The chairman of the Visual and Environmental Studies department said yesterday that the department plans to open admission to all undergraduates and offer a non-honors option to all concentrators beginning this year, subject to the approval of Dean Rosovsky and the Faculty Council.
Since the department began accepting undergraduate concentrators in 1968, students have had to apply for admission to the honors-only department. About 30 concentrators are accepted each year, Robert G. Gardner '48, chairman of the department, said yesterday.
At a meeting Wednesday members of the Visual Studies faculty voted 9-1 to submit a proposal for both open admissions and a non-honors option to the Faculty Council for approval.
No Deterioration Expected
The changes would allow students now in the department to forgo the present honors-only program of courses, which includes junior and senior tutorials with a thesis or project to be completed senior year.
Arthur Loeb, head tutor for the department, said concentrators could elect to replace the four half-courses of tutorial with other departmental courses.
Neither he nor Gardner believe the relaxed admission policy would result in significant changes in the size of the department, or lead to deterioration in the quality of undergraduate education the department offers.
Tight Money
Loeb said he believes the changes could substantially "upgrade" the honors program in Visual Studies, "by providing more for those who do decide to write theses."
The Visual Studies department has each year given money to seniors to defray expenses of their thesis projects. Although this year's total amounted to $2000 for about 30 seniors, many students said yesterday these funds are insufficient.
However, Gardner said he expects the introduction of a non-honors option to reduce the number of honors candidates, even if there is slight increase in the department's enrollment.
Open admission to the department would also free "hundreds of faculty hours" now spent on a "hardly fool-proof" admissions process, Gardner said.
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