Scholastic Gains Notable at Annex, President Claims

President Wilbur K. Jordan of Radcliffe, in his 1955-56 annual report to the Trustees of the College, cited a rise in the quality of Annex students' work as "the most important development in the academic year." Annual reports of all Radcliffe administrative officials were mailed to the trustees yesterday.

Jordan referred to the report of Wilma A. Kerby-Miller, Dean of Instruction, as evidence of rising academic attainments. Dean Kerby-Miller revealed that 52 percent of Radcliffe's students were on the dean's list during the 1955-56 school year. She noted particularly the achievement of this year's junior class, of which 58 percent received dean's list ranking as sophomores.

Jordan warned, however, against judging academic standards entirely in terms of rank lists.

As another indication of scholastic enthusiasm, Jordan noted that an everincreasing proportion of Annex students seek and gain degrees with honors. Forty-nine percent of the 1956 class graduated with honors, he pointed out. Jordan suggested that some re-examination of the non-honors program might be advisable.

Jordan expressed concern over students' increasing tendency to avoid the Natural Sciences as a area of concentration, despite a conscious effort by the admissions office to raise the average mathematical aptitude of the student body. Nearly 90 percent of Radcliffe undergraduates major in the Social Sciences and Humanities, with almost half the students concentrating in the three departments of English, History, and History and Literature.