- You could look at the math content. There should have been almost none. PQ curves is it (and without equations, just pictures). And use $ for the price (not the too theoretical guns and butter). Note, I'm not saying this to dumb it down, I'm saying this because if you had a bunch of math, you are hiding the ideas.
Would say the same about 90%+ intro stats classes in that calculus should not be included. You don't need it to learn to "think statistically" as George Box would say. Similarly on econ and math content. You want your students to be able to "think economically" (recognize sunk cost fallacies, understand the different of a supply or demand shift of the curve versus movement along it, etc.) This is not a rare thing per se, but unfortunately poor economic thinking is also not rare even at the highest levels in companies (see confusion of economics and accounting all the time). Teach the kids to think economically and you are doing God's work (figuratively, no blasphemy intended).
Class should be all micro, no macro. This is a foundation you need before macro. And macro still tends to have a lot of places where it is fuzzy on how it works (and even politically charged). Supply and demand has been pretty clear since the Roman Empire. Your kids are not going to be implementing tax or Fed financy policy (in all likelihood). But almost everyone in their daily life will experience things where they need to make investment decisions (fix the AC or buy a new one, add a receptionist to your one man doctor's office or don't or join a group, etc. etc.)
R project? R project? [Said in the tone of Jim Mora's "playoffs?".] You don't need that. I wouldn't bother with it at a 100% boys school. (This is not cutting F=ma out of physics. It is cutting a not needed distraction.) But it's really not helping the spread the news cause here.
If you have to have a project, make it more like a Harvard business case study or something out of the newspaper. Or group projects or set of different ones. Or what have you. But not the R. Just no.
Remember in quantum mechanics (good) intro texts first teach things with normal equation writing BEFORE getting into bra ket operator funny looking things. It is hard to learn a new concept AND new notation at the same time. And you're gonna make them do R? When kids are dropping like flies from your class? Just no.
I don't know R NOW and I function just fine in the business world doing strategy, valuations for M&A, etc. etc. I could learn it if I needed to, but I feel no "lack" from not having it.
