Christina Domenico | So close you can almost taste it

Random selection is no friend of mine. I've been signing up for preceptorials since I was a freshman, and I have yet to be among the chosen few in the small, non-credit courses that get lauded as a major selling point for the University. My first disappointment came after I registered for a Harry Potter discussion in 2005, and I don't expect to land a spot in wine or cheese tasting this semester.

But hope is on the horizon (for underclassmen, I mean). The preceptorials committee has worked to create more offerings this year, with more next year and (even better) plans to revamp the enrollment process. So if you're hoping to finally visit the Morris Arboretum or sample cheeses at Tria in the future, chances are that you'll have a better shot at doing so.

While the traditional perception of the program seems based on pure luck, the next few semesters should provide an answer to what the student body wants. And it's about time. This year's roundup includes some of the University's most well-known administrators and professors - including University President Amy Gutmann, College Dean Rebecca Bushnell and Communication professor David Eisenhower.

I sat down with College junior Danny Fein, chairman of the Preceptorials Committee, to discuss the past, present and future of preceptorials at Penn. Traditionally, the group held less than 20 of the seminars per semester, each requiring a budget that paid for a field trip or other materials. Starting this semester, however, each member of the committee plans two events - one with associated costs and one that's run for free. The free preceptorials will take the form of lectures, which not only cover interesting and diverse topics, but also accommodate more students.

What's apparent is that on the preceptorials Web site the number of offerings has jumped up to 37, nearly twice that of years past. That increase translates to about 1,000 more spots for students to fill, Fein said.

Although that's still not going to accommodate a majority of undergrads (especially for the wine and cheese preceptorials), it's taking a step in the right direction. Student requests for preceptorials have nearly doubled since the fall semester, thanks to an improved marketing campaign and more seminars. Next year, the committee hopes to hold 60 preceptorials to better accommodate interested students.

And that's an incredibly welcome change. Any student who's picked up the Princeton Review's book of the country's best colleges has read about preceptorials as a selling point for Penn (at least, it was four years ago), despite the fact that at the time the program was relatively small. But most people register, and it ends there.

"The preceptorials committee, the UA and the student body all want the same thing - a lot of preceptorials, with great value and great professors," Fein told me.

In spite of the added preceptorials, the flagship event is still Wine Tasting, which has faced considerable criticism in the past year due to the sky-high budget that it previously required. Only 25 senior hopefuls get the opportunity to meet with three professors about the art of wine.

"It's a fantastic preceptorial," Fein said. "It could be a waste, but we have three amazing professors who come back every year. And the students become friends, which is weird for second-semester seniors. Last year, the students organized a fourth session to hone their skills."

Although it's disappointing that many of the programs (especially this one) are so small, there's something to be said for the intimate size. Fein points out an element of traditional preceptorials that often gets overlooked - the power to bring together students who would never meet under normal circumstances.

One improvement that the committee is working on - which they should definitely follow through with - is restructuring the enrollment process. Right now, the random selection system used through Penn InTouch results in some students enrolling in multiple seminars and others who never enjoy the same luxury. In the future, the committee can hopefully prioritize enrollees based on their level of interest.

While it's still unlikely that I'll get into wine tasting (Hi, Danny!), these improvements bode well. But if the choice comes down to prioritizing wine over cheese - well, that's a choice you'll have to make.

Christina Domenico is a College senior from North Wildwood, N.J. The Undersized Undergrad appears on Tuesdays. Her email address is domenico@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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