Students and Faculty criticized many recommendations of the Core Review Committee when it released its working paper in February. The only part of the paper no one refuted was the proposal to add a quantitative reasoning field to the Core.

As a result, it will probably become official policy, either at the second Faculty meeting in May, or next fall.

The proposal replaces the QRR test with a quantitative field in the Core, but has a second provision that would not increase the overall number of requirements.

Students, Faculty and alumni agree that the quantitative reasoning requirement currently mandatory for all first-years, the QRR test, does not demand a high enough level of knowledge of statistics.

They say undergraduates need to develop strong quantitative skills because computers, polls, studies and statistics are everywhere in today's world.

William H. Bossert '59, Arnold professor of science, says he is opposed to the Core in general but believes that a quantitative component is important in any curriculum.

"Whatever plan of general education we have should include some sort of quantitative reasoning requirement," he says. "The current one doesn't work. It's a shame."

According to Pforzheimer University Professor Sidney Verba '53, who chairs the Core Review Committee, he will bring legislation, including a quantitative reasoning recommendation, for a discussion before the full Faculty on May 6.

"My sense is that there's a fairly positive reaction to [QRR changes], among the Faculty and among students as well," he says. "There are a lot of controversial issues about our report, but among the students who have been concerned about parts of it, they seem to be OK with the QRR."

Sarah K. Hurwitz '99, a member of the Undergraduate Council, criticized the working paper on the Core because it rejects allowing students to fulfill some Core requirements with department courses.

She co-authored a report on undergraduate requirements that recommended adding a quantitative requirement to the Core.

Hurwitz says she has not met anyone who disagrees with the QRR proposal. Although some students might not look forward to taking a math course, they recognize the necessity of developing quantitative skills, she adds.

"Students are pretty much okay with it," Hurwitz says. "I don't think people are thrilled, but they kind of accept that it's important. Things like departmental bypasses are really going to be the controversial issue."

And Gary J. Feldman, chair of the physics department and Baird professor of science, says that the QRR will keep the balance among Core fields.

"Three of the 11 fields are in natural sciences, so it doesn't upset the distribution," he says of the new proposal.