The Open Curriculum Is Not Dead

tivized to take the easiest classes they could and use a pass-fail option for anything below an A. The new policy, having removed the class rank requirement, takes away this perverse incentive within our curricular system and allows students to take more risks.

Advancing Equity

The old Latin honors policy made it much harder for students from underrepresented backgrounds to graduate with honors. First-generation and/or low-income students, for example, who come to Amherst having yet to become accustomed to

by Quinn Nelson

the workings of elite institutions, were at a distinct disadvantage. While their peers are more likely to arrive at Amherst with a solid sense of what it takes to succeed, many first-gen students, through no fault of their own, struggle to achieve the sense of ease their privileged peers have

— sometimes resulting in them having worse first-year grades. This, previously, may have been enough to rule them out of gaining honors.

The new policy makes graduating with honors all the more accessible, ensuring students who make mistakes have great- er legroom to achieve in spite of them. It should be praised not only in this respect, but for all the reasons I’ve given above. It’s time we as students stop lamenting the death of the open curriculum, and welcome this progressive change to our academic structure.