The Student Council reacted a month ago. It unanimously approved "Tutorial at Harvard," the report of a subcommittee headed by Donald L. M. Blackmer '52. The Blackmer Report took the middle and expensive view. Seniors should receive individual thesis attention, it says, but the five man limit on the groups must remain.
A new feature of the Blackmer Report, not found in the two faculty proposals, is the heavy emphasis on essay writing as a part of a tutorial. The General Education Report had said:
". . . Tutorial discussion, particularly when combined with the writing and critical analysis fo essays, does more than give coherence to a particular field of study; it can also help to give a greatly increased breadth of view and maturity of judgment."
The Council echoed this sentiment, pointing out that upperclassmen at present have little chance to develop writing skill.
The Bender Report make three major provisions to carry out its non-honors tutorial program. First, that the present Dean's office be decentralized to the Houses, so that both in advising and in disciplinary matters, personal factors will be considered that cannot now receive attention.
Principles Generally Accepted
Second, the Bender Committee felt that each student should expect to take tutortial, and his work be evaluated. This measure would be in the form of a short comment and would not be used in reckoning academic standing.
Lastly, the report states that in assignment study topics for the groups, departments should allow tutors freedom to assign work fitting the interests of the group. However, broad departmental direction is deemed necessary to prevent either overspectalization or advance to following individual course lines.
These three proposals have been heartily approved in principle by the Student Council, the CRIMSON, and most of the faculty. Although some of the faculty have reservations concerning details of operation, eventual agreement seems likely.
Two kinds of obstacles seem to block the way of tutorial extension in certain of the five large departments. In one case it is actual shortage of money and teachers; in other cases departments feel they cannot afford to use time and energy on large-scale tutorial in preference to research, writing, and graduate work.
The History and Government departments present the most favorable picture: they are comparatively well-staffed and well-heeled. But most important, they are enthusiastic. The Government faculty, almost to a man, is willing to take on tutorial assignments. Only three or four senior professors refuse to tutor in History.
English and Economics Cool
Both English and Economics are long established, financially sound departments. But the senior men in each--for different reasons--are cool toward any all-out installation of group tutorial. The English Department has long offered individual instruction to all its Group-III-and-above men. In general, it tends to view and drastic change of this, in order to boost less promising non-honors men, as a move in the wrong direction. Further, only four of the senior professors can seem to find time for tutoring.
Economics, on the other hand, has had a sporadic tutorial record. But again, most of the senior men here are preoccupied outside of courses--either with research or government work.
The Social Relations Department is a special case. While great enthusiasm exists for closer faculty-student relations, a fairly large amount of money is still needed. This is because the department's budget has been unable to keep pace with the great increase in Social Relations concentrators over the past few years. Also, Social Relations always employs a large number of guest lecturers who can never tutor as well as permanent faculty members.
Prospects Good
Department - by - department glances show that the prospects for installing even the more expensive Blackmer plan are surprisingly good. A few professors have already offered to bracket one of their courses (giving it in alternate years) in order to devote more time to tutoring. If everyone shows this willingness, most of the problem will be solved.
The Provost also receives over $100,000 each year unrestricted from the Harvard Fund. While this money must cover many projects, tutorial for everyone seems to be high on the list.
Even if money and staffing problems can be solved, however, many faculty members still have one final reservation about the whole idea; they want a program which will be flexible enough to drop complete malcontents and to encourage promising underclassmen with individual attention.
Next year will be one of discussion and experimenting. But if all important differences are found out, the fall of 1953 will see the most significant improvement in the Harvard education since the war.