Cum Laude

Although complete statistics are not yet available, it appears clear that no movement developed among this year's seniors to abandon thesis writing for cum laude in general studies degrees. The fears expressed two years ago, when CLGS rules were liberalized, once again have been proven unfounded.

Nonetheless, several departments remain unhappy with the present system, which allows a senior to drop his thesis at any time and submit 11 1/2 honors grades for CLGS distinction. Pressure may be put on the Committee on Educational Policy to recommend to the Faculty that the deadline for dropping theses be moved to December 1. There is also talk of increasing the number of honors grades required.

Both changes should be resisted. While some departments argue that removing the present flexibility will insure more theses, this may not be the case. Faced with disappointing results in the first stages of research, many students might decide to play it safe and withdraw in December rather than be stuck with an unsatisfying or impossible task later on. For many, completing the thesis would become a punishment for having been brave enough to risk committing themselves in December. Writing a thesis is not necessarily the best course for many seniors. While this is clear to some in September, others learn only by starting the project. Insisting that all theses started be finished, which is the practical effect of the early deadline, will result in wasted time, effort, and money both for students and departments, which have to provide tutors and readers.

Faculty members often start projects which are later abandoned because investigation shows the subject to be unworthy or unmanageable. Students should be permitted the same freedom.

The experience of both '63 and '64 indicates that CLGS has not become a semi-disreputable haven for those too weak-hearted to stay with their thesis. Instead, it appears to be a sensible course for those without scholarly pretensions or those for whom a thesis was unworkable. The current pre-requisite of 11 1/2 honors grades has not rendered the degree "cheap." Increasing this requirement would further discourage students from leaving the friendly and familiar surroundings of their concentration, particularly if freshman year produced several sub-honors marks.

One change the CEP should consider, however, would be the establishment of a uniform procedure for treating students who do drop theses. Since most seniors who take Tutorial 99 in their department need it for graduation, some department have used this credit as a tool to coerce those who want to take CLGS. A solution might be requiring a 5,000 or 10,000 word research paper for credit for one semester of 99. Students dropping thesis in the Spring would then have time to enroll in another course to meet the 16 1/2 credit requirement.