Chalmers and Winthrop Students Suggest Curriculum Reform Plan

In the wake of Dean May's Dec. 1 announcement of a study on curriculum reform. Bruce Chalmers, master of Winthrop House, has revealed an extensive reform proposal he and a Winthrop House group have been working on since August.

The proposal would give students, through their Houses, the opportunity to circumvent concentration. General Education, and even course credit requirements in initiating their own plans of study. Specifically, the Chalmers group suggests that Houses be given the authority:

to approve interdisciplinary study plans exempting students from existing concentration requirements;

to authorize departures from regular Gen Ed requirements, taking a much wider view of what qualifies as "general education";

to initiate House courses without working through the General Education organization.

"We should admit the educational validity of certain types of experience not ordinarily regarded as classes." Chalmers said, "and regard familiarity with current social problems as part of a person's general education." He said Gen Ed should be an opportunity for "field work" and "aesthetic experience."

Need Faculty Sponsor

A committee of Faculty members, tutors, and perhaps students, in each House would approve the study plans and House courses. A student who wished to depart from concentration or Gen Ed requirements would find a Faculty sponsor associated with the House, and together they would present the student's plan to the committee.

"Our plan involves no increase in permissiveness." Chalmers said. "A student would have to present a unified plan, not just an ad hoc collection of courses to escape requirements."

The group of Winthrop House students, tutors. Faculty members and two Cliffies have been meeting weekly- sometimes with Administration guests-since the summer. Chalmers said Dean May's announcement this week had nothing to do with the timing of publicizing the Withrop study.

"When we began we felt that curriculum reform was urgently needed." Chalmers said. "Since then, it's become fashionable."

House Study Impetus

Mare J. Roberts 64. assistant professor of Economics and an assistant to Dean May, said last night that the Winthrop study was "part of the motivation to start the whole thing" [curriculum reform].

May said, in his announcement, that he hoped proposals would come from groups in the Houses. Roberts said May hopes to retain "an entirely editorial position."

Chalmers presented the proposal to a meeting of Winthrop House Faculty associates Thursday night. "Without the backing of the associates." he said. "the plan cannot succeed." The report of the Homans committee on the Hous-es. released this week, also recommended increasing the ties of Faculty members with the Houses.

Chalmers emphasized that his plan was not an attempt to deny any academic department full autonomy over its discipline. He said the House would sponsor a student's plan only if it fell within none of the academic departments.

Chalmers said he hoped the plan would be approved-either for Winthrop House alone or for any House that wished to take advantage of it-in time for implementation next Fall. Under the provisions of the Fainsod report, the plan would be considered by the Committee on Undergraduate Education, then by the Faculty Council, and finally by the Faculty.

"Harvard College has three great resources." Chalmers said. "its students, its Faculty, and the House. The Houses are not part of the educational process, and the Faculty members are not part of the Houses. This plan is an attempt to bring our resources together."