"TO BE OMITTED"

In sins of omission, the latest. Announcement of the Courses of Instruction has brought not a few disappointments to Juniors who had hoped to round off their college studies with certain courses there given out as in the "To be omitted" class. If in this respect the current Announcement were unique, it might be given only passing mention; but it is not.

Granted that courses have to be omitted sometimes, is there no way by which undergraduates could obtain advance information of the fact in time to plan their work accordingly? In some departments a system has been evolved which to a large extent meets this situation; in others, either there is no such system or no easily available method of knowing its intricacies.

A solution which would completely avoid the difficulty is made impossible by the human factor involved; but a partial avoidance would not seem to be beyond the limit of attainment. The exactness now strived for in the Announcement constitutes one obstacle which might easily be overcome. If, in regard to courses which may not be given each year, some statement of probability could be made, the responsibility would be shifted to the student. For example, if a certain course were announced this year as "probably omitted in 1924-25", those wishing to take that course would have to take the statement at its face value, and lay corresponding plans. Some such scheme, exemplified by complete notes on definitely foreseen omissions--regular, alternating or irregular--would go a long way towards lessening the frequency and severity of upsets occasioned by the fateful "To be omitted".