Faculty Members Argue Advanced Standing Plan

Initial discussion by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences yesterday seemed to indicate tacit faculty support of the Educational Policy Committee's advanced standing report. The group took no votes upon provisions in the plan, but decisively defeated two amendments to it.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences heard Dean Bundy explain the entire ten-point program for over half an hour, then voted down alternate proposals to sections four and five: on advanced standing of exceptional students and close tutorial supervision of these students.

Faculty veto of both amendments was no clean-cut indication that the Educational Policy Committee's advanced standing report would finally be accepted in its entirety, however. No votes were taken on any of the specific points in the program, nor was any final decision expected to be taken until later this spring.

Support for Present Proposal

The defeat of a motion to amend the controversial proposal advocating the admission of qualified students to the Houses as sophomores showed the existence of a certain amount of support for the proposal as it stands. The vetoed amendment advocated delay of any decision on advanced standing until after the freshman year.

The proposal to offer sophomore standing to students who receive advanced placement in three or more courses is still much debated. Though some faculty members seemed to favor the provisions to eliminate course requirements for qualified students, men like J. Douglas Bush, professor of English and member of the policy committee, spoke strongly against giving these students actual sophomore standing.

Veto Limitation

The faculty further affirmed its support of a broad general study program, even for the advanced student. The proposed change to section five of the program would have permitted course reductions only for those students under careful tutorial supervision. But the faculty vetoed any limitation upon those students who prove themselves capable of dropping one or two courses.

Discussions of the plan will continue at monthly faculty meetings until a final decision is reached. Yesterday's meeting culminated over a year of controversy and debate by the Policy Committee in formulating the plan.