Last fall, Harvard expanded its entry-level math offerings, with a new version of its introductory calculus course that meets five days a week instead of the usual four. Students are given a skills test to determine whether they need the extended course, Kelly said.
The extra time each week is devoted to reviewing algebra skills to make the calculus more accessible, Kelly said. The No. 1 challenge for students in calculus is command of algebra because the knowledge has sometimes faded, he added. “The extra support will target foundational skills in algebra, geometry, and quantitative reasoning that will help you unlock success,” the class description says.
The Harvard Crimson student newspaper wrote an article about the new offering in September, saying that it was “aimed at rectifying a lack of foundational algebra skills,” without noting that it is a calculus course.
Fast forward to March 18, when Marc Porter Magee, the head of an educational advocacy organization, posted the Crimson article on X, writing: “Meanwhile, for the first time in its history Harvard has been forced to offer a remedial algebra course to its undergrads.”
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A ProPublica editor is defending Harvard against a Trump administration accusation that the school’s own student reporting suggests is accurate.
Democrats (and journalists) defend elite institutions at their political & professional peril.
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more.
Harvard PR: “We are not teaching a remedial math class, we are simply remediating math in a class. There is a huge difference between the two you would understand if you went to Harvard.”
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Is it fair to call it remedial? That’s all semantics. WSJ and Harvard’s Director of Introductory Math says no, but it’s clearly intended for Ivy League students who aren’t prepared for a standard semester-long Calculus I course, so I think that description is apt
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