After almost two years of discussion and deliberation, a report released yesterday proposed 57 major and minor recommendations to reshape the Harvard College experience.

Surveying the entire curriculum, the 69-page document issued recommendations from abolishing the Core Curriculum in favor of a distribution requirement to a mandated international experience.

The report also suggested that increased scientific literacy should be an integral part of a revamped undergraduate curriculum that will have fewer concentration requirements.

“As the report seeks to redefine general education, or knowledge in breadth, it challenges too our approach to concentrations, or knowledge in depth,” wrote Dean of the Faculty William C. Kirby in an introductory letter to the report.

Formal discussion of the recommendations will begin in a Faculty meeting May 4 and continue through next year, likely culminating in a vote a year from now.

Several recommendations concerned first-years, including a requirement that every first-year take between two and four courses that are not letter graded and a suggestion that upperclass housing assignments be made before entering the College.

The report also proposed the establishment of an advising center, the movement of fall exams before winter break and the creation of a January term.

Other key proposals include the reduction of section size and required pedagogical training for new section leaders.

Faculty members said that they were generally pleased by the report’s recommendations, but that the language of the report left them unsure about what the specific changes would mean for the College.

“A lot of the things that are recommended are quite laudable, but they don’t amount to an awful lot. It still remains vague as to what will actually happen,” said Professor of the History of Science Everett I. Mendelsohn.

Professors have also pointed out that the proposed general distribution requirement, sophomore-year concentration choice deadline and the assignment of first-years to Houses before they arrive on campus all bring Harvard more in line with its peer institution in New Haven.

“Maybe you guys should think about changing your name to the Bulldogs, or change the [school] colors,” joked Professor of History Mark A. Kishlansky.

‘KNOWLEDGE IN BREADTH’

Heading the list of recommendations was a replacement of the Core with a more flexible distributional requirement as well as an increased focus on international experience and the sciences in the curriculum.

Students would fulfill the proposed distribution requirement by taking either Harvard College Courses or a set of departmental offerings in five broad areas. The offerings from the Harvard College Courses would be survey classes with an interdisciplinary approach.