Lewis noted that the change will affect relatively few students-most students with AP science credit concertrate in the sciences, and are thus already exempted from the requirement.

"I think the reason I am disappointed by this change is that only students are affected by it-it requires no more effort on the part of the faculty (except adding a few more students to a few courses), but it does add a nontrivial burden to the requirements on certain students," Lewis wrote.

Feldman said yesterday that he does not believe that the change constitutes an increase in requirements.

"I think of this as instituting a requirement that's already on the books," he said.

"It doesn't make any more sense to have a science exemption than to have a humanities exemption".

Feldman noted in his letter that about 200 students a year currently take advantage of the exemption.

Ehrenreich said yesterday that the plan ensures students will graduate with a broader understanding of the sciences.

We feel that students should come away from Harvard educated in the best possible way, even if they themselves are not interested in science," Ehrenreich said. "We believe that the courses we offer at Harvard are, in many cases, better than what people learn about in high schools, even if they cover the same material.