Series of Sex Lectures Opens; May Become Course Next Fall

A series of six lectures on the physiology and psychology of sex, which opened Tuesday night at the Science Center, may be offered as a non-credit course here next year if the committee organizing it decides there is enough student interest.

Modelled after an extremely popular non-credit course given in New Haven by Dr. Philip Sarrel, a member of the Yale Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology the loosely-structured series will take a personal approach to the subject by supplementing each lecture with eight small discussion groups led by student volunteers.

Section leaders will assess student response to the series to determine the likelihood of structuring a fuller course next year, Judith Walzer, Director of the Office of Women's Education and a member of the organizing committee, said last night.

Other committee members are Jane Levy of UHS, Rev. William J. Schneider of the Episcopal Chaplaincy, and Katherine Kleeman '74 of the Office of Women's Education.

"We hoped this combination of representatives from different Harvard offices would remove the stigma which might surround a program run by just one of the offices," Kleeman said last night.

The Radcliffe Union of Students has partially financed the program with a $400 grant that will supplement revenue received from student admission fees--$5 for Radcliffe undergraduates, $6 for Harvard undergraduates and $10 for other students.

"Because all Radcliffe students pay RUS dues, we thought it essential to subsidize Radcliffe undergraduates," Janet Collins '75, President of RUS, explained last night.

Future lectures will focus on contraception and abortion, homosexuality, sex and communication, and psychological aspects of sexual relationships.