The Faculty of Arts and Sciences, at its first meeting of the year yesterday heard its Dean predict "a new era in Harvard history" in which the "malaise and divisiveness of the past" are over and the University's "reserves of recuperative power," including such forces as its sense of humor, will be "in the ascendancy."

Dean Dunlop then painted a bleak picture of the Faculty's financial situation. Dunlop said that "strong measures"-including a reduction-will be needed to prevent a "far too large" $15 million deficit in the Faculty's budget next year-even with a $200 a year tuition increase.

In other action, the Faculty:

tabled a proposal to give credit for Advanced Placement exams and modify the sophomore standing program. The Faculty had postponed a decision on the motion last May. It was tabled yesterday at the request of Dean May, who had originally proposed it. May said it was only planned to have been an interim measure during a full-scale review of the AP program.

discussed but did not vote on a curriculum reform proposal which would allow students with special interests not available under existing departments and committees to set up their own concentration program.

Stanley Hoffmann, professor of Government, expressed concern that taking such minor steps might damage a larger curriculum reform effort. David Reisman, Ford Professor of the Social Sciences and member of the Committee on Undergraduate Education, replied that the CUE's concerns were "every bit as cosmic" as Hoffmann's and that "this miniscule reform" will not better that committee's larger efforts.

The Faculty also heard from Roger