DROPPING THE POLICE

Although the highly significant changes, which were announced yesterday at University Hall, will leave the undergraduate body, harrowed by examinations, in a slightly dazed condition, they augur well for a more liberal education. The abolition for upperclassmen of hour examinations, the cancellation of their compulsory attendance at classes, and the relaxation of probation all point in one direction; the Harvard undergraduate shall become a responsible student. Upon him alone will depend the success or failure of his college curriculum.

Two important questions present themselves for solution. First of all, is the ordinary undergraduate capable of handing such freedom, and secondly, what changes should be made in secondary school theories to adapt themselves to such an innovation? There is undoubtedly a large portion of the student body who will not shoulder their new burdens. Those men who are at College solely to have a good time will continue to squander away the year from an educational standpoint and will rely even more strongly on tutoring schools before the mid-year and final examinations. If this group falls by the wayside, however, it is no indication the plan has not succeeded, for it is highly probable that no system can be devised under which they will get more out of college. And for the rest of the undergraduates the plan should be an excellent one: the time has certainly come when a man who has spent a year at college does not have to be mollycoddled. To obtain his education along the lines which he desires without reference to marks should not only be more satisfactory to him but also to the authorities. Anything which changes Harvard from a mechanical mill to a thoughtful center of study is commendable. This the changes promise.

Looking further ahead, it is important that these changes be extended to include the Freshmen. For the present, it would be ridiculous to propose such a regime for them because their secondary school education does not equip them for such a burden. As the CRIMSON has often reiterated, the flood of men who come from high schools and private schools to Harvard each year need to be treated like so many babies and in addition require survey courses which would best find their place in a school curriculum. This is not only wrong: it is a positive hindrance. If the colleges are to adopt a more liberal course, and it is to be presumed that the other large colleges will follow Harvard's experiments, the schools must turn out students capable of managing themselves. It is up to them to relax their stringent regulations and instill in their students a new sense of responsibility. When this is done, the colleges can carry out their share of education more adequately.

The changes themselves are excellent. While it is to be regretted that the restrictions on cutting classes before and after holidays were not abolished also in line with the theory of responsibility, the new policies point in the direction where Harvard should head. Admittedly, these next few years of President Conant's administration are going to be difficult ones, but the ideal toward which he is striving cannot be criticized. Yesterday's changes are another indication of his purpose to make Harvard a place where an intelligent group of men can achieve an education, not just a proud display of A's and B's.