The report urged that first-years be assigned academic advisers in their areas of interest, so that proctors would no longer be required to provide official academic advice.

Undergraduate Council President Matthew W. Mahan ’05 said he does not believe that switching first-year advising will be easy, or that it was even a clear priority in the report.

“At this point, given the priority that the report has given to advising vis-a-vis things like the Core, I’m not particularly confident that pre-concentration advising is going to be vastly improved,” Mahan said.

NEW HORIZONS

In response to the increasing importance of science in the world, the report also urged that all students be exposed to a more rigorous science curriculum.

“Our undergraduates are living in a world of onrushing scientific and technological revolution,” Kirby wrote in his introductory letter. “[We] need to assure all of our students of an education in—not just an introduction to—the physical, applied, and life sciences.”

Support for this emphasis on the sciences is not unanimous among the Faculty.

“I don’t really care too much for the emphasis on knowledge, which seems to emphasize too much on sciences,” Mansfield said. “The emphasis should be more on permanent questions—a little more philosophy and less science.”

The report proposed a committee to examine the structure of introductory science courses and the pre-medical curriculum.

The report also focuses on enhancing undergraduates’ experiences overseas. In addition to the proposed distribution requirement, the report said that the College ought to work to increase funding to allow every student to pursue an international experience.

Faculty members interviewed yesterday were generally supportive of efforts to encourage study abroad.

“I hope that every undergraduate would have the opportunity to study abroad, even if it’s a fleeting experience,” Mendelsohn said, adding that “it makes us better hosts when people come here.”

“I certainly don’t object to foreign travel,” Mansfield added.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

While most proposals stand to affect all undergraduates, the review made several recommendations that pertain specifically to first-years.