Following in the footsteps of CS 106A, enrollment in CHINLIT18N: Hints of Homosexuality in Daoist Literature has more than doubled since last autumn, according to the latest statistics from the Registrar’s Office. The course, which had two students in 2010, currently has five students enrolled with one shopping. Professor Sheila Cheung said that she is thrilled with the dramatically increased interest in her class. “I think this is a sign of greater intellectual trends at Stanford. It seems like Chinese Literature is sexy again.” Cheung continued, “With this type of exponential growth, I predict that 72% of Stanford students will be majoring or minoring in Chinese Literature by 2016.”
The increased enrollment has introduced a number of logistical challenges. For example, the course location had to be switched from 460-307, a classroom with a small square table and four chairs, to 460-308, a classroom with a slightly larger rectangular table and eight chairs. “It’s a good thing the university was able to accommodate our larger size so quickly,” said Rebecca Farmworth, a student in the class.
Along with the other faculty member in the Chinese Literature department, Professor Cheung is working tirelessly to ensure that the enrollment spike does not cause a decline in the quality of education. “I don’t want the class to feel like an impersonal factory,” said Professor Cheung. “I am doing everything in my power to make sure that none of these students feel like another indistinguishable face in the crowd.”
