English, Ec Theses Decline; Causes of Decrease Disputed

Fewer concentrators in English and Economics are planning to write senior theses this year than last, according to department figures released yesterday.

The percentage of concentrators writing theses in other departments remained the same or increased slightly over last year.

An English Department source, who asked to remain anonymous, said yesterday the decrease in the percentage of honors theses writers was related to changes in departmental honors requirements introduced last year.

However, Alan E. Heimert '49, Cabot Professor of American Literature and chairman of the English Department last year, said yesterday that most seniors who did not write theses this year had already fulfilled the course requirements of the honors program and chose not to write theses for personal reasons.

He said a number of students in the English Department entered the thesis program and then dropped out during the year after being admitted to graduate schools.

The reduction in the number of thesis writers in the Economics Department may in part by a result of a more selective screening of seniors who propose topics, David G. Hartman, head tutor in the department said last night.

The department won't assign a student a thesis advisor unless he is very serious about completing his thesis, Hartman said.

English and Economics concentrators in honors programs who had decided not to follow through on theses were unavailable for comment last night.

Among the departments that showed an increase in thesis writers was the Fine Arts Department, which reported 65 per cent of seniors were planning theses, an increase of 12 per cent over last year.

Sixty-three per cent of seniors concentrating in the Government Department are reported to be writing theses, while the History Department reported that 55 per cent of its senior concentrators planned theses.

The honor majors reported the highest percentages of thesis writers. The History and Literature and History of Science committees reported all of their seniors planned theses. The Social Studies committee reported over 75 per cent of the senior concentrators had proposed theses.