The principle of five-man group tutorial for everyone except honors seniors is fine as a general guide. But the planners of any new system must bear in mind that there are some juniors and seniors who merit individual attention, while there are others who will be comparative misfits. While funds are limited, any program should be flexible enough to drop the dullard and encourage the good student.

Two final controversial features of the Council proposals deserve consideration: tutorial content and grading. As the Blackmer Report points out, the present content of tutorial in several departments is either overspecialized or aimless. Any new program should allow tutors freedom to assign work fitting the individual interests of each group. But it should also receive broad departmental direction to insure that the work cuts across course lines.

As for grading a student's work in tutorial, many feel that this is necessary to insure that assignments are not neglected in the face of other academic pressures. While some written comment at the end of the year is undoubtedly desirable as a check on both student and tutor, we agree with the Blackmer Report that the application of letter grades to tutorial would be more harm than good.

"While tutorial should be as important as any other course in the undergraduate scale of values, this must be achieved without sacrificing the spirit of informality that characterizes good tutorial. . . . Closer personal involvement through the discussions and papers will in itself be a powerful stimulus that the graded lecture course ordinarily lacks."

Bi-weekly meetings should be at least two hours long; where possible student and tutor should be from the same House; and the tutor should be capable of advising as well as tutoring--these are all principles which everyone agrees should be carried out given adequate funds and manpower.

The Student Council's plan can became a large first step in bringing the faculty in closer contact with non-honors men in the five large departments. It deserves quick, decisive action. The problem of staffing and financing this program will be the subject of tomorrow's editorial on tutorial for all.