Soc Rel 149 Section Leaders Plan Strategy to Retain Radical Course

Sectionmen in Social Relations 149, "Radical Perspectives of Social Change," will meet today to discuss a strategy for keeping the two radical courses, Soc Rel 148 and 149, in the department.

They will also discuss a prospective statement for the department meeting that will consider the courses on March 18.

The statement, drawn up by several Soc Rel 149 sectionmen after a weekend-long discussion, is a response to the resolution by Roger W. Brown, chairman of the department, to drop the two courses from the Soc Rel curriculum for next year. This is the first year that the two courses have been offered.

"From their inception, the two courses have faced continued opposition from some members of the Soc Rel Department," the statement says. "We believe that the present objections, and the suggestion that we apply to Gen Ed, are just another attempt to abolish it."

Gen Ed

"There is plenty of evidence to show that the two courses will not be accepted by Gen Ed," the statement continues. "Even if they were accepted, it seems highly unlikely that Gen Ed would allow undergraduate or unpaid section leaders, or other essential aspects of the courses."

The statement says that the aim of the courses is to examine in depth some of the major problems confronting Americans and peoples affected by the American system. "The argument that our courses do not belong in Soc Rel seems equivalent to saying that the subject of social change does not belong there," the statement says.

Last week, Brown criticized the course for the semi-independence of its sections and the lack of certified sectionmen.

Specialized Topics

The statement answers that the course is divided into specialized topics only insofar as this will aid effectively in establishing the kind of radical viewpoint on social change that is not examined anywhere else in the University.

"After serious efforts to find Soc Rel graduate students to teach the courses, we were unable to find the large number of people familiar with radical ideas that we needed," the statement says. "The lack of money for salaries made it even more difficult to find Soc Rel students to give the course."