Freshman Joint Instruction Asked; Faculty Debates Language Change

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences yesterday passed a resolution to petition the governing boards of Harvard and Radcliffe to extend joint education to selected courses which are regularly open to Freshmen.

The resolution must be passed by both governing boards before it takes effect, but a faculty recommendation on joint instruction has never failed to receive the higher approval which is necessary to make it valid.

Extension of Harvard's modified co-education to freshman classes is an addition to a string of events, begun in 1943, which has been bringing the two colleges closer together academically.

Although the idea met with little opposition at the faculty meeting, several members of the faculty, when contacted last night, were somewhat lackadaisical in their acceptance, stating, "Since there is so much of it already, I don't see why it should stop here."

Course Recommendations

The new ruling would require the various departments of the college to recommend the courses in their department which they believe should be open to joint instruction to the Committee on Educational Policy, and this body would in turn base its decisions on the "pedagogical effectiveness of joint instruction" in the particular cases.

Although there is no way to determine what courses would be suggested before full departmental meetings, a survey of the chairmen of the various departments last night revealed that practically all basic courses would be recommended for inclusion of Radcliffe students.

Government 1, according to Arthur N. Holcombe '06, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government and co-chairman of the course, would open its lectures to the 'Cliffe dwellers, but would stop short of joint instruction in the sections.

Radcliffe Dean Sherman indicated that the Annex will welcome the new move. "Probably Radcliffe will not interpose any objection to further merging of courses if the governing board deems it necessary," she said. "I don't think there will be any protest from the Radcliffe Administrative Council," she added.

When joint education was introduced in 1943 the Harvard administration commented that a clear-cut divorce of Harvard-Radcliffe academic relations would mean the destruction of Radcliffe as a first class college.

Although the original agreement called only for juniors, seniors, and graduate students to be admitted to Harvard courses, the present relationship slowly evolved. As it now stands, the Harvard faculty determines course offerings, assigns instructors, periodically checks 'Cliffe admissions policies and makes the recommendations for degrees. This is done for a sum of between 80 and 85 percent of the total Radcliffe tuition