Harris Urges Emphasis On Expansion of GSAS

Harvard should make its major effort to solve the expansion problem by increasing the enrollment of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and not the College, Seymour E. Harris '20, chairman of the Economics Department proposed yesterday.

Harris did not rule out any expansion of the College, however. Expressing his views in a statement to the CRIMSON, he suggested only "a limitation on increases in undergraduate enrollment to 10-20 percent in the next 15 years--say, 1 percent per year--and even then on the assumption that we can provide the necessary housing, library facilities, classrooms, and laboratories and medical facilities."

In urging the University against any substantial increase in College enrollment, Harris agreed fundamentally with Dean Bender, who said last week that expansion "would almost certainly move us in the opposite direction" from enlightened educational progress. Like Harris, Bender observed that "a strong case can be made for expanding the Graduate School instead of the College."

Complete statements by Professor Harris and Dean Bender will appear in the CRIMSON tomorrow and on Saturday.

An increase in G.S.A.S. enrollment would be especially desirable, Harris emphasized, because by training some 200 additional college teachers the University "could contribute towards the teaching of 3,000 additional college students." Such a contribution "would be equivalent to a 45 percent rise in Harvard College enrollment," he added.

Harris gave several reasons for a "restrictionist" policy on the enrollment of the College. He pointed out that "historically, Harvard has tended to increase its enrollment much less than other colleges in the nation." A restricted admissions policy can foster "improving quality" in the student body, he added. Harris also noted that "rumors of a rise in tuition have been circulating," and asserted that such a cost increase "may result in a decline of quality if not accompanied by restrictions of entry."