The Class of 1987 took its studies seriously as a record number of seniors will receive their degrees summa cum laude, officials said yesterday.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) last night voted to award summa degrees to 78 members of the graduating class, Secretary of the Faculty John R. Marquand said.

"The departments recommended a large number of candidates and they were very high quality recommendations," he said.

The previous record was 69 summa degrees. Only 62 members of the Class of 1986 graduated with highest honors, said Registrar Margaret E. Law.

Law said that the high number of summa candidates may be attributable tothe fact that the requirements for highest honorsare in flux.

In the past, students had to earn an "A" or "Aminus" in a full course or two half courses in thethree areas of human knowledge--natural sciences,social sciences and the humanities. The Facultyvoted in 1984 to drop the distributionrequirements, but it raised the minimum gradepoint average.

The Faculty also voted to create a transitionperiod, so this year's summa candidateswere judged by whichever criteria was morefavorable. The same rules will also apply to nextyear's graduating class.

But Marquand said, "My own view is that [thetwo criteria rule] did not add more than a fewcandidates. It's a very strong class.