Dean Hanford Warns Of Ban On Tutoring

All undergraduates were reminded, in a statement issued last night by Dean Hanford, that attending a commercial tutoring school makes a student liable to "disciplinary action" by the University.

Prompted by announcements of reviews in various courses which have been sent to students by a tutoring establishment, Dean Hanford's statement suggests that any students in difficulty get in touch with the Bureau of Supervisors, a University-run department which serves essentially the same end with none of the harmful effects.

"It has come to my attention," said Dean Hanford, "that members of the Freshman Class have received advertising material from a commerical tutoring school. It seems timely, therefore, to call the attention of the students to section 14 of the 'Regulations for Students in Harvard College,' which provides that 'A Student is liable to disciplinary action if he makes use of the services of a commercial tutoring school, unless for very exceptional reasons, permission is given by the instructor in charge of the course in which he desires assistance and by the Dean of Harvard College.'

"This regulation," the statement continued, "was adopted by the Faculty because of the large amount of evidence presented as to the harmful influence of those who make a special business of coaching students in their college courses.

"Students who feel the need of assistance in any course are advised to consult the Bureau of Supervisors at 41 Holyoke House. The College authorities are of the opinion that the Bureau of Supervisors is prepared to give all the special help legitimately required by students," he concluded.

The University ban on "cram" schools was the direct result of a drive instigated by the CRIMSON in the spring of 1939 to eliminate the evil influence of what it termed the "intellectual brothels" of Cambridge.

These establishments made a practice of giving high-pressure reviews of courses before examinations, which were well-attended, and it was held that the sessions encouraged students to neglect their work since it could be digested for them and jammed into their heads in allright reviews.

The outlawed organizations also published weekly summaries of course reading, which were often inaccurate and misleading and the Faculty believed they did the students much harm. One of them was indicated by a publishing company for plagiarism, and was forced to drop completely out of business.

The Bureau of Supervisors was set up as an advisory board of tutors sanctioned by the University to assist students who had difficulty in adjusting themselves to College life, or who were having trouble with their studies