The professor then proceeded to facilitate the discussion asking specific textual questions to those who raised their hands. (I felt grateful that I had not exaggerated.) If she accidentally asked a question to someone who had not read a certain article, the student would immediately admit that he was unable to comment.
In the tutorial system, the professor distinguishes “core readings” and “suggested readings.” This is especially helpful in making the discussion productive; the students know exactly which pieces will be discussed at length, and which to read if one desires a deeper understanding.
This honest environment — both of students feeling open to admit how much they have read, and of professors acknowledging how much reading is possible per week by distinguishing the most important pieces — fosters a highly productive discussion. I have learned from my classmates, and those who are unprepared do not have to spend time worrying if the professor will call them out, or if they will have to braid a comment from the crumbs of skimming. As grades do not depend on “participation points,” students are incentivized to come to tutorial prepared with questions they actually want to ask their peers, and professors are incentivized to lead a discussion that will deepen their understanding, instead of constantly checking the quality or quantity of each student’s contributions.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not possible to pass a class in the United Kingdom without reading, nor is tutorial an opportunity for a few to command the conversation. On the contrary, almost all students come prepared with questions and short analyses, and the atmosphere feels more dynamic than any precept I’ve experienced in my time at the University. After that first particular tutorial, the professor asked two of the students who did not read to prepare a five-minute presentation of the next week’s readings.
Princeton precepts often fall into a rhythm: certain students who dominate discussion on the first day of class are then expected to spark it for the next 11 weeks. It is unclear, even for preceptors I have spoken with, how exactly they are expected to grade students. Preceptors complete a short training session, but for the most part, the grading and structuring process remains equivocal on both sides.
Students in the past have written about restructuring precept, changing the grading systemandincluding short quizzesin precepts. Even Urban Dictionary has noticed: It defines precept as a “generally useless discussion section for a class at Princeton University.”
Precept, as a concept, is motivating: putting one expert in a room with 11 aspiring experts is a chance for us to change and challenge our understanding of a particular topic. Whether the solution is eliminating grades or changing the structure of precept, I think the change should start with us.
If we, as students, can foster a supportive atmosphere where it is okay to admit to not reading, we all benefit from less precept anxiety. If we, as students, ask our preceptors to be more clear about grading expectations, we can step farther away from unproductive discussions based on quantity of comments. If we, as students, admit we are unable to comment about something, we will all learn more from deeper discussions based on analyses from peers who have read.
Precept is of the students, by the students and for the students, and is a significant part of our academic experience here. Like us, it has great potential for success. If we want to shift the system toward more honest and interesting discussions, we must start with ourselves.
Azza Cohen is a history major fromHighland Park, Ill. She can be reached at accohen@princeton.edu.
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