Proposed Changes For Magnas, Cums Will Go to Faculty

The Faculty Council yesterday adopted an amendment to the honors regulations passed in February by the Faculty that in effect calls for a return to the old standards for cum laude and magna degrees, except with a higher minimum grade level.

The resolution--which goes before the Faculty later this month--would require candidates for magnas to have at least Bs in two-thirds of their letter-graded courses outside their field of concentration.

Candidates for cum laude degrees, under the proposal, would need B-'s or above in two-thirds of their letter-graded courses outside their field of concentration.

Under the proposal, unexcused absences and failing grades in any course--whether or not the student took it on a letter-graded basis--would be considered a letter grade.

No Comprende

The registrar has interpreted the standards that are in effect until July, 1977, to mean that candidates for magna must have C's or above in two-thirds of their letter-graded non-concentration courses. Candidates for cum laude degrees need C-'s or above in the same number of non-concentration courses.

Francis M. Pipkin, associate dean of the Faculty for the Colleges and chairman of the ad hoc Committee on Honors, said yesterday the committee found the rules passed this semester--which go into effect in 1977--inadequate because they do not consider pass-fail courses neutral in honors calculations.

Instead, pass-fail grades are calculated as failing grades under the legislation as it now stands.

Pipkin said he believes the Faculty Council adopted this proposal rather than another which would have set a minimum number of honors grades required for magnas and cums because the proportional system is "more familiar."

If applied to the transcripts of the Class of 1975, Pipkin said, the new proposal would change the number of magna and cum laude degrees that were actually awarded "only very slightly."

The Administrative Board voted in favor of this amendment Tuesday, Pipkin said. Dean Whitlock, chairman of the ad board, was unavailable for comment last night