Discussion of Tabular View.

The divisional committee appointed by President Eliot to consider the revision of the tabular view has already held two meetings and has discussed several propositions looking to the relief of the present congestion of courses in the morning hours. The committee is considering the question of the entire tabular view of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The chief difficulty lies in the arrangement of undergraduate courses in the College. The graduate hours are not open to serious objection, and, owing to the fact that most of the scientific courses do not offer any considerable number of electives, the Scientific School programme presents a comparatively simple problem.

In the College, the large and increasing number of courses, scheduled for the morning hours, causes more or less conflict, which it is claimed, restricts to an undesirable degree the free working of the elective system. Ever since the adoption of the tabular view arrangement, in 1881, providing for meetings of each full course three hours a week on alternate days, it has been increasingly difficult to fill the afternoon hours. In 1891-2, a third afternoon hour was added with a view to giving greater weight to the afternoon schedule. The arrangement then made is substantially that in force today. But despite this effort to balance the schedule, the morning hours have become more and more crowded, both as regards number of courses and number of students taking the courses. Thus during the present year, the ratio between the average number of courses in the morning hours and the average number in the afternoon hours is approximately as two to one. The average number of men enrolled in the morning hours varies from three to six times the average number in the afternoon hours.

Several plans for obviating the difficulty are now before the committee. One which has been favorably considered provides that courses shall be held hourly without break from 9 o'clock until 4 or even 5 o'clock. By this plan one or two hours would be added to the tabular view, and it has been thought that with a partial rearrangement of courses, the congestion might be relieved. To this proposal, however, has arisen the obvious objection that it leaves no intermission for lunch.

Another scheme is to move some of the larger courses into the afternoon hours, with the purpose of making these hours more popular. A third plan is to have an 8 o'clock hour, hold Chapel at 9 o'clock and then arrange the courses on from 9.30 o'clock. Aside from the objection that it might be difficult to get men to attend an 8 o'clock lecture, this last plan is opposed by those interested in the Chapel, who object to having the service placed between recitation hours.

The most radical proposal which has been advanced is to have each course meet on two morning hours and one afternoon hour. This plan possesses the merit of offering a sure relief for the situation; but it would involve a general derangement of courses and laboratory hours.

The committee will meet again next Tuesday and will report within a month.