While speculations and schemes for curricular revolution are rising around the University, the Program of Advanced Standing is emerging from its experimental phase and is settling into a regular and respected role in the College's academic system.

The Advanced Standing Program is the faculty's approach of "progressive moderation" toward eliminating some of the disadvantages which a course system for 4,500 students can impose on the more qualified individual. From the Office of Advanced Standing upstairs in University Hall, director Harlan P. Hanson coordinates the four loosely connected plans which make up the program. Each of its facets, early admission, sophomore standing, advanced placement, and course reduction, is intended to contribute to a more challenging program for the student.

The Well-Prepared Freshman

Sophomore standing, early admission and advanced placement center around the better prepared freshmen. Because they have completed college-level courses in high school, some incoming students are able to enter the sophomore class, and a few qualified juniors have been able to skip their last year of high school. The early admission and sophomore standing programs eliminate from high school or college a year which the Office of Advanced Standing feels would be wasteful in educational value.

The advanced placement plan, which affects many more students, is not concerned with admission procedure. The program enables those freshmen with strong backgrounds in one or two fields to take upper level courses in these subjects. Besides enabling the freshman to enroll in more advanced courses, advanced placement carries the Office's vague encouragement to him to work for course reduction in his junior and senior years.

The course reduction program is the only part of the Advanced Standing system which is unique to the College's curriculum. While early admission and advanced placement criteria are determined in conjunction with the high schools or the College Entrance Examination Board, only juniors and seniors are eligible for course reduction.

The plan itself is Harvard's nebulous answer to the problem of independent study. With the approval of his department and the Advanced Standing Office, a student can obtain a reduction of up to two courses in his program in order to do independent research or take increased tutorial.

Projects Outside the Major Field

Supposedly, course reduction need not be used only to explore one's own field of concentration. A science major can request course reduction in order to do a special project in English which interests him. In these cases, however, while the student's own department may approve the course reduction, the department in which the student would like to do research is sometimes reluctant to grant approval to someone outside the field.

While there are only 20 students in the program this semester--the largest groups being in history and literature and social relations--when members of the class of '60 become juniors there will probably be a sizable increase. For the 130 freshmen who qualified for advanced placement this past year were notified by Hanson that they were "particularly eligible" to apply for course reduction if they became honors candidates.

Advanced placement in any field will carry equal weight when Hanson's office makes the final decision on a course reduction plan. Preliminary approval, however, must first be obtained from the head tutor in the department. While holding advanced placement gives one special consideration in the Office of Advanced Standing, is does not theoretically influence the decision of the department. Since Hanson's office is inclined to approve of course reduction programs anyway, the fact that one holds Advanced Placement is not crucially significant.

There is no formula for determining whether a student can qualify for course reduction in the various fields. The chief requisites are an outstanding departmental record, a favorable tutorial report and a desire to work in a field in which no formal courses are offered.

Sophomore standing will give the history department a "predisposition" toward granting advanced standing May says. The department will also look with special favor on advanced standing sophomores who plan to stretch their program out to four years. For those students presenting advanced placement credit in history the department would be "inclined" to regard course reduction plans favorably. Advanced Placement, however, according to May, will not give the student any measurable advantage over one whose work within the department has been of high quality.

Holding advanced placement will not influence the history and literature department in considering course reduction says Kenneth Lynn '45, head tutor. Only the student's college record and the proposed subject for research will be considered.

Differing Opinions on Purpose